Taxation and Tyranny

How ironic can it be that the nation that came to be founded because of a “disagreement” over taxation – “taxation without representation is tyranny!” – keeps facing prospects of higher taxes, with or without representation? Pretty doggone ironic, if you ask me.

Yet, the persistent and consistent solution to every economic challenge both real and perceived by liberals and Democrats is to… ta da!... raise taxes. The Sen. Barack H. Obama, the presumptive next president of the United States, has already promised to raise taxes. It is, unfortunately, the campaign promise he is likeliest to keep. In addition to federal income taxes, expect also additional fees of one kind or another for universal health insurance and care, cap and trade carbon credit schemes, mortgage failure bailouts, and who knows how many other half-baked schemes.

But wait! Why wait for the Sen. Barack H. Obama to assume the office of our presidency? In another swift move to bring relief to citizens beleagured by fast rising gasoline prices, our Democrat-majority Congress proposes… surprise!... increased fuel taxes. Yes, to a liberal Democrat, there is no economic challenge that cannot be fixed by a tax hike.

Funny thing, though. Not one of them has ever gotten around to answering the question asked in the last presidential election to the Democrat nominee: “What nation has ever taxed its way to prosperity?”

(During resource searches, I found this interesting article, “Taxes separate ‘rich,’ ‘poor’ states.”)

Herr Obama Enamors Germans

Well, well, well. The Sen. Barack H. Obama was simply adored in Germany. He addressed about 200,000 people, plus all who saw and heard the broadcasts, in Berlin. A great accomplishment, isn’t it?

I don’t know. After all, Germans have gotten excited over charismatic leaders and packed into stadiums before. They have laid their hope at the foot of a leader who promised great hope and change before.

Making plans for the Democrat national convention, the Sen. Barack H. Obama has disdainfully announced that he would not accept his party’s nomination from the convention floor:

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At the Democratic National Convention next month, we're going to kick off the general election with an event that opens up the political process the same way we've opened it up throughout this campaign. Barack has made it clear that this is your convention, not his. On Thursday, August 28th, he's scheduled to formally accept the Democratic nomination in a speech at the convention hall in front of the assembled delegates. Instead, Barack will leave the convention hall and join more than 75,000 people for a huge, free, open-air event where he will deliver his acceptance speech to the American people. (email from David Plouffe, Campaign Manager, Obama for America, 7/7/08)
*****

Just wonderful. The Sen. Barack H. Obama is so in touch with the common people. No big time political party apparatus for him.

So what is that little warning buzz I keep hearing in the back of my head? Oh yeah, it’s that fill the stadium thing he’s got going again. Funny how history keeps teaching us that political figures who like to fill stadiums turn out to be fascists and totalitarians. This isn’t entertainment, remember. This is the man who, if elected to the office of President of the United States, has a big say in how government runs our lives. Think logically; vote accordingly.


(photos: upper left, the Sen. Barack H. Obama in Berlin, 7/24/08; upper right, Benito Mussolini wows the crowd in Rome; lower right, Germans honor Hitler at the Olympic games; lower left, Adolph Hitler speaks in the Berlin auditorium.)

Pretty Good for a Recession

Phil Gramm has been all but burned at the stake for his comments about the economy in early July. As usual, most of the talking points among Big Media and Big Liberalism sources come from what they imagine Dr. Gramm said, not from what he actually said. Dr. Gramm did not deny that the economy is troubled, nor did he deny that there may be a recession. He merely made a factual observation that America is not in a literal, technical recession, which is a verifiable truth as defined by two consecutive quarters of declining GDP. For five quarters, 2007 - 1st quarter 2008, the GDP has continued to increase. So, Dr. Gramm is correct. Here are some of his remarks:

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"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession," he said, noting that growth has held up at about 1 percent despite all the publicity over losing jobs to India, China, illegal immigration, housing and credit problems and record oil prices. "We may have a recession; we haven't had one yet." -- Washington Post, 7/9/08
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And here's a dirty little secret: Phil Gramm is eminently qualified to make such an observation. He has a Ph.D. in economics, has taught it for 12 years at Texas A&M University, and has won elective office as both a Democrat & Republican. As an economist, he is as qualified to tell Americans that we are not in a recession as any other economist paraded by Big Media and Big Liberalism is to tell us that the sky is falling. Yet following Dr. Gramm's factual statement, Big Media and Big Liberals immediately began whining. Touche, Dr. Gramm.

So for all our good friends living in the land of left-believe, since we are experiencing such troubled economic times, how in the world did the new Batman movie set a new weekend box office record for a superhero movie? According to the AP report on 7/21/08, "The Dark Knight" grossed 155.34 million dollars! And that doesn't include concession stand revenue! Don't movie viewers know that the economy has tanked? That no one has any money? That everyone is living in cardboard boxes and holding out tin cups? What about having to make that tough choice between medicine and food?

This box office buster phenomenon represents two things. (1) Americans still have money and are still willing to spend it. Ask around; I'll bet you can find someone from "struggling lower middle class" and below households who have plunked down pocket change to see Batman. Would truly desperate people be so frivolous? The stark truth is that far and away the bulk of Americans are not truly desperate. Maybe not as well off as we would like to be, but not truly desperate when there is money to spend for high priced entertainment. (2) Americans want to use their personal money for frivolous entertainment, but want to use someone else's money (i.e., taxpayers) for necessities like housing, food, healthcare, transportation, etc. In fact, "we" have come to expect and demand this as a right. Commit to too much mortgage or other debt? Demand a government bailout. Have to choose between food and casinos? Demand a government bailout. Have to choose between healthcare and movies? Demand a government bailout. Facing retirement age without enough personal savings because of spending for all those movie hours, casino trips, tattoos, piercings, et. al. that have been accumulated over peak earning years? Demand a government bailout - hey, social security is for poor people, not the wealthy who have paid into it.

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"We have sort of become a nation of whiners," he said. "You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline" despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy, [Dr. Gramm] said.
*****

Not off the mark there, either.

So all of you who saw "The Dark Knight," I hope you enjoyed it. But don't come whining to me if you can't pay your mortgage or come up a little short in retirement.

(photos: Dr. Phil Gramm (l.) Dark Knight movie poster (r.))

No Flip-Flop Here

The Sen. Barack H. Obama will not go down as a "flip-flopper" on his opposition to the "surge" strategy in Iraq. At least, that is his stance in an ABC report during his big adventure to the Middle East. By the way, I would not consider the Sen. Barack H. Obama a "flip-flopper" for recognizing his error in judgment and acknowledging that the strategy he opposed - a strategy that the Democrat party actually called for at the beginning of military intervention in Iraq - has been the correct strategy to pursue.

