Yahoo Can't Handle the Truth

I was on Yahoo Answers the other day and someone asked a question about the locatoin of Israel and if it was located in Europe if it would alleviate the problems in the Middle East.

"What if after ww2 the allies took part of Germany and turned it into a Jewish Home land instead of in the?
Middle East would this have made much of a difference today"

This was my answer.

"I doubt it. Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people so that alone gives them the right to be there. The biggest problem in the Middle East is the one that Western leaders are ignoring; Islam tends to be a violent religion and has a history of preying on other cultures, especially when they consider those other cultures to be weak or lead by weak leadership. The first line of the US Marine Hymn, "...to the shores of Tripoli" recounts when Jefferson sent a contingent of Marines and Navy ships to North Africa to stop the Islamic pirates from kidnapping our merchant sailors whose only "crime" was not being Muslim. The Crusades of the Middle Ages were called on by the Pope to protect Christians living and traveling to the Holy Land who were also under attack by Muslims just because they were not Muslim. Unlike Christianity which was spread despite violence; Islam was spread through violence. Those big Mosques you see in Turkey; Israel and other places are built as Victory Mosques over the original (usually Christian or Jewish) religious sites. The Golden Dome was built on top of the Cathedral at Constantinople (the holiest place of the Eastern Orthodox church); The Dome of the Rock was built on the ruins Solomon's temple (the holiest place in Jewish tradition) A lot of the bloodshed in North Africa is Muslim violence against the black Christians who are also being kidnapped and sold into slavery (yes slavery exists in Islamic states). Until the Islamic fundamentalists stop considering the rest of us to be lesser humans there will be violence wherever they are."

Apparently this is a violation of Yahoo's terms of use because it was "insulting" to someone. I guess the truth about a history of violence and slavery just because someone doesn't agree with you; hurts when you are trying to pretend you are the religion of peace.

Mayor of Baltimore vs Me - an email battle

Email exchange between me and the Communist Mayor of Baltimore

As a student of finance with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, I can assure you that your plan to increase the cost of doing business in the city will not increase revenues as you claim below. In fact, they will decrease revenues just as Governor O’Malley’s millionaire’s tax did. You see, most people will try to get the most for their dollar and if they have to drive to Baltimore County in the case of the beverage tax; or leave the state in the case of the millionaire’s tax, they will. This means that not only will you not get the beverage tax, you will also lose out on the sales tax charged on any taxable items in the purchase. In addition to this loss, the owner will lose revenue from repeat customers and will be forced to lay off employees in the process. Because of that you will lose Baltimore’s share of the state income tax for the now terminated employees and the store. This may drive the store owner out of Baltimore City and possible the state thanks to the aforementioned millionaire’s tax. This will cause the city and state to lose all of the corporate taxes associated with a Maryland business, property taxes, et al and give the city yet another vacant building collecting dust. Those stores who stay in business with a reduces customer base will be forced to raise their taxes. The only people who will actually be hurt are those who cannot afford leave. So in reality, you are actually raising taxing those residents who are poor and living paycheck to paycheck.

If you really are concerned about helping the city become revitalized, perhaps you should talk to former NYC Mayor Rudi Giuliani who managed to revitalize a much bigger city that was is a similar situation some time ago. Or perhaps you can take a page from the President Regan/Milton Friedman economic strategy of lowering taxes in order to bring in businesses. It worked great in the 80’s; it will work great now. There is no reason why Baltimore, with its strategic location and storied history needs to be this close to the edge of despair but then again, they once said the same thing about Rome. The Caesars ignored the warning signs and the history, will you?

Also, why is it that Baltimore Mayors always decide to cut the police, fire department and other areas you are actually supposed to take care of, yet the parties seem to get bigger and bigger every year? Perhaps we need a mayor who understand what most families do. You first fund the necessities and if there is anything left over, then you fund the entertainment.

Bruce

Baltimore, MD

From: Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake [mailto:mayor@baltimorecity.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 1:34 PM
To: BRUCE NOWAKOWSKI
Subject: RE: A new beverage tax hurts those who can least afford it

Dear Mr. Nowakowski:

Thank you for your email regarding Baltimore City’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget and the proposed beverage tax, which I shared with the Director of Finance and senior staff. I appreciate the concern you have for the future of our city, and I thank you for taking the time to share your concerns and suggestions with me. Your opinion is important to me, and I hope that you will carefully consider and support my Comprehensive Plan to address this unprecedented fiscal crisis. All public comments will be individually reviewed as we move through the annual budget process.

An Historic Challenge:

Together, we face the worst fiscal crisis in the City’s modern history. Due to the Great Recession, our revenues have been hit hard while costs continue to grow. The gap between the cost of maintaining services and our expected revenue is an unprecedented $121 million.

