When Will Enough Be Enough?

Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. —Declaration of Independence of the thirteen United States of America

Too often, people are looking to blame someone else for why things happen sometimes. Or they are always looking for someone to fix the problems that exist. Everything is cause and effect; things happen for a reason. But the best way to scrutinize a problem/situation you are facing (directly or indirectly) is to look at it from the perspective of: What could I have done or what can I do to change the outcome? This is the type of proactive approach of forethought that can and could have prevented a lot of the problems that we face in this nation. As the Declaration of Independence states, the people are obligated to change things if the Government is being or becoming destructive. At what point will people wake up and realize that we are funding and enforcing our own demise?

Governmental Leadership

People elect politicians, judges and sheriffs during the election cycles; many of which espouse that they can make a difference, and they want to lead the change brigade. In reality, most of them all have similar agendas: control, big government and little accountability to the constituency. This is nothing new; and when this persists, the people want to complain that the same status quo exists in our governments and communities. These political figures didn’t just walk into office; the people elected them. Many times, when I confront people about this they use scapegoat excuses like: “No politician is perfect” or “Well, we have to vote for someone” or they ask “Well, for whom did you vote?”

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” --Benjamin Franklin

You and I are not obligated to vote for the media darlings in any election. If one candidate is getting all of the media attention, does that preclude you from making an objective and independent decision? It shouldn’t. One thing that we must realize is that change comes from the individual(s), and then we can change the collective. We can’t expect groups and politicians to change things. They can be a catalyst for and inspire change. But ultimately, you and I need to enclose ourselves in a room with mirrored walls and blame the person we see in the mirror for what changes have or have not occurred. We must also remember that human nature is a key element to this, as well. Humans will try to get away with what is allowed, but not necessarily what is right. It’s kind of like a child crying to get attention; he/she will cry and have a tantrum as long as you let him/her. But if you employ a little bit of sternness into the situation, then the child will act the way that you are admonishing him/her to act.

"It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable." --Moliere

Aside from the political candidates espousing change from the current state of affairs, there are other incidents in current news that are or should be alerting us to desperately needed changes in the system. The recent judicial decision to acquit three detectives in the 50-shot murder of an unarmed New York man is making headlines. Police brutality and excessive force is a problem that has existed for a long time and is getting worse. This needs to change. But who is going to change it? How many more Rodney King’s do we need before people stop being spectators? I have always been the passive type and hoped that someone else would step up and make the necessary changes around me. But as I got older, I saw that everyone seemed to have the same thought: waiting for someone else to do it. Now, I act, and I stir people up and motivate them to think and to act.

This latest decision to exonerate the detectives of the murder in Queens, New York has to have some reasoning behind it. How can a murder charge be written off? Perhaps with self-defense or an accident as the rationale? OK. But a 50-shot incident is hardly justification for murdering an unarmed man on his wedding day. Let’s review the words of Frank Morales, a man who has studied excessive force and the militarization of the police for many years:

“In fact, in New York City, in the Diallo trial, because people asked why is it that the cops who shot Diallo 41 times. How could they have possibly gotten off? If you examine the details of that trial, which I did. They got off according to the judge and according to the various testimonies that were made, because they were not thinking when they did it, they were acting on their training. Firearms Training Systems (FATS), in their brochure, which the NYPD has a contract, in their brochure they say (FATS), by having a contract with us also gives you [those contracted with FATS] protection against liability against the use of excessive force. It says that in their brochure.”

This is insanity. So we have a mechanism in place where law enforcement officials can just turn off their thinking and reasoning, and just act on training. Innocent people are dying needlessly. Are people going to keep letting stuff like this happen? Will innocent people continue to get murdered with no repercussions for the guilty? The proactive solution is to not elect unprincipled and unscrupulous people to positions of power, and the reactive solution is to continue elect the same types of people that we have in office and protest when they do wrong. This makes no sense. These detectives, their defense attorneys, the Chief of Police, the Mayor, the Borough President, the Judge, and the Governor should all be held in some sort of accountability for this and other atrocities that happened on their watch.

"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions." --Ronald Reagan, 40^th President of the United States

The Government doesn’t have all of the answers, and all of the answers that they give aren’t correct. I am so amazed at the people that I see and know who directly or indirectly have their proverbial hands out at the Government’s trough. People expect the Government to rid every wrong in our society. If people aren’t paying attention on the road and talking on the cell phone, then the people want the Government to ban cell phone use on the road unless it’s hands free. Are people going to want the Government to eventually ban eating or drinking while driving? That sounds like a ridiculous question, but remember, people don’t just give up power. If you give up your power to other, then you have to fight to get it back. You take power by force, and the people are going to have to realize that, because the situation in America is getting worse. We have been trained to be lazy, passive, helpless, and entertained.

Remember the Patriot Act I and II? Remember after September 11, 2001 we have to all band together and fight the terrorists? Sounds reasonable, huh? Then why does the 2^nd Patriot Act SECTION 205 allow top Federal officials to keep all their financial dealings secret, and anyone investigating them can be considered a terrorist? What does this have to do with terrorism, unless you’re covering up a paper trail? This should be very useful for Dick Cheney to stop anyone investigating Halliburton.

