TEA PARTY I AM ...

In September of 2009 I marched in my first ever protest in Washington DC. It was a crowd heavily laden with baby boomers. For many it was an arduous walk down Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenue to the Capitol.  Posters, signs, and conversations with fellow marchers confirmed my reason for marching. The mood was anger over uncontrolled government spending, taxing, bureaucratic growth, and snooping into the lives and habits of citizens.  It was a legitimate and orderly protest,   we used trashcans,  left no litter, caused no mayhem and defaced no property.  In 2009 the boiling point was the then proposed plan known as Obama care.  However, it's wasn't just an anti Obama protest. Most presidents over the last sixty years have allowed uncontrolled growth of government agencies and overreach and their best intentions have floundered due to the inefficiency of government bureaucracies.

As the Reverend Wright famously proclaimed, "the chickens have come home to roost". The federal bigness and overlapping bureaucracies are now killing people and stripping us of our constitutional rights. Millions of Americans are simply fed up. Poor communication between federal policing agencies killed innocents in Boston, Benghazi, and Mexico.  Government big wigs always offer several trite excuses:
   
     a.  I wasn't aware of anything.
     b.  It is an active investigation and I cannot comment further.
     c.  I will appoint a blue ribbon committee.
     d.  It's all the fault of Bush, Cheney, and Rush Limbaugh.
     e.  The computer files on issues were accidentally deleted.

The real crisis for the Obama Administration has even pissed off the politically left.  Associated Press media types usually defend and protect their political favorites on the left.  Now, some mass media outlets and commentators are questioning the presidents motives and techniques in a number of questionable situations where truth and ethics seem stretched or abandoned. Also, the steady stream of hot scandals caused by  federal government errors are piling up faster then Carney can create cute excuses.  Nixon and Clinton flirted with impeachment, but the screw-ups of Obama will unfortunately be excused because of his skin color.

The current bundle of crisis es may get a few bureaucrats fired, ostracized, or jailed.  However, the political biggies will escape accountability.  I predict the root causes of  bloated government filled with  bumbling bureaucrats lead by bumbling leaders will continue in the short term. Maybe the elections in 2014 and 2016 will improve things or maybe lousy incumbents will be replaced by more lousy democrat and republican newbies.

The Tea Party is a leaderless movement which will not fill the halls of Congress because it lacks money. However, the Tea Party is a groundswell of Americans seeking major changes in the way the government conducts its business and treats its citizens. Despite the ridicule and inattention from the left, the Tea Party will survive and thrive. If the unacceptable status quo in politics and big government continues from the Kingdom of Washington, future demonstrations may result in citizens bearing more than protest signs.  Hopefully, the Department of Homeland Security doesn't buy up all the ammunition.

Ultimately, more citizens need to become aware and educated about our heritage and history so they can vote with more reason rather than emotion. Those who hate America should cast their fate and fortunes in the place they believe is a better place. The silent majority lives and thrives. The Tea Party and like minded groups and individuals will eventually produce better leaders and government practises.

                 

WE NEED MORE "LEGAL" IMMIGRANTS

We need more immigrants because since Roe v. Wade we have lost nearly sixty million workers, voters, and taxpayers to abortion.  Also, according to a February 2013 ABC news report, US birthrates hit a historic low rate in 2011 and this trend will continue. Given low birthrates, later ages of marriage, the LGBT folks, and morning after pills for teenagers, the number of new Americans born each year will decrease in the future. Because people are living longer there are fewer working people to pay the taxes needed to support social security and other government programs.

Immigrants have always been the lifeblood of the American economy.  From the forced immigration of Africans through the 19th and 20th century rush of European and Asian immigrants our nation has always prospered from the labor of foreigners. And the immigrants over time, including the slaves, have worked their way from the lowest economic rungs of society to the middle class and beyond. It's part of our system and except for slavery it's been a successful system for the nation's economy and our "melting pot" of citizens.

We need more immigrants to keep the engine of our free market alive and well. Unfortunately because of political corruption too many illegal new comers have been allowed benefits from the federal government. Democrats favor the cheap labor of illegal immigrants and curry their favor to increase their voter base while ignoring existing immigration laws. Republicans also favor the cheap labor but question an open border and the ability of government to indefinitely pay  for new residents and their families.

While Congress and the President grapple with a new immigration bill or a re branding of old immigration policies the need for more immigrants is clear. Currently there are not enough legal citizens willing to do the hard work and pay taxes. Sadly, for too many Americans welfare fulfills their aspirations and economic need.  However, immigrants coming to America and willing to struggle and do the tough work will find the "American Dream" in their future.

Over America's short history immigrants have always provided the fresh energy, innovation, and genius to guide our great nation.  Seems our current challenge is to craft new immigration laws that respect our prospective new citizens and yet preserve our national treasury and sense of fairness to all Americans.

WHY I WENT TO VIETNAM

I went to Vietnam because my father, family, and I trusted our government. At twenty I didn't understand the domestic and international politics of the situation. I thought burning my draft card or rushing off to Canada were unpatriotic things to do.