$121 million is equal to half of the police force, the entire firefighter force, or the combined budgets of Health, Housing, Libraries, and Recreation & Parks. It is equal to a 36 cent increase in the property tax rate. If we don’t act to reform Police and Fire Pensions, the deficit will explode to $185 million. The City’s major revenue declines and cost increases include:

• Highway User Revenue (HUR), which funds road repair and resurfacing, is down more than $100 million (45%) since Fiscal 2007, including $60 million taken by the State to balance its Fiscal 2010 and 2011 budgets.

• Income Tax revenue has fallen nearly $31 million (12%) since its peak in Fiscal 2008 due to continued high unemployment.

• The City’s pension contributions and employee retiree healthcare costs have increased by $28.3 million and $23.3 million, respectively, over last year. Without legislation to reform the Fire and Police Retirement System, pension costs alone would grow by another $64 million.

Cutting Costs First:

In order to confront this fiscal crisis, we need to do what families are doing everyday: be realistic and honest about what we can afford and focus funding on core services that produce results. City government must tighten its belt and get more value for every single tax dollar. I started this process first by cutting the Mayor’s Office Budget by more than 10%, including a 13% reduction in salary expenditures.

For the first time this year, the City established a new “Outcome Budgeting” process in which City agencies competed for every dollar based on measurable results and efficiency. Outcome Budgeting promotes innovation and accountability. Priority is given to targeted, evidence-based services.

To preserve as much funding as possible for direct services to citizens, my budget will include $36 million in general savings by extending the Fiscal 2010 furlough plan, freezing pay increases, and implementing a new prescription drug employee cost-sharing plan. These savings ask much from our hardworking City employees, but will prevent the abolishment of up to 700 positions.

Making Tough Choices:

Even after tightening our belt, without some additional revenue, the City faces the prospect of closing seven fire companies, laying off sworn police officers, grounding police helicopters, shuttering dozens of recreation centers and swimming pools, slashing street repair and resurfacing, and abolishing 941 positions, 606 of them currently filled, according to the Preliminary Budget.

Some of the cuts we would be forced to make are simply unacceptable, especially those to police, fire, recreation, infrastructure, and health. We didn’t create this problem, but we have to solve it and do what is right for Baltimore.

A Way Forward:

To address this historic crisis, I developed a Comprehensive Plan to balance the City’s budget without drastically cutting essential city services or raising property taxes. The Comprehensive Plan would close the $121 million budget deficit with roughly $70 million in spending reductions (60%) and $50 million in new diversified revenue (40%) to fill critical service gaps outlined in the Fiscal Year 2011 Preliminary Budget. The Comprehensive Plan, including individual revenue proposals, requires City Council approval.

The primary objectives of the Comprehensive Plan are:

• Restore critical service gaps in public safety, infrastructure, recreation, and health.
• Avoid real estate tax increases on city homeowners and businesses.
• Balance the burden among residents, non-residents, businesses, and non-profits.
• Provide citizens choices to avoid new taxes and promote environmental goals.
• Prevent up to 355 layoffs.

The Comprehensive Plan will balance the City's budget, fully fund our obligation to public schools, maintain every single police officer and firefighter, reduce fire company closures, keep all community libraries open, and fund afterschool programs. A smarter, more efficient government and a diversified revenue stream will put Baltimore on sounder fiscal footing for years to come.

If all of the measures I am proposing are approved by the City Council, the following critical services that are currently underfunded in the Preliminary Budget will be restored by supplemental appropriations, with public safety, recreation, infrastructure, and health receiving top priority:

Public Safety

• Fully restore sworn police positions and maintain funding for the aviation, marine, and mounted units.
• Restore all fire suppression positions and reduce rotating fire company closures from four in Fiscal 2010 to three in Fiscal 2011.

Infrastructure

• Restore funding to resurface 200 lane miles (65 more than Preliminary Plan) and maintain the current 48-hour pothole repair lead time. These services are critical to fix the damage caused by the historic snowstorms.

Recreation

• Restore funding for recreation centers to the Fiscal 2010 level. All centers will remain open through the summer while a long-term recreation center plan is developed. Current recreation center funding is not sufficient to provide appropriate staffing, programming, and facilities at 55 locations. The goal of the long-term plan will be a smaller network of high-quality recreation centers that serve the entire City, with emphasis on neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of at-risk youth.
• Restore funding to open all swimming pools for six to seven weeks.
• Restore funding for twice-a-week trash collection in the parks, regular playground maintenance, and ball field preparation.
• Restore funding for youth football, lacrosse, track and field, boxing, tennis, golf, and fishing.

Health

• Restore funding for seven school-based health centers.
• Restore case management services for 5,400 clients through Baltimore Healthcare Access, addiction services for 85 homeless adults, and full funding for the Staying Alive drug overdose intervention and needle exchange programs.
• Restore the Senior Recreation Program.
• Restore funding to the Fiscal 2010 level to maintain animal control officers and shelter services.

