Saturday, January 31, 2009

"BUY AMERICAN" Yes-No?

'Buy American' - Sparks fly
A stimulus provision that bans the purchase of foreign construction materials for public works projects gets jeers from economists and European trade interests.

A debate is brewing at home and abroad over an economic stimulus measure that would require materials used in the program's infrastructure projects to be purchased from American companies.

In the $819 billion House bill passed Wednesday, the so-called "Buy American" provision would, with some notable exceptions, ensure that only U.S.-produced iron and steel be used for construction. It expands on a 76-year-old federal law. The Senate, which is likely to take up stimulus next week, would go even further, effectively requiring that any products and equipment be American-made.

The plan is already drawing opposition. Source: Read PROS and CONS

John Murphy, vice president of international affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said 50 million Americans whose jobs depend on exports would pay the price.

"If the U.S. raises these barriers to international business, we're likely to see massive retaliation around the world," he said.

"However, the one thing we can be absolutely certain about, is if a bill is passed which prohibits the sale or purchase of European goods on American territory, that is something we will not stand idly by and ignore," said Peter Power, spokesman for EU trade commissioner Catherine Ashton. SOURCE...

Of more than 100,000 responses to this poll so far, 75% do not believe that the economic stimulus package will help their job situation.

Is "Buy American" the Answer?

Yes. It will help create jobs and stimulate the economy.
No. It will affect the excess of our imports, and alienate and create ill-will with the global community.
Other: ?????????

WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE!

Related: Protesters rally against World Economic Forum
Protectionism is a dangerous road to walk - remember the Thirties
CEOs, politicians urge Obama to shun protectionism

Non-importation Act | Embargo Act of 1807

See also: Your People, Our People | The World Distribution Center

U.S. Companies Promote Islam for the Kids

Game Has Islamic Message?
Remember that Fisher Price baby doll that everyone got all freaked out about late last year? The one that was supposed to just coo and giggle but actually said something that sounded an awful lot like "Islam is the light?" Well, apparently that wasn't a one-toy issue. A woman in Knightsville, Indiana says a Nintendo DS game she bought for her 8-year-old daughter says the exact same thing. SOURCE ...

Mother: toys says 'Islam is the light'

The Baby Pals game can be purchased at a number of places, including Game Stop, Walmart.com, Amazon.com and Target.com. SOURCE ...

If you are concerned with subliminal messages of religion ideologies ... or any special interest group's messages ... hidden in toys and games to infiltrate and influence the minds of young children ... you should DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE!

Gamestop - Other (please specify)
Email: orders@gamestop.com
Phone: 1-800-883-8895

Walmart Online Form | Target Online Form: | Amazon Online Form

Mattel Brands, please call 310-252-6620
Fisher-Price toys, please call 716-687-3354

Fisher-Price (Mattel) products:
In the US and Canada: 800-432-5437

Click on the Email (envelope) link below this post to send it to relatives and friends that would be concerned and should be alerted to this issue.

See also: Islam Watch
Things That Fuel Muslim Extremism

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Newly Homeless - Throwaway People?

"I call it the double trouble," said Philip F. Mangano, executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. "You would have to be naive to believe that the loss of over 850,000 homes and over two million jobs wouldn't have an impact."

"They seem to keep coming," said ~ a 53-year-old former truck driver who is unable to find work and has lived under a tarp for a year.

~ a 47-year-old painter from Milwaukee, sleeps in a rescue mission at night and spends his days on the streets bundled up in layers of clothes. He says he became homeless three months ago when he lost his job and his wife kicked him out of the house.

"It's hard to find work. With the economy, no one's doing any painting."

Many advocates say the majority of families experiencing homelessness in this economy are not on the streets or in shelters, but doubled up or in some other marginal situation. SOURCE ...

See also: Illegals Get Rebate Checks? | Want Work? New Deal Jobs

Illegals Get Rebate Checks?

Stimulating tax rebates for illegal aliens

Everyone’s getting a ride on the stimulation-palooza bandwagon–including illegal aliens. Of course. Congress and the White House supposedly are sending the money to people so they can spend, spend, spend it to give the U.S. economy a jolt. What will the illegal aliens do with their rebates? Remittances, baby, remittances. Rep. Tom Tancredo, ~ was one of the 25 Republicans who voted against the economic stimulus boondoggle, blasts the new illegal immigration stimulus:

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) ~ criticized the tax package passed by the ~ Democrat-controlled Congress as a giveaway to illegal aliens. The package, among other shortcomings, would direct the Internal Revenue Service to issue checks of up to $600 to individuals and $1,200 to married couples, as well as rebates for any children. The legislation does not, however, contain any provision barring illegal aliens from taking advantage of these benefits.

“This package will stimulate one thing for certain: more illegal immigration,” said Tancredo. “It’s just the latest unfortunate example of American workers footing the bill for illegal aliens.”
SOURCE ...
| More: Illegal immigrants may get rebates
The much-abused argument that immigrants are coming here to do jobs Americans refuse to do is so specious and perverse it shows the profound dishonesty of the debate. All jobs in America were being done just fine before immigration commenced in the 1960's and 70's. Our lawns were mowed. Our tables were cleaned. Our motels didn't have messy beds. Immigrants are simply increasing the supply of available labor and lowering wages for those poorest Americans who have trouble advancing in our economy. Liberals have no shame if they claim they care about the poor and fight tax-cuts, but then support a huge immigrant invasion that takes away American jobs, lowers wages, lowers educational performance, increases crime and taxes. Review ...

Video: Immigrants - some legal, many not - Compete For Work
COST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS | WRITE YOUR CONGRESSPERSON

PETA = Lots of SEX!

Are these type of public ads necessary to promote awareness of animal control? They appear to portray soft porn and promiscuity. They do get attention - especially from the kids.
Banned PETA Superbowl Ad
ADULT Entertainment


PETA Young Girls Sex Talk

PETA - Contact Options

World of Women (and Men)

Media Spin - a - War

Media spin: deadliest weapon?
On this page every Wednesday you will find an account of an armed conflict from the past – recent or distant – that went down in history not in the way it really happened but in the way it was portrayed by the media.

The effect of ancient spin can easily be seen in the descriptions of the same events in different chronicles, and this is as true for Western culture as Eastern. For example, the Grunewald Battle is described differently in the accounts of the Teutonic (German) Order, in the Polish chronicles and in the accounts of the Russian principality of Smolensk. The ancient chronicles of Burma and Siam draw different pictures of the wars fought between the two nations over several centuries.

