Government Illusions

What do you see? What do they want you to see?

This picture is a great illusion and example of how ones eye can trick itself. This image actually contains two women. One woman is old and one woman is young. Amazing, isn't it?

Our country's leadership is doing this exact illusion when it comes to the state of our country.

According to dictionary.com, socialism is defined as, "a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole." If you heard President-elect Barack Obama's statement to Joe the Plumber, you might recognize the same theme of "spreading the wealth". And yes, it is unconstitutional. But it is happening. The American people are so focussed on change and looking at what is good for "we the people" that we're missing it.

Our government has stepped in and "bailed-out" the financial and auto industry. So who owns these "means of production and "distribution of capital"? That's right, the Federal Government. And who is proposing that we make changes to healthcare and education? And who would be in charge of these "community" resources? That's right, the Federal Government. And with a President that believes in taking from those who are successful and giving to those who are not, (e.g. "Spreading the wealth"), will they not also be "distributing the wealth" as well? Yes. My fellow Americans, compare this paragraph to the above definition of "socialism"...what do you find?

And when socialism fails, what is next? Welcome Karl Marx to the United States of America.

Digital Television-What a Waste

With the economy in the state it is in, with corporation after corporation pleading with the government for money to save their investments, I have to ask...is this really the time to worry if US television is digital or analog?

You might be asking what the government has to do with this digital television transition. Congress approved releasing money in the form of coupons to US citizens. Each household in the US can receive two coupons valued at $40 each towards the purchase of the converter box. I've priced the boxes and you can get a nice box for $40-60. This is nice for the US citizen, because I'm only out of pocket for around $10-20.

So why am I complaining?

It's the timing. With all we have to think of...the housing slump, the war, the stock market falling, inflation, taxes, etc. is now REALLY the time to be focussing on the clarity of our signal? Is now the time to be offering who knows how much money to US citizens so we can purchase frivilous boxes? Shouldn't we be more concerned with people keeping their homes and providing food on their tables?

It's just a question and one I wish Congress asked before they approved this program.

https://www.dtv2009.gov/AboutProgram.aspx

A Poor Man and His Antique Mercedes

The other day I was volunteering at the local food bank. With the economy being what it is, the line was quite long. The people in line were hard-working American citizens that simply needed a helping hand. Many of them were laid-off or out of work; but some held jobs and simply weren't making enough to make ends meet.

In an effort to calm the people while they waited, I worked my way through the line, smiling, chatting, and handing out snacks. The line was quite long that day and wound out into the parking lot as people stood in the rain. There were men, women, and children; all of obviously humble means, and all feeling ashamed to being asking for food. I helped them understand that there was no shame in what they were asking for, and told them that they would be able to take enough food home to have full bellies that night and several to come. That brought smiles to the parents' faces as they looked down at their children who were obviously hungry.

I started back into the building when I saw a man in a beautifully maintained antique mercedes pull into the parking lot. I let out a small laugh at the thought of more donations to help these sad, poor souls. The man stepped out of his car, (worth more than probably the net worth of the entire line of about 60 people), in a tailored Armani suit, wool coat, and leather gloves, with shoes polished so that I could see my reflection in them. The man burst past me and headed to the front of the line, knocking a poor child over in his wake. I stood there in the rain; baffled, as I watched him talking to one of the volunteers at the desk. I made my way back into the building to find out what this man needed. As I entered I saw the volunteers loading boxes of food for this man. And not just some food, but all of it. When I questioned the volunteers, they stated that this man wanted the food, said that he needed all of it, and they were simply complying with his demands. I asked this man why he couldn't sell off some of his possessions and assets and purchase food with the money. The man replied that he had a standard of living to uphold and that although he had made some bad investments, he can't be held accountable and he would simply have to take what he needed.

He left the shelter with his boxes of food as hungry children cried, and adults stood forelorned at the thought not being able to provide for their children. Their Thanksgiving tables would be empty again this year.

Although this story is fictional, it perfectly describes how I felt when the auto makers arrived in their private jets and their tailored suits to ask for OUR hard earned tax dollars in the form of yet another government bail-out.