Other Services

• Restore funding for vacant property demolition and stabilization.
• Restore Youthworks funding to the Fiscal 2010 level, adding 250 job placements to the Preliminary Plan level.
• Restore bulk trash pickup.
• Restore 12 Special Traffic Enforcement Officers to cover special events and emergency needs.
• Restore senior center staffing.
• Restore 311 call center hours to the current level.
• Restore public building maintenance.

These specific restorations total approximately $41.5 million and prevent up to 355 layoffs. I look forward to working with the City Council to determine how the additional $8 million in proposed revenue could be used most effectively. High on my list are important services that keep the city clean, including restoring graffiti removal crews, vacant property boarding and cleaning, mechanical street sweeping, and corner trash can collection, all of which are reduced in the Preliminary Budget.

Be Part of the Process:

Just like any family, a financial crisis of this magnitude has the power to rip us apart or bring us closer together. We must choose the constructive path of working together to fill these critical gaps in services to do what is necessary for our great city. Please work with me to address this unprecedented challenge.

The Comprehensive Plan requires City Council approval, and I need your support to protect our priorities and do what is right for Baltimore. Please contact your City Council member to share your thoughts as the budget process continues.

Visit www.baltimorecitycouncil.com to obtain the contact information for your City Council representative. All detailed budget documents are posted online at www.baltimorecity.gov.

Moving Baltimore Forward:

If the City Council approves the Comprehensive Plan, Baltimore can continue to make progress on core priorities, including public safety and public education, without raising property taxes. We can increase efforts to target Baltimore's most violent and dangerous criminals, reduce gun violence, and invest in smart crime-camera technology. We can reduce closures of fire companies to decrease response times. We can fully fund our City's obligation to public education. We can keep our community libraries open and fund afterschool programs that work. We can improve our network of recreation centers.

I've had the great honor of serving as mayor of Baltimore for just a few short months, and despite this unprecedented fiscal crisis, I know that Baltimore's best days are ahead. Baltimore will not be defined by crisis and cuts. We won't allow it. Instead, we will be defined by how we confront this crisis together, with honesty and shared sacrifice, so that our city can emerge better, safer, and stronger.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

Mayor

City of Baltimore

Boss Obama?

A lot has been said about Obama’s “star like aura” and the like. Those on the radio even jokingly call him the messiah due to his hold on those who really do not pay attention. I on the other hand, having been a child in the early 1980’s, have a slightly different perspective.
Obama and his whole crew remind me of the first television series I can remember watching (and still do on occasion these days). The Obama administration, with their aversion to so called “clunker cars” and rugged individualism; ownership of everything that isn’t nailed down and his pesky schemes; Obama reminds me of the TV show Dukes of Hazard or more specifically the main foil of the show Jefferson Davis Hogg aka Boss Hogg.
Snicker if you will but the coincidences are there if you expand them from a county commissioner’s relative power to that of the President of the United States. In one of his first acts as President, Obama took over the banks. Boss Hogg owned the only bank in Hazard County. Boss Hogg in fact owned just about everything in Hazard County from the aforementioned bank to the car dealership (GM and Chrysler) to the local watering hole and even the local radio station (fairness doctrine anyone).
Hogg has his bumbling right hand man, Roscoe P. Coltrane which has definitely be Joe Biden, down to the nonsensical ramblings they use when they forget the line they were supposed to tow. Hogg also had a never ending supply of generic henchman eager to help him in his nefarious ways and who on occasion were even too extreme for the boss; much like Obama’s never ending supply of czars, some of whom would make Marx wrench his left shoulder in order to pat them on the back.
Of course, Hogg always blamed his failures on the title family, the “Dukes” who somehow managed to foil his every scheme despite overwhelming odds through family, hard work and ingenuity much like Obama blames the Tea Party; 9/12 and related movements coupled with talk radio and Fox News for uncovering and spoiling his plots. In both cases those who believe the American axiom of truth, justice, fair play, rugged individualism and hard work are the enemy of the big government all controlling leader be it County Commissioner Hogg or President Obama. The only question is, will we see the equivalent to an orange ’69 Charger breaking up an Obama speech by blaring Dixie on its horn and who will be driving it? I am thinking of a caravan of SUV’s playing the Star Spangled Banner; the Battle Hymn of the Republic or another patriotic tunes. Driving it of course will be the patriots of this country; every one of us. Perhaps a better idea would for us to download the Battle Hymn of the Republic (Lee Greenwood does a great version) and play it loud at the same time the next time Obama speaks.