Remember the Victory Act (Vital Interdiction of Criminal Terrorist Organizations Act of 2003)? Where is the Y for the acronym? This act allows government agents to use wiretaps and other surveillance on American citizens' private communications, and then use the results of this surveillance in court, even when the surveillance is performed in violation of Americans' constitutional protection from unreasonable search and seizure (4^th Amendment to the Constitution). Why are we being punished? We didn’t do anything wrong, and we shouldn’t accept losing our liberties for the sake of freedom.

"He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither."—Benjamin Franklin

The Victory Act also expanded the legal definition of terrorism to include drug offenses. For the record, I am no fan of smoking cigarettes or marijuana, but as long as you’re not infringing upon anyone’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, then you should be free to live your life the way you see fit. But if Joe Blow is in possession of a few ounces of marijuana, he would be classified as a terrorist, and therefore subject to all the removal of constitutional protections and ordinary legal procedures of a fair trial that are associated with present terrorist prosecutions. What does marijuana have to do with terrorism? It doesn’t appear as though the Government is actually looking for terrorists.

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them.
One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws."-- Ayn Rand (1905-1982) Author

Health

More sickness, disease and unhealthy conditions continue to permeate our society. Grocery stores and shopping centers are inundated with wheelchairs, motorized buggies and amenities for the handicapped. Am I against those that are physically-challenged? Of course not; some situations are legitimately labeled as handicaps, such as Cerebral Palsy. However, many of the things that are handicapping people today are the result of some self-inflicted bad habits, such as: excessive cigarette smoking and consumption of alcohol, overeating, eating the wrong foods, not consuming the proper diet, not consuming enough pure water, not receiving enough oxygen, not eliminating properly, a lack of exercise, and a host of other things that individuals have neglected to do over the years.

I am a proponent of free choice or free will, but I don’t believe that someone who was born challenged and someone who thrusts himself/herself into a handicapped status are necessarily equal. One person had no choice in the matter, the other person did. So why do bad choices get rewarded with entitlements of extra healthcare benefits and frivolous lawsuit victories? Eventually, these negative lifestyle decisions will take a toll on the human body and overwhelm it. For this reason, Americans have been ranked as the heaviest people on the planet. As a nation, we are heavier than Mexicans, Australians, Greeks, New Zealanders and the British -- and they aren't too far behind us, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States.

“The nutritional contradictions of capitalism, where the ability to consume is the ultimate goal, has led to Super-size meals at McDonald's and a staggering obesity epidemic.”-- Greg Critser, excerpt from his book, "Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World."

No one is shoving doughnuts and cupcakes down our throats. We choose the foods and the beverages that we consume. As a result of this obesity problem, the healthcare industry and some political figures are finding a way to capitalize on our health. Fat taxes and increased healthcare costs is what the establishment is planning to implement; and this is done all in the name of helping and caring for us. Every time these people find an open door, they want to own the entire house; and once they own it, you can’t buy it back. We need to stop suing people whenever we gain a few pounds, or burn ourselves with hot coffee. Every time we make an issue of things that we can handle ourselves, we indirectly invite the Government and think tanks to come in and rescue us, when we don’t need to be saved.

"We could envision taxes on butter, potato chips, whole milk, cheeses, [and] meat."--Michael Jacobson, Executive Director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

“The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” -- Cornelius Tacitus (55-117 A.D.)

Oil/Gas Prices

Is President Bush the problem and the reason why oil and gas is steadily rising? Is OPEC the problem? Hugo Chavez? September 11th? These are all secondary and possibly tertiary culprits to this fiasco, if at all. For a simple explanation of this enormous rise in prices, please follow the link and review my article called “Can Anyone Make Sense of Why the Cost of Goods and Services are Continually Going Up?” In short, oil and gas prices are going up because the Federal Reserve is devaluing our currency. You can blame other things on the surface, but the value of our currency is the true issue that no one wants to discuss. We have the oil and the gas available to be used, but if our dollars are weak, then the sellers of the resources will require more dollars for their product/service. No President can save us, but YOU need to be informed so that YOU can understand the scheme in which most politicians, the mainstream media, public relations firms and others are complicit.

Playing the blame game always causes animosity and breeds a safe haven for the actual culprits of the wrongdoing. It's the proverbial smokescreen that is created in order to keep the masses distracted from asking the right questions, so that you won't expect the right answers. It is a craftily created game that is designed to keep you as a pawn in this life's rat race. But education is the key, followed by proper action(s) to correct the wrong.

Folks, we are heading down the wrong path because we have allowed the media and politicians to throw us off course. We have become dependent upon their intellect and insight versus our own reasoning and sense of liberty. No one cares about you and your situation more than you. It’s time to stop looking to Big Brother for all of the answers. Look at the mess Big Brother has already made for us. Now we want to continue this trend? Stop putting the weasel in charge of fox guarding the hen house. There is so much more that needs to be said, but this should jump start your thinking into more self-reliance and independent thinking, rather than being passive and dependent upon the Government’s perspective and intervention. Wake up, everyone! This ocean liner is going the wrong way and the Government is purposefully using a teaspoon to turn it around. Rowing with the teaspoon gives the unsuspecting public the illusion that they are rowing hard to turn things around. However, it is all apart of the ploy to make you think that they are agents of change. You are now better equipped and accountable, so go and inform someone and let’s really start to change things. Live well!

