Syte Reitz

The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world…….

Browsing Posts tagged 2016

To My Friends Who Are Democrats…

(See former Hillary Clinton aide postscript at end.)
Pitching politics has been counter-intuitive for me for most of my lifetime.

I have never belonged to one political party, and still refuse to join one.
I refuse to be a groupie following one charismatic individual, and I do not relinquish my free will to control by any organization or group.
Admittedly, I have been quite conservative most of my life; although there have been exceptions to that, too, particularly during my college days.

A Realistic View

My view of politics is a realistic one; nothing’s black, nothing’s white. Nobody is 100% right, nobody is 100% wrong. I like to enquire, to think, and to adopt the best of what everyone has to offer. That includes ideas from more than one political party.

The United States seems limited to two major parties.  Not a bad system, from the viewpoint of avoiding governance by a minority, smaller than 51%.  Since one party is not likely to encompass all the ideas of a particular individual, we have to weigh the pros and cons offered by the two major parties at each election, and choose the party that satisfies our most important considerations at that historical time.

But Aren’t You a Republican?

Anybody reading this blog must have noticed that my writing seems to be very pro-Republican in 2012.  But those who read carefully will notice that I rarely use the word Republican. I rarely use the name Romney.  Instead, I use the word conservative.

What About Most Americans?

Few Americans are extremists.
Few people are radically conservative or radically liberal.
Most of us are in the middle.
Even those who are quite conservative, like me, believe in the right of others to reject my beliefs. Religious Christians respect the gift of Free Will given to us by God, and we respect the freedom guaranteed to us by the Constitution of the United States.
Few liberals are callous, insensitive to the bankrupting of America, or to the extermination of 54 million unborn American citizens by abortion, a problem particularly affecting black communities.
Few conservatives are callous, insensitive to the plight of the poor, or to the horrors of war.

Most Americans appreciate that good people can view things from different perspectives, and those who disagree with us probably have noble motivations.  Even if we believe that our opponents have their facts mistaken, we can admire them for their dedication to justice and to fairness, which we share.

Most Americans are independent in spirit, and have voted for candidates from both political parties over the years.
For many years, the differences between Democrats and Republicans were not overwhelmingly large; both supported Judeo-Christian principles, and both supported the rule of law as outlined in the Constitution of the United States.  Did you know that as recently as 1999, Harry Reid opposed abortion?  So did Joe Biden, Al Gore, Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy.

But 2012 is different.

What’s Different in 2012?

Barack Obama is the difference in 2012.
Barack Obama, unlike previous Presidents, and unlike most Americans and most liberals, has shown himself to be a rigid, inflexible idealist.

The unification, transparency, and justice that he promised, and on the basis of which he was elected, have been replaced by a dictatorial, extreme and unaccountable set of policies, executed by czars, which have pushed America into gridlock.
His policies and mandates do not follow the rule of law.

President Obama’s ideals don’t represent those of most liberals or most Americans, yet he tries to mandate compliance with his ideals.  He issues mandates without approval of the House, Senate, or Supreme Court.  When the legislature refuses to pass what President Obama wants, he bypasses them with a mandate. Then he promises Vladimir Putin that he will have “more flexibility” after this election.

How Has Barack Obama Reneged On His Promises and Violated the Rights of Americans?

President Obama has reneged on a number of the duties to which he was sworn at his inauguration, and on a number of campaign promises he made in 2008.

Barack Obama has imposed his will on our country in many areas:

  • Morality and Freedom of Conscience
  • Economy
  • Prospects for Students
  • Foreign Policy
  • Immigration

Morality and Freedom of Conscience

Barack Obama has ignored the opposition of 2/3 of America on federal funding of abortion, and has even gone beyond federal funding of abortion, forcing Catholics to pay for the contraceptives and abortifacients of others.  He has dismissed the concerns of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and has ignored lawsuits filed by 43 Catholic organizations.  The courts are now starting to strike down this unconstitutional mandate.

Barack Obama’s radical and unfettered promotion of unrestricted abortion free of charge has elicited the protest of numerous moral leaders, including Catholic Bishops, the 94 year old Billy Graham, Jews, Baptists, and numerous other Christian churches.

Such a radical promotion of abortion and contraception no only renders our society inhuman from the point of view of morality, but also has economic consequences, since shrinking and aging populations will face rapidly mounting debts.

Abortion is already a much, much bigger deal than most think. Under Barack Obama, abortion will be taken to unprecedented levels.
Against the wishes of 2/3 of America.

Economy

Barack Obama has not passed a single budget in four years, and submits budgets to the legislature so unrealistic, that they get ZERO Democrat votes in the Senate, which is held by Democrats.
Sometimes it appears that the President doesn’t understand the math.
Recently, he admitted on national television that he struggles with 7th grade math.  This cannot be good.

Barack Obama has raised the national debt by 50% in just 4 years with his spending, creating a per capita national debt of over $50,00 for each of us, when it was just $33,000 four years ago. Since only half of us pay any federal income tax, that means a per capita debt of about $100,000 for each person who pays federal tax, and a per household debt of over $250,000 in the United States today.  Since the average household income in the United States is $50,000, that’s already quite a debt, a debt of five years income for each of us.  If Barack Obama is reelected, the national debt is projected to go up an additional 47% over 10 years, bringing the household share of the national debt to over $375,00.  That will be a debt of seven and a half years income for each of us ten years from now.  If you think you have paid off your mortgage by then, you can start a new mortgage on a $375,000 house.  That’s for the average family earning $50,000 per year.  If your income is higher, your extra debt will be higher.

