How Sequestration Will Affect The Military

     I am sure it will come as no surprise to you that I am extremely interested in the upcoming Sequestration.  In case, you're not exactly sure what it is, let me try to explain.  I did a lot of research, reading articles at USA Today and Christian Science Monitor, while trying to find sources that weren't politically-based or biased.  I finally decided that the National Military Family Association (NMFA) offered the most factual analysis of what Sequestration is and how it will affect our military families.  Here is their description:
     The 2011 Budget Control Act (P.L. 112-25) set up a “super committee” to recommend ways to lower the budget deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years. The committee failed. The law requires $1.2 trillion in lowered spending – half from defense and half from nondefense. Lawmakers have until the end of this year to reach a deal that would avert a budget sequester. Sequestration is a mechanism built into the 2011 Budget Control Act that will trigger an automatic additional half-trillion-dollar cut to defense spending over the next 10 years if Congress doesn’t otherwise identify spending reductions.

     According to the law, on January 2, 2013, the President must issue an order cutting government spending by the sequestered amount. This would mean almost $55 billion from the Department of Defense (DoD) alone.
     And after spending time with our Wounded Warriors, I wanted to know what kind of an impact these massive cuts in defense will have on our military.  According to a 400-page White House report,  "the cuts would result in a reduction in readiness of many non-deployed units, delays in investments in new equipment and facilities, cutbacks in equipment repairs, declines in military research and development efforts, and reductions in base services for military families."
     The NMFA seems to concur, stating that DoD funds that are not committed to contracts by January 2, 2012 would be subject to sequestration, along with possible cuts to funding for war operations in Afghanistan.  But they also admit that there is a lot they don't know, because the Department of Defense has not been forthcoming on how they plan to implement Sequestration.  Some of their quite legitimate questions include:  Will all programs be cut equally across the board or will whole programs be cut?  Will there be a downsizing of personnel?  Will weapon systems be cut?  How will this affect the economy and unemployment rates?
     According to The Military Times, a spokesman for the House Armed Services Committee revealed that if all programs were treated equally, every account would be cut by about 8 percent in January, 2013.  While military personnel are exempt, every defense program faces a 12 percent cut, they stated. And among the cuts will be $3.3 Billion in health care to the troops and $17 Billion to maintain and operate our nation's military services.
     Of obvious concern to me is that our military, who have sacrificed so much for us, are not denied benefits that they deserve.  Cuts in health care and family services are just not acceptable!  Then there is the issue of national security.  Millions are due to be cut from Aviation security, and programs and departments that protect and secure our borders.
     It is apparent to anyone with half a brain, that our nation is in deep financial trouble, and that we are going to have to suffer some pain in order to dig ourselves out of this debt debacle.  But raising taxes while cutting defense spending is not the answer!  In case anyone in the Government and the Pentagon has noticed, the Middle East is on fire, and the United States is dead center in the sights of radical extremists.  Sacrificing national security and weapons programs in favor of social entitlement programs is a path to national ruin.
     Perhaps the most distressful aspect of this whole situation is the uncertainty of it all.  No one in the Government is forthcoming about details.  Which can't be good for us, right?  Is this just another "You'll just have to wait to see what is in the Bill" moment?  The readiness of our armed forces should not be in question.  Nor should their medical care or family support programs.  But the bottom line is this:  it's time for stability.  The military forces need to know how they will fight their battles; their families need to know they will be taken care of; and the citizens of this nation need to know our leaders will stop at nothing to preserve this country.  Let's pray that character and honor have not perished among our elected officials.

Proverbs 3:21     "My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion..."
   
   
   

I Can Be Silent No Longer!

     For a few weeks now, I have had my suspicions about the truth behind the Benghazi, Libya debacle, but was reluctant to spread rumors or theories.  But as of yesterday, the lid has been blown off this scandalous betrayal of true American heroes.  The father of slain Navy Seal, Tyrone Woods, has come forward to reveal facts that the White House (and I believe, the media) has concealed.
     This is not a knee-jerk reaction from a grieving father.  Charles Woods took his time before deciding  that his son's death could not go unanswered.  Our special operations warriors are intensely honorable men, and I'm sure Charles Woods wanted to proceed in a manner that would show respect for his son.

     By now, you must be aware of the facts that are coming to light:  1) Ambassador Stevens felt that he was on an Al Queda "hit list", and let it be known that security was not adequate;  2)  There is a still-evolving storyline that indicates the U.S. is involved with supplying arms to Al Queda affiliates in Syria to topple Assad;  3)  As our Al Queda go-betweens in Libya began their attack on the safe house, there were three requests for military back-up.  Former Navy Seals Woods and Dougherty, arrived as part of separate groups to try and rescue Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith, even though they were told to "stand down";  4)  Those requests were never answered, as the White House watched the attack in real time from a drone that flew overhead.  Regardless of the chain of command .... from the CIA annex to Langley to the Department of Defense .... it all ends up in the Situation Room at the White House.  No excuses!
     This is nothing less than a bungled nightmare; a demonstration of incompetence, and a supreme lack of leadership.  And I am indescribably angry! Where was the Commander in Chief when the men, who take their oath of service so seriously, needed him?  I know my opinion won't have any effect on this situation, but I am keenly aware of the sacrifice our military makes to keep this country safe and the best in the world.  I believe in them and honor their service, and I am just so outraged that those who were in command failed them.  AND THEN THEY LIED TO US! 
     My knowledge and experience is inadequate to understand all the facts and details of how such an operation would go down.  But it is becoming quite clear that it was a fiasco; totally mismanaged and it cost the lives of four Americans.  But rather than me continuing with my indignation, I would like to share a concise and appropriate essay by someone who has the experience to know how this situation should have been handled.  Matthew Bracken is a former Navy Seal, who has written a series of popular books about the decline of America.  He has written a biting post on Western Rifle Shooters Association that lays the blame squarely at the feet of the White House.  No apologies, just the facts!

      You need to realize this: our military did all they could.  They swung into action; into "crisis contingency plan mode" and were ready to respond with Delta Force, Marines, planes and ships to perform the necessary rescue mission.  But it would be classified as a "cross-border hostile mission", and only one man can give a "Go!" to that order.  And an answer never came.  As Bracken expresses so sharply in his article, "But no order came.  And then none would come..... While his ambassador was off-radar, missing, possibly being dragged down a Benghazi street or even raped... POTUS went to bed.  That is the greatest scandal of Benghazi. The POTUS slept through it, while all around the world, military forces were poised for the Raid on Entebbe or any other damn thing the POTUS ordered them to do. (And they were raring to go, believe me.).... God help us.  
     So don't take my word for it.  This man knows what he is talking about.  Read his article!
     I guess what makes me so angry, and incredibly sad, is that Tyrone Woods and Glen Dougherty displayed remarkable honor, decency and character by ignoring orders to "stand down" and went to the rescue of Ambassador Stevens; upholding their oath to serve and protect.  And those who are in charge of leading these principled men have shown nothing but cowardice; unable to be honest with the American people and lying to cover up their immoral behavior.

