Malaise Is BACK!
American Optimism Lowest Since Carter Administration
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
***************
"Fewer than four-in-10 Americans (39 percent) rate the US in a positive manner – the most negative feedback the country has produced since 1979.
A new Gallup poll finds that Americans are as negative about the country’s prospects as they have been in more than three decades. Americans are more upbeat in their predictions of where the U.S. will be in five years (48 percent positive), but this is the lowest rating since an August 1979 Gallup poll was conducted." SOURCE: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/01/22/gallup-american-optimism-hits-lowest-point-since-carter-administration/
No kidding? Why, I thought everyone was ecstatic now that America is a socialist country. Well, news like this makes one wonder if ole Winnie Churchill was right when he said that under socialism everybody SUFFERS equally, huh?
Enjoy these halcyon days while you can because it is all downhill from here. All these idyllically calm, peaceful, happy, and tranquil days are just a facade. Actually the facade is not very convincing either. Otherwise, we'd not have such a report from Gallop.
Remember the "malaise" of the Carter years? Well, if you're an , uh, older American you do. I remember it well. I can't don a sweater today without thinking of the Carter administration. I rarely wear sweaters anymore.
Well, Obama's malaise has set in. And it will eat at the core of the nation for the next four years slowing sucking the life out of our economy, and depleting the energy level of the American people.
Remember what I have written over and over and over about the acceptance of MEDIOCRITY under Obama's brand of socialism? Well, America, you have just gotten a teensie little taste of it.
The dirty little secret about Obama's socialism is this: It EXCELS at mediocrity.
See, socialism does not bring everyone UP to the same level. No. Just the opposite. It lowers those already at a higher level down to the lower level. That's what socialists mean by equality, by fairness. We all suffer equally.
Already the middle class is disappearing in America. When Obama has completed his "fundamental transformation" of America, there will be NO Middle Class. Oh, there will be two classes, the lower class and the power elite -- the folks who run everything. See they are MORE EQUAL than you and I.
The process has already begun. Now we watch the inevitable slide from American excellence, or what we used to call "American Exceptionalism," to, well, mediocrity as the new normal.
Gone are the days of the unlimited horizon. Gone is the belief that nothing was impossible for the Americans. Obama has led us to the outer limits of the possible and shown us that, indeed, we ARE limited. He has shown us that fairness dictates a limit to progress, to innovation, to dreams. For America, there is nothing left to discover, to invent, to explore, to build or rebuild, to dream of, or hope for.
America is no longer the country every other country wants to emulate. Even our President is the butt of all sorts of jokes, from racial to locker room humor, around the world. Our national pride has taken a huge hit.
How did we get here? Through ignorance and apathy and the application of a well thought-out process.
"Barnum was right. There is a sucker born every minute. As of right now, the American public is that sucker and it is being taken for the ride of its life by a very shrewd and manipulative political process that is capitalizing on its fears and frustrations by promising it the world with a song and a dance. Before this song and dance are through an awful lot of dazed and confused dullards are going to be in for the shock of their lives. And the worst thing of all is that these dullards willingly lined up for the shock." SOURCE: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/29/dumbing-it-down-the-pursuit-of-intellectual-mediocrity-in-america/
THIS is malaise. It's real and it's ugly and very dangerous. It will sap a nation's strength and lay it's defenses low. It makes a nation vulnerable, especially to the miscreant with "all the right answers."
Having lived and worked through the Carter years, this is all recognizable to me. America was being micro-managed by a strong central government during those years. And I do mean MICRO MANAGED. I recall conversations with a local civil preparedness supervisor who had been tasked with spot checking businesses to make sure the building thermostats had been set to the government approved settings. (No -- I am NOT kidding!) Even though he was a member of Carter's democratic party, he was furious at being tasked with spying on his friends and neighbors. He has long since passed on but were he alive today he would not believe the depth of government intrusion into the everyday lives of Americans.
Reagan rescued America then. But Ronald Reagan was one of a kind. Where is the right's champion today?
© J. D. Longstreet
Forcing Construction Jobs Back on Trend!
Click to enlarge.
I'll bet you $100 that we will never make it back to the blue trend line *and* that my name isn't Captain Awesome.
Easy money! That's two ways you can win! Any takers?
Before you place your bet, I should probably warn you that I don't live in Oregon. That might affect the odds of the surest way to make the $100, lol. Sigh.
Without gallows sarcasm all is lost.
See Also:
Happy Construction Labor Day
Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Construction Employees per Capita
Treasury Billmageddon!
Click to enlarge.
Okay, there's some sensationalized sarcasm in this post's title and in the chart. I admit it. I never claimed to be a respectable economic journalist! Hey, I'm just a computer and physics guy with a sarcastic sense of humor. You get what you pay for on this free (deflationary) and mostly anonymous blog. ;)
In all seriousness, much to the dismay of typical economic pundits (think CNBC and/or Jeremy Siegel) it would seem hard to have a full-blown treasury bond rate explosion in the near-term if we can't even get the 3-month treasury bill to yield one-tenth of one-percent on a regular basis. Just a thought!
So what does this mean? I had no problem locking in a 3.53% yield for 20 years on EE Savings Bonds in January yet again. That's the yield one gets if one buys the bond today and holds 20 years (since they are guaranteed to double in value over the period).
2^(1/20) = 1.0353
The same may not be said for those who buy in May (when rates and possibly terms will next be changed). Should rates continue to remain this low on the short end of the curve, then eventually someone within government might decide that 25 years would be a more suitable time frame for EE Bonds to double in value. Just a hunch.
I can't say that 3.53% is an absolute bargain (hindsight may show that it wasn't), but it definitely beats the current 2.79% yield on the 20-year Treasury. In other words, long-term savers could certainly be doing worse.
I am a relative interest rate and inflation agnostic these days. I have virtually no opinion on what either will be doing 10 years from now. If I was forced to guess under penalty of death, I'd probably say more of the same. Put another way, I think the entire global economy is as @#$%ed over the next decade as it has been for the last decade. Call me a permabear.
This is not investment advice.
Source Data:
FRB: Selected Interest Rates
US Treasury: Yield Curve Rates
Yellow signature
A soft combination that is appropriate for any season and for any day of the week. After all, everything depends on how you feel and your mood on that day, destination and weather are the other half of the story.
Max goes minimal in a mix of textures on a Friday afternoon spent with Bogdan and a hot cup of tea with strawberry cake :)
I love days like these...
Coat: vintage
Clutch: 3.1 Phillip Lim/ similar Here
Pants: thanks to Sheinside/ Here
Sweater: thrift store
Necklace: DIY, made by Bogdan and I
Heels: Nine West/ different colors Here
Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren/ option Here
more news to come
I've got a secret wrapped in a riddle. What do upholstery, sparkles and a party of 20 have in common?
Come back on Wednesday and find out.
 |
| source |
The Constitution? What's That? ... J. D. Longstreet
The Constitution? What's That?
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
***************
The dictionary tells us that a constitution is a law, or compilation of laws, determining the fundamental political principles of a government.
The people of the United States have a constitution.
Now, I know this will come as a shock to many, but we actually DO have a constitution, which was written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently ratified by the original thirteen states.
As we observe the huge blob that our government has become since, one has to wonder if the constitution is relevant anymore.
I mentioned a while back that I actually saw a debate on one of the cable news channels about this very thing recently. Frankly, I was horrified that such a discussion even took place. But it did. And I watched it, slack-jawed, all the way through.
There are those among us who say the constitution is dead. In fact, at The November Coalition website you'll even find an obituary for the constitution:
"National Obituaries:
Death and Funeral Notices
THE
UNITED STATES
CONSTITUTION
XXXXXDead at 221 YRS
The world and especially the people of America have lost a most courageous and loyal friend, one who has been there for the downtrodden, the hopeless and those who have always struggled for fairness. Through prodigious pain and agonizing suffering which quietly and without notice began to cripple her around 1974, she prevailed relentlessly. But a continuous onslaught of plagues in the '80s and '90s has proved to be just too much for her to bear.
The Constitution of the United StatesDead at 221 years of age. The cause of her untimely demise were constant and relentless attacks on her far and wide. In the beginning and through most of her history, friends with courage, pride and dignity protected her. Tragically, in her latter years, insolence, haughtiness and vainglory tore and ripped at her heart and even her soul. In the final period before her death, devious men went their course towards the Constitution's complete destruction with its own sworn protectors, the U.S. Criminal Justice System. Their cold acts were the most intrinsic of all her traitors.
The U.S. Constitution has now been laid to rest. This fact will never erase the distressing sadness that she was killed in cold blood by many of her own.