Sure, there are politics and diplomacy facets during war, but do they supersede reasonable or sound military tactics and strategies? This potential commander-in-chief of the American Armed Forces seems to think so.

Domestic Oil Crisis

"The only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from the U.S. Congress." -- President George Bush (on lifting an executive order banning domestic off-shore oil drilling)

One of my questions is why has it taken so long for him to get around lifting this executive order? Nearly finished with eight years as President, and he now decides to take a lead in domestic oil production. I am glad you lifted the ban, Mr. President, but why did you wait all this time?

Similarly, the Republican party is going nuts about Democrats obstructing domestic oil production. Again, I'm glad that they are holding Democrat feet to the fire, but it has not been too many years ago when the Republicans were the majority part in Congress. Where was your leadership then? Why did you wait all these years, and lose your majorities to boot, before shedding your crocodile tears all over the place?

Yeah, the Republican party has messed up, but that still does not mean that Democrats should be given carte blanche allowance to run roughshod over Americans with their debilitating energy policies (or, more accurately, energy non-policies). As usual, the Democrat response to financial crisis is... raise taxes! Now it even appears that they want to raise taxes on our diesel & gasoline - all at a time when market pressures have raised oil prices to historic levels. By the way, here's a dirty little secret: when market pressures subside, the market price of oil will drop! Taxes won't.

*****

Including state and local levies, people in the U.S. pay about 47 cents on average in taxes for a gallon of gasoline. Fuel in many European countries costs $8 to $9 a gallon, with half or more of that going to taxes. FOX news 7/20/2008

*****

Well, there's certainly another reason to want to be like Europeans. I'm convinced... yeah, right.

In addition to their raise-the-tax solution, Democrats of course parade their favorite targets for high energy prices: oil companies & speculators. Here's the other dirty little secret, Congress: take away the market reasons for upward price pressure - that would be increasing supply - and those same evil, wicked, mean, and nasty speculators will be driving down the price of oil. Duh! How do you do that? Allow domestic exploration, drilling, & production.

Drill here, drill now!

Lapel Pin

If you have noticed lately, the Sen. Barack H. Obama has taken to wearing a lapel flag pin. Just as he has his own seal, he has his own lapel pin.


OK, I'm kidding! About the lapel pin, that is. But I ran across the image and had to use it somehow.

If you don't recall the significance of the additional 7 stars, refresh your memory here. Actually, when you do the math, the pin is still missing two stars. Alaska and Hawaii just don't get no respect.

Enjoy your day, especially you folks in the Sen. Barack H. Obama's extra 7 or 9 states.

Israeli Soldiers Mourned

Giving credit where due, the New York Times published a respectful report about the funerals of Israeli soldiers Sgt. First Class Ehud Goldwasser and Staff Sgt. Eldad Regev (“Funerals in Israel for Two Soldiers,” 7/17/08). The families and all of Israel mourn the deaths of these two men abducted and killed by Hezbollah two years ago.

The article also revealed a distinct difference in the regard to life and compassion between these two opposing sides in the conflict.

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But far from ameliorating the simmering hostility between the sides, the deal has further hardened the feelings of many Israelis, who charged that Hezbollah toyed with the emotions of the families of the missing soldiers up to the very end.
For the last two years, Hezbollah had refused to clarify whether the soldiers — both reservists and students at the time of their capture — were dead or alive, although Israeli officials concluded that both were badly wounded in the initial ambush and had probably not survived.
But the moment of truth did not come until after 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the first stage of the exchange got under way at Nakkoura, on the Lebanese side of the border. A Hezbollah representative, Wafiq Safa, announced that the soldiers’ fate would “now be revealed,” and gestured toward two coffins.
*****

What purpose was served by keeping the fates of these two men hidden for two years? Or for refusing to return their remains so that their grieving families could find some closure? Hezbollah militants harbor such venomous hatred against all Israelis that they have no intent to take any action that brings comfort.

Individuals and organizations that seek peace and justice in the Middle East should be condemning Hezbollah’s actions as vociferously as they do when they object to Israel’s conduct of defensive operations.

(photo released by Israeli Government Press Office: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hugs Karnit Goldwasser, wife of Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser next to his coffin at Shraga army base in northern Israel)

Freedom Fighters or Brutal Murderers? You Decide

Today, among much world publicity, Israel is releasing specified Hezbollah prisoners and the bodies of Hezbollah and Palestinian fighters killed in conflict in exchange for the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers kidnapped two years ago. The kidnapping led to the Israeli conflict against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. One of the Hezbollah prisoners being released is Samir Qantar, who is hailed as a hero among Hezbollah militants.

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"We are now handing over the two imprisoned Israeli soldiers [note: they are the remains of the two ‘imprisoned’ Israeli soldiers], who were captured by the Islamic resistance on July 12, 2006, to the [International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)]," Safa said at the border. "The Israeli side will now hand over the great Arab mujahid (holy warrior) ... Samir Qantar and his companions to the ICRC… Hezbollah has dubbed the exchange "Operation Radwan", in honour of "Hajj Radwan", or Imad Moughniyah, the group's military commander who was assassinated in Syria in February. Yellow Hezbollah flags and banners fluttered across south Lebanon and along the coastal highway from the border village of Naqoura to the capital, Beirut. "Liberation of the captives: a new dawn for Lebanon and Palestine," one banner read. – Reuters, 7/16/08
*****

Certain sympathizers call militant members of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization “freedom fighters” instead of terrorists or murderers and simultaneously charge Israelis with conducting terrorist operations against innocent victims:

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“If, however, you do believe there is a place for armed struggle, it is unfair to refer to oppressed Palestinians targeting their oppressors as ‘terrorists,’ when their actions are no less humane than those employed by almost any country at war, actions generally accepted as one of the necessary functions of a state. It’s easy to criticize guerilla warfare when you have the luxury of an army to do your fighting for you.” – Anna Baltzer, “Conversation with Hamas Supporters,” 3/13/2005
*****

Here is what is known about Samir Qantar:

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In the dead of night on April 22, 1979, [Q]antar and three other gunmen made their way in a rubber dinghy from Lebanon to the sleepy Israeli coastal town of Nahariya, 5 miles south of the Lebanese border. There, in a hail of gunfire and exploding grenades, they killed a policeman who stumbled upon them before they burst into the apartment of Danny Haran, herding him and his 4-year-old daughter outside at gunpoint to the beach below, where they were killed. An Israeli court found that [Q]antar shot Haran in front of his child, then smashed her head with his rifle butt. Haran's wife, Smadar, who had fled into a crawl space in the family apartment with her 2-year-old daughter, accidentally smothered the child with her hand while trying to stifle her cries. – FOX News, 7/16/2008
*****

In spite of this atrocity, Qantar has been held as a prisoner in Israel and not executed. The crime for which the two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and murdered by Hezbollah? Attending to their duties at a checkpoint along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Freedom fighters or brutal murderers? You decide.


