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.

Life Goes On

It's impossible to comment on all the political and economic actions that have been taken recently, and those that are being contemplated. It boggles the mind.

I think it would be a good thing if every American would read the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Federalist Papers. We need to remind ourselves of what America is all about. I have linked to Yale Law School's Avalon Project, but there are a number of good sources for these types of historical documents on the internet.

Now, more than ever, we need a smaller government with much less interference in our lives and businesses. It was government interference that got us into the mess we're in today. It was not capitalism or conservatism or any of the other popular scapegoats. Stop the bailouts, stop high taxes, stop forced charity, stop over-regulation, stop judicial activism, and stop a Congress and an Executive Branch that thinks they can ignore the Constitution.

I need to stop myself--I'm getting into a rant! That brings me to another problem. It is so easy to criticize and rant and otherwise be negative. What we (I) should do instead is discuss positive things that we need to do to preserve and expand the "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" that is America. We can start by becoming familiar with our founding documents, as I noted in the second paragraph above. We also need to learn American history and government. You need to select your reading material carefully in order to get accurate information. Look at older books on American history and government, and look at a variety of books and websites. Variety will at least show you discrepancies which you can research further.

Recently a study was released that showed that Americans in general do not know much about civics and how government is supposed to work. We cannot depend on schools at any level to correct this lack of knowledge, so we need to teach ourselves. That link reports on the study and also contains a link to the 33 questions that were asked so that you can test yourself.

I think that a lot of the problems we have in America are due to lack of knowledge by the American people and by those we elect to represent us. Self-education in civics, government, and history can only help. I know I also have a lot more to learn. A lot of well-meaning folk nevertheless have wrongheaded ideas about solutions, so an openess to learning truth and to thinking things through is also important.

We all need more patience, with ourselves and with others. It's easy to get fired up about something, but we aren't always making ourselves understood when we get carried away. I know I get wound up because America is so very important, not just to those who live here, but to the world. I can't promise I won't get wound up about something again, but I'll try to be calm and clear!

It's difficult to express what I want to say here. There are those who think all things are equal and it is just a matter of voting to do Plan A or Plan B. The thing is that all things are NOT equal. Truth is truth. Right is right. Wrong is wrong. I don't know how people get to the place of thinking that all is equal. I personally blame indoctrination in public schools, but there are other factors as well, such as biased media (and yes, my blog is biased, too, but at least it is biased toward truth, although I am sure there are those who will say that is just my opinion--more of that "all things are equal" stuff). I don't know if we can ever get down to a real discussion of real issues, but I hope we will continue to try.

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.

Politics and Economics and Elections! Oh, My!

Any chance we'll survive the 3.5 weeks until the election? I assume we will, but it is certainly going to take some fortitude to get through it.

First, some links about our current economic situation. You might be interested to read this article written in 2000, discussing the events that today have led to our economic problems.

"The Trillion-Dollar Bank Shakedown That Bodes Ill for Cities" by Howard Husock (hat tip: JR)

A current article is "Econ 101: The Financial Crisis and Danger of Government Intervention" by Gary Wolfram. This article briefly reviews the causes of the current crisis and how government intervention hurts rather than helps. Here is Dr. Walter Williams' take on the mess: "Lessons from the Bailout".

Mixing politics and economics, we go to Frank Salvato at The New Media Journal and his editorial "Obama, ACORN, & Their Starring Role in the Mortgage Crisis".

Segueing into politics and the election, here is Warner Todd Huston's article "Indiana: More Registered to Vote Than Eligible". Hmmmm. Here is an informative article by Thomas Sowell called "The Real Obama". Some important points to consider in both of these pieces.

A number of people have taken to saying than anyone who doesn't vote for Obama is a racist. That's nonsense. It is Obama's worldview, policies, and affiliations that we object to. I would vote for a Thomas Sowell-Walter Williams (or Walter Williams-Thomas Sowell) ticket in a heartbeat. That would truly be an American dream ticket. And guess what? Both men are black. But that is not the point--the point is that they love America and they have a lot of common sense and solid characters. They are great men and Obama is not.

We are going through some tough times, to be sure. The last thing we should do is elect a liberal/socialist/Marxist/communist type like Obama who is more facilitator than leader (see "Obama the Facilitator" by Joseph Rosenberger). The McCain-Palin ticket isn't perfect, but it is far better for America than the Obama-Biden ticket. Many of the so-called flaws of McCain-Palin are spins by the in-the-tank-for-Obama mainstream media, but even so, at least we can trust McCain-Palin to do their best for America. Obama-Biden won't have America's best interests at heart--they are too dissatisfied with America, past and present, and want to change our country into a socialist copy of past failed and failing governments in Europe, Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, etc. Do yourself a favor and read widely about the candidates. Don't stop with the mainstream media. Ask yourself why Obama is given a pass on answering serious questions about his past affiliations and his rise in Chicago politics and the failure of his Annenberg Chicago Challenge.