Submitted by Stephen C. Labacz & Steve Daniel, Prisoners of War in America
SOURCE: http://www.november.org/razorwire/rzold/11/1105.html
America has been replacing the freedom of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights with Marxism/socialism for many decades now. The move toward socialism in America is nothing new.
President Herbert Hoover (President of the United States 1929-1932) in an address at West Branch, Iowa on August 10, 1954 voiced his deep concern over socialism and the threat it presented for America and the world. Here is a portion of President Hoover's remarks:
"I have witnessed the legacy of war in doubting minds, brutality, crime and debased morals. Moreover, I have witnessed on the ground in 20 nations the workings of the philosophy of that anti-Christ, Karl Marx.
After these long years and from all these experiences, there rises constantly in my mind the forces which make for progress and those which may corrode away the safeguards of freedom in America. I want to say something about these forces but I shall endeavor to do so, not in the tones of Jeremiah but in the spirit of Saint Paul....
Our Founding Fathers did not invent the priceless boon of individual freedom and respect for the dignity of men. That great gift to mankind sprang from the Creator and not from governments.
The Founding Fathers, with superb genius, welded together the safeguards of these freedoms....Today the Socialist virus and poison gas generated by Karl Marx and Friedreich Engels have spread into every nation on the earth.
Their dogma is absolute materialism which defies truth and religious faith. Their poisons are of many sorts. The preservation of the safeguards of liberty makes it imperative that we give heed to their every variety....
A nation is strong or weak, it thrives or perishes upon what it believes to be true. If our youth is rightly instructed in the faith of our fathers; in the traditions of our country; in the dignity of each individual man, then our power will be stronger than any weapon of destruction that man can devise.
And now as to this whole gamut of Socialist infections, I say to you...God has blessed us with another wonderful word--heritage. The great documents of that heritage are not from Karl Marx. They are from the Bible, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Within them alone can the safeguards of freedom survive....
These new frontiers give us other blessings. Not only do they expand our living but also they open new opportunities and new areas of adventure and enterprise. They open new vistas of beauty. They unfold the wonders of the atom and the heavens. Daily they prove the reality of an all-wise Supreme Giver of Law."
After reading these few remarks is it any wonder that President Hoover is one of the most vilified American Presidents of all time?
Our republic is dying. There can be no doubt of that. She's dying because we (The People) have turned our backs on her. We don't care anymore. We have learned to rely on government for our existence -- from the cradle to the grave -- and we no longer feel that urge for freedom and liberty. We don't really care what the government does just so long as they keep us safe and secure and keep the checks coming once a month.
A republic cannot survive such laziness -- not even America.
© J. D. Longstreet
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
***************
The dictionary tells us that a constitution is a law, or compilation of laws, determining the fundamental political principles of a government.
The people of the United States have a constitution.
Now, I know this will come as a shock to many, but we actually DO have a constitution, which was written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently ratified by the original thirteen states.
As we observe the huge blob that our government has become since, one has to wonder if the constitution is relevant anymore.
I mentioned a while back that I actually saw a debate on one of the cable news channels about this very thing recently. Frankly, I was horrified that such a discussion even took place. But it did. And I watched it, slack-jawed, all the way through.
There are those among us who say the constitution is dead. In fact, at The November Coalition website you'll even find an obituary for the constitution:
"National Obituaries:
Death and Funeral Notices
THE
UNITED STATES
CONSTITUTION
XXXXXDead at 221 YRS
The world and especially the people of America have lost a most courageous and loyal friend, one who has been there for the downtrodden, the hopeless and those who have always struggled for fairness. Through prodigious pain and agonizing suffering which quietly and without notice began to cripple her around 1974, she prevailed relentlessly. But a continuous onslaught of plagues in the '80s and '90s has proved to be just too much for her to bear.
The Constitution of the United StatesDead at 221 years of age. The cause of her untimely demise were constant and relentless attacks on her far and wide. In the beginning and through most of her history, friends with courage, pride and dignity protected her. Tragically, in her latter years, insolence, haughtiness and vainglory tore and ripped at her heart and even her soul. In the final period before her death, devious men went their course towards the Constitution's complete destruction with its own sworn protectors, the U.S. Criminal Justice System. Their cold acts were the most intrinsic of all her traitors.
The U.S. Constitution has now been laid to rest. This fact will never erase the distressing sadness that she was killed in cold blood by many of her own.
Submitted by Stephen C. Labacz & Steve Daniel, Prisoners of War in America
SOURCE: http://www.november.org/razorwire/rzold/11/1105.html
America has been replacing the freedom of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights with Marxism/socialism for many decades now. The move toward socialism in America is nothing new.
President Herbert Hoover (President of the United States 1929-1932) in an address at West Branch, Iowa on August 10, 1954 voiced his deep concern over socialism and the threat it presented for America and the world. Here is a portion of President Hoover's remarks:
"I have witnessed the legacy of war in doubting minds, brutality, crime and debased morals. Moreover, I have witnessed on the ground in 20 nations the workings of the philosophy of that anti-Christ, Karl Marx.
After these long years and from all these experiences, there rises constantly in my mind the forces which make for progress and those which may corrode away the safeguards of freedom in America. I want to say something about these forces but I shall endeavor to do so, not in the tones of Jeremiah but in the spirit of Saint Paul....
Our Founding Fathers did not invent the priceless boon of individual freedom and respect for the dignity of men. That great gift to mankind sprang from the Creator and not from governments.
The Founding Fathers, with superb genius, welded together the safeguards of these freedoms....Today the Socialist virus and poison gas generated by Karl Marx and Friedreich Engels have spread into every nation on the earth.
Their dogma is absolute materialism which defies truth and religious faith. Their poisons are of many sorts. The preservation of the safeguards of liberty makes it imperative that we give heed to their every variety....
A nation is strong or weak, it thrives or perishes upon what it believes to be true. If our youth is rightly instructed in the faith of our fathers; in the traditions of our country; in the dignity of each individual man, then our power will be stronger than any weapon of destruction that man can devise.
And now as to this whole gamut of Socialist infections, I say to you...God has blessed us with another wonderful word--heritage. The great documents of that heritage are not from Karl Marx. They are from the Bible, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Within them alone can the safeguards of freedom survive....
These new frontiers give us other blessings. Not only do they expand our living but also they open new opportunities and new areas of adventure and enterprise. They open new vistas of beauty. They unfold the wonders of the atom and the heavens. Daily they prove the reality of an all-wise Supreme Giver of Law."
After reading these few remarks is it any wonder that President Hoover is one of the most vilified American Presidents of all time?
Our republic is dying. There can be no doubt of that. She's dying because we (The People) have turned our backs on her. We don't care anymore. We have learned to rely on government for our existence -- from the cradle to the grave -- and we no longer feel that urge for freedom and liberty. We don't really care what the government does just so long as they keep us safe and secure and keep the checks coming once a month.
A republic cannot survive such laziness -- not even America.
© J. D. Longstreet
40.7 Million Missing Jobs (Musical Tribute)
Long-Term
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Short-Term
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Some are arguing that we're in the first inning of the recovery. If the above chart is any indicator, I'd say the game's about over.
Let's take it back to 1984 yet again.
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
The next chart shows nonfarm payrolls per capita. Can there ever be too many ugly charts in one post?
On the off chance we're heading back to the 1960s, here's a musical tribute to go with it.
See Also:
41.1 Million Missing Jobs
Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: All Employees: Total nonfarm
St. Louis Fed: Nonfarm Payrolls per Capita
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Short-Term
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
Some are arguing that we're in the first inning of the recovery. If the above chart is any indicator, I'd say the game's about over.
Let's take it back to 1984 yet again.
Click to enlarge.
@#$%!
The next chart shows nonfarm payrolls per capita. Can there ever be too many ugly charts in one post?
On the off chance we're heading back to the 1960s, here's a musical tribute to go with it.
See Also:
41.1 Million Missing Jobs
Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: All Employees: Total nonfarm
St. Louis Fed: Nonfarm Payrolls per Capita
The "Free Lunch" Weight Loss Plan v.020
I continue to climb at least 20 flights of extra stairs each day.
Click to enlarge.
I thought I had a handle on winter's seasonal effects this year but the death of our pet cat on the 21st altered my mood to the downside. I tend to eat more when I'm feeling down. I think the turning point is fairly visible in the chart. It's not all bad. Tigger nearly made it to the age of 18. He also went fairly peacefully.
I'm not starting February off all that well. My weight is already back to 206. I walked 7 miles yesterday and also climbed 300 flights of stairs as a rare conscious attempt to compensate. I'm not sure it helped all that much though. My appetite picked up as well.
Click to enlarge.