(photo: Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser & Eldad Regev, abducted by Hezbollah, 7/2006.)

Fighting the Smears

In order to combat rumors from e-mails and other sources, the campaign team for Sen. Barack H. Obama established a "fight the smears" website. Sen. Barack H. Obama says that he will not be defined by lies.

Fair enough. But the dirty little secret is that the website offers its own deceptions.

First, prepared e-mails are ready for supporters to send out to others to "fight the smears." The prepared texts indicate that the sources for the smears come from "right-wing" sources. On this site, one concludes that only "right-wing" sources are to blame for the smears. The truth is that not only "right-wingers" oppose Sen. Barack H. Obama's candidacy. For instance, try "Democrats Against Obama." I stumbled onto this site this morning:

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"Obama and his Obamatrons made a fatal error during this primary. They insulted, disrespected, threatened, and disregarded the Clinonistas. They played the race card continually, then blamed the Clintons. Now. They need us. Too late. Too much damage. Now you pay. No votes. NObama. Ever." (homepage)
*****

Individual entries at this website mention some of the "smears" being refuted on "fight the smears." "Right-wing" attacks exclusively? Hmmm... I don't think so.

Second, in response to comments (aka, "smears") that Sen. Barack H. Obama's books contain "racially incendiary remarks," "fight the smears" website reads, "recent viral emails quote Barack Obama's books out of context."

So, context is important to the Sen. Barack H. Obama campaign? Let's find out. The first "smear" on the site concerns Michelle Obama saying "whitey" on a tape. The response? "The tape that Rush and others are spreading rumors about doesn't exist." The prepared e-mail response begins, "Rush Limbaugh and his fellow right-wing attack-dogs have been spreading baseless rumors about a non-existent video tape showing Michelle Obama using a racial epithet."

Context? Completely absent. Regardless of one's personal opinions about Rush, how about some straight talk? While Sen. Barack H. Obama's website implies that Rush actively promoted the rumor, the truth is that Rush merely reported that there was a rumor. So did other media outlets: CNN contributor Roland Martin, when asked about the tape rumor on CNN Anderson Cooper 360 on 6/12/08, replied, "I'm not surprised by it, but I think, also, we can't blame Republicans for everything. It's these idiot Democrats that started some of this stuff." If by merely reporting that there was a rumor about a tape, Rush Limbaugh is guilty of perpetuating the rumor, then is not Mr. Martin also guilty? Why not list him on the "fight the smears" website alongside Rush? Besides, along with other "right-wingers," Rush actually revealed that the whole affair was an unfounded rumor started by Larry Johnson, who was working for the Clinton campaign.

Sen. Barack H. Obama and his cronies are worried about context? Right. They probably have some shares in the Brooklyn Bridge that they'll sell us, too.


How to anger a conservative: Tell her a lie.
How to anger a liberal: tell him the truth.

(photo: the Obama seal)

Solar Activity, Cosmic Rays, & Global Warming

Global warming alarmists have grown quite fond of devaluing the correlation of solar activity on earth’s temperature. In the 1972 World Book Science Annual, Dr. Reid A. Bryson, Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, and Dr. John E. Ross, the Associate Director, wrote, “The sun is the source of all climatic effects.” (p. 96) More recently published studies continue to validate this statement. In fact, a body of research empirically demonstrates correlations between earth’s temperatures and cosmic ray fluctuations from other stars in our galaxy in addition to the sun.

Results of studies by Henrik Svensmark and others of the Danish National Space Center and of the Institute of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, links solar activity, cosmic rays, cloud and water vapor formations, and temperature variations. In a nutshell, increased solar activity suppresses cosmic ray penetration of the atmosphere which reduces available low cloud condensation nuclei. This sequence of events increases clear sky, incoming radiation, and the greenhouse effect from gaseous water vapor. The result is terrestrial warming. When solar activity decreases, the reverse effects result in cooling. (Svensmark, et. al., “Experimental evidence for the role of ions in particle nucleation under atmospheric conditions,” Proceedings of the Royal Society A)

Readers will note that the Proceedings of the Royal Society A, a journal of the mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences, also publishes articles of studies demonstrating that the sun is not a factor in current climate change. I think that this demonstrates that current research concerning the correlation of solar activity and climate change remains a valid topic of scientific study. To cavalierly dismiss empirical studies of the impact of solar activity on climate change is counterproductive and has no scientific merit.


(Photo: Composite image of multiple solar flares on the sun, NASA)

The Grand Experiment

With the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a series of events shook and changed the world forever. As the new Republic took shape, the most unusual group of human leaders continued to place liberty ahead of a grab for power. Instead of establishing a new monarchy or other familiar form of totalitarianism in which the victors grabbed as much power as they could for themselves, America’s Founders created a new government that had no human precedent.

In 1787, the year of the signing of the American Constitution, Ch’ien Lung of the Manchu Dynasty ruled supreme over the people of China. Protests against his rule were put down by ruthless military force. In Japan, Tanuma Okitsugu exercised totalitarian and corrupt authority over the Japanese. Catherine II was the enlightened despot of all the Russians. King Louis XVI sat on the throne of France. He was soon overthrown and executed in the bloody French Revolution which provided the fertile ground for a tyrant of a new making, Napoleon Bonaparte. Frederick the Great ruled Prussia, and Joseph II was the emperor of Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary. Some of these great nations still live under despotic forms of rule even today.

In an amazingly short time as measured by the history of world civilization, America outstripped all of these nations in world power and influence – all because a small group of men chose to establish a nation of liberty rather than a nation they could rule. They chose a nation established on their belief in the providential rule of God instead of the terror of man.

"...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..."

America is decidedly a grand experiment to hang onto.