     My words seem so inadequate to describe my feelings.  Perhaps we should concentrate on the words of Charles Woods:  “I want to honor my son, Ty Woods, who responded to the cries for help and voluntarily sacrificed his life to protect the lives of other Americans. In the last few days it has become public knowledge that within minutes of the first bullet being fired the White House knew these heroes would be slaughtered if immediate air support was denied. Apparently, C-130s were ready to respond immediately. In less than an hour, the perimeters could have been secured and American lives could have been saved. After seven hours fighting numerically superior forces, my son’s life was sacrificed because of the White House’s decision. This has nothing to do with politics, this has to do with integrity and honor. My son was a true American hero. We need more heroes today. My son showed moral courage. This is an opportunity for the person or persons who made the decision to sacrifice my son’s life to stand up.” 
     It's time to stop the lying.  It's time to do right by those who sacrificed their lives for America.  I pray that honor can be returned to our land and to our leadership.   As Matthew Bracken so eloquently expressed ..... God help us!

Final Thought:  If you are a faithful reader of this blog, then you know my opinion on the judgments that have come against America due to the decisions made by our government.  Could the coming "Perfect Storm" that is ready to slam into the East Coast be God's reaction to the indefensible position our leaders took in Benghazi?  After all, the storm is right on track to strike Washington D.C.  Something to think about!

Psalm 3:35  "The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame."

   

You Can't Stop The Truth!

     Tonight's final Presidential debate before the November 6th Election should be quite interesting, if not explosive.  Tonight's subject is foreign policy, and I am hoping that the American people will get answers instead of hype; something more than the dishonesty and deceit we've been fed for the last month or so.  I should also say that I don't expect anything but more of the same.  But I can hope, can't I?

     We are all expecting the Libyan situation to be front and center at tonight's debate; and rightfully so.  As each day goes by, new information surfaces that is quite different than the "official" spin coming from the White House.  By now, it is almost universally accepted that the two-bit video did not result in the loss of four American lives.  It can no longer be avoided .... just say it:  It was a terrorist attack!
     But that's not enough, because there's something much more dark and sinister going on here.  Too many fearless reporters are not giving up on this story, and they are digging up some disturbing facts and connecting some unexpected dots.  First of all, when Joe Biden, during his own debate last week, threw both the State Department and the Intelligence community under the bus, you didn't really expect either to take the fall, did you?  Oh wait; Hillary tried to, but nobody's buying it.
     So it was no real surprise when the Associated Press reported that within 24 hours of the deadly attack, the CIA station chief in Libya reported to Washington that there were eyewitness reports that the attack was carried out by militants.  So when Joe says, "We didn't know," my question is, "Why not?"  Did somebody perhaps miss an intelligence briefing?
     And then there are the reports beginning to surface across the internet, from news sources such as TheBlaze.com and WorldNetDaily.com, among others.  WND has made the distinction between what the Reuters news agency mistakenly called "the consulate" and a "diplomatic mission", which is where Ambassador Stevens was supposedly killed.   Reuters repeatedly referred to the attacked U.S. compound in Benghazi as a “consulate.”  However, as WND reported earlier this week, the building was not a consulate and at no point functioned as one. Instead, the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi served as a meeting place to coordinate aid for the rebel-led insurgencies in the Middle East, according to Middle Eastern security officials.  Among the tasks performed inside the building was collaborating with Arab countries on the recruitment of fighters – including jihadists – to target Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
     There are further reports that Ambassador Stevens, on behalf of our country, had connections to Turkey and the supply of arms to jihadist rebels in Syria.  How did that all work?  WND reports that Stevens served as a key contact with the Saudis to coordinate the recruitment by Saudi Arabia of Islamic fighters from North Africa and Libya. The jihadists were sent to Syria via Turkey to attack Assad’s forces, according to Egyptian security officials.  Are you keeping all this straight?  Because I can honestly say it is far too complicated and confusing for me.
     How did this all come about?  According to one news source, our involvement in the 2011 Libyan revolt against Muammar Qaddafi was somewhat "reckless", in that our policy included supplying American forces and dollars into the conflict on the side of the rebels, who were known at the time to include Al Qaeda elements.
     In March of 2011, Christopher Stevens was named as the official U.S. liaison to the Libyan opposition.  Stevens' assignment was to coordinate U.S. assistance to the rebels, whose top military commander, Abdelhakim Belhadj, was the leader of the Al Qaeda affiliate, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG).  Does anyone, besides me, think it's not a good idea to get into bed with any organization that has ties to al-Queda?
     I know that our government cannot reveal to the public all the intricate details of our foreign policy, or the shady deals and arrangements they have to make to assure our national security.  But when we find out that our very government, who asks our military to go into battle for us, is arming groups that have made it clear they wish to destroy our country ..... then we have the moral duty to question this policy.  It seems obvious to me that our foreign policy is controversial, at the least; and suspicious, or even illegal at its core.  What is certain is that we are not being told the truth.
     I don't even want to speculate at what that truth might be.  I have my theories, but I will leave the revelations to professional investigative reporters.  They are on the scent, and I have no doubt that they will uncover all the shocking and ugly details that led to the deaths in Benghazi.  Will the exposure change our foreign policy, or bring back those whose lives were lost?  No, but maybe blowing the lid off the whole mess will wake up America and reset our moral compass.  We are in bed with the Devil and that can only lead to our destruction.

Tune in tomorrow:  See how the U.N. is inserting itself into our election!

Ephesians 6:12      "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
   
   

We Deserve The Truth!

     I think we would all agree that it's getting harder to find let alone know the truth.  As I write this post, Congress is preparing the first hearings on the Benghazi, Libya attack.  The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will examine possible intelligence failures, security lapses, and the failure of our Leaders to accurately assess the threat level of Al Queda in Libya and North Africa.  The contradictory statements coming from the Administration and State Department only serve to erode the peace of mind and trust of all Americans.
     Combine this uncertainty with official statements that Al Queda and the Taliban have been "set on their heels", and you wonder if our government is living in an alternative reality.  I am just an ordinary citizen who has an opposing opinion, formed by carefully researched sources.  But there are others who  have lived "the truth", and they are speaking out.

     For those of you who are not familiar with Lara Logan, let me give you a little bit of her story.  She is a CBS journalist; a foreign correspondent, who covered the Arab Spring in Egypt.  The Administration and the Mainstream Media told us the crowds that embraced Mubarek's overthrow were celebrating newfound freedom.  They were benevolent and intoxicated with the idea of democracy.   Ms. Logan will tell you that there were others who had something more sinister in mind. While reporting from the midst of the "celebration", she found herself surrounded by an angry mob of Egyptian men who beat and sexually assaulted her, calling her a Jew (which she is not).
     Ms. Logan now feels it is important for her to step outside her unbiased journalistic role, and give her personal opinion; formed through months of extensive research and interviews with our top commander in Afghanistan, as well as Afghan President Karzai.  She has impressive credentials, having covered U.S. military involvement in the Middle East for years, and feels it is time to tell the truth to the American people.  According to Logan, "the U.S. government is downplaying the strength of our enemies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as a rationale of getting us out of the longest war....  "they" still hate us, now more than ever. The Taliban and al-Qaida have not been vanquished - and they're coming back."
     If you need proof other than this fearless reporter's personal opinion, then I offer you the story of Malala Yousufzai, a 14-year-old Pakistani girl, who worked tirelessly to promote the schooling of girls; something that the Taliban strongly opposes.  Malala lives in the beautiful Swat Valley of Northern Pakistan, which has been compared to the majestic grandeur of Switzerland.  Her home was a popular tourist attraction until the Taliban and Al Queda swept across the border from their safe havens in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan in 2008.
     At the even younger age of 11, Malala wrote a blog under a pseudonym, educating the world about what it was like to live under Taliban rule.   Pakistan's military succeeded in routing the Taliban in 2009, but the leaders escaped, leaving the citizens in a state of constant fear and volatility.  According to a report in The Express Tribune, an internationally affiliated newspaper in Pakistan, "militants forced men to grow beards, restricted women from going to the bazaar, whipped women they considered immoral and beheaded opponents."