This too shall pass. The long-term trend in blue is all that really matters to me. I have no reason to believe that it isn't sustainable. As of today, I'm right on trend (not seen in the chart). Those expecting me to get into the blue zone well ahead of schedule (perhaps myself included) might take comfort in the wisdom of the Man in Black.
In other news, I will be posting another missing jobs report soon. I may not be fully back from my break, but I feel somewhat obligated to share that bit of sarcastic joy. Oh yeah, I'm feeling winter's effects today. There's no denying it.
And lastly, in January I made my I-Bond and EE-Bond purchases. So ends my trading for the year.
See Also:
The "Free Lunch" Weight Loss Plan v.000
Click to enlarge.
I thought I had a handle on winter's seasonal effects this year but the death of our pet cat on the 21st altered my mood to the downside. I tend to eat more when I'm feeling down. I think the turning point is fairly visible in the chart. It's not all bad. Tigger nearly made it to the age of 18. He also went fairly peacefully.
I'm not starting February off all that well. My weight is already back to 206. I walked 7 miles yesterday and also climbed 300 flights of stairs as a rare conscious attempt to compensate. I'm not sure it helped all that much though. My appetite picked up as well.
Click to enlarge.
This too shall pass. The long-term trend in blue is all that really matters to me. I have no reason to believe that it isn't sustainable. As of today, I'm right on trend (not seen in the chart). Those expecting me to get into the blue zone well ahead of schedule (perhaps myself included) might take comfort in the wisdom of the Man in Black.
Get used to disappointment.
In other news, I will be posting another missing jobs report soon. I may not be fully back from my break, but I feel somewhat obligated to share that bit of sarcastic joy. Oh yeah, I'm feeling winter's effects today. There's no denying it.
And lastly, in January I made my I-Bond and EE-Bond purchases. So ends my trading for the year.
See Also:
The "Free Lunch" Weight Loss Plan v.000
Gun Owners Are Losing This Fight ... J. D. Longstreet
Gun Owners Are Losing This Fight
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
***************
Congress WILL pass a gun control bill later this year. I have no doubt, whatsoever. Sure to be included in that bill will be a universal background check on prospective gun owners and current gun owners. That is to say: if you want to purchase a gun you must undergo a background check - AND - if you already own a gun, you, too, will have to undergo a background check, which will, most likely, include your finger printing and and a mug shot, as well.
Of COURSE, it is unconstitutional. It is "infringement." But, HEY! This government long since abandoned the US Constitution and they are just making it up as they go!
I knew the instant I heard of the massacre of children this would be the incident the political left would use to get our guns. In fact, I said so in an earlier commentary. THIS was the ONE -- the incident they had been waiting for to submerge the US in an emotional tsunami and have us do their bidding as we drown in sorrow over the loss of life of so many children.
It worked.
See. America has changed. America is no longer the tough, self-sufficient, practical, pragmatic society we used to be. No. We are now a nation of weaklings, a nation of whiners, a nation that should be embarrassed at its own reflection in a mirror.
We are now a society in which it is acceptable for grown men to weep in public, including men in powerful public office.
In short: We are pathetic.
There was a time, not so long ago, when awful events happened and lives were lost in what appeared a senseless episode of pure evil, that we would clean up the mess, bury our dead, mourn our loss for a few days, and then pick up the pieces and get own with our lives.
Grief counselors didn't even exist. We each carried our pain deep in our hearts and we dealt with it in the privacy of our own souls. We didn't share that pain. We cherished our privacy.
That's what tough people do. That's what Americans of a few decades ago did. But, then, today's Americans can't hold a candle to those Americans.
It requires a tough people to hold on to freedom. and we have all but lost ours. That, alone, should tell you I am right in my assessment of the fiber of modern Americans.
We've lost our government to a bunch of panty-waist communists who call themselves "Progressives." They have been hard at work since the early days of the last century to "fundamentally transform" America into a socialist/communist society -- and they have finally succeeded.
Even our President, himself, a Socialist/Marxist, has now been elected TWICE. As all Progressive/Socialist/Marxists politicians do, he KNOWS that he is best suited to decide what is good for the country -- and by extension -- YOU. He doesn't need a legislative body like Congress to get in his way or slow him down. His mantra is: "We can't wait!" So, he just makes the law up as he goes and issues decrees known as Presidential Executive Orders. The constitution is little more than a doormat to him.
The Congress is pathetic. They are going to feel backed into a corner and they WILL pass a gun control bill because they feel they must -- just to demonstrate they have not been gelded.
Yes, gun owners are going to lose this fight because we are not strong enough to overcome or break though the wall of pure emotion thrown up by the gun grabbers.
Let's face it. As distasteful as it was -- and is -- the gun grabbers didn't allow the bodies of those dead children to grow cold before they began their relentless attack. Within the first week, they had gun owners beaten. The gun rights groups erred badly by holding fire for a week out of respect for the families of the dead. They forgot the first rule of war -- never fight fair if you really want to win.
Gun owners cannot count on the US Supreme Court to rule in favor of the Constitution. After their ruling on Obamacare, the SCOTUS is not to be trusted as a fair arbiter of justice.
The only option left for gun owners is to implement the Second Amendment -- which the left has told us in so many ways they do not recognize. And since they do not recognize it, they do not believe that gun owners will actually defend their rights at the barricades. They refuse to believe that ANYONE could BELIEVE in ANYTHING enough to sacrifice their life or spill blood over it. SURELY not a trifling thing like personal freedom.
Frankly, it seems to me the least violent means to resist the coming confiscation of America's guns is first state nullification of the obviously unconstitutional laws, and if that fails -- state secession from the union.
We are in for some trying and unhappy days ahead in America.
J. D. Longstreet
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
***************
Congress WILL pass a gun control bill later this year. I have no doubt, whatsoever. Sure to be included in that bill will be a universal background check on prospective gun owners and current gun owners. That is to say: if you want to purchase a gun you must undergo a background check - AND - if you already own a gun, you, too, will have to undergo a background check, which will, most likely, include your finger printing and and a mug shot, as well.
Of COURSE, it is unconstitutional. It is "infringement." But, HEY! This government long since abandoned the US Constitution and they are just making it up as they go!
I knew the instant I heard of the massacre of children this would be the incident the political left would use to get our guns. In fact, I said so in an earlier commentary. THIS was the ONE -- the incident they had been waiting for to submerge the US in an emotional tsunami and have us do their bidding as we drown in sorrow over the loss of life of so many children.
It worked.
See. America has changed. America is no longer the tough, self-sufficient, practical, pragmatic society we used to be. No. We are now a nation of weaklings, a nation of whiners, a nation that should be embarrassed at its own reflection in a mirror.
We are now a society in which it is acceptable for grown men to weep in public, including men in powerful public office.
In short: We are pathetic.
There was a time, not so long ago, when awful events happened and lives were lost in what appeared a senseless episode of pure evil, that we would clean up the mess, bury our dead, mourn our loss for a few days, and then pick up the pieces and get own with our lives.
Grief counselors didn't even exist. We each carried our pain deep in our hearts and we dealt with it in the privacy of our own souls. We didn't share that pain. We cherished our privacy.
That's what tough people do. That's what Americans of a few decades ago did. But, then, today's Americans can't hold a candle to those Americans.
It requires a tough people to hold on to freedom. and we have all but lost ours. That, alone, should tell you I am right in my assessment of the fiber of modern Americans.
We've lost our government to a bunch of panty-waist communists who call themselves "Progressives." They have been hard at work since the early days of the last century to "fundamentally transform" America into a socialist/communist society -- and they have finally succeeded.
Even our President, himself, a Socialist/Marxist, has now been elected TWICE. As all Progressive/Socialist/Marxists politicians do, he KNOWS that he is best suited to decide what is good for the country -- and by extension -- YOU. He doesn't need a legislative body like Congress to get in his way or slow him down. His mantra is: "We can't wait!" So, he just makes the law up as he goes and issues decrees known as Presidential Executive Orders. The constitution is little more than a doormat to him.
The Congress is pathetic. They are going to feel backed into a corner and they WILL pass a gun control bill because they feel they must -- just to demonstrate they have not been gelded.
Yes, gun owners are going to lose this fight because we are not strong enough to overcome or break though the wall of pure emotion thrown up by the gun grabbers.
Let's face it. As distasteful as it was -- and is -- the gun grabbers didn't allow the bodies of those dead children to grow cold before they began their relentless attack. Within the first week, they had gun owners beaten. The gun rights groups erred badly by holding fire for a week out of respect for the families of the dead. They forgot the first rule of war -- never fight fair if you really want to win.
