The Trouble in Iran (Updated)

The clashes in Iran have already started today, after the Ayatollah's speech yesterday warning against any more street protests. The Iranian people have apparently had enough and will not give up. Good for them! Obama has at least released a statement supporting the Iranian protesters, although it could have been stronger. Every little bit helps. Paul Kengor writes about how President Reagan handled this sort of thing here.

In my last blog post I wrote that I would be refraining from links, but that isn't always a practical thing to do. You can find information on the Iranian protests in many news outlets, but I would like to point out some that I think have good up-to-date coverage. One is Gateway Pundit, a blog that includes reports, photos, and videos. Two more are The Guardian and Telegraph in Britain.

I wouldn't say that Mir Hossein Mousavi is the ideal opposition leader. In the past, he has proven not much different from Ahmadinejad. He only got on the ballot because he was approved by the Guardian Council. Still, there is hope that he may go with the persistant rebellion by the people and can and will make needed changes. See here. See "Cracks Begin to Show in the Iranian Regime" by Ryan Mauro.

There is a lot at stake and I wish the Iranian people success in their rebellion against tyranny.

Updated to Add: Michelle Malkin has a blog post up with links to a twitter page and updates elsewhere.

More Shenanigans and Some Alternatives

I was appalled to read this article this morning at the DC Republican Examiner. It's called "Impeachment Time: Obama Grants Eminent Domain Rights to China to Secure Debt". This was, as the article states, confirmed by sources at the US Embassy in Beijing, although we don't know the position of said sources. More confirmation is needed, but if this is true, it is very bad for America. Updated to add: This eminent domain rights story may not be true. You can read an updated blogpost at Atlas Shrugs here.

Additional information onObama's plans for America can be found at Larry Kudlow's CNBC Blog in a post titled "Obama Declares War on Investors, Entrepreneurs, Businesses, and More". President Obama is going against common sense and economic reality in his handling of the economic crisis, which would be better resolved by him doing nothing than what he is doing. Even better, though, would be tax cuts. That would truly get the economy moving again. I've noticed that Obama and the Democrats repeatedly say that the Republicans are just being obstructionist and need to offer alternatives. This is a lie because the Republicans have repeatedly offered alternatives, like tax cuts and targeted infrastructure projects, but have been ignored. Who are the real obstructionists?

Three other articles you should read and consider:

"Obama the Rhetorical Magician" by Rich Lowry

"The Politics of Fear" by Jonah Goldberg

"If Obama Turns America into Europe..." by Claudia Rosett

There are places to learn about an alternative way to Obama's vision of America. I provide the following websites for your perusal.

The Basics Project, particularly the Constitutional Literacy page

The American Conservative Union Foundation

The Patriot Post

The Heritage Foundation

Republican National Committee (the Platform is here)

There are various pages within these websites that discuss issues, provide historical documents, or give the platforms. See what you think.

More of the Same

In all of the hoopla over the so-called stimulus bill, has anyone noticed that Congress is getting ready to vote on another half-trillion dollar spending bill? I didn't think so. Here is an article about it from Human Events titled "Another Huge Spending Bill Planned for Next Week" by Connie Hair. Republican House leaders are requesting, apparently in vain, that the bill be posted online immediately so that the American people can see what is in it. And presumably so that members of the House can also see what's in it. Didn't President Obama promise openess and transparency? Where is it?

Other evidence of the lack of transparency in this government is listed in Alan Caruba's "It Smells Like Facism" on his Warning Signs blog. He mentions HR-45 which is a Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, an expectation that the EPA will regulate carbon dioxide, and a proposal to reintroduce the so-called Fairness Doctrine. This is all being done relatively quietly. Why?

Here's an article about another example from the D.C.Examiner titled "The RAT Hiding Deep Inside the Stimulus Bill" by Byron York. It discusses serious changes in the way "allegations of fraud and corruption are investigated — or not investigated — throughout the federal government." Hmmm. Then there is the healthcare item hidden in the "stimulus" bill. You can read about it at The American Spectator in "The Hidden Healthcare Horror" by Lawrence A. Hunter and at Bloomberg in "Ruin Your Health with the Obama Stimulus Plan" by Betsy McCaughey.