In our time, spin thrives in an age where most people get their information from television, radio and newspapers. In Israel, the majority thinks their country won the recent war against Hamas. In Gaza, Hamas celebrates victory despite taking heavy losses.

The internet has changed the world. It provides an opportunity to look at events from a different angle. But then again, we all have views of our own, whether or not they have been formed by the media. And so, we choose the websites we visit according to our views, limiting our horizons as we do so.

Spin is not a tool of psychological warfare. Rather, spin is an integral part of human nature, because a human brain is built to receive, process and project information, and that is why most thoughts are true but every spoken word is a lie.

But the natural character of spin doesn't cancel the fact that when someone wants the public to think in a certain way about a certain event, and that someone has enough money, power and influence, the natural effect of spin can be multiplied to become a potent weapon. And it can be a most destructive one, capable of killing the truth, of changing the way events are recorded and go down in history.

Here on this page we will do our best to un-spin the armed conflicts that were shown to the public as having gone on in one way but in fact had been fought, won and lost in quite another one. SOURCE ...

Photo Credit: A lone F-16 Fighting Falcon from the U. S. Air Force Thunderbirds

See also: Myth of a Free Press | Answer the &$%#* Question!
Lies, Hype, and Spin - Truth Is Dead

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Iran Responds to Obama

Round 1 [or 2] - Presidential Dialogue

President Obama on Tuesday, in an interview with Arabic television, called for more dialogue with Iran to express difference and see "where there are potential avenues for progress."

Here is the response from the Leader of Iran
Ahmadinejad Demands Apology for U.S. 'Crimes' - January 28, 2009

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for "profound changes" in U.S. foreign policy on Wednesday, including giving up support for Israel, during an address to thousands of people in the western city of Kermanshah.


"Those who say they want to make change, this is the change they should make: they should apologize to the Iranian nation and try to make up for their dark background and the crimes they have committed against the Iranian nation,"

"Who has asked them (the United States) to come and interfere in the affairs of nations?"
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

2006 Islamic Republic Of Iran President to American President
Ahmadinejad's 2006 Letter to Americans

Letter to Bush carries message from Iranian nation
The letter to US President George Bush carries the Iranian nation's views and comments on international issues as well as suggestions for resolving the many problems facing humanity, said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

[More appeals for dialogue? Call again.]

See also: We're Not Your Enemy | Who's Winning Now?

Where's the MONEY?


How fast does $1.1 trillion disappear?

Bringing it home
Huge sums unaccounted for is like a hole in the milk bucket.

This is:


# draining the resources right out of our neighborhoods;
# contributing to our budget cuts and deficits, along with increased debt;
# directly diminishing our family resources such as earning power, savings, retirement security, and quality education and healthcare.

This must be stopped! Cooked books affect everyone, not just those directly involved in the US government. The finances of many countries around the world are dependent on US currency and US Treasury securities. See Where is the Collateral? to connect the dots. SOURCE ...

Trillions of dollars are missing from the US government. What's going on? Where is the money? How could this happen? Where are the checks and balances? How much more has gone missing? What would happen if a corporation failed to pass an audit like this? Or a taxpayer? Who is responsible for this? Would your banks continue to handle your bank account if you behaved like this? Would your investors continue to buy your securities if you behaved like this?
LEARN MORE ...

See also: Obama's Hatchet Woman

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

States Broke - More Taxes

Governor wants to tax golf, auto repairs
In California, Schwarzenegger wants to help close a nearly $42 billion budget deficit by taxing rounds of golf, auto repairs, veterinary care, amusement park and sporting event admissions and appliance and furniture repairs.

Democratic Gov. David Paterson in New York has proposed levies on MP3 downloads, taxi rides, movies, concerts, sporting events, and personal services such as haircuts, manicures and massages.

Schwarzenegger's fellow Republican in Utah, Gov. Jon Huntsman, has shelved a proposal to tax attorney and accounting services but promises to bring it back next year.

Service taxes in other states include levies on pet grooming, water well drilling, fur storage, massages, shoe repairs, swimming pool cleaning, taxidermy, and dating and diaper services. SOURCE ...

[Call TEMP Help for a Performance and Efficiency Manager and book-keeping services ... hide the checkbooks and cut-back spending ... or call law enforcement and report theft? No ... too late ... too much trouble ... too many people will be compromised ... no-one cares ... just raise the taxes.]

Obama Goes Muslim

Maybe We're Confused?

Barack Obama, in his first Presidential televised interview to a nation, elected to use an Arabic owned network to address the Muslim nation and describe his job obligations and family relations.

"I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries"
[But he is not a Muslim]

"My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."
[His job to Americans is to explain his job to the Muslims.]

Huh? the American President, as a first priority ... addresses an Arabic television network, describing his job obligations and family tree to the Muslim nation?

Is he playing the game by himself?
Where's Hillary Clinton and George Mitchell as diplomatic representatives?
Where are the American public or cable television networks when he needs them?

Maybe We're Confused? Huh?

See: Iran Responds to Obama | We are not your enemy

We are "Not Your Enemy"

Obama tells Arabic network US is 'not your enemy'

Obama said he felt it was important to "get engaged right away" in the Middle East and had directed Mitchell to talk to "all the major parties involved." His administration would craft an approach after that, he said.

"I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries," Obama said, according to a White House transcript. "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."

"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating - in the past on some of these issues - and we don't always know all the factors that are involved" - Obama SOURCE ...
**********

America's job is not to appease and soothe the ideological thinking and welfare of other nation's peoples and the aspirations of their government or regime.

It is to preserve and protect our country's CONSTITUTION and the people's well-being from being hammered and beat down, attacked and destroyed by other interests to dis-place us in power, wealth and control -- which allows us our freedoms, liberties and SECURITY. If that requires us to cross international borders in response to unwarranted attacks on us, or dictate specific guidelines, then so be it. It is not to conquer and rule, but to preserve and protect.

Ignorant of Issues, Maybe ... to the degree that as individual citizens, we don't have a need to know everything -- or want to know everything. We have elected and appointed officials that are supposed to look out for America's best interests in foreign and internal affairs. We listen, hear, and see that all nations have a lot of problems with life and living. We hope they work it out.

We don't want to fight other nation's internal wars for them. We have already suffered through two internal bloody wars of our own trying to solve problems.