My parents set an example of appropriate behavior when our nation called for their service in earlier times. In 1941 the United States responded to clear attacks at Pearl Harbor and the Nazis in a major way.  I went to Vietnam because, like my parents, and many other family members and friends it seemed the right and proper thing for a citizen to do and seemed an honorable family tradition.

In retrospect, Vietnam was a civil war and we were caught in a cruel crossfire. I slowly realized, President Johnson and his generals were more concerned with geopolitics and less with military victory. Congress never had the guts to make a formal declaration of war. When the Jane Fonda's, John Kerry's, and media turned against American soldiers in Vietnam our efforts became futile and the body bags multiplied. Nearly sixty thousand including eight women died in Vietnam. Two thirds of those killed were aged 22 or younger. We came home to jeers and at best an indifferent public. We did our duty, but were burdened by the shame of losing an unpopular war. Additionally, a few highly publicized war atrocities and a rise in drug use among soldiers detracted from the heroism and dedication to duty shown by the majority.

 Veterans of Vietnam are old men and women now.  However, we must proudly take our place with the veterans of other American wars as citizens who did our best we could.  Like our parents we loved our country and easily and bravely sprang to it's defense. Sadly from Vietnam, as from all our wars, too many of my generation made the ultimate sacrifice or came home physically or mentally brutalized. Finally, many decades past the "conflict" Vietnam veterans are receiving are receiving the respect which is due all military old timers. 

Our military should react with total hell fire when our teritory or national interests are savagely attacked. If Congress declares war,  the enemy is identified, and we have a clear mission in place it should be balls to the walls til victory. Sadly, the last war authorized by Congress was World War II and all military engagements since then have been caused by old politicians more interested in politics and their re elections than the young people they dispatch to war.

Never again should we fight under a Untied Nations banner (Korea - 50000 Americans killed) or enter a war without a clear declaration from our politicians. We should avoid engagement in foreign civil wars lacking a clear threat to our national security. We must always remember civil wars are the worst. Our Civil War was the deadliest war in our nations history.

Ultimately, we must wonder if our politicians really understand the business of war and proper use of the energies, talents, and lives of the young men and women in our military ?  After decades, has our government learned anything from Vietnam and the numerous "conflicts" and "policing actions" authorized by Congress or the President ? Considering the military lives lost and maimed bodies and minds since the last formal declaration of war in 1941 it seems our national politicos just don't give a damn.  

TODAY'S NEWS OR NONSENSE ?

Last year three major news stories headlined on American TV, radio, newspapers, and Internet sites for weeks.

First, a jury delivered a guilty verdict for killer Jodi Arias. Next, more revelations about a Cleveland man named Castro and the atrocities committed against three young women in his neighborhood. Finally, live congressional testimony was delivered by the Benghazi whistle blowers; Hicks, Nordstrom, and Thompson.

The good news is justice may be delivered to a horrible Arizona murderess. Also, good news that the ongoing nightmare for three young Ohio women ended with their captor locked away in jail and soon dead by his own design. These two stories received breathless coverage on most television networks, many newspapers, and numerous Internet social media sites. The bad news, in my opinion,  is the scant coverage given the Benghazi whistle blowers. While initial television coverage came from Fox News, C Span, a few internet places and talker radio hosts, there was barely a whisper from most newspapers and the major A-B-C networks.

A few questions we need to ponder.

From an historic standpoint which of the three stories most effect the stability and future of the American brand ?  Are media businesses turning more to sensationalism and farther away from journalism ? Are executives in the news industry more interested in selling ads, and fulfilling an agenda of politically correct causes then objective news reporting ? Is the media too cozy and protective of our progressive president and his administration ?

Has the liberal media a template to protect Obama from criticism, punish anyone critical of him or democrats, and crown Hillary Clinton the next US President ?  Is today's federal government, as ruled by the left media and Obama regime, all about total control of the nation's direction ? Do they seek to destroy any dissent ?  Has our nation come under the control of poorly educated and informed voters manipulated and encouraged by liberal politicians and media moguls ?        

- PASSIONS - PILLS - PRAYERS

Phases of life in the key of "p" if you please.

PASSIONS - Fun activities performed in the early times of our lives. The phase when our youthful pleasures are never quenched. The great phase when superb sex, boundless energy, friends, huge platters of rich food, good smokes, and copious servings of alcohol and drugs grace our lives.

PILLS - The middle time of life when our passions begin to dull and fade in climaxes and endurance. The time when our physicians begin prescribing pills to keep some things up and other things down. Medications become the unfulfilled hope of better days. The uncomfortable period when our best attempts to revive the passions of youth end in total exhaustion or embarrassment.

PRAYERS - A constant quiet activity we adopt during our senior years. The time when we beg God to allow us the tiny joy of at least remembering our past pleasures and how to open the damn pill bottles.

