The average age of the Infantryman is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has never collected unemployment either.
He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155mm Howitzers. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk.
He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less-in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity.
He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low. He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life -or take it, because that is his job.
He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death then he should have in his short lifetime. He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years. He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.
Michael Mack
An American
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Jesus is Lord
It was Dr. James Allan Francis who penned the following words that aptly describe the influence of Jesus through the history of mankind:
"Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
"He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. . . .
"While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth—His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
"Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
"I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life."
The late Wilbur Smith, respected Bible scholar of the last generation, once wrote, “The latest edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica gives twenty thousand words to this person, Jesus, and does not even hint that He did not exist—more words, by the way, than are given to Aristotle, Alexander, Cicero, Julius Caesar, or Napoleon Bonaparte.”
George Buttrick, recognized as one of the ten greatest preachers of the twentieth century, wrote: “Jesus gave history a new beginning. In every land he is at home. . . . His birthday is kept across the world. His death-day set a gallows against every skyline.”
Even Napoleon himself admitted, "I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ was no mere man: between him and whoever else in the world there is no possible term of comparison."
Amen
Michael Mack
An American
"Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
"He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. . . .
"While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth—His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
"Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
"I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life."
The late Wilbur Smith, respected Bible scholar of the last generation, once wrote, “The latest edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica gives twenty thousand words to this person, Jesus, and does not even hint that He did not exist—more words, by the way, than are given to Aristotle, Alexander, Cicero, Julius Caesar, or Napoleon Bonaparte.”
George Buttrick, recognized as one of the ten greatest preachers of the twentieth century, wrote: “Jesus gave history a new beginning. In every land he is at home. . . . His birthday is kept across the world. His death-day set a gallows against every skyline.”
Even Napoleon himself admitted, "I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ was no mere man: between him and whoever else in the world there is no possible term of comparison."
Amen
Michael Mack
An American
Friday, December 24, 2010
The Christmas Story of the Birth of Jesus
This Christmas story gives a biblical account of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas story is paraphrased from the New Testament Books of Matthew and Luke in the Bible.
References:
Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20.
The Conception of Jesus Foretold
Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth and was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained to her that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and she would name him Jesus.
At first Mary was afraid and troubled by the angel's words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, "How will this be?" The angel explained that the child would be God's own Son and, therefore, "nothing is impossible with God." Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.
Surely Mary reflected with wonder on the words found in Isaiah 7:14 foretelling this event, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)
The Birth of Jesus:
While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced. He knew the child was not his own, and Mary's apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. Joseph not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning.
Although Joseph's initial reaction was to break the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he treated Mary with extreme kindness. He did not want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus and that he was the Messiah, God with us.
When Joseph woke from his dream, he willingly obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. Perhaps this noble quality is one of the reasons God chose him to be the Messiah's earthly father.
Joseph too must have wondered in awe as he remembered the words found in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)
At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Probably due to the census, the inn was too crowded, and Mary gave birth in a crude stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.
The Shepherd's Worship the Savior:
Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.
There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.
The Magi Bring Gifts:
After Jesus' birth, Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men (Magi) from the east saw a star, they came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, "In Bethlehem in Judea," referring to Micah 5:2. Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child.
So the wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. (Most likely Jesus was already two years of age by this time.) They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, incense and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.
The Christmas Story of the Birth of Jesus
By Mary Fairchild, About.com Guide
Merry Christmas to All
Michael Mack
An American
References:
Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20.
The Conception of Jesus Foretold
Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth and was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained to her that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and she would name him Jesus.
At first Mary was afraid and troubled by the angel's words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, "How will this be?" The angel explained that the child would be God's own Son and, therefore, "nothing is impossible with God." Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.
Surely Mary reflected with wonder on the words found in Isaiah 7:14 foretelling this event, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)
The Birth of Jesus:
While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced. He knew the child was not his own, and Mary's apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. Joseph not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning.
Although Joseph's initial reaction was to break the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he treated Mary with extreme kindness. He did not want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus and that he was the Messiah, God with us.
When Joseph woke from his dream, he willingly obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. Perhaps this noble quality is one of the reasons God chose him to be the Messiah's earthly father.
Joseph too must have wondered in awe as he remembered the words found in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)
At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Probably due to the census, the inn was too crowded, and Mary gave birth in a crude stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.
The Shepherd's Worship the Savior:
Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.
There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.
The Magi Bring Gifts:
After Jesus' birth, Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men (Magi) from the east saw a star, they came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, "In Bethlehem in Judea," referring to Micah 5:2. Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child.
So the wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. (Most likely Jesus was already two years of age by this time.) They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, incense and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.
The Christmas Story of the Birth of Jesus
By Mary Fairchild, About.com Guide
Merry Christmas to All
Michael Mack
An American
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Christmas Guest
It happened one day at the year's white end,
Two neighbors called on an old-time friend
And they found his shop so meager and mean,
Made gay with a thousand boughs of green,
And Conrad was sitting with face a-shine
When he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine
And said, "Old friends, at dawn today,
When the cock was crowing the night away,
The Lord appeared in a dream to me
And said, 'I am coming your guest to be'.
So I've been busy with feet astir,
Strewing my shop with branches of fir,
The table is spread and the kettle is shined
And over the rafters the holly is twined,
And now I will wait for my Lord to appear
And listen closely so I will hear
His step as He nears my humble place,
And I open the door and look in His face. . ."
So his friends went home and left Conrad alone,
For this was the happiest day he had known,
For, long since, his family had passed away
And Conrad has spent a sad Christmas Day.
But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest
This Christmas would be the dearest and best,
And he listened with only joy in his heart.
And with every sound he would rise with a start
And look for the Lord to be standing there
In answer to his earnest prayer
So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,
But all that he saw on the snow-covered ground
Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn
And all of his clothes were ragged and worn.
So Conrad was touched and went to the door
And he said, "Your feet must be frozen and sore,
And I have some shoes in my shop for you
And a coat that will keep you warmer, too."
So with grateful heart the man went away,
But as Conrad noticed the time of day
He wondered what made the dear Lord so late
And how much longer he'd have to wait,
When he heard a knock and ran to the door,
But it was only a stranger once more,
A bent, old crone with a shawl of black,
A bundle of faggots piled on her back.
She asked for only a place to rest,
But that was reserved for Conrad's Great Guest.
But her voice seemed to plead, "Don't send me away
Let me rest awhile on Christmas day."
So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup
And told her to sit at the table and sip.
But after she left he was filled with dismay
For he saw that the hours were passing away
And the Lord had not come as He said He would,
And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.
When out of the stillness he heard a cry,
"Please help me and tell me where am I."
So again he opened his friendly door
And stood disappointed as twice before,
It was only a child who had wandered away
And was lost from her family on Christmas Day. .
Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad,
But he knew he should make this little child glad,
So he called her in and wiped her tears
And quieted her childish fears.
Then he led her back to her home once more
But as he entered his own darkened door,
He knew that the Lord was not coming today
For the hours of Christmas had passed away.
So he went to his room and knelt down to pray
And he said, "Dear Lord, why did you delay,
What kept You from coming to call on me,
For I wanted so much Your face to see. . ."
When soft in the silence a voice he heard,
"Lift up your head for I kept My word--
Three times My shadow crossed your floor--
Three times I came to your lonely door--
For I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet,
I was the woman you gave to eat,
And I was the child on the homeless street."
Helen Steiner Rice
Merry Christmas
Michael Mack
An American
Two neighbors called on an old-time friend
And they found his shop so meager and mean,
Made gay with a thousand boughs of green,
And Conrad was sitting with face a-shine
When he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine
And said, "Old friends, at dawn today,
When the cock was crowing the night away,
The Lord appeared in a dream to me
And said, 'I am coming your guest to be'.
So I've been busy with feet astir,
Strewing my shop with branches of fir,
The table is spread and the kettle is shined
And over the rafters the holly is twined,
And now I will wait for my Lord to appear
And listen closely so I will hear
His step as He nears my humble place,
And I open the door and look in His face. . ."
So his friends went home and left Conrad alone,
For this was the happiest day he had known,
For, long since, his family had passed away
And Conrad has spent a sad Christmas Day.
But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest
This Christmas would be the dearest and best,
And he listened with only joy in his heart.
And with every sound he would rise with a start
And look for the Lord to be standing there
In answer to his earnest prayer
So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,
But all that he saw on the snow-covered ground
Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn
And all of his clothes were ragged and worn.
So Conrad was touched and went to the door
And he said, "Your feet must be frozen and sore,
And I have some shoes in my shop for you
And a coat that will keep you warmer, too."
So with grateful heart the man went away,
But as Conrad noticed the time of day
He wondered what made the dear Lord so late
And how much longer he'd have to wait,
When he heard a knock and ran to the door,
But it was only a stranger once more,
A bent, old crone with a shawl of black,
A bundle of faggots piled on her back.
She asked for only a place to rest,
But that was reserved for Conrad's Great Guest.
But her voice seemed to plead, "Don't send me away
Let me rest awhile on Christmas day."
So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup
And told her to sit at the table and sip.
But after she left he was filled with dismay
For he saw that the hours were passing away
And the Lord had not come as He said He would,
And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.
When out of the stillness he heard a cry,
"Please help me and tell me where am I."
So again he opened his friendly door
And stood disappointed as twice before,
It was only a child who had wandered away
And was lost from her family on Christmas Day. .
Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad,
But he knew he should make this little child glad,
So he called her in and wiped her tears
And quieted her childish fears.
Then he led her back to her home once more
But as he entered his own darkened door,
He knew that the Lord was not coming today
For the hours of Christmas had passed away.
So he went to his room and knelt down to pray
And he said, "Dear Lord, why did you delay,
What kept You from coming to call on me,
For I wanted so much Your face to see. . ."
When soft in the silence a voice he heard,
"Lift up your head for I kept My word--
Three times My shadow crossed your floor--
Three times I came to your lonely door--
For I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet,
I was the woman you gave to eat,
And I was the child on the homeless street."
Helen Steiner Rice
Merry Christmas
Michael Mack
An American
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
America is Rolling Down Hill and a Small Minority is Taking us There!
Soundly defeated on November 2 a congress with 13% approval rating is forcing it's Liberal agenda on the American Public and the most respected of American institutions, the U.S. military.
"Don't ask, don't tell" is to be repealed. Open homosexuals are to be welcomed with open arms in all branches of the armed services.
As a Viet Nam Veteran there may have been homosexuals in the military but you did not see them they were quiet and I liked it that away. This is a political payoff, at the expense of our military, to a militant minority inside the Democratic Party that is demanding this as the price of that special interest's financial and political support.
One Marine commandant after another asked Congress to consider the issue from a single standpoint:
Will the admission of gay men into barracks at Pendleton and Parris Island enhance the fighting effectiveness of the Corps?
The Military have been sacrificed by the Democratic Party and Barack Hussein Obama to the homosexual lobby, with the collusion of no fewer than eight Republican senators.
This is a victory in the culture war for the new morality of the social revolution of the 1960s and a defeat for traditional Judeo-Christian values.
What I can't understand is how the American people can feel 60%-70% to other way on many issues and we consistently have judges and politicians thinking they know better than we do and so we have few deciding for the all diametrically opposed to the will of the people.
True American traditionalist beliefs lie the primary sources of moral authority: the Old and New Testaments, Christian doctrine, natural law.
There have been many defeats for same-sex marriage in state referendums.
In recent times many in America or the West argued that it is natural and normal. It is being taught in our schools that it is normal and for 95% of America it is not!
Hell! Forget America in the World!
And Now we are going to sacrifice the Military, probably the absolute best example of the best and brightest America has to offer. What a disgrace to dis-honor such an institution!
I'm getting sick and tired of the pantie waist-ed liberals pushing their agenda and the pantie waist-ed politician tagging along!
Where is the America I grew up in?
Michael Mack
An American
"Don't ask, don't tell" is to be repealed. Open homosexuals are to be welcomed with open arms in all branches of the armed services.
As a Viet Nam Veteran there may have been homosexuals in the military but you did not see them they were quiet and I liked it that away. This is a political payoff, at the expense of our military, to a militant minority inside the Democratic Party that is demanding this as the price of that special interest's financial and political support.
One Marine commandant after another asked Congress to consider the issue from a single standpoint:
Will the admission of gay men into barracks at Pendleton and Parris Island enhance the fighting effectiveness of the Corps?
The Military have been sacrificed by the Democratic Party and Barack Hussein Obama to the homosexual lobby, with the collusion of no fewer than eight Republican senators.
This is a victory in the culture war for the new morality of the social revolution of the 1960s and a defeat for traditional Judeo-Christian values.
What I can't understand is how the American people can feel 60%-70% to other way on many issues and we consistently have judges and politicians thinking they know better than we do and so we have few deciding for the all diametrically opposed to the will of the people.
True American traditionalist beliefs lie the primary sources of moral authority: the Old and New Testaments, Christian doctrine, natural law.
There have been many defeats for same-sex marriage in state referendums.
In recent times many in America or the West argued that it is natural and normal. It is being taught in our schools that it is normal and for 95% of America it is not!
Hell! Forget America in the World!
And Now we are going to sacrifice the Military, probably the absolute best example of the best and brightest America has to offer. What a disgrace to dis-honor such an institution!
I'm getting sick and tired of the pantie waist-ed liberals pushing their agenda and the pantie waist-ed politician tagging along!
Where is the America I grew up in?
Michael Mack
An American
Friday, December 17, 2010
A Behind the Scenes Look at The Army Navy Game
It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops. "We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett. So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3.
The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it. Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible former L&I commish - is one of them.
He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating and white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard. One car, the elegant Pennsylvania , carried John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D. C. for burial. "That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett.
He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played. The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D. C. and Bethesda , in Maryland . "We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment."
Through the Army War College Foundation, of which he is a trustee, Bennett met with Walter Reed's commanding general, who loved the idea. But Bennett had some ground rules first, all designed to keep the focus on the troops alone:
No press on the trip, lest the soldiers' day of pampering devolve into a media circus.
No politicians either, because, says Bennett, "I didn't want some idiot making this trip into a campaign photo op"
And no Pentagon suits on board, otherwise the soldiers would be too busy saluting superiors to relax.
The general agreed to the conditions, and Bennett realized he had a problem on his hands. "I had to actually make this thing happen," he laughs.
Over the next months, he recruited owners of 15 other sumptuous rail cars from around the country - these people tend to know each other - into lending their vehicles for the day. The name of their temporary train? The Liberty Limited.
Amtrak volunteered to transport the cars to D. C. - where they'd be coupled together for the round-trip ride to Philly - then back to their owners later.
Conrail offered to service the Liberty while it was in Philly. And SEPTA drivers would bus the disabled soldiers 200 yards from the train to Lincoln Financial Field, for the game.
A benefactor from the War College ponied up 100 seats to the game - on the 50-yard line - and lunch in a hospitality suite.
And corporate donors filled, for free and without asking for publicity, goodie bags for attendees:
From Woolrich, stadium blankets. From Wal-Mart, digital cameras. From Nikon, field glasses. From GEAR, down jackets.
There was booty not just for the soldiers, but for their guests, too, since each was allowed to bring a friend or family member.
The Marines, though, declined the offer. "They voted not to take guests with them, so they could take more Marines," says Levin, choking up at the memory.
Bennett's an emotional guy, so he was worried about how he'd react to meeting the 88 troops and guests at D. C.'s Union Station, where the trip originated. Some GIs were missing limbs. Others were wheelchair-bound or accompanied by medical personnel for the day. "They made it easy to be with them," he says. "They were all smiles on the ride to Philly. Not an ounce of self-pity from any of them. They're so full of life and determination."
At the stadium, the troops reveled in the game, recalls Bennett. Not even Army's lopsided loss to Navy could deflate the group's rollicking mood.
Afterward, it was back to the train and yet another gourmet meal - heroes get hungry, says Levin - before returning to Walter Reed and Bethesda . "The day was spectacular," says Levin. "It was all about these kids. It was awesome to be part of it."
The most poignant moment for the Levins was when 11 Marines hugged them goodbye, then sang them the Marine Hymn on the platform at Union Station.
"One of the guys was blind, but he said, 'I can't see you, but man, you must be beautiful!' " says Bennett. "I got a lump so big in my throat, I couldn't even answer him."
It's been three weeks, but the Levins and their guests are still feeling the day's love. "My Christmas came early," says Levin, who is Jewish and who loves the Christmas season. "I can't describe the feeling in the air." Maybe it was hope.
As one guest wrote in a thank-you note to Bennett and Vivian, "The fond memories generated last Saturday will sustain us all - whatever the future may bring."
God bless the Levins.
And bless the troops, every one.
What a Great Story of Our Heroes!