Think before you vote.

Edited to add the following:

I've come across a couple more interesting pieces to post. First up is an article at American Thinker called "This Could Be the Game Changer" by Thomas Lifson. There is a video at the bottom of the article that explains the lawsuit in Pennsylvania over whether or not Obama is a natural born citizen and, therefore, eligible to be President. This is not a video by crazies. It features the lawyer who filed the suit and he explains what it's all about.

The second article is also at American Thinker and is "Why Obama's Communist Connections Are Not Headlines" by Paul Kengor. This is a thought-provoking piece that raises questions about what students are taught in school, or rather not taught in school, and the repercussions of that lack of necessary knowledge.

Oh, and here are a couple more (don't want you to run out of reading material!), also at American Thinker: "All That Darned Conservatism" by Randall Hoven and "What Happened to the Media" by Karyn Gaidos.

Edited again to add:

More good reading material for you. Victor Davis Hanson writes "Jumping Ship" about some conservatives who are thinking of abandoning McCain and why it would be a mistake for them to do so. The piece is at Pajamas Media. From the calm and thoughtful Michael Barone, we read some thoughts about "The Coming Obama Thugocracy". The list of attempts to shut down/shout down free speech by Obama's campaign and other leftist groups ought to make any American shudder. This piece comes from Townhall.

From Weekly Standard comes an interesting article on the economy. It's called "Economic Upheaval: Surveying the Wreckage for Signs of Life" by Irwin M. Stelzer. And one last one is John Kinsellagh's article "The Media and Barack Obama: Don't Confuse Us with the Facts, We're Sticking with Our Narrative".

The Fourth of July

A happy 4th of July to you. This is America's Independence Day. Think of your freedoms and what it cost to obtain them.

The History Channel has a nice summary of the events surrounding our gaining our freedom. The article is here: "U.S. Declares Independence".

Another interesting article by George Will can be found at Townhall. It is called "The Valuable Self-Validating Tradition".

Enjoy the reading and enjoy the Fourth. Think about what it all means for us.

Ideology and Politics

There are two articles at American Thinker that are worth your time to read. They both discuss, in different ways, today's ideology and how it came to be and how it affects American politics. I believe that we need to be aware of what various groups believe in and are pursuing if we want to protect our freedoms and maintain America as she began.

The first article is "The Misnomer of Conservatism" by Bruce Walker. In his article, he discusses the terms "liberal", "conservative", and others and what they mean or don't mean. He writes about where these terms came from and says:

Why, then, do we have so many problems identifying what conservatism is in American politics? There is an easy, though not simple, answer to that question: What we have come to call "conservative" or the Right is a group of principles whose definitional names have been invented by those who hate those principles.

Intriguing, yes? I found the article thought-provoking. Mr. Walker also says:

What those of us who believe in the importance of liberty in human affairs, the vital goodness of America, the necessity of personal honesty in any healthy society, and the necessity of a Blessed Creator to any noble concept of life is to define ourselves and also to define our enemies. We who have been called "conservative" (because we somehow have not accepted the Marxian idea of progress) are ultimately just people who believe in truth. Many "conservatives" came to conservatism (whatever that is) because the Left is so permeated with lies and self-delusion (Exhibit A: Global Warming.)

How do we define our enemies? Some of us might like to call them "socialists," but that is using a vacuous Marxist term to describe a very real attitude. They do not really believe in anything, except power. Why is Hillary running for president? She wants power -- it is her turn. Why did Democrats lust to regain Congress in 2006? Power is the answer (have they even tried to do anything but harass President Bush?)

It's an article worth reading with an open mind and it's worth serious consideration as we look at America's future, and at a hope for the world's future, if there are those who can be influenced for good.