Gun owners cannot count on the US Supreme Court to rule in favor of the Constitution. After their ruling on Obamacare, the SCOTUS is not to be trusted as a fair arbiter of justice.
The only option left for gun owners is to implement the Second Amendment -- which the left has told us in so many ways they do not recognize. And since they do not recognize it, they do not believe that gun owners will actually defend their rights at the barricades. They refuse to believe that ANYONE could BELIEVE in ANYTHING enough to sacrifice their life or spill blood over it. SURELY not a trifling thing like personal freedom.
Frankly, it seems to me the least violent means to resist the coming confiscation of America's guns is first state nullification of the obviously unconstitutional laws, and if that fails -- state secession from the union.
We are in for some trying and unhappy days ahead in America.
J. D. Longstreet
As the Market Ticks Upward the Economy Remains Sluggish...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
The economy has made gains under the Presidency of Barack H. Obama. Gains the democrats feel proud of. Perhaps they should given the rocky road they inherited. Right? Here's a slightly different perspective.
There is still hope that following the recent market uptick things will substantially improve. We should all hold our breathe and keep our fingers and toes crossed. After all, there are still 3.2 million individuals that need and want employment.
Via: Memeorandum
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
The economy has made gains under the Presidency of Barack H. Obama. Gains the democrats feel proud of. Perhaps they should given the rocky road they inherited. Right? Here's a slightly different perspective.
Investors Business Daily - Economy: So the economy created 157,000 new payroll jobs in January. Wow. At this rate, we might actually get back down to Bush-era unemployment rates sometime, oh, within the next 100 years.
The January jobs report is supposed to be good news. After all, the economy has now added a total of 6.1 million jobs over the past three years, and the BLS revised last year's jobs numbers sharply upward.
But it doesn't take much effort to notice that, when it comes to job creation, we are barely treading water.
Case in point: Despite these "big" gains, unemployment climbed to 7.9% — higher than when Obama took office amid the "worst recession since the Great Depression."
That 7.9% is deceptively low: It fails to account for the exodus of 8.5 million from the labor force under Obama.
As a result, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' broader measure of unemployment remains stuck at a depressing 14.4% — also higher than when Obama took office.
In addition, there are still 4.7 million long-term unemployed — nearly twice as many as when Obama was first sworn in. And at 35 weeks, the average length of unemployment is far higher than any time between World War II and the Obama era.
But the worst news of all is that we remain 3.2 million jobs shy of the previous employment peak of five years ago...
{Read More}
There is still hope that following the recent market uptick things will substantially improve. We should all hold our breathe and keep our fingers and toes crossed. After all, there are still 3.2 million individuals that need and want employment.
Via: Memeorandum
Paul Kruger Argues US Deficet Can Be Reduced By Lower Unemployment
In the debate over fiscal policy, you frequently hear liberals argue: "It's not time to deal with the deficit, we need to fix the economy first and then fix the deficit when the economy is stronger." While this has merit as a political concept, it's actually giving into a false frame that dealing with the deficit and dealing with unemployment are two separate things that you do at different times. Steps you take to improve unemployment are deficit reduction measures ... While the government has done, technically, nothing to address the deficit in the last few years, the deficit is shrinking (relative to GDP) merely because the economy has improved, and more people are going back to work. If unemployment drops to 7 percent, or 6.5 percent, or 6 percent, we'll get quite a bit of deficit reduction then.
www.huffingtonpost.com
www.huffingtonpost.com
Casual approach
Usually when I pick an outfit I have something in mind to start with. Most of the time is a colour combination, but this time was different... it was this LAmade hoodie! I wanted something casual and playful, the perfect combination for a gloomy weather day:)
P.S. Don't forget that I have a coupon code for you! Enjoy 20% off your purchase using this code: SWEET20 on LAmade.com
I have the name of the TellStyle Giveaway: Congrats Yolande!
Thank you everyone for your participation and stay tuned ...next week another giveaway!!!
Coat: Zara/ great option Here
Sneakers: Supra/ similar Here
Bag: Joe Fresh/ a great option Here
Jeans: Levi's/ similar Here
Sunglasses: Foster Grant/ option Here
Standing Astride the Bulls-Eye ... J. D. Longstreet
Dear Reader:
I am very concerned for America's safety. Our military, though the best in the world, is tired and war weary. Having been continuously at war for over a decade now, our warriors are fatigued. Battle-hardened? Yes, BUT....
Now we have sequestration to contend with.
I'm writing about an hour from Fort Bragg, NC. My community is made up of a considerable number of military veterans. We talk. And we are concerned for what is happening to our military and our country.
You're not likely to hear this by way of the Mainstream Media, but the US is in grave danger.
Almost four years ago, I was concerned then and penned a piece about those concerns.
I am offering a second look at a few thoughts I had then that I believe are still valid today, maybe even more valid today than then.
Thank you for your continued support.
J. D. Longstreet
**************************
(Originally published in June of 2009)
Standing Astride the Bulls-Eye
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
***************************************
We are facing an enemy, in Ahmadinejad (of Iran), every bit as dangerous as Hitler and the Nazi party. At some point the US will have to deal with this man and with his insane plan to take the world into chaos. When that day comes, in the not too distant future, we will, as usual, be on our own. We can expect no help from Europe, which will fold, like a cheap suit, at the first serious threat from Iran.
While the totally ineffective UN plays at placating Ahmadinejad, he grows stronger as he nears the realization of his dream of an Iranian Atom bomb. Our new socialist President is having far too much fun playing with his own private “Kitchen Cabinet” many have dubbed Obama’s Politburo of Czars, to get serious about Iran, other than his offer to “talk” to them. Meeting and talking to the Iranians will accomplish nothing except to raise the Iranians stock in the eyes of their follows at home. For America to meet and talk to the Iranians will be seen as a victory for Iran and will give the Iranians equal footing with America in the world of diplomacy.
But Ahmadinejad is not America’s only enemy these days. Add to the growing list North Korea. Although North Korea has never REALLY been off that list, she has, once again, moved to the top.
If the US were blessed with forward thinking leaders, we would be building up our armed forces in preparation for the confrontation, which, eventually, will come. But we cannot do so with the Old Hippie Congress and their own fascination with the power that comes to the few in leadership positions under America’s new socialism
If the government were serious about the defense of this country, which is their very first obligation as leaders, then, the US “standing Army” would be doubled. Our Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corp need to be doubled in strength… and as quickly as possible. If that means re-institution of the draft… then so be it. When the next war comes, it won’t be fought from 15,000 feet with smart bombs. It will be a slug-fest in the air, on the sea, and on the land. It will not be contained in the Middle East. The continental US will be hit. We can count on it! Missiles launched from ships, lying off shore in international waters, can burst through our radar defenses, and hit targets before we can react to stop them.
The US military, though “battle-hardened” is seriously tired. Shortsightedness, and a tendency to believe “we can all just get along,” has led the US into a “head in the sand” policy which will come back to haunt us… and to hurt us.
The US needs a crash program, right now; to build up our military might to a state of readiness we reached in the midst of the Second World War. Although our leaders don’t want to admit it, we are facing the same intensity of danger as we did at the beginning of that war when our military was at (or near) its lowest ebb.
When one looks at the threats to the security of the US today and compares it to the reaction of our leadership toward meeting that threat, if one has an ounce of sense, one must be seriously concerned. Our Congressional leadership is pathetic.
Well, I have news for Congress… and the White House. (It ought not be news to the Congress or the President, but it apparently is.) We have only just begun to pay for all the years of relative peace we have enjoyed as a nation. In the conflicts ahead, there will be no room for political correctness. There will be no call for “winning the hearts and minds” of our enemies. We won’t have time! We’ll be fighting for our very existence!
In the meantime, I fully expect our President, Obama, to continue along his fairy tale path, assured in his own ignorance, that he can talk and negotiate his way out of war with any nation, until thousands of Americans lie dead, and irradiated, in the streets of our large east coast cities. (Now that we are, once again, toe to toe with North Korea, America’s West Coast is in serious danger from North Korean Missiles as well.)
America is as vulnerable as I have ever known her to be. Unfortunately, I have come to believe that it will take a mushroom cloud over the cities of New York, Boston, LA, San Francisco, or the states of Alaska, or Hawaii, or even our nation’s capital city, Washington, DC to wake us up!
The US is playing at suicide while our enemies circle us, with fangs bared, ready to pounce. They are spurred on by what they have decided is weakness on the part of America’s leadership. It is only a matter if time until they know what so many of America’s citizens already know. The US is as vulnerable as she has ever been. And America stands astride the bull’s eye.
© J. D. Longstreet
I am very concerned for America's safety. Our military, though the best in the world, is tired and war weary. Having been continuously at war for over a decade now, our warriors are fatigued. Battle-hardened? Yes, BUT....