The above is just the tip of the iceberg. You can read the stimulus bill itself here. It's searchable text.

There are more issues that we aren't hearing enough about. Why aren't some investigative reporters in the mainstream media (MSM) digging into this: "RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT HUSSEIN: 'A $550 Billion Electronic Run on the Banks' "? I'd like to see some evidence one way or the other about this. Go to the "News" section of Thought You Should Know for more news articles on various topics that you won't hear much, if anything, about in the MSM.

Thankfully, some of the American citizens are beginning to wake up to the attempt to expand federal government's interference in our lives and to shrink our freedom. One example is CNBC's Rick Santelli and his famous rant in the Chicago pit. See also Lawrence Kudlow's article "Subsidize Bad Behavior?" at GOPUSA. You should be able to watch Mr. Santelli's video in the right sidebar. If not, see it here. Other evidence that Americans are starting to be fed up with the Fed's attempted takeover can be found at Michelle Malkin's blog. See "Rebel Yell: Taxpayers Revolt Against Gimme-Mania" and "Tea Party U.S.A.: The Movement Grows". These are not heartless, selfish people, although I am sure some will attempt to portray them that way. These are people who understand the Constitution and freedom and reject the Obama government's attempts to violate both. Private charity is the way to go to help those who need help. It is wrong, wrong, wrong to legislate away our choices in any matter.

There are those, including Obama, who would use Republican errors in the past of continuing government's unnecessary spending as an excuse for their own spending. What's that old saying? "Two wrongs don't make a right." American needs to pull itself together and get back to the Constitution. You will greatly miss your freedom when it is gone. Read "Want 'Hope and Change'? Buy a Goat" by Oleg Atbashian at Pajamas Media. I hope you will follow the above links and give some thought to what they are saying.

Edited to Add: See this JB Williams piece at Capitol Hill Coffee House titled "Obama's Failing Economic Recovery Plan". (hat tip JR)

We Can Learn a Lot from the Classics

I just read a marvelous essay over at American Thinker. It's called "How Democracies Become Tyrannies" by Ed Kaitz. This should be read by every American.

Mr. Kaitz's essay refers to scenes from Plato's Republic to show how, indeed, democracies become tyrannies, all with the permission, even encouragement, of its citizens. Here are two paragraphs from Mr. Kaitz's essay:

The answers to these questions were famously addressed in a few pages tucked within the greatest masterpiece of the classical world: Plato's Republic. On the surface, and to most reviewers of Plato's writings, the Republic is a dialogue on justice and on what constitutes the just society. But to careful readers the deeper theme of the Republic is the nature of education and the relationship between education and the survival of the state. In fact, the Republic is essentially the story of how a man (Socrates) condemned to death for "corrupting" the youth of Athens gives to posterity the most precious gift of all: the love of wisdom.

In the Republic, two young men, Glaucon and Adeimantus, accompany the much older Socrates on a journey of discovery into the nature of the individual soul and its connection to the harmony of the state. During the course of their adventure, as the two disciples demonstrate greater maturity and self-control, they are gradually exposed to deeper and more complex teachings regarding the relationship between virtue, self-sufficiency, and happiness. In short, the boys begin to realize that justice and happiness in a community rests upon the moral condition of its citizens. This is what Socrates meant when he said: "The state is man writ large."

The essay bears reading, as does Plato's Republic.

Updated to Add: There are two other articles referencing classics that would be a good read for you also. One that also references Plato's Republic is "How Republics Die: Plato's Cautionary Tale" by Mark J. Boone. Another, referencing Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, is "'Atlas Shrugged': From Fiction to Fact in 52 Years" by Stephen Moore.

What to Do, What to Do?

As a conservative, I'm very concerned about the upcoming term of a liberal president supported by a liberal congress. With so many issues on the table--the economy, energy, health care, etc.--it is easy to worry that we're about to be led down a primrose path to the left. So what can those of us concerned about the loss of liberty, property rights, religious freedom, and other precious freedoms we have enjoyed here in the USA do? I ran across an article at American Spectator with some ideas. It's titled "What Conservatives Must Now Do" and is written by Peter Ferrara.