How to Stay in Faith When Bad Things Happen to You

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (sin); but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:38-39

Often times, God is blamed for the calamity that exists in the world and in our individual lives. Miscarriages, accidents, financial loss, health concerns, weather catastrophes and more have been attributed to the handiwork of the Creator. But in reality, God is a good God, regardless of your circumstances, what you think or what you have been taught. "God is a good God" isn’t just the common church lingo, it is actually the Gospel truth (Matthew 19:17). He loves us (John 3:16). How can a loving God justify His love for us if He does bad things to us? If your natural parents/guardians did bad things to you would you think that was good and acceptable? No. The Scriptures are clear and they give us some relevant and insightful principles about how to properly relate to Our Heavenly Father in trying times.

Here are some things to remember concerning your trials and tribulations.

• If you are in a bad situation, and you can't get out of it; it’s like being lost in the forest. You’re lost, but you eventually find your way out somehow. According to 2 Corinthians 4:18, our current circumstances are temporary and are subject to change. Everything changes: kids outgrow diapers, the sun eventually rises, the season changes, and the traffic light turns green a few minutes later.
• You are not alone in your suffering. Your suffering might be different from another person’s pain, and you may think that no one understands your struggle; but we all have and will continue to experience trying times. Even Jesus suffered in the flesh (John 15:18-16:6). Trying times can make you stronger. What happens when you bring two metal edges together? Proverbs 27:7 says that iron sharpens iron. That circumstance can make you better if you work your iron.
• You will never go through anything that you cannot bear [handle] (1 Corinthians 10:13). The path that you are on is specifically designed for you. That doesn’t mean that God designed those problems for you, it simply means that if you are going through it, then God knows that you can handle it. The door unlocked and opened because you had the key. Once the beast is loosed, God has already given you the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) to gain victory over the situation (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17).
• Know that Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. The things that we go through are just apart of a bigger picture. Let things come together and get worked out.
• Know that God is a deliverer. How can you know that God is a delivering and saving God if He never delivered and saved you from anything? Reading about examples of how God delivered people in the past is one thing, but personally experiencing His delivering power is something entirely different. If good things are always given to you, then how can you appreciate what you have? You will more than likely treasure something for which you physically worked, struggled and sacrificed. It will become apart of you and will be dear to your heart. That is precisely how our faith and the love of God in our hearts grow; we exercise it like a muscle (Romans 5:3-4).
• God never uses bad things to punish us or to teach us a lesson. All bad things come from the enemy of our souls (John 10:10), and God always uses the Holy Spirit to teach us (John 16:13). Sickness, lack and calamity are all apart of the Deuteronomy 28 curse from which Jesus redeemed us (Galatians 3:13-14). Always remember that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:16-17). If sickness, lack and all of the bad stuff that we go through comes from God, then shouldn’t we want what God has for us? Our good God never gives people bad things. He is pure, holy and righteous.
• Exercise faith and patience when going through your situation (Hebrews 10:36; James 1:2-4). Your problem is not going to disappear because you pray a few times; use your faith in the Word of God and patience, and let the situation run its course. God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
• Remember that when you are going through a test, trial, persecution, etc. you should go through it and don’t stop, complain and be whiner. If you’re being tested, it means that you are a threat to the enemy and his kingdom. This is a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12) that can manifest in the natural. Accept the challenge! For example, someone might crash into your car, and the insurance company may refuse to pay for the damages. Are you going to be moved by the situation with tears and frustration, or are you going to confess God’s Word and stand on His promise that “No weapon that’s formed against you will prosper,” and that “He’ll take the bad and turn it into your good,” and that “you have favor with God and man,” and that “He’ll cause people to bless you.” Take Satan’s attack as a compliment. He is only bothering people who are causing him problems. If he wants to start a fight with you, then you need to end it by standing on the promises of God and enforcing his defeat that Jesus won for us.
• Sometimes we omit things and sometimes we do the wrong thing. Both of these things open the door to problems. For example, people take family members for granted, and when the family member dies, people feel guilty and regretful about past situations. Guilt and condemnation are not from God, but all of this could have been avoided with a little bit of communication; but it was omitted, and people have to deal with the consequences. In terms of committing the wrong act, everything that we suffer is not an attack of the enemy. If you get liver disease after drinking whiskey for 30 years, there’s no need for you to try to cast the devil out of anyone; he isn’t in people’s liver. Omitting the right thing and committing the wrong acts open the door to bad things in our lives. The devil isn’t omnipresent (everywhere at the same time) but many times he sets failure traps for us, and progressively we dig ourselves into a hole.
• Always be thankful. Someone’s situation is always worse than your’s. If you are reading this, it means that you aren’t in Hell, so your situation could be worse than it is right now.

Take a few moments and think about these insights. They are simple, yet profound, and they will help you to stay focused, grounded and unwavering in turbulent times. Go enforce the victory that Christ has already won for us. Don’t let the enemy’s smokescreen throw your perspective off. You are always a victor in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57), so go win. Live well!

Are we a Christian Nation or a Socialistic/Communistic Nation?