Scrooge McDuck

Quite some plan Barack Obama has for us, considering that our per capita national debt is  already worse than Greece’s today, at the outset, right now.

Barack Obama’s plan to tax the rich is so naive that it betrays the fact that he struggles with 7th grade math.  There are not enough rich people in America to get appreciable income from increasing their taxation, and his recent proposal would require DOUBLING the taxes of all people earning $250,000 per year; a move that would wipe out the ability of small businesses to hire workers or to expand.  The President seems to be reading too many comic books.

(Dismal) Prospects for Students

Already, 53% of recent college grads are jobless or underemployed. Considering the fact that the average graduate faces $27,000 in loan repayment, and the fact that the average college grad starting salary is $44,000, this does not spell good news for college grads or their families.  College students are demoralized, they do not want to live in their parents’ basements, and the parents do not need to face supporting unemployed adults instead of saving for retirement.

The jobs these students would have been getting in the absence of Obama’s naive policies are destroyed by ObamaCare costs for employers and Obama’s intention to double taxation on small business owners, who will not hire and expand.

Barack Obama insults the intelligence of these young people by offfering them free abortions and free birth control pills (value $500 and $9/monthly) in exchange for their votes, in return for a future of unemployment, debt and low pay.  With poor people, he tries to buy their votes with free “Obama-phones.” 

Foreign Policy

In the light of recent events in Benghazi, the most positive possible interpretation of Barack Obama’s negligent actions in failing to protect our Embassy staff would be that he did not provide security for the Benghazi because he did not expect anyone in Libya to touch Americans, perhaps because we are such nice people.  Can anyone be that naive?

Barack Obama acted as though we are in Libya handing out candies to trick-or-treaters, and he did not expect them to come out wielding knives, or heavy weapons such as the ones which were used against the Benghazi embassy – automatic weapons, mortars and rocket propelled grenades.  When caught criminally unprepared, coverup followed.

An even less flattering explanation of Barack Obama’s actions would include Obama sacrificing our global standing intentionally.  Obama has been accused of an anti-colonialist mentality, which considers that the US needs to be downsized globally in it’s lifestyle, it’s power and it’s wealth.  The movie 2016:Obama’s America documents these claims by Dinesh D’Souza, a University President who bases most of his claims on Obama’s autobiography, Dreams of My Father, as well as research into Obama’s life. 2016: Obama’s America is showing in theaters now, has grossed more than $33.45 million in the United States.  The movie is now the second biggest political documentary in film history.  Yet this record-setting film is virtually being ignored by the mainstream media, which protects Obama from criticism routinely and shamelessly.

Another less flattering explanation of Barack Obama’s actions would include accusing him of intentionally reducing US Power because of the secret Marxist ideology taught to him by Marshall Davis, a Communist Party USA propagandist who is mentioned in Obama’s autobiography .  This theory is based on the documented fact that Obama’s mother posed for pornographic photos taken by Marshall Davis, who, it is suggested, could also be Barack Obama’s father.  These suggestions are explored by the movie Dreams from my REAL Father, which can be watched instantly on Netflix.  If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch it this weekend, before you vote.

Finally, a third movie, The Hope and the Change, is available to watch for free on Hulu at http://www.hulu.com/watch/409925.   The Hope and the Change is a documentary about independent and Reagan Democrat voters who cast their ballots for Obama in 2008 and will not do so in 2012.  These voters feel betrayed by Obama’s false promises of hope and lofty rhetoric.

.

Immigration

Barack Obama has refused to enforce immigration laws at the US border with Mexico, and has sued Arizona when Arizona tried to enforce laws themselves. In this, and other areas, Obama has failed to defend the Constitution of the United States and to enforce its laws.
He has demonstrated a naivete in economics and in foreign policy that has placed our nation  in tremendous danger.

The Point

So the point is: Barack Obama is not your normal Democrat.
Barack Obama does not respect the voice of the American People, 2/3 of whom oppose ObamaCare, 2/3 of whom oppose federal funding of abortion, and 2/3 of whom oppose Obama’s recent violations of the religious liberty of Catholics.
Barack Obama does not respect the division of governmental power between Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches.
Barack Obama does not respect his own promises of 2008.
Barack Obama is not who he told us he was.
Barack Obama does not plan to work with all Americans, he just plans to continue pushing his extreme agenda, with which even Democrats disagree.

What To Do

Take Clint Eastwood’s advice; let Barack Obama go.
Mitt Romney’s campaign has been based on love of America, and on pragmatism and cooperation which can end the gridlock. He’s demonstrated his ability to work across the aisle as Governor of Massachusetts.
The election of Mitt Romney would give the Democratic party, which used to represent more moderate views, an opportunity to regroup and respond to the will of the American people.