Mr. Ferrara discusses grassroots organizations that can then grow and strengthen our nation, getting us back to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and following the Constitution instead of wandering off into the wilderness. Mr. Ferrara writes:

First and most important is to build up mighty, grassroots networks across the country. This is something that conservatives must do, not Republicans, who need to work on their own grassroots party network. Conservatives have become too good lately in lecturing Republicans on what they must do. We need to lead by building a powerful political movement, and the Republicans will then naturally follow.

The radical, liberal-left agenda is tailor made for generating grassroots firestorms in opposition. Included in that agenda is national legislation to remove all state restrictions on abortion, all parental notification, waiting periods, informed consent, and partial birth abortion restrictions. Instead we are slated for taxpayer funding for abortion on demand. Another beaut is national legislation to remove all state protections of gun rights, such as conceal and carry permits. Then there is the federal takeover of health care, the federal shutdown of proven, reliable energy production, global warming regulation to shut down what is left of the economy, the "fairness" doctrine to shut down talk radio, and national legislation to take away workers' rights to a secret ballot election to determine whether they will be forced into a union in their workplace. That last item also includes forcing union contracts on businesses, small, medium and large, in place of the current system of free negotiation.

After this partial list of what we have to work on, he goes on to describe what a grassroots organization might look like and what it could accomplish. I like that a lot of the focus is on informing Americans on the issues. It seems to me that there are far too many people who have the idea that they are entitled to have everything provided for them and done for them, and it blinds them to the serious losses they would face if the government attempted that--loss of freedoms of all types, loss of property rights, loss of choices (where to live, where to work, how to worship), and loss of quality in what is provided.

Many people don't understand insurance, for example, whether we are talking about health insurance, property insurance, or any other type of insurance. Let's take health insurance for an example. From what I hear people saying, they think that in exchange for a small monthly premium, all their health expenses should be paid by the insurance company, right down to the aspirin they had to take when they woke up with a headache. That is assuredly not what insurance is for. Insurance is to protect people against large losses (expenses) such as surgery, long term therapy, major illnesses such as cancer, and so forth. People are expected to cover the small expenses themselves--the bottle of aspirin, the deductible on the insurance, etc.--because those are affordable and can be worked into the family budget. Compare it to auto insurance--you don't expect auto insurance to pay for gas and oil changes. The auto insurance is to pay for the large expense of repairing your vehicle after an accident. If you don't understand what insurance is for, it is your responsibility to learn. It is not the government's responsibility to step in and pay/force the insurer to pay for every tiny expense. If we turn our responsibility over to the government, we are no longer free to make choices and, with government's poor record of managing anything, we can expect to have poor quality health care, if we can get it at all.

With all the concern over the economy, health, energy, and the many other issues facing us, I am hopeful that people will be more inclined to learn all they can about these issues and decide what they can support and what they cannot, thinking things through to their logical conclusions.

I am also hopeful that people will re-evaluate their own lifestyles and do everything they can to promote prosperity in their own families. Go back to budgeting and saving. Go back to home-cooked meals with healthier ingredients. Go back to reading books and watching movies at home instead of going out for expensive entertainment. Have family game night or take the family to the park to play. Stop living beyond our means. If you have a lot of changes to make, make them gradually, if you must. Talk to your family and enlist their support. Look on such changes as an opportunity and an adventure, not a deprivation. It's a great time to regroup and begin living a more sensible life.

Even when there is a lot of upheaval going on in the world, we can avoid making ourselves ill and depressed with worry. Look for the good. Appreciate what you have. Seek out the good in life and look for ways you can improve your life. It's the beginning of a new year. Make it a good one!

My Opinions

I am still pondering all the implications of an Obama presidency, coupled with a Democrat majority in Congress. I try to be optimistic and think that things won't be so bad and we'll get through this and be a stronger country for it. It is, however, very difficult to hold on to that viewpoint for very long.

Although Obama, assisted by the mainstream media, tried to keep the American people in the dark as to his real plans for America, enough information slipped out to cause serious concerns for those who care about our country and its Constitution. One issue is Obama's association with radical leftists. Whether we are talking about William Ayers or Rev. Jeremiah Wright or the others whose names you've seen here and there, we are talking about people who hate America and all she stands for. And we're going to let these people run the country?! Where are Obama's more moderate friends? Did he not have any? Let's face it--friends and associates and allies shape one's outlook a great deal.