Redeclare your independence

“WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness – That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Governed…” Echoed throughout the world 234 years ago from the Declaration of Independence; these words began a message loud and clear to the aristocracy that a select few could no longer tell the majority what to do; at least on these shores.
Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and the rest of the Founding Fathers both remembered and forgotten, learned in both the annals of history and the morality in their heart, risked it all in order to bring mankind to the most natural and perfect state it could possible obtain on Earth, that of freedom. Not since the early days of Rome had the concept of free will been so closely understood and perhaps this time around even better as the results were nearly identical as the tiny collective of former colonies went from a rural backwater collection of farmers to the most powerful and influential nation the world has ever seen.
Unfortunately, sometime around the late 19th century/ early 20th century, during the period ironically called the “Progressive Era” another set of echoes from the past reemerged. Just like Rome fell when the aristocratic class began taking more and more power under the guise of helping the Plebs (aka the lower and middle class); the aristocratic class of America decided to do the same. Many of those thinkers were students of Karl Marx and his sympathizers. Presidents from Wilson to F. Roosevelt, including all of those in between, began using propaganda and over inflated crises, including the Great Depression, to garner more and more power under the guise of helping the working class (the Plebs of the modern era). Remember this is the only era in which Amendments to the Constitution were introduced that took away rights from the individual and/or the state within the Federal sphere. Remember the 17th amendment took away the State’s influence in the Senate by making their appointment through popular vote; prior to that amendment the States individual voice was heard in the Senate the Populations in the House it was done this way as a balancing act to inhibit Federal consumption of State powers as enumerated in the 9th and 10th amendments. The 16th amendment gives the federal government the power to take money directly out of your pocket via taxation rather than proportionally through the states as worked so well previously and the 18th told us we could not consume adult beverages.
While we have occasionally staggered back on to the correct path with Kennedy and Reagan and on certain issues with GW Bush, for the most part we have been shoved down this path that we should so eagerly avoid. A path back to tyranny, the same path our Roman brethren were blind to see and powerless to stop. While many of them were illiterate and their communication abilities limited; we do not have either excuse. Sure our public schools are becoming more like Soviet propaganda machines by the day but we have the best alternate education tools ever; and the best communication abilities of all time (internet; talk radio; cable news) and will continue to keep them so long as we protect the Bill of Rights as though our lives depend on it because our freedoms sure do.
This is ever more important in light of Caesar Obama’s recent actions. In no less than six months time he has managed to buy a majority of the banks, whether they were in trouble or not, and two of the largest manufacturing companies (GM and Chrysler) in the country WITH OUR MONEY AND NO CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY, thus effectively securing control over the nation in such a way that hasn’t been seen since the 1930’s and 1940’s better known as the heyday of Fascism. I am not sure if we should be comparing Obama to Hitler or Mussolini but there are more than a few similarities at this point in time compared to similar points in time from their reigns, so although I hope they are just coincidences we better hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Remember Hitler and Mussolini were both community organizers who came to power under the auspices of change on behalf of the working people. I believe it was Hitler, as leader of Germany’s Socialist Worker (aka NAZI) party who promises a Volkswagen in every garage and a chicken in every pot (sounds like spreading the wealth around). In fact the word Volkswagen roughly translates into the people’s car.
Also, let us not forget that Hitler and Mussolini just like Stalin a few decades before and Chavez of Venezuela half a century or so later began their rule by nationalizing the banking and manufacturing sectors of their respective nations under the guise of helping the people. Besides what does it say when Commie Chaves tells the public that the American President Obama is to the left of he and fellow traveler Castro of Cuba; and China is telling you to slow down in your sprint to the left. Pardon the parody of Jeff Foxworthy’s “You might be a redneck…” routine but “If you have the three major Communist dictatorships telling you that your President is too far to the left, then you might be on the road to Tyranny.”
It is a scary thought and one that I will fight to my last breath through every legal means available to me. I hope you do the same and together the country can be put back on the path back to where it belongs. Join with me in redeclaring your independence from tyranny because WE still hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men have and always will be created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, for which we will fight to preserve with our last breaths if need be, that among these are Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness, the right to personal property and the right to protect the above mentioned through the power of our voice and by our just deeds and actions– That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Governed and should be limited solely to those powers permitted to them by the words expressly written in the Constitution by a just and deliberate process as spelled out in the Constitution for the empowerment of the individual not of the government nor the false empowerment of those portending to speak for the faceless masses of the hyphen.