It's OK as we traverse the Final Lap to revel in the dark humor of our frailty.

 

ARE OUR BASIC FREEDOMS BEING ELIMINATED ?

Not too long ago a third rate NBA player revealed his gayness. From the President to every media talking head the news was universally celebrated. Chris Broussard, an ESPN talkie, broadcast his opinion that gayness was a sin against the God of his religious convictions. In an instant, ESPN called his comments "a distraction" and followed the political correct agenda that a gay basketballer demonstrated "diversity". Broussard was forced to amend his comments. Also, does a racial slur by Paula Deen spoken twenty years ago justify her universal condemnation ? Why was Phil Robertson subjected to so much criticism for expressing his fundamental religious views of marriage and gayness ? Are our first amendment rights only in play if we say "politically correct" things ? Are the witnesses to the governments Benghazi debacle being denied their rights of free speech ?

Next,  the Homeland Security Department is buying tons of ammunition while President Obama and his supporters propose more and more restrictive gun laws. Somehow the very clear wording of the second amendment, "... the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed " is being ignored by a lot of political and media leaders.  How many crooks give a damn about obeying gun laws, or any laws ? What is the real reason our current federal regime wants to restrict the legal ownership of firearms and sufficient stores of ammunition ?

Agencies of the federal government can now track your every word on practically any computer, telephone, or other electronic device. As the technology advances, drones, conventional and infrared cameras can watch every move made by every citizen. Implanted chips may soon identify every human being, their location or medical condition(s). Are these scientific advances good ?  Do these initiatives take away your fourth amendment right,  "to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches ..." ?

Seems as we allow the federal government to gain more power our individuality shrinks and some of our constitutional rights are diminished. Perhaps we could learn a lot listening to survivors of the Holocaust or escapees immigrants from Cuba, North Korea or Venezuela .

EVIL IN THE NAME OF GOD ....

In my opinion, there is no God in any of the worlds religions of today or yesterday.

Religion is a man made item created to explain things that defy logical explanation. Organized religions are social organizations with doctrines, a pecking order of leaders, and a value system of behavior and practices. The leaders and rules are determined by the education, race, ethnicity, geography, culture, and social standing of the group. Members of religions are promised rewards of a peaceful after life, a reincarnation, a paradise, or a harem of virgins if they remain loyal. The main requirements are to faithfully follow the rules, leaders, tithe, and work to convert others.

In a fog of magic blended with blind faith and optimism, people are lead to accept the reality of fantastic people and events. Otherwise intelligent people are required to accept events and persons that range from downright silly to void of any common sense or scientific proof. Throughout history religious groups have become so zealous that acts of war and horror have befallen others in the name of God. The mix of religious fervor and politics has proven throughout history to be a particularly deadly combination. The Crusades, Holocaust, Reformation, Inquisition, and Jihads are  examples of the insanity and mayhem created by religious differences and intolerance. In my opinion, an element in most wars can be traced to cultural differences between people, and a critical element in cultural differences is religion.

Surely there is a Supreme Force or God which created everything and controls everything. I believe in that Supreme Power. However in my opinion, one need not associate with religion to believe in God. Religion demands a degree of surrendering ones free will and common sense to conform to a set of beliefs and rituals. While there are wonderful people, even saints, in some churches there is a larger number of members that present danger from their deep devotion which tends to intolerance. Over history religions have convinced too many people and civilizations to do war, rape, murder, and pillage in the name of God.

When I was a child my religion taught me my faith was the only true faith. I would get an easier route to paradise then all my non-Catholic friends. I was told it was blasphemy to consider the ideas of other religions. Like many, I became a church member as an infant before I could think of any options. Additionally, as a child my religious training gave me a bucket load of guilt and sins to consider in my every "word and action." I think my religious indoctrination was a typical experience many billions in the religions of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Hinduism have shared and suffered.

My advice is to believe in God in whatever form He or She might take, but steer clear of religions and houses of worship. Finally, I believe the real God is not a member of any religious organization and is probably very unhappy that His or Her good name is associated with the rabble of churches and religions that plague the planet.

                                                                  

TODAY I KILLED A BABY

Spring is my favorite season.

I like it for all the usual reasons;  fresh spirits rising after the gloom and damp of winter, the calendar space when new life and color bursts forth in forests and fields, and little creatures hatching  scurrying and hopping to life. It's a grand time and an occasion to thank God for allowing new life.

Last Spring after motoring for miles and enjoying the sights and scents of a warm day I made the last turn for home. I noticed ahead of me in the middle of the road a family of bob whites. Proud parents leading the way followed by a half dozen tiny chicks fleeting across the roadway. Naturally, I slowed and then proceeded after assuming all had safely crossed. For some reason I glanced into my rear view mirror and was horrified.

In the track of my right rear tire was a tiny lump. It was so small I never felt a thud. I had crushed a tiny baby bird. Feeling awful I glanced back again and saw the mother quail in the street standing over her dead chick. There was no traffic so I stopped and hollered to scare the adult bird back to her  family. She fluttered off the highway into the safety of the adjoining field and marched her family remining away.