Another issue is economics. Obama is definitely a taxer and a spender. He has plans for spending a trillion dollars of our (the taxpayers) money on various programs that have as their ultimate objective redistributing wealth. What Obama doesn't understand is that when there are wealthy people, those people invest, start businesses, and otherwise use their money to strengthen the economy and create jobs for others. The left doesn't seem to understand the difference between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome. The former is good and right and lets everyone have a chance. The latter is bad and wrong and punishes success while rewarding failure (often brought about by laziness). This applies in all issues, not just economic ones.

There are also issues of life. Obama is one of the most radical supporters of abortion in existence. He not only supports early-term abortion, but also late-term abortion, partial-birth abortion, and allowing babies who survive abortion to die alone without any care at all.

President Ronald Reagan said that government isn't the solution, but rather the problem. Yet Obama supports big government to an extent not before seen. He thinks government should rule every aspect of our lives--what we eat, the media available to us, how our children will be educated and at what age, our religious lives (or lack thereof), what transportation we can use, what products we can purchase (are they "green" enough?), etc.

Another issue is energy. Obama has sent signals that he wants to reinstitute bans on drilling, building coal plants and nuclear plants, and other necessary items that will allow America to become energy independent (at least as much as possible) and keep energy available while the various other energy sources (wind, solar, etc.) are developed and experimented with to see if they can become viable (they are not viable now) replacements for fossil fuels.

There are national security issues. Obama thinks he can talk our enemies into being our friends. He seems very concerned with dismantling our military as much as possible. Common sense says that a strong military is the best advocate for peace, but Obama would take that away from us. He wants to prevent our military personnel from being able to do their jobs fully and freely--something that is necessary for success. There has also been talk of his wanting to create some sort of civilian force, ostensibly to do community service, but how long before they would become enforcers of politically correct behavior in ordinary citizens? Obama wants them to be as well-funded as the military is now. What will that mean?

Obama seems to have some dreamy idea of utopia. This is not grounded in reality. If he studied history and economics, he would soon see the massive failures that ideas like his have inflicted on people in the past. Obama also seems to have the idea that once he is inaugurated, he will be the absolute ruler, that everyone will do whatever he wants them to do. If they don't, he thinks he will be justified in suppressing them and silencing their voices. He has already tried this during the campaign.

At his inauguration, Obama will take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. He has already taken this oath when he has been sworn in to the public offices he has held to this point. He has done nothing to show me that he has any intention of taking this oath seriously. He has, in fact, stated that he wants to break free of the restraints put on us by the Founders in the Constitution. This is not the type of person who should be President (or a Senator, for that matter).

This all sounds extreme, but it is not my opinions that are extreme. It is Obama who is extreme.

So how did this man get elected? I suppose his charisma had something to do with it, although as the campaign progressed and he had to do interviews and not just give teleprompted speeches, it became clear that he was not a particularly good speaker without a prepared text and no interruptions for questions or comments. Frankly, I think a good part of the problem has come from education--from the public schools to colleges and universities. These sources of education have steadily drifted to the left, embracing baseless self-esteem and teaching tolerance of all things leftist--socialism, Marxism, communism, secularism, multiculturalism, and any other -ism you can think of (as long as it is a leftist -ism). Now we have a population who doesn't know much accurate history or civics and has had it drummed into their minds that there is nothing wrong with those leftist -isms. So when anyone tried to warn of Obama's socialist tendencies, they were greeted with a collective yawn and a "So what?"