Obama the Scary

Is it just me or does the thought of a “President Obama” scare the living hell out of everyone else too? This latest escapade with “Joe the Plumber” is just the latest proof that this man should not be anywhere near any elected seat of office, much less the most powerful position in the world. For those of you living under a rock or who use the Main Stream Media as your “trusted news source”, Barack Obama after a speech went up to a man who identified himself as “Joe the Plumber” and asked him if he had any questions. Joe basically asked Obama why he thought it was fair and Constitutional for the government to take his hard earned money from him and give it to people who have not earned it. Obama’s response was that he wanted to “spread the wealth around” which can easily be translated to the famous Karl Marx quote, “From each according to his ability to each according to his need”. This is basically a scam that politicians have been using since time began in which the leader uses money he levies through taxation to buy support from the general public that always leads to an ever increasing amount of property and power going to the government and an ever decreasing amount of our inalienable freedoms being “granted” by the government. It has failed every time it has been tried, from Ancient Rome; to the first government at the Plymouth Colony to the Soviet Union and even the Socialist Countries of the EU (most of whom had 20% unemployment and a much lower standard of living as a result). Starting on Friday and now this morning (Saturday) I have been hearing Obama on the news channels saying that anyone who does not willing give up to 70% of their income in taxes (add it up and don’t forget sales tax and all of the hidden taxes imbedded in the price of the goods you purchase) to this power buying scheme of his is selfish. Selfish?!?! Excuse me Mr. Obama; I do not know if you are reading this but if one of your handlers is and passes it on to you please tell me WHO THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!!!????? To tell me that I am selfish because I do not want to give up an ever increasing amount of my hard earned property so that you can give it to someone who hasn’t done anything to earn it in the hopes that you can bribe them into voting to keep your sorry butt in office is not only a slap in my face but also a slap in the face of everyone who has ever sacrificed for the sake of this country from Washington; Jefferson and their supporters through Lincoln to my Grandfather’s generation and even this generation whether it be those who just risked some money to those who sacrificed their lives to ensure that America became and continues to be the greatest country that GOD has granted us on Earth. I am not selfish. No someone who works hard for their property and merely wants to decide how to best dispose of it beyond what the government truly needs for its Constitutionally mandated duties (i.e. the military; roads; and keeping the border secured) is not selfish. That is the very definition of someone who is humbly going about their business. The definition of selfish is someone who takes what they have not EARNED and therefore is not theirs in order to use it for their own purposes, including the buying of votes!!! BARACK H. OBAMA, YOU SIR ARE THE SELFISH ONE, NOT ME!!! I donate money to the causes I deem are worthy and that is my right, not something that you or anyone else should dictate. Further, although at this time I am not “rich” by today’s standards, I hope to be one day. I will be opening up my own small business once I am ready (and by ready, I am also using who is in the White House as a factor so you may delay this should you cheat your way to victory with your ACORN buddies). When I do open up my business, I plan on giving a few people some money or “spreading the wealth around” as you put it, in exchange for them “spreading some labor and mental capabilities around” in return. See that is how employment in this FREE MARKET economy works. One person has something that they have an abundance of (i.e. labor hours and ability) and a need for something (i.e. money to purchase their wants; needs and desires). They seek out someone who has the opposite problem in that they have some excess money yet have a shortage of labor hours and/or ability. These two people get together and they decide to trade with each other what each has in abundance in exchange for what they need. The employer gets the employees extra labor in exchange for his excess money and both are happy. This system has always worked well until people like you step in and mess it up. You come in and give those who need money but have an excess of time on their hands money. Therefore they have no need to exchange some of their time for this money. Therefore their time becomes more valuable to them and they require more money before they are willing to give it up. When that happens the person who still needs the hours will spend more to get them but in turn has to raise the price of the product that was produced with those hours (because cost went up). This means that the person they are selling it to have to pay more for it; which means that this person has to charge more for the purpose they are using it for or do with less. Either way it’s bad for the economy. Obama are bad for the economy and the rest of the country for that matter. People need to read the Federalist Papers as well as the Book of Revelations and then listen to you before they vote Tuesday.

America the Great

AMERICA THE GREAT

We have been in the “political season” for what seem like forever. Throughout the debate, especially in the last six months we have had the three remaining candidates, Clinton, Obama and to a lesser extent McCain; as well as their surrogates try and sell us the moon in order to restore an America on life support to “its former glory” through increased government regulation, handouts; and in at least two of the cases, increased taxation.

I do not know if I stepped into some sort of Sci-Fi like alternate universe where Kirk and Spock are evil or if the evil Kirk and Spock found a way into my universe but that is not the America I know and love. While I think that America in its current state has some short-comings and may be in a pivotal moment in its life as a country (which all nations have gone through multiple times in their span); I do not think it is on life support. Even if you buy into the premise that this little bump in the road is America on “life-support”, increased government regulation and handouts have never ever been the American way or the way that America proves just how great she really is.

America, time and time again proves just how great no not just great, rather how Devine she really is in the exact polar opposite way that our next President (whoever he or she is) may try to tell you is the way. The Pope touched on it in some of his televised speeches this past week, which he spent in America. America proves its divinity each time not through hand outs and regulation but rather by standing tall in the darkest hour; finding a way to pull that rabbit out of our Star and Striped colored hat and defeating whatever challenge was put in front of us regardless of its makeup.

Remember America got its start because it was sick of being bullied by Great Britain. Washington, Jefferson and the lot did not cower under their collective beds or go begging to the rest of the world for help. France’s naval assistance came after we proved that we could take it to the British on land and to suit their own personal agenda; not out benevolence of freedom (something that America does throughout the world today).