It makes one wonder where Nissan and Toyota and other car companies were the day they had this meeting in Washington...oh wait, that's right...THEY know how to manage money, turn a profit, and plan for the future. Isn't it sad that American businesses can't keep up with their global competitors? But hey, with an example like the government to reference, why not just keep spending even though you have nothing in the bank?

And so it begins...

Trade Deficit

These are my father's hands and they represent the United States. My father entered the Navy at age 17, served his country, learned a trade, was discharged from the service, and has worked for the same company as a field mechanic on heavy machinery for 36 years. Every single day, rain or shine, my father leaves around 5:00 am and goes to work. He never complains, serves his company well, and works hard for a living. Even when he was being treated for colon cancer, he would go to chemo or radiation in the morning and still make it to work on time...even put in overtime as needed.

My father represents a dying breed. In this country we don't know how to work and sweat, or use our God-given talent and able bodies. We have become a service industry country. We have ceased to use our hands. And it is because of this that we have a trade deficit. To put this term simply, we import more than we export. Now, this may not sound like a big deal, but financially, it is. Let's say that we export 8 billion dollars in goods and we import 16 billion dollars in goods, that creates a deficit of 8 billion dollars. And this needs to be paid. So, the American people pay it EVERY SINGLE DAY. In order to create an analogy, I will draw upon my experience in Papua New Guinea. Suppose I go to the market and I've made fresh pumpkin bread. The bread could yield me one dollar. Now, what I need is beef and the beef costs two dollars. Suppose I find someone who is willing to trade me the beef for the bread, but I am a dollar short. How will I pay that? Well if the beef merchant knows that I will bring pumpkin bread every week and the beef merchant knows that I am good for the money, he will probably continue trading with me until it is no longer financially feasible for him to do so. And the beef merchant also knows that although I may not have it now, I do have savings that I can rely upon to pay this deficit. So the trading continues. Let's bring it back to the trade deficit. The United States is an established country. We have great credit with the rest of the world. Although we really don't produce anything, (except scrap metal---which by the way is our third largest export), countries will trade with us because we are good for it. And they know that we have reserves in the social security funds and can use that to pay the deficit. And ladies and gentlemen, that is exactly what is being tapped to pay our debts to those with which we are trading. Eventually, the world is going to get tired of trading us "beef" for "pumpkin bread" and they are going to call our debts and we will be out of luck, money, and time.

The only thing that will change our country is to go back to being an industrial nation and actual "make" things again. We need to get our hands dirty again and start producing rather than servicing. It is sad that it is cheaper for us to import our cars than to make them ourselves. It is sad that our auto makers, (in the country where the auto was born), are asking the government for bail-out funds simply to pay the salaries of their employees. It's one of the last industries in which we actually work with our hands and make something worth exporting...and it's slowly dying.

How can we fix our country? Put our minds to good use and figure out ways to make things again. Create and build. Only through these two things will we build our economy and fix the daily trade deficit that is draining our social security and threatening the retirement of our baby boomers...people like my father who have truly worked their entire lives. If anyone deserves retirement it is the baby boomer generation...upon whose backs we experience the freedom and advancements in this country today.

My father's hands are cracked, scarred, and rough from work; but nothing makes me more proud then to see them and hold them and know that my life is possible because of them. He and his hands deserve retirement and if our generation does not heed the call and find ways to become industrial again, all that work will have been for nothing. And nothing makes me more sad than that thought.