The left has also been waging a battle for a long time now to eliminate religion from the public square. When religion goes, so do morals and common sense and the realization that there is right and wrong, good and evil. Everything is relative, according to these secular leftists. They have also been fighting free speech, defined by them as anything said that doesn't agree with their views. They are all for free speech and tolerance as long as it supports leftist views. If it disagrees, it has to go. For one example, take Prop 8 in California. It passed and its opponents are acting in very ugly ways. They are also being quite dramatic in discussing their pain at the defeat of Prop 8, but let one person try to inject a little reason into the conversation and the left shouts them down and accuses them of bigotry and hate. If Prop 8 had been defeated, you'd better believe the left would be gloating and would be quite hateful toward anyone who expressed even a little sorrow at its defeat. Yet said leftists don't even seem to be aware of their hypocrisy--they are too busy denouncing those who disagree with them to stop and consider their own viewpoints and those of others and think about whether they might be wrong. Nor can they seem to understand that some things are just plain wrong, no matter how sugar-coated they might be. Those on the left do not seem capable of debating the actual issues. They seem only capable of shouting down the opposition with name-calling.

For too long now, America has been dumbed down. Even those whose values and beliefs are conservative are gullible to the leftist propaganda. Many do not have the discipline or even the interest in educating themselves to correct what they learned in school or see in the mainstream media. Many have just bought into whatever they have been told. To be fair, I believe a lot of ordinary citizens who buy into leftist propaganda are well-meaning people who want to be fair and compassionate toward others. I just think that they aren't thinking the issues through and seeing the problems that will arise down the road.

The whole situation we are in makes me sad and a little frightened. Yes, we have survived many hard times before, but it hasn't been easy, and we were a stronger people then. Are we strong enough now to understand what is right and what is wrong and to fight for the right? Certainly, there are individuals who are strong enough, but are we, collectively, strong enough? I hope so, but I'm not sure. It just seems that there are many people who either don't think at all or at least don't think for themselves--they just buy into whatever the intellectual elite says they must think. This is so ironic because one thing leftists accuse conservatives of is marching in lockstep with their leaders. Yet it is leftists who are the real conformists. It is leftists who would squelch freedom and liberty.

Conservatives are not perfect. Still, conservatives recognize that there is such a thing as good and evil, right and wrong. They recognize that equality of opportunity is not the same thing as equality of outcome. The former can and should be supported, the latter should not be. Conservatives tend to be interested in thinking through the issues. Conservatives tend to be more mature in their outlook on life, recognizing that good needs to be fought for, defended, even sacrificed for. They recognize that life is not easy and it is not about getting whatever we want to satisfy our selfish desires. It is about caring for and about others and being of service and allowing others to be free, as well as themselves. Conservatives are not afraid of change. They just believe in considering the changes carefully and don't get caught up in thinking that change for its own sake is a good thing.

I have not linked to articles supporting my opinions in this post. I have been doing that repeatedly in previous posts. This post is just to express my concerns and the concerns of many other Americans as we face some potentially disasterous changes in our way of life, and to give my readers some things to consider.

Last Minute Thoughts

Three days to go before election day on 4 November. I hope and pray that everyone who intends to vote is studying the issues and the candidates, local and state as well as national.

While I disagree with John McCain on some issues (for example, global warming), I am certain that he will be a better president for America than Barack Obama. Senator McCain is a known man of character and courage. He is far more knowledgeable about foreign affairs and other important issues than Barack Obama. We can count on him to not make foolish diplomatic errors that could prove disasterous not only for ourselves, but for other countries around the world.

Senator Obama is secretive and evasive and a known ally of socialist/Marxist/communist people and organizations. He has lately been lowering the taxable ceiling from $250,000 to $120,000 annual income in various speeches by himself and his supporters. His planned expenditures total several trillion dollars. The only way he can pay for all that is to tax more and more people. Too often, the words "redistribute wealth" make people think of taking money from millionaires and billionaires and distributing it to the poor. There aren't enough millionaires and billionaires to pay for all of that, so much of the middle class will find their incomes taxed to the max. What people aren't thinking about, either, is the fact that it is the people with the most money who invest and start businesses and give to charity (usually--the Bidens and the Obamas haven't been all that generous with their own money). It is the wealthier citizens who do things that create jobs and other opportunities, which is far more helpful to people than just giving them some dollars.

There are also countless questions about Senator Obama's honesty. Why won't he prove that he is a naturalized citizen and therefore eligible for the office of President? Why won't he release his donor lists? Why won't he get specific about his plans for America? And what about the known instances of him and his campaign trying to intimidate to silence those who disagree with him? He's tried that in Missouri and in Pennsylvania, at least. What about ACORN's voter registration fraud being investigated in a dozen states?