     But Malala only became bolder in her writings, especially after the Taliban destroyed over 200 schools (mostly girls' schools) during their short and violent reign.  She showed that Pakistani girls and women had the courage to fight for their rights.  She was very outspoken, vocally supporting Western culture, which only served to anger the Taliban.  And that's when the Taliban struck back.  They stopped the school bus that Malala was riding on, and demanded to know which girl was her.  Another girl identified her, but when Malala denied who she was, they shot both girls.  As I write this post, the bullet has been removed from her neck and she is improving, although still unconscious.
     To add to the absolute horror of this murderous act, the Taliban is openly taking credit for the attack, calling Malala’s writings “a new chapter of obscenity” that must be “finished.”
     A senior official of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, praised Malala for her bravery and said this was an effort "to silence courage through a bullet .... These are the forces who want to take us [back] to the dark ages.”
     So I ask you, does this sound like the militant and radicalized Taliban and Al Queda are "set back on their heels?"  Do you really think that their hatred has been tempered by the Arab Spring, or any of our lame concessions?  I submit to you that these two events, along with the recent murders of American citizens in Libya, and prayer rugs and Korans in the deserts of our Southwest, prove that we are not being told the truth.  There is Evil in the world and denying that it exists doesn't make it go away.  Be honest with us!  Anything less is unethical and immoral.

 Deuteronomy 31:6        "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
   

Recommended DVD: They Come To America

    Dennis Michael Lynch has produced a hard-hitting and honest documentary that I highly recommend.  Titled They Come To America: The Cost of Illegal Immigration, this film looks at all sides of the Immigration issue and our nation's failed policies.  We hear candid and straightforward opinions from those both for and against illegal immigration:  a retired ICE agent; a real estate agent in Miami, FL; unemployed versus self-employed construction contractors; a lobbyist for the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations, in contrast with a spokesman for the Federation of American Immigration Reform; an Immigration Attorney in opposition to the President of Numbers USA, a civil forum that puts forth the staggering numerical level of U.S. immigration; and finally, the human element: the ranchers along the Arizona border and the illegal immigrants themselves, who are looking for the better life that America offers.
      I was impressed with the sincere efforts of Mr. Lynch to shine the spotlight on Illegal Immigration and all of its consequences.  He is the "star", so-to-speak, of his own film, as he travels the country in search for a true picture of why Illegal Immigration is such a hot-button issue.  He is engaging and impassioned in his quest, and comes across on camera as decent, fair and respectful.
     But why this issue?  Mr. Lynch says it has a lot to do with the fact that he experienced 9/11 personally.  As he states, "I was one of those people running away from the Towers."  His love for his country is evident, and he wants some answers.  One gets the feeling that very little was censored in this film, in other words it is not "politically correct."

     In fact, Lynch has only voted once in the last 20 years, because he says, "I never saw a candidate that looked like me.  They were always 'a suit.' ".  You're probably asking the same question I did ... how do you go from being apolitical to doing a film on Illegal Immigration?  Lynch recognized that the system is broken, and being a filmmaker, he wanted to find the truth and, hopefully, answers on how to solve the problem.  He gives both sides the opportunity to speak plainly and bluntly.  In doing so, the film tackles all the complicated issues:
     Chain Migration -  Current U.S. policies allow immigrants to sponsor their relatives back home to be admitted as immigrants here.  This policy in and of itself is not a problem, until you consider that for 200 years, from 1770 to 1970, the U.S. averaged 250,000 immigrants per year.  After 1970 that number jumped to 425,000/year, and after 1990 it has grown to 1,000,000/year.  Estimates put the Illegal Immigrant population at close to 13,000,000.  The question must be asked .... how do we, the American taxpayer, sustain that kind of strain on our system?
     Individual Tax ID -  Available through the IRS, regardless of immigration status.  It can be used to open a bank account.  This tax ID allows illegal immigrants to open bank accounts to deposit the money they make in America; to safeguard it until they can send it back home to their families, or to pay for other family members to illegally enter the country.  Throughout the film, Lynch interviews Illegal workers, who admit they can charge less for their services than an American worker because the American has to pay taxes; they don't.  The other side of the coin is presented by the Immigration Attorney:  Are they stealing jobs from Americans, or are they being given jobs, because their labor is cheaper?  It's a complicated and contradictory system.

     English As A Second Language -  Illegal Immigrants are here, and they are having children who go into the school system.  Who is paying for that?  A representative for Immigration Reform reported that the fiscal impact of Illegal Immigration at the national, state and local levels is $113 Billion per year, with 75% of that expenditure going towards "limited english proficiency education" for those who don't speak English.  A lobbyist for an Immigrant Coalition counters that this figure is inflated because many of these kids are born in America to non-English speaking parents.  They have a right to be taught English.  That brings us to the next issue:
     Birthright Citizenship -  A person born in the U.S. is given citizenship, regardless of the immigrant status of the parents.  Several educators in the film cited the high cost of educating children with birthright status whose parents are not paying in to the system --- over $16,000/child.  One school superintendent lamented, "It doesn't matter if you have an illegal Visa or snuck in; we still have to educate them -- and the numbers are increasing."  Then you have the cases of students who were brought to this country as small children.  America is all they've known and they consider America as their home.  Yet they are undocumented and unable to get jobs, because their parents came here illegally and never obtained citizenship.  Director Lynch asks How broken is this system that pays to educate these kids from kindergarten through 12th grade, and then throws them under the bus because they aren't citizens?
     Yet not all illegal immigrants want to become Americans.  One group that Lynch interviewed says they came here to work and make enough money to go back home and have a better life in their country of origin.  They look at the values of American youth and don't want to stay and raise a family here.  When asked would they pay taxes to stay here and work, they willingly said "yes .... but you don't ask for taxes, so I'm not going to volunteer to pay them."  Like I said, it's a complicated and contradictory system.
     Health Care -  Just looking at the birthrate of Illegal Immigrants, there are 100,000 births per year at an average cost of $10,000 per birth.  The CEO of a major hospital in Miami, Florida stated that those not covered by health insurance will use the Emergency Room as their first point of access, which has resulted in $100 Million of costs per year at her institution.  "We are close to our safety net breaking."  Evidence of that is the rising number of community hospitals that are forced to close their doors.   The Immigration Attorney wants you to realize that we don't have an avenue for these Illegal Immigrants to contribute to the health care system -- it's not their fault.  He also would like you to understand that there are an awful lot of Americans who are on Medicaid and don't contribute to the system either; don't put the full blame on the Illegals.  But on the other side of the fence, the Immigration Reform advocate reminds us that every ER visit that occurs should not exist -- they are not supposed to be here.