“The church has failed to follow her appointed pathway of separation, holiness, heavenliness and testimony to an absent but coming Christ; she has turned aside from that purpose to the work of civilizing the world, building magnificent temples, and acquiring earthly power and wealth, and, in this way, has ceased to follow in the footsteps of Him who had not where to lay His head.”—C.I. Scofield

"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."-Hillary Clinton at a Democratic fundraiser June 28, 2004

“The goal of socialism is communism.” --Vladimir Lenin

I believe that the original intent of colonizing America was to have a land in which people could worship God and live in freedom, despite some of the foolishness that has occurred here. In the 21st century, however, I see an ever-increasing move away from a Christian-based society that promotes individual liberty, while we are moving towards an Orwellian-like socialistic/communistic control grid. We are told that the current “big brother” system of governance is all aimed at fighting the war on terrorism and keeping everyone safe.

“A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.” --Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.”—Dwight D. Eisenhower

We have heard similar scenarios in the past, later to find out that government officials lied about catalysts, the historical order of events and outcomes. It was ultimately learned that Nero burned Rome, not his political enemies; Hitler burned the Reichstag, not his political enemies; Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of rape in the book of Genesis; the Gulf of Tonkin was staged (a catalyst for involving us with the Vietnam War); there was supposedly foreknowledge of an attack on Pearl Harbor, as well as other false flag attempt examples in world history. What is going on in this nation and the world? Why is the US politically looking more and more like a European country? Didn’t the settlers from the old world come here in order to be distinct from European rule? Isn’t America the place where the entrepreneurial spirit has been allowed to thrive and new ideas have been birthed? Isn’t America the place where people come from all over the world to seek the “the dream” of a better life and more opportunities to succeed? Well, it is my contention that this nation has lost its way. The nation that our ancestors wanted us to have will not be, if we continue on this current path. However, most Americans don’t even realize America’s current state of affairs. We live in a de facto socialistic/communistic nation. Sounds harsh, I know. But facts are the facts, so let’s examine them. and see how aspects of socialism and communism are commonplace in 21st century America.

“Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.”--Thomas Sowell

People may say that we have social programs in order to help the children, the elderly, or the community. But how can these objectives be obtained? Well, all it takes is resources (people and money). Socialism uses hugs, kisses, and occassionally a gun to rob you stealthily. Communism uses jack-booted thugs with machine guns and black ski masks to steal from you, if you don’t submit. But it is all in the name of the common good. The proponents of socialism/communism usually ostracize opponents of socialism/communism. The opponents are characterized as selfish capitalists who want to succeed at someone else’s expense, and hoard money and resources in the process. This is simply not true in all cases. Typically, the problem is that we all get caught up in labels and monikers to the point where we miss the principles, or the lack thereof. What we call capitalism is really fascism: the elite “good ole boy” network of businessmen/women partnering with the government to take advantage of the biggest and best opportunities with very limited competition or risk. As I have said so many times, we don’t have totally free markets that the people control, because of government interference and skews the market with regulations, taxes and unnatural intervention mechanisms. We should think about this more objectively and ask ourselves, “Why is socialism/communism going on in America?”

“Socialism is simply Communism for people without the testosterone to man the barricades.” --Gary North

Socialism/Communism, for all intents and purposes, is control. People can tie pretty bows on it, and call it “caring” and “loving,” but in principle it is unadulterated control.

“All socialism involves slavery.” --Herbert Spencer

Control or domination has been and is very common in the history of humanity. For thousands of years, populations have been controlled, enslaved and dominated one another. Why? The common denominator in the many examples of history is money, power and fame. The Bible simply states that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10); and unfortunately, this is the catalyst for promoting socialism/communism. The implementers of socialism were and are very cunning. They know that it is easier to catch bees with honey, than to swat at them. Deception is the calling card of these social architects. An example of which is Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, used deception to convince African Americans to abort their babies, so are the modern-day socialists deceiving people.

Margaret Sanger stated:

“We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don't want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. And the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.”

Do you now see why the government is partnering up with some churches? It is all to retrain your thinking, and we need to understand this sooner, rather than later. They know that preachers are very influential over their flocks. This is also why the government has created clergy response teams: to quell dissent and pacify citizens to obey the government in the event of a declaration of martial law. This seems to be reasonable in re-establishing and maintaining order; but since we already live in a socialist country and have caught governments of the world lying for centuries, we can deduce that some of these preachers will be used in some way for control. Notwithstanding, better days are coming for the Church, but they aren’t here yet. People are infiltrating the Church in order to implement an agenda whose intention is the destruction of the Church, the family, liberty and the Christian-Judeo ethic. I believe that some of these preachers are well meaning, yet uninformed. That’s unfortunate, because uninformed preachers more than likely will produce an uninformed congregation.

The Church has forgotten that God not only has different functions for people and entities, but He also has a different anointing (spiritual enabling power to perform a duty or service) to complement that function. When God gives instructions, He does so to one of five entities: Individuals, Families, Governments, Israel, and the Church. First, when Jesus preached a repent or perish message in Luke 13 to whom was he ministering? He was ministering to individuals. Second, the instruction to Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it- Proverbs 22:6. To whom is the Word of God speaking? He was speaking to the families. Third, when the Word states: “For civil authorities are not a terror to [people of] good conduct, but to [those of] bad behavior. Would you have no dread of him who is in authority? Then do what is right and you will receive his approval and commendation. For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, [you should dread him and] be afraid, for he does not bear and wear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant to execute His wrath (punishment, vengeance) on the wrongdoer.” Romans 13:3-4 To whom is the Word of God referring? It is referring to the government to execute wrath to punish criminals. Fourth, when the Word of God states that linen and wool mixed clothes shouldn’t be worn (Leviticus 19:19). To whom was God speaking? He was speaking to the Old Testament Jews. Fifth, when the Word of God offers instructions for Communion in 1 Corinthians 11. Who is supposed to administer the elements? The Church is to serve communion.