Dictate, absolutely. Don't mess with (attack and kill) the people of the United States of America or their allies! We'll have to defend ourselves ... or die trying.


We're not your enemy. We are, and can be, your friends and good neighbor.

We can help, assist, donate, advise, trade, share, attempt to influence etc. But, until the One World Government rule is decided and dictated, we have to be primarily concerned with the USA homeland.

Each nation of peoples have to evolve, and through their individual and collective efforts - if the spirit of freedom is in their hearts - will achieve their goal ... or not.

God Bless the United States of America, it's CONSTITUTION, and All It's People!
May we perservere. Let the struggle continue ...

See also: The American Question | Who's Winning Now? | WWWD

Monday, January 26, 2009

Who Is Winning Now?


Your People, Our People
It's Not a UTOPIA. It's Not a Perfect World.
OUR People! Equal, but Different and Worlds Apart?
Many Nations - Different Peoples Cultures Ideologies
We won, they lost; They won, we lost - ad nauseam



Why Did Japan Attack America | More ...
[Domination Oil Resources for OUR People?]

Hitler's Argument for Conquest
[Domination Living Space Resources for OUR People?]

America's War Against Great Britain
A Revolution for Self-Government for We, the People
[Fair Trade and Fair Taxes for OUR People?]
Policy of Mercantilism 1. 2. and Taxes

Why do we maintain a Military? Why Support a Military? Why Drill Now? Why have a Constitution? Don't be naive, ignorant and blind - SELF PRESERVATION! Restrict access to oil, limit manufacturing, take away the guns, limit and draw down the military, birth rates and population, allow unlimited and unrestricted immigration in competition for employment, tangle, mix-up and scramble the finances, languages and everything else -- and you diminish a people and a nation's ability to control and preserve it's unique culture, it's national identify and sovereignty, and to defend itself against infiltration and takeover by foreign interests or tyrannical ideas.

The world's economy and transportation is largely based on and powered primarily by OIL! Without oil, many of our petroleum based products and related jobs would disappear, as would the source of power for the military complex which helps preserve and defend the freedom, liberties and survival of a democratic nation and peoples.

Until we, as a UNITED nation, convert our ability to protect ourselves (from those that envy, or wish to dominate and rule} to nuclear, wind, sun, water, manure BS powered military machines, we should wisely maintain our strength in numbers, manufacturing capabilities and access to resources for survival as a nation. It's the human nature of self-preservation.

WWII: WHAT IF WE HAD LOST?
German conquest of Europe and Africa would bring all their raw materials, plus their entire industrial development, under one control. Of the 2 billion people in the world, the Nazis would rule roughly one quarter, the 500 million people of Europe and Africa, forced into slavery to labor for Germany. German conquest of Russia would add the vast raw materials and the production facilities of another of the world's industrial areas, and of the world's people, another 200 million would be added to the Nazi labor pile.

Japanese conquest of the Orient would pour into their factory the almost unlimited resources of that area, and of the peoples of the earth, a thousand million would come under their rule, slaves for their industrial machine.

We in North and South America would be left with the raw materials of three-tenths of the earth's surface, against the Axis with the resources of seven-tenths. We would have one industrial region against their three industrial regions. We would have one-eighth of the world's population against their seven-eighths. If we along with the other nations of North and South America could mobilize 30 million fully equipped men, the Axis could mobilize 200 million.

Thus, an Axis victory [Germany-Japan-Italy] in Europe and Asia would leave us alone and virtually surrounded facing enemies ten times stronger than ourselves. SOURCE ...

Who is winning the war of ideas now - without firing a shot? Who is right? Who is wrong? Who will be blamed for starting the next world war - and who will win next time?

[Give us our house, our car, our sundries and entertainment allowance ... don't make us work or slave for your enrichment ... and YOU CAN RULE THE WORLD with YOUR PEOPLE in charge! But ... OUR People really don't trust you. We'll keep our guns ... just in case.]

See: The Takeover of America
The World Distribution Center (WWWD) | War and Terror and More Wars

"Those who hammer their guns into plows, will plow for those that do not". -Thomas Jefferson

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Obama's 509 Promises

"I want you to hold our goverment accountable. I want you to hold me accountable" - Barack Obama

OK, we will. - Politifact.com

OBAMETER and Political Truth-O-Meter
PolitiFact will be tracking Barack Obama’s promises during his presidency and will be rating the progress of each one.

Also Sorting Out the Truth in Politics with a "Truth-O-Meter".

Friday, January 23, 2009

Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl

A Pakistani seventh grade schoolgirl is writing a diary after Taleban militants in the troubled north-western Swat district ordered schools to close as part of an edict banning girls' education. Militants seek to impose their austere interpretation of Sharia law and have destroyed about 150 schools in the last year. News of further attacks and a Taleban invitation to public floggings appears in the latest extracts of the diary, which first appeared on BBC Urdu online.
**********

"I am quite bored sitting at home following the closures of schools.

Some of my friends have left Swat because the situation here is very dangerous. I do not leave home. At night Maulana Shah Dauran (the Taleban cleric who announced the ban on girls attending school) once again warned females not to leave home.

Taleban militants publicly flog an alleged narcotic smuggler in Swat
The Taleban routinely carry out public floggings in Swat
He also warned that they would blow up those schools which are used by the security forces as security posts.

Father told us that security forces have arrived at the boys' and girls' school in Haji Baba area. May God keep them safe. Maulana Shah Dauran also said in his speech on FM radio that three 'thieves' will be lashed tomorrow and whoever wants to see can come and watch.

I am surprised that when we have suffered so much, why people still go and watch such things? Why also doesn't the army stop them from carrying out such acts? I have seen wherever the army is there is usually a Taleban member nearby, but where there is a Taleban member the army will always not go." CONTINUED ...

[Talibanic Extremist Islamism and Sharia law - Infiltrating America ...? Huh? Nah.]

See also: Financing Destruction of America | Targeting America
More Articles at: Jihad Watch

The TARP Song Video

HILARIOUS parody of the government bail out...by Bill Zucker
Troubled Assistance Relief Program

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Terrorists In Your State?

Closing Gitmo?
Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA): "Send Us Your Terrorists"
LINK ... | LINK ...

Will the Terrorists Be Coming To Your State?


Their Friends, Allies and Local Sympathetic Bill Ayers Type Activists Will Pressure for, and Demand Their Release thru the Liberal Civil Courts.
If Not Released ...