 

PostScript: A former Hillary Clinton aide Gigi George is backing Romney because:

“For most of my life, I’ve been an active Democrat. I am proud to have worked for President Bill Clinton and then-Senator Hillary Clinton, and, during that time, I saw firsthand what can be accomplished by strong, bipartisan leadership. I know what it means to work across the aisle on issues that are important to the American people. And that’s why I am supporting Mitt Romney. Governor Romney has a plan to restore the prosperity this country deserves and expects. He will work with people of good will no matter what their party, and he will pursue the policies that are in the best interest of our country, no matter who proposes them. That’s what President Obama promised to do four years ago. But like so many of his promises, bipartisan cooperation is just another one he has broken. We can’t have four more years of failed policies and two parties that can’t work together. We need the change Mitt Romney is offering.”

More Postscipts:

  • My Catholic pastor in today’s Cathedral Parish Church bulletin:
    I certainly intend to exercise my right to vote on Tuesday – in fact, I would crawl the four blocks to my polling place over broken glass in order to vote this year. And I trust that you will too – vote, that is.
    Personally, I am hopeful about the current elections. I am optimistic that we will have a good number of newly elected leaders who will be more sensitive to our moral concerns and our freedom of religion. And, God willing, sufficiently prudent decisions will be made so that we can avert the national collapse that appears (at least to me) to loom on the horizon…  (see above link to finish reading)

    500 Admirals and Generals Endorse Mitt Romney

 

Report Card Time:

or
Downgrading the United States

 

 O.K., we know we’ve been slacking a bit…

But now, two new, major and historical national downgrades have just arrived.

Two New Downgrades

We’ve hardly recovered from the August news from Standard and Poor’s that our national credit rating has been reduced for the first time in United States history.


Now, our global rating on restrictions on religious freedom has just been downgraded, for the first time ever.
Yes, the nation initially founded by pilgrims on the Mayflower fleeing Europe to seek religious freedom, has just been demoted officially and lags behind 95 other countries globally in religious freedom.  The report, by PEW Research, a nonpartisan fact tank,is entitled Rising Tide of Restrictions on Religion.

.

BTW, this is only the beginning of the religious freedom downgrade; the downgrade is based on data through only mid-2010, before ObamaCare was passed, before the HHS or Trojan Horse Mandate was issued, and before 43 Catholic institutions across the country filed suit against the Obama Administration over the HHS Mandate.

For those interested in the details of America’s report-card downgrades, more data is shown below.
But first, let’s discuss the religious freedom downgrade itself, together with it’s implications.

.

Restrictions on Religion; So What?

.

Restriction or elimination of religion may seem harmless to some.

Some might even fall for the argument that forbidding all public expression of religion might be a kind and tolerant policy to employ.  We would hate to offend the sensibilities of those who don’t believe in God, wouldn’t we?

But such arguments, promoted primarily by a miniscule minority of “progressives” like the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), are shortsighted, misleading and fallacious.  Such arguments promote the elimination of morality and of ethics from government altogether, the banning of conscience from the voting booth, and the restriction of fairness and justice to private life.
Such arguments fail to acknowledge that Thou Shalt Not Kill, Steal, Lie… are essential elements of law and order, that chaos would reign if the Ten Commandments were eliminated from our codes of law, and that banning the public mention of religion actually promotes atheism, a religious belief system held by a very small minority of Americans.

Government cannot promote and enforce atheism any more validly than it can promote or enforce any other belief system.  Most atheists understand this, and offer no opposition to the public expression of religion by the majority of Americans, who are religious.  However, fringe radicals who want to eradicate all mention of religion from American life argue semantics; they claim that technically speaking atheism is not a religion, and that it is valid for government to enforce absence of religion rather than freedom of religion.  They are desperate to prove that their minority belief is superior to Judeo-Christian majority belief.

The Power of Religion

Religions have historically been the primary source for moral codes governing and limiting the conduct of human affairs.

The existence of an inviolable moral code places limits on the actions in which all, including the powerful, can engage.
There is a reason why countless despots in history have worked hard to eliminate the influence of religion in their governments; religion challenges not only the humble, but also the powerful, to comply with codes of ethics such as the Ten Commandments.

  • Roman Emperors were considered to be Gods. and were unfettered by a higher power.  This system which assigned ultimate authority to a man instead of to an established system of ethics,  spawned monsters like Caligula and Nero, who used, shocked, and terrorized their subjects through unlimited abuses of power.
  • Even relatively benign rulers like Henry VIII illustrate the value of the restrictions that religious ethics place on government.   Henry VIII is an example of a King who placed himself over the ethics dictated by the Ten Commandments, who denounced the authority of the Church, and declared himself head of the Church, because he wished to discard an infertile wife.  As a result, Henry VIII bequeathed one of the first divisions in Christendom, as well as centuries of divorce and of broken homes to his nation and to the world.
  • The Marxist Soviet Union worked hard to eliminate religion from any public role in life, so that dictators would be free of moral constraints, to do as they wished unchallenged. Unfettered by Christian principles, the atrocities perpetrated by the Soviet Union include the genocides and repressions executed by Stalin, Lenin, and subsequent Soviet leaders.  My grandparents and uncle are included in those deported to Siberia by this regime without any justification.
  • President Obama, also seemingly benign, is the first U.S. President to celebrate “unbelievers” publicly.  He is also the first U.S. President to violate religious freedom in the United States with unilateral mandates, which he issues without a popular vote, without the scrutiny of Congress or the Senate, nor of the Supreme Court.  President Obama has managed to promote himself not only above the laws of Christianity on which this nation is based, but also above democracy, which, incidentally, is also based on religion; on inalienable rights endowed on us by our Creator.
    President Obama unilaterally promotes abortion, homosexual marriage, and taxation without representation, without input from the nation.  Even the minority which approves President Obama’s mandates is shortsighted, not realizing that the power Obama is trying to establish through autocratic mandates will be used against them by a next President who might not be of their choosing.