After I wrote this post, my brother wanted to weigh in on the subject:

What happened? My Dad, who is close to retirement was greatly affected by this wall street mess. My dad has worked hard his whole life. Served in the Navy, learned a trade and has worked as a heavy equipment mechanic for the same company for over 34 years. He did what everyone told him to do, work hard, raise your family well, adore your spouse, save your money and put all you can into retirement. He followed all the rules that our country has told us to do. God, service, family and work hard. While all the fat cats are getting rich off of the wall street mess and all the congressman’s special interests groups are in line for the next bailout my dad is out working somewhere on a heavy piece of equipment at a strip mine, in the snow with 28 degree wind chills. My dad isn’t in line for any bailouts and he isn’t crying a river. He has accepted the fact that he has lost money in his 401K. You know what he is doing about it? He’s going to work and praying. My dad like many of us aren’t represented by anyone. We are the silent majority. Why are we silent? Probably because we would rather give of our time and God given skills to someone in need instead of organizing a “save the green lizard” fund raiser. We would rather spend time with our families instead of going to a seminar on how to get rich off the stock market. We would rather listen to our Pastors advice on how to best raise a good family instead of Dr. Phil. We would rather go camping with our kids instead of buying them the latest in video games and sticking them in front of the TV.

I’m convinced that the path my Dad has chosen is the right one. Here is why. He has been told by many Doctors he is healthy as an ox. Even thru colon cancer and a major back surgery he had last year he has fought thru what most people his age wouldn’t have. I saw his reunion picture, he was the only one that wasn’t 260 pounds with no hair. He has the joy of knowing that he does his job well and he can rest assured that he is one of the best in his trade. He adores my Mom, and oddly enough and contrary to the liberal patrons, I adore my wife as well, hmmmm wonder where I got that from. He has raised his children to love God, work hard, save your money, rely on no one but yourself and listen to your elders. I am truly blessed to have had such a wonderful father. He felt it more important to teach me about the value of the dollar than how to get one, he taught me that you should help people with your time and skills instead of just handing them money, he taught me to respect people and their opinions, even if you don’t agree with them, he taught me that winning the baseball game meant nothing if your weren’t humble and respectful in your victory and he taught me that no matter what comes my way I can always rely on God to help with my struggles.

I will leave with one question? What if every child had a Dad like mine?

Here we go....

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."-Second Amendment of the Constitution, Second Item in the Bill of Rights.

I may not be a politician, elite of the academic world, or attorney. And sometimes complicated information can confuse me. But when I read this, I feel it is pretty straight-forward. Simply put, (not that this is necessary), as a a citizen of the United States it is not only my priviledge, but my God-given right to own a gun. It's that simple. If I understand this simple concept, why can't politicians?

I am now speaking of our President-elect, Barack Obama. According to sources at the NRA Illinois chapter, Obama's team posted a plan on their "transition" website that detailed plans to enact four changes that would make it difficult for gun makers and buyers together. These changes include making the EXPIRED assult weapons ban permanent, repealing the Tiahrt amendment (the amendment allows ONLY law enforcement to trace guns to their owners), close the non-existent (but they say there is one) gunshow loophole, and enact impossible and expensive design changes all in the name of "childhood safety." (You can read the article at http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6192).

After the article was posted on November 10, and covered extensively by the news, this information was removed from the transition website. This is according to the Washington Times. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/11/exclusive-obama-deletes-agenda-from-transition-web/

So basically then, Barack Obama is not only going back on his campaign promises of enforcing the second amendment, he is refusing to admit it, in effect enacting these changes in secret. Well, I guess he did promise change...just wish the citizens of this country asked for specifics. Sorry, I'm just listening for the jackboots.

Guest Writer-Jeff Robb

Below is a posting from my brother and fellow-truth-lover, Jeff. His posts are like as my friend Mike says (alwaystilting.blogspot.com), raw or sushi politics.