Michael Mack
An American
The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it. Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible former L&I commish - is one of them.
He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating and white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard. One car, the elegant Pennsylvania , carried John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D. C. for burial. "That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett.
He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played. The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D. C. and Bethesda , in Maryland . "We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment."
Through the Army War College Foundation, of which he is a trustee, Bennett met with Walter Reed's commanding general, who loved the idea. But Bennett had some ground rules first, all designed to keep the focus on the troops alone:
No press on the trip, lest the soldiers' day of pampering devolve into a media circus.
No politicians either, because, says Bennett, "I didn't want some idiot making this trip into a campaign photo op"
And no Pentagon suits on board, otherwise the soldiers would be too busy saluting superiors to relax.
The general agreed to the conditions, and Bennett realized he had a problem on his hands. "I had to actually make this thing happen," he laughs.
Over the next months, he recruited owners of 15 other sumptuous rail cars from around the country - these people tend to know each other - into lending their vehicles for the day. The name of their temporary train? The Liberty Limited.
Amtrak volunteered to transport the cars to D. C. - where they'd be coupled together for the round-trip ride to Philly - then back to their owners later.
Conrail offered to service the Liberty while it was in Philly. And SEPTA drivers would bus the disabled soldiers 200 yards from the train to Lincoln Financial Field, for the game.
A benefactor from the War College ponied up 100 seats to the game - on the 50-yard line - and lunch in a hospitality suite.
And corporate donors filled, for free and without asking for publicity, goodie bags for attendees:
From Woolrich, stadium blankets. From Wal-Mart, digital cameras. From Nikon, field glasses. From GEAR, down jackets.
There was booty not just for the soldiers, but for their guests, too, since each was allowed to bring a friend or family member.
The Marines, though, declined the offer. "They voted not to take guests with them, so they could take more Marines," says Levin, choking up at the memory.
Bennett's an emotional guy, so he was worried about how he'd react to meeting the 88 troops and guests at D. C.'s Union Station, where the trip originated. Some GIs were missing limbs. Others were wheelchair-bound or accompanied by medical personnel for the day. "They made it easy to be with them," he says. "They were all smiles on the ride to Philly. Not an ounce of self-pity from any of them. They're so full of life and determination."
At the stadium, the troops reveled in the game, recalls Bennett. Not even Army's lopsided loss to Navy could deflate the group's rollicking mood.
Afterward, it was back to the train and yet another gourmet meal - heroes get hungry, says Levin - before returning to Walter Reed and Bethesda . "The day was spectacular," says Levin. "It was all about these kids. It was awesome to be part of it."
The most poignant moment for the Levins was when 11 Marines hugged them goodbye, then sang them the Marine Hymn on the platform at Union Station.
"One of the guys was blind, but he said, 'I can't see you, but man, you must be beautiful!' " says Bennett. "I got a lump so big in my throat, I couldn't even answer him."
It's been three weeks, but the Levins and their guests are still feeling the day's love. "My Christmas came early," says Levin, who is Jewish and who loves the Christmas season. "I can't describe the feeling in the air." Maybe it was hope.
As one guest wrote in a thank-you note to Bennett and Vivian, "The fond memories generated last Saturday will sustain us all - whatever the future may bring."
God bless the Levins.
And bless the troops, every one.
What a Great Story of Our Heroes!
Michael Mack
An American
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Nigel Farage- Leader of the UK Independence party Speaks to EU Members
The idea for forming the European Union was originally proposed on September 19, 1946, by Winston Churchill in a speech at Zurich University during which he called for a "kind of United States of Europe." December 17 of that year, the European Federalists Union was set into place in Paris, France. The early United Europe Movement was created in 1947, and was in favor of intergovernmental cooperation as opposed to supranational control.
In 1948, the Western Union Treaty was signed by Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) was created. In May of 1948, the Europe Congress met in The Hague, The Netherlands, chaired by Winston Churchill. The participants (800 delegates) recommended that councils be created to prepare political and economic integration of European countries. They also advised the adoption of a human rights charter and the creation of a court of justice to ensure respect for the charter.
In 1979 The European Monetary System was formed and In 2002, The euro was adopted by eleven countries including Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain as their official currency. On January 1, 1999, the money from the 11 countries that were in the European Union had the value of their money set. That means they couldn't change it anymore.
Now a short 11 years later the monetary plan is crumbling under the pressure of government unions and social handouts.
Nigel Farage Comments to members of the EU:
You've been in office for one year and in that time the whole edifice is beginning to crumble. This chaos, the money's running out. I should thank you. You should perhaps be the pinup boy of the Euro skeptic movement. But just look around this chamber this morning. Just look at these faces. Look at the fear. Look at the anger. Poor old Barroso here look like he's seen a ghost. You know, they are beginning to understand that the game is up and yet in their desperation to preserve their dream, they want to remove any remaining traces of democracy from the system. And it's pretty clear that none of you have learned anything. You know, when you yourself, Mr. Van Rompuy say that the Euro has brought us stability, I suppose I could applaud you for having a sense of humor, but isn't this really just the bunker mentality? You know, your fanaticism is out in the open. You talked about the fact that it was a lie to believe that the nation state could exist in a 21st century globalized world. Well, that may be true in the case of Belgium who haven't had a government for six months. But for the rest of us right across every member state in this union, and perhaps this is why we see the fear in the faces, increasingly people are saying we don't want that flag, we don't want the anthem, we don't want this political class. We want the whole thing consigned to the dustbin of history. And we had the Greek tragedy earlier on this year and now we have the situation in Ireland. Now, I know that the stupidity and greed of Irish politicians has a lot to do with this. They should never, ever have joined the Euro. They suffered with low interest rates, a false boom, and a massive bust. But look at your response to them. What they are being told as their government's collapsing, is that it would be inappropriate for them to have a general election. In fact, Commissioner Wren here said they had to agree their budget first before they would be allowed to have a general election. Just who the hell do you think you people are? You are very, very dangerous people indeed. Your obsession with creating this Euro state means that you're happy to destroy democracy. You appear to be happy for millions and millions of people to be unemployed and to be poor. Untold millions must suffer so that your Euro dream can continue. But it won't work because it's Portugal next, with their debt levels of 325% of GDP, they are the next ones on the list. And after that I suspect it will be Spain. And the bailout for Spain would be seven times the size of Ireland, and at that moment all of the bailout money has gone. There won't be any more. But it's even more serious than economics. Because if you rob people of their identity, if you rob them of their democracy, then all they are left with is nationalism and violence. I can only hope and pray that the Euro project is destroyed by the markets before that really happens.
Now America - look at what your Government is doing:
The Federal Reserve is devaluing our dollar and following the Global Monetary system of George Soros. He became known as "the Man Who Broke the Bank of England" after he made a reported $1 billion during the 1992 Black Wednesday UK currency crises. Soros correctly anticipated that the British government would have to devalue the pound sterling. George Soros has been to the White House 22 Times in 6 months in 2009. I bet the Blackberry that the President carries has George on Speed Dial #1!
Andy Stern, former president of SEIU also has visited the White House 22 times? He is Speed Dail #2.
We bailed out GM saying they were too big to fail.
The Unions are getting rich off the bail outs - The unions just made $3 Billion on the public offering of GM and the American Taxpayer does not plan on cashing in on the GM stock according to the plan by Timothy Geitner, we are waiting to make sure the Union makes it's money first.
There is talk at Unionizing the TSA. It's not about safety It's about Government Control - A police State - getting the people to fall in line like sheep!
Obama care is Bankrupting our Country.
California, New York and Illinois are on the verge of Bankruptcy and will be asking for bailouts. What do these states have in common? Heavy State worker Unions and Democratic Governors. A deadly Mix!
WAKE UP AMERICA! YOU COULD BE NEXT...........
Michael Mack
An American
In 1948, the Western Union Treaty was signed by Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) was created. In May of 1948, the Europe Congress met in The Hague, The Netherlands, chaired by Winston Churchill. The participants (800 delegates) recommended that councils be created to prepare political and economic integration of European countries. They also advised the adoption of a human rights charter and the creation of a court of justice to ensure respect for the charter.
In 1979 The European Monetary System was formed and In 2002, The euro was adopted by eleven countries including Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain as their official currency. On January 1, 1999, the money from the 11 countries that were in the European Union had the value of their money set. That means they couldn't change it anymore.
Now a short 11 years later the monetary plan is crumbling under the pressure of government unions and social handouts.
Nigel Farage Comments to members of the EU:
You've been in office for one year and in that time the whole edifice is beginning to crumble. This chaos, the money's running out. I should thank you. You should perhaps be the pinup boy of the Euro skeptic movement. But just look around this chamber this morning. Just look at these faces. Look at the fear. Look at the anger. Poor old Barroso here look like he's seen a ghost. You know, they are beginning to understand that the game is up and yet in their desperation to preserve their dream, they want to remove any remaining traces of democracy from the system. And it's pretty clear that none of you have learned anything. You know, when you yourself, Mr. Van Rompuy say that the Euro has brought us stability, I suppose I could applaud you for having a sense of humor, but isn't this really just the bunker mentality? You know, your fanaticism is out in the open. You talked about the fact that it was a lie to believe that the nation state could exist in a 21st century globalized world. Well, that may be true in the case of Belgium who haven't had a government for six months. But for the rest of us right across every member state in this union, and perhaps this is why we see the fear in the faces, increasingly people are saying we don't want that flag, we don't want the anthem, we don't want this political class. We want the whole thing consigned to the dustbin of history. And we had the Greek tragedy earlier on this year and now we have the situation in Ireland. Now, I know that the stupidity and greed of Irish politicians has a lot to do with this. They should never, ever have joined the Euro. They suffered with low interest rates, a false boom, and a massive bust. But look at your response to them. What they are being told as their government's collapsing, is that it would be inappropriate for them to have a general election. In fact, Commissioner Wren here said they had to agree their budget first before they would be allowed to have a general election. Just who the hell do you think you people are? You are very, very dangerous people indeed. Your obsession with creating this Euro state means that you're happy to destroy democracy. You appear to be happy for millions and millions of people to be unemployed and to be poor. Untold millions must suffer so that your Euro dream can continue. But it won't work because it's Portugal next, with their debt levels of 325% of GDP, they are the next ones on the list. And after that I suspect it will be Spain. And the bailout for Spain would be seven times the size of Ireland, and at that moment all of the bailout money has gone. There won't be any more. But it's even more serious than economics. Because if you rob people of their identity, if you rob them of their democracy, then all they are left with is nationalism and violence. I can only hope and pray that the Euro project is destroyed by the markets before that really happens.
Now America - look at what your Government is doing:
The Federal Reserve is devaluing our dollar and following the Global Monetary system of George Soros. He became known as "the Man Who Broke the Bank of England" after he made a reported $1 billion during the 1992 Black Wednesday UK currency crises. Soros correctly anticipated that the British government would have to devalue the pound sterling. George Soros has been to the White House 22 Times in 6 months in 2009. I bet the Blackberry that the President carries has George on Speed Dial #1!
Andy Stern, former president of SEIU also has visited the White House 22 times? He is Speed Dail #2.
We bailed out GM saying they were too big to fail.
The Unions are getting rich off the bail outs - The unions just made $3 Billion on the public offering of GM and the American Taxpayer does not plan on cashing in on the GM stock according to the plan by Timothy Geitner, we are waiting to make sure the Union makes it's money first.
There is talk at Unionizing the TSA. It's not about safety It's about Government Control - A police State - getting the people to fall in line like sheep!
Obama care is Bankrupting our Country.
California, New York and Illinois are on the verge of Bankruptcy and will be asking for bailouts. What do these states have in common? Heavy State worker Unions and Democratic Governors. A deadly Mix!
WAKE UP AMERICA! YOU COULD BE NEXT...........
Michael Mack
An American
Saturday, November 27, 2010
12 Al -Qaeda members on Saturday in connection with the recent attack on a Christian cathedral in Baghdad
12 Al-Qaeda members arrested in Baghdad
Iraqi security forces arrested 12 Al -Qaeda members on Saturday in connection with the recent attack on a Christian cathedral in Baghdad, a security official said.
Among the detained is the leader of Al-Qaeda Baghdad cell, General Ahmed Abu Ragheef, the Interior Ministry's head of internal affairs reported.
The arrested confessed that they attacked and took hostages at the Our Lady of Salvation Church on October 31. 58 people were killed, including 46 hostages and 75 were injured, when Iraqi forces tried to free the hostages.
The detained also took responsibility for 16 attacks in Bagdad.
No Don't tell me - Let me guess?
- Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40.
I'm getting really smart to figure this out,
To U.S. Home Land Security - I know this may come as a surprise to you, It's not Grannie, the 4 year old, the nun, the cancer survivor with the prosthesis, It is
- Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40.
I may be slow but I'm ahead of you!
Michael Mack
An American
Iraqi security forces arrested 12 Al -Qaeda members on Saturday in connection with the recent attack on a Christian cathedral in Baghdad, a security official said.
Among the detained is the leader of Al-Qaeda Baghdad cell, General Ahmed Abu Ragheef, the Interior Ministry's head of internal affairs reported.
The arrested confessed that they attacked and took hostages at the Our Lady of Salvation Church on October 31. 58 people were killed, including 46 hostages and 75 were injured, when Iraqi forces tried to free the hostages.
The detained also took responsibility for 16 attacks in Bagdad.
No Don't tell me - Let me guess?
- Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40.
I'm getting really smart to figure this out,
To U.S. Home Land Security - I know this may come as a surprise to you, It's not Grannie, the 4 year old, the nun, the cancer survivor with the prosthesis, It is
- Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40.
I may be slow but I'm ahead of you!
Michael Mack
An American
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40 are Terrorist
Please pause a moment, reflect back, and take the following multiple choice test. The events are actual cuts from past history. They actually happened!!!
Do you remember?
-1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by
a. Barrack Hussein Obama disguised as a muslim
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d. Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40
1. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by
a. Barrack Hussein Obama disguised as a muslim
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
2. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
3.During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
4. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Barrack Hussein Obama disguised as a muslim
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
5. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:
a. The Smurfs
b. member of Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ag es of 17 and 40
6.In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
a. member Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
7.In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. member of Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
8. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Barrack Hussein Obama disguised as a muslim
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
9.In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill' s women problems
c. Barrack Hussein Obama's brother
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
10.On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers.Thousands of American Citizens were killed by:
a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. Barrack Hussein Obama's basketball team
c. George Bush
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
11.In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
a. Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
12. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
a. George Bush
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Barrack Hussein Obama future czar
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
13. 2004 - Spain Railway bombings.
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
14. 2005 London Railway bombings
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
15. 2007 Glasgow International Airport Attack
16. 2008 Mumbai India over 100 die in coordinated Terrorist attack
17. 2009 US Soldiers killed outside Arkansas Army Recruitment Center
18. 2009 Christmas day underwear bomber
19. 2010 Ft Hood Texas mass murder
20. 2010 UPS plane blown up in the Dubai
Nope, I really don't see a pattern here to justify profiling, do you?
So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on killing us, airport security screeners will no longer be allowed to profile certain people. They must conduct random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, all nuns, all grandmothers, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winning and former Governor Joe Foss, but leave Muslim Males between the ages 17 and 40 alone because we do not want to offend them who will never surrender and are willing to die to kill us!
Being Politically correct is guaranteeing the death of more Americans, harassment Pure Harassment of 300 Million Americans for traveling.
There are two aspects of terrorism. One aspect of terrorism is to kill you. The other aspect of terrorism is to create a disruption of your lifestyle through fear and intimidation," Allen West tells the newspaper. "So they have still won, even though the underwear bomber was not successful in killing us. They have still won." GOP Rep.-elect Allen West of Florida favors profiling likely terrorists at airports instead.
God help us if Bristol Palin wins “Dancing with the Stars” all phones calling into to judging the winner will be investigated for their association with the Tea Party as a conspiracy to make Barrack Hussein Obama look bad, all Muslim males between the ages of 17 and 40 will be exempt.
We need to look for Terrorist not objects or things.
That is what the Israelis do and they are very effective.
Michael Mack
An American
Do you remember?
-1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by
a. Barrack Hussein Obama disguised as a muslim
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d. Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40
1. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by
a. Barrack Hussein Obama disguised as a muslim
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
2. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
3.During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
4. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Barrack Hussein Obama disguised as a muslim
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
5. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:
a. The Smurfs
b. member of Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ag es of 17 and 40
6.In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
a. member Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
7.In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. member of Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
8. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Barrack Hussein Obama disguised as a muslim
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
9.In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill' s women problems
c. Barrack Hussein Obama's brother
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
10.On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers.Thousands of American Citizens were killed by:
a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. Barrack Hussein Obama's basketball team
c. George Bush
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
11.In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
a. Barrack Hussein Obama's future administration
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
12. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
a. George Bush
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Barrack Hussein Obama future czar
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
13. 2004 - Spain Railway bombings.