1st Lesson in Anti-Terrorism
Insurgents free 33 prisoners
A Dated Reference - but applicable to the point.
In the US, the "free the prisoners" crowd would likely target the local communities and merchants.

Where Will Detainees From Guantánamo Go?
Meanwhile, none of the Democrats who on Thursday hailed the closing of the detention camp were stepping forward to offer prisons in their districts or states to receive the prisoners.

‘No, why would we want them here and put them in a general prison population and make our hometowns a target for terrorists?’ SOURCE ...

A Good-Will Gesture of Tolerance, Forgiveness and Love
Release the Gitmo prisoners on location, give them some traveling money, give them a hug, let them go wherever. Adopt those that want to come to USA and make them citizens. They can bring their families later and we'll learn their lanquage. Then, cross your fingers and hope they now value your life and freedom as you have theirs.

The call to Islamic extremists, to Islamic Paradise may be greater than the "pursuit of happiness" in a democratic Christian Protestant and non-believing nation of infidels like the USA.

See also: Targeting America | Freedom looms for terrorist | Islam Review
Closing Guantanamo? | Speaking In Tongues

IOU's and Expense Sharing

Web site gives you a really simple way to deal with "I owe you"s and expense sharing. You can have as many groups as you want; each group has a number of people that share a common account.

~ one or two of you can pay the expense and then the rest of you will owe them an amount of money. You just register those debts ~ and that's it! Next time, if you pay the account will get balanced.


[We already have a group. It's called the Congress and the IRS. They regulate all the money and the debts. Only a selected few pay the debts, and selected groups get a pay-back, bail-out, pay-out or a pass ... is a "changing, tangled mystery" ... and it never gets balanced.]


The US Senate Finance Committee on Thursday approved Timothy Geithner to head the Treasury Department under President Barack Obama
Our Group leader Geithner, not stopped by arithmetic, tax problems, or IOU's - he uses Tax Turbo
See Video ...

Update: Geithner Confirmed. Evidently, his method of juggling numbers is compatible with the U.S. tax code and can be useful. He is OUR man for the job.

See also: The "Medusa" Economy

My President is Black!

No More White Lies, My President is Black!
"My president is black, he's black, he's half white/ So even in a racist mind, he's half right/ So if you got a racist mind, it's alright/ My president is black, but his house is all white," Jay spit a capella as the DJ pulled the music for his verse.

"No more white lies, my president is black!" Hov finished, as the crowd in the club repeated his last line over and over again. SOURCE ...

Video (Rap) | Video (Mix w/Extreme Black Culture Lanquage)
"Rap music is especially appealing to young people, many of whom look up to rappers as role models. As a public health researcher, and as a parent of a 7-year-old, I'm concerned about the impact that long-term exposure to this music has on its listeners."
- Denise Herd, associate professor in the division of Community Health and Human Development at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health
SOURCE ...
Studies have shown rap music is one of the fastest-growing genres in American pop culture today and plays a prominent role in youth culture. SOURCE ...
"Role-models like that are about to be done-in by a shooting star named Barack Obama"
- Dennis Miller, O'Reilly Factor
Is Obama's presidency the change hip-hop needs?
Obama is not just the first African-American president. He is the first hip-hop president - the first one with Jay-Z and Kanye West on his iPod, the first one who speaks the culture's language, the first one who embraces its mannerisms, from fist-bumping with his wife to throwing his hands in the air and waving like he just don't care to Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love."

Eighty percent of hip-hop consumers are white according to the Simmons Lathan Media Group. In the various debates about rap, too little attention has been paid to this majority-white consumer base. SOURCE ...

[Perhaps Obama can persuade the young people that wearing your pants down at the knees, grabbing your crotch, and filthy language may seem kewl, but it leads to "nowhere" - unless you can rap to fame or employment in the industry. Our President is Black, and hopefully, All-American.]
Good Time Rap: What Would Come to be Known as "Rap"

See also: I Identify as African-American | "Pop Culture" President


SEARCH:




Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Obama's First 100 Days


~ Mr Obama’s first 100 days is rife with risk. Presidents inevitably use up their stock of political capital as they spend it. They also gradually start to disappoint their friends and allies. Mr Obama is shielded to some extent by his race and charisma. But he has already sorely tested the patience of some of his most loyal supporters—first by appointing so many Clintonites to high office and then by keeping Mr Gates at the Pentagon. Can it be long before the netroots begin to complain that they have been duped—that “change” is simply more of the same? And can it be long before the ravening beast that is the media tires of the story about the first black president and starts looking for Mr Obama’s feet of clay?
LINK ...

No More "Historic!" No More "First Black" President! Put it in the books.
"Now is the Time" for Action by the President of the United States of America!

Ponzi - Social Security - TARP

Challenges Facing Our Country. The Spending Trend by the Government is not sustainable. The Pyramid Scheme is Collapsing.

Is Social Security a Ponzi Scheme?
When federal agents showed up at his apartment in December, Bernard Madoff admitted he had "paid investors with money that wasn’t there," was "broke" and knew "it could not go on." Could we be saying the same thing about Social Security and Medicare in a few years? SOURCE ...

TARP: Troubled Asset Relief Program or Wall Street Feeding Frenzy?
But the act placed very few restrictions on how the money could be used. So its not surprising that the use of the funds changed from purchasing troubled assets to direct injection of capital (taxpayer provided) into a handful of financial institutions who promised to make those funds available for loans. It now appears that some of those institutions have chosen to pay bonuses and dividends that they would not otherwise been able to afford without the injection of government funds. [We got ours, thank you. :) ~snicker~] SEE VIDEO: The TARP Song

SUICIDAL SPENDING
The United States faces large and growing budget deficits mostly due to an aging population and rising healthcare costs. Unless we solve the problems caused by entitlement spending, there will be little money left to do anything else in the future. Over time, our standard of living, our national security, our standing in the world and the value of our currency could all be threatened. The sooner we confront these issues, the better. This video presentation explains the problems.

Fairness, Equality and Do-Goodism

Will Obama Effect REAL Change?
"Politicians invariably respond to crises -- that in most cases they themselves created -- by spawning new government programs, laws and regulations. These, in turn, generate more havoc and poverty, which inspires the politicians to create more programs . . . and the downward spiral repeats itself until the productive sectors of the economy collapse under the collective weight of taxes and other burdens imposed in the name of fairness, equality and do-goodism."