Nowhere in the Declaration of Independence does it say “Please be nice to us, pretty please”; nor does it beg for a hand out or a government program. Rather, it told the British Crown what America was about in a polite yet firm manner. It told that overbearing government that we do not need to be told what to do and can do better without it. Then just to be sure they heard us, we clenched up our fists and did what needed to be done. To borrow a phrase from former WWE superstar “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, our Founding Fathers “Opened up a can of Whoop Ass” on what was at the time the world’s largest military and sent that message heard around the world. That message was firm yet simple; We Americans do not tolerate overbearing governments for very long. And although it seemed like a lesson in futility we won. Not only did this tiny group of ordinary citizens stand up to the world’s largest army, it found a way to win against all odds. Furthermore it only took us less than two centuries to become the greatest nation the world has ever seen and we have not, nor should we ever forget or give up how that happened or why.

This winning against all odds ability and mentality is not an isolated incident. Whether it was the Civil War era, the Great Depression/World War II era or the Jimmy Carter Presidency we have always found the way out of our darkest hour by digging just a little deeper within ourselves to find that will we did not realize we had; and come up with a way to come out stronger than ever before. This attitude is reflected in the heroes we remember, not only the real ones like Washington, Lincoln or Regan but also our fictional ones.

Fictional legends often come out of the frame of mind of the populace that created and embraced them thus bringing them to life; so they typically hold the ideals and abilities that particular culture considers to be great in a larger than life way. The Greeks brought us unbeatable warrior heroes like Hercules and Achilles. The Norse brought us Thor and so on. With that frame of mind, think about the legends from American fiction that stand out the most.

As someone who was born in 1975 and came of age in the 80’s; some of the legends of American folklore that come to my mind are Rocky, Hulk Hogan, Luke Skywalker and MacGyver. Each of these characters, when seen from the surface, certainly appears to be different. Rocky and Hulk Hogan portrayed sports heroes who were able to channel their inner spirit and will their bodies into absorbing unimaginable punishment on the way to defeating their seemingly unbeatable foes. MacGyver was a genius who channeled his inner spirit and managed to use his guile and cunning in order to find his way out of tight spots and to defeat each nemesis. Luke Skywalker used his inner spirit (known in the Star Wars universe as “The Force”) not only to summon an indomitable spirit from within himself, but also to become an inspiring leader that was able to bring out the same from those around him (i.e. Han Solo) and have them join the common cause of defeating the unbeatable foe. Each of the above mentioned characters illustrates to us what makes America the country it is and that is why we remember them. Each one of them was able to hone that inner strength that lies within each of us and use their abilities to their fullest do what needed to be done and achieve what was thought to be the unachievable in order to obtain victory.

Most of the human beings throughout history have had two things keeping them from their true greatness. The first is that most forms of government actually prevent or discourage people from seeking their true greatness. The reason that the Soviet Union didn’t even last a century is that “from each according to his ability; to each according to his need” (i.e. punitive tax codes and government hand outs) does not breed greatness; it breeds complacency. For most of America’s existence we realized this; and even today I think a majority of us still do even if many have shrugged back into the comfortable role of complacency with hand out. Our Founders certainly knew this when they set up our form of government. One in which government had a well defined yet limited role in daily lives of the citizen. That is the main reason why we went from a small rural nation to the world’s greatest power, and an influence not seen since Ancient Rome, in an historical blink of an eye (232 years in the grand scheme of things is not very long).

The other reason that America’s greatness occurred is a little more difficult for most people to understand, let alone obtain. It is that inner strength that is found within each of us that “Super Power” if you will which allows us to run on all cylinders; where we realize and utilize that ability each of us has within which gives us the opportunity to be great and use it in the effort of defeating the undefeatable or beating the odds. Some people have it. Benjamin Franklin; Thomas Edison, Davey Crocket and Rush Limbaugh are prime examples. Snicker if you will at that last one, but look at where Rush came from, where he is today and what he did on the way there. There is a reason why the Liberals curse his name. Rush, nearly singlehandedly, took what was a dying medium and turned it into one of the most powerful forces of freedom and inspiration there is by channeling that inner strength we all have and finding a way to make his greatness work. Each of the other abovementioned Americans, as well as countless others, also found their inner spirit or force and figured out how to use it to become the greatest person they could at what they did.

Most people though, do not know how to find, let alone, draw from that spirit in order to pull the proverbial rabbit out of a hat and make them self the greatest person they can be. Most of us rely on a great leader who has found their inner power for inspiration, and that is the reason why we remember people Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln; the reason why we hold Eisenhower, Ronald Regan, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. in such high regard and will probably remember them for a millennia or longer.