The images was haunting.  Difficult to imagine that a newly hatched miracle of life was selected to die so suddenly. And, why did the tiny bird remain on the road once his momma, papa and brothers and sisters clear the road / Such a sad vision of the mother bird having some recognition of death standing over her killed hatchling. And, no way to undue the tragedy.

Nature is a cycle of living, dying, and survival of the fittest, but the incident was a cruel reminder of life's fragility and quickness. There will be billions of new lives this season and many will promptly perish, without warning or fanfare, after their brief twilight of life. In the grand scheme of things the little bird I killed may be remembered only because I've noted it. But is there more ?

The little bob whites quick death reminds me that life is a limited and precious gift. Therefore, we must party, honor, and embrace life at all times with great enthusiasm. Celebrating our existence and the lives of the people and other creations in our midst should be our joyous song for all our seasons.

Remember we are living our "Final Lap" and have no schedule when our light ends. Always honor life in all it's fascinating forms.

For God's sake reject convenience abortions. 

DEAR ANNETTE & MARGARET

In 2013 we experienced a sad day when we lost two very different and wonderful women who joined the heavenly stars.

First, came news that Lady Margaret Thatcher had slipped from life. Later in the day, news spread that Annette Funicello passed away.

Margaret Thatcher was the bull in the Brit china shoppe that shook England out of it's socialist funk. She was passionate and steady in her denouncement of communism and socialism. A soviet contemporary labeled her the "iron lady" either out of fear, respect, or perhaps both. She proved to the world that a woman could lead a modern nation in peace and war with great success. Despite the constant slings and arrows from the political left and a pitiful Hollywood smear movie, Margaret Thatcher was and will always be recognized as one the worlds great leaders. She ably joined Ronald Reagan in forcing the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Annette Funicello was the heart throb of the baby boom generation as a mouseketeer and later as a beach beauty. As a child star in the Disney empire she was forever perky, soft spoken, and cute. Wearing her mouse ears or in later Disney roles she was always polite and sweet on and off stage. Later, as the star of many beach movies she was the teenage queen of beauty and fashion. It was every young man's dream to date Annette. Daresay, it was every young girls desire to be Annette. Amazingly, unlike many female entertainment stars of today, Annette played it clean her entire career. She never played the slut, used suggestive language, succumbed to alcohol, or bounced around naked to gain and enhance her stardom.

In their own distinctive ways, Annette and Margaret were unique women who will be dearly missed and remembered for a very long time.  

UNTOLD STORIES OF VIETNAM - PART 2

NOTE:   Part 1 published August 8, 2010 - see Blog Archives.

Our company space was a sand pit of canvas tents surrounded by sand bags. The oval of two acres was further defined by twenty five foot sand dunes.  The sand was a fine powdery grain which swirled with the slightest breeze. Living in a sand pit surrounded by sandy hills was a continuing challenge. For the next year sand was a constant in our bedding, menu, hair style, outhouse regimen, and workplace environment. The sand was so soft wooden boardwalks were required to provide walkways. These boardwalks connected   the troop tents,  latrine, dining tent, showers, orderly room, and other canvas enclosures of the company area. The troop tents held ten to fifteen canvas and wooden beds. The tents were set in an oval which enclosed our sand rich company area. When we arrived in December of 1966 our uniforms were still the standard solid green  fatigues. There were no short sleeve shirts, short pants, lighter nylon jungle boots, or camouflaged wearing apparel. The weather was usually hot and humid or hot and dry. Sweat was produced with the slightest effort.

Each morning at 5AM the 516th would congregate in a formation of platoons to honor the flag, endure inspections, and screeching orations from Captain Tucker. Each evening before dinner mess the assembly was repeated. Men loading and unloading into diesel belching trucks also took place in the company area. Our early morning commute and late evening return from work was a bumpy ride. The sand streets were hardened by constant heavy vehicle use and the application of oil to the roadbed. The roads were defined by deep potholes in which jeeps and smaller trucks could easily get trapped. During the several mile commute in the canvassed rear of these rumbling trucks one would experience the unique taste and odor of wafting sand, cigarette smoke, and the choking mist of black diesel fuel. We worked six days a week and could work a seventh day if we wished. To avoid messy other duties and gain a few brownie points with my platoon sergeant I often worked seven day weeks.

Everyone worked unless you had an assigned duty in the company area or went on sick call.

Company duties were varied and did allow a change from the filing and typing at the personnel department. Our work  compound consisted of filing cabinets, typewriters, and mountains of forms and personnel folders. We were handling the financial and personnel records for thousands of troops all over Vietnam. There was no air conditioning so large fans blew the outside hot air indoors and blew papers in all directions.  Typical duties in the company area consisted of helping the mess hall staff, burning barrels of fecal matter from the latrines, all night guard duty with an unloaded M14 weapon,  manning the company orderly room all night, or making runs to the local garbage dump site.