Now we have sequestration to contend with.
I'm writing about an hour from Fort Bragg, NC. My community is made up of a considerable number of military veterans. We talk. And we are concerned for what is happening to our military and our country.
You're not likely to hear this by way of the Mainstream Media, but the US is in grave danger.
Almost four years ago, I was concerned then and penned a piece about those concerns.
I am offering a second look at a few thoughts I had then that I believe are still valid today, maybe even more valid today than then.
Thank you for your continued support.
J. D. Longstreet
**************************
(Originally published in June of 2009)
Standing Astride the Bulls-Eye
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
***************************************
We are facing an enemy, in Ahmadinejad (of Iran), every bit as dangerous as Hitler and the Nazi party. At some point the US will have to deal with this man and with his insane plan to take the world into chaos. When that day comes, in the not too distant future, we will, as usual, be on our own. We can expect no help from Europe, which will fold, like a cheap suit, at the first serious threat from Iran.
While the totally ineffective UN plays at placating Ahmadinejad, he grows stronger as he nears the realization of his dream of an Iranian Atom bomb. Our new socialist President is having far too much fun playing with his own private “Kitchen Cabinet” many have dubbed Obama’s Politburo of Czars, to get serious about Iran, other than his offer to “talk” to them. Meeting and talking to the Iranians will accomplish nothing except to raise the Iranians stock in the eyes of their follows at home. For America to meet and talk to the Iranians will be seen as a victory for Iran and will give the Iranians equal footing with America in the world of diplomacy.
But Ahmadinejad is not America’s only enemy these days. Add to the growing list North Korea. Although North Korea has never REALLY been off that list, she has, once again, moved to the top.
If the US were blessed with forward thinking leaders, we would be building up our armed forces in preparation for the confrontation, which, eventually, will come. But we cannot do so with the Old Hippie Congress and their own fascination with the power that comes to the few in leadership positions under America’s new socialism
If the government were serious about the defense of this country, which is their very first obligation as leaders, then, the US “standing Army” would be doubled. Our Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corp need to be doubled in strength… and as quickly as possible. If that means re-institution of the draft… then so be it. When the next war comes, it won’t be fought from 15,000 feet with smart bombs. It will be a slug-fest in the air, on the sea, and on the land. It will not be contained in the Middle East. The continental US will be hit. We can count on it! Missiles launched from ships, lying off shore in international waters, can burst through our radar defenses, and hit targets before we can react to stop them.
The US military, though “battle-hardened” is seriously tired. Shortsightedness, and a tendency to believe “we can all just get along,” has led the US into a “head in the sand” policy which will come back to haunt us… and to hurt us.
The US needs a crash program, right now; to build up our military might to a state of readiness we reached in the midst of the Second World War. Although our leaders don’t want to admit it, we are facing the same intensity of danger as we did at the beginning of that war when our military was at (or near) its lowest ebb.
When one looks at the threats to the security of the US today and compares it to the reaction of our leadership toward meeting that threat, if one has an ounce of sense, one must be seriously concerned. Our Congressional leadership is pathetic.
Well, I have news for Congress… and the White House. (It ought not be news to the Congress or the President, but it apparently is.) We have only just begun to pay for all the years of relative peace we have enjoyed as a nation. In the conflicts ahead, there will be no room for political correctness. There will be no call for “winning the hearts and minds” of our enemies. We won’t have time! We’ll be fighting for our very existence!
In the meantime, I fully expect our President, Obama, to continue along his fairy tale path, assured in his own ignorance, that he can talk and negotiate his way out of war with any nation, until thousands of Americans lie dead, and irradiated, in the streets of our large east coast cities. (Now that we are, once again, toe to toe with North Korea, America’s West Coast is in serious danger from North Korean Missiles as well.)
America is as vulnerable as I have ever known her to be. Unfortunately, I have come to believe that it will take a mushroom cloud over the cities of New York, Boston, LA, San Francisco, or the states of Alaska, or Hawaii, or even our nation’s capital city, Washington, DC to wake us up!
The US is playing at suicide while our enemies circle us, with fangs bared, ready to pounce. They are spurred on by what they have decided is weakness on the part of America’s leadership. It is only a matter if time until they know what so many of America’s citizens already know. The US is as vulnerable as she has ever been. And America stands astride the bull’s eye.
© J. D. Longstreet
Chuck Hagel's Nomination to Secretary of Defense Far From Certain...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
RHINOS and Neocons working hard to ensure Chuck Hagel's nomination by President Obama for the position of Secretary of Defense goes down in flames. I guess the Neocons are looking for a war hawk to keep the Military Industrial Complex well oiled and satisfied.
The only question now is whether the Obama administration will pull the plug after Hagel's relatively weak showing during his confirmation hearings. Personally I am still hoping he is confirmed. It's time to let the Neocons know the nation ain't behind their BS.
There isn't an intelligent liberal? Well, to me it looks like the conservative Neocons are the ones that ain't too intelligent these days. Damn it's too bad there isn't a Dwight David Eisenhower , Barry Goldwater, or William F. Buckley in the modern rEpublican Neocon- Socon coalition party these days. It is almost certain the way the rEpublican party is moving it will soon be irrelevant in the minds of the majority of Americans.
Apparently the Obama administration is not pleased with their nominees weak performance either. Reporting from CBS...
Yes, Iraq was indeed the greatest military and political blunder since Vietnam. The country is still paying for the blunder today and will be for some time to come. It is indeed time to reel in the Neocon Military Industrial Complex.
Via: Memorandum
Via: Memorandum
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
RHINOS and Neocons working hard to ensure Chuck Hagel's nomination by President Obama for the position of Secretary of Defense goes down in flames. I guess the Neocons are looking for a war hawk to keep the Military Industrial Complex well oiled and satisfied.
The only question now is whether the Obama administration will pull the plug after Hagel's relatively weak showing during his confirmation hearings. Personally I am still hoping he is confirmed. It's time to let the Neocons know the nation ain't behind their BS.
The Weekly Standard - On October 3, 2005, President George W. Bush announced his intention to nominate his White House counsel, Harriet Miers, to succeed Sandra Day O’Connor as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. On October 27, after vigorous statements of opposition from conservatives and quiet expressions of dismay from Republican senators, Miers withdrew her nomination.
Conservatives and Republicans had no grudge against Harriet Miers. They simply thought she wasn’t a first-rate candidate. They were confident that Bush, the Court, and the country could do better. They were right. President Bush then nominated Samuel Alito for the position. Alito was confirmed by the Senate, and now serves with great distinction on the Court.
We may, as George Orwell observed, “have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.” But there isn’t an intelligent liberal, or for that matter a sentient one, who doesn’t know, after last week’s confirmation hearing, that Chuck Hagel isn’t a first-rate candidate for secretary of defense. He isn’t even a second-rate candidate. Has there ever been a more embarrassing confirmation hearing than Hagel’s for a major cabinet position? For a minor cabinet position? For a sub-cabinet position? We don’t know of one.
Yet so far liberals seem to be trying to pretend that all is well. Or they have simply averted their gaze from the ghastly train wreck. Or, they tell us (and themselves)—well, the secretary of defense doesn’t really make policy, and there are lots of capable bureaucrats who can run the department. Or, they grumble—well, we can’t give Hagel’s critics the satisfaction of acknowledging that this appointment is a disaster.
There isn't an intelligent liberal? Well, to me it looks like the conservative Neocons are the ones that ain't too intelligent these days. Damn it's too bad there isn't a Dwight David Eisenhower , Barry Goldwater, or William F. Buckley in the modern rEpublican Neocon- Socon coalition party these days. It is almost certain the way the rEpublican party is moving it will soon be irrelevant in the minds of the majority of Americans.
Apparently the Obama administration is not pleased with their nominees weak performance either. Reporting from CBS...
White House officials told CBS' Major Garrett that they're disappointed with defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel's performance at his confirmation hearing before the Senate on Thursday.
One of the most damaging exchanges during the hearing came from Hagel's onetime ally, Sen. John McCain, over Hagel's opposition to the Iraq troop surge.
CBS News' Chief Washington correspondent and host of "Face the Nation," Bob Schieffer, said the heated round of questioning was one of the most surprising details to emerge from the hearing.
"Let's not forget, Chuck Hagel was the co-chairman of John McCain's presidential campaign when John McCain ran the first time. This is stunning."
"He says it's policy. It's all policy," Schieffer said, speaking to McCain's harsh line of questioning.
Typically, when a nominee comes under fire during a hearing, Schieffer explained, "The White House will come back and stoutly defend the guy and ... [yesterday] they started leaking all these reports, they're disappointed."