     Personal Side of the Story -  There is a human component that transcends numbers and dollar figures.  Perhaps Lynch's most compelling part of the documentary are the stories he shows us of those personally affected by this broken system.  He interviews Ranchers along the Arizona border who tell them that they feel unsafe in their own homes and on their own property.  Even where there is a Border Fence erected, it oftentimes is not protected or surveilled by Border Agents.  "You live with a sense that something can go wrong at any moment.  It's unnerving."  Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) is shown testifying before Congress that "more than 9,000 Americans are killed annually by Illegal Immigrants."
     Ranchers report that it's not just migrant workers that are crossing the border; it's the criminal element.  In fact, during more than one portion of the documentary, Lynch and his cameraman are chased by drug cartel members as they travel along the border.  Ranchers report that it's commonplace to hear shots fired along the border, yet the Border Patrol is told to retreat, leaving these American families caught in the middle of the violence.
     One dissatisfied Sheriff relates on camera, "The Federal Government has a Constitutional responsibility to defend the homeland.  They have failed."  To counter that argument, the Immigration Advocate staunchly defends her position:  "Borders between countries are becoming less significant.  There is no reason for the Border fence."
     Besides the personal stories of the Ranchers who live with this unsettling existence every day, Lynch also gets up close and personal with Mauricio, an undocumented construction worker.  Lynch finds that he likes the kid, his work ethic, and his dreams for his young wife and baby (who is born as an American citizen).  He tries to help him, until he realizes that he is breaking the law by paying him to repair an old building on his property.  He tells Mauricio that he can longer hire him or house him and his family.  The next day they disappear; going underground.  It's a story that is repeated thousands of times across the country.

     National Security -  Human and Drug Smuggling have merged, while OTM's (Other Than Mexicans) have successfully invaded our land.  Drug cartels boldly claim corridors along our border, fearing no retribution; while Korans and prayer rugs are found in our Southwest deserts.  Many who live this nightmare along the border feel we are setting ourselves up for another 9/11 .... or worse!
   
     I have tried to give you a comprehensive summary of this in-depth documentary, but I would urge you to purchase a copy for yourself and share with your friends.  You will be able to see for yourself just how screwed up our Immigration Policy is.  Neither political party wants to fix it.  The Democrats see Illegal Immigrants as an endless voting bloc, and Republicans see them as an endless supply of cheap labor.  There is no incentive --- not even deaths of innocent Americans, bankrupting our education and health care systems, or a future terrorist attack --- that is important enough for them to solve this problem.
     This film premiered in New York to a sold-out crowd, but Dennis Michael Lynch has been unable to secure distribution for the film.  On an interview on Fox News, Lynch claimed that "distributors reject the film due to the subject matter." He also claimed the film has been rejected by more than 30 film festivals. He says he counters the rejections by selling the DVD on his website and traveling the country showing the film at venues who permit him to do so.  That's how I purchased this DVD.  In fact, if you buy the DVD for $19.99, he will send you two for free.  He wants his message out there.  And it is a message that every American needs to see and then decide for themselves.  How do we solve this broken system, and yet preserve America as "the shining city on a hill?"  We can no longer afford to provide free education and health care to millions of people.  But what is the solution?  We've opened the dam, and there's no way to stop the flow.  Lynch has done a fantastic job of presenting all the arguments and showing the conundrum we've created.  This DVD will provide you with all the intellectual and emotional fodder for a stimulating debate!

Habakkuk 1:3-4       "Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. "
   

Thankful For A Narrower Focus

     Earlier this week I was invited to a political luncheon in which a noted state leader from Americans For Prosperity was scheduled to speak.  AFP is an organization of grassroots leaders who champion limited government and free markets on the local, state, and federal levels.   Their hope is that as everyday citizens become more educated about our government's economic policies, they will become advocates in the public policy process, and effect the change that we need.  Short and sweet .... they uphold prosperity and freedom.
     I had been eagerly anticipating this particular speaker, because I was impressed with the work she was doing as our State Director for AFP.  So I drove the 40 minutes to the luncheon, only to find out that she had been hospitalized the evening before.  They couldn't find a replacement speaker on such short notice, so some of the local political candidates in attendance agreed to stand up and give a short speech about their campaigns.
     "Oh, great,"  I thought.  "This is going to be boring and a big waste of my time.  I have blog posts to write."  Well, I have to say that my opinion couldn't have been further from the truth.  One of the men that stood up was my County Sheriff.  I knew his name, but hadn't ever heard him speak, and couldn't tell you one reason why I, or anyone else, should vote for him.  At the end of the luncheon, I no longer had that problem.
     The minute he stood up, you could feel the steely-eyed determination and the strength of his character.  He spoke plainly and without hesitation about the problems our border state is facing.  He boldly proclaimed that until changes are made in Washington D.C., and we use every method possible (border fence, technology, drones, etc.) to plug our porous perimeter, we will never stop the drug cartels and their murderous and growing threat to our homeland.

     Citing the death of another Border Patrol Agent this week, he angrily stated, "I have no use for the Feds; the ATF and the FBI are no help to us.  They change suits every week and just get in our way. You change Washington --- close our borders --- and the County Sheriffs can get this problem handled."  I don't think I have felt more confidence in one of my elected officials since I began voting so many years ago.  For perhaps the first time, I felt like here is someone who recognizes he works for me and my fellow citizens, and actually wants to fulfill his office requirements!
     Because we live in a rural area, with a small number of Sheriff's Deputies on duty, this man is also a strong advocate for my Second Amendment rights.  He knows that he and his men are spread thin, and it is incumbent upon every citizen to be prepared to legally defend themselves.  He approves and encourages Concealed Carry Licenses and firearms training classes.
     If you will recall one of my earlier posts, titled What One Man Can Do, you will remember that Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack successfully sued President Clinton and the Federal Government over their intrusion on State's Rights.  He cited "Dual Sovereignty" of both the Federal Government and individual States, and cautioned that we should not elect officials who refuse to act on behalf of the best interests of the state's citizens.  He further advised that whenever the Federal Government oversteps its Constitutional reach, our local elected officials should interpose on our behalf --- that means stand in the gap between us and a tyrannical authority.
     I believe we have such a man in our County Sheriff.  He didn't soft-sell the dangers of the drug cartels, or attempt to give us a false sense of security.  He told us the truth.  He told us what needs to happen for him to do his job well; what we need to do to help make our community safer.  Changing Washington D.C. is nearly impossible, but the Sheriff laid our task squarely before us.  Most importantly, I feel confident that this man has our back.  He may not have been the featured speaker I was looking for, but he delivered the same goals as the absent spokeswoman .... prosperity and freedom.
   