Thought Police. Big Brother. Orwellian. These words have entered our vocabulary because of George Orwell's classic dystopian novel, 1984. The story of one man's nightmare odyssey as he pursues a forbidden love affair through a world ruled by warring states and a power structure that controls not only information but also individual thought and memory, 1984 is a prophetic, haunting tale.
***********

In the United States of today we theoretically have two major parties, Democrats and Republicans. In reality, we have one Party made up of the wealthy elite ruling class backed by enormous corporate interests and protected by the military industrial complex. There are no major differences between Republicans and Democrats, just minor meaningless variations.

The average American does not see the insidious method that The Party has used to gain overwhelming power over their lives. The U.S. government has used chaos, fear, and exaggeration to expand their control. The method used to gain control is simple. Government creates a problem, fans the flames to make the problem appear to be extremely dangerous, and then provide a solution that only government can implement. READ ALL at SOURCE ...

Their crafted talking points are lies. They have no idea what they are doing. The only question is whether rational change will come when the existing system collapses under the weight of its lies, or we take back the country through grassroots efforts and spreading the truth through the internet. READ ALL at SOURCE ...

Credit Source and Suggested Reads: Articles by James Quinn
* 20 Jan 2009 - End of Secular Consumer Bull Market Signals Ghost Shopping Malls
* 16 Jan 2009 - Orwell's 2009- United States Big Brother is Watching
* 08 Jan 2009 - Unintended Consequences of the 20th Century and Beyond
* 27 Dec 2008 - How We Can Avoid Another Tragic Ponzi Fraud Scheme
* 27 Dec 2008 - What Happened to the American Dream?

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Obama - Biden Agenda

THE AGENDA
Each President is confronted with new and unique challenges. Learn more about the Obama-Biden Administration's positions on everything from health care and the economy to alternative energy and foreign policy.

Here's a few on Seniors and Social Security, Women, and Service

Create Automatic Workplace Pensions: The Obama-Biden retirement security plan will automatically enroll workers in a workplace pension plan. Under their plan, employers who do not currently offer a retirement plan will be required to enroll their employees in a direct-deposit IRA account that is compatible with existing direct-deposit payroll systems. LINK ...

Enable All Americans to Serve to Meet the Nation's Challenges
Engage Retiring Americans in Service on a Large Scale
Require 100 Hours of Service in College
Set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year. LINK ...

Obama's Oath of Office

Oath of Office

America's First Family
January 20, 2009

‘Change has come to America,’ first African-American leader tells country

Barack Obama, a 47-year-old first-term senator from Illinois, shattered more than 200 years of history ~ by election as the first African-American President of the United States.


It was during the Oath of Office. There was a miscue between Supreme Court Justice John Roberts and the president-elect. Words got fumbled, there was an awkward pause, and the two men talked on top of each other. Who botched the Oath of Office – Obama or Justice Roberts?

UPDATE: President Obama retakes the oath of office - w/o Bible.

["can't win for losing"]

CONGRATULATIONS, Mr. President!
What Will the Next President Face?

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Washington Printing Machine

As the world stumbles from the truly horrible year of 2008 into the very scary year of 2009, there seems, on the face of it, many reasons for the foes of America to think that the world's number one power will take heavier hits than most other big nations. Those reasons will be outlined below.

~ Russia, China, Latin America, Japan and the Middle East may be suffering setbacks, the biggest loser is understood to be Uncle Sam. For the rest of the world, that is the grand consolation! By what logic, though, should America lose more ground in the years to come than other nations, except on the vague proposition that the taller you stand, the further you fall?

~ a strong person, balanced and muscular, can carry an impressively heavy backpack uphill for a long while. But if that person is losing strength (economic problems), and the weight of the burden remains heavy or even increases (the Bush doctrine), and the terrain becomes more difficult (rise of new Great Powers, international terrorism, failed states), then the once-strong hiker begins to slow and stumble. That is precisely when nimbler, less heavily burdened walkers get closer, draw abreast, and perhaps move ahead.

The first reason, surely, is the U.S.'s truly exceptional budgetary and trade deficits.
Clearly, some people do believe that Washington is simply a printing machine.

READ ALL: American Power Is on the Wane

Friday, January 16, 2009

Speaking In Tongues?

Why Only Spanish?
The USA goes to great pains, time and costs to translate the spoken and written word of English into Spanish. Press "1" for Spanish/English. Government literature, voting instructions and correspondence in English accompanied with a Spanish translation. Interpreters at public announcements, etc.

How many ethic groups are being discriminated against in their language when they can't understand a word of spoken or written English? Why is the USA catering to and giving preference to the Spanish language? Aren't there other ethic groups and foreign nationals in this country that deserve similar consideration? It's blatantly sticking it in their face that their groups of people and language do not rate equally with the Hispanic tonque. Why are we not offering translation for the Asians, the Muslims ... the many others ... of which represent large segments of US population? Why not?

Any Hispanic or other immigrant in this country for any length of time is probably a citizen and - even if not - should have learned the common language in order to assimilate more easily. Maybe they're not citizens - just transients, infiltrators or advance parties - and they don't want to learn.

Of course, their vote counts! All votes count ... unless challenged. But that's another issue.

Barack Obama Says American Kids Should Be Required to Learn Spanish

Obama: Kids Should Learn Spanish
Barack Obama lamented legislative pushes to make English the official language of the United States and said Americans should instead focus on making sure their children learn Spanish

“I don’t understand when people are going around worrying about, we need to have English only. They want to pass a law, we just, we want English only,” Obama told supporters in Powder Springs, Georgia on Tuesday. “Now, I agree that immigrants should learn English, I agree with this. But understand this, instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English, they’ll learn English, you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish.”

He continued his thoughts by expressing embarrassment at Americans’ language skills compared to the Europeans. “You should be thinking about how can your child become bilingual,” he said. “We should have every child speaking more than one language. It’s embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is merci beacoup, right?” SOURCE ...

[Many American citizens do not enjoy the luxury of world travel ... nor have they encountered occasions in the daily life of things of having to know a language other than English. Solution: Require everyone to be ALL-lingual and speak in tongues. Or ... Choose a common language. Current Leaning: Hispanic.]

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Collapsing Nations?

"End of the US in 2010" predicts Russian diplomat Igor Panarin
The world is abuzz with Russian professor Igor Panarin's prediction that the US would end in 2010. LINK ...

Mr. Panarin posits, in brief, that mass immigration, economic decline, and moral degradation will trigger a civil war next fall and the collapse of the dollar. Around the end of June 2010, or early July, he says, the U.S. will break into six pieces...