Disposing of trash at the local dump site was the worst duty. This job required a few men riding in the back of a large truck filled with garbage cans brimming of discarded food, beverages and other debris. At the dump site bulldozers pushed the refuse into small hills and when conditions were favorable the trash was burned. The really gruesome part of this duty was the sight of hundreds of Vietnamese scrambling after the garbage. With their bare hands, discarded food was collected and sometimes eaten on the spot. The people were frantic in their pursuit of the trash and competed with each other, vicious sea gulls and black swarms of biting flies. There were children, adults, and old people in the melee fighting for the scraps. The stench was overwhelming. It was a terrible spectacle to behold. I wondered then, and even now, how God could allow a world to exist with rich nations and this incredible poverty. It was very clear that for many Vietnamese folk, the current wars and politics were insignificant when starving was a daily reality. Our military provided many jobs to the local population and made huge contributions of food and various supplies yet the overwhelming destitution of these people was an awful spectacle.

Then there was sick call.  Sick call consisted first of convincing your platoon leader that you were gravely ill. Next, one would be trucked to the medical aid station. There waiting in a long line you were dispensed aspirin unless you were bleeding, had a limb falling off, or needed an injection for one of those nasty social diseases. I rarely went on sick call because it seemed another army "hurry up and wait" routine to get everyone in a line waiting for nothing more than an aspirin.

Recreation was sketchy. We had an enlisted club where the beer was cheap, the fans were always on their highest setting , and the local entertainers did their best to impersonate Elvis, Dianna Ross, or go-go dancers. Drinking was popular in the early months as pot smoking had not yet become a major source of intoxicating entertainment. Sometimes we'd hike over the sand dunes into jungle thickets and find huge hissing iguanas and other slithering reptiles which encouraged us to retreat. Visits to the local villages were infrequent because one needed transportation and the personal use of a jeep followed a pecking order based on ones rank. When in a small town everything was for sale and a local beer was served that produced the most profound hangovers I've ever experienced. We had a few beach trips but of the thousands of men in the Cam Ranh Bay Area, there were probably only a dozen or two American Red Cross young ladies or military nurses. The beach was mostly a guy thing with a thousand GI's for every Vietnamese girl. We did have a giant USO show. The drama of choppers landing on a huge stage and seeing Bob Hope, Tuesday Weld, Jerry Cologna,  and other stars perform was an unforgettable experience. Church was a social occasion best used to catch a rare glimpse of an American girl.

During late 1966 and early 1967, Cam Ranh Bay was a safe place. Once in awhile we could hear heavy artillery in the distance or watch night helicopters spewing gunfire with red tracers falling in a downward spiral. In those first few months, Captain Tucker proved to be the greatest disturbance to our safe and boring existence. In the sweltering heat of a company formation, as we stood at rigid attention, poor Tucker would boom on and on about our need to be combat ready. One could almost see the metal plates in his forehead dangerously shifting and glowing as he blustered. Many of us realized he was desperate to have a heroic tour worthy of a promotion. Some of us worried we might be used to that end. Hartman, Sonderman, Peasley,  and a few other guys in my tent were genuinely concerned and considered how to best voice our worries to Tucker's superior officer.

However, once we received our promotions and pay upgrades to Specialist E-4, our mutinous conversations evaporated. Soon after our new chevrons of rank were affixed to our sleeves some of us were deployed to less safe places in Vietnam. But, that is a curious twist to my "remington raider" saga which would materialize in the coming months.  

MILLSTONES OF FAILURE

An interesting article I uncovered from "The North American Almanac of 1929", pages 64 and 65. Perhaps good advice for us all from many years ago.

MILLSTONES OF FAILURE
Finding the Bad in the Best of Us
1. SELF SATISFACTION - Lack of ambition.
2. DISHONESTY with yourself and others.
3. MENTAL INDOLENCE or lazy minded.
4. MISMANAGEMENT of yourself and affairs.
5. BAD TEMPER and a sharp tongue.
6. INEFFICIENCY on your job whatever it may be.
7. ENVY of others.
8. ALIBIS or failure to take responsibility.
9. UNDEPENDABILITY - Lack of self reliance and self control.
10. INACCURACY - Slip-shod and haphazard methods.
11. DISINTEREST - Failure to take interest in civic affairs or the affairs of your friends and employers.
12. TARDINESS - Always late at work, to meals or on social engagements.
13. INTERFERENCE - Just plain "butting in".
14. PROCRASTINATION - Putting off till tomorrow what you ought to do today.
15. ANTAGONISM - Inconsiderate of the opinions of others.
16. RUMORS - "Back yard scandal," spreading of false gossip.
17. RESENTMENT - Refusing to take advice and smarting under just criticism.
18. LETHARGY - Commonly called lazy.
19. EGOTISM - Sort of a human frog, a "blow hard".
20. FAILURE - Largely because of misfits.
21. BAD INVESTMENTS - The opposite of thrift and judicious saving.
22. PROFANITY - Alright in the army but not in modern life.
23. GROUCHINESS - A cross between bad temper and plain "cussedness".
24. WORRY - that saps your health and mental efficiency.
25. DRIFTING - Going thru life without a definite goal from one job to another.
26. DISCOURTESY - Failure to appreciate the rights of others.
27. UNTIDINESS - Careless and indifferent about personal appearance.
28. COWARDICE - "Yellow" in a tight place or moral situation.
29. WASTEFUL - Needless destruction of time and material things.
30. RETICENCE - Just a bit too shy.
31. IT CAN'T BE DONE - When all others fail this will sink you.