So if we follow the model that God will instruct and anoint certain sectors of our society to perform certain tasks, then we can get a clearer contextual meaning of the Word of God on all of today’s issues. So the substantive question is not whether you can do a specific duty or task; but are you anointed to perform that duty or task with the utmost effectiveness? This is one of today’s many conundrums. The Church is dropping the ball on many fronts, and other people and entities are picking it up and running with it. As a result, we have a system in crisis. This also breeds a society of people who are now unknowingly accustomed to socialism, but are uninformed about what socialism/communism really is. Today, what we are experiencing is a usurpation of authority. In the Bible, Acts 5 demonstrates an account of everyone’s needs being met and having all things common. This is normally misinterpreted as an example of socialism/communism. In actuality, it is an example of charity. The Church, not Herod, Agrippa or Ceasar, distributed to the needs of the people; and this is how it is supposed to be done. Socialism/Communism is diametrically opposed to what Christ and Biblical principles teach us. Socialism/Communism takes your resources and gives them to others without your consent. Charity allows you to freely give your resources to whomever you wish on your terms.

Based upon the definition, is socialism/communism only happening in Russia, Guatemala or Cuba? Or is it actually occurring here, as well? We have an uninformed culture of people who are inundated with Madison Avenue’s latest fashion, bobbles and the coolest vacation spots. In recent news, Halle Berry just gave birth to a baby girl, the Houston Rockets have the second longest winning streak in NBA history, and oil prices are now over $100.00 per barrel. The internet and the mainstream news media are all over this stuff. But never mind that the Fed just cut the interest rates again, which means that our dollars are being devalued more than ever. Never mind that countries and investors who are denominated in Euros are buying up U.S. assets on sale, as their currency appreciates and ours depreciates. How sad is that! The mainstream media inundates us with filler news, while the substantive issues are reported in the back of the newspaper. This is the state of affairs in this nation. As long as everything looks and feels good, then all is well. Evil is normal and acceptable in today’s society, while goodness and truth are viewed as intolerant and antiquated.

“A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” --Vladimir Lenin

“Democracy is the road to socialism.” --Karl Marx

Let’s look at what Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, authors of the Communist Manifesto, had to say about a working and implemented model of Communism. The 10 Planks of Communism:

First Plank: Abolition of property in land and the application of all rents of land to public purposes. (Zoning - Model ordinances proposed by Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover widely adopted. Supreme Court ruled, "zoning" to be "constitutional" in 1921. Private owners of property required getting permission from government relative to the use of their property. Federally owned lands are leased for grazing, mining, timber usages, the fees being paid into the U.S. Treasury.)

Second Plank: A heavy progressive or graduated income tax. (Corporate Tax Act of 1909. The 16th Amendment, allegedly ratified in 1913. The Revenue Act of 1913, section 2, Income Tax. These laws have been purposely misapplied against American citizens to this day.)

Third Plank: Abolition of all rights of inheritance. (Partially accomplished by enactment of various state and federal "estate tax" laws taxing the "privilege" of transferring property after death and gift before death.)

Fourth Plank: Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels. (The confiscation of property and persecution of those critical - "rebels" - of government policies and actions, frequently accomplished by prosecuting them in a courtroom drama on charges of violations of non-existing administrative or regulatory laws.)

Fifth Plank: Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly. (The Federal Reserve Bank, 1913- -the system of privately owned Federal Reserve banks, which maintain a monopoly on the valueless debt "money" in circulation.)

Sixth Plank: Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State. (Federal Radio Commission, 1927; Federal Communications Commission, 1934; Air Commerce Act of 1926; Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938; Federal Aviation Agency, 1958; becoming part of the Department of Transportation in 1966; Federal Highway Act of 1916 [federal funds made available to States for highway construction]; Interstate Highway System, 1944; Interstate Commerce Commission given authority by Congress to regulate trucking and carriers on inland waterways, 1935-40; Department of Transportation, 1966.)

Seventh Plank: Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. (Department of Agriculture, 1862; Agriculture Adjustment Act of 1933 -- farmers will receive government aid if and only if they relinquish control of farming activities; Tennessee Valley Authority, 1933 with the Hoover Dam completed in 1936.)

Eighth Plank: Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies especially for agriculture. (First labor unions, known as federations, appeared in 1820. National Labor Union established 1866. American Federation of Labor established 1886. Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 placed railways under federal regulation. Department of Labor, 1913. Labor-management negotiations sanctioned under Railway Labor Act of 1926. Civil Works Administration, 1933. National Labor Relations Act of 1935, stated purpose to free inter-state commerce from disruptive strikes by eliminating the cause of the strike. Works Progress Administration 1935. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; mandated 40-hour workweek and time-and-a-half for overtime, set "minimum wage" scale. Civil Rights Act of 1964, effectively the equal liability of all to labor.)

Ninth Plank: Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country. (Food processing companies, with the co-operation of the Farmers Home Administration foreclosures, are buying up farms and creating "conglomerates.")

Tenth Plank: Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production. (Gradual shift from private education to publicly funded began in the Northern States, early 1800's. 1887: federal money (unconstitutionally) began funding specialized education. Smith-Lever Act of 1914, vocational education; Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 and other relief acts of the 1930's. Federal school lunch program of 1935; National School Lunch Act of 1946. National Defense Education Act of 1958, a reaction to Russia's Sputnik satellite demonstration, provided grants to education's specialties. Federal school aid law passed, 1965, greatly enlarged federal role in education, "head-start" programs, textbooks, library books.

(Research source: Encyclopedia Britannica.)

“The function of socialism is to raise suffering to a higher level.” --Norman Mailer

Have we really moved away from being a free republic? Or am I just over the top and trying to rock the boat? Let’s take a bird’s eye view of some recent domestic examples of tyranny and some precedents that are being set.

• The First Amendment of the US Constitution affords us the right to free speech. However, in certain American venues, individuals/groups must get a permit (permission from the Government) to speak. Some events also have free speech zones. What ever happened to a redress of grievances? http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0178.html
• Invasion of privacy is on the rise with:

a) Cameras in school bathrooms, http://www.nbc10.com/news/3753538/detail.html http://seclists.org/politech/2001/Feb/0008.html http://archive.recordonline.com/archive/2003/04/17/17edit.htm and on the streets and highways. http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2218.asp

b) TIPS programs and tattletale squads http://www.dojgov.net/TIPS-01.htm

c) The Government wants to see what books you are reading http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feature/2002/02/13/bookstores/index.html

d) Personal medical information is being uploaded to Homeland Security http://www.vaccineinfo.net/issues/medicalprivacy/bad_medicine.shtml

e) Mandatory vaccines for children http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111301408.html

f) Unlawful mental health screening http://www.naturalnews.com/002566.html http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=19188

g) Many examples of law enforcement and the military conducting unlawful searches and drills.

h) Eavesdropping http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031601861_pf.html http://newteevee.com/2008/03/18/comcast-cameras-to-start-watching-you/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_frz-ykQjI http://www.upi.com/Security_Terrorism/Analysis/2006/02/14/whistleblower_says_nsa_violations_bigger/9494/ http://www.boingboing.net/2007/04/19/talking-video-camera.html http://rawstory.com/news/2008/NSA_quietly_expands_domestic_spying_program_0310.html

i) Sneak and peak; Patriot Acts I and II http://www.law.uga.edu/academics/profiles/dwilkes_more/37patriot.html

j) U.S. Admits Bio-Weapons Tests http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/08/national/main524873.shtml

k) Cops draw blood on the side of the road http://www.motorists.org/blog/duidwi/motorists-forced-to-let-officers-draw-blood-sample-at-dui-stops/

• Security Prosperity Partnership-merging the United States, Mexico and Canada into a European Union-like agreement.
• Unconstitutional gun control laws
  
  

This is just a small list, but it proves that we are no longer in a Constitutional Republic. What the socialists/communists have written and dreamed decades ago is now happening here.

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”—Abraham Lincoln

“The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism.” --Karl Marx

Socialism isn’t coming; it’s here. How did it get here? Up until the 1930’s the church, private sector and soup kitchens cared for the poor. During this time, these private people and organizations were meeting people’s natural needs (clothing, food and shelter), as well as providing spiritual counsel. During the 1930’s-1960’s, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (FDR) New Deal (socialism) was implemented to compete for the mind of the poor and future generations by eliminating the Church’s influence over the masses. The people became accustomed to government entitlements and accountability was never in the equation.

“Throughout the nation men and women, forgotten in the political philosophy of the Government, look to us here for guidance and for more equitable opportunity to share in the distribution of national wealth… I pledge myself to a new deal for the American people. This is more than a political campaign. It is a call to arms.” –Franklin D. Roosevelt, Presidential acceptance speech

“The New Deal is plainly an attempt to achieve a working socialism and avert a social collapse in America; it is extraordinarily parallel to the successive 'policies' and 'Plans' of the Russian experiment. Americans shirk the word 'socialism', but what else can one call it?” --H. G. Wells

After the New Deal era, the 1960’s ushered in a new period that really caused the Church to be almost a non-issue concerning poverty relief. The next stage of socialism under Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) was introduced. Touted as a way to stamp out poverty and to improve race relations, LBJ’s Great Society continued to transition FDR’s socialism into what we have today. His Great Society was a Great Mess. As a result, people have increasingly become morally irresponsible and dependent upon the system; poverty is progressively on the rise while the money we spend to combat it rises, as well. However, LBJ was instrumental in grasping and maintaining the minds of Americans to accept more socialism.

“We are going to assemble the best thought and broadest knowledge from all over the world to find these answers. I intend to establish working groups to prepare a series of conferences and meetings—on the cities, on natural beauty, on the quality of education, and on other emerging challenges. From these studies, we will begin to set our course toward the Great Society.”-- Lyndon B. Johnson

“Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.” --Alexis de Tocqueville

“Socialism is a fraud, a comedy, a phantom, a blackmail.” --Benito Mussolini

Author’s conclusion

Today, socialism is accepted as normal in a nation that originally fought to end this type of tyranny. America has come to this point because of a systematically crafted agenda. A generational collusion on the part of public education, the media, politicians, public relations and others is responsible. The public has been purposefully misinformed and many times, is willing to accept almost any idea or solution, as long as a relatively normal life can be enjoyed today. Our future and the future of our children have been mortgaged today. The majority of Americans are oblivious to socialism, its history and its effects upon a free society. But we must educate the masses, one person at a time, if necessary. Take this information and study it for yourself. The mainstream media won’t tell you this information, but it is readily available for you to review and scrutinize on your own. Don’t be lulled to sleep by American Socialism; arise and be a lover of God’s principles and freedom; our kids are worth it. Live well!