The second article is called "The Materialist Faith of Communism, Socialism, and Liberalism" by Linda Kimball. Ms. Kimball begins by writing:

For over eighty-five years, America has been incrementally conquered by the same madness-inducing demon of hatred and violence that earlier took over Russia, China, Germany, and Italy. Rabbi Aryeh Spiro concurs,"There is a madness in today's liberal thinking. It insists on policies that tie our hands to defend ourselves while given free reign to the jihadists intent on killing us. It is dangerous because it is becoming the law, and thinking of the land in the western world. (Liberal Madness is Deadly (1/24/08) This demon is embodied in "enlightened" Liberals and the West's transnational "elite," both of which are deeply infected by materialistic Communism (Cultural Marxism) and the delusion that the true enemy of America is always on the Right. Having rejected God and the religious heritage of our civilization, they embrace instead a new order of beliefs of which Communism and Socialism are logical expressions. A new world order is what they seek, but in order that it can emerge, the existing culture must be completely destroyed.

Rather startling, isn't it? As Ms. Kimball goes on to explain what she means and to give a little background, you come to understand what she means and why it is important that we be aware of what is going on in our country.

It is not too late to reclaim America, but Americans need to wake up to what is going on around them. Gradual erosion of all our country stood for from the beginning is still erosion.

The Federalist Papers

Being somewhat distracted this weekend, and kind of busy, I can't think of anything to write about. So I will give you a link with lots of good reading material--the Federalist Papers.

You might enjoy exploring that entire site. It's called The Avalon Project at Yale Law School: Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy. Lots of material there from various times--plenty of reading to keep you out of mischief! Enjoy!

How Concerned Should We Be About the Activities of our Congress? Very!

At The New Media Journal there is an article by Raymond Kraft titled "When Congress Commits Treason". Strong word that he uses--is it justified? Read Mr. Kraft's first paragraph and see what you think:

Al Qaeda wants an American retreat, defeat, and surrender in Iraq. So do America's Democrats. Hezbollah wants an American retreat, defeat, and surrender in Iraq. So do America's Democrats. Iran wants an American retreat, defeat, and surrender in Iraq. So do America's Democrats. Muqtada al Sadr wants an American retreat, defeat, and surrender in Iraq. So do America's Democrats. Osama bin Laden wants an American retreat, defeat, and surrender in Iraq. So do America's Democrats. When an American political party aligns itself with the goals, hopes, and ambitions of America's enemies in a time of war, in my view there is only one word for it - Treason.

If the Democrats don't want an American retreat, defeat, and surrender in Iraq, they have a funny way of showing it. More strong words:

Today, most of the "leading Democrats" in Congress are falling all over themselves to give aid, comfort, and hope, to the Jihad, the Islamic Resistance Movement, the Islamist movement for the decline and fall of Western Civilization and the ascendance of Jihadist Islam in Iraq and around the world. Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, and many of the rest give their assurance that with Democrats in power, America will retreat, embrace defeat, and surrender, selling their souls and their country down the river for primary votes and and trucks of money from the Pacifist Left. Here, the ignominious spectacle of Democrats selling out the future freedom of the Iraqi people for votes and dollars. Osama bin Laden once called America "a paper tiger." America's Democrats seem determined to prove him right. Treason for votes. Treason for dollars. Treason as a political calculation. Treason, for revenge on George Bush.

Treason, to put a Democrat in the White House.

I have to ask myself, given the behavior of Democrats in Congress, not to mention the Mainstream Media and assorted Leftist groups, if that isn't indeed what they want.

And there will be consequences to that behavior. Remember Vietnam?

Thirty-two years ago, in 1975, after America and the Republic of Vietnam had fought and won a ten-year war to save South Vietnam from the predations of the communist north, a Democrat Congress voted to terminate life support for South Vietnam in the face of another North Vietnamese invasion, backed by the USSR. A Democrat Congress voted to "pull the plug," and condemned millions of Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotions to death, torture, imprisonment, re-education camps, condemned others to flee their homes and countries as refugees. That, in my view, was the blackest day in American history, and the blood of those people is on the hands of the Democrats who voted to abandon them. Until now.

Now, another Democrat Congress is poised to repeat that act of infamy, and abandon the people of Iraq to the conflagration that will almost certainly follow if the United States withdraws its forces prematurely. Another Democrat Congress declares to the world that America is a fair weather friend, that America cannot be relied on, that America cannot be trusted to stand by its promises when the going gets tough, that America no longer has the will to lead the world toward a future of freedom, that America has decided to embrace defeat, to retreat and surrender. Another Democrat Congress declares that America, having liberated the Iraqi people from the bloody tyranny of Saddam Hussein, has grown tired of the messy business of liberation and will now wash its hands of the whole affair, and abandon the Iraqi people to the bloody tyranny of the Jihad.

This is a long article and you should read it in its entirety to get the full story, but this is how Mr. Kraft, an attorney and writer in Northern California, concludes:

America's Congressional Democrats en masse are betraying, rejecting, repudiating, their own ostensible dedication to the Liberal values of freedom and liberty, multiculturalism, diversity, democracy, for money, for votes. Their half-spoken mantra is, "No war for oil, no victory for freedom."