Religion provides not only a fixed inviolable code of ethics, which apply equally to government and to the governed, but religion also provides a mechanism for giving the man in the street power.  Yes, contrary to what despots like Lenin or Marx would have us think (“Religion is the opiate of the people”), religion is actually the only mechanism that provides power to the people, power against which no government can win. History has shown us many men who, backed by God, stood against incredible odds and won.

Citizens, with the help of God (about whom they learn through religion), can judge the actions of government, can organize, can resist, and can even find the courage to die for the principles in which they believe.  Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty, or give me death” was not an empty phrase, but was a very sincere and powerful statement, epitomizing the spirit of the American people.Over two hundred years have passed, but the spirit of the American people, as well as their love for God, remain.

Despots fear religion, because religion is the only tool that gives unarmed masses the moral authority, the courage and the power to resist autocratic regimes.

Religious Polish people, following a visit from their Pope John Paul II, through Solidarity, with the assistance of President Reagan, a “born-again Christian,” brought the Soviet Union to it’s knees in 1991 without bloodshed.    
– see The Holy Alliance

Incidentally, the “secret weapon” which allowed Mitt Romney to trample Barack Obama during last week’s Presidential debate, is the moral authority and the courage in which Mitt Romney represented the people of America.

Obama and Neutralizing Religion

Whether intentional or not, President Obama is firmly set on a course that would annihilate the power of religion in the United States.

Obama’s HHS Mandate, if not reversed, will impose penalties on all Catholic institutions, penalties which will bankrupt all Catholic institutions within two years.
Catholics, 25% of America, will no longer be able to operate hospitals, schools, or businesses of any kind, because they cannot ethically provide abortifacients to their employees.  Catholics will also be unable to be nurses, pharmacists or doctors, as abortion-related mandates eliminate all Christians from employment in medical professions.
Obama’s autocratic insertion of abortion into ObamaCare via the HHS Mandate, in violation of his own Executive order and promise to Bart Stupak and his 11 Democrats, will force the federal funding of abortion on America, something that 2/3 of America opposes. In Bart Stupak’s own words, Barak Obama is the “most pro-abortion President ever,” against the wishes of two thirds of America.
Obama’s initial attacks seem focused primarily on Catholics; Obama views Catholic teaching on contraception an Achilles heel, an area where his attack on the authority of conscience and of religion may have some success.  The ethical problems posed by contraception are something that most Americans have not studied, and on which most Americans are not likely to support the Catholic Church.

If the strike at this Achilles heel were to be successful, however, the precedent will have been established which allows further violation of religious conscience rights by government mandate, permitting Obama (and all subsequent Presidents) to rise above the consciences of all Americans, above all religious teachings, and above the will of the people.

Most religious leaders know this, and have joined in supporting the Catholic Chruch against the HHS or Trojan Horse Mandate.

If You Don’t Want Further Downgrades

Bottom Line:

The Religious Freedom downgrade is serious.
The Religious Freedom downgrade is likely to get much worse if President Obama is reelected and if ObamaCare and the HHS Mandate are not overturned.

Flunking religion is actually related to flunking all the other subjects: credit rating, economy, reproductive health, health care quality, education, unemployment, quality of family life, crime rate and drug arrests.  All of these are affected by our commitment to ethics and to justice.

.Whether President Obama’s trampling of the religious freedom of Americans is unintentional or purposeful, it must be reversed if this nation is to prosper.
If you want to repair the American Report Card, vote for Romney/Ryan, who will reorient this nation toward those Judeo-Christian values which are still codified in our laws and on which most of us still agree:  life, liberty, property, responsibility, fairness, truth, and the rule of democracy.

Some Claim That President Obama Wants Us to Flunk

There are documented and credible claims, based on President Obama’s autobiography and on an analysis of his history that Barak Obama subscribes to an anti-colonialist philosophy.

Anti-colonialism vilifies the United States as a nation which exploits other nations unfairly, and which must be taken down a peg to equalize global opportunity for other nations.   Anti-colonialism does not acknowledge that hard work and ethical values got the US to where we are today, and that the same opportunity is available to other nations.  The philosophy assumes that there is a fixed amount of prosperity in the world, and that  in order for other nations to prosper, the United States must be demoted.

The philosophy is flawed, just as the claim that my building of a

ENVY

great log cabin or learning of a new language prevents my neighbor from building a great log cabin or learning a new language, is flawed.

The fallacy is fed by envy, which wants to destroy what it does not have instead of working to get it.  See Taxing the Rich or Thou Shalt Not Kill Thy Neighbor’s Cow, or Does President Obama Know How to Count?