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
14. 2005 London Railway bombings
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
15. 2007 Glasgow International Airport Attack
16. 2008 Mumbai India over 100 die in coordinated Terrorist attack
17. 2009 US Soldiers killed outside Arkansas Army Recruitment Center
18. 2009 Christmas day underwear bomber
19. 2010 Ft Hood Texas mass murder
20. 2010 UPS plane blown up in the Dubai
Nope, I really don't see a pattern here to justify profiling, do you?
So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on killing us, airport security screeners will no longer be allowed to profile certain people. They must conduct random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, all nuns, all grandmothers, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winning and former Governor Joe Foss, but leave Muslim Males between the ages 17 and 40 alone because we do not want to offend them who will never surrender and are willing to die to kill us!
Being Politically correct is guaranteeing the death of more Americans, harassment Pure Harassment of 300 Million Americans for traveling.
There are two aspects of terrorism. One aspect of terrorism is to kill you. The other aspect of terrorism is to create a disruption of your lifestyle through fear and intimidation," Allen West tells the newspaper. "So they have still won, even though the underwear bomber was not successful in killing us. They have still won." GOP Rep.-elect Allen West of Florida favors profiling likely terrorists at airports instead.
God help us if Bristol Palin wins “Dancing with the Stars” all phones calling into to judging the winner will be investigated for their association with the Tea Party as a conspiracy to make Barrack Hussein Obama look bad, all Muslim males between the ages of 17 and 40 will be exempt.
We need to look for Terrorist not objects or things.
That is what the Israelis do and they are very effective.
Michael Mack
An American
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Do You Qualify as a True American?
I Think You Qualify
TRUE AMERICAN
It is time to change from REDNECK humor to TRUE AMERICAN Humor!
Only it isn't seen as HUMOR, but the correct way to LIVE YOUR LIFE!
If you feel the same, pass this on to your True American friends.
Y'all know who they are...
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You still say 'Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You bow your head when someone prays.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You treat Viet Nam vets with great respect, and always have.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You've never burned an American flag.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening..
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.
God Bless the U S A ! Amen
AND YOU ARE A TRUE AMERICAN, IF YOU THINK THE NATIONAL ANTHEM SHOULD ONLY BE SUNG
IN ENGLISH!
Michael Mack
An American
TRUE AMERICAN
It is time to change from REDNECK humor to TRUE AMERICAN Humor!
Only it isn't seen as HUMOR, but the correct way to LIVE YOUR LIFE!
If you feel the same, pass this on to your True American friends.
Y'all know who they are...
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You still say 'Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You bow your head when someone prays.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You treat Viet Nam vets with great respect, and always have.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You've never burned an American flag.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening..
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.
God Bless the U S A ! Amen
AND YOU ARE A TRUE AMERICAN, IF YOU THINK THE NATIONAL ANTHEM SHOULD ONLY BE SUNG
IN ENGLISH!
Michael Mack
An American
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Return of Many Hero's
On Sunday my family and I had the opportunity to attend the welcome home ceremony for part of the 3rd Infantry Division at Hunter Army Air Field in Georgia. The unit left November 14th, 2009 and returned on Sunday. The Flight for the Freedom Fighters was delayed from Friday to Saturday and Finally arrived on Sunday. We went there for one Freedom Fighter in particular., a Captain of the 3rd Infantry Division, Warlords Attack Helicopter Company. What an emotional Roller Coaster. The emotions were running high all week as the days were counted down and the delays mounted by the day, by the hour, by the minute. We finally arrived at the air field to see the veterans and USO Volunteers, and workers planning for the arrival. Announcements were made, telling you what was happening with them, where they were going to march in, what we were suppose to do, etc. There were friends who had supported the families there, whose fathers, mothers, brothers, sons, who were still deployed but were only there for support. Old acquaintances from wars past were rekindled, memories and stories swapped like bees goin from flower to flower. An old veteran and I swapped stories of being spat on when we returned from VietNam by War protesters. No Fan fair, no thank you other than from immediate family.
I remembered my own journey to and from Vietnam in 1971 and 1972, a much different atmosphere today more than 38 years ago. Leaving my mother crying on the front porch after an emotional good bye; "Michael come back!" Back then you came home one at a time when your time was up or in a flagged draped casket which ever came first, there were some 58,236 killed in Viet-Nam who never made that trip home. I was one of the lucky ones!
Operation Enduring Freedom has had 1396 US Casualties, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom 4427 US Casualties.
As I sat there listening to the Patriotic songs, God Bless the USA, Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue, The Green Beret song, The National Anthem: I remembered my own friends who never made it back, I remembered some of Travis's classmates from West Point who gave it all for all, I remembered the soldiers from the most recent conflicts who have come home with one less arm, leg, eye, hand, or in some cases quadriplegic, and the concerts that I have been to raise money for homes they could live in that were specialty built for their needs.
I saw Mother and Fathers crying with tears of joy.
I saw little boys and girls crying because their daddy was not there.
Then they opened the doors of the Hanger and the formation of our Hero's came marching in: The pride, the chills and goose bumps, the tears began flowing with joy, gratitude and happiness. Everyone got their hugs in the proper order Wife, Mom, then dad.......then the rest....no particular order after that...
I am a member of The Patriot Guard, a motorcycle group which began to protect families of returning hero's who had made the ultimate sacrifice, to keep protesters away from the funeral. I remember one funeral I went to and rode and stood the line, did not know who he was, did not know his family, did know anything about him other than he gave his life for this country and all that live here. In a small Middle Tn town the widow was 23, no children, much the same age of my daughter. Although the ride from the funeral home to the cemetery was only 2 miles there was not a space along the street where a person was not standing holding an American flag paying their respects.
The now widow was escorted to the funeral by an officer, As the American flag was carefully folded by members of the Honor Guard, hundreds sat in silent reverence of a hero laid to rest, an Army Colonel in Dress Blues told the widow your husband served your country and your community well. He fought the good fight, his job is done. We are in awe of his courage, steadfast loyalty and dedication. We thank him for exchanging all of your tomorrows as the price for our Freedom. May your family’s pain be eased by the pride they have in you. They will remain in my prayers and you will always be a Hero to me.
All gave some and some gave all.
We enjoyed the ceremony and the joyful reunion of family and friends.
Welcome Home Travis
Michael Mack
An American
I remembered my own journey to and from Vietnam in 1971 and 1972, a much different atmosphere today more than 38 years ago. Leaving my mother crying on the front porch after an emotional good bye; "Michael come back!" Back then you came home one at a time when your time was up or in a flagged draped casket which ever came first, there were some 58,236 killed in Viet-Nam who never made that trip home. I was one of the lucky ones!
Operation Enduring Freedom has had 1396 US Casualties, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom 4427 US Casualties.
As I sat there listening to the Patriotic songs, God Bless the USA, Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue, The Green Beret song, The National Anthem: I remembered my own friends who never made it back, I remembered some of Travis's classmates from West Point who gave it all for all, I remembered the soldiers from the most recent conflicts who have come home with one less arm, leg, eye, hand, or in some cases quadriplegic, and the concerts that I have been to raise money for homes they could live in that were specialty built for their needs.
I saw Mother and Fathers crying with tears of joy.
I saw little boys and girls crying because their daddy was not there.
Then they opened the doors of the Hanger and the formation of our Hero's came marching in: The pride, the chills and goose bumps, the tears began flowing with joy, gratitude and happiness. Everyone got their hugs in the proper order Wife, Mom, then dad.......then the rest....no particular order after that...
I am a member of The Patriot Guard, a motorcycle group which began to protect families of returning hero's who had made the ultimate sacrifice, to keep protesters away from the funeral. I remember one funeral I went to and rode and stood the line, did not know who he was, did not know his family, did know anything about him other than he gave his life for this country and all that live here. In a small Middle Tn town the widow was 23, no children, much the same age of my daughter. Although the ride from the funeral home to the cemetery was only 2 miles there was not a space along the street where a person was not standing holding an American flag paying their respects.
The now widow was escorted to the funeral by an officer, As the American flag was carefully folded by members of the Honor Guard, hundreds sat in silent reverence of a hero laid to rest, an Army Colonel in Dress Blues told the widow your husband served your country and your community well. He fought the good fight, his job is done. We are in awe of his courage, steadfast loyalty and dedication. We thank him for exchanging all of your tomorrows as the price for our Freedom. May your family’s pain be eased by the pride they have in you. They will remain in my prayers and you will always be a Hero to me.
All gave some and some gave all.
We enjoyed the ceremony and the joyful reunion of family and friends.
Welcome Home Travis
Michael Mack
An American
Thursday, November 4, 2010
An Open Letter to the House of Representative Members and the Senate Members
An Open Letter to the House of Representative Members and the Senate Members
You did not get elected by the Speaker of the House nor did you get elected by your leader in the Senate, nor were you appointed by the President, you were elected by the people. For those of you elected your work is just begun.
First do not Leave God out of anything you do. Walk around and look at all the monuments in Washington DC, read the constitution, God, Creator, individual rights; Judeo-Christian principles are the very foundation of this Nation. We are a Christian nation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Did you hear that? You derive your powers from the governed “The People.”
Your Oath:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
Nothing in that oath about a Global Congressman or a Global Senator! Your to Defend the United States.
Do you know the meaning of these?
A balanced budget is when there is neither a budget deficit nor a budget surplus – when revenues equal expenditure ("the accounts balance") – particularly by a government.
A balanced budget amendment is a constitutional rule requiring that the state must not spend more than its income. It requires a balance between the projected revenues and expenditures of the government.
We the People
We the People are not interested in you moving toward the President’s agenda: we soundly reject it all! We are not interested in compromise; we are not interested in parliamentary rules being changed. We want our country back, we want our freedom back, and we want the government out of our lives.
1. Do what you must but the American People Expect a balanced budget
The First votes you will have are:
Who will you elect to be the Speaker of the House?
How will you vote when you must vote to raise the debt ceiling?
2. Each vote you make will be measured against:
a. Does it increase the National Debt, our biggest Security Threat?
b. Does it grow the government?
c. Does it increase taxes?
d. Does it secure the United States?
e. How does it affect the individual citizen? Does it intrude on our freedom?
3. We want a smaller government. Cut spending by 25%. NOW!
a. Cut all funding translating forms into any language other than English, You’re in America and we speak English! This is being physically responsible not insensitive.
b. Eliminate any law that requires translating labels into another language, for use in the U.S. If a company sells their product overseas that is the cost of doing business.
4. We want a strong national defense. We only go to War to Win!
5. We want our borders secured, don’t put up signs warning Americans we have areas that are unsafe to travel, this is America land of the free and the home of the brave! Stop illegal immigration and deport anyone who is here illegally. Develop a temporary worker program and monitor their whereabouts.
6. We want the government out of the way of business; the American business will create all the jobs needed if you will create an environment that does not punish success. Free market capitalism works!
7. Repeal Obama care. It is unconstitutional. It is a travesty that this was even passed. As we read it we find redistribution of wealth, development of a commissioned officer force that works directly for the president, monitoring of gold ownership, IRS authority to look into every transaction we make, 70% percent of the people do not want it, so get rid of it!.
8. Slow down and allow adequate time to review and understand all bills. All Bills MUST be read before you vote on them, so if you don’t want to read for the next 4 years make your bills short and sweet. Things are not that complicated, so don’t make them that way. The original bill that created the Transportation Department I believe was 7 pages long. If you cannot come before the American people and explain it or it cannot be read by a senior in High School that has a C average, go back to the drawing board.
9. All Bills will be voted on during the day televised.
10. Eliminate the IRS and vote in a fair tax or some very simple process to be taxed on items you purchase.
11. Eliminate Ear Marks.
12. Any law you pass applies to senators, congress and their staffs’, what is good for the electorate is good for you too!
13. Cut all money going overseas until all programs are evaluated for common sense.
14. All budgets must be audited and balanced and before the next budget is approved an analysis must be done to evaluate the spending.
15. Thomas Jefferson said “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.” The Federal Reserve is one of the most dangerous institutions around today. The print money when they want to, they have overstepped their bounds; we are now going to print money, inflate the currency and devalue the dollar. What gives the government the right to do this! The constitution only gives the government the right to make coins. Where in the constitution does the Federal Reserve find its authority to monetize our debt? I want the Federal Reserve audited!
16. Cut all funds to the United Nations except for humanitarian needs.
17. All Czars should be defunded.
18. A Congressional Investigation should be levied against the government. After GM and Chrysler announced last year that they were going to go bankrupt, the U.S. government stepped into bail out the two Detroit automakers -- at a cost of $80 billion to taxpayers. As part of the plan, the car companies were told to streamline their production plants and distribution outlets, and close more than 2,000 dealerships between them. The government took their assets and left the dealers with all the liabilities and the dealerships were a 100% asset and 0% liability and redistributed their work to “chosen” person or company. Incredible abuse of power in America. KEEP THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN IN AMERICA. What are you going to do about it? What does justice mean?
19. Any movement to bring Shariah Law should be halted immediately, this is treason, and it is being done to replace our constitution. . Treason definition - citizen's actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation]." In many nations, it is also often considered treason to attempt or conspire to overthrow the government, even if no foreign country is aided or involved by such an endeavor.
20. Beware of charitable deductions for Islam religion called Zakat 1/8 of giving goes to the way of Allah - funding wars - money will be used to kill our soldiers.
21. The United Nations Small Arms Treaty - Watch and Read thoroughly all treaties and measure them against the constitution and their impact on the constitution and on individual rights and liberties, example: 2nd Amendment Right to Bear Arms.
22. Cut the Department of Education, this was a bad idea Jimmy Carter, and send the $100 Billion to the States, let the States handle the Educational system, they know better than Washington bureaucrats.
23. Reform the Department of Energy, another bad Jimmy Carter Idea, With the Focus of Drilling our own oil and plan to eliminate the purchase of all oil from OPEC in 10 years. If you will turn the oil companies loose in the US they will surprise you with their ingenuity. Build Nuclear Electric plants. This alone will create 1 Million high paying Jobs, may be 2 Million. Government need to take their hand cuffs off Business’ and let them go. The current structure stifles business and hurts the consumer this is totally backwards; it should enhance business and save the cost of energy to the consumer. We spend $140 Billion per year importing oil from people who mostly hate our guts, OK stop buying from them, and get the Oil from our own resources, let see $140 B plowed back into our own economy, can we say: Deficit Buster. This can be accomplished in 10 years or less!
24. Since we now know the Global warming is based on falsification of information and we also know that all the money the U.S. will spend will not change the earth’s temperature by 1 degree, we should not spend any money on a wasted effort. Defund any project that is based on this false data. It is simple; the law of diminishing returns, to Spend Billions and have less than a 1% impact is a waste of time and effort. Solar Energy and Nuclear Energy can be expanded by giving tax incentives to business that create the business. The Cap & Trade Bill should NOT come up for a vote because that data used was based on a manmade Hoax.
25. The EPA should be cut by 75% this would save $7Billion. Defund their budget line by line. The EPA does not have the right to legislate, that is congresses job.
26. Social Security: For those 50 years old and under your Social Security Account will go into a private account that YOU control, that the government CANNOT touch. For those 50 and older you stay on the old system and the old system is phased out. Raise the retirement age to 68 the life expectancy in the U.S. is 78. If you have done well and can retire before then, go for it!
27. Term limits need to be enacted NOW. 4 Years for Senators and Congress in alternating years by the number of representatives in each state for example 4 representatives and 2 senators;
2 representatives and 1 senator will be reelected every 2 years, so there will be consistency of leadership.
Remember at the G20 Summit in Toronto Canada How President Obama wanted to continue spending, but Germany and Great Britain wanted to cut spending and their deficits. Well
Germany, the largest economy in Europe, just hit an 18 year low on unemployment 7.5% they did it by focusing on their economy slashing corporate taxes (added jobs), the system of social security, and Germany's position on the world market; Physical responsibility, cutting spending. WE can learn from Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In Britain, The country's economic recovery is continuing at a faster rate than expected, it was revealed yesterday as Britain's debts were taken off a danger list. Chancellor George Osborne hailed the developments as a 'double dose of good news' and a vote of confidence in his planned spending cuts of 81 Billion pounds to eliminate the budget deficit. Their unemployment rate is 7.8%. WE can learn from Prime Minister David Cameron.
Do we see a pattern hear? Cutting taxes and cutting spending = Economic growth = Deficit reduction. Now that is change we can believe in!
Remember when we (The U.S.) were the teacher and not the student?
Keep the Constitution in your pocket you will be judged by how close you followed it.