We see America's Congressional Democrats becoming the American Judas, betraying America, and Iraq, for the proverbial thirty pieces of silver. We are watching the astonishing, appalling, and unprecedented spectacle of a Democrat Party so hungry, so greedy, so blindly avaricious for political dominance that it is committing itself to the retreat, defeat, and surrender of America, of Iraq, of the Middle East, perhaps Africa, perhaps Europe after that - where, if anywhere, will the Democrats' firm resolve to retreat and surrender end?

This is treason.

When will all of our elected representatives in Congress start thinking seriously about what they are doing?

An Editorial Review of Some Important Political History

At Investor's Business Daily an editorial titled "97 Reasons Democrats Are Weak On Defense And Can't Be Trusted To Govern In Wartime" shows how developments in the latter part of the 20th century have led us to where we are today.

This outlines a number of events and gives us a history lesson we would be wise to consider. Never mind partisanship--what is best for our country? Read thoughtfully.

Dinesh D'Souza Dispels Some Myths About Iraq

In an article at Townhall.com, author Dinesh D'Souza takes us through some well-rehearsed myths about Iraq in his article "What They Know That Isn't So." D’Souza is the Rishwain Fellow at the Hoover Institution.

Mr. D'Souza takes us through three myths that are commonly bandied about and tells us why they aren't true. First up:

They’re furious at us for stopping democracy in Iran. As the left-wing story goes, Mohammed Mossadegh was the elected prime minister of Iran in the early 1950s. The United States didn’t like the fact that he was anti-imperialist, so the CIA engineered a coup and installed the hated Shah of Iran. The people of Iran have still not forgiven us for this, and it is a continuing source of radical Muslim hatred against us.

The second myth is:

We provided weapons to both Saddam and Bin Laden. This leftist account says that America should not be too surprised at the weapons possessed by Saddam and Bin Laden, since we provided them to him. We may even have sold those weapons of mass destruction to Saddam. And certainly we provided ammunition and other material support to Bin Laden when he was fighting against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

And last but not least, we have:

In Iraq we’re getting into a religious war that’s lasted for centuries. This theory, espoused among others by John Murtha, holds that the Sunni and Shia are fighting in Iraq because these two groups have been fighting everywhere since the seventh century. So who wants to get into the middle of an ancient conflict that shows no signs of abating? This would seem to be an argument for America to get out of a religious quarrel that it has no way to settle, and that shows no sign of abating.

D'Souza takes each of these myths and explains why they just aren't so. And why are they so prevalent in the United States? Two possibilities exist:

So where do all these myths come from? The benign explanation is the Internet. People get information off websites which get it off other websites, so that idiocy gets passed around frequently enough to become accepted as truth.

But there is a second possibility. The myths are part of the propaganda produced by the cultural left which is rooting for Bush to lose the war in Iraq and the war on terror. If Iraq is lost, the chances are it will be lost not in Baghdad but in the American mind. Bin Laden and the insurgents are completely outmatched in force, but they can still win, courtesy of the lobbying efforts of the enemy at home.

I think it is probably a mix of those two possibilities, but the important thing is that we learn to stop and think and do a little research so that we aren't buying into every myth floating around out there.

100 Milestone Documents in American History

There is a website called Our Documents that has a page with links to 100 milestone documents. These include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, speeches, court cases, treaties, and acts.

These documents cover the period from 1776 to 1965 and are some of the most important documents in our nation's history. The site is not only a good resource for students, but also for the citizen who wants to be more informed about our nation's history and operation.

The Avalon Project at Yale Law School has a website with The Federalist Papers. This is a good resource for reading the writings of our early leaders. The site also has links to documents from "Pre-18th Century" right on through "21st Century" so you can read a lot of other historical documents there, in addition to the Federalist Papers.

A History Lesson for This Year's Voters

Over at Human Events there is a most interesting article by John O'Neill entitled "Don't Repeat Mistake of 1974". He looks back 32 years to see what happened when disillusioned Republicans and conservatives let the Democrats and liberals take over Congress. Pretty depressing stuff. And a good lesson for us today to not let negative publicity from Mainstream Media convince us to not vote or to vote for Democrats and other liberals. We are on the right track now, in spite of occasional setbacks. We must not throw up our hands and throw in the towel. If we do, there is a strong possibility of some real disasters at home and abroad.

Thanks again to Pop. He keeps me informed when I can't keep up with everything myself!!!