Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Fleecing of America

Have you noticed how people are getting angrier and angrier? Even mild mannered, middle class Americans are starting to protest.

While we have become accustomed to illegal aliens protesting by the thousands down the streets of California, or animal rights activists ramming a fishing trawler to save the whales, or gays protesting in front of a church demanding the ability to marry, when was the last time you saw an average middle class American protesting? Well, I guess the time has come.

The fights, the arguments, the anger, have become so intense lately that I cringe as I listen to the MSNBC commentators mocking the moderates and rights. I know, I know. Why turn them on? Well, sometimes I like to see what unbelievable venom comes out of their mouths to bring me back into focus.

The past few days, MSNBC has taken up the fight against Rush Limbaugh, deriding him for looking like the Russian mafia with his black shirt and jacket (originally mocked by David Letterman). Yesterday, on MSNBC, a "guest" actually called him a fat, pill-popping, racist, fanatic. Even Chris Matthews was shocked.

They have likened Republicans to idiots who dare to question the $400 billion bill filled to the brim with unnecessary, special-interest pork that we know will indirectly benefit the elected officials who passed it.

They say the Republicans are a broken party, a party with no leader. Yes, they are and we know why - the Republicans have forgotten the morals, the ethics, the correct way to lead.

Do you remember when the Republicans had the majority of Congress? What did they do? Blew it! Passed pork like there was no tomorrow. They got what they deserved. Now, they have to come out of the ashes like the Phoenix but can't seem to get their act together.

What's so difficult with putting together a Republican program to follow? I'll give you one in the next blog.

But, I digress about the fleecing of America...

Today I received a call from The Cancer Fund. Lately, I have received more and more calls from supposed "charities" asking for donations. They come in a variety of names, all of them unfamiliar. So, after hanging up on The Cancer Fund, I decided to investigate at http://www.charitynavigator.org/.

Let me tell you, The Cancer Fund is a money making organization... for it's officers, not for those fighting cancer. (Like Congress, they say they are working for us, but actually they are working for themselves.) I am fed up and getting angrier, so I signed up for the National Do Not Call Registry. http://www.donotcall.gov/

As we all know, the internet also holds the potential for rip offs. I have received countless Nigerian letters asking me to help them free up astounding sums of money if I'll just send them a mere thousand. I regularly receive e-mails from "companies" trying to sell me insurance, merchandise, get-rich-quick schemes, and men's paraphernalia. Just click on their site and you're screwed. I delete them all without opening them.

I have Firewalls, Anti-spyware, Anti-virus, and who-knows-what added to my computers to prevent others from taken my information and ripping me off. Or, disabling my computer with their crap and forcing me to remove the software and re-install it, which is an enormous pain in the tush.

I have people who come to my door on behalf of organizations I have never heard of asking for a hand out. I tell them I'm in the middle of dinner (because I usually am) and get rid of them.

I wonder, as I navigate through this world of sharks, what has happened to us? Why do we always have to be on the lookout for others who will snatch our hard earned money away from us? What has happened to morals, to ethics, to sanity?

It seems we are of two camps, the hunters and the hunted. We constantly wonder who the other person is - will they do us harm or are they a friend?

Yesterday there was a study that came out on American religious life. Anyone who goes to church knows that less and less people are going. The study showed that Vermont has the highest share of those claiming no religion, at 34%. The study also found that the number of Americans with no religion rose in every state.

In 2008, Christians comprised 76% of U.S. adults compared to about 86% in 1990. At this rate, no one will believe in religion in this country by 2190. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,506849,00.html

This survey made me feel very bad. Partly because my religious beliefs are so important to me and partly because I know that people are missing out on their wholeness, their oneness with God, and the self-actualization that comes with it when they believe and follow.

Now I know why we have to navigate every day through that sea of sharks who would do us harm. This country is losing the basic principle that it was formed on - religion and religious freedom.

You may argue that we still have the right to religious freedom. Anyone can go to their church, synagogue or mosque if they want to. That's true, but have you noticed how the media mocks religion? They discount it's followers, they portray them as nuts and fanatics.

And, the courts are continually restricting our freedom to practice our religion. Note no prayers in schools, no creches in public places, no "Merry Christmas" in stores. It's a "slippery slope."

The help-one-another, love-one-another, philosophy that made this country great is going by the wayside. While Prez. Obama believes in "sharing," he's got it all wrong. It's value does not come from taxation, but from each individual helping each other.

May God help us.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Where has common sense gone? Out the window...

I understand why Barack Obama was elected President. The Republicans blew it.

I was astonished when Pres. Bush proposed going into Iraq. The thought that the U.S. would invade another country without provocation, or invitation, was rediculous.

Then, there was Congress smugly passing every pork they could to their own benefit. And, turning their backs on real issues such as illegal immigration, not securing our borders, allowing our investment institutions to write worthless financial paper, and ignoring the festering problems with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Another shock was Pres. Bush' apparent liberal agenda, such as passing sweeping legislation to ensure our senior citizens are covered by health insurance. While I understand the need, I wondered how we could afford it without raising taxes. Yet, there was no talk of raising taxes, or how the exhorbitant cost would be paid. Now, we know - trillions in debt totally ignored by Bush.

I am sick of politicians. They are destroying our country. And, they are actively continuing to destroy it. Why? Because our elected officials are in it for themselves. How many have become millionaires on the backs of us? How many have directed pork to their family and friends, bribed lobbyists for donations, and only thought of themselves? Too many.

Now, the few Republicans left are trying to act like the virginal, upstanding citizens we want them to be. Too late, guys. You had your chance. You have handed over the reigns to the left, which is bent on destroying so many of the freedoms we hold dear.

Barack Obama swaggers about, a large smile on his face, gleefully showing his lack of maturity, his inability to understand that he holds a valuable, historical, unique prize in the palm of his hand. No, he will not negotiate, he will not realize that he is destroying that prize until it is too late.

My heart seems always heavy. I am unable to change the fate of our great nation. I wonder, is New Zealand or another relatively familiar country accepting immigrants?

Am I willing to abandon my country? Yes. My forefathers did it when they came here.

Or, should I stay in a country that is now making me so miserable? I continue to ponder...

Monday, January 19, 2009

Black list another celebrity


For those of you who are keeping track of celebrities who spew their venom on others, deriding people personally versus opposing their views, Bill O'Reilly had a piece on celecbrities in Washington for the Obama inauguration. Jessica Alba was interviewed briefly and called Bill an "a-hole."

Good job, Jessica. We respect you so much more now. Of course, you couldn't give any reason why good, old Bill was an "a-hole," but nobody in America cares anyway. All we care about is how sexy you look in your swim suit. Duh!

Barney Frank blames TARP on Republicans

This is my first post in over two months. I had to recover emotionally after the Presidential election. I now realize that the vast majority of the American people know nothing about politics and it's all a popularity game. Serious questions were totally ignored during the campaign.

Then, I realize it doesn't matter. We had two Democrats running for President anyway.

My mouth gaped open this morning, however, to hear Barney Frank blame the TARP on the Bush Administration. First, Nancy Pelosi wrote the dang thing, then the Democratic majority passed it. The few dissenters were Republican.

It seems that when anything goes wrong, Barney and Nancy blame it on someone else, namely Bush or the Republicans. Their cowardly, deceitful lies are just too much to take. I may not blog again for another two months...