These claims about Barack Obama are documented by Dinesh D’Souza in his film 2016: Obama’s America. The film, stating about Obama “LOVE HIM, HATE HIM, YOU DON’T KNOW HIM,” has become the highest grossing documentary in 2012, grossing over $30 million, and surpassing Michael Moore’s Sicko, Bowling for Columbine, and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Despite the obvious box office success of this movie, the mainstream media, supporters of Obama, have virtually ignored the movie.  The movie is still playing in numerous theaters, and continues to attract both supporters and critics of Barack Obama.

If we have an anti-colonialist President at the helm as the movie 2016 claims, our report card will continue to degenerate even more rapidly; not surprisingly, if that is the goal of the Commander in Chief.  A suicide-bomber who intentionally crashes an entire nation out of envy and resentment.  Particulary ironic, for a man who has benefited so much personally from the opportunities in America and who quite obviously enjoys the luxuries that can be acquired here.

More Details – Where Exactly are We Slipping?

Let’s take a look at the major areas in which our national report card has been slipping.  We start with more detail on the two most recent downgrades, this year, following the impact of President Obama’s first term:

  • the first downgrade ever in credit rating
    and
  • the first downgrade ever in religious freedom.

Grading Our Credit Status- First Downgrade in History

The US credit rating got downgraded for the first time in history on August 5, 2011, immediately after Congress voted to raise the debt ceiling in the Budget Control Act on August 2, 2011.
This downgrade was the result of President Obama’s “stimulus” spending, in which he singlehandedly increased the total previous national debt by 51%, in less than 4 years, more than doubling the spending rate of any President, including his predecessor Bush.

The borrowing of an additional 36% of the gross national product    in less than 4 years damages a nation’s credit rating, because other nations begin to worry whether the US will ever be able to pay back their loans.

.

.
.

Already, the US per capita government debt is worse than that of Greece.

.

.
.

.

.

A continuation of President Obama’s proposed budget would bring the national debt to $25 trillion in ten years.

.

This is why conservatives like Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan are desperate to reverse US spending, and to stop the accumulation of debt.

.

.

Grading on Religion

Next, we examine the Pew Research evaluation of restriction of religious freedom exercised by governments.

Pew Research is a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The center conducts public opinion polling, demographic studies, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. It does not take positions on policy issues.

Religious Freedom Grades- First Downgrade in History

Now, under President Obama, for the first time in history, the U.S. just got a downgrade in religious freedom this week
We are no longer among the freest nations on earth when it comes to religion.
Moreover, this downgrade in religious freedom is only the beginning of potential future downgrades, since it only reflects President Obama’s policies through mid 2010, prior to his issuance of the HHS Mandate in 2011.  The HHS Mandate violates religious freedom further, is opposed by 2/3 of America, and is likely to damage US religious freedom scores even more.

The United States, the nation founded to establish religious freedom for those fleeing religious persecution in Europe, has just been downgraded on religious freedom, and now lags behind many developing nations, and behind previous Soviet satellites such as Lithuania, in governmental tolerance of religion.

How Big Is the Downgrade?

Pew Research grades the nations of the world from 0 to 10 with Government Restriction Index (GRI) Scores:

GRI Score Level of Religious Restriction
0 – 2.3 Low
2.4 – 4.4 Moderate
4.5 – 6.5 High
6.6 – 10.0 Very Hig

The United States GRI increased from 1.6 in 2009 to 2.7 in 2010.

.

The change is considered significant, represents almost a doubling in the level of religious restriction in our country, and shifts the United States from the Low Religious Restriction into the Moderate Religious Restriction category.

.

How Do We Compare With Other Nations on Religious Freedom?

Following the first half of Barack Obama’s term of office, we abruptly joined 16 countries whose scores increased by more than one point in one year, indicating a measurable increase in Governmental hostility to religion.  We can probably expect a further downgrade when President Obama’s HHS Mandate of 2011 is included in future scores, and when the obligatory abortion provisions of ObamaCare kick in.
Now Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, and 91 additional countries have better religious freedom scores than we do, and we have joined the Moderate Religious Restriction category with Cambodia, Lebanon, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, among others.

Will we be classified with Pakistan, Libya and Iraq in the Very High Religious Restriction category next year, when the HHS Mandate has imposed crippling tax penalties on all Catholic and Evangelical employers?

Level of Governmental Restriction Government Restrictions Index Score Examples
Very High 6.6 to 10.0 Russia, China
High 4.5 to 6.5 Pakistan, Libya, Iraq
Moderate 2.4 to 4.4 United States, Cambodia, Germany, Lebanon, Thailand, United Arab Emirates
Low 0.0 to 2.3 South Africa, Canada, Sweden


Where Else Are We Failing, as a Nation?

Economy:

Along with our Credit rating downgrade comes an economy downgrade.

The US was still #1 in the Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) in 2008-2009, before President Obama took office.  In the last four years, however, the US has dropped to #7, during the fourth year of President Obama’s term.

Reproductive Health:

We have fallen from #12 lowest infant mortality in the world in 1960 to # 41 today in 2012.