The move by the Obama administration may signal that they are confident Hagel will "get confirmed by a narrow margin" and that they are "absolutely certain of every Democratic vote in the Senate," Schieffer said, before adding, "I've never seen a White House react quite the way they did to this."
Even if the White House remains confident Hagel will be confirmed, Hagel's rocky performance "You knew these were the questions they were going to get. And he did not seem able to really answer them. I think his nomination may be in trouble."
Yes, Iraq was indeed the greatest military and political blunder since Vietnam. The country is still paying for the blunder today and will be for some time to come. It is indeed time to reel in the Neocon Military Industrial Complex.
Via: Memorandum
Via: Memorandum
Boy Scouts Of America Doomed? ... J. D. Longstreet
Boy Scouts Of America Doomed?
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
**************
The Boy Scouts of America will have a chance next week to practice what they have preached all these past decades: How to be a man.
The head honchos of the Scouts will meet next week to decide if the Boy Scouts of America will allow homosexuals into the organization as members -- and as leaders. If they decide to allow homosexuals in, then thousands upon thousands of scouts will leave the organization as will untold numbers of sponsors, many of whom are churches, especially the churches of the evangelical persuasion.
If the Scouts maintain their current stance of NOT allowing homosexuals into the organization, then they are set to lose sponsorship support from many, many businesses and corporations which have been shaken down by numerous gay organizations.
David Kupelian, at WND says the following:
"Right now, multitudes of current and former Scouts, adult Scouters and their families and friends are contacting the Boy Scout executives and board members and telling them, in so many words, to man up. For over 100 years, BSA has taught boys how to be men. Now, those in top executive roles are being told this is their chance to exemplify genuine manhood. Not by demonstrating knot-tying or rappelling or first aid. But by being real men – who do the right thing on the battlefield of life, even if it costs them dearly.
Because the truth is, it is going to hurt – a lot – either way. But then, this is the fate of all noble people, organizations and causes in today’s America. We are at war, friends. Not a shooting war, but one of conflicting worldviews, which ultimately boils down to the battle between fidelity to God’s laws versus the prideful rebellion against His laws." Read more at: http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/the-boy-scouts-braveheart-moment/#GLkLCIPwlOTe0srY.99
"Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group and lobbying organization, declared his opposition and accused the Scouts of bowing to pressure.
"If the board capitulates to the bullying of homosexual activists, the Boy Scouts' legacy of producing great leaders will become yet another casualty of moral compromise," Perkins said in a statement." SOURCE: http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/nationworld/la-na-bsa-gay-20130129,0,7272219.story
The Scouts didn't go looking for this fight. It came to them. But such is the way of evil.
There is no way out without pain for the Scouts. No matter the decision, the Scouts are going to be hurt -- not just the organization but the millions of former and current Scouts. Either way, sponsorships will be pulled, lots and lots of sponsorships. The Mainstream Media will lambast the scouts at every opportunity if thy choose to maintain their no homosexuals allowed policy. If they don't, multiple numbers of Christian organizations will abandon the Scouts.
This is a singular moment for the Scouts -- a "High Noon" moment, if you will, for the national leadership of the Scouts. Seems to me that of they are going to be "creamed" no matter their decision, then why not make the right decision and practice what they have taught all these decades by taking a stand, as men, and doing the "right thing."
Now. Having said all the above -- do I think the leadership will hold fast and maintain their no homosexual policy? No, sadly, I do not. See, there are very few men of sterling character and conviction these days -- in any organization. Doing the right thing because it IS the right thing TO do, is seen as quaint, and frankly, a little weird these days. And it has taken a huge toll on American society. It has hollowed America out. It has removed our core and left us a limp relic of our former selves.
"On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight." (The Scout Oath)
Come next week, there is a very good chance the last phrase of the BSA oath above ( ... and morally straight) will, of necessity, be removed from the Scout Oath.
What a world we have created, eh? The decline and fall of America certainly is painful to those with enough sense to see it for what it is. The few Americans who retain situational awareness understand that America "is in an advanced state of cultural decadence." Let's face it: We have become degenerate in mental and moral qualities.
As evidence (as if MORE evidence was needed) the problem the BSA is wrestling with should not even be in question. But we, as a nation have so deluded ourselves and so submerged ourselves in moral relativity (political correctness) that we are -- finally -- blinded to the truth. It is all around us, but we can no longer see it. We are simply too far gone.
© J. D. Longstreet
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
**************
The Boy Scouts of America will have a chance next week to practice what they have preached all these past decades: How to be a man.
The head honchos of the Scouts will meet next week to decide if the Boy Scouts of America will allow homosexuals into the organization as members -- and as leaders. If they decide to allow homosexuals in, then thousands upon thousands of scouts will leave the organization as will untold numbers of sponsors, many of whom are churches, especially the churches of the evangelical persuasion.
If the Scouts maintain their current stance of NOT allowing homosexuals into the organization, then they are set to lose sponsorship support from many, many businesses and corporations which have been shaken down by numerous gay organizations.
David Kupelian, at WND says the following:
"Right now, multitudes of current and former Scouts, adult Scouters and their families and friends are contacting the Boy Scout executives and board members and telling them, in so many words, to man up. For over 100 years, BSA has taught boys how to be men. Now, those in top executive roles are being told this is their chance to exemplify genuine manhood. Not by demonstrating knot-tying or rappelling or first aid. But by being real men – who do the right thing on the battlefield of life, even if it costs them dearly.
Because the truth is, it is going to hurt – a lot – either way. But then, this is the fate of all noble people, organizations and causes in today’s America. We are at war, friends. Not a shooting war, but one of conflicting worldviews, which ultimately boils down to the battle between fidelity to God’s laws versus the prideful rebellion against His laws." Read more at: http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/the-boy-scouts-braveheart-moment/#GLkLCIPwlOTe0srY.99
"Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group and lobbying organization, declared his opposition and accused the Scouts of bowing to pressure.
"If the board capitulates to the bullying of homosexual activists, the Boy Scouts' legacy of producing great leaders will become yet another casualty of moral compromise," Perkins said in a statement." SOURCE: http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/nationworld/la-na-bsa-gay-20130129,0,7272219.story
The Scouts didn't go looking for this fight. It came to them. But such is the way of evil.
There is no way out without pain for the Scouts. No matter the decision, the Scouts are going to be hurt -- not just the organization but the millions of former and current Scouts. Either way, sponsorships will be pulled, lots and lots of sponsorships. The Mainstream Media will lambast the scouts at every opportunity if thy choose to maintain their no homosexuals allowed policy. If they don't, multiple numbers of Christian organizations will abandon the Scouts.
This is a singular moment for the Scouts -- a "High Noon" moment, if you will, for the national leadership of the Scouts. Seems to me that of they are going to be "creamed" no matter their decision, then why not make the right decision and practice what they have taught all these decades by taking a stand, as men, and doing the "right thing."
Now. Having said all the above -- do I think the leadership will hold fast and maintain their no homosexual policy? No, sadly, I do not. See, there are very few men of sterling character and conviction these days -- in any organization. Doing the right thing because it IS the right thing TO do, is seen as quaint, and frankly, a little weird these days. And it has taken a huge toll on American society. It has hollowed America out. It has removed our core and left us a limp relic of our former selves.
"On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight." (The Scout Oath)
Come next week, there is a very good chance the last phrase of the BSA oath above ( ... and morally straight) will, of necessity, be removed from the Scout Oath.
What a world we have created, eh? The decline and fall of America certainly is painful to those with enough sense to see it for what it is. The few Americans who retain situational awareness understand that America "is in an advanced state of cultural decadence." Let's face it: We have become degenerate in mental and moral qualities.
As evidence (as if MORE evidence was needed) the problem the BSA is wrestling with should not even be in question. But we, as a nation have so deluded ourselves and so submerged ourselves in moral relativity (political correctness) that we are -- finally -- blinded to the truth. It is all around us, but we can no longer see it. We are simply too far gone.
© J. D. Longstreet
sharing the love
I've been asked to be a contributor to the blog for my favorite local design magazine, St Louis At Home! And what's even better is that today is my first post.
I'm sharing a bit of DIY art you may remember, so check it out. And make sure to check in next week when I share more exciting news! (You see, I crack the door open just a bit and now I'm sharing all over the place)
Happy Weekend!
The Quill And The Keyboard ... J. D. Longstreet
The Quill And The Keyboard
Pamphleteers of the 21st Century
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
**************
Before the famous ride of Paul Revere there were, among our American ancestors, men who placed their lives and fortunes on the line by doing exactly what conservative bloggers do today. Writing their thoughts on politics and current events on paper, printing those papers into pamphlet size editions and distributing them to the public. They became known as "pamphleteers." (among OTHER things!)