Another thing about Obama that would be funny if it weren't so serious for our country is his lack of accomplishments. And yet his campaign dares to claim that Governor Sarah Palin isn't qualified! That is laughable. She has far more serious, executive experience than he has. She is far more ready for higher office than he is. Then, too, there is the race issue. It is Obama's campaign and not McCain's that has been playing the race card by labeling everything as racist.

America was founded on freedom and must remain that way. Why are we strong? Because we have had the freedom to work our way up from wherever we start to wherever we want to be. We have had the incentive to create and invent and improve life for all. We have had the freedom to create a strong military. That will all disappear if Obama's wealth redistribution, reduction in military, and other socialist policies are put into practice.

When it comes to healthcare, the more the government interferes, the more it costs. Let the free market capitalism reign. We will see competition driving prices downward. It's the same with education. Let there be competition among public and private schools. Let people have vouchers so that they can choose the best schools for their children. Competition will improve the quality of education faster than any government program.

And let's talk military. Senator Barney Frank wants to cut the military by 25%. If we do not have a strong military run by men of character who know what is at stake, we will never have world peace. Other countries will see no reason to hold back on their attacks, including here in the United States, if our military is weakened. Preparation for war is the best incentive for peace.

The last thing our wonderful country needs is to be run by liberal Democrats such as Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi. They want to cripple our economy by preventing our use of our own energy deposits, by going along with extreme environmentalists, and by taxing and spending. We all know it was liberal policies by Democrats and a refusal to heed warnings made by conservative Republicans that caused our current financial problems. That is just a sample of what we can look forward to if we elect those who ignore the Constitution or reinterpret it to suit their own agendas. Make no mistake about it--it will not be the elite liberals whose wealth is redistributed. They will exempt themselves from the policies they wish to inflict on the people of the United States.

The problems we have in America today were caused largely by the socialists policies of FDR and LBJ and others who have had the foolish notion that the government can manage our money and our lives better than we can. Government has its essential uses, but interfering in the free market and in people's lives are not among those uses. The more we get government out of our lives, the better and stronger America will be. A free people is far more generous than a forced people, who cannot afford to be charitable because all their money is going to a bloated government who uses much of that money just to pay for administering programs, never mind actually helping people.

As much as possible, government should be small and should be local, where the people can keep a closer eye on what is being done and can put a quick stop to waste and fraud. There have certainly been Republicans who have bought into the tax and spend and big government foolishness. They can be voted out of office, too, if they show no signs of mending their ways.

There is a lot at stake for America these days. Think about freedom and liberty. Reread the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Think seriously about the lessons of history. And whatever happens on Tuesday, think seriously about keeping a close eye on government and contacting your representatives at both state and national levels and letting them know how you expect them to govern on your behalf.

And may God continue to bless America.

Socialism Doesn't Help People

It's pretty clear, especially from his remarks to Joe the Plumber, but also from his general viewpoint and alliances, that Obama is a supporter of socialism and would like to take America in that direction. First, I would like to link to some articles that will shed some light on both socialism itself and also on Obama's connection to socialist ideas. These can be found at Thought You Should Know, on the "News" page, along with many other articles of interest. The articles are linked to the original websites they appeared on.

"Is Obama a Socialist?" by Henry Lamb

"Why Obama's Socialism Matters" by Bookworm

"Obama's 95% Illusion" by the Wall Street Journal editors

"It's the Socialists Taking Over Our Country" by Marie Jon

"President Barack Hoover" by Hugh Hewitt

"Governor Palin, 'Joe the Plumber', and the Real Middle Class" by Austin Hill

These articles explain socialism and why Obama can be considered a socialist. They give us a glimpse of what Obama's plans for America are.

One reason that I think people support Obama is that they think he is going to help people and lift them out of poverty, help them get healthcare, and give them money (taken from the wealthy). The problem is that when you take money from the wealthy, you cripple their ability to invest, to start businesses, and generally to create jobs, which is far more helpful to those who struggle than to just hand them a one-time check. You destroy people's incentive to invent new products and systems and start businesses that grow our country's economy.