They were the leaders who were able to foster that inner spirit or “The Force” within us en masse to do that which needed to be done to move the immovable object or to overcome the insurmountable force and claim victory. George W. Bush, despite his current short comings found his inner power from 2001 though sometime shortly after his reelection in 2004. The reason why his favorability ratings were so high for those 4 or 5 years was that he did what great leaders do. He took the tragedies that occurred nearly simultaneously, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; the Enron like scandals that came to light in 2001 and the recession which had been developing since about 1998 (give or take a year) and gave us the inspiration we needed to dig deep and find that inner spirit so we could battle both the immovable object and the insurmountable force at the same time. Look at the outcome. We have record low unemployment; the GDP and small business ownership are both at all time highs; Saddam and his sons are dead; the Taliban and Al-Qaida are on the run and Osama is hiding in a cave. Unfortunately for Bush and the majority of Americans, he lost his ability to channel his inner power which is a very important aspect of great leadership. I don’t know if it was fatigue or the constant undeserving criticism he received, but he did and when that happened his ratings began to plummet and the majority returned to that state of status quo.

Don’t get me wrong, Americans are not alone in their ability to harness their inner spirit. It lies there, usually dormant, within every single person alive past, present and future. Take a look at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, where King Leonidas and 300 Spartans drew from that inner strength, and every bit of their military abilities, to hold the Persians at bay long enough for the citizenry of Athens to be saved from the pending onslaught (and preserving what we know as “Democracy” which was in its infancy at that time). British Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margret Thatcher were also able to rally the British people into playing a lion’s share of the role when it came to defeating the Nazis and the Soviets respectively.

My point is that America and the American ideal was specifically created by our Founding Fathers in order to make it as easy as it can be for us to channel that inner spirit which I have been talking about, but we still need to be able to find it and harness it in order for it to be effective. Unfortunately, I do not see that type of leadership coming from the Presidency until at least 2012. I don’t see President Bush regaining it and his three heirs-apparent definitely do not have a clue about it, based on their past records. That means that the ordinary citizen is going to have to look elsewhere for assistance in channeling the strength from within. Fortunately for us, our Founding Fathers set up our country in such a way that even if the government leaders where lacking the ability to rally the masses, that there would be a way for leaders in the private sector to emerge, be they from the religious, merchant, elder statesmen, philosophers or another class of citizen.

Already some leaders have emerged in the private sector. We have the elder statesmen, such as Newt Gingrich who has developed his American Solutions think tank. This think tank (as well as others) is a great place for ideas to become solutions. Pope Benedict has proven that the clergy is ready to step up to the plate with his awe-inspiring speeches of hope and inner strength. We have great orators and philosophers on the TV, radio and internet such as; Rush, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. We even have merchants such as Wal-Mart stepping up to the leadership plate and creating solutions to problems we have. You know that health care crisis that the three stooges err… I mean Presidential candidates are complaining about? Well, while they are busy arguing about how much control government should take from you (not to mention money); it is already in the process of being solved. Wal-Mart began offering an ever increasing amount of generic prescription drugs at $4 for a 30 day supply, not to mention reasonably priced eye care clinics. They also recently announced and began offering health care clinics at reasonable prices. It is only a matter of time before others follow this lead and do the same. That is one of the reasons why the Government elites (the Left) like to vilify Wal-Mart. It is because Wal-Mart’s leadership proves time and time again the Adam Smith and not Karl Marx was right about how to increase the quality of life of the masses. That is where their leadership is shown through. If we have the courage to listen to the private citizens who are stepping up to the plate and take our inspiration from them while cultivating the next great American President and pressuring our current crop of “leaders” from within D.C. to mind their business; I think America’s greatness has a good chance to shine through for an eternity.

A Tale of Two Eagles

I would like to tell you a story. It’s a story that everyone should read and take heed.

There was a nation; but not just any nation. This nation started small as a colony of a much larger distant overlord. They lived a simple, peaceful and religious life while being the servant nation to this distant overlord. Until one day they had enough. This agricultural nation got fed up with being ruled by someone else and revolted. Eventually this nation decided to form a government not ruled by a single tyrant but rather a Representative Republic. In this republic each citizen got a vote and elected its leaders. The citizens formed the army and the elected leaded them against all invading armies. If an enemy dared attack them that enemy was defeated in such a way to make it a prime example to the world.

Merchants were free to ply their trade through the entire nation. All religions were tolerated; there was a single currency and this nation quickly emerged as the most powerful and influential nation in the world.

In time however those who ran for government learned that in exchange for a few “gifts” to their constituents they could get elected and once elected obtain more and more power. In time, the leaders would offer bigger and bigger gifts so that the citizens would look the other way while they (the leaders) took power away from them. Of course, these bigger and bigger gifts required more and more money. This money was obtained through an increase in taxes. Each time their thirst for power increased, the elected would offer more tax payer funded gifts and increase the taxes accordingly.