California will form the nucleus of what he calls "The Californian Republic," and will be part of China or under Chinese influence. Texas will be the heart of "The Texas Republic," a cluster of states that will go to Mexico or fall under Mexican influence. Washington, D.C., and New York will be part of an "Atlantic America" that may join the European Union. Canada will grab a group of Northern states Prof. Panarin calls "The Central North American Republic." Hawaii, he suggests, will be a protectorate of Japan or China, and Alaska will be subsumed into Russia. LINK ...

Will Mexico, Pakistan Collapse? Will America?
two large and important states bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse: Pakistan and Mexico. LINK ...

Security: A new Pentagon forecast warns that Mexico is so embattled by drug lords it could rapidly collapse. The study says the only other state so threatened is Pakistan. This ought to be a wake-up call about U.S. priorities. LINK ...

Mexico is one of two countries marked for "a rapid and sudden collapse. LINK ...

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Closing Guantanamo?

Obama to close Gitmo | U.S. bases eyed as Gitmo alternative
The Pentagon is looking at several military bases in the U.S. as possible sites to hold terrorist suspects now at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including Camp Pendleton in San Diego and Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. LINK ...

'Why Can't Guantanamo's Inmates Stay in America?'

Some Other Alternatives:
1. Those that advocate the closing of the terrorists detention center can provide them bail, room and board, monitor and restrict any possible criminal actions that might be committed by them, and be responsible for same.

2. Place them in general population of USA prison system -- if you can find a state willing to accept them, provide a lawyer and pay their expenses.

3. "Send them to Alcatraz" - Glenn Beck

4. "Send the Gitmo detainees to my district" - PA Rep Murtha

Pentagon: Gitmo detainees returning to battlefield
Terror suspects who have been held but released from Guantanamo Bay are increasingly returning to the fight against the United States and its allies, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Sixty-one detainees released from the U.S. Navy base prison in Cuba are believed to have rejoined the fight, said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, citing data from December. That's up from 37 as of March 2008, he said. LINK ...

Laughing Stock of Inauguration?


Alabama NAACP criticizes use of Trail Maids in Inaugural Parade

Montgomery, Ala. (WSFA) -- They're part of a long standing tradition that will soon become a part of Presidential [censured] history.

The head of the Alabama NAACP, however, wants Mobile's Azalea Trail Maids to stay home on Inauguration Day, claiming the group reminds him of slavery.

"These are not just regular costumes. These are the costumes that remind someone of the plantation in Gone with the Wind," Edward Vaughn said in a phone interview.

Vaughn went on to say the group would be the laughing stock of the Inauguration. County leaders say nothing could be further from the truth. READ ALL ...

UPDATE: Edward Vaughn has since apologized for his remarks.

OUT: Azalea Trail Maids Gone With the Wind
See also: Black First - American Second
"I Identify as African-American"

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The World Distribution Center

To market, barter and negotiate your skills, resources and goods, is to survive. To be productive and market wisely and fruitfully is to create wealth and improve quality of living. Wealth creates power. Power and wealth have to be carefully regulated, dispensed, guarded and strongly defended against those that envy.

Whether it be individuals, groups of special interests, cities, states, or nations, wealth and power is coveted by all.

None of the above, having acquired power and wealth (or bloated budgets of the public monies), will easily share or give it up without a fight - unless selfless, benevolent, stupid, incompetent, or self-destructive. Hence, disagreements, ugly disputes, confrontations and wars.

Therefore, it is necessary, in the human event of things, to create a one-world market and work center for the balance of power and distribution of wealth.

World Wealth and Work Distribution Center (WWWD)

Whereas, all people work for each other's well-being and quality of life with the wealth and work of the world being dispensed and distributed equally to every individual - so that no one person or entity has any dominance or preference over any other persons.

Work and community service is mandatory and required in order to qualify for the plan - exceptions will be allowed for selected groups and employees of WWWD.

What job would you like to do in order to contribute? All work is not equal - but work will set you free. There are many jobs available, as we're having a hard time with those that want to share the wealth, but don't want to work or take specific jobs. Those that refuse to work, or for some reason can not work, will be assigned to re-orientation or health retirement communities.

Do you want to work with the World Wealth and Work Distribution Center (WWWD)?

Sorry those jobs are presently taken. But wait, we rotate all work assignments. Maybe, something else for now. No qualifications necessary - just follow orders.

Any persons - as an individual, or uniting as a group - caught pooling or trying to save their share of the wealth, or stealing from others in order to acquire more power, wealth or dominance over others, will be severely prosecuted with curfew and home arrest until they can be transferred to a re-orientation or health retirement community.

The mandatory service division of the armed National Civilian Security World Police of Fairness in Distribution of Work and Wealth will insure compliance in all activities.

**********

Wait a minute! WE dis-agree! That will not satisfy OUR PEOPLE. WE want to be in charge! ... and we also have guns!

See also: Financial Success: The American Dream
U.N - 100 Ways | Your People, Our People | War and Terror

Feel completely FREE to add suggestions and comments for "A PERFECT WORLD".

Monday, January 12, 2009

Visit the Combat Zone

ITS VERY NICE WORK OF ART, I HOPE THERE WILL BE MORE SO PEOPLE OF AMERICA WILL GO TO IRAQ AS TOURIST NOT AS SOLDIERS - safaqai

[More Americans will visit Iraq - when they feel safe and welcomed by the Iraqi people.]

Daddy is Going to War - True Story
During the Persian Gulf War, I was assigned to go to Saudi Arabia. As I was saying good-bye to my family, my three-year-old son, Christopher, was holding on to my leg and pleading with me not to leave. "No, Daddy, please don't go!" he kept repeating. We were beginning to make a scene when my wife, desperate to calm him, said, "Let Daddy go and I'll take you to get a pizza." Immediately, Christopher loosened his death grip, stepped back and in a calm voice said, "Bye, Daddy."
More Military Humor ...


View Larger Map

2008 Defense Link Slide Show | Pentagon Library | Defense Talk Pictures
Salute to the Military | Military Pictures | Military Images | Military.com

"When you have people filming in front of crowds cheering and clapping -- you have people cutting off people's tongues and heads and chopping off their fingers and hands and throwing them off three-story buildings -- you learn something about a group of people and how they lived their lives and treated their people and we are so fortunate that they are gone and those 23 million people are liberated" - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

Man's Inhumanity to Man
"A quiz of some the outrageous acts that man has committed against his fellow man (please note that this is not a 'top ten' list). Sadly these examples are merely a drop in the bucket. It's enough to make you want to resign from the human race."