During colonial times in America, if you wanted to convince or inform people about some issue that you considered important, you went to the local printer and got some pamphlets printed. You then handed them out, read them to anybody that was interested, nailed them to the town bulletin board, or the nearest tree. The first amendment was specifically written to protect this type of activity and the writers or "pamphleteers". SOURCE: http://thepamphleteer.blogspot.com/
"The Revolutionary pamphleteers were not professional writers but common citizens engaged in the debate of ideas; they created a sense of democracy to the intellectual struggle that preceded the call to arms." SOURCE: http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2006/01/bloggers-pamphleteers-of-today.html
We recommend you visit this website http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2006/01/bloggers-pamphleteers-of-today.html and read the article entitled: "Bloggers: The Pamphleteers of Today."
Of course, they had no Internet. Well. I suppose -- in a way -- they did. It was commonly referred to as -- a horse. It took days, weeks, and even months for news to travel from point "A" to point "B."
Not today. In the twinkling of an eye the words we modern day pamphleteers write can be flashed around the globe.
That makes us very dangerous people.
Yes, It IS dangerous to speak the truth about our nation and our government's unconstitutional deeds. It IS dangerous to lay out the facts concerning those who are destroying our beloved nation. And it is becoming more dangerous every day.
"Why, Longstreet? America is a FREE country. Why worry? You have freedom of speech guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Say and write what you will!"
Oh, I DO. Believe me, I seldom hold back. But -- I am always conscious of the Damocles Sword hanging just over my head and the heads of all conservative bloggers on the Internet.
The US government is listening, recording, and even storing every word we write. And they have made darn sure we KNOW they are doing this.
Why?
Methinks they are hoping for a "chilling" effect upon the fiery creative juices of the "writers of the right."
It is always dangerous to point out that the "Emperor has no clothes." It makes one VERY unpopular with the Emperor, the most powerful among us.
Even though the appearance of "web logs" on the Internet seemed spontaneous, in truth it was not. No, blogging actually began over 200 years ago (sans the Internet) in the form of "exuberant periodicals circulated in the coffee houses and homes of England." SOURCE: http://carolyncholland.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/1790s-pamphleteering-versus-2000s-blogging/
The new pamphleteers, the bloggers, just naturally drive the professional journalists nuts. The "Pros" claim bloggers are NOT journalists, even though by definition that is exactly what they are. Many, as, in fact, yours truly, were card-carrying members of the press corps for many decades before retirement and taking a seat at the computer keyboard as a commentator on the Internet.
I WAS a working journalist, now I am a retired journalist living life as a commentator. That does not make me special or even different. It is simply a fact.
America's early pamphleteers " ... were not professional writers, nor were they printers. They were lawyers, farmers, ministers, merchants, or -- in some cases -- men whose true identities are still unknown. It was a well-established practice in colonial times for writers to use pen names, even when writing on non-controversial subjects." Source: http://www.bu.edu/cdaly/whoisajournalist.html
The early American pamphleteers established something of an underground press in America and that underground press in many ways continues in an, uh, more OVERT fashion, today by way of bloggers on the most public of all means of publication -- the Internet.
Thomas Paine was one of America's greatest pamphleteers and today would be atop the considerable heap of American bloggers ... or in jail.
"Common Sense," by Thomas Paine, was the perfect example of the kind of political journalism that Thomas Jefferson was mindful of as he pushed so hard for an amendment to the constitution in 1790 to protect press freedom. Jefferson felt, and rightfully so, that anonymous, highly opinionated writing from diverse, independent sources ought to be protected. Jefferson knew -- first hand -- of its importance and the impact it had had on the events immediately preceding the War for Independence from Great Britain -- even the war itself.
In historical terms, today's bloggers are much closer in spirit to the Revolutionary-era pamphleteers than today's giant, conglomerate mainstream media. On those grounds, blogs deserve the full constitutional blessings that the First Amendment guarantees.
There is much concern among the consumers of news these days that the Mainstream Media, has "sold out" to the political left in America. News junkies have been turning, more and more, to to the blogosphere to get some degree of "balance" to the news and commentary they consume. Once they taste true INDEPENDENT reporting and commentary from the blogosphere, they rarely return to the MsM. This what I like to call: "Right Flight!"
Right Flight has resulted in lower readership for the country's leading newspapers and magazines. A lower circulation figure results in fewer and smaller ad purchases by advertisers who want to place THEIR money where the numbers are -- for maximum exposure and a better return on their advertising dollars.
As a result of this shake-up in the way news consumers choose to get their news --world-wide -- many of the leading newspaper publishers have been forced to cut back their operations, lay off workers, and, in worst case scenarios, close up shop. Is it any wonder the Mainstream Media HATES bloggers?
The MsM has apparently failed to understand WHY their readership has fled. It is much easier for them to point fingers at conservative bloggers than to assess the self inflicted damage their overt/covert left-wing bias has brought their enterprise.
With America clinging to a ledge and dangling above the disaster of a complete economic collapse and the lack of trust in the those charged to tell Americans the truth through their publications, the writings of the modern day pamphleteers are soaring in popularity.
There seems to be a natural inclination, when in times of trouble or distress, for people seeking information to trust the non-professional purveyor of news over the establishment. That fuels the popularity of bloggers and gives them the edge.
If the early American pamphleteers like Paine, Jefferson, the Adams cousins, and so many others, could experience the Internet, especially the blogs on the Internet today, I daresay their eyes would glow and their hearts would pump a bit faster.
For the pamphleteer the quill has become the keyboard. The ink stained fingers have become carpal-tunnel syndrome. But the goal remains the same. To publish one's thoughts, opinions, and analysis of the current problems plaguing the reader of the scribblings of the pamphleteer/blogger.
The more things change -- the more they stay the same.
© J. D. Longstreet
Pamphleteers of the 21st Century
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
**************
Before the famous ride of Paul Revere there were, among our American ancestors, men who placed their lives and fortunes on the line by doing exactly what conservative bloggers do today. Writing their thoughts on politics and current events on paper, printing those papers into pamphlet size editions and distributing them to the public. They became known as "pamphleteers." (among OTHER things!)
During colonial times in America, if you wanted to convince or inform people about some issue that you considered important, you went to the local printer and got some pamphlets printed. You then handed them out, read them to anybody that was interested, nailed them to the town bulletin board, or the nearest tree. The first amendment was specifically written to protect this type of activity and the writers or "pamphleteers". SOURCE: http://thepamphleteer.blogspot.com/
"The Revolutionary pamphleteers were not professional writers but common citizens engaged in the debate of ideas; they created a sense of democracy to the intellectual struggle that preceded the call to arms." SOURCE: http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2006/01/bloggers-pamphleteers-of-today.html
We recommend you visit this website http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2006/01/bloggers-pamphleteers-of-today.html and read the article entitled: "Bloggers: The Pamphleteers of Today."
Of course, they had no Internet. Well. I suppose -- in a way -- they did. It was commonly referred to as -- a horse. It took days, weeks, and even months for news to travel from point "A" to point "B."
Not today. In the twinkling of an eye the words we modern day pamphleteers write can be flashed around the globe.
That makes us very dangerous people.
Yes, It IS dangerous to speak the truth about our nation and our government's unconstitutional deeds. It IS dangerous to lay out the facts concerning those who are destroying our beloved nation. And it is becoming more dangerous every day.
"Why, Longstreet? America is a FREE country. Why worry? You have freedom of speech guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Say and write what you will!"
Oh, I DO. Believe me, I seldom hold back. But -- I am always conscious of the Damocles Sword hanging just over my head and the heads of all conservative bloggers on the Internet.
The US government is listening, recording, and even storing every word we write. And they have made darn sure we KNOW they are doing this.
Why?
Methinks they are hoping for a "chilling" effect upon the fiery creative juices of the "writers of the right."
It is always dangerous to point out that the "Emperor has no clothes." It makes one VERY unpopular with the Emperor, the most powerful among us.
Even though the appearance of "web logs" on the Internet seemed spontaneous, in truth it was not. No, blogging actually began over 200 years ago (sans the Internet) in the form of "exuberant periodicals circulated in the coffee houses and homes of England." SOURCE: http://carolyncholland.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/1790s-pamphleteering-versus-2000s-blogging/
The new pamphleteers, the bloggers, just naturally drive the professional journalists nuts. The "Pros" claim bloggers are NOT journalists, even though by definition that is exactly what they are. Many, as, in fact, yours truly, were card-carrying members of the press corps for many decades before retirement and taking a seat at the computer keyboard as a commentator on the Internet.