Curious, this listing was written by the elders of Americans who survived the Great Depression, World War II, and arguably created the greatest economy of the twentieth century.

WHY IS DHS BUYING UP ALL THE BULLETS ?

In a recent report, Alex Jones' infowars.com disclosed that the Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) has purchased 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition and thousands of rifles. Why has DHS refused to give Congress an answer for this huge purchase which could sustain a military force for years. Why ?

Is the obama Administration equipping a private military force ? Is DHS buying up ammo and rifles to deprive citizens of guns and ammunition ? Why does the Secretary of DHS refuse to answer legitimate questions from Congress ?  Does the Administration or DHS know of some huge threat to our homeland security ?  Where is the "transparency in government" that candidate obama promised America ?

Is there a Congress person or respected public figure willing to champion this issue and demand from the obama Administration a proper explanation  ?

SADLY, I THINK NOT !

OUT WITH THE DONKEY & ELEPHANT POLITICAL PARTIES

Is it time American voters shun both major political parties for a new political party ?

For decades democrat and republican lawmakers have wasted trillions of taxpayer monies, snared economic progress with reams of laws, and built a maze of expensive bureaucracies producing few tangible services or products of any value. Like lemmings voters are hypnotized by campaigning and elect unworthys on the emotion of a smile or slogan.  Rather then any loyalty to our Constitution or using the grey matter floating between their ears  politicians of every stripe use their office to gain power and enough funding to win their next election.  With a total disregard of any spending limits, politicians stand ready to fund any cause or special interest group to simply get a few more votes.

Rather then being an efficient octopus with many tentacles reaching out to states providing assistance and support, our federal system is something much different. After decades of ineffective leadership from, democrats and republicans, our federal system now resembles a giant jelly fish plopped on the Potomac unable to move or reach out to any states. This armless blob is sustained by a constant diet of taxpayers, their contributions, and fawning lobbyists.

I call this new political party The Common Sense Congress. My invention would amend our Constitution to allow a single term, five years,  for leaders of the executive and legislative branches.  After their first term,  incumbents would have to stand down for  five years before their next reelection opportunity. To insure continuity, the new rules would take effect as current members are up for reelection, retire, quit, or die.

A most important guiding philosophy of this new party would be to privatize all things the federal government consistently mismanages. Sell the assets, personnel, and services provided by the Postal Department, Amtrak, TSA, Veterans Administration, GSA, US Forest Service, HHS, Departments of Energy, Education, Commerce, Obama Care and, the litany of ABC federal agencies to domestic "for profit" corporations. Soon, the savings would be astronomical and the services more efficient. Finally, return more governing and rule making to individuals, the states and territories.

To prove the need for a Common Sense Congress here are a few recent Wall Street Journal story quotes:

1. " Congress wants the mail service to keep losing $ 15.9 billion a year."
2. "After spending nearly $300 million on a high-tech surveillance blimp ... the US military is being asked to give it back to the company that designed it. Last month the Army killed the project."
3. "Obama's missile-defense reversal ... a tacit admission that the US will soon be vulnerable to attack ... reversing a 2009 decision that was part of President Obama's fantasy of a world without nuclear weapons."

Simply stated we need to unload a bunch of jackasses and pachyderms. Lets find more folks with common sense, respect for tax payers contributions, and an understanding that the most significant role of the federal government, per the US Constitution, is National Defense.

BABY BOOMERS

Sometimes I wonder if all our national travails are the fault of my generation (1946 - 1964). Already there are occasional stories about greedy and self centered baby boomers. I totally reject the idea that an entire era of children born after WW II poisoned the waters of American "exceptional ism".  Most of us learnt  the value of work, worship, and responsibility from our parents, members of the Greatest Generation.  I believe a few historic events and small groups transformed the best decades of the twentieth century into the disorder we now experience.

For America the Korean War was an undeclared United Nations effort. We sacrificed thousands of our best men in a "conflict" which was poisoned by the geopolitics and vested interests of world politicians. Vietnam was another undeclared "conflict". Both of these wars involved warriors controlled by more politics than clear military objectives. Neither Korea or Vietnam involved all the people of the nation as there were never any clear security risks to our homeland.  Also, during the Vietnam era true news reporting collapsed and in it's place came a new media with it's own agenda of political views. Too many people gave up thinking and accepted the "uncle Walters" as truth sayers. Uncle Walter and the leaders who got us into Korea and Vietnam were not Boomers.