Before the Obama administrations recent attempts to redefine reproductive health, reproductive health used to be measured by infant mortality.  The lower infant mortality, the better a nation’s “reproductive health” rating.
Now, it seems that the Obama administration, after issuing Executive Orders promising to exclude abortion from ObamaCare, has reversed itself.  Now Obama insists that abortion, sterilization and contraception free of charge be rights guaranteed to all women, and includes these services in ObamaCare, via the HHS Mandate.

As abortion, contraception and screening and treatment for STDs are added to the expanding list of “reproductive rights” now guaranteed for the first time to be free of cost by the Obama administration, the birth and health of newborn infants continues to be de-prioritized, and the decline of our infant mortality in the United States has not kept pace with declines in other countries.

A nation that kills its own children cannot prosper.

Health Care:

Our United States healthcare system, once among the best in the world,  has fallen to #37 world-wide.

Education:

In the 1950s and 1960s America led the world in K-12 education, just as we led the world with our economy.
Now, were have dropped to #25 among 34 nations.

Unemployment:

Today, we have been unable to get below an 8.3% unemployment rate since Barack Obama took office four years ago in 2009.
(This week’s news claiming a drop just below 8% is challenged by experts on both sides.)
By contrast, in the 1950s, unemployment averaged 4.5% 

Stability of Family Life; Divorce Rate:

.

Crime Rates, Drug Arrests

Crime rates escalating in the United States

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drug arrests escalating in the United States

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 What Do You Do When You’re on the Verge of Flunking?

How Do You Pull Up Your Grades in the Last Quarter?

You buckle down, and figure out that school is not a place for meeting friends, hanging out, eating candy and mocking teachers.
You decide where you want to go, how much time you have, who can help you, and what the essentials are.
Do your work.
Stop making excuses.
Be responsible.
Do extra work.
Develop a better work ethic.
Pray.
Resolve to develop some new habits.
Focus in class.
Attend class.
Don’t fool around.
Don’t slack.
Follow the rules.
Respect your teacher and respect the students who are successful; ask them for help.
Stop complaining, and start working.

The Same Advice Works for a Nation:

Find a guy who is responsible and successful, and listen to what he says.
It worked for Wisconsin with Scott Walker.
It can work for the US with Romney/Ryan.

Vote Romney/Ryan on November 6th,
like your life depended on it. ( It does.)

 

 

Now that Obama’s Buddy (Putin) is Back

or

Putin Sworn in as Russia’s President Amid Protests

or

“Attempts to shut people’s mouths with the help of a police baton are senseless and extremely dangerous.”

My photo op with Vlad Vladimirovich Putin

.
.

Putin Summarized

So let’s summarize this “democratically elected” Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin’s background…
  • This guy belonged to the KGB.
  • He was in charge of surveillance of the student body of Leningrad State University.
  • For Russia, he’s interested in “sovereign democracy,” with no similarity to the American or British political systems.
  • Putin sought to increase Russian military presence in the Arctic.
  • He signed the Kyoto Protocol, under which Russia was not faced with any mandatory cuts, but other nations were.
  • He resumed long-distance flights of Russian strategic bombers.
  • Putin criticized the United States’ “monopolistic dominance in gobal relations.”
  • He opposed the U.S. missile shield in Europe.
  • Vladimir sought to strengthen Russian ties with the People’s Republic of China, to participate in joint Russian-Chinese military exercises.
  • Many experts believe Putin is trying to set up an Asian version of OPEC with Red China as an anti-NATO bloc.
  • Putin helped Iran with the construction of its first civilian nuclear power facility.
  • He enjoyed warm relations with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.
  • He re-established stronger ties with Fidel Castro’s Cuba.
  • Putin openly asserted tough new role for Russia in international politics, resembling the old role of Russia; the toughest speech from a leader of Russia since the time of the Cold War (Munich speech, 2007).
  • Putin Criticized the policies of the U.S. and NATO, condemning the “unipolar model of international relations as flawed and lacking moral basis.”
  • Putin condemned the hypocrisy of countries trying to teach democracy to Russia.
  • Putin maintains state-owned and state-controlled television.
  • Gorbachev accused Putin of suppression of news media and or election rules counter to the democratic ideals he has promoted.

Putin’s Recent Power

Putin sworn in

Putin was President of Russia for two consecutive terms, from 2000 to 2008.  Due to constitutionally mandated term limits, he could not run for a third term.  His right-hand man Medvedev ran instead, and appointed Putin as his Prime Minister for the past 4 years.  Now, after “sitting out” one term, Putin is again eligible for two more terms, this time 6-year terms, through 2024. This “election” has effectively put Putin (and his right-hand-man Medvedev) in control of Russia for up to 24 years.

Protests Against Putin – “For Fair Elections”

Moscow Rally, December 2011

Putin’s potential return was protested last winter by young urban professionals and successful middle class Russians through several demonstrations from December 2011- March 2012.  Demonstrators (up to 160,000 per event) demanded “Fair Elections”  after Putin’s candidacy was announced. About 1,000 people were arrested.
.

Crackdowns Continue

Helmeted police clubbing demonstrators

On May 6, 2012, one day before Putin’s inauguration, 20,000 demonstrators protested and tried to march toward the Kremlin.  Helmeted riot police beat back the crowds with batons and detained more than 400 people. More than 100 of them under age 27 were issued draft notices, the Interfax news agency reported.