Ezekiel 22:29-31         "The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice. I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.  So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord."

UN General Assembly In Review

     This past week, the major players involved in the world unrest were in New York to speak before the U.N. General Assembly.  They made both "official" speeches and gave formal interviews throughout the week.  We should not turn a deaf ear to their communications.  Words have meaning and significance.  Even this brief glance at some of their remarks should give us a clue towards their intentions.  Carefully consider what these leaders had to say:

 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:  
He called for a "new world order", free of the domination of the ruling big powers.  “Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus” and other religions and cultures could live in harmony and peace if it weren’t for the “arrogance and hegemony of the ruling minority [and its] oppressive international order.”

Meeting with reporters before his U.N. speech, the Iranian President said Iran has been in existence for a thousand years, while the nation of Israel has only existed for 60 or 70 years.  "They (Israel) have no roots there in history."  Could he be any more wrong?  He further intimated they have no place in the Middle East and "must be eliminated."

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi: 
He called upon the U.N. to once again grant a Palestinian state and condemn Israel.  He also asked the General Assembly to consider international action to limit speech that defames religions.  In this sentiment, he was joined by the President of Yemen, who said, "There should be limits for freedom of expression, especially if such freedoms blaspheme the beliefs of nations and defame their figures."

All this "freedom of speech" rhetoric comes on the heels of the cheesy film that has been used as the scapegoat for inciting the recent violence against our Ambassador and three others in Libya.  There are starting to be rumors around the net, that this film was a set-up; the low quality suggesting that a terrorist affiliate made it for the express purpose of sparking outrage.  It will be interesting to see if this story grows legs.  If true, it provided a convenient excuse to blame the West for pre-planned protests, violence, and terrorist attacks.

President Barack Obama:
In keeping with the "freedom of speech" theme, our President made the statement, "The laws governing the flow of information on the internet are obsolete."  What concerns me about this approach is the fact that he missed an opportunity to denounce radical Islamic terrorism in the killings of our Ambassador and security personnel; instead choosing to use this cheap film as a justification to crack down on internet speech.


The President also proclaimed, "The war in Iraq is over, and our troops have come home.  We have begun a transition in Afghanistan, and America and our allies will end our war on schedule in 2014. Al-Qaida has been weakened, and Osama bin Laden is no more. Nations have come together to lock down nuclear materials, and America and Russia are reducing our arsenals."

     I am afraid I don't find great comfort in these words.  Our transition in Afghanistan finds more of our troops dying from Al-Qaida "insiders" within the ranks of the Afghan Security Forces.  In light of these events and the possibility that Al-Qaida was involved in provoking the death of Ambassador Stevens, I respectfully disagree that they are "weakened."  General John Allen (who succeeded David Petraeus as Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan) is publicly stating that Al-Qaida is resurging.  It's not only too early, but disingenuous, to proclaim that this terrorist organization is dwindling.
     Also, the fact that Iran is continuing with their nuclear program contradicts the statement that "nations are locking down nuclear materials".  And I find no peace of mind in the thought that we would willingly reduce our number of nuclear warheads; that we would trust the Russians or anyone else to not take advantage of our vulnerability.
   

     Finally, I cannot conclude this post without considering the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
For those at the U.N. who refute the claim that Israel has no biblical or historical roots in the region, he said, "Three thousand years ago, King David reigned over the Jewish state in our eternal capital, Jerusalem. I say that to all those who proclaim that the Jewish state has no roots in our region and that it will soon disappear... The Jewish people have come home. We will not be uprooted again. "

He also had a message for those members of Islamic terrorism organizations:  "Forces of radical Islam...are bent on world conquest. They want to destroy Israel, Europe, America. They want to end the modern world...Their intolerance is directed first at their fellow Muslims, and then to Christians, Jews, and anyone who doesn’t submit to their unforgiving creed. It’s not whether this fanaticism will be defeated. It’s how many lives will be lost before it’s defeated." 

He then confronted his nation's standoff with Iran:  "For the Ayatollahs of Iran, mutually assured destruction is not a deterrent, it’s an inducement... Ayatollah Rafsanjani said, "The use of even one nuclear bomb inside Israel will destroy everything there, however it would only do partial harm to the Islamic world."  The religious leaders of Iran are willing to sacrifice their own people to destroy Israel.

Netanyahu ended his speech with an appeal to biblical values:  "We heed the words of the Jewish prophets Isaiah, Amos, and Jeremiah to treat all with dignity and compassion, to pursue justice and cherish life and to pray and strive for peace. These are the timeless values of my people and these are the Jewish people’s greatest gift to mankind."

The people of the world need to carefully scrutinize the words of these world leaders.  They currently hold the peace and the future of the planet in their hands.  Which of these men do you trust?  Whose remarks sound like they truly want world peace?  Do their words give you confidence; provide you with assurance that they will take the world in the right direction?  There is only one word of all these remarks that resonates with me ..... and that word is "pray".   Pray for hearts to be changed; pray for evil to be defeated; pray for a desire for peace to invade the land.  That single word has so much power, and it may be the only message of hope we have.

Jeremiah 42:2-3       "Jeremiah the prophet said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left.  Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."

The Empire Killer: The Price Is Becoming Too High

     The Khyber Pass, the Hindu Kush, Kandahar, Kabul and the Taliban .... all part of our lexicon due to a decades-long war in a country where war is almost part of their cultural identity.  Afghanistan has fought some of the greatest military powers in the history of the world.  Throughout its centuries of existence it has been conquered by Darius I of Persia (ca. 500 BC), Alexander the Great (330 BC), and the Mauryan Empire (part of modern-day India).  The Islamic conquest in 642 AD met with fierce resistance from the various mountainous tribes, as did the Mongols and different Persian and Indian empires in the Modern Era.  Nothing changed when the British and the Russians tried to subdue the peoples of this vast and difficult terrain.
     I admit that the intricacies of inter-tribal relationships and control are too complex for this ordinary citizen to comprehend.  But I am not so simple-minded that I cannot recognize when our nation should re-evaluate our war policy.  If you are paying even the least bit of attention, you are aware that our soldiers in Afghanistan are coming under ever-increasing attacks by so-called "insiders" - supposed members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) which are partnering with coalition forces to defend their country.   In fact, two more heroes lost their lives this weekend.  My first thought is, "Why aren't we doing a better job of screening these insiders?" and "What are we doing to protect our military?"
     I was recently directed by a faithful reader of this blog to a website that I highly recommend.  It is called Michael Yon Online Magazine.  According to his website bio, "Michael Yon is a former Green Beret, who has been writing from Iraq and Afghanistan since December 2004.  No other writer has spent as much time with combat troops in these two wars.  Michael’s dispatches from the frontlines have earned him the reputation as the premier independent combat journalist of his generation."   Who better to give us the truth from our soldiers' perspective, right?
     With that in mind, I want you to read portions of a post from last week.  Michael prints a letter from a son stationed in Afghanistan to his father.  Michael confirmed the authenticity of the letter, and published it with permission:

Dad,

I am fed up. I cannot believe the lack of attention the recent changes in this war is receiving by the media or the country. I think I saw one thing on CNN about the following subject, but I had to dig extensively to find it. The purpose of this letter is to let you know of the garbage that our soldiers are going through right now. With this knowledge, I hope that you take action by writing your congressmen.