From the 1950's to present, politicians and special interest groups built upon Franklin Roosevelt's idea of a "Fair Deal".  Education, labor, welfare, home loans, civil rights, commerce, transportation, natural resources, huge tracts of western lands, and many other aspects of American life came under the control of  the federal government. Federal bureaucracies grew and  families disintegrated as individuals gladly surrendered their liberty and personal responsibilities for handouts. At the same time many politicians sought to capture more voter blocks  by appealing to any cause or group no matter how depraved. These same politicians saw more votes and power in dividing the loyalties of Americans by economic class, race, and ethnicity. Many of these progressives were not part of the Baby Boom generation, but rather members from the Silent and Greatest Generation.

Today in our America:  illegal aliens vote, every form of sexual depravity is recognized - even celebrated, millions of unnecessary abortions are performed, prosperous businesses and their agents are demonized, the Constitution is rejected, taxes are rising to pay for the dole, our national defence is slashed, our public education system ranks low among the world's other nations, leading members of the federal executive, judicial and legislative branches are treated as royalty, and our nations capital has become a Kingdom for Bureaucrats. All of these things did not go south because of my generation.

As a boomer I often wonder what happened to the world and values our parents worked so hard to give us. I worry that my grandchildren and their grandchildren will live in an increasingly unpleasant America.  I don't feel guilty since most of my kin and friends seem to emulate the qualities which built our great nation. Even as I recognize change as inevitable whilst the decades roll along, there have been too many bad changes in our society.  In my opinion,  I see many bumpy years ahead  for coming generations but I trust their knowledge of this difficult period will eventually bring America back to it's greatness.  

JERSEY BOYS - COMMENTS

Last night my eighteen year old grandson and I attended the Broadway musical Jersey Boys. It was a show highlighting the fantastic rock and roll of Frankie Valli and his Four Seasons from the early sixties. It gave insights into their difficult path from obscurity to fame and the the troubled personal lives encountered by  some of the performers.

Aside from being an excellent evenings entertainment, I offer several observations from our evening at Chrysler Hall.

First, before the openning act lights dimmed I noticed that most of the audience were old people. Seniors just like me. Lots of baldies and grey hairs with just a few younger folk mixed in. However, when the lights dissolved and the music began I sensed we were all suddenly 50 years younger albeit for just a few hours. In the darkness the clapping hands and  impromptu singing brought me unexpected tears and good memories of younger yesterdays.

Next, at the intermission I witnessed a new phenomenon. Waiting my turn at the restroom there was an extraordinarily long line of anxious gentlemen. I commented to several of my fellow baby boomers, waiting their turn, that my frequency of visits to the "necessary"  had increased over the last few years. One guy commented that, when traveling, the first thing he now searched out when entering a new town were the restroom facilities. After my visit and passing the still waiting queue a most unusual sight ! The line of ladies waiting to enter their bathroom was much much shorter then the guys line. This was the first time at any large  function I'd seen a ladies bathroom line shorter then that for the boys. Has the world turned upside down ?

Finally, after the shows closing encore, cheers, and generous clapping I asked Corbin his impression of this  rock and roll performance. With enthusiasm he commented, "it was really quite cool". Hearing our conversation as we were exiting a gentleman commented to grandson Corbin that he might even like the music of Mozart. Later in the car, Corbin asked me what rock and roll group Mozart belonged to !

Advice for Little Kim of North Korea

Little Kim of North Korea would be wise to look at history.

To enhance his world standing, and improve the lot of his people he should formally declare war on the
United  States and all it's allies. After a few days of some harmless and gratuitous missile launches he should  then unconditionally surrender.

Following the history of the United States in it's previous wars and conflicts we would then rush in and supply the North Koreans with their every want and need. We might require a few occupying soldiers for window dressing, but essentially the economy and culture of North Korea would be opened to all the wonders of the modern world.

Under the most liberal of surrender terms Little Kim would be free to take his wealth and escape to an island paradise or be given a tryout with the NBA.  The long suffering North Korean people would be deluged by trillions of dollars in foreign aid and quickly resemble a snowy Hong Kong.

STAND WITH RAND

Why can't President Obama and his Administration reassure the American people that his government will not kill Americans on American soil without due process of the law  ? 

Why are Rand Paul and just a handful of US Senators challenging the President on this important constitutional issue ? 

Is Obama a wannabe King George seeking absolute power over the  life and death of American citizens ? 

How long will American citizens, of every political stripe, allow President Obama to defy the Constitution ?

What can you do, what can we do to keep President Obama from totally destroying "American Exceptionalism" during his second term ?  

obama - PRINCE OF THE USA ?

An interesting tidbit from an old political classic of strategy. 