There are other problems, too, such as universal healthcare. We learn from Canada, Great Britain, and other countries who have this socialist system for their healthcare that many people can't get the care they need when they need it. It may not be a big issue for those with only minor health problems, but for those with serious illnesses, such as cancer, it can mean death.

I suppose there are those out there who think that conservatives such as myself are ready to throw the poor and ill under the bus. No, we are not. We believe that the only real way to help people is NOT through government, but by individual efforts to help family and neighbors, by church help, and by private charities. Some charity organizations are nationwide, but they have local offices all over the country. The positive thing about local, non-government help is that it is where the people who need help are. It is able to get to know people and understand what their needs are and help them overcome obstacles to a better life. We have seen over and over how poorly government performs at most tasks. Why do we want to turn more and more over to it?

The particular danger of an Obama presidency is that he and those working with him won't stop at a little government interference and a little raising of taxes. They obviously plan to keep going until the government is in charge of everything. They plan to shrink the military, get rid of free trade, and oust capitalism. People need to think ahead and see the end results of Obama's plans to "help" people. There are many countries whose histories you can look at to see what happens--Cuba, Russia, China. Look at Great Britain and Europe today and compare that with what they once were. Look at what the UN tries to do to interfere with the governments of individual countries. It is hard to overcome the indoctrination of public schools, but there are sources of true information out there.

Obama has also shown that he is quite willing to try to intimidate those who don't agree with him. He's tried to sue the NRA for its ads and has also tried to prevent disagreement with him in Missouri. Then there's the whole ACORN organization and its attempts to use fraud in voter registration. There are Democrats as well as Republicans investigating that mess.

We have other problems to keep in mind. The great global warming hoax is being used as a tool to try to wreck the economy of countries all over the world, including the USA. Radical environmentalists are also a problem in other ways. We need to use all of our own energy resources (not only oil and natural gas and coal, but also nuclear plants, and we need to work on solar and wind and other sources of energy which are by no means ready to be our sole sources now) instead of sending money to buy from countries who are definitely not looking out for our best interests, yet Obama and many Democrats don't want us to produce our own energy. In addition, Obama has talked of sending $800 billion to other countries under the pretext of ending poverty. We have all seen how various tyrants and dictators do not use such aid to help their poor--they use it to enrich themselves and to tighten their grip on others.

I could go on and on, discussing abortion, the attempts to weaken families, the attempts to weaken religion, the lack of truthful information from the mainstream media, etc. There are very real dangers to America and its freedoms. There are many types of radicals who wish to destroy America as we know it, forgetting that it is America's freedom that has allowed said radicals to flourish. There are serious consequences to the actions of government and the people need to put a stop to the foolishness. One way to stop at least some of it is to NOT put Obama in as president. Another is to elect good people to Congress and toss out those who threaten our freedom.

You may not agree with me, but at least stop and think about what I've written. Read the articles I link to and think about what these writers say. I link to serious, intelligent people. I write from my heart. I just want American citizens to wake up and take a serious interest in their country's future and in all our individual futures. And please remember that we do not have to trash our country in order to help people who need help. The more prosperous and free our country is, the more we have available to help others. Also, when America sets a good, strong example for the world, other countries take heart and work to improve their own situations. There is so much good about America. She should be strengthened and not weakened.

17 Days Until November 4

We have 17 days to live through before the 4 November election. I suspect we will all be immensely relieved to have it over with! It does get tiresome to hear about the election and the candidates 24/7, but this is incredibly important for our country, so try to hang in there with it.

I have a number of articles that I really believe you should read and give serious thought to. There is a lot at stake in this election. First up are three articles about what kind of America we would be facing if Senator Obama is elected. These are from Townhall.

"Socialism! There, I Said It!" by David Limbaugh

"Do You Know the Real Barack Obama?" by Carol Platt Liebau

"Time to Use the 'C' Word" by Laura Hollis

These columns discuss information we've heard bits and pieces about, but have we put the pieces together to understand what Obama is all about and what electing him as President would mean for our freedom?

Since the mainstream media isn't what you could call objective or unbiased, you should counter what you hear from it with some information about McCain from his website. You can click on issues and then choose an issue of interest to read his positions. There are 21 issues listed. You may not agree with everything on each issue, but think also about who is more likely to maintain the liberty and freedom that is America--McCain or Obama.

From Jewish World Review comes Thomas Sowell's column titled "Record versus Rhetoric". He talks about Sarah Palin quite a bit, but also mentions McCain, Obama, and Biden. As usual, Dr. Sowell makes some great points.

Since race is often mentioned in this campaign (mostly by Obama and the Democrats, by the way), please read Charles Krauthammer's column titled "Who's Playing the Race Card?". Think about what he is writing. This column is also found at Jewish World Review. Many of these columns/articles I link to can be found at more than one website.

Pajamas Media has a piece on race and one on violent tendencies among Obama's and McCain's supporters. "PC Effect, not Bradley Effect, May Haunt Obama" by Bernard Chapin. "Obama Supporter Assaults Female McCain Volunteer in New York" by Oleg Atbashian. There are also a couple of other good articles from the same website that I'd want to highlight: "Gore's Dangerous Call for Environmental Civil Disobedience" by Gal Luft and "Obama Sells Out Education to the Revolution" by Mary Grabar. In fact, there are a lot of articles at Pajamas Media that I believe you would enjoy reading. Same with the other websites I link to. You get a different perspective from the MSM with facts to back these perspectives.

From National Review Online, you can read Michelle Malkin's column called "The Left Declares War on Joe the Plumber". At the same website, please read Kathryn Jean Lopez's article titled "The Justice Lets Us Walk Away With a Warning". This is an especially important article about the Constitution and its importance.

I know that I link to a lot of articles without a lot of commentary, but it's because these writers make their points so much more effectively than I could, and they've already done the research! What my point is, however, is that to elect Barack Obama as President of the United States would open the door to socialism, even communism. Not overnight, but steadily moving in that direction. I do not wear a tinfoil hat or see black helicopters everywhere I look. What I do see is that Obama allies with and supports terrorists and America haters. He is closely tied with ACORN who is being investigated for voter registration fraud in several states. He has ties with William Ayers and Bernadette Dohrn. He sat in Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years listening to anti-American, black liberation theology sermons. There are a number of other radicals he and his wife have been allied with. If a white Republican had allied with neo-Nazis or the Ku Klux Klan or any of a number of extremist groups of that nature, do you think he would have been nominated for the Presidency? No. He'd have been run out of the race early on. So why is Obama still in the running? And while we're at it, why doesn't Obama answer questions? He either beats around the bush, changes the subject, or denies these documented alliances. Is someone this dishonest, evasive, and radical someone that we want as the President of the United States of America? No. A thousand times no. And there are other issues on which Obama's positions are dangerous--abortion, healthcare, redistributing wealth through raising taxes, etc., etc., etc. And while you're thinking about these things, think about what the chances are that you will somehow get something for nothing or be a part of the ruling elite. In all honesty, your chances are nil.

John McCain disappoints me with his acceptance of government interferance in the finance sector, but he is pro-life, strong on military, strong on the 2nd amendment, and any number of other reasonable pro-American positions. He also had the good sense to choose Sarah Palin as his running mate, a strong conservative woman with sympathy and empathy and a mind of her own, who has more executive experience than any of the other candidates.

While you are contemplating your votes for 4 November, carefully consider who you vote for to put in Congress--either the House or the Senate. Try to find the most honest, pro-American, pro-Constitution, pro-the people representatives you can find. The best thing for America is small government plus capitalism plus freedom and liberty for all. Think about it.

Edited to add:

I have an article about global warming linked above ("Gore's Dangerous Call for Environmental Civil Disobedience"), but I've run across two more that I think you should read. This is one area that I disagree with John McCain about. At American Thinker there is "An Open Letter from the Viscount Monckton of Brenchly to Senator John McCain about Climate Science and Policy". This is long, but a very good read, with lots to think about. I've linked to the first page--there are 3 more.

The other piece is the Saturday, 18 October post at Warning Signs, Alan Caruba's blog. The post's title is "With 'Friends' Like These" by Alan Caruba.

We have a lot of different issues that we need to keep an eye on all at once. Good luck to us, I say!

Think About This