See also: Either War is Obsolete, or Men Are
History's Most Terrifying Conventional Weapons

Meltdown USA?

What's Going On, USA?

Richest and Most Powerful Country in the World? If you think so ... but, for how much longer?

Labor imported. Manufacturing and Jobs exported, off-shored and out-sourced

Oil Field, Refining, Steel Mills, Shipbuilding, Automotive industries gone, disappearing or shrinking

Quality Education de-emphasized.
ills hammering the nation: falling housing prices, mortgage defaults and the credit crisis.
lenders stung by the national credit crisis began eliminating or reducing loans

many factory closings ago
shrinking manufacturing sector
Manufacturing began a long-term decline more than two decades ago and never recovered.
work force remains geared for manufacturing-era jobs that no longer exist.

As manufacturing declines, many remaining positions are in health services, tourism or nonprofits, frequently low-paying fields.

nonprofit hospital network largest employer. The state and federal governments come next, followed by another hospital chain.

state Department of Labor and Training expects growth in nursing homes

small companies are feeling the squeeze.
heavy tax burden, and a long-running budget crisis has business owners worried about tax increases.
jobs for high-school graduates shrinking
lag in the awarding of college degrees.
astronomical National debt
financial institutions fraud embezzlements mis-management and incompetance
government fraud embezzlements mis-management and incompetance

Richest and Most Powerful Country in the World?
Who are you going to call without giving away the rest of the store? Putin, Chavez, Jiabao?
REF. Link...


See also: Financial Success - The American Dream

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Racism - Say vs Do

Think you wouldn't tolerate a racist act? Think again, says a surprising experiment that exposed some college students to one and found indifference at best.

Here's the scene: Researchers in Toronto recruited 120 non-black York University students for what purported to be a psychology study.

A participant was directed to a room where two actors posing as fellow participants - one black, one white - waited. The black person said he needed to retrieve a cell phone and left, gently bumping the white person's leg on the way out. The white actor then did one of three things: Nothing. Said, "I hate when black people do that." Or used the N-word.
ARTICLE and RESULTS ...

[The problem with this experiment is that is one-sided and fails to show the flip side - how a 120 non-white students might react to similar circumstances. Saying: Nothing. Said, "I hate when white people do that." Or used a derogatory slang word for whites. It would be interesting to see those results also.]

See also: Change - A New America

Saturday, January 10, 2009

My God ... Great View ...

MAP: Explore the World of God and Man!

Photo Credit: Click picture or here.

Scenery - Photos that represent the beauty of of an area
Heritage - Photos that evoke emotions or memories of the past. Culturally-revealing & inspiring, or just plain striking. Events, locales or activities connecting to their history or their cultural heritage.
Travel - Photos that represent the essence of the area (landscape, cityscape, architecture or landmark.) Photos can be spectacular scenes encountered during holiday tours
Unusual Locations - Locations that are unusual and unique, places on Earth that is intriguing and fascinating. e.g. Antarctica.

World Map | Sightseeing | Places | Contest | Home Page

Friday, January 9, 2009

Palin and Media Malpractice

Sarah Palin Responds to Media Bias in Exclusive Interview


In a wide-ranging interview posted on the Internet, John McCain's running mate was sharply critical of a series of interviews she had conducted with CBS' Couric, saying they had been edited to make her appear misinformed, and at one point sharply noted of the "Evening News" anchor, "Katie, you're not the center of everyone's universe."

A transcript of the unedited interview of Sarah Palin by Charles Gibson clearly shows that ABC News edited out crucial portions of the interview that showed Palin as knowledgeable or presented her answers out of context. SOURCE ...

Palin was also asked about Caroline Kennedy's campaign to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton as junior senator from New York. "I've been interested to see how Caroline Kennedy will be handled. As we watch that, we'll be able to prove that there's a class issue here" in the media's treatment of both Palin and Kennedy's candidacies.
SOURCE ...

LINK: HowObamaGotElected.com
See also this page: Myth of a Free Press

Is the House Burning Down?

Shannon Kelley is a columnist at the Santa Barbara Independent. She is also a freelance writer.

So, in case my house burned down, I'd be able to get out of the country (saved the passport). But in the face of disaster and with no time to prepare, how do you choose? What do you take? At the end of the day, isn't it all just junk?

But with the economy every bit as much a disaster zone as the smoldering hillside, who needs a new sweater? Corporations, industries are going under. People are losing their jobs, their homes. Everything we thought was secure isn't. Everything we thought we knew about the economy, security, our very way of life, might, in fact, be wrong. READ FULL ARTICLE...

Thursday, January 8, 2009

CPO Hatchet Woman f/ Obama

Nancy Killefer - New White House Chief Performance Officer (CPO)
UPDATE: 4-18-09
Jeffrey Zients is Obama's pick for chief performance officer
The president also names Aneesh Chopra as his choice for chief technology officer. Obama says he's ready to clean house, revamping 'government operations from top to bottom.


UPDATE: Obama performance chief Killefer out
, citing taxes - February 8, 2009
Nancy Killefer withdrew her candidacy to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government on Tuesday, saying she didn't want her bungling of payroll taxes on her household help to become a distraction for the Obama administration.
**********

Original Posting:
(Obama) made good on a campaign promise and introduced his choice for a new White House post he is creating: Chief Performance Officer. Nancy Killefer, a professional efficiency expert, is charged with scouring the federal budget to eliminate programs that don't work and improve those that do. Obama called her appointment "among the most important that I will make."

"We committed to changing the way our government in Washington does business so that we're no longer squandering billions of tax dollars on programs that have outlived their usefulness or exist solely because of the power of a lobbyist or an interest group," Obama said.

Killefer, the director of a management consulting firm and a former assistant treasury secretary will be Obama's hatchet woman, with power to recommend directly to him the slashing of programs and projects government-wide. She'll help agencies set performance standards and hold managers accountable.

But she also will run up against a long history of other chief executives' similar promises under different titles that have fallen short.

She said the bureaucracy's entrenched problems have taken decades to develop and will take time to fix. But she said it would be different this time. "I have seen it done," Killefer said at Obama's side. SOURCE ...