The seat you occupy belongs to the people.
We want our liberty and our country back.
If you do not want to do the will of the people we will find someone who will the next time around!
Remember God is watching and we are too!
Michael Mack
An American
You did not get elected by the Speaker of the House nor did you get elected by your leader in the Senate, nor were you appointed by the President, you were elected by the people. For those of you elected your work is just begun.
First do not Leave God out of anything you do. Walk around and look at all the monuments in Washington DC, read the constitution, God, Creator, individual rights; Judeo-Christian principles are the very foundation of this Nation. We are a Christian nation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Did you hear that? You derive your powers from the governed “The People.”
Your Oath:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
Nothing in that oath about a Global Congressman or a Global Senator! Your to Defend the United States.
Do you know the meaning of these?
A balanced budget is when there is neither a budget deficit nor a budget surplus – when revenues equal expenditure ("the accounts balance") – particularly by a government.
A balanced budget amendment is a constitutional rule requiring that the state must not spend more than its income. It requires a balance between the projected revenues and expenditures of the government.
We the People
We the People are not interested in you moving toward the President’s agenda: we soundly reject it all! We are not interested in compromise; we are not interested in parliamentary rules being changed. We want our country back, we want our freedom back, and we want the government out of our lives.
1. Do what you must but the American People Expect a balanced budget
The First votes you will have are:
Who will you elect to be the Speaker of the House?
How will you vote when you must vote to raise the debt ceiling?
2. Each vote you make will be measured against:
a. Does it increase the National Debt, our biggest Security Threat?
b. Does it grow the government?
c. Does it increase taxes?
d. Does it secure the United States?
e. How does it affect the individual citizen? Does it intrude on our freedom?
3. We want a smaller government. Cut spending by 25%. NOW!
a. Cut all funding translating forms into any language other than English, You’re in America and we speak English! This is being physically responsible not insensitive.
b. Eliminate any law that requires translating labels into another language, for use in the U.S. If a company sells their product overseas that is the cost of doing business.
4. We want a strong national defense. We only go to War to Win!
5. We want our borders secured, don’t put up signs warning Americans we have areas that are unsafe to travel, this is America land of the free and the home of the brave! Stop illegal immigration and deport anyone who is here illegally. Develop a temporary worker program and monitor their whereabouts.
6. We want the government out of the way of business; the American business will create all the jobs needed if you will create an environment that does not punish success. Free market capitalism works!
7. Repeal Obama care. It is unconstitutional. It is a travesty that this was even passed. As we read it we find redistribution of wealth, development of a commissioned officer force that works directly for the president, monitoring of gold ownership, IRS authority to look into every transaction we make, 70% percent of the people do not want it, so get rid of it!.
8. Slow down and allow adequate time to review and understand all bills. All Bills MUST be read before you vote on them, so if you don’t want to read for the next 4 years make your bills short and sweet. Things are not that complicated, so don’t make them that way. The original bill that created the Transportation Department I believe was 7 pages long. If you cannot come before the American people and explain it or it cannot be read by a senior in High School that has a C average, go back to the drawing board.
9. All Bills will be voted on during the day televised.
10. Eliminate the IRS and vote in a fair tax or some very simple process to be taxed on items you purchase.
11. Eliminate Ear Marks.
12. Any law you pass applies to senators, congress and their staffs’, what is good for the electorate is good for you too!
13. Cut all money going overseas until all programs are evaluated for common sense.
14. All budgets must be audited and balanced and before the next budget is approved an analysis must be done to evaluate the spending.
15. Thomas Jefferson said “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.” The Federal Reserve is one of the most dangerous institutions around today. The print money when they want to, they have overstepped their bounds; we are now going to print money, inflate the currency and devalue the dollar. What gives the government the right to do this! The constitution only gives the government the right to make coins. Where in the constitution does the Federal Reserve find its authority to monetize our debt? I want the Federal Reserve audited!
16. Cut all funds to the United Nations except for humanitarian needs.
17. All Czars should be defunded.
18. A Congressional Investigation should be levied against the government. After GM and Chrysler announced last year that they were going to go bankrupt, the U.S. government stepped into bail out the two Detroit automakers -- at a cost of $80 billion to taxpayers. As part of the plan, the car companies were told to streamline their production plants and distribution outlets, and close more than 2,000 dealerships between them. The government took their assets and left the dealers with all the liabilities and the dealerships were a 100% asset and 0% liability and redistributed their work to “chosen” person or company. Incredible abuse of power in America. KEEP THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN IN AMERICA. What are you going to do about it? What does justice mean?
19. Any movement to bring Shariah Law should be halted immediately, this is treason, and it is being done to replace our constitution. . Treason definition - citizen's actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation]." In many nations, it is also often considered treason to attempt or conspire to overthrow the government, even if no foreign country is aided or involved by such an endeavor.
20. Beware of charitable deductions for Islam religion called Zakat 1/8 of giving goes to the way of Allah - funding wars - money will be used to kill our soldiers.
21. The United Nations Small Arms Treaty - Watch and Read thoroughly all treaties and measure them against the constitution and their impact on the constitution and on individual rights and liberties, example: 2nd Amendment Right to Bear Arms.
22. Cut the Department of Education, this was a bad idea Jimmy Carter, and send the $100 Billion to the States, let the States handle the Educational system, they know better than Washington bureaucrats.
23. Reform the Department of Energy, another bad Jimmy Carter Idea, With the Focus of Drilling our own oil and plan to eliminate the purchase of all oil from OPEC in 10 years. If you will turn the oil companies loose in the US they will surprise you with their ingenuity. Build Nuclear Electric plants. This alone will create 1 Million high paying Jobs, may be 2 Million. Government need to take their hand cuffs off Business’ and let them go. The current structure stifles business and hurts the consumer this is totally backwards; it should enhance business and save the cost of energy to the consumer. We spend $140 Billion per year importing oil from people who mostly hate our guts, OK stop buying from them, and get the Oil from our own resources, let see $140 B plowed back into our own economy, can we say: Deficit Buster. This can be accomplished in 10 years or less!
24. Since we now know the Global warming is based on falsification of information and we also know that all the money the U.S. will spend will not change the earth’s temperature by 1 degree, we should not spend any money on a wasted effort. Defund any project that is based on this false data. It is simple; the law of diminishing returns, to Spend Billions and have less than a 1% impact is a waste of time and effort. Solar Energy and Nuclear Energy can be expanded by giving tax incentives to business that create the business. The Cap & Trade Bill should NOT come up for a vote because that data used was based on a manmade Hoax.
25. The EPA should be cut by 75% this would save $7Billion. Defund their budget line by line. The EPA does not have the right to legislate, that is congresses job.
26. Social Security: For those 50 years old and under your Social Security Account will go into a private account that YOU control, that the government CANNOT touch. For those 50 and older you stay on the old system and the old system is phased out. Raise the retirement age to 68 the life expectancy in the U.S. is 78. If you have done well and can retire before then, go for it!
27. Term limits need to be enacted NOW. 4 Years for Senators and Congress in alternating years by the number of representatives in each state for example 4 representatives and 2 senators;
2 representatives and 1 senator will be reelected every 2 years, so there will be consistency of leadership.
Remember at the G20 Summit in Toronto Canada How President Obama wanted to continue spending, but Germany and Great Britain wanted to cut spending and their deficits. Well
Germany, the largest economy in Europe, just hit an 18 year low on unemployment 7.5% they did it by focusing on their economy slashing corporate taxes (added jobs), the system of social security, and Germany's position on the world market; Physical responsibility, cutting spending. WE can learn from Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In Britain, The country's economic recovery is continuing at a faster rate than expected, it was revealed yesterday as Britain's debts were taken off a danger list. Chancellor George Osborne hailed the developments as a 'double dose of good news' and a vote of confidence in his planned spending cuts of 81 Billion pounds to eliminate the budget deficit. Their unemployment rate is 7.8%. WE can learn from Prime Minister David Cameron.
Do we see a pattern hear? Cutting taxes and cutting spending = Economic growth = Deficit reduction. Now that is change we can believe in!
Remember when we (The U.S.) were the teacher and not the student?
Keep the Constitution in your pocket you will be judged by how close you followed it.
The seat you occupy belongs to the people.
We want our liberty and our country back.
If you do not want to do the will of the people we will find someone who will the next time around!
Remember God is watching and we are too!
Michael Mack
An American
Friday, October 29, 2010
Larry the Cable Guy is one of my favorite comedians he is Good
Get R Done................
Everyone concentrates on the problems we're having in Our Country lately:; Illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, alligators attacking people in Florida . . . .
Not me -- I concentrate on solutions for the problems -- it's a win-win situation.
* Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border.
* Send the dirt to New Orleans to raise the level of the levees.
* Put the Florida alligators in the moat along the Mexican border. Sounds like a workable plan !!!!
Any other problems you would like for me to solve today?
Think about this:
1. Cows
2. The Constitution
3. The Ten Commandments
COWS
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.
THE CONSTITUTION
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq ...why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS;
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this you cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians, it creates a hostile work environment.
You Got to Love Larry
Ger R Done..................
Michael Mack
An American
Get R Done................
Everyone concentrates on the problems we're having in Our Country lately:; Illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, alligators attacking people in Florida . . . .
Not me -- I concentrate on solutions for the problems -- it's a win-win situation.
* Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border.
* Send the dirt to New Orleans to raise the level of the levees.
* Put the Florida alligators in the moat along the Mexican border. Sounds like a workable plan !!!!
Any other problems you would like for me to solve today?
Think about this:
1. Cows
2. The Constitution
3. The Ten Commandments
COWS
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.
THE CONSTITUTION
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq ...why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS;
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this you cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians, it creates a hostile work environment.
You Got to Love Larry
Ger R Done..................
Michael Mack
An American
Thursday, October 28, 2010
A Referendum on the Redeemer
Barack Obama put the Democrats in the position of forever redeeming a fallen nation rather than leading a great one.
By SHELBY STEELE Oct 27, 2010
Whether or not the Republicans win big next week, it is already clear that the "transformative" aspirations of the Obama presidency—the special promise of this first black president to "change" us into a better society—are much less likely to materialize. There will be enough Republican gains to make the "no" in the "party of no" even more formidable, if not definitive.
But apart from this politics of numbers, there is also now a deepening disenchantment with Barack Obama himself. (He has a meager 37% approval rating by the latest Harris poll.) His embarrassed supporters console themselves that their intentions were good; their vote helped make history. But for Mr. Obama himself there is no road back to the charisma and political capital he enjoyed on his inauguration day.
How is it that Barack Obama could step into the presidency with an air of inevitability and then, in less than two years, find himself unwelcome at the campaign rallies of many of his fellow Democrats?
The first answer is well-known: His policymaking has been grandiose, thoughtless and bullying. His health-care bill was ambitious to the point of destructiveness and, finally, so chaotic that today no citizen knows where they stand in relation to it. His financial-reform bill seems little more than a short-sighted scapegoating of Wall Street. In foreign policy he has failed to articulate a role for America in the world. We don't know why we do what we do in foreign affairs. George W. Bush at least made a valiant stab at an American rationale—democratization—but with Mr. Obama there is nothing.
All this would be enough to explain the disillusionment with this president—and with the Democratic Party that he leads. But there is also a deeper disjunction. There is an "otherness" about Mr. Obama, the sense that he is somehow not truly American. "Birthers" doubt that he was born on American soil. Others believe that he is secretly a Muslim, or in quiet simpatico with his old friends, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers, now icons of American radicalism.
But Barack Obama is not an "other" so much as he is a child of the 1960s. His coming of age paralleled exactly the unfolding of a new "counterculture" American identity. And this new American identity—and the post-1960s liberalism it spawned—is grounded in a remarkable irony: bad faith in America as virtue itself, bad faith in the classic American identity of constitutional freedom and capitalism as the way to a better America. So Mr. Obama is very definitely an American, and he has a broad American constituency. He is simply the first president we have seen grounded in this counterculture American identity. When he bows to foreign leaders, he is not displaying "otherness" but the counterculture Americanism of honorable self-effacement in which America acknowledges its own capacity for evil as prelude to engagement.
Bad faith in America became virtuous in the '60s when America finally acknowledged so many of its flagrant hypocrisies: the segregation of blacks, the suppression of women, the exploitation of other minorities, the "imperialism" of the Vietnam War, the indifference to the environment, the hypocrisy of puritanical sexual mores and so on. The compounding of all these hypocrisies added up to the crowning idea of the '60s: that America was characterologically evil. Thus the only way back to decency and moral authority was through bad faith in America and its institutions, through the presumption that evil was America's natural default position.
Among today's liberal elite, bad faith in America is a sophistication, a kind of hipness. More importantly, it is the perfect formula for political and governmental power. It rationalizes power in the name of intervening against evil—I will use the government to intervene against the evil tendencies of American life (economic inequality, structural racism and sexism, corporate greed, neglect of the environment and so on), so I need your vote.
"Hope and Change" positioned Mr. Obama as a conduit between an old America worn down by its evil inclinations and a new America redeemed of those inclinations. There was no vision of the future in "Hope and Change." It is an expression of bad faith in America, but its great ingenuity was to turn that bad faith into political motivation, into votes.
But there is a limit to bad faith as power, and Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party may have now reached that limit. The great weakness of bad faith is that it disallows American exceptionalism as a rationale for power. It puts Mr. Obama and the Democrats in the position of forever redeeming a fallen nation, rather than leading a great nation. They bet on America's characterological evil and not on her sense of fairness, generosity or ingenuity.
When bad faith is your framework (Michelle Obama never being proud of her country until it supported her husband), then you become more a national scold than a real leader. You lead out of a feeling that your opposition is really only the latest incarnation of that old characterological evil that you always knew was there. Thus the tea party—despite all the evidence to the contrary—is seen as racist and bigoted.
But isn't the tea party, on some level, a reaction to a president who seems not to fully trust the fundamental decency of the American people? Doesn't the tea party fill a void left open by Mr. Obama's ethos of bad faith? Aren't tea partiers, and their many fellow travelers, simply saying that American exceptionalism isn't racism? And if the mainstream media see tea partiers as bumpkins and racists, isn't this just more bad faith—characterizing people as ignorant or evil so as to dismiss them?
Our great presidents have been stewards, men who broadly identified with the whole of America. Stewardship meant responsibility even for those segments of America where one might be reviled. Surely Mr. Obama would claim such stewardship. But he has functioned more as a redeemer than a steward, a leader who sees a badness in us from which we must be redeemed. Many Americans are afraid of this because a mandate as grandiose as redemption justifies a vast expansion of government. A redeemer can't just tweak and guide a faltering economy; he will need a trillion- dollar stimulus package. He can't take on health care a step at a time; he must do it all at once, finally mandating that every citizen buy in.
Next week's election is, among other things, a referendum on the idea of president-as- redeemer. We have a president so determined to transform and redeem us from what we are that, by his own words, he is willing to risk being a one-term president. People now wonder if Barack Obama can pivot back to the center like Bill Clinton did after his set-back in '94. But Mr. Clinton was already a steward, a policy wonk, a man of the center. Mr. Obama has to change archetypes.
Mr. Steele is a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution
Mr Steele has nailed exactly how the country feels.
Michael Mack
An American
By SHELBY STEELE Oct 27, 2010
Whether or not the Republicans win big next week, it is already clear that the "transformative" aspirations of the Obama presidency—the special promise of this first black president to "change" us into a better society—are much less likely to materialize. There will be enough Republican gains to make the "no" in the "party of no" even more formidable, if not definitive.
But apart from this politics of numbers, there is also now a deepening disenchantment with Barack Obama himself. (He has a meager 37% approval rating by the latest Harris poll.) His embarrassed supporters console themselves that their intentions were good; their vote helped make history. But for Mr. Obama himself there is no road back to the charisma and political capital he enjoyed on his inauguration day.
How is it that Barack Obama could step into the presidency with an air of inevitability and then, in less than two years, find himself unwelcome at the campaign rallies of many of his fellow Democrats?
The first answer is well-known: His policymaking has been grandiose, thoughtless and bullying. His health-care bill was ambitious to the point of destructiveness and, finally, so chaotic that today no citizen knows where they stand in relation to it. His financial-reform bill seems little more than a short-sighted scapegoating of Wall Street. In foreign policy he has failed to articulate a role for America in the world. We don't know why we do what we do in foreign affairs. George W. Bush at least made a valiant stab at an American rationale—democratization—but with Mr. Obama there is nothing.
All this would be enough to explain the disillusionment with this president—and with the Democratic Party that he leads. But there is also a deeper disjunction. There is an "otherness" about Mr. Obama, the sense that he is somehow not truly American. "Birthers" doubt that he was born on American soil. Others believe that he is secretly a Muslim, or in quiet simpatico with his old friends, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers, now icons of American radicalism.