Global Warming Consensus Melting Down

As if on cue, I received a link on 6/30/08 to a blog by James Spann, chief meteorologist at station ABC 33/40 in Birmingham, Alabama. Posting on his station’s Weather Blog, “Global Warming Movement Turns Cool,” Mr. Spann informs readers that

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…the mythical UN IPCC “consensus” continues to crumble… Dr. Kiminori Itoh, an award-winning PhD environmental physical chemist who specializes in optical waveguide spectroscopy from the University of Tokyo, and a top UN IPCC Scientist, calls global warming fears: the “worst scientific scandal in history” in the weblog of former Colorado State Climatologist Dr. Roger Pielke.
Here is what Canadian climatologist Tim Ball says about the IPCC: “The IPCC is a political organization and yet it is the sole basis of the claim of a scientific consensus on climate change. Consensus is neither a scientific fact nor important in science, but it is very important in politics. There are 2500 members in the IPCC divided between 600 in Working Group I (WGI), who examine the actual climate science, and 1900 in working Groups II and III (WG II and III), who study “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” and “Mitigation of Climate Change” respectively. Of the 600 in WGI, 308 were independent reviewers, but only 32 reviewers commented on more than three chapters and only five reviewers commented on all 11 chapters of the report. They accept without question the findings of WGI and assume warming due to humans is a certainty. In a circular argument typical of so much climate politics the work of the 1900 (less than one percent of the scientific population) is listed as ‘proof’ of human caused global warming. Through this they established the IPCC as the only credible authority thus further isolating those who raised questions.”
*****

These and many other findings mentioned in Mr. Spann’s report indicate that global warming science and scientists are not quite as infallible as global warming alarmists make them out to be.

Why, then, do they persist in trumpeting their myth that man-made global warming is an incontrovertible conclusion and in discrediting their challengers as “flat-earthers” and other acrimonious names? The clear majority, if not all, of the individuals and organizations leading global warming alarmism is comprised of liberal idealists. Their drive is to attain and consolidate the power to direct the collective lives of the world’s inhabitants, resulting in the curtailment of individual liberty. To accomplish this, they must convince enough of the world’s populations, particularly those in the more influential nations, that governing for the collective good is vital to the survival of the planet and, consequently, humanity. Crisis, whether real or perceived, is therefore a beneficial tool of liberal leadership because it short-circuits debate and democratic deliberation that could lead to solutions outside of their centralized planning goals.

Consider, for instance, the admission of Mr. Al Gore himself during an interview with David Roberts of grist.org in May 2006:

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Q: There's a lot of debate right now over the best way to communicate about global warming and get people motivated. Do you scare people or give them hope? What's the right mix?

A: (Gore) I think the answer to that depends on where your audience's head is. In the United States of America, unfortunately we still live in a bubble of unreality. And the Category 5 denial is an enormous obstacle to any discussion of solutions. Nobody is interested in solutions if they don't think there's a problem. Given that starting point, I believe it is appropriate to have an over-representation of factual presentations on how dangerous it is, as a predicate for opening up the audience to listen to what the solutions are, and how hopeful it is that we are going to solve this crisis.
*****

“An over-representation of factual presentations?” In other words, Mr. Gore declares that Americans need to be lied to and deceived in order to properly comprehend global warming. Without “over-representation,” there would be no crisis, no alarmism, and, hence, no opportunity to drive the world toward the tyranny of collectivism.

Unfortunately for Mr. Gore, et. al., some of the scientists are choosing to leave the corral of deceit they have been so carefully constructing. We can only hope that the global warming “consensus” will continue to melt down.

Infallible Science?

One cornerstone of global warming alarmism is the assertion that the science and scientists of global warming are infallible. The evidence for warming has been called “unequivocal” by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Scientists who raise contrary concerns about the methodologies and conclusions of global warming science are dismissed as industry hacks and science quacks.

In the 1972 World Book Science Annual, Dr. Reid A. Bryson, Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, and Dr. John E. Ross, the Associate Director, wrote that the “most important factor in changing the climate, and the one for which man has the most responsibility, is dust… After the eruption, summers in the Northern Hemisphere were cooler than they had been in the years preceding the Krakatoa eruption.” (p. 99) Concerning warming and cooling trends, these scientists wrote, “Incidentally, the spread in temperature from an Ice Age to a no glacial world climate is only about 9 degrees F. Many glaciers have advanced since 1945. We are now nearly two-thirds of the way back to the averages of the early 1800s - a colder time than any living person can recall.” (p. 102)

According to contemporary global warming science, these and other scientists from 30 and more years ago were in error. We are told now that the most important factor is changing the climate, and for which man has the most responsibility, is carbon dioxide emissions. Why were the scientists of previous years wrong? I am willing to acknowledge that new technology and new evidence can change prior scientific conclusions.
However, the rational person must ask, “What, then, makes today’s global warming science and scientists infallible? What if there are new technologies in the making that will uncover new evidence that alters today’s scientific conclusions? If that is the case, then today’s scientists are no more infallible than yesterday’s scientists. And, if that is the case, then do we really want to enact laws and policies that will likely bankrupt us?” After all, had America and the world enacted laws and policies that institutionalized an alarmist fight against the global cooling patterns observed by scientists such as Drs. Bryson and Ross, what kind of climatological mess might we be in today?

Already the term “global warming” is being replaced by “climate change” to reflect that the actual temperatures are not matching the intensity of the scientific predictions. Yet, global warming alarmists continue to espouse that the methodologies and conclusions of their scientists are infallible and are not to be challenged. Is this the kind of thinking upon which we want to impose new laws that will radically alter our lives in ways yet to be imagined? I suggest that we give this some serious thought.

Excellent!

Great news! Last night's "From the Front Lines" webathon to raise contributions for the largest care package delivery to American troops in history was a smashing success. The stated goal of $500,000 was surpassed prior to the half-way point in the eight hour webathon.

Contributions from the fund raiser reported this evening at MoveAmericaForward are $1,116,556.

If you participated, way to go! If you still want to participate, log on through the above link and follow the care package instructions.

Care Packages

A unique opportunity to participate in a drive to send the largest single shipment of care packages in history to U.S. troops is going on now.

MoveAmericaForward.org, the nation's largest pro-troop organization, is in the middle of a drive to send the largest single shipment of care packages to U.S. troops in history. When you sponsor care packages for our troops you have the opportunity to type in a personalized message that will be printed along with your name and address on all the items in the care packages. Often times our troops in Iraq & Afghanistan - who get lonely given the 8,000 miles of separation from family and friends - will send notes of gratitude back to the sponsors of these packages.