" ....I say it would be splendid if one had a reputation for generosity; nonetheless if your actions are influenced by the desire for such a reputation you will come to grief. This is because if your generosity is good and sincere it may pass unnoticed and it will not save you for its opposite. If you want to acquire a reputation for generosity, therefore you have to be ostentatiously lavish; and a prince acting in that fashion will soon squander all his resources, only to be forced in the end, if he wants to maintain his reputation to lay excessive burdens on the people, to impose extortionate taxes, and to do everything else he can to raise money. " 

The noted entry is from Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" written in 1517.  He claimed his book  was inspired by the devil.  In it's twenty six chapters he outlines the techniques which gave power to despotic political leaders. It has worked for the Italian Medici's and Borgia's to today's modern political leaders.  

The referenced quote applies appropriately to many American politicos who have risen to power offering all manner of largess to their constituents in exchange for votes (political power) . From Huey Long, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama we have suffered too many leaders willing to promise anything and everything to get votes. The result of all this 'Santa Claus' politics is ultimate taxation from a diminishing number of productive citizens. 

American voters must realize that benefits and things from the federal government are never free. It's all a bag of tricks which ultimately steal our economic freedom, grant the government total power over individual rights, and rob future generations of their economic liberty.  We must see the wave of European economic failures as a harsh reality which may soon visit our shores. 

The ancient  treatise of Machiavelli offers many lessons on how politicians gain unlimited power.  It is the Bible of realpolitik and to curb it's practice by some of our leaders we have few remaining resources. Vote wisely, and maintain your second amendment rights !   

THE KINGDOM OF DC ...

Like most Americans I am weary and angry with our federal government bureaucrats, Congress, and the President. Obama is running the country like a campaign going from place to place generating class warfare and blaming his failures on rich people, Bush, the weather,  and anything republican or tea party.

The current crisis de'jour is the miserable failure of Obamacare. Earlier it was sequestration, foreign policy flubs everywhere, IRS violations, and a continuing crappy economy. Amazingly, It was Obama, the socialist leader leading us into all these national and international misadventures.  Obama and the Congress are telling us the sky is falling, and the only fix is to pony up more tax revenues.  Rather than compromise, work creatively, and slash wasteful federal budgets,  Obama and his DC minions are jetting all over the country wasting jet fuel and spewing a lot of hot air. Their sermon is always a sermon that the only solution is unlimited spending which means taking more from the productive citizens and corporations of the nation.

In my opinion , to cut the budget look at the Kingdom of DC. There are nearly two dozen police agencies patrolling the tiny District of Columbia ! This silly duplication is the tip of the waste and fraud alive in DC. The great granite and stone buildings in Washington are full of overpaid bureaucrats providing no service or product to the nation.  Mostly, these government big wigs spin webs of new laws and regulations to interfere with the rights of every American. To justify their existence and expansion, they poke into every aspect of our lives and seek total control. The Departments of Education, Energy, Labor, Commerce, etc. do little to improve the nations education, energy, labor, or commerce. Our federal government is bloated, and it's time to return most of their useful activities to the states.

If republicans and democrats really want to improve the economy, lets start in the Kingdom of DC. Shut down many of the stupid ABC federal agencies. Require members in the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches work regular hours, and not be granted weeks of vacation and holidays. Tie their compensation to their achievements in balancing the national budget, cutting expenses, and following the Constitution.

It's time the culture of privilege, wasteful spending, and an offensive air of royalty be voted or kicked out of Washington DC.

     

TAKING THE ILL OUT OF ILLEGAL

The Declaration of Independence (1776) states , "they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness". That means we, the citizens, have certain rights granted from God not the president or king. Unalienable is inalienable which means incapable of surrender or transfer. This means God has given us these rights and government has no power to grant, withhold, or restrict same.  Indeed, the Declaration goes on to direct, "that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it ".

How much crime has come from old and existing laws restricting alcohol and drugs ?  How many murdered, maimed, and jailed souls have been sacrificed because our government decided a substance was illegal ?

As an example, the 18th Amendment  (Volstead Act)  made the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors" illegal. When this happened legitimate businesses were shut down, thousands of people lost their jobs, and serious criminals made legitimate businesses their black market.  Murder, mayhem, and unconscionable profits ensued until the 18th amendment was abolished.

As long as free men exercise their God given rights, without harming their neighbors, government has no role in dictating an individuals choices. When government gave up the 18th amendment the price and quality of alcohol stabilized. The bulk of crime and gangsters from bootlegging and moon shining evaporated. Our government has lost it's decades old war on drugs because the people who seek such substances will pay whatever price the black market demands and deal with dangerous criminals. Making drugs legal will reduce the price and stabilize the quality of substances.  Most importantly, drugs manufactured and sold in a free market will instantly eliminate the profits for gangs and stop all the related violence and  imprisonments.

Legalizing drugs, gambling, and even prostitution will not threaten society. Individuals will still make their own choices. Survival of the fittest and common sense will keep most citizens from drowning in a sea of depravity. Perhaps free of dictating morals of personal behavior our government can re-direct it's efforts and resources to declaring WAR illegal !