[A Killer Job. We certainly wish her success in her mission. She will be in a tough, messy fight with the Beast. We would also hope that a web site is created for that office and will inform the citizens of any "fights" and the posting of any "cutting and slashing" that is actually accomplished.]

Statement of Nancy Killefer, Chair, IRS Oversight Board
Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight
of the House Committee on Ways and Means
March 30, 2004

Chief Performance Officer: Measuring What Matters, Managing What Can Be Measured by Anthony L Politano
Non-Gov Site Chief Performance Officer dot com

Transforming Performance Measurement
Other Books on Performance Measurement
and also: Performance Management

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Tangled Tax System Mystery


~ our already complex tax code continues to be a changing, tangled mystery to most honest taxpayers — and an asset to those intent on skirting the law. Every effort must be made to provide quality service to honest taxpayers who want to comply with the law.

The IRS cannot continue to operate with the outmoded and inefficient systems and processes it uses today. Over time, the existing systems will become impossible to maintain and at that point, the ability to administer our country’s tax system will be in grave danger.

The approach so far to tax simplification fails to address a fundamental flaw in our tax system: its costly, confusing, and debilitating complexity. SOURCE ...

Statement of Nancy Killefer, Chair, IRS Oversight Board 2004
In 2005, the President's Advisory Panel for Federal Tax Reform criticized the tax system as being extremely complex, requiring detailed record-keeping, lengthy instructions, and complicated schedules, worksheets, and forms. They stated that it penalizes work, discourages saving and investment, and hinders the competitiveness of American business. The tax code is commonly riddled with provisions that treat similarly situated taxpayers differently and create perceptions of unfairness.

See also: The Medusa Economy | Tax Policy Center
Financial Success - The American Dream

She will - "Stir Up the Pot"

Ann Coulter Stirs the Pot
Ann Hart Coulter is an American political commentator, syndicated columnist, and best-selling author. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public and private events. Known for her controversial and confrontational style, Coulter has described herself as a polemicist who likes to "stir up the pot" and, unlike "broadcasters", does not "pretend to be impartial or balanced". SOURCE ...

Her Columns
Books by and about: Ann Coulter



Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America

In her most controversial and fiercely argued book yet, Ann Coulter calls out liberals for always playing the victim – when in fact, as she sees it, they are the victimizers. In GUILTY, Coulter explodes this myth to reveal that when it comes to bullying, no one outdoes the Left. GUILTY is a mordantly witty and shockingly specific catalog of offenses which Coulter presents from A to Z. And as with each of her past books, all of which were NYT bestsellers, Coulter is fearless in her penchant for saying what needs saying about politics and culture today.

See also: The Truth About Teen Girls

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

PEEKS - One Moment Please...

PEEKS - Perfectly Effective and Effortless Kontrol System/Surveillance

Who are you? Where are you? What is your current location? Where do you work, and how much money do you have? How do you spend it. Where have you been? How far have you driven? What do you do on the internet and with whom do you communicate or talk to? Are you well and healthy? What is your address, social security and driver's license number, credit card and bank account number?

One moment please....
Checking PEEKS Perfectly Effective and Efficient Kontrol System/Surveillance

IRS & Social Security records, Satellite and Street Video records, Cell Phone GPS pings and call records, Internet Service Provider email, footprints and link tracking records, RFID radio frequency human id tags, Automotive GPS tracking, digital medical records, credit reports, corporate and freelance hackers, thought police employers, associates and neighbors, and personal information you, friends and family freely provided and posted on web sites, polls, and social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc., etc, etc.

Ahh, never mind! No answer required. We have all the information needed. Thank you

Personal privacy is a thing of the past.
Everything is recorded, filed and shared by the PTB (powers that be).
If you are an "illegal" - our lips are sealed.

See also: Beware, Are You Are Being Monitored, Spyed Upon ... | They've Got Your Number

Taxed By Miles Driven?

Commission Urges 50 Percent Hike in Fuel Taxes
The National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing is the second group in a year to call for increased fuel taxes. SOURCE...



A growing number of states are exploring ways to tax drivers based on the number of miles they drive instead of [or ... in addition to] how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices [Global Positioning System Trackers] in 300 vehicles. SOURCE...

Monday, January 5, 2009

"Poor" In America?

Each year, the U.S. Census Bureau counts the number of "poor" persons in the U.S. In 2005, the Bureau found 37 million "poor" Americans. Presidential candidate John Edwards claimed that these 37 million Americans currently "struggle with incredible poverty." Edwards asserted that America's poor, who number "one in eight of us…do not have enough money for the food, shelter, and clothing they need," and are forced to live in "terrible" cir­cumstances. However, an examination of the living standards of the 37 million persons, whom the government defines as "poor," reveals that what Edwards calls "the plague"of American poverty might not be as "terrible" or "incredible" as candi­date Edwards contended.

Overall, the typical American defined as poor by the government has a car, air conditioning, a refrigerator, a stove, a clothes washer and dryer, and a microwave. He has two color televisions, cable or satellite TV reception, a VCR or DVD player, and a stereo. He is able to obtain medical care. His home is in good repair and is not overcrowded. By his own report, his family is not hungry and he had sufficient funds in the past year to meet his family's essential needs. While this individual's life is not opulent, it is equally far from the popular images of dire poverty conveyed by the press, liberal activists, and politicians. [Thank you, America!]

Of course, the living conditions of the average poor American should not be taken as representing all the poor. There is actually a wide range in living conditions among the poor. For example, over a quarter of poor households have cell phones and telephone answering machines, but, at the other extreme, approximately one-tenth have no phone at all. While the majority of poor households do not experience significant material problems, roughly a third do experience at least one problem such as overcrowding, temporary hunger, or difficulty getting medical care.

But if poverty means lacking nutritious food, adequate warm housing, and clothing for a family, relatively few of the 35 million people identified as being "in poverty" by the Census Bureau could be characterized as poor.3 While material hardship does exist in the United States, it is quite restricted in scope and severity. The average "poor" person, as defined by the government, has a living standard far higher than the public imagines. SOURCE ...

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Big Brother, Big Picture

Big Brother, Big Picture
This is an amazing presentation of what is really going on in the world and who is actually "deliberately" orchestrating all of it, and of course lying about what they are actually doing. To most ordinary folks, it's impossible to understand the course of events simply because it takes an enormous amount of study in order to be able to connect all the dots. Most people are simply too involved in just squeezing out a living and paying their bills. Connect the dots, and the picture begins to appear. LINK

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin