Dear America,

"Isn't there a limit on how many times we raise the debt limit?"

that's my girl

just something to think about as we set out, today, pondering the thoughts and posture of a president.

For starters, I was pretty close now, wasn't I? (referring to my best guess on the king's speech)

Only a guy proposing we continue to spend over one trillion dollars more than what we take in could figure out a way to get away with it.  sure, he started out mighty fine:

"From our first days as a nation, we have put our faith in free markets and free enterprise as the engine of America's wealth and prosperity. More than citizens of any other country, we are rugged individualists, a self-reliant people with a healthy skepticism of too much government.

But there has always been another thread running throughout our history - a belief that we are all connected; and that there are some things we can only do together, as a nation."

that is a pretty big BUT there, Mr. President.  You know what they say about using the word "but" -- it negates everything that was previously said...and let's move on...

"For much of the last century, our nation found a way to afford these investments and priorities with the taxes paid by its citizens. As a country that values fairness, wealthier individuals have traditionally born a greater share of this burden than the middle class or those less fortunate. This is not because we begrudge those who've done well - we rightly celebrate their success. Rather, it is a basic reflection of our belief that those who have benefited most from our way of life can afford to give a bit more back."

So all things being fair now, "as a country that values fairness," the "wealthier individuals have traditionally born a greater share of this burden" -- giving us a moment when our president truly values tradition.  And not done, he makes the assertion... well, it's the price to pay for being the ones who have "benefited most from our way of life."  Which is it, Mr. President, do we teach our children to be self-reliant and prosper, or do we teach them that when they do (rest on their own self-reliance, create prosperity, and share it, ultimately, of their own free will) be prepared to give more of that fair share, cause that's only fair?  Where do you preserve and support the genuine motivation and benefits anchored by tradition steeped in self-reliance?

"...we lost our way in the decade that followed. We increased spending dramatically for two wars and an expensive prescription drug program - but we didn't pay for any of this new spending. Instead, we made the problem worse with trillions of dollars in unpaid-for tax cuts - tax cuts that went to every millionaire and billionaire in the country; tax cuts that will force us to borrow an average of $500 billion every year over the next decade"

Thanks for the drone hit, Mr. President...indeed, because we have sooooooooooo many millionaires and billionaires running around -- and don't you just love how the two are always put together, like, what's the difference?  It's all the same thing.  They are crooks getting away with murder, while women and children are dying out there.  You forgot to point out, that in the last ten years, our government's annual expenditures have ballooned from 1.8 Trillion in 2000 to 3.4 Trillion by 2010.  While the last three years, under your presidency -- bearing in mind that for this year alone, the CBO projects a 1.6 Trillion dollar deficit -- the national debt has gone from 10 Trillion to 14 Trillion.

We are adding to the population of retirees everyday now.  Baby Boomers are no longer booming.  The annual revenue from our current bunch of yahoos no longer supports the 60% of the Federal Budget that currently pays the bills for retirement benefits, as well as a host of miscellaneous entitlements we'll just stipulate for "the poor."  If you add the payment for just our debt service to the bottom line and do the math, only about 10% of our "revenue" is left for discretionary spending.  That's it.  Yes, they say you are brilliant, BUT let me remind you, it will never work out the way it does in your head, Mr. President, for your numbers do not add up...3.7 out with 2.6 in, equals a 1.1 deficit. simple simon.

"And so, by the time I took office, we once again found ourselves deeply in debt and unprepared for a Baby Boom retirement that is now starting to take place. When I took office, our projected deficit was more than $1 trillion. On top of that, we faced a terrible financial crisis and a recession that, like most recessions, led us to temporarily borrow even more. In this case, we took a series of emergency steps that saved millions of jobs, kept credit flowing, and provided working families extra money in their pockets. It was the right thing to do, but these steps were expensive, and added to our deficits in the short term.

So that's how our fiscal challenge was created. This is how we got here."

wow. dripping with arrogance...and after growing our federal government ten percent (fact), and throwing in a failed stimulus package, what I did has nothing to do with it...and with a straight face tells us:

"We have to live within our means, reduce our deficit, and get back on a path that will allow us to pay down our debt."

Seriously?  Do you even know what living within your means is?  He says this knowing his budget exceeds the means by over a trillion dollars. (This is about the time I believe we lost the second in command, Mr. Joe "can't keep my eyes open a second longer" Biden....snore)

"By the end of this decade, the interest we owe on our debt could rise to nearly $1 trillion. Just the interest payments"

And yet, you are only proposing 4 trillion in cuts/new taxes over the next twelve years.  such a pretty web we weave...
...while he continues to rattle off all the things we like, but really don't like having to pay for, and in the middle of it he says this:

"Most of us, regardless of party affiliation, believe that we should have a strong military and a strong defense."

Should?  Most of us, those of us who respect America's Constitution, recognize that a strong military isn't just an option on the table --  it is paramount to our nation's security,  mandated by our forefathers, and considered non-negotiable by we the people. It isn't lumped in somewhere between food stamps and early retirement benefits. just fyi.