First, because of the recent green on blue incidents or "insider threats" as the new buzz phrase dictates, all coalition forces in Afghanistan have completely stopped partnering with the ANA, AUP, and ALP in order to prevent the death of anymore CF casualties by ANSF or Taliban disguised as them. This is also greatly spurred by President Karzi's indifferent attitude and lack of action to take measures to prevent further insider attacks.


Our mission in Afghanistan is to partner with the ANSF on all levels. Now the policy makers are telling us that we are not allowed to do that and further more we are to take immediate measures to secure ourselves from the ANSF that are co-located with us. So the question now becomes, what is our mission? Furthermore, the implication is that we have absolutely no reason to still be in this country if we are not partnering with the ANSF. So why are we here?

 I don't think that the American citizens would be happy if they knew that their soldiers were being prohibited from defending themselves in any way because of politically driven orders, but that is precisely what is happening in this war right now even as I write this letter. The soldiers of the U.S. never engage the enemy unless we know that we always have the tactical advantage in defending ourselves; that advantage is the use of close air support and air weapons team. To take those weapons away from us is to level the playing field for the enemy and thus exposing our soldiers to more danger. In the school house they teach us that the minimum ratio that we are to engage the enemy with, is a 3:1 ratio. In other words, we have the highest probability of winning because we don’t fight fair. The sound tactical principles behind this teaching have saved lives. The very presence of aircraft over our foot patrols has also saved lives and now our chain of command is being told by our political leadership that this is now not allowed.  If we are not partnering with the ANSF and we are not actively patrolling to prevent our enemies from massing their attacks on our COP and we can’t drop a bomb on the enemy that we have positively identified, than what the hell are we doing here?

Give us a mission or send us home. I honestly have no preference on what the politicians decide, as long as they just make a decision. Of course this will be a terrible inconvenience on the current elections so I am sure we will be forgotten, which really does not seem to be too different for how things have been going for the last eleven years.


Do not buy into what some media outlets have already said about this. Casually saying that this is a frequent occurrence is false, and is an attempt to downplay the major ramifications for these decisions. We have never been so restricted in defending ourselves as we are now. This is not just a stand down. The other implication of this decision is that we will perhaps never regain our relationship with the ANA after we have executed these measures to protect ourselves from them.  Essentially, we have left them to die as we watch from our high-tech cameras and UAVs. They will not forget this and I fear the relationship will never be the same.

I love you very much Dad and I don’t want you to worry about me any more than you already are, but I also know that this has to be brought up, someone has to say something about this. It is wrong to keep this hidden away while American soldiers are under constant threat of death and dying.  I don’t care if you send this letter directly, this needs to be known.

Your son,

[In Afghanistan ]

  So my question to you, is what are you going to do?  This brave soldier asked his father to contact his congressman.  Can you do no less?  When we have a professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law stating that the U.S. can only conduct the war according to a UN charter, and "Under the charter, a country can use armed force against another country only in self-defense or when the Security Council approves."  So now our soldiers are also under the command of the UN Security Council?!?!
     The United States of America has the finest and strongest military in the world, yet we hamstring our soldiers and subject them to ridiculous rules of engagement that needlessly send them home in body bags!  If you are not going to let them do the job they are trained for, then I agree with this young man .... Why are they there?  What exactly is their mission?
     I implore each of you to search your conscience and give this some serious thought.  Our soldiers dedicate their lives to defending us.  We owe them so much; and we can start by doing everything we can to make sure they are given every means and opportunity to fight this war to WIN IT!  If that is not the goal or the mission, then it's time to leave the battlefield.  
     To sacrifice not only the lives of our boys, but the lives of the Afghani Security Forces who trusted our promises to train them to help protect their country is dishonorable and unprincipled; unworthy of what America stands for.   My heart breaks for this soldier and his brave comrades.

1 Chronicles 12:17       [The Words of King David]:   “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”


     

The News You Won't Find In The U.S. Media

     I don't think I am stretching the truth too far when I say that we aren't getting the whole picture of the challenges our country is facing.   We, here in America, are focused on an upcoming election that will undeniably affect whether our nation prevails as a republic.  Our attention is centered on national/personal debt, our fragile healthcare system, our liberties and freedoms, and a high unemployment rate; essentially our concentration is directed inward.  While these problems are paramount to American households and our focus on them is perfectly understandable, there are outside forces that we should be paying attention to.  And you won't hear about them in the Mainstream Media.
     I make it a practice to check many different news sources to determine how the news of the world might influence my life.  I compare "legitimate" news outlets such as Fox and CNN; I read blogs that I feel are interested in helping people become educated and prepared; I check news sources like World Net Daily and Worthy News; and I also like to see what sources around the world have to say.  It's sometimes an eye-opener to see the take Israeli websites have on world affairs.

     For instance, our U.S. Media has given us a very veiled picture of the ramifications of Muslim Brotherhood influence in the Middle East.  We've been told that the "Arab Spring" and the rise of the Brotherhood was an expression of democracy and free elections; something that we should be applauding.  But Debka File, an Israeli news site that covers events in Israel and offers political analysis for international readers, gives us a different side to this story.  As with all sources, I'm sure they have a bias towards their own interests, but at least we have the opportunity to compare both perspectives and make up our own minds, instead of being fed an "official" line.
     On Wednesday of this week, Debka File reported that Jordan is under serious pressure from the Muslim Brotherhood.  King Abdullah II has been given until October to bow to the MB's demand to abdicate his throne in favor of a constitutional monarchy, or he will face demonstrations and riots like those we've seen in Egypt, Libya and Syria.

     As if that is not enough, the royal kingdom in Saudi Arabia is reportedly panicked that they would be next on the list, should Jordan acquiesce to the Brotherhood's intimidation.  In short, the MB is on a clear path to take command of the Middle East.   It appears as if King Abdullah has three choices:  give up his throne and give in to the demands for a democratic election (in which the MB hopes to gain two-thirds majority),  2) plunge his nation into civil war if he decides to fight the coercion, or  3)  try to compromise in the hopes that the radical elements of the Brotherhood can be kept at bay.
     Sources at Debka File report that the MB already has 50,000 demonstrators waiting in the wings should the King hesitate to make a decision or try to buy more time.  After what we've seen in Syria and Libya the last few weeks and months, that doesn't bode well for his Royal Highness.
     Yet James Clapper, our National Intelligence Director, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, that "The term 'Muslim Brotherhood'...is an umbrella term for a variety of movements.... there is no overarching agenda, particularly in pursuit of violence, at least internationally."  And then Representative Michele Bachmann's suspicions that the MB has infiltrated our own government is dismissed as "specious and degrading."  Tell me, in light of the news from Israel, do you have much confidence in the portrait of Middle East democracy that's been painted by our Administration?  Who sounds more credible --- Clapper or Bachmann?
     It is quite apparent that the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood no longer wishes to use the tools of propaganda or political debate; they have moved into organized protest.  The Middle East is watching to see how the White House will respond.  From the President's appearance before the U.N. General Assembly this week, I think we know the answer.   But it is apparent to me that we are way beyond pacification and fence-mending.  Jordan, another democratic ally, is on the brink of overthrow.  And Israel finds itself increasingly surrounded by hostile neighbors.  As a nation, America needs to decide whether we stand behind our allies in the Middle East or continue to offer the olive branch to a movement that is determined to establish its own form of autocratic rule in the region.
     I suppose there is a reason that the MSM doesn't report this news.  After all it doesn't suit their purposes, does it?  So it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to be responsible for educating ourselves and researching world events.  Because we can no longer focus on just our own problems here at home.  There is a Force coming against the world and we will not be immune to its agenda.   The world's crises are our crises.  We are up to the task, but time is running out.