NOW LET ME STOP THERE FOR A MOMENT…

Does anyone who hasn’t read on know which nation I may be talking about? If it sounds an awful lot like the United States, you are partially correct. This part of my story does sound a lot like the United States. But this story is not about the good Old US of A. Rather it’s about the first Republic; the first Super Power; the first Eagle. This story is about Rome.

You see, Rome, like America, started out as a rural slave nation of the Etruscans who controlled and abused their “colony” much like we were controlled and mistreated by the British. Rome finally had enough; revolted; formed the first Republic and did all of the things I spoke about earlier.

This is where I will continue my story about Rome. See eventually they reached a turning point. Eventually they reached a point in time where the leaders took too much power and taxes in exchange for their gifts. This is when the Consul (their version of the President) became too powerful and became a Caesar (named after Julius Caesar the last elected leader of Rome).

Some, like Augustus were fair. Others, like Nero (the Bill Clinton of his day) were not. They would use scapegoats like the Christians (some things never change) for their misdeeds. Remember Nero fiddled while Rome burned, blamed it on the Christians and then stole if for the “public good” which was really for his own personal use (think about those people in New Haven Connecticut).
Eventually the Caesar gained so much power that people stopped caring about Rome. The provinces one by one got fed up with paying tribute for diminishing returns and broke off from Rome.

Then the unthinkable happened. Wave after wave of barbarian horde sacked Rome with no reprise. Tribes of Goths, Visigoths, Vandals so on and so forth. In the past this would not have been tolerated. Ask the Carthaginians, the Gaul or the Etruscans what happens if you messed with Rome.

Finally when the end came; it was not some great battle of the ages. No, we don’t remember the battle for Rome like some ancient Battle of the Bulge. Quite the contrary. When the Gothic King finally came to relieve the last Caesar of Rome of his duties; he simply told him to retire to his vacation home and that was that. Barely a whimper.

We, my fellow Americans, are like Rome in more ways than you can imagine. When that wise man said that “he who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it” had it right. Americans almost on a daily basis are falling for the very same lines that the Romans once did. They are giving away their freedoms (i.e. healthcare, school choice, freedom of Religion, property rights, etc.) in exchange for trinkets that they are forced to purchases via the tax code.

Our Founding Fathers, the geniuses they were knew this. They knew that Governments natural reaction is to take power, and the citizen who is unaware is likely to give it away. That is why they wrote the Constitution, which is a contract between the people and the Federal Government, that tells the government exactly what it can and cannot do. It’s not as the Democrats suggest a “living and breathing document” out of an Orwell novel. Because when the Constitution becomes a “living and breathing document” freedom gets smothered. They wanted a clearly written document that had no misunderstandings in it.

They also showed us the one and only legal way to change it with the Bill of Rights (a.k.a. the Amendment process). They were also clear not only about how each Amendment should be written (i.e. in its entirety) so that it would not be misinterpreted; but also on the importance of each Amendment based on their order.

For example, the First Amendment (i.e. the most important one) as read by the ACLU says that Religious entities are not allowed to have dealings with the government. They routinely try to force the government to deny the use of public areas by religious entities.

However, if you read the First Amendment in its entirety,

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof: or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (bolding added for emphasis). What this means is that Government is to take a blind eye to one’s religious preferences when doing business with them. This means that if a town allows Shakespeare in the park in June they have to allow a display of the Manger scene around Christmas time. If the town or state contracts out to private entities for its homeless programs the entity that is best able to provide that service should get the contract; be it the Catholic Charities or the Atheist’s against America.

By the way John McCain; The First Amendment also outlaws the McCain-Feingold fiasco. For those who don’t know McCain prevents people from peaceably assembling with like minded people in order to pool resources and redress their grievances 30 days before an election (when most people pay attention) in the loudest voice they could find (i.e. TV).

That brings us to the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment was specifically put right after the First Amendment because the founders deemed it to be the second most importantone. The Second Amendment says, “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” (Bolding added for emphasis).

The Gun Control people will say that this refers to the State, but that is not even close. First of all the first ten amendments were known as the “Bill of Rights” meaning that they were rights of the People. Secondly, Article I, Section 8 gives the government that authority. If the Gun Control people were correct the Second Amendment would be unnecessary.

Rather, the Founding Fathers knew that the Gun was the machine of the free. They knew that if not for the Gun, they would still be under the thumb of their European enslavers. They also knew that the best/last protection against an ever encroaching central government was to be armed. A wise man once opined that the Second Amendment was put into place for when the founders forget the others.

Please do not get me wrong. I am not saying that now is the time for violence. I am simply stating that the Second Amendment is there as a last grasp which we will hopefully never see. Rather now is the time to use your mind; your voice; your right to vote. But before you do go out and learn about all the candidates; not just what they say or what the media says about them; but rather what they do and put it into historical perspective. History will repeat itself but only if we let it.