But Barack Obama is not an "other" so much as he is a child of the 1960s. His coming of age paralleled exactly the unfolding of a new "counterculture" American identity. And this new American identity—and the post-1960s liberalism it spawned—is grounded in a remarkable irony: bad faith in America as virtue itself, bad faith in the classic American identity of constitutional freedom and capitalism as the way to a better America. So Mr. Obama is very definitely an American, and he has a broad American constituency. He is simply the first president we have seen grounded in this counterculture American identity. When he bows to foreign leaders, he is not displaying "otherness" but the counterculture Americanism of honorable self-effacement in which America acknowledges its own capacity for evil as prelude to engagement.
Bad faith in America became virtuous in the '60s when America finally acknowledged so many of its flagrant hypocrisies: the segregation of blacks, the suppression of women, the exploitation of other minorities, the "imperialism" of the Vietnam War, the indifference to the environment, the hypocrisy of puritanical sexual mores and so on. The compounding of all these hypocrisies added up to the crowning idea of the '60s: that America was characterologically evil. Thus the only way back to decency and moral authority was through bad faith in America and its institutions, through the presumption that evil was America's natural default position.
Among today's liberal elite, bad faith in America is a sophistication, a kind of hipness. More importantly, it is the perfect formula for political and governmental power. It rationalizes power in the name of intervening against evil—I will use the government to intervene against the evil tendencies of American life (economic inequality, structural racism and sexism, corporate greed, neglect of the environment and so on), so I need your vote.
"Hope and Change" positioned Mr. Obama as a conduit between an old America worn down by its evil inclinations and a new America redeemed of those inclinations. There was no vision of the future in "Hope and Change." It is an expression of bad faith in America, but its great ingenuity was to turn that bad faith into political motivation, into votes.
But there is a limit to bad faith as power, and Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party may have now reached that limit. The great weakness of bad faith is that it disallows American exceptionalism as a rationale for power. It puts Mr. Obama and the Democrats in the position of forever redeeming a fallen nation, rather than leading a great nation. They bet on America's characterological evil and not on her sense of fairness, generosity or ingenuity.
When bad faith is your framework (Michelle Obama never being proud of her country until it supported her husband), then you become more a national scold than a real leader. You lead out of a feeling that your opposition is really only the latest incarnation of that old characterological evil that you always knew was there. Thus the tea party—despite all the evidence to the contrary—is seen as racist and bigoted.
But isn't the tea party, on some level, a reaction to a president who seems not to fully trust the fundamental decency of the American people? Doesn't the tea party fill a void left open by Mr. Obama's ethos of bad faith? Aren't tea partiers, and their many fellow travelers, simply saying that American exceptionalism isn't racism? And if the mainstream media see tea partiers as bumpkins and racists, isn't this just more bad faith—characterizing people as ignorant or evil so as to dismiss them?
Our great presidents have been stewards, men who broadly identified with the whole of America. Stewardship meant responsibility even for those segments of America where one might be reviled. Surely Mr. Obama would claim such stewardship. But he has functioned more as a redeemer than a steward, a leader who sees a badness in us from which we must be redeemed. Many Americans are afraid of this because a mandate as grandiose as redemption justifies a vast expansion of government. A redeemer can't just tweak and guide a faltering economy; he will need a trillion- dollar stimulus package. He can't take on health care a step at a time; he must do it all at once, finally mandating that every citizen buy in.
Next week's election is, among other things, a referendum on the idea of president-as- redeemer. We have a president so determined to transform and redeem us from what we are that, by his own words, he is willing to risk being a one-term president. People now wonder if Barack Obama can pivot back to the center like Bill Clinton did after his set-back in '94. But Mr. Clinton was already a steward, a policy wonk, a man of the center. Mr. Obama has to change archetypes.
Mr. Steele is a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution
Mr Steele has nailed exactly how the country feels.
Michael Mack
An American
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A Tale of Two Preidents - President Obama and President Pinera Who is the TRUE Leader?
A tale of 2 Presidents – President Obama of the United States and President Sebastion Pinera of Chile’
Chile’ Mine Disaster
A chronology of the disaster and rescue operation to date:
• August 5: A mine shaft caves-in at a depth of 300 meters (984 feet) in the San Jose mine, 500 miles (800 kilometers) north of Santiago.
• August 6: Chilean President Sebastian Pinera says his government will do “everything humanly possible” to rescue 33 missing miners.
• August 7: New cave-ins complicate attempts for a direct rescue through a ventilation duct.
• August 12: Mining Minister Laurence Golborne says the chances of finding the miners alive are slim.
• August 22: A drill probe reaches the miners and they attach a note to it saying: “All 33 of us are well inside the shelter.” The first video footage shows the miners waving their arms and apparently in good condition.
• August 23: The trapped miners beg to be rescued soon and receive first supplies via a pipeline.
• August 25: Chilean officials tell the miners it could be months before they are rescued. They exchange their first letters with their families.
• August 26: A Chilean judge orders 1.8 million dollars to be frozen from the accounts of the mine in order to pay future compensation claims.
• August 29: The miners move camp to a drier, cooler site deeper inside the mine. They also speak for the first time with their loved ones by radio-telephone.
• August 30: Rescuers start drilling a first 30-centimeter (12-inch) pilot hole, aiming for the shelter.
• September 4: The miners hold a first videoconference with their families.
• September 18: A second drill reaches the level of the miners, but its 630-meter (2,070-foot) deep hole must now be widened.
• September 19: A third, more powerful drill starts work on another shaft.
• September 30: Families of 29 of the 33 workers file suit against their employer, seeking 12 million dollars in damages.
• October 9: The main rescue shaft breaks through to where the miners are trapped.
• October: Some 69 days after their ordeal began, the first miner, Florencio Avalos, is pulled to the surface in a specially designed steel cage winched up through the rescue shaft.
October 13th Last miner rescued embraces president they have a conversation about the incident. The president leads the entire country and the entire group of Hundreds of people at the rescue site in singing the Chile’national anthem and saluting the Flag.
BP Oil Disaster
A chronology of the disaster and cleanup operation to date:
April 18th Obama plays golf.
April 20: Deepwater Horizon Explosion. 52 miles off the coast of Louisiana 11 crew members are killed.
April 20th to June 25th Obama plays golf 7 times.
April 22: Deep Water Horizon sinks 36 hours after the Well explodes, the pipe connecting the well breaks.
April24: Oil Leak discovered 5,000 feet below surface..
April 25: Romote control robots try to close the well.
April 26: Senators call for Investigation on offshore drilling and reevaluation of Coast guard resources to deal with emergencies.
Leak estimated at 42,000 gallons per day. Oil appears on surface in 600 sq. mile oil slick.
April 29: Oil approaches Louisiana coast Bobby Jindal declares state of emergency.
Interior Department say oil leak could last 3 months, Coast Guard Rear Admiral says we are prepared for the worst. BP is a very responsible spiller.
Robert Gibbs assures American People the President is deeply involved in the Oil Spill.
April 30 White House restates position about Morotorium and no new drilling will be authorized.
May2 White House “ We are stepping on the neck of BP”
Obama makes visit to Gulf coast “your governmet will do whatever it takes to to stop the crisis, plus BP will be payihn the bill.
May 3rd BP CEO Tony Hayward says BP will pay for clean up.
Gulf Fishing Shut down
May 4th BP sprays dispersants in Gulf
Oil hits barrier islands in Louisiana
May 5th Small leak capped
May 7th Containment dome lowered
May 8th Containment dome failed
May 11th BP blames Transocean for leak.
Secretary of Interior calls for MMS Reform
May 14th BP lowballs leak flow to 210,000 gallons per day.
May 18th No fishing zone expanded
May 20th Spill Cam goes live.
May 21 – Obama appoints Spill Commission
May 26th Top Kill begins – effort to plug leak
May 27 President Obama announces a 6 month extension of the moratorium on Oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico. Reiterates Oil spill is my “ highest priority”
also the MMS Head Resigns.
June 1 Department of Justice launches Criminal Probe
June 11 Obama attends Washington National’s baseball game.
June 12th Obama plays golf
July 15th Oil leak capped after 85 days and 189 million gallons leaked
Attached is an article from Martin Sieff, I could not say it any better……
What a man is this President Sebastian Pinera of Chile! He believes in God and is not afraid to say so. He doesn't care about being ridiculed by the American Civil Liberties Union or its Chilean equivalent: He orders church bells to be rung to celebrate the amazing, truly miraculous rescue of 33 miners trapped underground for more than two months in his country's San Jose mine.
Pinera doesn't give endlessly long speeches that are packed with so many weightless, meaningless clichés that they rise out of sight and out of memory as soon as the worthless, empty words are uttered. When Sebastian Pinera simply says, “We are not the same Chile we were 69 days ago,” he brings tears to the eyes of millions of people far beyond the borders of his own admirable country.
In other words, Sebastian Pinera is not Barack Obama. Pinera is a real leader for the 21st century. He is a real man.
President Pinera did not sit back passively when the miners were trapped. He did not show his so-called, metrosexual, 21st century cool head and so-called “emotional balance” by showing no passion. He felt it and he showed it.
Pinera put his presidency on the line by committing himself publicly to make sure those miners were rescued come what may. How Rahm Emanuel must have laughed.
But did we get any leadership like that when BP (Yes – that’s BRITISH Petroleum, or maybe we should start calling them RUSSIAN Petroleum (RP) since they're investing so heavily in Siberia now) was choking the Gulf of Mexico with an unstoppable deep sea oil leak? The president of the United States you’ll recall, did nothing, absolutely nothing, for months except pout his mouth and grit his teeth – his usual substitute for any effective action on anything.
Obama didn't call in the best experts personally from around the world. He didn't put the vast resources of the United States government or assemble the unmatchable expertise of the U.S. oil industry, the best in the world, on the job. He just sat back passively and let RP -- sorry, BP – make things worse.
Barack Obama and his shameless acolytes like economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, The Washington Post's Richard Cohen and Newsweek's Jonathan Alter, have redefined democratic leadership
as pious, whining, passive, dignified ineptitude. The only time Obama expresses any passion at all is when he’s whimpering about how all those big bad conservative talk show commentators are being so horrible to him.
The Chilean people in their democratically-expressed wisdom picked a brave and magnificent leader as their president. We got an empty suit who makes Jimmy Carter look like Rambo. Can we swap?
Martin Sieff is former Managing Editor, International Affairs, for United Press International. He is the author of “The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Middle East.”
Michael Mack
An American
Chile’ Mine Disaster
A chronology of the disaster and rescue operation to date:
• August 5: A mine shaft caves-in at a depth of 300 meters (984 feet) in the San Jose mine, 500 miles (800 kilometers) north of Santiago.
• August 6: Chilean President Sebastian Pinera says his government will do “everything humanly possible” to rescue 33 missing miners.
• August 7: New cave-ins complicate attempts for a direct rescue through a ventilation duct.
• August 12: Mining Minister Laurence Golborne says the chances of finding the miners alive are slim.
• August 22: A drill probe reaches the miners and they attach a note to it saying: “All 33 of us are well inside the shelter.” The first video footage shows the miners waving their arms and apparently in good condition.
• August 23: The trapped miners beg to be rescued soon and receive first supplies via a pipeline.
• August 25: Chilean officials tell the miners it could be months before they are rescued. They exchange their first letters with their families.
• August 26: A Chilean judge orders 1.8 million dollars to be frozen from the accounts of the mine in order to pay future compensation claims.
• August 29: The miners move camp to a drier, cooler site deeper inside the mine. They also speak for the first time with their loved ones by radio-telephone.
• August 30: Rescuers start drilling a first 30-centimeter (12-inch) pilot hole, aiming for the shelter.
• September 4: The miners hold a first videoconference with their families.
• September 18: A second drill reaches the level of the miners, but its 630-meter (2,070-foot) deep hole must now be widened.
• September 19: A third, more powerful drill starts work on another shaft.
• September 30: Families of 29 of the 33 workers file suit against their employer, seeking 12 million dollars in damages.
• October 9: The main rescue shaft breaks through to where the miners are trapped.
• October: Some 69 days after their ordeal began, the first miner, Florencio Avalos, is pulled to the surface in a specially designed steel cage winched up through the rescue shaft.
October 13th Last miner rescued embraces president they have a conversation about the incident. The president leads the entire country and the entire group of Hundreds of people at the rescue site in singing the Chile’national anthem and saluting the Flag.
BP Oil Disaster
A chronology of the disaster and cleanup operation to date:
April 18th Obama plays golf.
April 20: Deepwater Horizon Explosion. 52 miles off the coast of Louisiana 11 crew members are killed.
April 20th to June 25th Obama plays golf 7 times.
April 22: Deep Water Horizon sinks 36 hours after the Well explodes, the pipe connecting the well breaks.
April24: Oil Leak discovered 5,000 feet below surface..
April 25: Romote control robots try to close the well.
April 26: Senators call for Investigation on offshore drilling and reevaluation of Coast guard resources to deal with emergencies.
Leak estimated at 42,000 gallons per day. Oil appears on surface in 600 sq. mile oil slick.
April 29: Oil approaches Louisiana coast Bobby Jindal declares state of emergency.
Interior Department say oil leak could last 3 months, Coast Guard Rear Admiral says we are prepared for the worst. BP is a very responsible spiller.
Robert Gibbs assures American People the President is deeply involved in the Oil Spill.
April 30 White House restates position about Morotorium and no new drilling will be authorized.
May2 White House “ We are stepping on the neck of BP”
Obama makes visit to Gulf coast “your governmet will do whatever it takes to to stop the crisis, plus BP will be payihn the bill.
May 3rd BP CEO Tony Hayward says BP will pay for clean up.
Gulf Fishing Shut down
May 4th BP sprays dispersants in Gulf
Oil hits barrier islands in Louisiana
May 5th Small leak capped
May 7th Containment dome lowered
May 8th Containment dome failed
May 11th BP blames Transocean for leak.
Secretary of Interior calls for MMS Reform
May 14th BP lowballs leak flow to 210,000 gallons per day.
May 18th No fishing zone expanded
May 20th Spill Cam goes live.
May 21 – Obama appoints Spill Commission
May 26th Top Kill begins – effort to plug leak
May 27 President Obama announces a 6 month extension of the moratorium on Oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico. Reiterates Oil spill is my “ highest priority”
also the MMS Head Resigns.
June 1 Department of Justice launches Criminal Probe
June 11 Obama attends Washington National’s baseball game.
June 12th Obama plays golf
July 15th Oil leak capped after 85 days and 189 million gallons leaked
Attached is an article from Martin Sieff, I could not say it any better……
What a man is this President Sebastian Pinera of Chile! He believes in God and is not afraid to say so. He doesn't care about being ridiculed by the American Civil Liberties Union or its Chilean equivalent: He orders church bells to be rung to celebrate the amazing, truly miraculous rescue of 33 miners trapped underground for more than two months in his country's San Jose mine.
Pinera doesn't give endlessly long speeches that are packed with so many weightless, meaningless clichés that they rise out of sight and out of memory as soon as the worthless, empty words are uttered. When Sebastian Pinera simply says, “We are not the same Chile we were 69 days ago,” he brings tears to the eyes of millions of people far beyond the borders of his own admirable country.
In other words, Sebastian Pinera is not Barack Obama. Pinera is a real leader for the 21st century. He is a real man.
President Pinera did not sit back passively when the miners were trapped. He did not show his so-called, metrosexual, 21st century cool head and so-called “emotional balance” by showing no passion. He felt it and he showed it.
Pinera put his presidency on the line by committing himself publicly to make sure those miners were rescued come what may. How Rahm Emanuel must have laughed.
But did we get any leadership like that when BP (Yes – that’s BRITISH Petroleum, or maybe we should start calling them RUSSIAN Petroleum (RP) since they're investing so heavily in Siberia now) was choking the Gulf of Mexico with an unstoppable deep sea oil leak? The president of the United States you’ll recall, did nothing, absolutely nothing, for months except pout his mouth and grit his teeth – his usual substitute for any effective action on anything.
Obama didn't call in the best experts personally from around the world. He didn't put the vast resources of the United States government or assemble the unmatchable expertise of the U.S. oil industry, the best in the world, on the job. He just sat back passively and let RP -- sorry, BP – make things worse.
Barack Obama and his shameless acolytes like economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, The Washington Post's Richard Cohen and Newsweek's Jonathan Alter, have redefined democratic leadership
as pious, whining, passive, dignified ineptitude. The only time Obama expresses any passion at all is when he’s whimpering about how all those big bad conservative talk show commentators are being so horrible to him.
