The Real State of the Union

The Real State of the Union

President Obama gave his 7th State of the Union speech  last night, January 21st 2015. After hearing these speeches year after year, president after president I have come to see them not as projections of what the actual state of the nation is, but rather an advertisement for things the president thinks he did well,

“ ...more of our people are insured than ever before...”

Well yeah, they kind of have to be, remember you made them criminals if they didn’t buy insurance.

Not mentioned in last nights remarks is the reality of the real state of the union.

What about the National Debt?

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 21 Jan 2015 at 06:03:20 PM GMT is:

The estimated population of the United States is 319,850,520

so each citizen's share of this debt is $56,565.23.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of

$2.40 billion per day since September 30, 2012!

Or maybe the amount of new regulations?

A little over 75,000 pages of new burdensome and restrictive regulations were imposed on US businesses. Each one a hinderance to the growth and expansion of businesses.

No mention of the prison population.

More than 1.57 million inmates sat behind bars in federal, state, and county prisons and jails around the country as of December 31, 2013. Many from victimless crimes.

We could go on with the rising tax rates, poverty levels, inflation, wasteful spending, the drug war, real wars and their destructive nature, the rate of returning soldiers committing suicide, the rate of bankruptcy and homelessness, the NSA…. And so on and so on.

The State of the Union has become nothing more than promises of future action and commercialization of past actions, not to give a statistical breakdown of how the nation is functioning.

Obama's Pre 9/11/14 speech

On 9-10-2014 US President Barack Obama delivered a speech outlining the government's interpretation of threats to National Security and the targeting of the group ISIS. The call for a plan on this issue has been circulating since two videos surfaced, each showing the apparent beheading of American Journalists. Those who identify as Republicans have called for a clear and decisive plan of action for dealing with this group, identified Democrats have been calling for the same, a true bipartisan issue has been agreed upon. There are fundamental flaws in his, and many others logic, and the amount of doublespeak here would make even George Orwell cringe. Obama, like many others, hold onto a belief that they can bring peace by bringing war. It is a myth, a costly mistake of realism, and a dangerous notion to any world inhabited by living beings.

"My fellow Americans — tonight, I want to speak to you about what the United States will do with our friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL.

As Commander-in-Chief, my highest priority is the security of the American people. Over the last several years, we have consistently taken the fight to terrorists who threaten our country. We took out Osama bin Laden and much of al Qaeda's leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We've targeted al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen, and recently eliminated the top commander of its affiliate in Somalia. We've done so while bringing more than 140,000 American troops home from Iraq, and drawing down our forces in Afghanistan, where our combat mission will end later this year. Thanks to our military and counterterrorism professionals, America is safer." 

Still, we continue to face a terrorist threat. We cannot erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today. That's why we must remain vigilant as threats emerge. At this moment, the greatest threats come from the Middle East and North Africa, where radical groups exploit grievances for their own gain. And one of those groups is ISIL — which calls itself the "Islamic State."

Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not "Islamic." No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria's civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government, nor the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.

In a region that has known so much bloodshed, these terrorists are unique in their brutality. They execute captured prisoners. They kill children. They enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. They threatened a religious minority with genocide. In acts of barbarism, they took the lives of two American journalists — Jim Foley and Steven Sotloff.

So ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East — including American citizens, personnel and facilities. If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region — including to the United States. While we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland, ISIL leaders have threatened America and our allies. Our intelligence community believes that thousands of foreigners – including Europeans and some Americans — have joined them in Syria and Iraq. Trained and battle-hardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks.

I know many Americans are concerned about these threats. Tonight, I want you to know that the United States of America is meeting them with strength and resolve. Last month, I ordered our military to take targeted action against ISIL to stop its advances. Since then, we have conducted more than 150 successful airstrikes in Iraq. These strikes have protected American personnel and facilities, killed ISIL fighters, destroyed weapons, and given space for Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim key territory. These strikes have helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women and children.

But this is not our fight alone. American power can make a decisive difference, but we cannot do for Iraqis what they must do for themselves, nor can we take the place of Arab partners in securing their region. That's why I've insisted that additional U.S. action depended upon Iraqis forming an inclusive government, which they have now done in recent days. So tonight, with a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat.

Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.

First, we will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists. Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we're hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offense. Moreover, I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.

Second, we will increase our support to forces fighting these terrorists on the ground. In June, I deployed several hundred American service members to Iraq to assess how we can best support Iraqi Security Forces. Now that those teams have completed their work — and Iraq has formed a government — we will send an additional 475 service members to Iraq. As I have said before, these American forces will not have a combat mission — we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq. But they are needed to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces with training, intelligence and equipment. We will also support Iraq's efforts to stand up National Guard Units to help Sunni communities secure their own freedom from ISIL control.

Across the border, in Syria, we have ramped up our military assistance to the Syrian opposition. Tonight, I again call on Congress to give us additional authorities and resources to train and equip these fighters. In the fight against ISIL, we cannot rely on an Assad regime that terrorizes its people; a regime that will never regain the legitimacy it has lost. Instead, we must strengthen the opposition as the best counterweight to extremists like ISIL, while pursuing the political solution necessary to solve Syria's crisis once and for all.