I WAS a working journalist, now I am a retired journalist living life as a commentator. That does not make me special or even different. It is simply a fact.
America's early pamphleteers " ... were not professional writers, nor were they printers. They were lawyers, farmers, ministers, merchants, or -- in some cases -- men whose true identities are still unknown. It was a well-established practice in colonial times for writers to use pen names, even when writing on non-controversial subjects." Source: http://www.bu.edu/cdaly/whoisajournalist.html
The early American pamphleteers established something of an underground press in America and that underground press in many ways continues in an, uh, more OVERT fashion, today by way of bloggers on the most public of all means of publication -- the Internet.
Thomas Paine was one of America's greatest pamphleteers and today would be atop the considerable heap of American bloggers ... or in jail.
"Common Sense," by Thomas Paine, was the perfect example of the kind of political journalism that Thomas Jefferson was mindful of as he pushed so hard for an amendment to the constitution in 1790 to protect press freedom. Jefferson felt, and rightfully so, that anonymous, highly opinionated writing from diverse, independent sources ought to be protected. Jefferson knew -- first hand -- of its importance and the impact it had had on the events immediately preceding the War for Independence from Great Britain -- even the war itself.
In historical terms, today's bloggers are much closer in spirit to the Revolutionary-era pamphleteers than today's giant, conglomerate mainstream media. On those grounds, blogs deserve the full constitutional blessings that the First Amendment guarantees.
There is much concern among the consumers of news these days that the Mainstream Media, has "sold out" to the political left in America. News junkies have been turning, more and more, to to the blogosphere to get some degree of "balance" to the news and commentary they consume. Once they taste true INDEPENDENT reporting and commentary from the blogosphere, they rarely return to the MsM. This what I like to call: "Right Flight!"
Right Flight has resulted in lower readership for the country's leading newspapers and magazines. A lower circulation figure results in fewer and smaller ad purchases by advertisers who want to place THEIR money where the numbers are -- for maximum exposure and a better return on their advertising dollars.
As a result of this shake-up in the way news consumers choose to get their news --world-wide -- many of the leading newspaper publishers have been forced to cut back their operations, lay off workers, and, in worst case scenarios, close up shop. Is it any wonder the Mainstream Media HATES bloggers?
The MsM has apparently failed to understand WHY their readership has fled. It is much easier for them to point fingers at conservative bloggers than to assess the self inflicted damage their overt/covert left-wing bias has brought their enterprise.
With America clinging to a ledge and dangling above the disaster of a complete economic collapse and the lack of trust in the those charged to tell Americans the truth through their publications, the writings of the modern day pamphleteers are soaring in popularity.
There seems to be a natural inclination, when in times of trouble or distress, for people seeking information to trust the non-professional purveyor of news over the establishment. That fuels the popularity of bloggers and gives them the edge.
If the early American pamphleteers like Paine, Jefferson, the Adams cousins, and so many others, could experience the Internet, especially the blogs on the Internet today, I daresay their eyes would glow and their hearts would pump a bit faster.
For the pamphleteer the quill has become the keyboard. The ink stained fingers have become carpal-tunnel syndrome. But the goal remains the same. To publish one's thoughts, opinions, and analysis of the current problems plaguing the reader of the scribblings of the pamphleteer/blogger.
The more things change -- the more they stay the same.
© J. D. Longstreet
RHINOS at Work, Need One Say More?...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
I like Chuck Hagel. In fact I fully support his nomination by President Obama to the position of Secretary of Defense. He is ultimately qualified and capable of executing the duties of said position. Senator McCain's views aside.
Actually the biggest reason to support this nomination is because it riles the establishment RHINOS to the point of frenzy. Indeed the modern rEpublican party is working hard at attaining irrelevancy.
Via: Memeoranmdum
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
I like Chuck Hagel. In fact I fully support his nomination by President Obama to the position of Secretary of Defense. He is ultimately qualified and capable of executing the duties of said position. Senator McCain's views aside.
Actually the biggest reason to support this nomination is because it riles the establishment RHINOS to the point of frenzy. Indeed the modern rEpublican party is working hard at attaining irrelevancy.
ABC World News - Facing a rocky confirmation process, Chuck Hagel today defended his record before his former Senate colleagues, including an openly impatient Sen. John McCain.
"I'm on the record on many issues, but no one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual statement defines me," Hagel said in his opening statement at his first confirmation hearing for secretary of defense.
"My overall worldview has never changed: that America has and must maintain the strongest military in the world, that we must lead in the international community to confront threats and challenges together," Hagel said. {Read More}
Via: Memeoranmdum
Majority Now See Federal Government as a Threat to Personal Rights...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
I found the chart and article from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press quite interesting. It is indeed true the federal government has become an increasing threat to individual individual freedoms and rights. That being said, what I found most interesting is the year GWB was elected to his first term on the heels of the Clinton presidency only 30% of the people believed this to be true. Every year since 2001 the percentage of the people viewing the federal government as a threat to their rights has been growing. It is easy to understand why when you think about the Patriot Act, TSA, ObamaCare, the current efforts to strengthen firearms control (an effort I support to a point - see prior posts on this issue), and the overall general trend for more government involvement in every aspect of our lives. President Obama seems to be continuing on the trend line started by GBW following his election in 2001. If we are fortunate President Obama will begin a gradual reversal of the trending that begin in 2001.
Via: Memeorandunm
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
I found the chart and article from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press quite interesting. It is indeed true the federal government has become an increasing threat to individual individual freedoms and rights. That being said, what I found most interesting is the year GWB was elected to his first term on the heels of the Clinton presidency only 30% of the people believed this to be true. Every year since 2001 the percentage of the people viewing the federal government as a threat to their rights has been growing. It is easy to understand why when you think about the Patriot Act, TSA, ObamaCare, the current efforts to strengthen firearms control (an effort I support to a point - see prior posts on this issue), and the overall general trend for more government involvement in every aspect of our lives. President Obama seems to be continuing on the trend line started by GBW following his election in 2001. If we are fortunate President Obama will begin a gradual reversal of the trending that begin in 2001.
As Barack Obama begins his second term in office, trust in the federal government remains mired near a historic low, while frustration with government remains high. And for the first time, a majority of the public says that the federal government threatens their personal rights and freedoms.
The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Jan. 9-13 among 1,502 adults, finds that 53% think that the federal government threatens their own personal rights and freedoms while 43% disagree.
In March 2010, opinions were divided over whether the government represented a threat to personal freedom; 47% said it did while 50% disagreed. In surveys between 1995 and 2003, majorities rejected the idea that the government threatened people’s rights and freedoms.
The growing view that the federal government threatens personal rights and freedoms has been led by conservative Republicans. Currently 76% of conservative Republicans say that the federal government threatens their personal rights and freedoms and 54% describe the government as a “major” threat. Three years ago, 62% of conservative Republicans said the government was a threat to their freedom; 47% said it was a major threat.
By comparison, there has been little change in opinions among Democrats; 38% say the government poses a threat to personal rights and freedoms and just 16% view it as a major threat.
People who say they have guns in their households continue to be more likely than those who do not to say that the government is a threat to their personal rights and freedoms. About six-in-ten (62%) in gun-owning households see the government as a threat, compared with 45% of those without guns; this gap is no larger today than it was three years ago.
The survey finds continued widespread distrust in government. About a quarter of Americans (26%) trust the government in Washington to do the right thing just about always or most of the time; 73% say they can trust the government only some of the time or volunteer that they can never trust the government. Explore a Pew Research interactive on Public Trust in Government: 1958-2013.
Just 20% of Americans say they are basically content with the federal government; 58% say they are frustrated while 19% say they are angry. For the most part, these views have changed little during Obama’s presidency. However, the percentage saying they are content with government sank to a low of just 11% in August 2011, following protracted negotiations between the president and congressional leaders over raising the debt ceiling. The same survey found that the percentage expressing anger at government had reached 26%, and just 19% said they trusted the government at least most of the time. {Read Much More}
Via: Memeorandunm
How Would I Communicate If the Gov. Shuts Off the Internet?
Regular contributors: Please feel free to publish articles on this subject at any time.
Bloggers and Guest writers: If you’ve written or already published an article on this subject or a related subject, and it’s no older than a year, feel free to submit.
Please submit your articles to: faultlineusa (at) yahoo (dot) com
For hints on the kinds of articles we are looking for check out:
Communicate_if_Your_Government_Shuts_Off_Your_Internet
Whistleblowers Gather for Conference on Being Targeted by the Surveillance State (VIDEO)
Pathways to Freedom (About the Underground RR)
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)