The Chilean people in their democratically-expressed wisdom picked a brave and magnificent leader as their president. We got an empty suit who makes Jimmy Carter look like Rambo. Can we swap?
Martin Sieff is former Managing Editor, International Affairs, for United Press International. He is the author of “The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Middle East.”
Michael Mack
An American
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
U.S. Government Loaned Mexican Government More Than $1 Billion to Drill Oil in Gulf of Mexico
The U.S. Export-Import Bank, an independent federal agency, loaned more than $1 billion to the Mexican state oil company PEMEX in 2009 to support the company’s oil drilling in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The bank has another $1 billion in loans in the pipeline for 2010, unless Congress objects.
On May 27, after the British Petroleum oil spill, President Obama imposed a moratorium on U.S. deepwater drilling in the Gulf, effecting 33 deepwater drilling rigs in the region.
So let me get this straight? We ban drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, The U.S. Oil Companies layoff Thousands of workers, and now OUR Government loans the Mexican Government $1 Billion dollars so they can drill in the Gulf of Mexico.......
Looks like just another step in the Socialist Plan to Re-Distribute wealth away from the U.S. and give the jobs to a poorer country. The results will be, put the workers on unemployment benefits, the jobs will not return, the workers will draw unemployment, loose their homes, some will file for bankruptcy...Just another day in Washington DC.
The people in Washington wants you to believe they have your back.. Yeah Right!!
Time for a change the President's plan is to destroy this country and the democratic congress is a rubber stamp. There is not a Tea Party candidate or true conservative that would vote for this...Remember That!!
Michael Mack
An American
On May 27, after the British Petroleum oil spill, President Obama imposed a moratorium on U.S. deepwater drilling in the Gulf, effecting 33 deepwater drilling rigs in the region.
So let me get this straight? We ban drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, The U.S. Oil Companies layoff Thousands of workers, and now OUR Government loans the Mexican Government $1 Billion dollars so they can drill in the Gulf of Mexico.......
Looks like just another step in the Socialist Plan to Re-Distribute wealth away from the U.S. and give the jobs to a poorer country. The results will be, put the workers on unemployment benefits, the jobs will not return, the workers will draw unemployment, loose their homes, some will file for bankruptcy...Just another day in Washington DC.
The people in Washington wants you to believe they have your back.. Yeah Right!!
Time for a change the President's plan is to destroy this country and the democratic congress is a rubber stamp. There is not a Tea Party candidate or true conservative that would vote for this...Remember That!!
Michael Mack
An American
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Chrysler's Been Railroaded!
Chrysler's Been Railroaded!
This could be a scandal of epic proportions and one that makes Nixon's
Watergate or Clinton 's Monica Lewinsky affair pale by comparison. Why
was there neither rhyme nor reason as to which dealerships of the
Chrysler Corporation were to be closed?
Roll the clock back to the weeks just before Chrysler declared
bankruptcy. Chrysler, like GM, was in dire financial straits and
federal government "graciously" offered to "buy the company" and keep
them out of bankruptcy and "save jobs."
Chrysler was, in the words of Obama and his administration, "Too big
to fail," same story with GM.
The feds organized their "Automotive Task Force" to fix Chrysler and
GM. Obama, in an act that is 100% unconstitutional, appointed a guy
named Steve Rattner to be the White House's official Car Czar -
literally, that's what his title is.
Rattner is the liaison between Obama, Chrysler, and GM.
Initially, the national media reported that Chrysler 'had made this
list of dealerships'. Not true!
The Washington Examiner, Newsmax, Fox News and a host of other news
agencies discovered that the list of dealerships was put together by
the "Automotive Task Force" headed by no one other than Mr. Steve
Rattner.
Now the plot thickens.
Remember earlier we said that there was neither rhyme nor reason why
certain dealerships were closed?
Actually there's a very interesting pattern as to who was closed down.
Again, on May 27, 2009, The Washington Examiner and Newsmax exposed
the connection.
Amazingly, of the 789 dealerships closed by the federal government,
788 had donated money, exclusively to Republican political causes,
while contributing nothing to Democratic political causes. The only
"Democratic" dealership on the list was found to have donated $7,700
to Hillary's campaign, and a bit over $2,000 to John Edwards. This
same dealership, reportedly, also gave $200.00 to Obama's campaign.
Does that seem a little odd to you?
Steve Rattner is the guy who put the list together. Well, he happens
to be married to a Maureen White. Maureen happens to be the former
national finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As
such, she has access to campaign donation records from everyone in the
nation- Republican or Democrat. But of course, this is just a wacky
"coincidence," we're certain.
Then comes another really wacky "coincidence."
On that list of dealerships being closed down, a weird thing happened
in Arkansas , North Louisiana, and Southern Missouri . It seems that
Bill Clinton's former White House Chief of Staff, Mack McClarty, owns
a chain of dealership in that region, partnered with a fellow by the
name of Robert Johnson.
Johnson happens to be founder of Black Entertainment Television and
was a huge Obama supporter and financier.
These guys own a half dozen Chrysler stores under the company title of
RLJ-McClarty-Landers. Interestingly, none of their dealerships were
ordered closed - not one!
While all of their competing Chrysler/Dodge and Jeep dealership were!
Eight dealerships located near the dealerships owned by McClarty and
Johnson were ordered shut down. Thus by pure luck, these two major
Obama supporters now have virtual monopoly on Chrysler sales in their
zone.
Isn't that amazing?
Go look in The Washington Examiner, the story's there, and it's in a
dozen or so other web-based news organizations; this isn't being made
up.
Now if you thought Chrysler was owned by Fiat, you are mistaken. Under
the federal court ruling, 65% of Chrysler is now owned by the federal
government and the United Auto Workers union!
Fiat owns 20%.
The other 15% is still privately owned and presumably will be traded
on the stock market. Obama smiles and says he doesn't want to run the
auto industry.
As horrifying as this is to comprehend, and being as how this used to
be the United States of America , it would appear that the president has
the power to destroy private businesses and eliminate upwards of
100,000 jobs just because they don't agree with his political agenda.
This is Nazi Germany stuff, and it's happening right here, right now,
in our back yard.
There are voices in Washington demanding an explanation, but the
"Automotive Task Force" has released no information to the public or
to any of the senators demanding answers for what has been done.
Keep your ear to the ground for more on this story. If you've ever
wanted to make a difference about anything in your life, get on the
phone to your national senator or representative in the House and
demand an investigation into this.
Benjamin Franklin had it right when he said, "All that's necessary for
evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
Car Czar No More
An amazing thing happened as this story was going to press. Obama's
Car Czar, Steve Rattner, resigned on July 13 and was promptly replaced
by former steel workers union boss Ron Bloom.
According to CBS News, Rattner left "to return to private life and
spend time with his family."
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said, "I hope that he takes another
opportunity to bring his unique skills to government service in the
future."
By the way, Rattner is under investigation for a multi-million dollar
pay-to-play investment bank scandal in New York ....
Uh-oh!
But, we're certain that had nothing to do with his resignation.
And, according to several news sources out there, there are rumors
he's being investigated for what could be pay-to-play scandal
involving the closing of Chrysler and GM dealerships. Really? Again,
that couldn't have anything to with his resignation-that's ridiculous!
Like CBS said, this guy just wants to "spend more quality time with
his family."
Obama has 32 personally appointed "czars" who answer to no one but
him, all of whom are acting without any Constitutional authority.
But hey, we're sure they all have "unique skills,"......as Tim
Geithner likes to say!
SOOOOO, HOW'S THE CHANGE WORKING FOR YOU?..
Check it out at the following websites.....
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Furor-grows-over-partisan-car-dealer-closings-46261447.html
on the part of our government! I hope you will spread this far and
wide, and hopefully the taxpaying public will demand some of that
transparency we were promised......followed by criminal prosecution of
the perpetrators!
What a crooked government, we have!!!!! Vote 'em all out...November, 2010!
This could be a scandal of epic proportions and one that makes Nixon's
Watergate or Clinton 's Monica Lewinsky affair pale by comparison. Why
was there neither rhyme nor reason as to which dealerships of the
Chrysler Corporation were to be closed?
Roll the clock back to the weeks just before Chrysler declared
bankruptcy. Chrysler, like GM, was in dire financial straits and
federal government "graciously" offered to "buy the company" and keep
them out of bankruptcy and "save jobs."
Chrysler was, in the words of Obama and his administration, "Too big
to fail," same story with GM.
The feds organized their "Automotive Task Force" to fix Chrysler and
GM. Obama, in an act that is 100% unconstitutional, appointed a guy
named Steve Rattner to be the White House's official Car Czar -
literally, that's what his title is.
Rattner is the liaison between Obama, Chrysler, and GM.
Initially, the national media reported that Chrysler 'had made this
list of dealerships'. Not true!
The Washington Examiner, Newsmax, Fox News and a host of other news
agencies discovered that the list of dealerships was put together by
the "Automotive Task Force" headed by no one other than Mr. Steve
Rattner.
Now the plot thickens.
Remember earlier we said that there was neither rhyme nor reason why
certain dealerships were closed?
Actually there's a very interesting pattern as to who was closed down.
Again, on May 27, 2009, The Washington Examiner and Newsmax exposed
the connection.
Amazingly, of the 789 dealerships closed by the federal government,
788 had donated money, exclusively to Republican political causes,
while contributing nothing to Democratic political causes. The only
"Democratic" dealership on the list was found to have donated $7,700
to Hillary's campaign, and a bit over $2,000 to John Edwards. This
same dealership, reportedly, also gave $200.00 to Obama's campaign.
Does that seem a little odd to you?
Steve Rattner is the guy who put the list together. Well, he happens
to be married to a Maureen White. Maureen happens to be the former
national finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As
such, she has access to campaign donation records from everyone in the
nation- Republican or Democrat. But of course, this is just a wacky
"coincidence," we're certain.
Then comes another really wacky "coincidence."
On that list of dealerships being closed down, a weird thing happened
in Arkansas , North Louisiana, and Southern Missouri . It seems that
Bill Clinton's former White House Chief of Staff, Mack McClarty, owns
a chain of dealership in that region, partnered with a fellow by the
name of Robert Johnson.
Johnson happens to be founder of Black Entertainment Television and
was a huge Obama supporter and financier.
These guys own a half dozen Chrysler stores under the company title of
RLJ-McClarty-Landers. Interestingly, none of their dealerships were
ordered closed - not one!
While all of their competing Chrysler/Dodge and Jeep dealership were!
Eight dealerships located near the dealerships owned by McClarty and
Johnson were ordered shut down. Thus by pure luck, these two major
Obama supporters now have virtual monopoly on Chrysler sales in their
zone.
Isn't that amazing?
Go look in The Washington Examiner, the story's there, and it's in a
dozen or so other web-based news organizations; this isn't being made
up.
Now if you thought Chrysler was owned by Fiat, you are mistaken. Under
the federal court ruling, 65% of Chrysler is now owned by the federal
government and the United Auto Workers union!
Fiat owns 20%.
The other 15% is still privately owned and presumably will be traded
on the stock market. Obama smiles and says he doesn't want to run the
auto industry.
As horrifying as this is to comprehend, and being as how this used to
be the United States of America , it would appear that the president has
the power to destroy private businesses and eliminate upwards of
100,000 jobs just because they don't agree with his political agenda.
This is Nazi Germany stuff, and it's happening right here, right now,
in our back yard.
There are voices in Washington demanding an explanation, but the
"Automotive Task Force" has released no information to the public or
to any of the senators demanding answers for what has been done.
Keep your ear to the ground for more on this story. If you've ever
wanted to make a difference about anything in your life, get on the
phone to your national senator or representative in the House and
demand an investigation into this.
Benjamin Franklin had it right when he said, "All that's necessary for
evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
Car Czar No More
An amazing thing happened as this story was going to press. Obama's
Car Czar, Steve Rattner, resigned on July 13 and was promptly replaced
by former steel workers union boss Ron Bloom.
According to CBS News, Rattner left "to return to private life and
spend time with his family."
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said, "I hope that he takes another
opportunity to bring his unique skills to government service in the
future."
By the way, Rattner is under investigation for a multi-million dollar
pay-to-play investment bank scandal in New York ....
Uh-oh!
But, we're certain that had nothing to do with his resignation.
And, according to several news sources out there, there are rumors
he's being investigated for what could be pay-to-play scandal
involving the closing of Chrysler and GM dealerships. Really? Again,
that couldn't have anything to with his resignation-that's ridiculous!
Like CBS said, this guy just wants to "spend more quality time with
his family."
Obama has 32 personally appointed "czars" who answer to no one but
him, all of whom are acting without any Constitutional authority.
But hey, we're sure they all have "unique skills,"......as Tim
Geithner likes to say!
SOOOOO, HOW'S THE CHANGE WORKING FOR YOU?..
Check it out at the following websites.....
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Furor-grows-over-partisan-car-dealer-closings-46261447.html
on the part of our government! I hope you will spread this far and
wide, and hopefully the taxpaying public will demand some of that
transparency we were promised......followed by criminal prosecution of
the perpetrators!
What a crooked government, we have!!!!! Vote 'em all out...November, 2010!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Islam is the Greatest Threat to America Today
Adapted from Dr. Peter Hammond's book: Slavery, Terrorism and Islam:
· The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat
Islam is not a religion, nor is it a cult. In its fullest form, it is a complete, total, 100% system of life.
Islam has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. The religious component is a beard for all of the other components.
Islamization begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their religious privileges.
When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious privileges, some of the other components tend to creep in as well.
Here's how it works:
As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be for the most part be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens. This is the case in:
United States à Muslim 0.6%
Australia à Muslim 1.5%
Canada à Muslim 1.9%
China à Muslim 1.8%
Italy à Muslim 1.5%
Norway à Muslim 1.8%
At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs. This is happening in:
Denmark à Muslim 2%
Germany à Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom à Muslim 2.7%
Spain à Muslim 4%
Thailand à Muslim 4.6%
From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves -- along with threats for failure to comply. This is occurring in:
France à Muslim 8%
Philippines à 5%
Sweden à Muslim 5%
Switzerland à Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands à Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad & Tobago à Muslim 5.8%
At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the entire world.
When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris, we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non-Muslim action offends Islam and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Amsterdam, with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam. Such tensions are seen
daily, particularly in Muslim sections in:
Guyana à Muslim 10%
India à Muslim 13.4%
Israel à Muslim 16%
Kenya à Muslim 10%
Russia à Muslim 15%
After reaching 20%, nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad
militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian
churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in:
Ethiopia à Muslim 32.8%
At 40%, nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks,
and ongoing militia warfare, such as in:
Bosnia à Muslim 40%
Chad à Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon à Muslim 59.7%
From 60%, nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels, such as in:
Albania à Muslim 70%
Malaysia à Muslim 60.4%
Qatar à Muslim 77.5%
Sudan à Muslim 70%
After 80%, expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run
ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the
infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and
in some ways is on-going in:
Bangladesh à Muslim 83%
Egypt à Muslim 90%
Gaza à Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia à Muslim 86.1%
Iran à Muslim 98%
Iraq à Muslim 97%
Jordan à Muslim 92%
Morocco à Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan à Muslim 97%
Palestine à Muslim 99%
Syria à Muslim 90%
Tajikistan à Muslim 90%
Turkey à Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates à Muslim 96%
100% will usher in the peace of 'Dar-es-Salaam' -- the Islamic House of Peace. Here there's supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Madrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in:
Afghanistan à Muslim 100%
Saudi Arabia à Muslim 100%
Somalia à Muslim 100%
Yemen à Muslim 100%
Unfortunately, peace is never achieved, as in these 100% states the most radical Muslims intimidate and spew hatred, and satisfy their blood lust by killing less radical Muslims, for a variety of reasons.
'Before I was nine, I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; the tribe against the world, and all of us against the infidel. -- Leon Uris, 'TheHaj'
It is important to understand that in some countries, with well under 100% Muslim populations, such as France, the minority Muslim populations live in ghettos, within which they are 100% Muslim, and within which they live by Sharia Law. The national police do not even enter these ghettos. There are no national courts, nor schools, nor non-Muslim religious facilities. In such situations, Muslims do not integrate into the community at large. The children attend madrasses. They learn only
the Koran. To even associate with an infidel is a crime punishable with death. Therefore, in some areas of certain nations, Muslim Imams and extremists exercise more power than the national average would indicate.
Today's 1.5 billion Muslims make up 22% of the world's population. But their birth rates dwarf the birth rates of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and all other believers. Muslims will exceed 50% of the world's population by the end of this century.
Well, boys and girls, today we are letting the fox guard the henhouse. The wolves will be herding the sheep!
Obama appoints two devout Muslims to Homeland Security posts. Doesn't this make you feel safer already?