Today, May 7, 2012, about 1,000 protesters  tried to protest along Putin’s  motorcade route to the Kremlin.
Putin’s response was unprecedented security measures in the center of Moscow, where streets were closed to traffic and passengers were prevented from exiting subway stations.  Over 700 people have been detained.

 

The Passing of the “Nuclear Suitcase”

Putin's "Nuclear Suitcase" (1999)

The Kremlin ceremony of passing the “nuclear suitcase” from outgoing leader Dmitry Medvedev to Mr Putin was overseen by Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, news agency Interfax reported.

Widely seen as a relic of the Cold War stand-off between Moscow and Washington, the suitcase accompanies the Russian president on all his foreign trips.The Australian

“Back in the U.S.S.R.”

USSR flag

In the light of above facts, how can anyone call Russia a democracy today?
We are back in the USSR.

I come from a Lithuanian family displaced by Soviet (U.S.S.R.) occupation, annexation, deportation of 120,000 people in 1940, followed by attempted sovietization of Lithuania.

I can only hope and pray for the Russian people today, as well as for the rest of us. An old Soviet brand of autocracy seems to be creeping back into the government of Russia, against the wishes of the Russian people, and under the guise of democracy.  Putin continues to quote democracy, while defying all democratic principles shamelessly.

Attempts to shut people’s mouths with the help of a police baton are senseless and extremely dangerous. –  Gennady Zyuganov, Communist Party leader.

When even a Communist Party leader criticizes Putin’s heavy-handed autocracy, you know tyranny is afoot.
.
Tyranny:  arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority.
.

Lithuania’s Take on Putin

Lithuanian Flag

Lithuania, previously a small, trampled neighbor of Russia’s,  now an independent  sovereign nation, has had much experience living at the foot (and at times under the foot) of  Russia.  For Lithuanians, watching developments in Russia is essential for survival.
The Lithuania Tribune has an interesting analysis, Now that Vladimir Putin is back, by Girnius.
Girnius points out:

Girnius

The ex-state security officer (Putin was in the KGB) is inclined to see hidden enemies and conspiracies where others only see coincidences. The level of suspicion of Putin and his supporters will only increase. Now that the opposition has become more active, it will not stop, maybe even get stronger, especially if the opinion of some observers happens to be true that the protests in response to the fabricated election results showed to the Russian people that the king was naked, that, despite the talks about the ruthless government of Putin and their own qualms, the Kremlin was vulnerable.

Even in the most favourable conditions it is naive to expect good relations with Russia. The imperial mindset is rooted so deeply in the ruling layers that Moscow simply doesn’t know how to communicate normally with its neighbours, especially the post-Soviet countries.
The caution expressed by Girnius towards Putin is not evident the the US.
As President Obama continues to pal up with Vladimir Putin behind out backs, half of America naively continues to support Obama.
.

Obama and Putin

Last month, President Barack Obama’s private message to Putin was overheard:
.

Apparently President Obama has secret plans with Vladimir Putin for nuclear arms reduction.  Plans in  defiance of the will of the American electorate, since Obama tells Vladimir secretly that he will “have more flexibility after his election”.
Obama’s secret defiance of the American electorate constitutes a traitorous violation of the Constitution of the United States, and a violation of President Obama’s oath of office, to protect that Constitution.
.

 

America is Asleep

Despite evidence of Barack Obama’s secret and traitorous alliance with Vladimir Putin, half of Americans participating in Gallup polls continue to support Barack Obama for President.
So, unless some straw-grasping explanation for the invalidity of Gallup polls can be imagined (could Gallup be biased, like the bulk of the media?; or perhaps do conservatives refuse to participate in polls, thereby skewing the results?) – unless the validity of Gallup polls can be questioned,  it appears that America is asleep and is in complete ignorance of the dangers at our doorstep.

 

More Tyrants

Putin is not the only autocrat taking over and expanding powers of government in 2012.
The number of autocratic tyrants is increasing.

Election 2012;
Stay Tuned!

The November 2012 election will determine whether the United States reverses Obama’s present path toward expanding government power and increased spending.  Many interesting events are coming up very soon, which will determine America’s future:
  • The Wisconsin recall election June 5, 2012 – will determine on a State level whether expanding government or austerity will be chosen by the American people.  Wisconsin’s election will influence similar battles coming up soon in other States.
  • The Supreme Court decision on ObamaCare is also coming up in June — will President Obama’s largest attempt at expanding government control and mandates be upheld, or will it fail?  ObamaCare is also President Obama’s largest attempt at expanding Planned Parenthood and abortion.
  • The Republican Primary nominee should also crystallize in June; by June, Mitt Romney may have the 1144 delegates needed for the nomination.  If not, there could be a very unpredictable and exciting convention.
  • June also brings the release of the movie 2016, a movie produced by the producer of Schindler’s List, based on the New York Times best-seller by Dinesh D’Souza.  The movie documents theories of Barak Obama’s anti-colonialism (and his resulting hatred for America).  If this movie becomes a box office hit, it could landslide the election.
  • Finally, November brings the actual election, which will determine whether Barak Obama remains President of the United States.