Wake Up America! Your Liberty is at Stake.

16 Ounces is a pound anywhere on the planet. It doesn’t matter if it is on the left or the right side of the street. What if you were given the choice of a tall glass of ice cold gasoline, a rat poison milkshake, or an amusing walk down a razor blade slope into lake filled with witch hazel and a school of piranha? Is one form of death better than the other? Well maybe the talk of death is a bit animated, but you understand my point. Each of the scenarios I mentioned above are forms of death, and I don’t want to choose from a field of bad just to say that I chose and was a part of the process. What I am talking about is the proverbial “lesser of two evils” cliché in the 2008 US Presidential election. The “lesser of two evils” is still evil. I am not necessarily calling the candidates evil, but if the candidate’s policies are a sweet, covert and warmed over version of an ideology that would overtly be deemed as reprehensible to liberty, then I believe that we should investigate their policies and belief systems a bit more thoroughly. As Edmund Burke once said, “Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” This is a philosophical difference, and we need to know what we believe, what the candidates believe, what they are saying, how they say it, and how they legislate currently, as well as in the past.

In the US Presidential race, we see two parties vying for delegates and superdelegates by stating their own platforms, fighting off attacks, and finding ways to magnify the flaws of their opponents. This is just how most people play politics. Meanwhile, Madison Avenue public relations firms are getting rich and having a field day changing images and repackaging the same philosophies right before your eyes. “There is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

“Television was our chief tool in selling our policy.” –Richard Haas, President of the Council on Foreign Relations

"Our job is to give people not what they want, but what we decide they ought to have."Richard Salent, former president, CBS News

Unfortunately, we are living in a feel good age, where it doesn’t matter what’s going on, as long as you’re cool, socially accepted, and looking good. This is the apparent mindset of the American public. If you ask the average person what socialism or communism is, if they know how to count back change from a cash register, or who the Governor of their state is, more times than not, they will give you this glazed over, deer stunned in the headlights look. Then, when they finally snap out of it, they will say some silly remark, name call and keep moving. I must admit that Barack Obama is a very inspiring, well-spoken and is a relatively nice looking man. But what does that matter when it comes to principles and our civic duty? I have met and spoken with many people online and in person about the 2008 election and most people are just caught up in the hype of the primaries and the caucuses. Needless to say, a very small percentage of people actually understand politics, law and/or history.

As I listened to Barack Obama’s speech the other night from Houston, Texas, I also listened to all of the applause that continually thundered through the Toyota Center. I am focusing on Senator Obama because it appears that he has the momentum, and is a seemingly more believable agent of change. Hillary Clinton is perceived as the Washington insider. In actuality, she would be the new boss, same as the old boss; and is trying to continue the Bush/Clinton team in the executive branch from 1980 (Bush Sr. as VP) to 2016.

A few things that Senator Obama called for in that speech in Houston:

• raising the minimum wage rates in line with inflation
• making healthcare affordable for middle class working families
• subsidizing healthcare for those who can’t afford it.
  
  

In the first mentioned point, Senator Obama speaks about inflation, but never addresses the cause of inflation. Wages don’t need to be fixed, inflation needs to be fixed. It has nothing to do with raising wages, which ultimately leads to higher priced goods and services. Inflation is chiefly caused by a fiat counterfeit system that adds paper notes with no intrinsic value to our money supply. The average citizen has to go and earn money at a job working for 40-70 hours per week; meanwhile, the central banks can just print dollars at virtually no cost, and then can charge interest on the repayment of that money. If there is a default on the loan, the banks foreclose on tangible assets. Who wins in that system? The big banks (and their shareholders) who issue the currency, of course.

"Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes her laws."-- Mayer Amshel Rothschild

The second and third points deal with Healthcare, which the government has absolutely no authority to handle. Life and maintaining life is a private and individual matter. Since our individual lives come from God, we are all individually accountable to Him for how we care for and present our bodies. Healthcare is not a matter of the State; nor is my diet or exercise regimen, etc. So why does Presidential candidate, Barack Obama, want to forcibly enroll us in a healthcare system and forcibly steal our money (taxation) in order to pay for (subsidize) someone else’s healthcare? Well, Hillary Clinton goes a step further in her coercion, and if you don’t buy into the government’s healthcare program, she will have your wages garnished. That came out in an interview with George Stephanopolous on ABC’s “This Week” on February 3, 2008.

In short, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are, in principle, socialists. That isn’t a bad term; it’s just an ideological system of governance. However, it happens to be an enemy of freedom, and a kissing cousin to tyranny. Socialism, communism, and fascism, etc. deal with government control, while true free-markets deal with allowing the people the freedom to bargain, barter and/or exchange amongst themselves with no threat of intervention, taxation, regulation or penalty. Tyrannical governments always lead to an uprising of the people in pursuit of liberty.

“Whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”--US Declaration of Independence

“Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”-- Benjamin Franklin

Most people have no concept of tyranny because they are either not students of history or never lived under a tyrannical government. But history is clear and the philosophical writings of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto are very demonstrative. If you read the ten planks of the Communist Manifesto, it is blatantly obvious that most of characteristics of a Communistic form of government are already going on in 21st century America (and have been for decades). Again, this is not good for personal liberty.

Like I said, socialism, communism and fascism are schools of thought, ideologies. It doesn’t mean that anyone who subscribes to the tenets of these ideologies is sinister. But we need to properly label the mechanisms that are in place in this country.

• Socialism can be defined as the means of producing and distributing goods being owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.
• Communism advocates the "collective ownership of property and the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members."
• Fascism uses a central authority (at times corporations) to maintain control, but "terror and censorship" are common.

Do you want to produce and to be productive, while an unproductive and bureaucratic government uses your resources for their own benefit, and the benefit of others without your consent? If someone is going to get my resources, it should be at my discretion. If it is at my discretion, it is called charity. If it is withdrawn from my paycheck without my consent, it is called theft. You and I were created to be free and sovereign beings, not property of the State to be fleeced like sheep at any given time.

Let’s look at a satirical scenario to understand the principles of governance even more:

Two Cows

SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The State takes one and gives it to someone else.
COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The State takes both of them and gives you milk.
FASCISM: You have two cows. The State takes both of them and sells you milk.
CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
FREE MARKET: You have two cows. You do whatever you want with the cows; keep them, milk them, sell them, breed them, or let someone borrow them. It’s your business and property.

Do you see the difference in these ideologies? It’s government control vs. you controlling your own financial affairs. You should be free to make the right or wrong decisions without the threat of someone interfering with your right to choose your own path. So let’s not get sucked into popularity contests, ethnic pride, the “lesser of two evils,” and emotional gender ties during this 2008 election. We should all be people of principle and conviction. Our right to vote was paid for with the blood, sweat and tears of those who died and laid the groundwork for the lives that we all live and enjoy today. Don’t let their sacrifice be in vain by making emotional decisions, rather than taking a principled stance on the issues. Why are you voting for your candidate of choice? Remember, socialism in Europe is still socialism in America. The Democratic and Republican candidates are promoting Socialism; but no one is bold enough to admit this because it isn’t politically correct to do so. Don’t be fooled and don’t get caught up in cheerleading; stand your principled ground, get out there and make your voice heard for truth.

Author’s conclusion: My analysis and research has led me to encapsulate this article into a simple analogy. There are many horses running in the race, and a tiny cabal of high-level bureaucrats owns every horse. They fund, strengthen, support and bet on all of the horses. What choice is there for the people in the grandstands who want to vote outside of the establishment structure? The game is fixed because the people are not holding the system accountable; the system is holding the people hostage. This is an upside down game (Picture a pyramid with the widened base and the capstone at the top). The widened base means that the people and the rule of law/principles are the foundation. But today, the capstone is at the base, trying to support the top-heavy structure. It’s all about control!!! Wake up, America!!!!! Most of the candidates running for President in both parties are members or associated with think tanks whose agenda is not for ensuring that America is sovereign, prosperous and free. One think tank in particular is the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

“The main purpose of the Council on Foreign Relations is promoting the disarmament of U.S. sovereignty and national independence and submergence into an all-powerful, one world government.”--Rear Admiral US Navy, CFR member for 16 years, Judge Advocate General of the Navy 1956-60

Senator Obama, Senator Clinton, and Senator McCain are all members of this group. Governor Huckabee gets his briefing on foreign policy from Richard Haas, President of the CFR and others. Congressman Ron Paul is the only US Presidential candidate that is an opponent of the council, and wants to preserve American sovereignty and personal liberty. Look at the following quotes and see the overt socialism, communism and fascism (overwhelmingly minority control over the masses) espoused in each quote. If the Republicans are promoting socialism that you don’t like, then be consistent and don’t accept the Democrats version of it, as well. It doesn’t matter who is spewing the poison; poison is poison. Live well!

“The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is the American Branch of a society that originated in England... (and) ...believes national boundaries should be obliterated and one-world rule established.”--Carroll Quigley, former Georgetown professor and mentor of Bill Clinton

“The powers of financial capitalism had (a) far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalist fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent meetings and conferences. The apex of the systems was to be the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, a private bank owned and controlled by the world's central banks which were themselves private corporations. Each central bank...sought to dominate its government by its ability to control Treasury loans, to manipulate foreign exchanges, to influence the level of economic activity in the country, and to influence cooperative politicians by subsequent economic rewards in the business world.”- Carroll Quigley, former Georgetown professor and mentor of Bill Clinton

“A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is privately concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men who, even if their action be honest and intended for the public interest, are necessarily concentrated upon the great undertakings in which their own money is involved and who necessarily, by very reason of their own limitations, chill and check and destroy genuine economic freedom.”--Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States

“……….sovereignty is not only becoming weaker in reality, but that it needs to become weaker. States would be wise to weaken sovereignty in order to protect themselves, because they cannot insulate themselves from what goes on elsewhere. Sovereignty is no longer a sanctuary.”— Richard Haas, President of the Council on Foreign Relations

"In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happened, you can bet it was planned that way."--Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), 32nd US President

"The case for government by elites is irrefutable." Senator William Fulbright, Former chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated at a 1963 symposium entitled: The Elite and the Electorate - Is Government by the People Possible?