Obama and Janet Napolitano appoint Arif Alikhan, a devout Muslim, as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development.
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano swore in Kareem Shora, a devout Muslim who was born in Damascus, Syria, as ADC National Executive Director as a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC).
NOTE: Has anyone ever heard a new government official being identified as a devout Catholic, a devout Jew or a devout Protestant...? Just wondering.
Devout Muslims being appointed to critical Homeland Security positions?
Doesn't this make you feel safer already??
That should make the US' homeland much safer, huh!!
Was it not "Devout Muslim men" that flew planes into U.S. buildings 8 years ago?
Was it not a Devout Muslim who killed 13 at Fort Hood?
Also: This is very interesting and we all need to read it from start to finish. Maybe this is why our American Muslims are so quiet and not speaking out about any atrocities.
Can a good Muslim be a good American? This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.
The following is his reply:
Theologically à no � Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon God of Arabia
Religiously à no � Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256)(Koran)
Scripturally à no � Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.
Geographically à no � Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he turns in prayer five times a day.
Socially à no � Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews..
Politically à no � Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America, the great Satan.
Domestically à no � Because he is instructed to marry four Women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34)
Intellectually à no � Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.
Philosophically à no � Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression.. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.
Spiritually à no � Because when we declare 'one nation under God,' the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names.
Therefore, after much study and deliberation....
Perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. - - - They obviously cannot be both 'good' Muslims and good Americans.
Call it what you wish, it's still the truth. You had better believe it. The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future. The religious war is bigger than we know or understand.
Can a Muslim be a good soldier???
Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, opened fire at Ft. Hood and Killed 13. He is a good Muslim!!!
Footnote: The Muslims have said they will destroy us from within.
· SO FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
· THE MARINES WANT THIS TO ROLL ALL OVER THE U.S.
· The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat
Islam is not a religion, nor is it a cult. In its fullest form, it is a complete, total, 100% system of life.
Islam has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. The religious component is a beard for all of the other components.
Islamization begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their religious privileges.
When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious privileges, some of the other components tend to creep in as well.
Here's how it works:
As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be for the most part be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens. This is the case in:
United States à Muslim 0.6%
Australia à Muslim 1.5%
Canada à Muslim 1.9%
China à Muslim 1.8%
Italy à Muslim 1.5%
Norway à Muslim 1.8%
At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs. This is happening in:
Denmark à Muslim 2%
Germany à Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom à Muslim 2.7%
Spain à Muslim 4%
Thailand à Muslim 4.6%
From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves -- along with threats for failure to comply. This is occurring in:
France à Muslim 8%
Philippines à 5%
Sweden à Muslim 5%
Switzerland à Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands à Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad & Tobago à Muslim 5.8%
At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the entire world.
When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris, we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non-Muslim action offends Islam and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Amsterdam, with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam. Such tensions are seen
daily, particularly in Muslim sections in:
Guyana à Muslim 10%
India à Muslim 13.4%
Israel à Muslim 16%
Kenya à Muslim 10%
Russia à Muslim 15%
After reaching 20%, nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad
militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian
churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in:
Ethiopia à Muslim 32.8%
At 40%, nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks,
and ongoing militia warfare, such as in:
Bosnia à Muslim 40%
Chad à Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon à Muslim 59.7%
From 60%, nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels, such as in:
Albania à Muslim 70%
Malaysia à Muslim 60.4%
Qatar à Muslim 77.5%
Sudan à Muslim 70%
After 80%, expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run
ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the
infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and
in some ways is on-going in:
Bangladesh à Muslim 83%
Egypt à Muslim 90%
Gaza à Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia à Muslim 86.1%
Iran à Muslim 98%
Iraq à Muslim 97%
Jordan à Muslim 92%
Morocco à Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan à Muslim 97%
Palestine à Muslim 99%
Syria à Muslim 90%
Tajikistan à Muslim 90%
Turkey à Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates à Muslim 96%
100% will usher in the peace of 'Dar-es-Salaam' -- the Islamic House of Peace. Here there's supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Madrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in:
Afghanistan à Muslim 100%
Saudi Arabia à Muslim 100%
Somalia à Muslim 100%
Yemen à Muslim 100%
Unfortunately, peace is never achieved, as in these 100% states the most radical Muslims intimidate and spew hatred, and satisfy their blood lust by killing less radical Muslims, for a variety of reasons.
'Before I was nine, I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; the tribe against the world, and all of us against the infidel. -- Leon Uris, 'TheHaj'
It is important to understand that in some countries, with well under 100% Muslim populations, such as France, the minority Muslim populations live in ghettos, within which they are 100% Muslim, and within which they live by Sharia Law. The national police do not even enter these ghettos. There are no national courts, nor schools, nor non-Muslim religious facilities. In such situations, Muslims do not integrate into the community at large. The children attend madrasses. They learn only
the Koran. To even associate with an infidel is a crime punishable with death. Therefore, in some areas of certain nations, Muslim Imams and extremists exercise more power than the national average would indicate.
Today's 1.5 billion Muslims make up 22% of the world's population. But their birth rates dwarf the birth rates of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and all other believers. Muslims will exceed 50% of the world's population by the end of this century.
Well, boys and girls, today we are letting the fox guard the henhouse. The wolves will be herding the sheep!
Obama appoints two devout Muslims to Homeland Security posts. Doesn't this make you feel safer already?
Obama and Janet Napolitano appoint Arif Alikhan, a devout Muslim, as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development.
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano swore in Kareem Shora, a devout Muslim who was born in Damascus, Syria, as ADC National Executive Director as a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC).
NOTE: Has anyone ever heard a new government official being identified as a devout Catholic, a devout Jew or a devout Protestant...? Just wondering.
Devout Muslims being appointed to critical Homeland Security positions?
Doesn't this make you feel safer already??
That should make the US' homeland much safer, huh!!
Was it not "Devout Muslim men" that flew planes into U.S. buildings 8 years ago?
Was it not a Devout Muslim who killed 13 at Fort Hood?
Also: This is very interesting and we all need to read it from start to finish. Maybe this is why our American Muslims are so quiet and not speaking out about any atrocities.
Can a good Muslim be a good American? This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.
The following is his reply:
Theologically à no � Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon God of Arabia
Religiously à no � Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256)(Koran)
Scripturally à no � Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.
Geographically à no � Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he turns in prayer five times a day.
Socially à no � Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews..
Politically à no � Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America, the great Satan.
Domestically à no � Because he is instructed to marry four Women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34)
Intellectually à no � Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.
Philosophically à no � Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression.. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.
Spiritually à no � Because when we declare 'one nation under God,' the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names.
Therefore, after much study and deliberation....
Perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. - - - They obviously cannot be both 'good' Muslims and good Americans.
Call it what you wish, it's still the truth. You had better believe it. The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future. The religious war is bigger than we know or understand.
Can a Muslim be a good soldier???
Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, opened fire at Ft. Hood and Killed 13. He is a good Muslim!!!
Footnote: The Muslims have said they will destroy us from within.
· SO FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
· THE MARINES WANT THIS TO ROLL ALL OVER THE U.S.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Financial Meltdown on the Horizon..and Obama tells you things are great!
As another example of President Obama's lack of leadership and inability to make a decisive decisions, Obama has appointed a committee to examine the future of the economy...a rope a dope move to side step a decision, and show no leadership.
The two leaders -- former Republican senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming and Erskine Bowles, White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton
Bowles said that unlike the current economic crisis, which was largely unforeseen before it hit in fall 2008, the coming fiscal calamity is staring the country in the face. "This one is as clear as a bell," he said. "This debt is like a cancer."
I disagree with Bowles 2008 was not unforseen - the federal government over the last 20 years pushed the mortgage industry so hard to get minority home ownership up, that it undermined the country's financial foundation to achieve its goal.
"Home mortgages have been a political piñata for many decades," writes Stan J. Liebowitz, economics professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, in a chapter of his, Housing America: Building out of a Crisis.
Liebowitz likewise predicted in a 1998 paper the risk of sacrificing sound financial policy for social activism.
Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.)upon taking office Christie declared a state of emergency, signing an executive order that froze spending, and then, in eight weeks, cutting $13 billion in spending. In March he presented to the Legislature his first budget, which cuts 9 percent of spending, including more than $800 million in education funding; seeks to privatize numerous government functions; projects 1,300 layoffs; and caps tax increases.
Christie is adamant about lowering taxes. After taxes were raised 115 times in the last eight years, he said the wealthy are tapped out. Property taxes rose nearly 70 percent in the last decade, and studies show top earners — the 1 percent of taxpayers paying 40 percent of income tax — are fleeing the Garden State.
As the United States watches a debt crisis in Greece like a fiscal oil spill, waiting to see where it will spread first and when it will make landfall on our shores, Christie is tackling the nation’s worst state deficit — $10.7 billion of a $29.3 billion budget. In doing so, Christie has become the politician so many Americans crave, one willing to lose his job. Indeed, Christie is doing something unheard of: governing as a Republican in a blue state, just as he campaigned, making good on promises, acting like his last election is behind him.
Wow! He went from campaigning to governing - That's a unique concept
The last time I looked at TV Obama was still campaigning, or golfing, or fund raising - not governing and leading this nation.
This is what is happening on Main Street
For a growing number of Americans, job prospects are bleak, savings are too low, debts are overwhelming, and, as the following report reveals, credit ratings are shot to pieces -- how in heck can anybody even think that we are on the cusp of a consumer-led recovery?
Figures provided by FICO Inc. show that 25.5 percent of consumers - nearly 43.4 million people - now have a credit score of 599 or below, marking them as poor risks for lenders. It's unlikely they will be able to get credit cards, auto loans or mortgages under the tighter lending standards banks now use.
Because consumers relied so heavily on debt to fuel their spending in recent years, their restricted access to credit is one reason for the slow economic recovery.
"I don't get paid for loan applications, I get paid for closings," said Ritch Workman, a Melbourne, Fla., mortgage broker. "I have plenty of business, but I'm struggling to stay open."
FICO's latest analysis is based on consumer credit reports as of April. Its findings represent an increase of about 2.4 million people in the lowest credit score categories in the past two years. Before the Great Recession, scores on FICO's 300-to-850 scale weren't as volatile, said Andrew Jennings, chief research officer for FICO in Minneapolis. Historically, just 15 percent of the 170 million consumers with active credit accounts, or 25.5 million people, fell below 599, according to data posted on Myfico.com.
We hear nonsense like the job market is improving, but one statistic presents a stark reminder of the challenges that remain: Nearly half of the unemployed—45.9%—have been out of work longer than six months, more than at any time since the Labor Department began keeping track in 1948.
…Overall, seven million Americans have been looking for work for 27 weeks or more, and most of them—4.7 million—have been out of work for a year or more.
Long-term unemployment has reached nearly every segment of the population, but some have been particularly hard-hit. The typical long-term unemployed worker is a white man with a high-school education or less. Older unemployed workers also tend to be out of work longer. Those between ages 65 and 69 who still wish to work have typically been jobless for 49.8 weeks.
The effects of long-term unemployment are likely to linger when the overall jobless rate falls toward normal, threatening to create a pool of nearly permanently unemployed workers, a condition once more common in Europe than in the U.S.
The picture is that of a crisis rather than a correction! Regardless, it is the the reality of more than 7.9 million Americans who have fallen off the economic radar.
Let me ask you something?
Do you believe anything this administration says about a "Recovery?"
It reminds of a story I heard:
A cowboy from Texas attends a social function where Barack Obama is trying to gather support for his Health Plan. Once he discovers the cowboy is from President Bush's home area, he starts to belittle him by talking in a southern drawl and single syllable words.
As he was doing that, he kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around his head. The cowboy says, "Y'all havin' some problem with them circle flies?"
Obama stopped talking and said, "Well, yes, if that's what they're called, but I've never heard of circle flies."
"Well, sir," the cowboy replies, "Circle flies hang around ranches. They're called circle flies because they're almost always found circling around the back end of a horse."
"Oh," Obama replies as he goes back to rambling.
But, a moment later he stops and bluntly asks, "Are you calling me a horse's ass?"
"No, sir," the cowboy replies, "I have too much respect for the citizens of this country to call their president a horse's ass."
"That's a good thing," Obama responds and begins rambling on once more.
After a long pause, the cowboy, in his best Texas drawl says, "Hard to fool them flies, though."
Remember this story the next time Obama starts telling you how good things are!
Michael Mack
An American
The two leaders -- former Republican senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming and Erskine Bowles, White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton
Bowles said that unlike the current economic crisis, which was largely unforeseen before it hit in fall 2008, the coming fiscal calamity is staring the country in the face. "This one is as clear as a bell," he said. "This debt is like a cancer."
I disagree with Bowles 2008 was not unforseen - the federal government over the last 20 years pushed the mortgage industry so hard to get minority home ownership up, that it undermined the country's financial foundation to achieve its goal.
"Home mortgages have been a political piñata for many decades," writes Stan J. Liebowitz, economics professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, in a chapter of his, Housing America: Building out of a Crisis.
Liebowitz likewise predicted in a 1998 paper the risk of sacrificing sound financial policy for social activism.
Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.)upon taking office Christie declared a state of emergency, signing an executive order that froze spending, and then, in eight weeks, cutting $13 billion in spending. In March he presented to the Legislature his first budget, which cuts 9 percent of spending, including more than $800 million in education funding; seeks to privatize numerous government functions; projects 1,300 layoffs; and caps tax increases.
Christie is adamant about lowering taxes. After taxes were raised 115 times in the last eight years, he said the wealthy are tapped out. Property taxes rose nearly 70 percent in the last decade, and studies show top earners — the 1 percent of taxpayers paying 40 percent of income tax — are fleeing the Garden State.
As the United States watches a debt crisis in Greece like a fiscal oil spill, waiting to see where it will spread first and when it will make landfall on our shores, Christie is tackling the nation’s worst state deficit — $10.7 billion of a $29.3 billion budget. In doing so, Christie has become the politician so many Americans crave, one willing to lose his job. Indeed, Christie is doing something unheard of: governing as a Republican in a blue state, just as he campaigned, making good on promises, acting like his last election is behind him.
Wow! He went from campaigning to governing - That's a unique concept
The last time I looked at TV Obama was still campaigning, or golfing, or fund raising - not governing and leading this nation.
This is what is happening on Main Street
For a growing number of Americans, job prospects are bleak, savings are too low, debts are overwhelming, and, as the following report reveals, credit ratings are shot to pieces -- how in heck can anybody even think that we are on the cusp of a consumer-led recovery?
Figures provided by FICO Inc. show that 25.5 percent of consumers - nearly 43.4 million people - now have a credit score of 599 or below, marking them as poor risks for lenders. It's unlikely they will be able to get credit cards, auto loans or mortgages under the tighter lending standards banks now use.
Because consumers relied so heavily on debt to fuel their spending in recent years, their restricted access to credit is one reason for the slow economic recovery.
"I don't get paid for loan applications, I get paid for closings," said Ritch Workman, a Melbourne, Fla., mortgage broker. "I have plenty of business, but I'm struggling to stay open."
FICO's latest analysis is based on consumer credit reports as of April. Its findings represent an increase of about 2.4 million people in the lowest credit score categories in the past two years. Before the Great Recession, scores on FICO's 300-to-850 scale weren't as volatile, said Andrew Jennings, chief research officer for FICO in Minneapolis. Historically, just 15 percent of the 170 million consumers with active credit accounts, or 25.5 million people, fell below 599, according to data posted on Myfico.com.
We hear nonsense like the job market is improving, but one statistic presents a stark reminder of the challenges that remain: Nearly half of the unemployed—45.9%—have been out of work longer than six months, more than at any time since the Labor Department began keeping track in 1948.
…Overall, seven million Americans have been looking for work for 27 weeks or more, and most of them—4.7 million—have been out of work for a year or more.
Long-term unemployment has reached nearly every segment of the population, but some have been particularly hard-hit. The typical long-term unemployed worker is a white man with a high-school education or less. Older unemployed workers also tend to be out of work longer. Those between ages 65 and 69 who still wish to work have typically been jobless for 49.8 weeks.
The effects of long-term unemployment are likely to linger when the overall jobless rate falls toward normal, threatening to create a pool of nearly permanently unemployed workers, a condition once more common in Europe than in the U.S.
The picture is that of a crisis rather than a correction! Regardless, it is the the reality of more than 7.9 million Americans who have fallen off the economic radar.
Let me ask you something?
Do you believe anything this administration says about a "Recovery?"
It reminds of a story I heard:
A cowboy from Texas attends a social function where Barack Obama is trying to gather support for his Health Plan. Once he discovers the cowboy is from President Bush's home area, he starts to belittle him by talking in a southern drawl and single syllable words.