Psalm 55:21     "His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords."
       
   

Are We Doomed To Repeat History?

     We are all familiar with the sayings History repeats itself because the world doesn't learn, and Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.  I'm afraid that we are about to prove that these clichés are more truth than fabrication.  I have long been fascinated with the circumstances that led to the outbreak of WWII, and stumbled upon a very informative two-part article on a German website, (Spiegel Online International) titled The Road To WWII; Why Wasn't Hitler Stopped.  After reading it, I couldn't help but notice an alarming number of similarities with what is taking place today.

     The article is an extensive look at what it was like in the days before WWII.   It explored a lot of questions that I have often wondered about.  Since Hitler was the embodiment of Evil, what were the signs that war was inevitable?  What was he saying, and what were the world's leaders doing or saying in response?  What were the efforts to appease him, and were his threats taken seriously?  It has only been 73 years since Hitler invaded Poland, resulting in a six-year war that claimed 60 million lives.  Could he have been stopped before Poland fell, and what can history teach us about what the world faces today?
     Let me expound on my trail of thoughts.  Europe in the summer of 1939 resembles the Middle East in 2012.  From the ashes of defeat in WWI, Hitler and his Foreign Ministry wanted to take advantage of the postwar instability and called for a fast and comprehensive military buildup.  They wanted to dominate Europe, and Hitler set his sites on the invasion of Poland as his means of demonstrating Germany's emerging strength and dominance.  Naturally, the swift rise of the German dictator's powerful military caused unease and tension in neighboring countries and the world.
     It does not take a mental giant to see the similarities with what we are facing in the Middle East. The nation of Iran is pursuing a nuclear program at breakneck speed, and it is putting the nations of the world on edge.  No one believes that it is for peaceful means alone.  Furthermore, the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly threatened the nation of Israel.
    It was well known in the German Foreign Ministry that Hitler was "not a man of logic or reason."  The same could be said of Ahmadinejad.  Although, technically, Germany found itself isolated internationally, it had no problems finding willing partners to help establish a new order over Europe.  Italy's fascist dictator Mussolini, wanted a share of the pie for himself, and unholy alliances were made. Today we see the same scenario in the Middle East.  Countries are aligning themselves in shaky alliances, all with one goal in mind:  to wipe Israel off the map.
     As the Western European countries tip-toed around Hitler and his growing bravado, he continued with his massive military buildup and increased his words and rate of aggression.  He greedily eyed the raw materials, mineral resources and gold and foreign currency reserves in neighboring Czechoslovakia, and proclaimed that there was a "Czechoslovakia problem that had to be rectified." Hitler loved to bluff, but there soon came a day that he removed all restraint.  He openly declared that it was his "staunch desire to wipe Czechoslovakia off the map."  Sound familiar?
    Europe feared that an impending war was eminent, yet no one would stand up to Hitler.  Worse yet, no nation came to the aid of Czechoslovakia, who like Israel, was the only true democracy in the region.  While other nations in Europe hemmed and hawed and deferred to England, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (according to the article) sought to appease Germany by fulfilling its wishes, provided they appeared legitimate and were not enforced with violence.  This sounds eerily like the U.N. continuing to give Iran the benefit of the doubt, letting them continue with their threats toward Israel, as long as it's not enforced with violence....YET!  

     Historians have long debated the reasons why European powers looked the other way; why they continued to appease Hitler when he so demonstrably announced his goals.  And by the way, Hitler found their conciliatory tones contemptible, just as Ahmadinejad views the West as weak.  In WWII, Czechoslovakia was virtually sacrificed for the hopes of a few more months of peace.  But in today's world, and to the consternation of both East and West, Israel will not be the sacrificial lamb.  Therefore, I fear that we are headed down the same road that led us to a World War in the last century.  Our willingness to accept false promises of compromise, our refusal to realize that the Eastern mindset is different than the West's, and our denial (whether intentionally, or not) to acknowledge the extreme hatred for Israel by the powers in the Middle East; all are leading us towards a conflagration beyond our control.
     And to continue the comparison, we have Russia, who lurked in the background the last World War, ready to take advantage of the situation.  Both sides courted Russia who, make no mistake, was always looking out for their own interests.  Nothing has changed.  Poland and Czechoslovakia were partitioned and surrendered, just as Western powers ask Israel to hand over portions of their sovereign land today.  What is it going to take for the leaders of the West to wake up and see that we are careening towards a repeat of history?  Why can't they see that concessions and policies of pacification never work when an evil dictator has set his sights on annihilation?
     My post may be an oversimplification of the facts at play, but above all else, I want the leaders of the world, both East and West, to realize what is at stake if we continue down this road.  If strict and swift measures are not taken, AND SOON, then the consequences will be beyond anyone's prognostication.  There will be no winners in this War; it will have eternal significance.  World leaders need to heed the lessons of history and not repeat the horrific miscalculations that resulted in WWII.  Is anyone paying attention?

Ezekiel 33:7       "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me."


   

Oh, the Hypocrisy!

     As the United Nations General Assembly meets this week, I thought you would find this little tidbit interesting.  Only in this crazy, upside-down world of the Twenty-first Century, could a man accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC) be awarded a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council.  That's right, this self-proclaimed and exalted inter-governmental body, which is "responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe", has just agreed to let the President of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir, have a say in addressing situations of human rights violations and to make recommendations on them.

     In case any of you don't recognize his name, Al-Bashir has been brought to the attention of many Americans by the efforts of George Clooney.  The actor has been on the world stage trying to bring attention to the violent conflict in Darfur, which has easily resulted in a death toll in the hundreds of thousands.
     Al-Bashir assumed the Presidency of Sudan after a bloodless coup in 1989, and the ensuing years have seen his country engulfed in a violent and deadly civil war.  The Pro-Arab North has effectively decimated South Sudan and the Western region of Darfur through brutality, disease and starvation.  For his part, Al-Bashir has alternately been called a Dictator, Warlord, and Genocidal Murderer.  Sounds like the perfect person to consider matters of human rights violations, don't you think?  But why should it surprise us?  The leaders of Cuba, Iran and Venezuela also have a seat on the Human Rights Council! What's one more murderous Despot?
     So how can it be that this man, who has been charged by the ICC of "murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing, and forcibly transferring citizens in his own country (through forced removal)", will be expected to uphold the highest standards in the protection of human rights?  How can a man that an independent world organization, such as Human Rights Watch, and Judicial Watch, a watchdog over our own government's judicial system, be allowed to pass judgment on other human rights violators?  And perhaps worst of all, why are Americans continuing to fund the existence of such a corrupt organization as the U.N., to the tune of over $7 Billion per year?