We as Americans thrive on conflict and controversy, as long as we are not involved with it personally. Every 4 years as a nation we are given 2 candidates, which have opposing believes and ideologies. A Republican and Democrat are chosen to represent us. Who are these candidates chosen by, Republican and Democrats which are endorsed by the democrats and republicans that we voted into office, senators, congressman ect.
We do this every 4 years even though we KNOW that it is choosing the lesser of 2 evils. Why is it that we have 50 choices for Miss American but only 2 choices to run our country? I believe it is anchored in our government. They don’t want us to have more than 2 choices. The party lines are what separates our country. It keeps Americans divided. It allows our Government to easily blame the other party for an important issue not being handled. Imagine there were no parties. This would be a politicians worse nightmare. Without a party to hide behind then each individual would be held accountable and responsible for their own decisions. The politician would then have to make decisions based upon their individual beliefs, not what the party has spoon fed to them, or what is favorable in the party that they represent. Imagine how this would work in real life. What if you lived on a street where you had the “West” side of the street and “East” side of the street. The title alone would cause a conflict. You would befriend your own side and outcast the other side. Trash would be picked up on different days, you would use different landscapers just to spite your neighbors and you would have social gatherings that only included your side of the street. No one would want to live in this kind of neighborhood, but this is exactly what we have created in our government.
You would never see a defensive football player allow the other team to go unblocked and get a touchdown just because he was mad the quarterback threw an interception that put them in that position, Never! However, that same football team has all walks of life, black , white, gay, straight and yet every Sunday they have one goal, win for the “team”. They put all other issues aside and play for the team. Wow, what a concept. And what happens if the team leader doesn’t win a game that year? He is fired and replaced with someone that will.
Until we stop the party controversy we will NEVER have people that truly represent us. We stay on our party lines even when that party is wrong. As a nation we are ignorant when comes to understanding what each candidate stands for, we vote for president, congress, representatives and local officials right down party lines. I know one way to prove this, remove the (D) and the (R) from all voting ballots. Hmmm, very thought provoking, huh?
If being Republican or Democrat is so important that we allow this system to control our government, then next time I greet someone, or sign a contract or buy a car instead of saying hello, how are you, how’s your family, how’s work going, should I ask right away if they are Republican or Democrat?, nah, I will leave that callous, uncaring, thoughtless personality to the politicians.

The Media

Okay my fellow-Americans, what are we doing? We are allowing the media to determine what news we want to hear.

I went to Yahoo today to search for something and instead of seeing a news update about the meetings with President George W. Bush and President-elect Obama; I see a news article on which dog breed might be the official one in the White House with the Obamas. And yesterday one of the lead stories was which code names were picked for the Obamas.

Now to be fair, I don't really look to Yahoo as my main source of national news. But I'm sure there are those that could tell you the code names selected for the Obamas, but have no clue that China is authorizing a stimulus package that could have grave effects on the American people. And we let the media do this to us. We are satisfied with only bare-bones reporting and fluff pieces. We settle for mediocrity in media and let even national news reporters dictate which side we listen to...right or left.

We live blindly being led like lambs by shepherds of the media who couldn't care less if we fall off a cliff or are fed to the wolves. As long as we are quiet sheep who follow and do not create a debate or question the news we receive, we will not suffer attack. If you doubt the prowess of the media, talk to Joe the Plumber who simply asked a question of the President-elect Messiah and had his life investigated more than if he himself were running for office. And isn't it sad that we Americans know more about Joe the Plumber's personal beliefs, financial information, and actions than the man whom we just elected leader of the free world?

Stand up my fellow Americans, don't be lazy, do the research, and demand that we receive news that is accurate, relevant, educational, and unbiased. Until we do, we will see headlines that entail the fluff of which dog will be in the White House next; and not a word about our President-elect turning our nation into a socialist republic.

Uneducated American

I admit it...I'm guilty. I am one of millions of Americans that had dug my head into the sand and didn't pull it out for fear of knowing the true state of our country. I voted blindly based on party lines...I used to say, "When in doubt, vote Republican" and that was my stance. Only in this past election did I take the time to truly research who and what I was voting for; and what the outcome of those decisions may entail.

And as I realized how empowering it was to be educated and to take a stance based on facts and not on others' opinions and conjecture, did I realize that I could take this further and actually have educated opinions on things like the economy, taxes, and education. I could actually spend some time researching and know what is going on in my own country. It's interesting because what I have found is that although the information can be scary, I am less fearful because the truth is staring me in the face. And I'm still naive enough to believe that when people educate themselves on the issues, they can form an opinion, take a stance, and exact REAL change.

So, that being said, I will endeavor through my small blog here to educate, inform, and hopefully together we as a nation can pull our heads out of the sand, face the truth in the face, and make real change that will affect generations to come.