One Less Tyrant

Obama's Flexibility

Let us hope, work, and pray that Election 2012 is a fair election, that Americans realize what is at stake, and that Vladimir Putin’s buddy Obama loses the traitorous “flexibility” he promised Vladimir Putin after the election, because Obama has been removed from office.

.
The world needs one less tyrant. The world needs a model for responsible spending, a negation of the self-destructive abortion agenda, and a new and serious model for self-governance.  America, originally based on Judeo-Christian principles, still has the option to return to those Judeo-Christian principles and to provide that model for the world again.
.

May God Continue to Bless and Guide America!

Calling the shots

>

Fortune cookie:


This is your day to call the shots, so you should.

O.K., if I had an ounce of self-restraint left before the Wisconsin primary coming up this Tuesday, this fortune cookie just eliminated it.
I’m going to call the shots.
What shots would I like to call today?
The 2012 Presidential election, of course.
Something I have little control over, so the results are bound to be amusing.

Calling the Shots

If you call the shots, you are in charge and you tell people what to do.
But calling the shots can also mean using a psychological trick: you “call the shot” in advance, forecasting a result, hoping to influence people’s choices, so that you encourage your favored result.

Calling the Shots in Advance

And that seems to be what the Republican Party is doing right now- calling the shots in advance.
The Republican establishment probably never planned that Mitt Romney would get serious competition from any of his running mates, and now that he’s getting some serious competition from Rick Santorum, they are scrambling to discourage that.  They are bringing out the big guns, party leaders who are endorsing Mitt Romney prematurely, when Mitt has only 565 of the necessary 1144 delegates to win the primary.

Republicans have not bargained on an awakening of the American people, a scenario in which politicians on BOTH sides of the aisle would have to become more responsive to their electorates (and responsive to Tea Party supporters) than they previously had been.  It’s a lot easier to sit in comfy chairs making small polite concessions to opponents followed by socializing after work, than to implement the big changes and make the big cuts that many Americans want in 2012, and which will cut some of the frills in Washington, too.

So many Republicans are rallying behind Mitt Romney prematurely, hoping to discourage Rick Santorum, and hoping that Rick Santorum will concede and quit.  This would avoid a long, drawn-out primary, followed by a “brokered” or “contested” convention, during which the Republican establishment will have less control over the results, and the American people will have more control over the results.

Election 2008

Calling the shots in advance did not work so well 4 years ago, when everybody was forecasting that Hillary Clinton would be the nominee. Obama was a nobody.  Yet we have President Nobody issuing mandates today, and the Supreme Court struggling to read the 2700 pages of his NobodyCares for ObamaCare. Calling the Shots in advance backfired on the Democrats in 2008.

Election 1920

President Harding

Then there was President Harding in 1920, who was a nobody with only 20% of the candidates compared with his opponent (General Leonard Wood) in the primary.  If anybody were calling the shots in advance back then, he would have lost the primary.  But what happened?  Nobody won the initial race,  and they went to a contested or brokered convention, where Harding got 70% of the votes and became President.

Election 2012

Now, for the first time since 1920, we could be heading for a contested or brokered convention again. Although Mitt Romney unquestionably has the most delegates at this time, it is not clear whether Romney will be able to reach the 1144 required to win.

1144 out of 2286 total delegates are needed to win; Romney has 565; Santorum has 256; Gingrich has 141; Paul has 66, and thus 1258 delegates are still up for grabs.  In other words, any candidate, including one starting with zero delegates today, could still be the winner.

Top Republicans are panicking and calling for an end to the primary battle, uniting behind Romney.

Newt Gingrich has slowed down his campaign, planning to sit out the fight between Romney and Santorum, then join back in for the contested convention.

Rick Santorum vows to stay in the race, even if he does not win Wisconsin this Tuesday.

My Call

Everybody wants to forecast events before they occur.  I will join them.

Gallup Polls

  • Santorum is rapidly gaining on Romney:   Gallup Polls indicate that Romney and Santorum are competing closely, and are alternating in the lead during the last two months.
  • Santorum plans to stay in the election.  So, there could well be a brokered convention.
  • Santorum is a true conservative. Tea party likes him.  Evangelicals like him.
  • Gallup also says that most Americans are conservative:  40% conservative, 35% moderate, and only 21% liberal.   Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S.
  • Romney is a question mark.  Romney has a shifting record that does not guarantee his sticking to promises any better than Obama has done. He takes direction well and changes direction well.  He would be better than Obama, but not better than Santorum.

Put it all together, and I say:

  • There will be a brokered convention.  Romney will not get 1144 delegates.  Santorum will not quit the primary.
  • At the brokered convention, people will choose what they want: a conservative, Rick Santorum.
  • The Republican establishment will have to make a correction to accommodate the Tea Party: less frills for everyone in Washington.
  • We will all celebrate the fact that our system of government did in fact protect the people of the United States as the Founding Fathers designed it to do.

Vote for Rick Santorum for President!

>

And if I’m Wrong?

If I am wrong, Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee.

If he beats Obama, since trying to prove why he is different from Obama on central issues like ObamaCare and Abortion will not be easy, he will do one of two things:

Fulfill all the promises he made during the election, unlike his predecessor Obama.

or

Change his mind and continue Obama’s policies, or something akin to them.

>

All Posts