As he was doing that, he kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around his head. The cowboy says, "Y'all havin' some problem with them circle flies?"
Obama stopped talking and said, "Well, yes, if that's what they're called, but I've never heard of circle flies."
"Well, sir," the cowboy replies, "Circle flies hang around ranches. They're called circle flies because they're almost always found circling around the back end of a horse."
"Oh," Obama replies as he goes back to rambling.
But, a moment later he stops and bluntly asks, "Are you calling me a horse's ass?"
"No, sir," the cowboy replies, "I have too much respect for the citizens of this country to call their president a horse's ass."
"That's a good thing," Obama responds and begins rambling on once more.
After a long pause, the cowboy, in his best Texas drawl says, "Hard to fool them flies, though."
Remember this story the next time Obama starts telling you how good things are!
Michael Mack
An American
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Freddie Mac Tries to trash Homeowners rather Man up to the Reality that they caused the Whole Thing
The housing bust that began among the working class in remote subdivisions and quickly progressed to the suburban middle class is striking the upper class in privileged enclaves like this one in Silicon Valley.
Whether it is their residence, a second home or a house bought as an investment, the rich have stopped paying the mortgage at a rate that greatly exceeds the rest of the population. In contrast homeowners with less lavish housing are much more likely to keep writing checks to their lender. About one in 12 mortgages below the million-dollar mark is delinquent.
Though it is hard to prove, the CoreLogic data suggest that many of the well-to-do are purposely dumping their financially draining properties, just as they would any sour investment.
“The rich are different: they are more ruthless,” said Sam Khater, CoreLogic’s senior economist.
For those who have not suffered any disruption in income and have a longer time horizon, simply continuing to pay the bills might be best. Over time, recovering house prices and declining mortgage balances likely will close some, if not all, of the equity gap. According to the Federal Reserve, while the housing bust wiped out $8 trillion in home equity, $1 trillion came back in 2009. The point here: time might be your best ally.
In the end, borrowers considering a strategic default should recognize the damaging impact their actions can have on others. While a personal financial strategy might argue for a strategic default, entire communities and future homebuyers can be harmed as a result. And that is why our broader social and policy interests will be best served by discouraging strategic defaults. He acknowledged that walking away “might well be a good decision for certain borrowers” but argues that those who do it are trashing their communities.
Don Bisenius Executive Vice President Freddie Mac
Let's consider the Politics?
"Home mortgages have been a political piñata for many decades," writes Stan J. Liebowitz, economics professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, in a chapter of his forthcoming book, Housing America: Building out of a Crisis.
Liebowitz puts forward an explanation that he admits is "not consistent with the nasty-subprime-lender hypothesis currently considered to be the cause of the mortgage meltdown."
In a nutshell, Liebowitz contends that the federal government over the last 20 years pushed the mortgage industry so hard to get minority home ownership up, that it undermined the country's financial foundation to achieve its goal.
"In an attempt to increase home ownership, particularly by minorities and the less affluent, an attack on underwriting standards was undertaken by virtually every branch of the government since the early 1990s," Liebowitz writes. "The decline in mortgage underwriting standards was universally praised as 'innovation' in mortgage lending by regulators, academic specialists, (government-sponsored enterprises) and housing activists."
He continues, "Although a seemingly noble goal, the tool chosen to achieve this goal was one that endangered the entire mortgage enterprise."
"As home ownership rates increased there was self-congratulation all around," Liebowitz writes. "The community of regulators, academic specialists, and housing activists all reveled in the increase in home ownership."
An article in the Los Angeles Times from the late '90s praised the sudden surge in home ownership among minorities, calling it "one of the hidden success stories of the Clinton era."
John Lott, a senior research scientist at the University of Maryland, however, claimed in a Fox News article yesterday that the success came at a great price.
According to Lott, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston produced a manual in the early '90s that warned mortgage lenders to no longer deny urban and lower-income minority applicants on such "outdated" criteria as credit history, down payment or employment income.
Furthermore, claims Lott, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac encouraged and praised lenders – like Countrywide and Bear Stearns – for adopting the slackened policies toward minority applicants.
"Given these lending practices mandated by the Fed and encouraged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," writes Lott, "the resulting financial problems for financial institutions such as Countrywide and Bear Stearns are not too surprising."
Liebowitz' contention that lenders were under pressure to loosen their standards for racial and political goals was confirmed years ago by the companies at the heart of today's crisis: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
A New York Times article from Sept. 1999 states that Fannie Mae had been under increasing pressure from the Clinton administration to expand mortgage loans among low- and moderate-income people and that the corporation loosened its lending requirements to comply.
An ominous paragraph of the article reads, "In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980s."
Liebowitz likewise predicted in a 1998 paper the risk of sacrificing sound financial policy for social activism.
"After the warm fuzzy glow of 'flexible underwriting standards' has worn off," Liebowitz wrote, "we may discover that they are nothing more than standards that led to bad loans. … It will be ironic and unfortunate if minority applicants wind up paying a very heavy price for a misguided policy based on a badly mangled idea."
And though some have speculated that lenders in the '90s dove into sub-prime mortgages in an effort to gouge new markets, the president and chief operating officer of Freddie Mac in 1999, David Glenn, confessed his company was pushed by a federal agenda.
"The mortgage industry intends to pursue minorities with greater intensity as federal regulators turn up the heat to increase home ownership," Glenn said in his remarks at the annual convention of the Mortgage Banker Association of America.
"The federal government in the meantime has increased pressure on lenders to seek out minorities, as well as low-income groups and borrowers with poor credit histories," Glenn said. "Fannie Mae recently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to commit half its business to low- and moderate-income borrowers. That means half the mortgages bought by Fannie Mae would be from those income brackets."
In that same year, Freddie Mac warned of the logical pitfalls of pursuing loans on the basis of skin color and not credit history.
The Washington Post reported that the company conducted a study in which it was found that far more black people have bad credit than white people, even when both have the same incomes. In fact, the study showed a higher percentage of African Americans with incomes of $65,000 to $75,000 had bad credit than white Americans with incomes of below $25,000.
Such data demonstrated that when federal regulators demanded parity between racial groups in lending, the only way to achieve a quota would be to begin making intentionally bad lending decisions.
The study, however, came under brutal attack in the U.S. Congress and was ridiculed with charges of racism.
A few years later, when Greg Mankiw, chairman of President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers, voiced a warning about weakened underwriting standards, Congress rebuffed him as well.
The Wall Street Journal quoted Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass., in 2003 as criticizing Greg Mankiw "because he is worried about the tiny little matter of safety and soundness rather than 'concern about housing.'"
Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, rejected a Bush administration and Congressional Republican plan for regulating the mortgage industry in 2003, saying, "These two entities – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – are not facing any kind of financial crisis." According to a New York Times article, Frank added, "The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing."
The federal regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ordered the two mortgage-finance giants to de-list their common and preferred stock from the New York Stock Exchange, the latest example of how the mortgage giants are shedding their ties to private ownership.
The move came one day after the NYSE formally notified the government that Fannie Mae no longer met listing standards because its shares had fallen below the $1 share-price threshold maintained by NYSE Euronext.
The U.S. government has ordered mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to delist from the stock market, a federal agency said.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the companies' regulator, said the notice from the NYSE prompted Wednesday's decision to voluntarily delist.
The FHFA said it chose that route rather than to present a "cure," or plan to bring the companies' shares back above $1, because it couldn't be sure that such a plan would work or that it would be in the interest of the government and shareholders to try to keep prices above the $1 threshold.
Now lets go back to Don Bisenius comment about home owners trashing their neighborhoods, He acknowledged that walking away “might well be a good decision for certain borrowers” but argues that those who do it are trashing their communities.
Don Bisenius Executive Vice President Freddie Mac
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae trashed the country and now tries to lay the blame on the homeowner for a housing bust they caused wiped out $8 trillion in home equity?
If the home equity had not vanished we would not be talking about this!
Left and Right Politics aside, both are guilty was hell!
So who is the jerk in this story The Homeowner? or the Fannie & Freddie?
In the latest disaster that cannot be managed- The BP Oil Disaster
Anyone with any common sense at all could do better than the Government - My worst supervisor at UPS could have handled the oil disaster with ease, He/she would have contained the problem immediately, Manned up to handle the problem and worked 24 hours a day for a week to keep it from growing, and oil never would have touched land or if it did it would minimal. What did the government do?
Failed to act immediately.
Failed to get all equipment in place to neutralize the oil. (last count I heard 33 countries offered assistance - on Day 3 - about day 70 we accepted a tanker with the diffusion capability)
Let it get so big it is impossible to control.
I guarantee you this disaster could have been contained if private enterprise and the states would have been unleashed rather than stifled.
Oh yeah I forgot blame Bush. can't forget that, If Obama did not Have Bush to blame he might have to do something!
Whomever you choose to blame - The Government cannot run anything so bend over and hold your ankles this is not going to be fun!
Health care is the next debacle!
Michael Mack
An American
Whether it is their residence, a second home or a house bought as an investment, the rich have stopped paying the mortgage at a rate that greatly exceeds the rest of the population. In contrast homeowners with less lavish housing are much more likely to keep writing checks to their lender. About one in 12 mortgages below the million-dollar mark is delinquent.
Though it is hard to prove, the CoreLogic data suggest that many of the well-to-do are purposely dumping their financially draining properties, just as they would any sour investment.
“The rich are different: they are more ruthless,” said Sam Khater, CoreLogic’s senior economist.
For those who have not suffered any disruption in income and have a longer time horizon, simply continuing to pay the bills might be best. Over time, recovering house prices and declining mortgage balances likely will close some, if not all, of the equity gap. According to the Federal Reserve, while the housing bust wiped out $8 trillion in home equity, $1 trillion came back in 2009. The point here: time might be your best ally.
In the end, borrowers considering a strategic default should recognize the damaging impact their actions can have on others. While a personal financial strategy might argue for a strategic default, entire communities and future homebuyers can be harmed as a result. And that is why our broader social and policy interests will be best served by discouraging strategic defaults. He acknowledged that walking away “might well be a good decision for certain borrowers” but argues that those who do it are trashing their communities.
Don Bisenius Executive Vice President Freddie Mac
Let's consider the Politics?
"Home mortgages have been a political piñata for many decades," writes Stan J. Liebowitz, economics professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, in a chapter of his forthcoming book, Housing America: Building out of a Crisis.
Liebowitz puts forward an explanation that he admits is "not consistent with the nasty-subprime-lender hypothesis currently considered to be the cause of the mortgage meltdown."
In a nutshell, Liebowitz contends that the federal government over the last 20 years pushed the mortgage industry so hard to get minority home ownership up, that it undermined the country's financial foundation to achieve its goal.
"In an attempt to increase home ownership, particularly by minorities and the less affluent, an attack on underwriting standards was undertaken by virtually every branch of the government since the early 1990s," Liebowitz writes. "The decline in mortgage underwriting standards was universally praised as 'innovation' in mortgage lending by regulators, academic specialists, (government-sponsored enterprises) and housing activists."
He continues, "Although a seemingly noble goal, the tool chosen to achieve this goal was one that endangered the entire mortgage enterprise."
"As home ownership rates increased there was self-congratulation all around," Liebowitz writes. "The community of regulators, academic specialists, and housing activists all reveled in the increase in home ownership."
An article in the Los Angeles Times from the late '90s praised the sudden surge in home ownership among minorities, calling it "one of the hidden success stories of the Clinton era."
John Lott, a senior research scientist at the University of Maryland, however, claimed in a Fox News article yesterday that the success came at a great price.
According to Lott, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston produced a manual in the early '90s that warned mortgage lenders to no longer deny urban and lower-income minority applicants on such "outdated" criteria as credit history, down payment or employment income.
Furthermore, claims Lott, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac encouraged and praised lenders – like Countrywide and Bear Stearns – for adopting the slackened policies toward minority applicants.
"Given these lending practices mandated by the Fed and encouraged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," writes Lott, "the resulting financial problems for financial institutions such as Countrywide and Bear Stearns are not too surprising."
Liebowitz' contention that lenders were under pressure to loosen their standards for racial and political goals was confirmed years ago by the companies at the heart of today's crisis: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
A New York Times article from Sept. 1999 states that Fannie Mae had been under increasing pressure from the Clinton administration to expand mortgage loans among low- and moderate-income people and that the corporation loosened its lending requirements to comply.
An ominous paragraph of the article reads, "In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980s."
Liebowitz likewise predicted in a 1998 paper the risk of sacrificing sound financial policy for social activism.
"After the warm fuzzy glow of 'flexible underwriting standards' has worn off," Liebowitz wrote, "we may discover that they are nothing more than standards that led to bad loans. … It will be ironic and unfortunate if minority applicants wind up paying a very heavy price for a misguided policy based on a badly mangled idea."
And though some have speculated that lenders in the '90s dove into sub-prime mortgages in an effort to gouge new markets, the president and chief operating officer of Freddie Mac in 1999, David Glenn, confessed his company was pushed by a federal agenda.
"The mortgage industry intends to pursue minorities with greater intensity as federal regulators turn up the heat to increase home ownership," Glenn said in his remarks at the annual convention of the Mortgage Banker Association of America.
"The federal government in the meantime has increased pressure on lenders to seek out minorities, as well as low-income groups and borrowers with poor credit histories," Glenn said. "Fannie Mae recently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to commit half its business to low- and moderate-income borrowers. That means half the mortgages bought by Fannie Mae would be from those income brackets."
In that same year, Freddie Mac warned of the logical pitfalls of pursuing loans on the basis of skin color and not credit history.
The Washington Post reported that the company conducted a study in which it was found that far more black people have bad credit than white people, even when both have the same incomes. In fact, the study showed a higher percentage of African Americans with incomes of $65,000 to $75,000 had bad credit than white Americans with incomes of below $25,000.
Such data demonstrated that when federal regulators demanded parity between racial groups in lending, the only way to achieve a quota would be to begin making intentionally bad lending decisions.
The study, however, came under brutal attack in the U.S. Congress and was ridiculed with charges of racism.
A few years later, when Greg Mankiw, chairman of President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers, voiced a warning about weakened underwriting standards, Congress rebuffed him as well.
The Wall Street Journal quoted Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass., in 2003 as criticizing Greg Mankiw "because he is worried about the tiny little matter of safety and soundness rather than 'concern about housing.'"
Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, rejected a Bush administration and Congressional Republican plan for regulating the mortgage industry in 2003, saying, "These two entities – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – are not facing any kind of financial crisis." According to a New York Times article, Frank added, "The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing."
The federal regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ordered the two mortgage-finance giants to de-list their common and preferred stock from the New York Stock Exchange, the latest example of how the mortgage giants are shedding their ties to private ownership.
The move came one day after the NYSE formally notified the government that Fannie Mae no longer met listing standards because its shares had fallen below the $1 share-price threshold maintained by NYSE Euronext.
The U.S. government has ordered mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to delist from the stock market, a federal agency said.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the companies' regulator, said the notice from the NYSE prompted Wednesday's decision to voluntarily delist.
The FHFA said it chose that route rather than to present a "cure," or plan to bring the companies' shares back above $1, because it couldn't be sure that such a plan would work or that it would be in the interest of the government and shareholders to try to keep prices above the $1 threshold.
Now lets go back to Don Bisenius comment about home owners trashing their neighborhoods, He acknowledged that walking away “might well be a good decision for certain borrowers” but argues that those who do it are trashing their communities.
Don Bisenius Executive Vice President Freddie Mac
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae trashed the country and now tries to lay the blame on the homeowner for a housing bust they caused wiped out $8 trillion in home equity?
If the home equity had not vanished we would not be talking about this!
Left and Right Politics aside, both are guilty was hell!
So who is the jerk in this story The Homeowner? or the Fannie & Freddie?
In the latest disaster that cannot be managed- The BP Oil Disaster
Anyone with any common sense at all could do better than the Government - My worst supervisor at UPS could have handled the oil disaster with ease, He/she would have contained the problem immediately, Manned up to handle the problem and worked 24 hours a day for a week to keep it from growing, and oil never would have touched land or if it did it would minimal. What did the government do?
Failed to act immediately.
Failed to get all equipment in place to neutralize the oil. (last count I heard 33 countries offered assistance - on Day 3 - about day 70 we accepted a tanker with the diffusion capability)
Let it get so big it is impossible to control.
I guarantee you this disaster could have been contained if private enterprise and the states would have been unleashed rather than stifled.
Oh yeah I forgot blame Bush. can't forget that, If Obama did not Have Bush to blame he might have to do something!
Whomever you choose to blame - The Government cannot run anything so bend over and hold your ankles this is not going to be fun!
Health care is the next debacle!
Michael Mack
An American
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)