The grand finale for the push will take place on Thursday, June 26th when a "Jerry Lewis" style 8-hour Internet Telethon ("From the Frontlines") will take place. This cutting edge production “From The Frontlines” will be broadcast live online by UStream.tv and hosted by Melanie Morgan & Michelle Malkin. Live and taped reports will be broadcast from our troops serving in Iraq & Afghanistan during the historic 8-hour event.

For many more details, surf over to www.moveamericaforward.org. Follow the links to more reports about the care packages and the telethon. Consider sponsoring a care package for American military personnel serving in Afghanistan & Iraq. Consider watching some of the telethon and learn what is currently taking shape in those theaters of operation.

Plants Have Feelings, Too!

SkyePuppy posted (6/4/08) about the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protest against the treatment of lobsters. If PETA has their way, then vegetarian diets will become law. Except for imposing more elitist control over the lives of ordinary citizens, that sounds innocent enough. After all, vegetarianism is billed as "good for us." (Since I have conducted no personal research into the topic, I will not make any comments about the value of vegetarianism at this time).

However, in the land of left-believe, there is no such thing as innocence.

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GENEVA - Plants deserve respect, a group of Swiss experts said Monday, arguing that killing them arbitrarily was morally wrong. In a report on "the dignity of the creature in the plant world," the federal Ethics Committee on non-human Gene Technology condemned the decapitation of flowers without reason, among other sins. Still, committee member Bernard Baertsche suggested at a press conference that such cruel acts would be weighed on a case-by-case basis, noting "the simple pleasure of picking the petals off a daisy might suffice as a reason." Similarly "all action that involves plants in the aim to conserve the human species is morally justified," said the committee, which offers an ethical take on all areas of biotechnology and genetic engineering. Nor did the commission object to genetic engineering, since this did not threaten plants' "autonomy -- that is, their capacity to reproduce or their capacity of adaptation." -- Edmonton Journal
*****

How long will it be before an organization is formed that protests the cruelty being wrought on plants by farmers who insist on growing certain varieties in confinement (otherwise known as farms) and mercilessly executing unwanted varieties? Oh, the cruelty of it all! (By the way, here is a ground floor opportunity. What to call such an organization? It must have a nifty acronym. PETP - People for the Ethical Treatment of Plants - doesn't cut it).

Now the rational thinker might believe that the sparks will fly when PETA and this organization to be named collide. But rational thought and actions are not prerequisites in the land of left-believe. I am certain that a workable compromise will emerge - especially since there will be those who are members of both organizations - such as, oh say, humans refrain from eating. Or, to be a bit more gruesome & macabre, resort to dieting on the only living being that liberals love to kill.

Worrywarts

I don't make this stuff up. I am not creative enough. An AP-AOL Health poll conducted from March 24 to April 3, 2008 links stress-induced health issues with high debt (surprise, surprise). What did catch me by surprise were the concluding sentences listing groups with more or less “debt stress.”

*****

"Indeed, the survey found that upwardly mobile, middle-class families were among those who had the most debt stress. Others were women, couples with small children, low-income working families, Democrats and those who graduated high school but haven't taken college courses. Those least likely to be stressed from debt include men, retirees, empty nesters, college graduates and Republicans." (emphasis added)

*****

Wow! A few conclusions can be drawn from this:

(1) For better health, be Republican.

(2) Republicans manage their money better than Democrats.

(3) Republicans take more responsibility for their lives.

(4) Democrats worry more. [Well, given the lifestyles of typical liberals, I can understand why].

Any other conclusions? I'd love to share more.

Like I say, I can't make this stuff up.

FDR D-Day Address

As Allied forces struggled to gain a beachhead at Normandy, France, 64 years ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt shared the news with Americans as a prayer to God.

*****
My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944
www.historyplace.com/speeches/fdr-prayer.htm
*****
It is certainly a shame that Americans then did not have warriors like the ACLU and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State to protect them from the religious ravings of their megalomaniac president who kept insisting that peace be won through military victory and that national petitions to Almighty God were proper to help secure that victory; or, that they did not have a Speaker of the House who attributed American success to the “goodwill” of Nazi Germany.
Yes, I am engaging in a bit of sarcasm. My solemn deliberation, though, is to remember the sacrifices of our brave men and women both then and now with the same attention to faith and prayer that FDR asked of Americans. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.

(photo: Normandy, France, June 6, 1944)

I've Gone Green

Yes, believe it or not, I've gone green; that is, I am now a staunch environmentalist. The reason for my "conversion?" I have been taught how simple it is. All I have to do is offer a few incantations about needing to save the planet and - voila! - instant greenie. Don't believe me? Well, try "environmentally conscious" NASCAR driver Brian Vickers:

*****
"It's something I've definitely grown passionate about. I believe that we are damaging this world in many ways and it's not just about carbon dioxide; we've got to learn to lead a sustainable life and a sustainable future as humans," said Vickers. "People talk about environmentalism as a way to save the planet, and I think that's a very inaccurate statement. I think it's a way to save humanity and society, as we know it, because the planet is going to go on.
"What we're trying to protect and what people need to realize is that we're trying to protect our future as human beings and how we live on this planet. Unless we can do it in a sustainable way. then that's not going to happen. And definitely not with six billion people."
"I think all the people of the world need to recognize that, first and foremost, we need to think about intelligent solutions," said Vickers. "I don't think it's realistic to expect everyone to live in huts in the woods. That's not acceptable for six billion people; you just can't survive that way. What we need to do is figure out how to live the life we live in a sustainable way." (Monte Dutton, NASCAR This Week)

*****

So there we have it. Say a few magical words and - poof! - instant greenie. There, wasn't that easy? All we have to do is "figure out how to live the life we live in a sustainable way."

Rev up those engines, boys, the race is about to begin! I feel so much better already.

Memorial Day 2008

A sad irony of the legacy of human history is that we so rarely have peace unless it is forced upon us. Many a human civilization has tried to live peacefully without an umbrella of vigilance and military protection because they would not or could not provide it. All too often, the unfortunate consequence is that such civilizations become the target of predatory regimes that have no interest in peace, mercy, or justice.

Thus it is that America maintains Armed Forces and calls upon them to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Memorial Day is our opportunity to pay respect and honor to those who have gone before us in service to our nation. Whether in war or in peace, America has lost too early sons and daughters who have sacrificed themselves for the benefit of others.

While our tribute through prayers, parades, memorial services, and other ceremonies is proper and fitting, we can also honor our military personnel, both living and dead, by remembering that freedom, liberty, and peace are secured only through vigilance, hard work, and sacrifice.

CDR Gene Fluckey was among the first generation of World War II submarine commanding officers to abandon certain conservative battle tactics employed by those preceding them. Upon the return from an extremely successful first patrol as commanding officer of the USS Barb, CDR Fluckey was summoned to a visit with President Roosevelt in July 1944. After briefly discussing his patrol with the President, CDR Fluckey was told, “Battle reports like yours let me sleep, confident that peace is inevitable.” (Carl LaVO, The Galloping Ghost, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2007, p. 74)

Let us honor this Memorial Day, and every day, those who sacrifice to make “peace inevitable.”

Oil Industry Profits

Thanks to all who participated in the poll.

It’s time to be the answer man. The answer to my question – “Approximately how much do oil companies profit on each gallon of gasoline priced at $4.00 per gallon?” – is 40 cents. The other figures in the multiple choice poll question break down as follows:

$2.64 is the 1950s price of gasoline adjusted for inflation alone.
$.80 is the amount of taxes paid per gallon (about 20% per gallon).
$.20 is just a bogus figure I threw in.

My source for these figures is an article, “Economics 101: The Price of Gas,” from the Ludwig von Mises Institute. I recognize that there are challenges to some of these figures, especially in light of today’s charged political environment. I did a far-from-exhaustive sampling of other sources and found that the cited article is not at any great variance from many other sources. I will leave it as an exercise to the interested reader to follow up; my technique involved googling “profit gallon gasoline.” That produces plenty of material to sift through. Informative stuff, too.

Regardless of what site I went to, it is evident that we pay more for taxes than “big oil” company profits on each gallon of gasoline. In fact, we pay taxes on each gasoline purchase at least twice. In addition to the taxes that consumers pay at the pump, the company pays income taxes. In the case of Exxon Mobile, that has been about 40% of gross profits the past three years (2007 Annual Report, p. 38. Note: 7.55 Mb pdf document, if you choose to open it). Costs, including income taxes, are built into the price structure of everything we purchase. Businesses and property do not pay taxes; people pay taxes.

Even though the profit margins of “big oil” companies have remained steady for many years in spite of the fluctuations in the price of crude oil and refined petroleum products, oil company executives are being hauled into Washington to testify before Congress for “price gouging.” Maybe it’s time for our illustrious elected officials to take a look at who is really gouging consumers. A mirror would help here.

Armed Forces Day 2008

As May 17th - Armed Forces Day - approached, I began thinking of those who fought in World War II. In particular, for some reason I began thinking of those who fought who still had not achieved and been granted the fullest rights at home: blacks, Native Americans, Japanese Americans, and others.

Even though many experienced various discriminations that continued even during their military service, they nevertheless contributed valiantly in their service as American military personnel. And, when allowed to engage in combat, they fought tenaciously.

I marvel at all of our brave American heroes who stood up to totalitarianism around the globe, but I especially marvel at those “minorities” who, in spite of the discriminations they experienced, still put their lives on the line for their country. What would motivate someone to make this decision? I offer only my personal guess.

They believed in America. In spite of injustices that probably most of them experienced, they understood the difference between liberty and totalitarianism. They stood for liberty. Even though there were still domestic issues to resolve, they put many of those on the back burner until the threat to America and the rest of the world was totally annihilated.

Americans today could stand to learn and apply valuable lessons from them.

May God bless all of our Armed Forces personnel preserving our freedom today.

(photo: Tuskegee airmen)

New Poll

I invite you to take my poll (located along the left side). Approximately how much do oil companies profit on each gallon of gasoline priced at $4.00 per gallon?

I will reveal the answer next week.

I look forward to your participation. Thanks!

The New JFK

Campaigning on change, hope, & progress, Sen. Barack H. Obama has been heralded the “new” JFK. These are heady times, folks. We have the messiah of change, hope, & progress all wrapped up in one Sen. Barack H. Obama, the “new” JFK. Typical of campaign rhetoric, one might come away with a different conclusion when we actually pay attention to how JFK excited Americans in the 1960s:

Economy:
JFK: “To achieve these greater gains, one step, above all, is essential--the enactment this year of a substantial reduction and revision in Federal income taxes. For it is increasingly clear--to those in Government, business, and labor who are responsible for our economy's success--that our obsolete tax system exerts too heavy a drag on private purchasing power, profits, and employment. Designed to check inflation in earlier years, it now checks growth instead. It discourages extra effort and risk. It distorts the use of resources. It invites recurrent recessions, depresses our Federal revenues, and causes chronic budget deficits.” (Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union, January 14, 1963)

Sen. Barack H. Obama:
“I suspect a lot of this crowd--it looks like a pretty well-dressed crowd--potentially will pay a little bit more. I will pay a little bit more..." (response to question about letting tax cuts lapse, 1/30/2008)

“Domestically, our national debt and budget constrain us in ways that are going to be very far-reaching. And I think whoever is elected in 2008 is going to be cleaning up the fiscal mess that was created as a consequence of the president's tax cuts.” (Source: The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p.155 Oct 30, 2007)

Religion in America:
JFK: “The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” (Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961)

Sen. Barack H. Obama: “This brings me to my second point. Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.” (“Call to Renewal” Keynote Address, 6/28/2006, http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/)


Cuba:
JFK: “Upon receiving the first preliminary hard information of this nature last Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., I directed that our surveillance be stepped up.”

JFK: “Finally, I want to say a few words to the captive people of Cuba, to whom this speech is being directly carried by special radio facilities. I speak to you as a friend, as one who knows of your deep attachment to your fatherland, as one who shares your aspirations for liberty and justice for all. And I have watched and the American people have watched with deep sorrow how your nationalist revolution was betrayed-- and how your fatherland fell under foreign domination. Now your leaders are no longer Cuban leaders inspired by Cuban ideals. They are puppets and agents of an international conspiracy which has turned Cuba against your friends and neighbors in the Americas--and turned it into the first Latin American country to become a target for nuclear war--the first Latin American country to have these weapons on its soil.”

Sen. Barack H. Obama: “Our longstanding policies toward Cuba have been a miserable failure, evidenced by the fact that Fidel Castro is now the longest-serving head of state in the world. If our isolationist policies were meant to weaken him, they certainly haven’t worked. I believe that normalization of relations with Cuba would help the oppressed and poverty-stricken Cuban people while setting the stage for a more democratic government once Castro inevitably leaves the scene.” (Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization, 2004)

Enemies of Freedom
JFK: "...to prevent a Communist takeover of Vietnam which is in accordance with a policy our government has followed since 1954." (President Kennedy justifies the expanding U.S. military in Vietnam)

JFK: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge--and more…. Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.
We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed…. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” (Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961)

JFK: “...It was not General Marshall's speech at Harvard which kept communism out of Western Europe--it was the strength and stability made possible by our military and economic assistance. In this administration also it has been necessary at times to issue specific warnings--warnings that we could not stand by and watch the Communists conquer Laos by force, or intervene in the Congo, or swallow West Berlin, or maintain offensive missiles on Cuba. But while our goals were at least temporarily obtained in these and other instances, our successful defense of freedom was due not to the words we used, but to the strength we stood ready to use on behalf of the principles we stand ready to defend.” (Remarks Prepared for Delivery at the Trade Mart in Dallas, November 22, 1963)

Sen. Barack H. Obama: “We must remember that the cost of going it alone is immense. It is a choice we sometimes have to make, but one that must be made rarely and always reluctantly. That is because America’s standing in the world is a precious resource not easily rebuilt.” (Senate Floor, 3/21/07)


Military Service:
JFK: PT 109 - 'nuff said.

Sen. Barack H. Obama: None.

If Americans are looking for a “new” JFK, then we already have him in the White House. At least, when we base the comparisons on actual content, we do.

Has Sen. Obama Attacked the Black Church?

In an address to the National Press Club on April 28, 2008, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. said that “attacks on him are really attacks on the black church… Mr. Wright told the press club audience that the black church in America grew out of the oppression of black people, and that his sermons reflected that struggle.” (The New York Times) In his speech, the Rev. Wright compared U.S. troops to the Roman legions that killed Christ, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, and suggested that the AIDS epidemic was a racist plot. (ABC news)

In response, Sen. Barack H. Obama summoned reporters to say he was outraged by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's "divisive and destructive" remarks, calling his behavior "outrageous" and a "spectacle." (ABC & AP news)

Has Sen. Barack H. Obama attacked the black church in America?

Saving the Planet

Recent articles and columns move me to jump onboard the Earth day-environmentalism-global warming bandwagon. I have some further ideas about reducing greenhouse gasses.

First, eliminate all amusement parks. Except for selfish entertainment, they serve no useful purpose yet burn up massive amounts of carbon-generating megawatts every operational day. Everyone concerned about global warming should want to protest, not attend, these bigfoot carbon footprint generators.

Second, ban NASCAR, IRL, and all other forms of auto racing. How much greenhouse gasses must these operations generate? Do we really want to strand polar bears on melting polar icecaps just so folks can watch some cars going around in circles?

Third, limit the number of movies that can be produced annually and the amount of time that consumers can spend watching movies and television. Instead of creating and contributing to environmental hazards, we could redirect our time to, say, cleaning up a neighborhood.

Fourth, allow commercial planes to depart only when they have been completely filled. No use dumping all that fossil fuel exhaust directly into the atmosphere with partially filled planes. And eliminate first-class passenger sections in order to increase the carrying capacity. We have to be energy efficient.

These are just a few of my ideas to contribute to the global warming solution. They are a wee bit drastic, but, after all, we have to save the planet. What global warming alarmist could disagree with my proposals? Thank goodness that we have prospective presidential candidates this time around who are not afraid to talk about the draconian policies that need to be implemented in order to halt and reverse global warming terrorism.

Tax Season Keeps on Going

Well, the tax filing deadline has passed and, I am sure, most Americans have finished their taxes for another year. In reality, though, tax season is never over. Already you have made either payroll deductions or estimations for the current year. Already our governments are holding our money hostage until we can wade through the complex of regulations that will allow us to potentially free some of it. The paperwork & IRS instruction hassles are increasingly ridiculous.

This is why I have become more & more attracted to the grassroots, non-partisan Americans for Fair Tax movement. If you have never heard of the Fair Tax, or want to learn more about it, a wealth of information is available at http://www.fairtax.org/.

When I first heard of the Fair Tax plan, I was not in favor of it. It is, simplistically stated, a national sales tax. Who wants that? But before jumping to uninformed conclusions, give it a fair hearing. Take the time to be informed about its benefits. The website is full of research. I believe that the Fair Tax proposal is the most well-researched tax reform proposal around.

Here are some highlights of the proposal directly from the website: “The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue replacement, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment. This nonpartisan legislation (HR 25) abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities. The IRS is disbanded and defunded. The FairTax taxes us only on what we choose to spend on new goods or services, not on what we earn. The FairTax is a fair, efficient, transparent, and intelligent solution to the frustration and inequity of our current tax system.”

If the Fair Tax proposal interests you, learn more about it at http://www.fairtax.org/.

Personal Relationship with Jesus

Tomorrow, March 23, 2008, is Easter for most Christian faith groups worldwide. The remembrance of this event, and the events leading up to the resurrection of Jesus, creates an appropriate time for all of us to take stock of our spiritual lives and personal relationship with God. I offer these questions as a beginning point for personal reflection:
(1) What is your spiritual belief and how do you practice it?
(2) To you, who is Jesus?
(3) Do you believe there is a heaven and a hell?
(4) If you died right now, where would you go? If heaven, why?
(5) If what you believe were not true, would you want to know it?

If your answer to question (5) is “no,” I thank you for reading this far. You really have no need to read further.

If your answer to question (5) is “yes,” I invite you to consider what the Bible says and to let it speak to you.

(1) “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23) What does this say to you?
(2) “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) What does this say to you?
(3) “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’” (John 3:3) Why did Jesus come to die?
(4) “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) What does this say to you?
(5) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’” (Romans 10:9-11) What does this say to you?
(6) “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15) What does this say to you?
(7) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20) What does this say to you?

If these Bible verses are speaking to you, I invite you to consider these questions:

(1) Are you a sinner?
(2) Do you want forgiveness for your sins?
(3) Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again?
(4) Are you willing to surrender your life to Christ?
(5) Are you ready to invite Jesus into your life and into your heart?

If your answers to the above questions are yes, I offer the following words as a sample of what you can sincerely pray right now to receive complete forgiveness from our loving God:

“Heavenly Father, I have sinned against You. I want forgiveness for all my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I give You my life to do with as You wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If this is your prayer, or if you have further questions, I invite you to visit the website of First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill. You can contact me through the online form there.

May God grant you a blessed Easter celebration, and may this become your moment of salvation!

(Questions taken from the Share Jesus Without Fear workbook. © 1997 by LifeWay Press.)
(Scripture taken from the New International Version. © 1996 by the Zondervan Corp.)

Political Christianity: Hillary Clinton

The Christian faith has become a contested centerpiece among candidates for the 2008 Presidential campaign. Even the liberal-controlled, anti-Christian (well, anti-conservative, evangelical Christianity) Democrat party, the two main contenders have not been shy about admitting their religious loyalties whenever it serves their political purpose. I look first at Mrs. Clinton.

Writes Michael Luo (New York Times, 7/7/07), “Her Methodist faith, Mrs. Clinton says, has guided her as she sought to repair her marriage, forgiven some critics who once vilified her and struggled in the bare-knuckles world of politics to fulfill the biblical commandment to love thy neighbor. Mrs. Clinton, the New York senator who is seeking the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, has been alluding to her spiritual life with increasing regularity in recent years, language that has dovetailed with efforts by her party to reach out to churchgoers who have been voting overwhelmingly Republican… On the campaign trail or in other public appearances, she increasingly is speaking more personally about faith, sprinkling in references to inspiring biblical verses ( “faith without works is dead,” from James), Jesus’ injunction to care for the needy and even her daily prayer life, which she credits to being raised in a “praying family.” In the interview and a subsequent telephone conversation, she described her spiritual habits — she carries a Bible on her campaign travels, reads commentaries on Scripture and on other people’s “faith journeys” and spoke of experiencing “the presence of the Holy Spirit on many occasions.” …Long portrayed by critics as out of touch with religious voters, Mrs. Clinton is clearly intent on trying win some of them over. Her campaign, for example, has brought in Burns Strider, an evangelical Christian who headed religious outreach for Democrats in the House.”

In an even bolder pronouncement of her zealous faith in Christ, Mrs. Clinton addressed a Sunday camp meeting of the Holy Flame Pentecostal Church of Little Rock, Arkansas on November 29, 2004: "I'm here spending time at my husband's library, and of course, I always take time to worship God in as evangelical a way as is feasible, given time and location constraints. As you know, I consider myself an evangelical Christian, really a Christian conservative, if you want to know the truth, so it's nice to be 'home' again in the South, which I really consider my quote-unquote home even though I live in New York most of the time.” (Rob Long, National Review Online)

Mrs. Clinton… yes, quite the darling starling for the cause of evangelical, conservative Christianity.

Let’s fast rewind back to 1995 to discover what evangelical, conservative Christianity means to Mrs. Clinton. In April of that year, Mrs. Clinton met with New Age medium and author Jean Houston. During their session, “Houston told the First Lady to close her eyes and talk to Eleanor Roosevelt, and then imaginatively proclaim what words Eleanor would say back to her. Then she encouraged Hillary to talk to Mahatma Gandhi. Mrs. Clinto told him how she, like he, suffered for peace… The solarium session was only one of a series of Houston meetings, including a meeting of gurus like Tony Robbins and Houston friend Mary Catherine Bateson…” (L. Brent Bozell III, Whitewash, Crown Forum, 2007, pp. 100-101)

As an evangelical, conservative Christian myself, I find it extremely difficult to reconcile Mrs. Clinton’s self-revelations about being an evangelical Christian with her involvement in séances and medium-led channeling through which she “spoke” with Roosevelt and Gandhi. There is just happens to be a wee bit of a doctrinal difference between evangelical Christianity and New Age spiritism.

Perhaps what Mrs. Clinton means is that she considers herself a political Christian.

The True Cost of Universal Health-Care

“Alex Silva remembers the day well. He was a pack-a-day smoker… when his boss told him the news: CFI Westgate Resort employees… would be prohibited from smoking – not just on the job or on Westgate property, but anywhere, anytime.” (Harry Wessel, The Orlando Sentinel, published in the Kokomo Tribune, 1/3/08, p. A1) The reasoning behind the CFI decision is simple: “Employers are saying they can no longer afford to subsidize bad behavior.” The article cites that 50 to 70 percent of health-care costs are predicated on bad behavior.

So what do Americans think will happen if “universal” (meaning taxpayer funded) health-care is implemented? It will not be business digging into our personal behavior choices; it will be government. Facing huge “universal” health-care costs, government will have no choice but to force behavioral change on the entire population. And don’t think that tobacco use will be the only target: think trans-fats; think soft drinks; think any behavior that increases health-care costs. (For instance, see what coercive legislation The Center for Science in the Public Interest lobbyists already propose).

You may think that I’m over the top here, but I assure you I am not. I will most assuredly be one of those who will propose such bans to his/her elected officials. If I must be forced into socialism, then you can be certain that I will be a good socialist. If a government is given the “right” to pick my pocket for “universal” health-care, then it also has the “right” to coercively force behavioral changes in order to contain health-care costs.

The true cost for “universal” health-care is an erosion of our personal liberties – perhaps a faster erosion than we have ever experienced. The emotionalism of health-care for everyone sounds oh-so compassionate. But let us consider completely the true cost of state-sponsored, collectivist economic planning before deciding. If making your own personal lifestyle decisions is not important to you, then maybe “universal” health-care is just what the doctor ordered.

Sanctity of Life 2008

This year is the 35th anniversary of the Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton decisions that mark the legalization of abortion in America. One logical consequence of these bad Supreme Court decisions is that a new industry would be spawned. That, indeed, has become the case as the abortion industry, led by Planned Parenthood, swelled during these 35 years. Imagine running a business that seeks to profit from the killing of one of the most defenseless members of our civilization – a child in the womb. Not only does abortion centers like Planned Parenthood intend to profit from this “service,” they also happily welcome tax revenue confiscated from the American public who is provided absolutely no choice when their hard-earned public funds are sought by these merchants of death.

Ironically, Planned Parenthood leadership and pro-abortion politicians are fond of calling articles like mine and those who gather and pray at abortion centers “extremist.” This is their language that frequently turns up in editorials and opinion columns. They are the ones killing babies, but we’re the extremists. I don’t get it.

So for anyone who wants to engage in the “extremist” act of opposing abortion and supporting life, here are a couple of website resources to get you going: Be a Voice (an outreach of Focus on the Family) and the American Life League (an outreach of the Catholic Church). Both provide some sobering facts about abortion, euthanasia, and other goals of the culture of death. Both provide some useful resources that anyone can use to oppose these debilitating atrocities.

http://www.heartlink.org/beavoice

http://www.all.org/

Above all, pray that the Spirit of our dear Lord will convict those engaging in these atrocities of their sin and cause them to turn to our precious Savior in repentance.