Third, we will continue to draw on our substantial counterterrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks. Working with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding; improve our intelligence; strengthen our defenses; counter its warped ideology; and stem the flow of foreign fighters into — and out of — the Middle East. And in two weeks, I will chair a meeting of the UN Security Council to further mobilize the international community around this effort.

Fourth, we will continue providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organization. This includes Sunni and Shia Muslims who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities. We cannot allow these communities to be driven from their ancient homelands.

This is our strategy. And in each of these four parts of our strategy, America will be joined by a broad coalition of partners. Already, allies are flying planes with us over Iraq; sending arms and assistance to Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian opposition; sharing intelligence; and providing billions of dollars in humanitarian aid. Secretary Kerry was in Iraq today meeting with the new government and supporting their efforts to promote unity, and in the coming days he will travel across the Middle East and Europe to enlist more partners in this fight, especially Arab nations who can help mobilize Sunni communities in Iraq and Syria to drive these terrorists from their lands. This is American leadership at its best: we stand with people who fight for their own freedom; and we rally other nations on behalf of our common security and common humanity.

My Administration has also secured bipartisan support for this approach here at home. I have the authority to address the threat from ISIL. But I believe we are strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together. So I welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that Americans are united in confronting this danger.

Now, it will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL. And any time we take military action, there are risks involved — especially to the servicemen and women who carry out these missions. But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years. And it is consistent with the approach I outlined earlier this year: to use force against anyone who threatens America's core interests, but to mobilize partners wherever possible to address broader challenges to international order.

My fellow Americans, we live in a time of great change. Tomorrow marks 13 years since our country was attacked. Next week marks 6 years since our economy suffered its worst setback since the Great Depression. Yet despite these shocks; through the pain we have felt and the grueling work required to bounce back — America is better positioned today to seize the future than any other nation on Earth.

Our technology companies and universities are unmatched; our manufacturing and auto industries are thriving. Energy independence is closer than it's been in decades. For all the work that remains, our businesses are in the longest uninterrupted stretch of job creation in our history. Despite all the divisions and discord within our democracy, I see the grit and determination and common goodness of the American people every single day — and that makes me more confident than ever about our country's future.

Abroad, American leadership is the one constant in an uncertain world. It is America that has the capacity and the will to mobilize the world against terrorists. It is America that has rallied the world against Russian aggression, and in support of the Ukrainian peoples' right to determine their own destiny. It is America — our scientists, our doctors, our know-how — that can help contain and cure the outbreak of Ebola. It is America that helped remove and destroy Syria's declared chemical weapons so they cannot pose a threat to the Syrian people — or the world — again. And it is America that is helping Muslim communities around the world not just in the fight against terrorism, but in the fight for opportunity, tolerance, and a more hopeful future.

America, our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden. But as Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead. From Europe to Asia — from the far reaches of Africa to war-torn capitals of the Middle East — we stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity. These are values that have guided our nation since its founding. Tonight, I ask for your support in carrying that leadership forward. I do so as a Commander-in-Chief who could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform — pilots who bravely fly in the face of danger above the Middle East, and service-members who support our partners on the ground.

When we helped prevent the massacre of civilians trapped on a distant mountain, here's what one of them said. "We owe our American friends our lives. Our children will always remember that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to protect innocent people."

That is the difference we make in the world. And our own safety — our own security — depends upon our willingness to do what it takes to defend this nation, and uphold the values that we stand for — timeless ideals that will endure long after those who offer only hate and destruction have been vanquished from the Earth.

May God bless our troops, and may God bless the United States of America.

Note that the announcement of bombing Iraq and other nation's land that are in control or occupation of the Islamic State group comes on the eve of September 11th, marking 13 years since an attack was made on American soil by still debated perpetrators and a bombing, invasion, and occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern nations was being planned and carried out in response.

Bombs over Baghdad... Again.

President Obama has authorised the bombing of targets in Iraq. This makes the fourth consecutive president to do so, and to what end? The almost continuous bombing in this country has not led to a peaceful situation. It has not led to those Iraqi people respecting the US government, it's military, and by extension the citizens of the country. It has not led to the amicable end that is being touted as the reason for all the strife.

In response to the threat of Islamic State(IS, ISIS, ISIL) members multiple countries are coming together to figure out a way to combat those they consider terrorists and threats to their national security, at least that is what is being told to those paying for the actions.

In a Newsweek article Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary reported a daily cost of 7.5 Million dollars, and the total cost reaching somewhere near $500 Million beginning just on June 16th. All of this again adds to the totals of wartime spending which the CBO reports at costing after inflation and interest in the range of $6 Trillion overall.

All of this, taxation, wasteful spending and creating enemies has an effect that ripples through time and will again come back to haunt future generations.

On the James Foley video

I finally watched the Foley "beheading"  video and along with that 3 others from people claiming to be of the same group ISIS, ISIL or any of their other aliases. To note that in every other video these groups or people have never cut away while the victim was being beheaded and the presence of large amounts of blood from the very beginning of the cutting, it is missing from the Foley video and the cutaway that takes place. Along with that there is the higher tech that was used in the Foley video to place a small waving ISIS flag in the upper corner of the video, it is not to say that the groups have not been able to acquire the equipment or knowledge to do this, but that is out of routine for them to do so. I also noticed a part of the Foley video that seems to imply a portion had to be cut away for some unknown reason.

All in all I am not going to say that Foley is still alive and it was all just a rouse, it seems very much like a staged event and one that sets a new precedent for what will happen in those countries as America and the world deals with what is going on.

Video experts have been analyzing this video since it's release and some have noted the very same instances and examples as I have. It is not to say that any of us are correct but that there are others who have the experience to make a judgement call on this video.

In closing I do feel sorry for Foley's parents, his family and friends. It is a sad state of affairs that a man who was in a country for the sole purpose of journalism was captured, tortured and ultimately killed for the actions of others. Time will tell if these instances will continue or if more aggressive means will be used to prevent the groups in those countries from moving forward with their plans.

I will not link the video, as anyone can easily find it themselves and I do not want to advance the viewership of anyone promoting it as an acceptable means of behavior or entertainment in any way.

What I do have to say of the message in the video. The member of ISIS uses the intervention into Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other Middle Eastern Nations as their purpose of this act. As a non-interventionist I believe that all  intervention has effects such as this, as does all foreign aid. Both of these policies drive a hatred of America because of an act perpetrated by American Politicians. it is far past time for others to realize this. This can be a lesson for a new direction in foreign policy or it can be used as a propaganda tool for furthering the intervention and increased wartime spending and operations.

On Immigration: Legal and Illegal

Immigration seems to be the brightest blip on the map right now, and it seems it is the most popular topic among people. Immigration by itself doesn't seem to be the real issue, at the heart of it is the economics of Immigration. That is what needs to be addressed. Together and separately, the economics aspect, at least for some, can resolve these issues in a mutually beneficial way. This is not to say that other aspects of the issue are not important, the supposed health risks for example cannot be simply eradicated by economics, but addressing the issue at the root helps us to get past the emotional reactions and allows us to clearly define and resolve the issue completely.

Immigration is nothing new. The moving of people from one place to another for various reasons has been a mainstay of human life since the beginning. A chance to increase the quality of life or to advance knowledge or social rank have been the previous reasons for migration of people from homelands. For centuries this was the way cities and towns, and eventually states and countries grew. From the dust of the immigrant workers, nations grew to their current levels. But now it seems, this belief has been replaced with fear, misunderstanding, ignorance, nationalism and hate. Could the solutions to what some call a crisis be found in economics?

While the media portray a rising tide in illegal immigration, statistics shows another story.

According to statistics from Pew Hispanic Research and the Department of Homeland Security the estimates of Unauthorized or "Illegal" immigrants has remained roughly unchanged from the past year but has seen a relative decline since the recession began in 2008. Looking over the graphs provided on that page we can also see that the rise in Immigration happened between 2002 and 2007, adding almost 4 million more immigrants between those years. Fig 1.

While the current fuss is being made during the Obama Presidential administration the real blame should go to the prior administration. Under President George W. Bush an average of 4 million immigrants found their way to the US. But where was the outrage then?

There wasn't one. Why? The economy seemed stronger under Bush due in part due to the Housing Market Bubble that eventually, in late 2007, burst. This false prosperity brought in a higher demand and a need for more workers. Immigrants filled the void of low-skilled workers as native born citizens took over higher skilled positions. In 2007 unauthorized immigrants made up a total of 5.5% of the labor force in the US. And very few minded having these immigrants come here at the time, because a financial strain was not being put onto American workers, and jobs were plentiful and expanding. These points will not be made in the current discussion on Immigration.

The additional production gave way for American and Legal immigrants to take up higher skilled jobs while "illegals" took in the lower skilled jobs. Immigrants play a large part in the unskilled and low skilled workforce, in part to the barrier in language and education or experience. These "illegals" will take lower paying jobs due to these shortcomings, where citizens and legal immigrants will tend to be drawn to higher skilled jobs with higher pay ranges.

After the "They Took Our Jobs" line the next line will be "They took our Government Handouts"

Another issue in the immigration debate is that "illegal" immigrants use government programs more than they put into them through taxation, since most believe illegals are not taxed this would make sense. Next we can look at the claim that illegal immigrants do not pay taxes. This claim has been around for years, I even at one time believed it. First the point should be noted that ALL Federal, State, and Local "Welfare Programs" are funded by taxation, it is a redistribution of wealth.

Are they really costing more than they put in?

According to Shikha Dalmia in her 2006 article at Reason Foundation more than 8 million of the then 11 million immigrants actually paid into social security, medicaid and other taxes. But how is that you say...


In 1996 a welfare reform bill was passed. In this bill were "restrictions on benefits for noncitizens accounted for 44% of this total, and food stamp revisions for 43%. The 105th Congress rescinded and modified some 1996 budget cuts, restoring SSI, Medicaid and food stamp benefits to many aliens at an estimated 5-year cost of $12.3 billion. Further, Congress in 1997 created Welfare-to-Work (WtW) grants ($2.7 billion in estimated outlays for 2 years) to help states move severely disadvantaged TANF recipients into jobs, and it boosted funding for food stamp employment and training."

Another thing that happened is a bill that allowed the IRS to issue identification numbers for those illegal aliens that did not have social security numbers. This reform does two things, it allows those aliens to pay into the system to be in accordance to what citizens do in a hope it is seen as favorable if and when they file for legal statuses. Number two, it adds those tax monies into a system that because they do not have an official Social Security number, they cannot benefit from. This adds millions of dollars into the federal coffers. Damlia writing, "Last year, the revenues from these fake numbers — that the Social Security administration stashes in the "earnings suspense file" — added up to 10 percent of the Social Security surplus. The file is growing, on average, by more than $50 billion a year.

Her statement is pointing to the 2005 numbers. 

This data points to the fact that overall immigrants are not a drain on any programs but actually contribute. Add to this that even illegal immigrants pay sales taxes, adding millions more to their local community coffers. Roads, Schools and other services in and around their homes are partially contributed to through this tax. More info on taxes paid by illegal immigrants click here.

So how can we solve the Issue through Economics?

Can we simply abolish the Welfare State?

In order to tackle this we have to look at the statistics of those receiving this assistance and address it properly. Many have been saying for decades that the welfare state needs to be completely dissolved and regulations restricting voluntary aid programs given their chance to return. Prior to the 1930's the welfare state did not exist, it was before this that private organizations were the main source for any form of welfare or aid. Donations given by Individuals and Businesses alike kept Americans fed and housed on a larger scale than today. So where did this go? After government aid programs began the amount of funds used in voluntary donations were extracted by taxation and those who gave some were able to give less. This caused the great plethora of charities, to be replaced by bureaus and departments, each getting larger and larger, taking more and more to run their offices, less and less aid actually made it to those that needed it.

Where does that lead us to today?

Spending on largest Welfare Programs Federal Spending 2003-2013*[33]
Federal Programs	Spending 2003*	Spending 2013*
Medicaid Grants to States	$201,389	$266,565
Food Stamps (SNAP)	61,717	82,603
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)	40,027	55,123
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)	38,315	50,544
Housing assistance	37,205	49,739
Child Nutrition Program (CHIP)	13,558	20,842
Support Payments to States, TANF	28,980	20,842
Feeding Programs (WIC & CSFP)	5,695	6,671
Low Income Home Energy Assistance	2,542	3,704
Notes: * Spending in millions of dollars

Would abolishing the Welfare State actually have any effect on the economic issue of Immigration? It could, in a way, rid the system of an incentive to the minority that use the system without contributing. Taking away that incentive could cause many to rethink the opportunity costs of coming in illegally.

Benjamin W. Powell writes "Before, immigrants assimilated into a culture of hard work and self-reliance. Those who failed here often had to go home. Few go home today because of failure today. Instead, they are taught to assimilate into a system of government reliance where failure and laziness are not punished. The post-1965 immigration wave is the first that has come once we had a welfare state in place. Unfortunately, that welfare state not only makes them less productive, it also teaches them to undermine our old culture that made America successful."

Since there would be no guaranteed way for them to live off of the state, many may just decide to go the legal route or choose another place to move to.

Getting the Government out of businesses and allowing the markets to work properly could be the greatest and most needed change in policies. Deregulation, Getting rid of barriers to work, Abolishing minimum wage laws, stop with the corporate welfare programs, price controls, sending false signals and creating bubbles and busts in markets would easily give everyone, Immigrant or Natural Citizen, a better chance at building wealth and prosperity. Add along with this the ability for all people to keep 100% of their earned wages and abolish taxation, all taxation. Leading us into a voluntary state, a way for the preferences, wants and needs of everyone to be met by competitive businesses and entrepreneurs.

Speaking of legal immigration, one way to reduce the amount of illegal migrations is to make the legalization process easier to navigate and less costly. Those persons not willing to wait months on end and pay in thousands of dollars usually opt for the illegal route knowing the risk of deportation is lower than shelling out money and time. Reducing the time it takes to get through the legalization system and the amount of money put into legalization could drastically reduce the amount of people who enter illegally. 

The real issue of the Illegal Immigration debate isn't at all about the moving of people into a certain geographical area, but rather the implications and effects those people have in current models of operation. Looking at the issue form a reasonable economic standpoint can lead to real sustainable answer rather than the tug of war political party lines being offered now. Turning America into a thriving economy can give incentive to those wishing to better themselves, their families and their new homes as well.

Here is another post I wrote dealing with Borders and US Marine Tahmoorsi being held in a Mexican Jail.

More reading on this issue.
http://www.cato.org/policy-report/septemberoctober-2013/tear-down-wall-immigration-versus-welfare

http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/immigration-friend-or-foe

http://www.fee.org/files/docLib/547_24.pdf


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Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations

"...In spring 2008, inspired by the Vietnam-era Winter Soldier hearings, Iraq Veterans Against the War gathered outside Washington, DC and testified to atrocities they witnessed while deployed in the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. This video captures the powerful words and images of this historic event.

Well-publicized cases of American brutality like the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the massacre of an entire Iraqi family in the city of Haditha are not isolated incidents. Instead, they are the logical consequences of U.S. war policy.

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan preserves and honors the participants' courageous contributions in or to ensure that people arounf the world remember their stories and struggle. The 1 hour edited video features 13 veterans from three days of testimony given by over 70 men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The footage addresses such issues as the U.S. military's callous disregard for civilian life, the torture of detainees, the culture of racism that's inherent in a military occupation, gender discriminations, and the health crisis facing today's veterans..."

See also http://www.ivawarchive.org/wintersoldier

Adam Kokesh and other Veterans give their accounts of their time in the United States military in the Occupations and Invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. These accounts bringing these Vets to their ultimate decision of dissent from the practices of the US military in the expansion of the Empire and the ever long war in those countries. 

Did Imperialism, Radicalism and Nationalism cause the Benghazi Tragedy?

What do we really know about The Benghazi Incident (not a scandal)? Could it have been prevented? Could the foreign policy and war hawking have been a factor? What are the main factors that lead to the deaths of 4 American Government workers? Are these deaths the consequences of a failed policy and retribution for intervention? How do the “Radicals” on both sides of this issue fuel the fire and promulgate the cause beyond this incident? Can a deep held Nationalism and Imperialism be to blame, at least partially?

The lives of J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty were added to the statistical sheets and lists of names of those killed by the actions of the government they worked for. Their own actions contributing to their deaths.

Empire building is paid for by the blood of its citizens.

In empires the cost of expansion has always been monetary and lives. The monetary losses are inherent due to an ever expanding use of resources to fulfill land, power or military gains. It goes without saying that Fiat currency and its value manipulation aid in this matter. It is the human losses that are taken the hardest and rightfully so. The deaths of men and women who have been led to believe they are doing a service to the civilian population at home are justified under the rules of war and the guise of a better tomorrow. The lives of these four men were not the first in this long line of death attributed to government’s interventionist policies and empire building. Though you will not hear it on the political “news” commentary these consulate and embassy attacks happened during the prior Presidential Administration as well, from January 22, 2002 to September 17, 2008 there were 13 separate attacks on US buildings resulting in the death of many and injuring many more. Some will say that these deaths were mostly not Americans and that they should not count as the same, but I say this, how is one life or one attack different than another. A US diplomat, David Foy died as a result of an embassy attack in 2006, where is this in the media today? It’s not there because it has no bearing on the sensationalism of the story today, right now, in your face rhetoric redirecting from the factual past and skewing the point. That point being that this isn't a partisan issue, it’s a policy issue. It is the act of intervention that keeps enemies at our gates. It is the act of intervention that breeds hate and contempt. It is this intervention that costs us one of the most basic natural resources we have, the human being.

We have radicals on all sides.

I hear this all the time, “If it weren't for those radical _____ (insert religious term of your choice) none of this would have happened” Well that’s one way of saying it. Let’s try another, “If the American war radicals weren't so keen to blow up things around the world…” Get it? There are radicals on all sides of this issue. We have radical Pro-Military people screaming to nuke the world. We have radical religious people who claim their religion is the only one allowed and all others must not be allowed to survive. (Don’t think I am just pointing at the Islam faith, Christians pull the same stunts). There are the interventionist radicals and the empirical radicals just the same, shouting for their blood baths and land and power grabs, urging on the utter annihilation of complete civilizations and religions.

The thing is if we didn't have all these radicals screaming for their favorite way of dealing with things all dealing with death and destruction of some sort or another, maybe we could have a rational and logical discussion on the affairs of the world. But maybe I’m just hopeful. Maybe I am just a radical Peace Monger, I just don’t see the rational to defy reason and subvert logic for a gain of temporary peace and faux respect.

Nationalism is a horrid disease of the brain.

Albert Einstein said it best of Nationalism, He says

"Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind."

And dammit if he isn't right.

It is a disease, a curable disease at that. Inject some knowledge, a little understanding, a few shots of philosophy and it can change the world. Nationalism really is a hard thing to beat, mainly because most people do not see it as a negative thing. They see “Love of country”, National Flags, Pledges of allegiances, our colors and stripes; they claim superiority and greatness arrogantly and erroneously. Exceptionalism is a word they like to throw around a lot. But are they really exceptional? Are they really great? Are they really superior? How do they fill these claims, by what measure?

Let’s think about it this way, the Nation you were born into, you did not pick it and it did not pick you, by some cosmic happenstance you are where you are and not somewhere where you accept bombing to rubble, on the other side of that is those people that are in the place you are destroying and through that same cosmic happenstance they are being murdered and displaced because of that placement. That doesn't sound too much like a good thing. What if it were reversed, would you accept your fate because you are in a place that others see fit to destroy or invade? Would you feel the same if your home were burned or bombarded, if your family were killed, or you were targeted by drone bombing all because of the geographical location you are in? Nationalism has killed more innocent people than almost any other belief in the history of man. Hitler and Mao used Nationalism to subject millions to the will of Socialism and Dictatorship. The Northern States used Nationalism to carry out a Civil war and subject free individual states to an all-encompassing never ending contract of subservience.  The United States, along with other nations, is using Nationalism again to justify homicide around the globe.

Benghazi wasn't an isolated incident, and it wasn't a scandal, hell I even say it wasn't a surprise. It was a response to the policies and procedures, the mindsets and arrogance Americans show the world. If it be said that justifying an act such as this is on the national security interests of a nation than this is no more an attack than invading Iraq or Afghanistan was. If it be said that the radicals were to blame, then we can say yes, radical nationalists on both sides are to blame. If we are to say that the price of an expanding empire is paid by the blood of its citizens then these four men have paid that price, and there will be more to come.  

The investigation that is and will be taking place in the coming months and years will produce no tangible results, it will not alter policy or procedure, it will not halt the footsteps into a world war, it will not affect the outcome of imperialism, nationalism or radicalism in any nation. The investigation will not lead to arrests of those who perpetrated the act; at best a drone will fly overhead and destroy the entire village they may be staying in, without regard for the innocent lives it will destroy.  No this investigation is a sham; it is a waste of time and ultimately tax payers money.

Benghazi wasn't a single act of terrorism; it was the partial culmination of bad policy and even worse judgment.  These men were not heroes; they are statistics of the loss of lives due to government policy of world domination and world policing. 

#Hashtag Hypocrisy

This week the newest case of kidnapping for human trafficking and sex trades took place in Nigeria. It seems the world over people are calling for the return of these girls. Even First Lady Michelle Obama has taken to social media to call for the return of these kidnapped Nigerians and to bring notice to the underground world of the child sex trade and human trafficking. Using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls she has contributed her image to this cause.

Now she isn’t the first and she will not be the last to use this tag. Other well-known people (I dare not call her a celebrity) have started their own campaigns and contributed to other for this same issue. This newest campaign hit the internet and the public have used this to turn the images into a campaign calling on the hypocrisy of the First Lady and the Whitehouse. Using this image in particular the results have been a barrage of anti-war and anti-Obama coming from Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. It is a glaring reminder of the wartime hypocrisy of Washington and of this administration in particular. Thousands die as victims of the United States drone warfare program, yet there are no celebrities speaking out, none would dare make a sign to call on the President to end the careless and immoral killing of Middle eastern men, women and children.

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Those in Washington and those in Hollywood that are contributing to this campaign are in stark contrast to what the true message should be, in this case, It doesn’t matter if you are a Nigerian school girl or a Middle Eastern Child you should not be subjected to these horrors of man. This is not to say that one be more important than the other but rather to say that they are in my mind the same. We cannot be the moral hero’s in one country while continuing our programs of murder and destruction in another. The moral line is drawn and we wait with baited breath for those that are in power to use that power to truly make a difference. If we are to say that one particular group of people or even one person is more valuable as a human than another, this world is in serious trouble.

Hashtags will not save lives. It takes action and in this case I feel we will see this action, misguided and misused as it will be, we will subject an entire nation to the use of force the United States is known for. Drone strikes, thousands of troops, destroyed towns and cities, rebuilding programs and heaps of financial aid plundered from the people of one country to give to the government of another. This year’s Kony Campaign will end in the same way. The only results will be wasted time, money and resources.

NSA Reforms

The Obama administration stated in January 2014 that the National Security Agency would be getting reforms to protect citizens from the bulk collection of information. The President announced he wanted to end intelligence gathering practices that involved the government storing broad collections of phone and electronic communication data.

Recently Senator Diane Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee accused the CIA of hacking the committee’s computers in a move to silence their opposition to a practice of torture by the CIA. Senator Feinstein was of course dismayed that her personal information could have been at risk for snooping by Federal Officials completely ignoring the fact that the CIA and NSA continue this practice on the citizenry of this country on a daily he underlying issue with the Senator’s argument is, “It is ok to spy on them, but wrong to spy on us.” That is a dangerous notion indeed.

In a bipartisan move Reps. Mike Rogers  and Dutch Ruppersberger , the chairman and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee respectively , said, “the End Bulk Collection Act will ensure the federal government doesn’t retain logs about calls made within the United States. The bill would also ban bulk collection of “electronic communications records” Still allowed under this act is the ability for telephone and cellular phone companies to continue to collect the info, but the federal government would have to request the info from them. This is similar to the FISA 1978 and its secret court system for which the NSA acquired their power to spy on American citizens without their knowledge. In the end your information is still being collected and it can still be obtained by the federal and state governments, this bill is simply sugar to soothe the wounds instead of salt.

The NSA and its information and intelligence collection has come under fire since the most popular whistle blower in history, Edward Snowden, released confidential and top secret information to these programs. Though Snowden wasn’t the first to reveal the details of mass surveillance by the United States Government, that honor belongs to Russ Tice who had in December of 2005 alleged that the NSA was engaged in unlawful and unconstitutional intellegience gathering on the American people via clandestine eavesdropping programs outside the ordinances of FISA and it's secret court.

Former President Jimmy Carter has said recently that he hand writes letters to foreign and domestic leaders because of his fear of the NSA’s power. Now that is ironic since it was under Jimmy Carter that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 was drafted and signed giving the CIA and NSA the power to collect all information from all sources on anyone in the world. The monster he unleashed has grown too large and now even he doesn’t feel safe, so why would anyone else?

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is taking a bit of credit for the recent progress on this matter saying, “I don’t want to take all the credit for ending this, but I think our lawsuit had something to do with bringing the president to the table.”

Paul continues to say that he would still like to see a investigation of the abuse of power by the CIA and NSA saying, “. I favor a select committee like they had in the 1970s, the Church Committee, to look into all of these. There is a certain amount of arrogance here that needs to be checked.”

I wrote previously on the abuses and institutions of the surveillance here and here and I would direct all those interested in the actions and effects of FISA, The Patriot Act and the NSA’s use of intelligence gathering around the world to read Glenn Greenwald’s book  How Would A Patriot Act?

Intentions and Results

    

I get into discussions with people about the intentions of this bill or that and on most occasions I get to speak to them on the results or potential results of them too. I think it is a vital part of discussion of politics to include dialogue on intentions versus results.

     Social programs make up the majority of this discussion as it is their intention that becomes favorable or unfavorable to the public in the beginning and their result becoming the focus of numerous debates, reforms and legislative shouting matches. There is some difference too in the intentions of these programs that should be noted. The intention that is sold to the people, the commercialized face of social progress or for the good of the community is the most common form of this public form of false intent. The intent that resides in the lawmakers when these programs are thought of and drawn up is that of control. Everything the government creates is for the sole purpose of control. That is the difference in intent I mean to speak of.

     

     The results of these programs come much later and are either promulgated or denounced by political sides and ideologies.  These results will inherently be felt by the public as the face of the intent wears off and the strain of compliance becomes clearer.

PPACA

     President Obama's signature healthcare and health insurance program is the most recent example of this discussion and as such I will address this first.

This is not the first incarnate of national healthcare or mandated health insurance in America but it could become the last.

     The "public face" intent in this legislation is affordable care, as its name tries to sell it. Personally this intent is somewhat good, it is an admirable goal for people to attain affordable insurance, but the result and other end of the intent, the hidden intent, are what make these mandates, regulations and restrictions a real horrendous failure in social planning.

     

     The unseen intent of the bureaucrats and lawmakers is that of power and control. When mandated to “Do as we say or else” becomes normal and accepted the lawmakers have gained control of the people and the markets.  The intent of these “Authority figures” is power. Power of the people, power over their choice, power over their money and power over their bodies is what is intended by these mandates and laws.

     The result of these new Healthcare mandates will become clearer as time progresses. Some of what we have seen in the weeks since its implementation is people being dropped or cancelled from their private insurance plans, as these plans do not meet the standards, or regulations of the PPACA. We have seen insurance rates skyrocket for some as well as stories of people who could not get insurance before due to preexisting conditions or other faults.  As it is all premature as of now we cannot say with certainty what the future holds for these laws. My personal views are that the PPACA will fail by design; it will usher in single payer insurance, one where the federal government has all authority over the medical and insurance markets as well as the health and well being of all residents. But as I said this is all speculative.

     I don’t want to leave on a bad note and want to provide with some sort of solution, even if it is only my personal view and can be taken as such. I wrote in another Blog post on one way we as citizens can fight this law and we can win. Former President Bill Clinton laid out the plan for the collapse of the health insurance mandates. He said at a conference that if young healthy people do not sign up and reduce the cost for the older and more at risk persons this whole plan will fail. That is precisely the plan of attack this nation needs to take, Non- Compliance.

SOCIAL SECURITY

     Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt the Social Security system came into existence and its mandated compliance into the program. The systems publicly sold intent is somewhat admirable, to ensure older citizens can retain a standard of living after they have retired from employment. First let me say this, It is of no importance to anyone else what an individual saves for their own retirement, especially any sort of government.

     The problem with the public sold intent is that it has been ingrained in the minds of every generation since its creation to protect this social institution at all costs. The truth about the system is it is broke, it is coercive and it is susceptible to government fraud and theft as has been seen by previous presidential administrations.

     I don’t think it needs to be restated what the underlying intent is, Power to the Bureaucrats, to the State. This is the core intentions for almost every single piece of legislation that any size government will propose or pass.

     So what is the end result? The results since the creation of this system has been duly noted dozens of times. Under various administrations we have seen the Social Security System held hostage in quarrels over power or procedure of the legislative and executive branches of government. We have had the system bankrupted to provide an appearance of a $0 deficit. We have had the system being used for the use of fraud. It has given power to government to coerce the other political side to sway or give on certain issues or bills, it has been used to anger the people it was designed to try and help.

     My view on the system differs from most and differs from the standpoint of both major political parties. If we are to have a system designed to help those in their later years maintain a standard of living, first we need to maintain that standard of living as best we can. With the inflation of our national currency by the Federal Reserve System we simply cannot do this. Second point for a healthy savings plan is to make it voluntary, Social Security is forced from your paycheck and stuck in an account you cannot access without government approval, that doesn't sound like a very good example of a free country, or the protection of private property rights. Lastly I would have to say is that through the use of “entitlements” and “welfare” we have done away with the giving, charitable spirit of most Americans. We simply allow these down trodden people to submit to their government for a paycheck written from the backs and sweat of the producing people, this cannot be maintained for a long time.

WELFARE, SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, FOOD STAMPS AND OTHER SOCIAL PROGRAMS.

     There are a multitude of other programs that the Federal, State, and local governments will employ in the name of community wellness and poverty reduction. Each one of these programs are always run with the funding being extracted by force and redistributed. Each one of these programs comes with the same intent, both public and hidden, as well as the results, usually failed programs with more victims and creating more dependents.

     A quote comes to mind from a friend of mine, John Yowan says this, “Philanthropy through force is theft”, I think this statement best sums up the current administration of these programs. I am a firm believer in this motto, “What cannot be or is not achieved by voluntary contract between consenting parties should never be forced by the hand of government.”

Keeping with the intentions and results of social programs Ron Paul says this,"Humanitarian arguments are always used to justify government mandates related to the economy, monetary policy, foreign policy, and personal liberty.  This is on purpose to make it more difficult to challenge.  But, initiating violence for humanitarian reasons is still violence.  Good intentions are no excuse and are just as harmful as when people use force with bad intentions.  The results are always negative."

Young Americans hold the key to PPACA

   
     As of October 1st 2013 the healthcare exchanges for the PPACA most commonly referred to as ObamaCare, are open for enrollment. Though with some snags in the tech department, most noticeably the website, live customer support chat and 1-800 number are all in a state of  defectiveness, leaving many wondering just how long until they would be able to log in.

     With the PPACA it is said that millions of uninsured Americans will have the opportunity to purchase healthcare insurance coverage. This is the first of many erroneous claims by supporters of the bill, so this will be the first issue I take up. Every person in this country has had the opportunity to purchase healthcare coverage, but due to restrictions and regulations set by the insurance providers themselves and the Federal Government they are turned away or coverage is made unaffordable or not valuable to them.

     The second claim is one that comes from the opposition of the bill. Many will say that the healthcare law is Socialist in nature, but I beg to differ. Defined, socialism is the equal distribution of goods regardless of production, want or need. To be fair in assessment I refer to the PPACA for what it should be labeled, National Healthcare Insurance Mandates. With the exemptions allowed by the law as well as the various tax breaks and benefits to be garnered by compliance, the equality has been removed from it. Some will gain exemption status and some will not, some will benefit from reduced taxation and again some will not.

     The PPACA has been set up under the same model as Social Security. With this I mean that the current generation enjoying their Social Security checks coming in rely, mostly unbeknownst to them, on younger workers putting into the system. As the older generations are now living longer and remaining in their jobs until a later age, job availability has been contracted, meaning the amount of money being put into the system is now less than the money being paid out, this leads to a very dangerous end result. With the PPACA modeling itself after this, it is inevitable they will fail in the same manner.

This only works if.....

At the recent Clinton Global Initiative former President Bill Clinton is quoted as saying this:
      "So, so far, it's good. but I think it's important for you to tell the people why we're doing all this outreach, because this only works if, for example, if young people show up, and even if they buy the cheapest plan, then they claim their tax credits so it won't cost them much $100 bucks a month or so. We've got to have them in the pools, because otherwise all these projected low costs cannot be held if older people with preexisting conditions are disproportionately represented in any given state. You've got to have everyone lined up."

So what does this mean to you? 

     It means as the young generation YOU are now in the position of power, the real power to change the course of American history. You have the power to stop the PPACA and kill any hope of it's return. As Bill Clinton said himself this only works if YOU show up.
     So is that the answer? To me this quote holds the key for YOU. Do not comply, do not show up, do not enroll. It is the only way to show who holds the future of this nation, YOU.


 

Who is to blame for a government shutdown?

     Of course this is a simple question and it's answer even more so. Democrats blame Republicans, and vice versa, but who is it really to blame? Honestly they are both to blame.

     Both have shown an unwillingness to scale back spending, both have increased the burden and theft of taxation upon the citizens of this country and both have refused to recognize this problem for what it is.

     It is not subject to explanation that in the course of the last 200 years Americans have enjoyed the hell out of getting their all too important "Free Lunch" and it serves well that now in the wake of one of the largest bouts of unemployment the boundaries have been hit, there simply is not enough money to give them their undue wants. Even with the massive haul the government takes in through legalized plunder they label taxation, there simply isn't enough putting into the system for those that take from it.

     One key aspect to the GIANT amount of spending comes from the United States interventionist foreign policy. Spending trillions yearly to advance the empire of American influence into every crevice of the world.

     Another aspect of the current situation is the new healthcare provisions and exchanges are set to roll out in a matter of weeks. With some, I use the term economists very cautiously, labeling this new debacle the financial meltdown point that we may not recover from anytime soon.


     Is it only the Government's fault that we are here? To say so is foolish and naive.

     I believe that is ultimately the people who have failed. Failed to right the situation. Failed to recognize the system that enslaves them. Failed to react to the clear threat of terrorism that is the United States government.

     Now, what Senator Ted Cruz from Texas showed last week is that DC isn't listening to their slaves, Now imagine that! Senator Cruz I will warn you now, that rhetoric is not gaining you any influence in the government, but it is slowly gaining a following with the flock.

     SO whats the solution, that is what everyone is looking for right? It can be explained simply. Stop wanting the handouts, subsidies and special rules. Stop allowing wars and military occupations to continue to drain the coffers of the hard earned money of our people. End the Central Bank that is devaluing our currency and causing inflation.