Getting to a bottom, bottom line, "Those are both worthy goals for us to achieve. But the way this plan achieves those goals would lead to a fundamentally different America than the one we've known throughout most of our history."

hmmm where have I heard that before? 

"A 70% cut to clean energy. A 25% cut in education. A 30% cut in transportation. Cuts in college Pell Grants that will grow to more than $1,000 per year. That's what they're proposing. These aren't the kind of cuts you make when you're trying to get rid of some waste or find extra savings in the budget. These aren't the kind of cuts that Republicans and Democrats on the Fiscal Commission proposed. These are the kind of cuts that tell us we can't afford the America we believe in. And they paint a vision of our future that's deeply pessimistic."

and then he simply goes off -- throwing everything on the wall -- a game of paint ball has got nothing on how he proceeded to riddle the right with attacks left, right and up the middle.  Bridges collapsing, no college education, grandma literally getting thrown under the bus...not pretty.  not even the truth.  it's just what radicals do.

and partisan politics in Washington lives on to see another ugly day.

"Worst of all, this is a vision that says even though America can't afford to invest in education or clean energy; even though we can't afford to care for seniors and poor children, we can somehow afford more than $1 trillion in new tax breaks for the wealthy. Think about it."

no, you think about it.  think about what you say, Mr. President.  this is acting presidential?  this is statesmanship?  this is meeting in the middle?  these are words from a leader for all Americans?  this is how low you want to go?

wait for it....

"The America I know is generous and compassionate; a land of opportunity and optimism. We take responsibility for ourselves and each other; for the country we want and the future we share. We are the nation that built a railroad across a continent and brought light to communities shrouded in darkness. We sent a generation to college on the GI bill and saved millions of seniors from poverty with Social Security and Medicare. We have led the world in scientific research and technological breakthroughs that have transformed millions of lives.

This is who we are. This is the America I know. We don't have to choose between a future of spiraling debt and one where we forfeit investments in our people and our country. To meet our fiscal challenge, we will need to make reforms. We will all need to make sacrifices. But we do not have to sacrifice the America we believe in. And as long as I'm President, we won't."

doink, der it is... the walking contradiction reigns supreme again. halleluja.

and tops it off with this little tidbit:

"If, by 2014, our debt is not projected to fall as a share of the economy - or if Congress has failed to act - my plan will require us to come together and make up the additional savings with more spending cuts and more spending reductions in the tax code."

"require us to come together"   What is he not saying here?  Is he purposely planning on stripping Congress of their powers -- specifically, as it pertains to regulating taxation?

"This larger debate we're having, about the size and role of government, has been with us since our founding days. And during moments of great challenge and change, like the one we're living through now, the debate gets sharper and more vigorous. That's a good thing...

But no matter what we argue or where we stand, we've always held certain beliefs as Americans. We believe that in order to preserve our own freedoms and pursue our own happiness, we can't just think about ourselves. We have to think about the country that made those liberties possible. We have to think about our fellow citizens with whom we share a community. And we have to think about what's required to preserve the American Dream for future generations..

This sense of responsibility - to each other and to our country - this isn't a partisan feeling. It isn't a Democratic or Republican idea. It's patriotism."

You can take the organizer out of the community, but you can't take the community out of the organizer.

All in all, for nearly the entire 45 minutes, you pretty much pounce all over the right, one way or another, even injecting class warfare as a main theme; and yet, you still believe you can end on a high note...you sir, must think you are a pretty big deal to think you can really get away with that.

You still don't get it.

We are a country based on individual freedoms, individual liberties, with individual dreams putting individual self-reliance to the test; we are not endowed by our government, but by our Maker.  Sure, collectively, you have it right, in part -- it does make us the strongest, free-est, rich-est, kind-est nation in the world -- and it has everything and nothing to do with the "millionaires and billionaires" and everything and nothing to do with the collective.   think about it. 

Make it a Good Day, G

Definition of Marxism:  "The political and economic ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles as developed into a system of thought that gives class struggle a primary role in leading society from bourgeois democracy under capitalism to a socialist society and thence to communism," from The American Heritage Dictionary.

think about it.

patriotism?  where?

Dear America,

this is a time when things get a little fuzzy around the edges.

We forget, or we fail to recognize, that out of our inherent civility and political correctness, our president has deep seated allegiances, in blood, with Muslims around the world.

Anyone care to discuss this itty bitty factor, or is our new start, domestic meets foreign policy strategy simply to ignore it?

Just to be clear -- this isn't a put down; this isn't a "mark" against the man, as if I pronounce all Muslims, and their intent, bad.  I do not feel that way at all; and you would have me and what I am saying entirely wrong.

It is simply a fact, based upon our president's life experiences and family heritage -- he is, whether we want to discuss all of the idiosyncrasies and propensities about it aloud, or not, half Muslim.

Now you know I love The Daily Bell -- a place where profound libertarian, free-thinking opinion is shared with the world, and sometimes with a deafening pitch; at times though, their perspective seems so outlandish, often I find myself faced confronting the difficult task of believing every word -- truth has a funny way of creeping up on us like that. But quite honestly, there are numerous times I simply surrender with the greatest of ease thinking, oh my gosh, no way, that's radical, dude, everything makes so much sense now.

And the last few days have been no exception. can we get a whoa, far out, on this little number.

So, think about it...there are so many levels of not knowing the reality behind closed doors... happening all around us... everyday.

Much like the Bell's articles of late hemorrhaging on the antics of the Federal Reserve, the Davos meetings, and anything else going on around the world that screams raw western elitism at play -- or how America's juvenile European jealousies, with tendencies immediately to follow, wreak havoc on the global front.  Everyday, according to the staff and the guest editorials, The Daily Bell paints a vivid, sometimes gruesome picture, traveling the unpredictable mine-fields, and MIND-fields, of the times.

Egypt, and the entire Middle East, is a powder keg of conflicting energies of resistance and rebellion, relationships and revolution, seeking change.  What happens in the coming days may change everything
...did the U.S. really promote the uprising? is this for the betterment of future diplomacy, or a  break up? are we letting go of the past alliances and making new friends, or just making more enemies?

Who are our friends, really? For another interesting take on Egypt...and the Muslim Brotherhood...read this.

Is this a time when a half Muslim president rides in on a white horse and saves the world, demonstrating the very attributes bestowed upon him, as the Nobel Peace Prize recipient, before ever really doing a thing -- based solely upon the 'perception' of a man, rather than gut reality of a true leader?  Time will tell, right?


I was amused watching a really old movie over the weekend -- Nighthawks, from 1981 -- by the looks of the bad cinema lighting, the disco dancing, and the clothes, it still reeked of more the mid seventies than parading in what would become a decade of over indulgence and the uprising of the young, upwardly mobile, professionals... use of the word 'professionals' highly suspect; now that it's over, and coming from the heart of the movement myself...looking back, I fear we have grounds to make such claims of professionalism seem downright absurd.  Everything came way to easy, and way to fast, if you ask me...

for now look at us.

Anywho, getting back to the flick, what a little wonder this turned out to be.  First, the players, Sylvester Stallone, Rutger Hauer, Billy Dee Williams, Lindsey Wagner, it dripped handsome super power heroes and villains.  But hey, that was just the packaging --  the substance,  the lines, the story brought to us thirty years ago! priceless.

After quickly setting us up with the plot, to catch a terrorist,  a British Interpol officer comes to New York City to instruct a couple of undercover guys and apparently, NYC's finest -- partners, Sylvester and Billy Dee -- on how to catch the bad guy, Rutger Hauer; and when I say  bad guy I really do mean, one, bad, guy.  Just one guy.  It's just the way it was played out, back then, in the aftermath of the Weather Underground, and all.

At one point, Wolfgard, Rutger Hauer,a.k.a the terrorist, says "I speak for the oppressed... I am a liberator!"  Nearly capturing the essence of the Weathermen of yesteryear in one fell swoop --  that the wealth of an empire belongs to the people, to the oppressed who made the wealth... redistribute the wealth!  redistribute the wealth! (and if you say it like Van Jones, it makes it really fun to say) or we will rise up against you and bomb bridges, buildings, babies -- whatever it takes.

The Interpol Brit outlines the mission saying things like, "[you] might have only one time...to catch him vulnerable...gotta take the shot..."  or something like that.  The point he was making to Sylvester and Billy Dee, was that we have to be just as ruthless as the terrorist -- for they are banking on our civility, our rules of engagement, our pledge to treat others the way we want to be treated; and basically -- flipping things around a bit -- terrorism is always waiting for our vulnerability to show first.

He added a sounding alarm, saying "[they will] come after what we love...", before sending the good guys off on their way, against all odds, not even knowing what this guy would even look like anymore (following the way of Hollywood and the oldest terrorist story in the book: just before leaving London, or was it Paris? Wolfgard had plastic surgery to protect his identity, leaving a murdered doctor in his wake... like we didn't see that coming...).

The thing is, that was made for Hollywood, thirty years ago -- what have we learned?  what has changed?  Something tells me the seriousness of the matter has elevated to way beyond a couple of beat cops from New York City, and you?

But more enlightening is coming face to face with the reality of the what we knew THEN, as general knowledge and movie research begs to tell us everything we ever imagined, and more, three decades ago.

I'm just saying, as elementary as it may seem, if we were supposedly "thinking like a terrorist" then -- what, pray tell, is our excuse now?

I don't want terrorists having a foothold anywhere in the world; I don't want radical extremism leading the way, and coming after the things we love, for any country around the globe -- whether it be Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, or New York City.

The movie declared something stark and unimaginable -- "gotta come at the violence with greater violence..." or something like that.

For just a girl, who really only wants to live in a world that values world peace, the very thought of that seems utterly frightening -- and even though I know it was just a movie -- I am left with wondering, what if it's true?

Hearing the Interpol Brit preaching in my ear again, he said "that's the technique of terror, how do you like it?"

ugh.
wish we could all have milk and cookies and talk about it like reasonable people.

Make it a Good Day, G

and really, if a half Muslim, half Christian, president can't get this right...what are our true hopes, and future, built on?  sand?

Adele, rolling in the deep, is playing on GTV, with a click on Dear America.  REALLY hot song...love love love this girl  -- just trying to leave you on a high note... with a song that won't get out of my head...and it ain't disco.  enjoy.

Dear America,

One of the main points of  Paul Ryan's GOP rebuttal [of the president's SOTU address] -- and what continues to be the mantra of the entire conservative nation  -- is, what do we do NOW in order to RETURN to an environment that "CREATES the conditions to upward mobility."

What do we have to do now -- not in the future --

not drafted over the course of ten years...amounting to merely 400 B's and only attending to discretionary funds (less than 15% of total budget),

not by manipulating ghost budgets and foreshadowing future economic conditions (which, let's face it, if those kinds of super natural predictions existed, we could all buy an island and retire, right?),

and certainly not by "freezing" where we are at now -- how stupid is that idea? especially considering we are currently facing another year of trillion dollar deficits (1.5 T to be exact, see CBO 1-26-11)


but above all, not by ignoring the true culprits of the unfathomable crime in the first place -- the slush fund entitlements.

We are at 14 TRILLION right now, by the end of the year, at 15.5 TRILLION...we can't continue on this trajectory, we simply can't do it, which is why they say it is UNSUSTAINABLE!

Paul Ryan gave us sweet and to the point ten minutes outlining some of the incredible ideas our founders held dear and why; and more important, he didn't sugar coat and pansy his way around the unsustainable debt, the yearly deficits, that every futuristic timetable known to man has come to recognize, shuddering in undeniable regret and disbelief; America's fall from grace and sound principles has created the very conditions to a fierce, traumatic,  downward spiral -- a kind of spiral that, in the right now, is showing enough velocity to take but only a matter of years into the not-so-distant future to come to a horrible, and oh so final, demise.

This isn't fear mongering; this is the truth.

This nation was built upon the rock of ages; learned men, who became known as our founders, came to the table crafting and creating and defining what it is, we as a people, should elevate to our highest value, and likewise, painstakingly made known, in no uncertain terms, what would happen if we don't.

As long as we stayed true to our core beliefs, and held tight to our common values, and came together in a principled, respectable, honorable manner in all of our daily affairs -- as long as we could remain true to our good, and not to the downright ugly -- we could create the conditions of upward mobility, in direct and equal proportion for our efforts -- and all would be well.

America would grow, expand, blossom and bear fruit --and now returning to the very idea of a blog just a few days ago -- UNapologetically -- our blessings would multiply.

"[budget debates] are also about

the purpose of government...

the principles that guide us...

and to show you...

in the spirit of our Declaration of Independence, 

and in the words of our Constitution, 

they have to do with the importance of limited government

and the blessing of self-government." 

Paul Ryan

..."the blessing of self-government." wow.

of course, G's easy -- he had me at hello -- but I'm not sure if I have heard anything more beautiful while making so much sense.

Can we just sit for a moment and get a grip around this?

THIS phrase defines who we are supposed to be as individuals, blessed to be living in this nation, at this time, in this moment AND our inherent responsibility and duty to her, this nation, America.

And now, it becomes painfully clear, we have neither aligned ourselves personally, or collectively, to either of these principles for quite some time.

ouch.

If we stayed true, we wouldn't be in this position today.

Imagine what our world would be like if we simply followed our personal dreams living within our means under a selfless, limited government who only saw fit to manage us with the bare minimum in mind, remaining true to the limited government mandate handed down by our forefathers.  Can you imagine that?

And now, get a grip around the fact that we did this to ourselves, whether it was unabashedly -- or unwittingly!

This is just one example of our government in action today :
(besides the one the president recited in his SOTU address...the one about the salmon departments...his timing was spot on and very funny) -- 

but just yesterday the government made this big announcement of how it was discontinuing a knee-jerk reaction of the Bush Administration which produced the colorized terror alert chart.  The Bush Administration thought, in the short term, a simple system illustrating the height of perceived terror attacks would bring a level of control to the people -- quantifying it, packaging it, making it look like something manageable, or something.  When in fact, all in all, it didn't seem to do much of anything really.

But what does this government report, something to this affect: 'we've been looking at it for more than a year...we will begin phasing it out over the next 90 days...and we will replace it with something better."

If only they were talking about the health care law.

...repeal and replace...repeal and replace...oops but I digress.
 
digress alert, digress alert...
stop...it isn't safe...go back..

So it would be funny stuff if it weren't so true -- but in reality, it has taken somebody, within this administration, probably someone making oooh, I don't know, let's go with the latest upper echelon averages, say, $173,596/year, an entire year to figure out that the purpose of the current Terror Alert System can no longer be found -- but we're gonna replace it  anyway, with one of our systems instead.

Now, given we already have the tools in place under "the emergency broadcast system" of the FCC -- why are we even spending our energy -- over the course of a year! -- to even discuss it????

and this phasing out thing... over 90 days -- what does that mean? -- first the red goes, then the orange...then...?

I like where Stossel is coming from these days -- and Rand Paul -- just start; start cutting, and by all means cease and desist clinging to any relevance in 'freezing' -- as that dog just ain't gonna hunt no more, no more.

I remember when I was a wee little girl skipping to the tulips in the seventies, we had lessons on recycling, being good to mother earth, conserving our resources, being kind to our neighbor, only paying for what we could afford, listening to our parents (with genuine love and respect, too), not letting the water run when we brushed our teeth, wearing the same tennis shoes everyday until we grew out of them, having to at least try my spinach until the day I began to really like it, spending pocket change for a 45  (Elton John's Good Bye Yellow Brick Road) and thinking it was gold...point is, we knew then many of the things we know now... we were all talking about saving energy, making more fuel efficient cars, getting off our addiction to oil (especially exported) even then!  forty years ago. we've been on this road a long, long time.

The thing is, today, my epiphany came with the idea, that all this talk about green this, green that, is so yesterday's energy.   THIS talk is nothing new at all -- and there are ample parts of this world, full on countries, make that continents, who don't give a hoot if they pollute -- still!  And have no plans to change.

Now conservation is commendable and essential all the live long day.  No doubt about it.  It is cool.  It is smart.  It is responsible.  It is what all of us should do right now.

Conservation, based on sound principles and universal truths, is never on the wrong side of the argument...
but especially right now.  TODAY.

And just what has grown twenty five percent in the last four years?  Where is the gluttony?  Oh the irony given the recent focus on obesity, no?

What we have left
of this beautiful America
we must conserve, and rapidly.

The future is now, not divined over the course of ten year averages while hoping the creeks don't rise.
It is now.

Right now, today, we must return to a limited federal government and immediately alleviate wasteful spending from every ridiculous department saved or created in the last ten years. And not stop there.

Chop entire bodies of bureaucrats, right now, today -- slash the department of education, slash the department of energy, and remove most czars along with all of their people, overhead, and paper clips right out from underneath the high speed-rail dreams that carried them in.

Stop all government special favors and subsidies and earmarks.

Privatize, re-organize and/or limit Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid -- for like the president said, "the rules have changed."

Close down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for fraud, and pose incredible fines upon the bums that abused their power, recklessly mis-managing a condominium of bureaucracy for years, while punishing the American taxpayer all along the way.

Close down military bases around the globe (without a second thought, at least half, to start), and bring our troops home to work along our borders -- to protect America, for America's best interests, as clearly defined by our Constitution.

All travel should be curtailed until further notice -- any of you guys ever heard of a thing called Skype or GOtoMeeting.com?

All catered lunches should be paid for out of pocket.

All un-used office buildings should be sold.

And to the issue to raise, or not to raise, the Debt Ceiling: This is no longer a question --  NO.

No new taxes.  No new spending (i.e. investing).
You -- the federal government -- are cut off (and make no mistake, you are cut off at the knees, the Chicago way, if you get my drift). For we, the people, are creating the very conditions for upward mobility of the common man, right here, right now.


Cease all discussions about "yesterday's health care law"  -- and begin to lay the groundwork to commence true TORT reform; regain the competitive spirit of the health care industry by extending the insurance company territory to the entire United States,  and thus correcting the mass market failure of limiting the industry to the border line, slashing the monopoly affect right off it's feet, so that we may more fully create the conditions for fair market value and practice of a commodity long overdue...while the health care bill is just the beginning...

A country who's sole purpose is to create the conditions of upward mobility -- who wouldn't want to live in a country like that?

A limited government is perfect in every way -- add to that the 'blessing of self-government' -- oh my, true blue liberty runs amuck. crazy I tell you, just crazy.  make no mistake, it's crazy good.

"A people who values it's privileges

above it's principles 

soon loses both." 

Dwight D. Eisenhower

This is no time for sissy speak; we must act, confidently, and go in the direction of full stop and reverse...

...not over ten years, not tomorrow, not in five minutes, not even in a minute...but right now.

Make it a Good Day, G

love love love Doris Day...and she's playing on G-TV, just a click away on Dear America today, not tomorrow, right now, today, and only for today, don't miss her ...Day,   Doris Day.

Dear America,

"Is there any doubt that the handwriting is on the wall for where we are heading?  If we look around, we will see the outcome of these trends in countries that are ahead of us in teaching the logical conclusions of such cultural drift.  We see in such cases that manners have been corrupted, morality has sunk into depravity, indulgence is out of control and above all, faith has been discredited and unbelief has become fashionable.  When a culture reaches this point, it becomes so out of touch with truth that masses of people deny outright the existence of God.  God's will for the nation has been abandoned and man has been made God."

 William Wilberforce, adaptation by Bob Beltz, Real Christianity

My guess is you'll never guess when that was first published?

Try 1797.

And it wasn't even about the United States, it was jolly old England he was speaking about.

But it could have been Anytown, USA -- and not some odd two hundred years ago, but more like just last week.

The book makes quite the case for getting the masses' head out of our proverbial a** -- with a greater sense of elegance, of course.  But his point, throughout every phrase, exclamation and lamentation, is that "a nominal faith" will not save us; "it will take a vital faith for Christianity [our culture, society...whatever] to survive at all..."

..."When the cement that has held a nation 

together

no longer exists, 

the state soon dissolves into anarchy."

We, as a nation, and as a people, are being surrounded by wake up calls; and likewise, it is how we choose to respond that will make all the difference.  Will we roll over for five more minutes?  Will we keep hitting the snooze button?  Will we just rationalize not showing up today because we owe it to ourselves to have a day off, a day to play, a day to play hookie?  We've been good; we're a good person, deep down; I deserve it...what's a little white lie gonna do really?

Few books these days have the ability to really touch us -- speak to us.  This is one.  Buy it today.

In a word, we have issues -- and it's not for lack of intelligence, or understanding of history, or misrepresentation of the facts.  

Oops. Scratch that; maybe it is.

We just think we are so hot these days, don't we?  We just think, I am, therefore, I AM!  Who needs a God anymore?  Who needs to live from the soul, in relationship to that which gave us everything?

We are simply too smart, too studied, too full of ourselves and what we know -- we can do it all, without any help, without living from a higher consciousness and spiritual connection to that which is greater than ourselves, any day, everyday, bring it.

Granted this version of Wilberforce is a force to be reckoned with; it's a modern take that almost takes your breath away; but can you just imagine it?  Wilberforce was thinking this stuff over two hundred years ago; he got to the core of a touchy, cultural phenomenon without mincing words or sugarcoating his disfavor -- basically calling everybody out and saying, get over yourselves, will you!  with an attitude of just look at us, look around, don't you see what is happening here?  

Delving deeper he simply says, if you think God is satisfied with this "cultural Christianity" thing we got going on, then you got another thing coming; adding, it's not enough to be born into Christianity and be done with it -- deliberate and contemplative attention to the details is absolute and required. [kind of like it's not enough to be born in America, that makes you an American...it becomes so much more than that, over a lifetime.]

Describing "true Christians" in terms of "it is a joy for them to serve the Lord.  They don't live lives out of obedience out of some heartless obligation to a punitive deity.  They live joyfully in the blessing of the life God designed...this kind of faith is filled with happiness."

And really, not just Christianity, but in all faiths -- the key is found in the connection to God, any God, and being in relationship to It, day in and day out, thankfully, graciously, adoringly, lovingly, and living in the company of others coming from this spirit of understanding and grace, in every way.

So much of what was done by our founding fathers was connected to this core belief -- as they lived it, breathed it, embodied it -- as these truths to live by were transcendent and inherent by nature, endowed by our Creator.  The culture of the time, and in turn our government, came out of the forces of Divine Providence meeting up with the minds of men who deliberately elevated the essential element of the common man, the individual, becoming the cornerstone of a nation, and forever remaining the vital piece of the puzzle .

It was entirely up to the individual to make the connection with God -- as England had already taught them everything they needed to know; and to live by this connection not out of obedience to a "punitive deity" but to live joyously, finding purpose, vibrantly connected to the Source of all Good in order to create the new world with It.

It was an idea ahead of it's time; it was an idea obligating the individual to do his duty, to live right and good; it was an idea that allowed for the perfect pairing of freedom with unalienable rights, to grow into productive, active, participants in the life and times.  As long as we stayed in relationship with God -- and passionately so -- our culture could live in peace and harmony throughout all the days to come.

What we are witnessing today -- as in 1797 -- is the watering down of this Christianity, the very root of our beginning; and, if we are not careful, perhaps this will be the cause of our ultimate demise.  We have allowed modern conveniences and conforming to culture, rationalizing bad behavior and succumbing to vices, to take over right action.

Wilberforce claims that to live in authentic faith, requires right action, with a passion, and a real desire to please God -- from our heart and soul, never ceasing.  It is not enough to call ourselves Christian and not live by It, to not center our world around Christ and His teachings.  It is simply not enough.

But now, we have a culture who would rather discredit Christianity, bury it as just some old world teachings we no longer have any use for -- we have evolved beyond the need for belief in anything but ourselves, more loyal to our things than our faith, firmer allegiance to our careers than our God, finding our savior through an impoverished  lifestyle that simply can't be bothered -- for who's got time for It really --  all we want to do is roll over and hit snooze.  It's Sunday, after all -- yesterday -- my only day to rest, for Christ sake.  

Wilberforce believes that what is asked of us is an "unconditional surrender"  -- that when we live from this position of letting our lives be in the hands and heart of a loving God, we act according to our faith, we benefit in proportion to this faith, and create a life of happiness resting in the knowledge that this life on earth is temporal, that our true destiny is eternal life -- this life on earth is just a "passing through."  Above all, we will gladly do anything in this life to show our love for God, and take care of each other, authentically, reverently, overflowing in the spirit of this true faith.

"we are headed toward a society

that incurs the multitude of evils 

that result 

from living with 

no religion at all."

Many barbarisms of our past have been stricken from society simply with the influx of living according to true faith; culture is strengthened in every way imaginable when connected with each other by an authentic, real Christianity, illuminating a higher purpose to live by, inspired to please God, content in our own humility, and satisfied with the simple life; the more our culture finds it's way further and further away from this reality, the greater our chances to falter.  History proves it, time and time again.

As it was in 1797, don't kid yourselves, it can happen here, in a heartbeat.  It would behoove all of us not to roll over and play dead.

Nations have fallen on the decline of faith before, so..."Let this be a warning.  It would be a tragic mistake to think that even though the moral fiber of our country has deteriorated, our prosperity and wealth will keep us from drifting further.  Nor let us imagine that the fate of Rome might never be our own."

Yeah, like we really have that "prosperity and wealth" thing going on to fall back on...that's a good one.

Make it a Good Day, G

and just so you know -- just as in the making of good Christians (substitute Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Atheists, any belief system far and wide) anywhere and everywhere -- for future reference, it's not made a good day until YOU make it one.

Dear America,

Okay up until now it's been all fun and games.

Just another administration, hellbent on it's agenda and making it's mark. Most would say it has already crossed a line; a line in which none of us expected -- yet others would say it still hasn't done nearly enough.  But up until now, it has been somewhat predictable (for those of us who saw this coming). 

None of it matters anymore -- not even health care.

None of it matters because last Thursday marked the day where this Presidency really began; all else is social networking and community organizing and fundraising and parties -- now is the time when we will see our President really show up.

...and we all thought he was having trouble with the war in Afghanistan a week ago...

...and we all thought he was questioning the mission, the reasons, the strategy and how in the world he could find a way out, practically since his Presidency began, over the last several months...

... and we all thought we saw a President having a hard time committing to anything more when it came to the war on terror, whether it came in 80,000 more, 40,000 more, or 20,000 more troops, or two...

...we all thought we witnessed a President having a really, really hard time deciding under "normal" circumstances, let alone do so in the midst of a terrorist act on American soil...

And now this.

That was then and this is now, and lest we forget that this President IS still half Muslim (just a fact) -- whether he calls himself Christian today or not.  He was born of a father of Muslim faith and IS in part Muslim by birth.   He studied the faith.  He read the Koran.  He went to mosque in his childhood on occasion.

Couple this with witnessing our President dissing America worldwide and we've got issues showing -- albeit HIS issues not ours, but needless to say they may become our issues depending upon how he proceeds. 

Well into the aftermath he quickly wanted Americans to refrain, asking us not to jump to any conclusions about what happened at Fort Hood -- but I wonder being as smart as he is -- had he already jumped to a couple himself?  Is he positioning himself to the side of political correctness and keeping the Muslim world ingratiated before we really piss them off?  Which heritage will he find his allegiance?  And for us, how do we find a way to give him the benefit of the doubt today and even give him some room to breathe and respond in a Presidential fashion after so much disappointment already?

This Hasan is a test.  And from here on out, we will know just what our President is made of by how he comes to America's side  -- for her good favor, for her well being and for her ultimate protection.  This is a skill that our Commander in Chief must not only already have, but must demonstrate and truly embody for the strength of a nation and America's future.

Hasan's personal actions and deliberate choices were not just the typical "good American" gone bad, or Muslim patriot going south, or U.S. Soldier going wacko -- these conscious actions fell under the book and beliefs of Radical Islam; there is no other excuse necessary or motivations reguired if you know Islam and what it asks of it's followers. 

While the media searches for answers or tries to make the Army libel to any cause or action not taken by the military, castrating it for not seeing this coming -- Americans must stop and pay attention to the dialog and question how this Hasan is portrayed.  It doesn't take an Al Queda or Taliban connection to elicit the motivation or support of a single act of terror.  It only takes one follower; even if it is only that one and that one martyr standing alone.

On February 23, 1998, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, a leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, along with three other Islamist leaders, co-signed and issued a fatwa (binding religious edict) calling on Muslims to kill Americans and their allies where they can, when they can.[73] Under the banner of the World Islamic Front for Combat Against the Jews and Crusaders they declared:

[T]he ruling to kill the Americans and their allies—civilians and military—is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem] and the holy mosque [in Makka] from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim. This is in accordance with the words of Almighty Allah, 'and fight the pagans all together as they fight you all together,' and 'fight them until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah'.[74]
Fine Print from G:  The above reference is taken from Wikipedia: Al-Queda. I try not to use wiki, but it was right there and I just pulled a jihad and took it word for word; but there are references linked if you feel the need to go back and research some more on your own.

When America finally catches on, just how will our cool, young President respond? 

That is what G is waiting for.

I mean really -- everything being what it is, being such a mess and all -- going to hell in a hand basket -- a people becoming so partisan and divisive...what's one more thing like a little terrorist act on American soil? The President will probably use this to his advantage, all that more of a reason to follow him and his administration -- for he can save us. 

And looking at the President's track record, he kinda likes doing it all, like yesterday -- why not add this to the mix.  Heck,

he's not getting tired, he's just getting started... 

He's probably sitting there pondering what he's gonna do right now...ever so slowly... and methodically...yeah, that's it...over a beer no less, yeah yeah, with the basketball game on in the background.   Matter of fact, he could probably figure out a way to use this Hasan ordeal as a means to get out of making any troop decisions for quite some time now, why not.

Totally switching gears, you know California is in a heap of doodoo.  You know what our State Legislature did over the weekend? They implemented a new payroll tax just like that.

It gets better.  You know how much the legislature obligated automatically without discussion (that is without the people) -- a 10% tax hike.  That is 10% additional taxes to the already sliced and diced paycheck Californians take home.  Hey, lucky for G -- as I don't have a job, right? 

And get this, they also claim everybody will get back whatever they take come April.  Yeah right!  We're so broke, if you believe that then I've got some lovely swamp land in Florida to show you.

Isn't that a riot.

Kind of in the same realm as our President telling us there won't be any new taxes under his 1.2 trillion dollar health care package  - - like as if small businesses will be totally safe and that there is absolutely nothing to worry about  -- as if.   Mr. President, have you ever had to make a payroll or provide health care for anyone other than your family -- in California, Illinois, or anywhere?

Couple California woes and the new Health Care Legislation, our sunny disposition will be long gone; and so will the businesses and taxpayers.  We will just pull a jihad, as that seems to be the norm against an overzealous government, packing our bags and bibles to go live somewhere else. 

Question is just where...
Middle East is definitely out;
Africa is out;
Europe is out;
Brazil, Venezuela, Honduras never got on the list;
Detroit, New York and Newark are out;
anywhere in America where there are pockets of Al-Queda living and orchestrating their next move is out (you know, nice places like neighborhoods of Chicago, Brooklyn, Queens, Columbus, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta...Silver Spring MD...)
And really, even looking into my own back yard I'm alarmed -- basically all of southern California is a stomping ground for the Al-Queda terrorist network.

By the looks of things and a trip around google earth...I would have to build a log cabin alone in the woods of Alaska to find an Al-Queda free zone; keeping the lights off, of course, so that nobody would find me.

And if you stay with me here, what's interesting is a look at what happened with the lone Republican who voted for Health Care this past weekend-- Joseph Cao. 

He chose to dismiss being a financial conservative -- if in fact he is one -- making it personal and not good business when he brokered a deal for his district and neighborhood of New Orleans.  Cao let the President twist his arm into socialized medicine no less losing all common sense of showing any fiscal responsibility, apparently allowing himself to be wooed with special favors for his neck of the woods as any pork bellied representative will do if given the chance-- and threw all the rest of America under the bus to do it (in a hurricane no doubt). 

Just where were his fellow Republicans working him over begging for his attention and vote another direction? Where was the counter-insurgency pointing Cao to the bigger picture, the larger issues, the life of the American Dream as we know it falling to pieces?  Not that it would have made any real difference, the newly pinned congressmen from California and New York put the House over the top while we were amused by the recent Governorship races.

Sure, in America we allow all kinds of people to come here, legally, and settle in to make something of themselves and to build a family.  We allow all faiths to come to America's shore for freedom to live under whatever God you choose (or not) -- while this was the cornerstone to our creation as evident by our Declaration of Independence from the tyranny of England.

What doesn't work is when one of those religions chooses to rise up against the very freedom we Americans were given by our birth right -- and Muslims who choose to follow the ways of radical Islam do just that. 

It's not time to make nice; it is time to kick these people to the curb and get them out of America.  If you cannot live here peacefully under Muslim, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Baptist, Hindu, Buddhist, or None of the Above faiths, then you must leave.  It is as simple as that.

America's jihad was called the Revolutionary War.  It's done.  Over. Been there, done that.

Mr. President, are you on the side for America and do you have the guts to fight back?

It may be inappropriate, considering the circumstances and we aren't a christian country and all, to ask WWJD;  but in a similar sentiment we must ask ourselves what would an American do -- WWAAD?

We will see now won't we.

Make it a Good Day, G

Tell me America is just getting started. 

It is the 20 year anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down today;
perhaps it's a good day for America to put one up. Just a thought.