U.N. General Assembly

     The fact that the U.N. is corrupt cannot be disputed.  Remember the Food-For-Oil scandal?  The problem is this:  It is not accountable to anyone.  It makes its own rules and sets its own agenda, which appears to be increasingly "one-world-like".  Tolerance, Sustainability and Equality are all U.N. touchstones.  Just a quick, cursory glance at the U.N. Secretary-General's 5-year Action Plan is enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.  Most prominently, you will find Sustainability through Agenda 21, which includes Green Climate Control and securing (by 2015)  "a comprehensive climate change agreement applicable to all parties with legal force under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change!
     Why are we standing for this?  How do we force the U.N. out of our country?  Why are we making it easy for them to institute their brand of hegemony over us?  I feel like we have been invaded by some alien force from another planet!  They do not represent the values of a majority of Americans; yet our national policies are beginning to mirror the objectives of this renegade organization.  Our rights are being suppressed and decimated by an organization that doesn't represent us!
     It seems to me that the U.N. has overstepped its original purpose.  It was founded in 1945 after World War II to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue.  Now it has appointed itself caretaker of international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achievement of world peace.  Take a look at the world!  Is it more secure?  Is the world economy stable, let alone growing?  World peace seems further away than it has ever been.  I think it is pretty obvious that the United Nations is a miserable failure.   Yet our elected officials keep signing U.N. treaties we don't want and refusing to stand up for the sovereignty of the United States.
     The appointment of Al-Bashir is just a symptom of the deceit and non-relevancy of what I think is a dishonorable and frankly, evil, organization.  It will be interesting to see what develops this week, and how our country and the world will be affected.  I don't have much hope that it will be constructive or beneficial to either us or the world.

Psalm 36:2-4       "In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.  The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong."
     

Do You Understand The Implications of Unlimited QE3?

     For just a moment, I'm going to take my eyes off the pandemonium that currently defines the Middle East, and take a quick look at the economy.  There's not an American alive that should not be aware that Ben Bernancke and the Federal Reserve just implemented QE3.
     If you are like me, you instinctively know this is not a good thing, but maybe don't quite understand all the implications.  So I've done some cursory research, and I'd like to share with you what I've learned.  My explanation is two-fold --- to clarify the formal definition and actions of Bernanke and the Fed; and to look behind the curtain and see another possible pretext.  

     First of all, I learned that Quantitative Easing is a form of monetary policy that central banks use to stimulate the national economy when conventional monetary policy has become ineffective. I think we can all agree that whatever our policy has been, it has been ineffective.  What constitutes monetary policy?  Definition: that is the process by which the monetary authority of a country controls the supply of money, often setting a low interest rate to promote economic growth and stability. The hoped-for goals of this policy would be relatively stable prices and low unemployment.  (So how's that working for us?)  A central bank is a private institution that manages a state's currency, money supply, and interest rates.  In the case of the United States, our central bank is the Federal Reserve.  So far so good?
     What I also learned was that Quantitative Easing is considered unconventional.  I think traditional economists would interpret that as meaning "a last ditch effort."  Remember that this part of my explanation is taking the viewpoint that QE is meant to stimulate our economy.  With that in mind, what is involved in Quantitative Easing?  A central bank implements QE by buying financial assets from commercial banks and other private institutions (mortgages, for example) with newly created money (read that to mean "printed money"), in order to inject a pre-determined quantity of money into the economy. (That would be $40 Billion per month under QE3!)  Quantitative Easing is designed to control deflation (an unhealthy decrease in the price of goods), but there is a risk that the policy could become more effective than intended in acting against deflation – leading to higher inflation (a destructive rise in the price of goods), or of not being effective enough if banks do not lend out the additional reserves.  In short, QE involves the Federal Reserve artificially controlling the value of the dollar.  I think it's pretty apparent that in spite of all the maneuvering by the Fed, the strength of the dollar has been mortally damaged.  Instead of allowing our economy to self-correct, the Powers That Be have something much more deceptive in mind.  It's the same old "bait and switch".  Let's watch Bernanke continue to promote "stimulus" to prop up the economy.  While he promises that "indefinite Quantitative Easing" is on the table to ease our pain, the other hand is working to destabilize our economy.  That's the second part of my explanation.
     And here's where I proceed to put on my conspiracy hat.  Sorry, folks, but I just don't think we are being told the truth, so my mind always takes me to other motivations.  The most obvious and glaring question to me is this:  if QE1 and QE2 didn't solve our economic woes, the policy isn't working.  So what else could be behind the adoption of QE3?

     Let me refer you to our old friend, George Soros.  Here is what he said in 2009:  "An orderly decline of the dollar is desirable ... in order to compensate for the fact that the U.S. economy will be a drag on the world economy ...  We need a managed decline."  Let me be plain:  THE GOAL IS TO ACHIEVE GLOBAL ECONOMIC EQUALITY; AS LONG AS THE DOLLAR REMAINS STRONG, THIS GOAL CANNOT BE ACHIEVED.
     It all comes back to the One World Order.  In order to level the playing field, there needs to be a global economic collapse, so "They" can manage a reset and redistribute the world's wealth.  The Central Banks of Europe have added $10 Trillion to the balance sheets of their countries.  As I mentioned, the Federal Reserve just added $40 Billion/month to ours with QE3.  It is all unsustainable; that is the plan!  If the dollar can be devalued, America is no longer a great investment for the world.  Until recently, we have been the main obstacle to the idea of a "just order" in the world's economic picture.  We are the fly in the ointment.  And our decline must be "managed".
     No one can deny that our dollars buy less.  Since 2008, health insurance costs have risen 23%.  College tuition has increased 25%.  There has been a 46% increase in food stamp recipients.  The saddest statistic of all:  We have dropped in our Global Competition standing from 1st to 7th .... in just 4 short years.
     Is Quantitative Easing working?  It depends on your reasons for enacting it.  If you ask us freedom-loving, entrepreneurial, unapologetic Capitalists ..... NO!  But if your goal is to destroy the individual and independent economies of sovereign countries in order to establish a "just and equitable" world economic system, then you are probably applauding.  It looks like you're winning.
     But I promise you that I will not go down that road in an accommodating manner.  I will never believe in "the collective".  I embrace a doctrine that those who work hardest, deserve the most reward.  I believe in being a lifeboat to those who are in danger of drowning... until they are able to swim on their own.  God gave each of us the same innate ability to succeed.  It is up to each of us to determine how much we are willing to work to achieve success.   And when you consider that definition of success, you have to ask yourself, what is the Federal Reserve really trying to accomplish?  To me,  it doesn't look as if the Fed is really interested in promoting economic growth.  All their Quantitative Easing policy seems to be accomplishing is the destruction of our currency's purchasing power.  But could it be .... that is their ultimate goal?  Unfortunately, yes!

Psalm 9:15-16        "The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The Lord is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands."