I recently finished writing a paper about heroism in Arthurian literature. The last portion of my paper was about The Once and Future King by T.H. White, and if you haven't read it, I recommend it. Anyway, as we hear about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the terrorists at Guantanamo, and the controversy over waterboarding, I started thinking about this book.
You see, throughout the entire novel, King Arthur tries to put an end to war and the barbaric idea that "only Might makes Right." He struggles with this his entire life, then ultimately fails as his kingdom collapses around him.
In the last chapter, as Arthur is about to enter the final battle with the traitor Mordred, he looks back and ponders his kingdom. He wonders why his dream failed and why war was inevitable:
"He had been taught by Merlyn to believe that man was perfectible: that he was on the whole more decent than beastly: that good was worth trying: that there was no such thing as original sin. He had been forged as a weapon for the aid of man, on the assumption that men were good...His Table, his idea of Chivalry, his Holy Grail, his devotion to Justice: these had been progressive steps in the effort for which he had been bred...but the whole structure depended on the first premise: that man was decent."
The tragedy of "The Once and Future King" is Arthur's final realization: that man is NOT decent. On the whole, man is selfish, greedy, and violent. It's been this way since the Fall, and it won't change until the Second Coming. It's easy to be idealistic when it comes to war and violence. It's easy to say things like, "Give peace a chance!" and "Make love, not war!" But the sad reality is that, like Arthur realized, sometimes war is necessary. There is Evil in this world, and it must be opposed. Don't get me wrong, I think war is a terrible thing. I don't like seeing innocent people die, and I think we should avoid war whenever we can. However, we have to look through the lens of reality.
Is it wrong to make an imprisoned terrorist think he's drowning in order to extract information? Or is it more wrong to treat the same terrorist respectfully, thereby allowing thousands of innocents to die in an attack that would have otherwise been prevented? Is it wrong to invade a nation run by a tyrannical dictator? Or is it more wrong to allow the dictator to continue murdering and oppressing his own people? Is it wrong for soldiers to shoot and kill a bunch of pirates who have kidnapped an innocent ship captain? Maybe there is no right answer to any of this. We live in a world beset by Evil - a world of men who rape, steal, and kill for stupid reasons (or sometimes no reason at all). Most of them can't be bought or reasoned with. These monsters don't capture combatants; they kidnap innocent people and cut off their heads on video for the world to see.
Would you allow waterboarding to save your child's life? I imagine most people would do so in a heartbeat. How about the life of another child? How about the lives of thousands? There is a reason why the show 24 is so popular. Despite what some may say, despite the "holier than thou" idealism some adhere to, deep down everyone knows that we need men like Jack Bauer to protect us. Just as Arthur realized, man is not decent, and until this world is changed and perfected, we have to be able to survive it.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Why Obama Is Bad For America
This is a list that I could easily make much longer, but these are the basic points. This post doesn't include any speculation about what might happen in the future, no statistics on what has and hasn't worked economically, none of that. Just facts, quotes, and lies...
Obama supports affirmative action, despite the fact that it is clearly no longer necessary. I mean, the fact that we now have a black president (the most powerful man in the world) should prove that institutionalized racism no longer exists in America.
Obama wants to turn the 12 million illegal immigrants in America into citizens. He supports giving drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. He voted against making English our official language.
Obama campaigned strongly against lobbyists and said he wouldn't appoint them to his administration, and then he appointed lobbyists to his administration.
Obama ludicrously claimed to be ignorant of the hatred spewed by his own pastor of 20 years and said he "could no more abandon" that pastor than he could his "white grandmother," only to abandon him just a few months later. When confronted with Jeremiah Wright's anti-American, racist worldview, Obama just said he didn't know about it. This is after 20 years in that church, people.
Obama claimed to have little to do with ACORN but actually taught yearly seminars for them.
Obama's website says he will make sure no one pays higher income tax rates "than they paid in the 1990s." Well, just for reference purposes, taxes were higher in the 1990s than they are now.
Obama has specifically said that he wants to implement high carbon taxes that will bankrupt the coal industry. Isn't it nice to hear a president say he wants to make an American business go bankrupt?
Obama opposes private school vouchers, claiming that they would undermine American public schools. Wait, you mean the public schools that produce test scores far below those of most other developed nations? Yeah, we'd hate to undermine that. I guess that's why he sends his own kids to private school.
Obama doesn't think that homosexuality is immoral.
Obama said that Washington needs to start "taking responsibility for every dime that it spends" so as to avoid leaving our children with a mountain of debt. He also said he doesn't "believe in bigger government." Then he spent more money than any president in history on a "stimulus" program and a $3.66 trillion budget, which are both absolutely filled with pork spending.
Obama supported the Global Poverty Act, which is basically worldwide welfare. We don't even have enough money for our own people, but he wants us to send a bunch of it to other countries. Nice.
Obama said, "Because of the Bush-McCain policies, our debt has ballooned" and "having China as our banker isn’t good for our economy." Then he went out and essentially begged China to give us more money for his spending programs.
Obama is the most pro-abortion president in history. He voted against the Born Alive Infants Bill, which protects babies who survive botched late-term abortions. Several members of his administration were former board members of Emily's List, a pro-abortion group who supports taxpayer-funded abortions and partial-birth abortion. He has forced taxpayers to fund groups that either promote or perform abortions in other nations. He is also in the process of overturning pro-life conscience protections put in place to make sure medical staff are not forced to do abortions.
Since being elected, Obama has basically been running around the world and apologizing to everyone for everything. He seems to think that America is at fault for every world problem, so he just bows, apologizes, and gets friendly with fascist dictators like Hugo Chavez (who wants to "be his friend").
Lastly, the Obama administration recently released a report warning people of the dangers of domestic terrorism from "right-wing extremists." According to the report, these extremists include people who are pro-life, people who want low taxes and a small government, people who support the right to bear arms, and military veterans. That's right, if you are a conservative, you just may be a terrorist. This comes from the people who refuse to use the word "terrorist" in association with actual Islamic terrorists! This comes from the man who started his political career in the home of a left-wing radical who bombed government buildings! And now, WE are the ones being investigated by the FBI.
Obama supports affirmative action, despite the fact that it is clearly no longer necessary. I mean, the fact that we now have a black president (the most powerful man in the world) should prove that institutionalized racism no longer exists in America.
Obama wants to turn the 12 million illegal immigrants in America into citizens. He supports giving drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. He voted against making English our official language.
Obama campaigned strongly against lobbyists and said he wouldn't appoint them to his administration, and then he appointed lobbyists to his administration.
Obama ludicrously claimed to be ignorant of the hatred spewed by his own pastor of 20 years and said he "could no more abandon" that pastor than he could his "white grandmother," only to abandon him just a few months later. When confronted with Jeremiah Wright's anti-American, racist worldview, Obama just said he didn't know about it. This is after 20 years in that church, people.
Obama claimed to have little to do with ACORN but actually taught yearly seminars for them.
Obama's website says he will make sure no one pays higher income tax rates "than they paid in the 1990s." Well, just for reference purposes, taxes were higher in the 1990s than they are now.
Obama has specifically said that he wants to implement high carbon taxes that will bankrupt the coal industry. Isn't it nice to hear a president say he wants to make an American business go bankrupt?
Obama opposes private school vouchers, claiming that they would undermine American public schools. Wait, you mean the public schools that produce test scores far below those of most other developed nations? Yeah, we'd hate to undermine that. I guess that's why he sends his own kids to private school.
Obama doesn't think that homosexuality is immoral.
Obama said that Washington needs to start "taking responsibility for every dime that it spends" so as to avoid leaving our children with a mountain of debt. He also said he doesn't "believe in bigger government." Then he spent more money than any president in history on a "stimulus" program and a $3.66 trillion budget, which are both absolutely filled with pork spending.
Obama supported the Global Poverty Act, which is basically worldwide welfare. We don't even have enough money for our own people, but he wants us to send a bunch of it to other countries. Nice.
Obama said, "Because of the Bush-McCain policies, our debt has ballooned" and "having China as our banker isn’t good for our economy." Then he went out and essentially begged China to give us more money for his spending programs.
Obama is the most pro-abortion president in history. He voted against the Born Alive Infants Bill, which protects babies who survive botched late-term abortions. Several members of his administration were former board members of Emily's List, a pro-abortion group who supports taxpayer-funded abortions and partial-birth abortion. He has forced taxpayers to fund groups that either promote or perform abortions in other nations. He is also in the process of overturning pro-life conscience protections put in place to make sure medical staff are not forced to do abortions.
Since being elected, Obama has basically been running around the world and apologizing to everyone for everything. He seems to think that America is at fault for every world problem, so he just bows, apologizes, and gets friendly with fascist dictators like Hugo Chavez (who wants to "be his friend").
Lastly, the Obama administration recently released a report warning people of the dangers of domestic terrorism from "right-wing extremists." According to the report, these extremists include people who are pro-life, people who want low taxes and a small government, people who support the right to bear arms, and military veterans. That's right, if you are a conservative, you just may be a terrorist. This comes from the people who refuse to use the word "terrorist" in association with actual Islamic terrorists! This comes from the man who started his political career in the home of a left-wing radical who bombed government buildings! And now, WE are the ones being investigated by the FBI.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Someone PLEASE explain this to me...
Okay, so the Tea Party Protests went pretty well on April 15th. I didn't hear any reports of ACORN or their lackeys trying to start fights or whatever, and the rallies all seemed to be good, peaceful displays of patriotism. The news coverage was just as I expected. Fox News went out and covered the protests, and big conservative guys like Glenn Beck joined in and enjoyed themselves. No big surprise there.
And then, of course, there were the OTHER news networks. Everyone always accuses Fox of being biased toward conservatism (aka "biased toward truth"), but do CNN and the others not see how ridiculously left-wing they are? I watched videos of anchors reporting on the protests. They didn't say, "Tell me sir, why are you here? What do you believe is the problem?" No. Instead, they ambushed people and said stuff like, "Sir, how on earth can you protest taxes when President Obama has given 95% of America a tax cut? You don't make any sense, you nut-job."
That was basically the sentiment. I saw tons of news anchors calling the protesters "tea baggers" (and if you don't know what that means in slang, look it up on Urban Dictionary). I saw CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, RollingStone, ABC News, and everyone else just making fun of the protests and the people who attended. I saw the head of the DHS basically telling everyone that the people who attend these rallies (who support low taxes, pro-life, gun rights, veterans, etc.) could be domestic terrorists. Basically, it was sickening.
But here is the main question. All these anchors keep saying, "But Obama gave 95% of America a tax cut!" NO HE DIDN'T. Obama did NOT cut taxes. The tax rates have not changed one iota. In fact, once he lets the Bush tax cuts expire, everyone who makes at least $28,400 per year will see their taxes go UP! Oh, and by the way, the average income in the US is somewhere between $35K and $40K per year. So yeah, that's a tax increase on the majority.
Aside from the end of the Bush tax cuts, we'll also pay more because Obama plans to pass that retarded cap-and-trade program, which will raise energy prices for everyone. Plus, he'll have to further raise taxes at some point to pay for his insane, runaway spending programs. More spending than any president in history, and in less time! Hooray!
If you send me back $400 of the money I paid last year in taxes, than that's a tax REFUND. If you send a check for $400 to someone from the 40% of the population who pays no income taxes, then that's WELFARE. It's SOCIALISM. It's certainly not a tax cut.
So someone please explain this to me! How is it that our news media runs around saying that Obama cut taxes even though he has done nothing of the sort? I know he promised a tax cut for 95% of the population during the campaign, but he hasn't done it. Promise does not equal Reality. What is wrong with everyone? Doesn't anyone THINK anymore? Or has the cult of the glorious lord Obama made them too blind too see anything else? Ugh, I just don't get it.
And then, of course, there were the OTHER news networks. Everyone always accuses Fox of being biased toward conservatism (aka "biased toward truth"), but do CNN and the others not see how ridiculously left-wing they are? I watched videos of anchors reporting on the protests. They didn't say, "Tell me sir, why are you here? What do you believe is the problem?" No. Instead, they ambushed people and said stuff like, "Sir, how on earth can you protest taxes when President Obama has given 95% of America a tax cut? You don't make any sense, you nut-job."
That was basically the sentiment. I saw tons of news anchors calling the protesters "tea baggers" (and if you don't know what that means in slang, look it up on Urban Dictionary). I saw CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, RollingStone, ABC News, and everyone else just making fun of the protests and the people who attended. I saw the head of the DHS basically telling everyone that the people who attend these rallies (who support low taxes, pro-life, gun rights, veterans, etc.) could be domestic terrorists. Basically, it was sickening.
But here is the main question. All these anchors keep saying, "But Obama gave 95% of America a tax cut!" NO HE DIDN'T. Obama did NOT cut taxes. The tax rates have not changed one iota. In fact, once he lets the Bush tax cuts expire, everyone who makes at least $28,400 per year will see their taxes go UP! Oh, and by the way, the average income in the US is somewhere between $35K and $40K per year. So yeah, that's a tax increase on the majority.
Aside from the end of the Bush tax cuts, we'll also pay more because Obama plans to pass that retarded cap-and-trade program, which will raise energy prices for everyone. Plus, he'll have to further raise taxes at some point to pay for his insane, runaway spending programs. More spending than any president in history, and in less time! Hooray!
If you send me back $400 of the money I paid last year in taxes, than that's a tax REFUND. If you send a check for $400 to someone from the 40% of the population who pays no income taxes, then that's WELFARE. It's SOCIALISM. It's certainly not a tax cut.
So someone please explain this to me! How is it that our news media runs around saying that Obama cut taxes even though he has done nothing of the sort? I know he promised a tax cut for 95% of the population during the campaign, but he hasn't done it. Promise does not equal Reality. What is wrong with everyone? Doesn't anyone THINK anymore? Or has the cult of the glorious lord Obama made them too blind too see anything else? Ugh, I just don't get it.
Jesus Christ is the ONLY True Messiah
We are a world crying out for a savior, but we have placed our faith in the wrong place. We are fools. We are die-hard members of the cult of personality. If you voted for Obama because you like his policies, fine. But if you're one of the deluded masses who sees him as the second coming of Christ, then prepare to be gravely disappointed. The following quotations need no explanation:"I have thrown myself into a new world—one in which fluffy chatter and frivolous praise are replaced by a get-to-the-point directness and disciple-like devotion. It’s intense and intoxicating." - Samantha Fennell, associate publisher for Elle Magazine
"When [the election] happens, it will change everything. You'll have to measure time by 'Before Obama' and 'After Obama.'" - Spike Lee, film director
"Lord, we have again come to you in prayer, and you have heard our cries from heaven, and you have sent us again from the state called Illinois, a man called Barack to heal our land." - prayer by Larry Younginer in an Atlanta church
"No one saw him coming, and Christians believe God comes at us from strange angles and places we don't expect, like Jesus being born in a manger." - Lawrence Carter, dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel
"To God be the glory, great things he has done. Obama, thy kingdom come, thy will be done." - poster at Obama's campaign headquarters in Lake City, FL
"This is bigger than Kennedy. Obama comes along, and he seems to have the answers. This is the new testament." - Chris Matthews
"No wonder we so desperately need of this shot of ethical morphine. No wonder we invest in this messianic figure. Confronted with evidence of the mass horror we permit, we better find a way back to self love. Cue, Barak Obama, our saving grace." - Sarah Gillespie, singer-songwriter
"Now, the greatest of all political acts in the world is the election of Senator Barack Obama from Illinois as President of the United States of America...Barack Obama is not only president of U.S.A., but president of mankind." - from the article "The Messiah Has Come As Barrack Obama" by Morikeh Fofana
"Barack Obama is our collective representation of our purest hopes, our highest visions and our deepest knowings of who we are as a people, and as a country." - Eve Konstantine, Huffington Post
"He is not the Word made flesh, but the triumph of word over flesh, over color, over despair. The other great leaders I've heard guide us towards a better politics, but Obama is, at his best, able to call us back to our highest selves." - from "Obama's Gift" by Ezra Klein
"When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking." - Louis Farrakhan on Obama
What Freedom Means to Me...
I recently read a news story that really upset me. Two girls at a California community college were with their teacher, in her office, praying for her because she's sick. The girls are suing because the school is now threatening to suspend them. The school actually said that "faculty offices were 'places for teaching and learning and working' not 'protests, demonstrations, prayer' or other disruptive activities." Personally, I had no idea that praying for a sick teacher could be considered disruptive.
The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which I believe is the single most important part of the Bill of Rights, says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." So, let's put a few things to the test. I will list some examples, and you ask yourself, "In any of these instances, is Congress making a law? Or is Congress prohibiting the free exercise of religion?
Liberals and atheists like to throw around the phrase "separation of church and state," but actually, it is found nowhere in the Constitution. It was in a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists, and it is frequently taken out of context (basically, the church group wanted him to get involved in a dispute, and he said it was none of his business). Now, what did Jefferson really think about God's role in American government?
"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever." - Thomas Jefferson
See that? Jefferson basically said that it is essential for us to remember that God is the source of our rights and our liberty. He said that our freedoms can no longer be thought secure if we remove God as their only firm basis. By the way, Jefferson was also the one who wrote the Declaration of Independence, which says that we are all endowed BY OUR CREATOR with certain unalienable rights. It's pretty straightforward, really.
Today is Good Friday, and we're coming up on Easter. Today we remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for us on a Roman cross 2,000 years ago. And on Easter Sunday, we remember how He truly set us free. We remember the real meaning behind those words written in the Declaration of Independence: that God gave us freedom and liberty and life forever and ever. I know I rant and rave a lot about our government and other terrible things I see every day in the news, but this weekend, I pray that we all (myself included) would remember that real freedom doesn't come from the government or an old piece of parchment. One of my favorite bands, Five Iron Frenzy, said it best. Their song "Anthem" ends with the phrase, "Jesus Christ, the only thing that freedom means to me."
The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which I believe is the single most important part of the Bill of Rights, says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." So, let's put a few things to the test. I will list some examples, and you ask yourself, "In any of these instances, is Congress making a law? Or is Congress prohibiting the free exercise of religion?
- Two girls pray for their sick teacher in her office.
- A Christian student opens his graduation speech with a prayer.
- The post office displays a nativity scene at Christmas time.
- A group of high school athletes pray together before a game.
- A judge displays the Ten Commandments in his courtroom.
Liberals and atheists like to throw around the phrase "separation of church and state," but actually, it is found nowhere in the Constitution. It was in a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists, and it is frequently taken out of context (basically, the church group wanted him to get involved in a dispute, and he said it was none of his business). Now, what did Jefferson really think about God's role in American government?
"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever." - Thomas Jefferson
See that? Jefferson basically said that it is essential for us to remember that God is the source of our rights and our liberty. He said that our freedoms can no longer be thought secure if we remove God as their only firm basis. By the way, Jefferson was also the one who wrote the Declaration of Independence, which says that we are all endowed BY OUR CREATOR with certain unalienable rights. It's pretty straightforward, really.
Today is Good Friday, and we're coming up on Easter. Today we remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for us on a Roman cross 2,000 years ago. And on Easter Sunday, we remember how He truly set us free. We remember the real meaning behind those words written in the Declaration of Independence: that God gave us freedom and liberty and life forever and ever. I know I rant and rave a lot about our government and other terrible things I see every day in the news, but this weekend, I pray that we all (myself included) would remember that real freedom doesn't come from the government or an old piece of parchment. One of my favorite bands, Five Iron Frenzy, said it best. Their song "Anthem" ends with the phrase, "Jesus Christ, the only thing that freedom means to me."
Comparison: Bush vs. Kennedy
I was doing a little reading recently, and I noticed something interesting. The presidency of George W. Bush and the presidency of John F. Kennedy were extremely similar (except for the assassination, of course). The weird thing is, most people (especially Democrats) love JFK and look at him as a great role model. However, the same people who love JFK spent the past eight years calling for Bush's head on a platter. I'm not trying to be pro-Bush or anti-JFK or anything, I just thought I would point out the striking similarities:
- Kennedy was born into a wealthy, politically connected family.
- Bush was born into a wealthy, politically connected family.
- Kennedy increased the size of the US military.
- Bush increased the size of the US military.
- The minimum wage increased under Kennedy.
- The minimum wage increased under Bush.
- In 1963, Kennedy proposed income tax cuts to help revive the economy. The tax cuts were passed in 1964.
- In 2003, Bush proposed and passed tax cuts to help reverse the post-9/11 economic downturn.
- In 1961, Kennedy got the USA into a very unpopular war (Vietnam).
- In 2003, Bush got the USA into a very unpopular war (Iraq).
- In the fight against communism in Latin America, Kennedy backed the School of the Americas, whose training manuals included techniques of torture.
- In the fight against terrorism, Bush permitted waterboarding of terrorist prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, an act which many consider to be torture.
- Although it was voted down by Congress, Kennedy proposed the Medical Health Bill for the Aged (eventually known as Medicare).
- The Bush administration pushed through legislation to help the elderly get cheaper prescription drugs under Medicare.
- In 1963, Kennedy backed a coup against the Iraq government to oppose the spread of communism.
- In 2003, Bush backed an overthrow of the Iraq government to oppose the spread of terrorism.
- The Kennedy administration agreed to let the FBI wiretap private individuals, generally suspected communists.
- The Bush administration agreed to let the FBI wiretap private individuals, generally suspected terrorists.
The Myth of Man-Made Global Warming
The winter of 2008-2009 sure was been cold, wasn’t it? According to the data published by IARC-JAXA, October 2008 saw the fastest Arctic sea ice extent growth ever recorded. Additionally, this winter has given us record low temperatures, with cold spells often breaking records previously set fifteen or twenty years ago. It snowed in Houston and New Orleans, and if you’re a native of either city, you know how rare that is. In late January 2009, terribly icy winter storms left more than a million homes and businesses without power in New England. Ironically, Al Gore was forced to brave this rough and frigid weather, so he could get to Congress to talk about global warming.
John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel and eminent Meteorologist, recently said, "There is no significant man-made global warming. There has not been any in the past, there is none now and there is no reason to fear any in the future. The climate of Earth is changing. It has always changed. But mankind's activities have not overwhelmed or significantly modified the natural forces."
He went on to discuss the actual cause of climate change, saying, "Worldwide there was a significant natural warming trend in the 1980's and 1990's as a Solar cycle peaked with lots of sunspots and solar flares. That ended in 1998 and now the Sun has gone quiet with fewer and fewer Sun spots, and the global temperatures have gone into decline. Earth has cooled for almost ten straight years."
This has been happening throughout the history of the world. In fact, back in the 1970's, there was similar climate change alarmism going around - except they claimed a new Ice Age was coming within decades. Actual measurements of Earth's temperature and climate show no man-made warming trend. In fact, during four of the seven decades since 1940 when average CO2 levels increased, average temperatures in the US were actually decreasing. Additionally, there are hundreds of research papers available from a wide variety of sources confirming the existence of a period warmer than today just a thousand years ago known as the Medieval Warm Period.
Dr. John Theon, the retired scientist formerly in charge of key NASA climate programs has come out as a skeptic as well. Dr. Theon was responsible for all weather and climate research in the entire agency, including the research work by James Hansen, who is the leading global warming alarmist in the country (except for maybe Al Gore). Dr. Theon has stated that "some scientists have manipulated the observed data to justify their model results. In doing so, they neither explain what they have modified in the observations, nor explain how they did it. They have resisted making their work transparent so that it can be replicated independently by other scientists. This is clearly contrary to how science should be done. Thus there is no rational justification for using climate model forecasts to determine public policy." Please, someone tell this to Congress.
The arguments for man-made global warming are tenuous at best. A small data calculation error of 0.8 degrees centigrade was discovered in findings by NASA, and the recalculations showed an overall decrease in U.S. temperatures since 2000 by 0.15 degrees centigrade. Furthermore, the sea level has been rising since the end of the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago. The rate of increase has averaged four feet per century. Yet in the 20th century, when we are told that "global warming" began to have a major impact on the sea level, it rose by just eight inches.
Fraudulent "hockey stick" data published in 1998, which showed massive global warming during the 20th Century, turned out to have been cherry-picked from a small sample of tree rings. When challenged on this, one dendroclimatologist justified himself by saying, "You have to pick cherries if you're going to make cherry pie." The whole thing was proven to be a sham when not one other scientist could reproduce the results.
Finally, US Meteorologist Anthony Watts discovered that a large portion of the nation's 1,200 weather stations have been wrongly sited, because they are situated in man-made heat-absorbing centers. These include locations on rooftops, on slabs of heat-absorbing concrete, and next to air conditioners, diesel generators, and asphalt parking lots.
Many facts have also been ignored by global warming alarmists. For instance, the periods of warmer temperatures on Earth have resulted in warmer and longer growing seasons and more areas available for crops. Increases in CO2 levels also cause an increase in plant growth. Based on the data, it's clear that CO2 follows the trend of temperature; it does not cause it. In reality, solar activity is the originator of most climatic change and most weather patterns on Earth. Especially since similar temperature changes can be measured on Mars, which has no power plants or SUVs.
In summary, it is abundantly clear that the manmade global warming madness that has swept our nation is nothing but a hoax. It has been perpetuated by environmentalist wackos like Al Gore for two reasons, one good and one bad. Firstly, they want to lower pollution. I have no problem with lowering pollution, because I don't want to breathe smog or swim in a dirty lake. However, encouraging conservation should not be done with scare tactics and false data. Their second reason is much more insidious: They want power. The more liberals can regulate, the more than can control, the more they can own you. As liberals are allowed to keep regulating more and more of our lives, America grows closer to the Socialist, government-controlled society that they desire.
John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel and eminent Meteorologist, recently said, "There is no significant man-made global warming. There has not been any in the past, there is none now and there is no reason to fear any in the future. The climate of Earth is changing. It has always changed. But mankind's activities have not overwhelmed or significantly modified the natural forces."
He went on to discuss the actual cause of climate change, saying, "Worldwide there was a significant natural warming trend in the 1980's and 1990's as a Solar cycle peaked with lots of sunspots and solar flares. That ended in 1998 and now the Sun has gone quiet with fewer and fewer Sun spots, and the global temperatures have gone into decline. Earth has cooled for almost ten straight years."
This has been happening throughout the history of the world. In fact, back in the 1970's, there was similar climate change alarmism going around - except they claimed a new Ice Age was coming within decades. Actual measurements of Earth's temperature and climate show no man-made warming trend. In fact, during four of the seven decades since 1940 when average CO2 levels increased, average temperatures in the US were actually decreasing. Additionally, there are hundreds of research papers available from a wide variety of sources confirming the existence of a period warmer than today just a thousand years ago known as the Medieval Warm Period.
Dr. John Theon, the retired scientist formerly in charge of key NASA climate programs has come out as a skeptic as well. Dr. Theon was responsible for all weather and climate research in the entire agency, including the research work by James Hansen, who is the leading global warming alarmist in the country (except for maybe Al Gore). Dr. Theon has stated that "some scientists have manipulated the observed data to justify their model results. In doing so, they neither explain what they have modified in the observations, nor explain how they did it. They have resisted making their work transparent so that it can be replicated independently by other scientists. This is clearly contrary to how science should be done. Thus there is no rational justification for using climate model forecasts to determine public policy." Please, someone tell this to Congress.
The arguments for man-made global warming are tenuous at best. A small data calculation error of 0.8 degrees centigrade was discovered in findings by NASA, and the recalculations showed an overall decrease in U.S. temperatures since 2000 by 0.15 degrees centigrade. Furthermore, the sea level has been rising since the end of the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago. The rate of increase has averaged four feet per century. Yet in the 20th century, when we are told that "global warming" began to have a major impact on the sea level, it rose by just eight inches.
Fraudulent "hockey stick" data published in 1998, which showed massive global warming during the 20th Century, turned out to have been cherry-picked from a small sample of tree rings. When challenged on this, one dendroclimatologist justified himself by saying, "You have to pick cherries if you're going to make cherry pie." The whole thing was proven to be a sham when not one other scientist could reproduce the results.
Finally, US Meteorologist Anthony Watts discovered that a large portion of the nation's 1,200 weather stations have been wrongly sited, because they are situated in man-made heat-absorbing centers. These include locations on rooftops, on slabs of heat-absorbing concrete, and next to air conditioners, diesel generators, and asphalt parking lots.
Many facts have also been ignored by global warming alarmists. For instance, the periods of warmer temperatures on Earth have resulted in warmer and longer growing seasons and more areas available for crops. Increases in CO2 levels also cause an increase in plant growth. Based on the data, it's clear that CO2 follows the trend of temperature; it does not cause it. In reality, solar activity is the originator of most climatic change and most weather patterns on Earth. Especially since similar temperature changes can be measured on Mars, which has no power plants or SUVs.
In summary, it is abundantly clear that the manmade global warming madness that has swept our nation is nothing but a hoax. It has been perpetuated by environmentalist wackos like Al Gore for two reasons, one good and one bad. Firstly, they want to lower pollution. I have no problem with lowering pollution, because I don't want to breathe smog or swim in a dirty lake. However, encouraging conservation should not be done with scare tactics and false data. Their second reason is much more insidious: They want power. The more liberals can regulate, the more than can control, the more they can own you. As liberals are allowed to keep regulating more and more of our lives, America grows closer to the Socialist, government-controlled society that they desire.
Queston D3: A Conservative Wake-Up Call
Here is a link to an article that I read recently, and it talks about a poll question known as "Question D3." The question asks voters if they consider themselves to be conservative, somewhat conservative, moderate, somewhat liberal, or liberal. In August 2008, 20% of Americans considered themselves to be very conservative; 40% considered themselves to be somewhat conservative; 2% considered themselves to be moderate; 27% considered themselves to be somewhat liberal; 9% considered themselves to be very liberal; and 3% did not know or refused to answer.
Look at those numbers! A staggering 60% of Americans call themselves either conservative or somewhat conservative! Only 36% of people fell into the liberal category. These numbers have remained consistent in 13 separate polls taken since 2002. Yes, even when Bush's approval ratings went from some of the highest ever to some of the lowest ever, these poll numbers remained constant.
So what has happened to us? If such a large percentage of Americans are conservative, why aren't we winning elections by a landslide? Since polls show that 92% of American's believe in God, why is the idea of removing the words "One Nation Under God" from the Pledge even mentioned? Since 87% of Americans say nativity scenes should be allowed on public property, why are they constantly removed? Since 96% of Americans celebrate Christmas (and 62% celebrate Christmas specifically as the birth of Christ), why do our schools call the break in December "Winter Holiday"?
There could be many answers to these questions. Voter fraud, activist judges, pressure and bias by the media, etc. However, I think the biggest reason is that we don't think we can win, and so we refuse to try. As stated in the article, "Hollywood regularly excoriates the image of conservatives; the mainstream media demonizes conservatives; schools teach that conservatives are narrow minded bigots; academia tries to hound independent conservative newspapers and organizations off campus. It requires much more courage to define yourself as a conservative than any other label, particularly when the banal 'moderate' answer is so easily grasped."
I remember taking a conservative, Christian position in a class discussion in high school, and I really got hammered for it by the liberals in my class. I felt belittled and alone, but I stuck to my guns. Then after I got blasted, the class ended, and several people came up to me and said, "Hey, I'm glad you said that. I agree with you." So NOW they speak up?!?!? But in the classroom - in the public forum - they said nothing.
We have become afraid to be who we are. Afraid to speak up, to be called a racist or a bigot or a Bible-thumper or a homophobe or one of the zillions of stupid labels liberals place on conservatives. We have to stop being afraid. According to the polls I mentioned, conservatives are NOT a dying race. We are the majority! It's high time we stopped listening to what Hollywood and the media says about us. It's high time we stopped letting the little things slide. It's high time we took back this nation of ours. But we must not be afraid to speak up. We must not be afraid to fight.
Look at those numbers! A staggering 60% of Americans call themselves either conservative or somewhat conservative! Only 36% of people fell into the liberal category. These numbers have remained consistent in 13 separate polls taken since 2002. Yes, even when Bush's approval ratings went from some of the highest ever to some of the lowest ever, these poll numbers remained constant.
So what has happened to us? If such a large percentage of Americans are conservative, why aren't we winning elections by a landslide? Since polls show that 92% of American's believe in God, why is the idea of removing the words "One Nation Under God" from the Pledge even mentioned? Since 87% of Americans say nativity scenes should be allowed on public property, why are they constantly removed? Since 96% of Americans celebrate Christmas (and 62% celebrate Christmas specifically as the birth of Christ), why do our schools call the break in December "Winter Holiday"?
There could be many answers to these questions. Voter fraud, activist judges, pressure and bias by the media, etc. However, I think the biggest reason is that we don't think we can win, and so we refuse to try. As stated in the article, "Hollywood regularly excoriates the image of conservatives; the mainstream media demonizes conservatives; schools teach that conservatives are narrow minded bigots; academia tries to hound independent conservative newspapers and organizations off campus. It requires much more courage to define yourself as a conservative than any other label, particularly when the banal 'moderate' answer is so easily grasped."
I remember taking a conservative, Christian position in a class discussion in high school, and I really got hammered for it by the liberals in my class. I felt belittled and alone, but I stuck to my guns. Then after I got blasted, the class ended, and several people came up to me and said, "Hey, I'm glad you said that. I agree with you." So NOW they speak up?!?!? But in the classroom - in the public forum - they said nothing.
We have become afraid to be who we are. Afraid to speak up, to be called a racist or a bigot or a Bible-thumper or a homophobe or one of the zillions of stupid labels liberals place on conservatives. We have to stop being afraid. According to the polls I mentioned, conservatives are NOT a dying race. We are the majority! It's high time we stopped listening to what Hollywood and the media says about us. It's high time we stopped letting the little things slide. It's high time we took back this nation of ours. But we must not be afraid to speak up. We must not be afraid to fight.
Down With Socialism
Let's talk about the real cause of the economic crisis (we'll work backwards). The crisis right now was directly caused by the fact that there has been a massive amount of foreclosures, and home values have gone down so much that all these investment firms can't get any value for their properties. So why are the values down? Well, home values are down because the housing bubble burst (remember, the same thing happened in the 1990's with internet companies).
So then, what caused the housing bubble? Well, usually home prices increase over time proportionally to inflation. However, over the past ten years or so, home prices were skyrocketing, and the rate of increase was no longer proportional to inflation. Hence, a bubble. So why did home prices increase so much? It's all about supply and demand. Tons more people were buying homes, so the supply went down and the demand went up. By the laws of economics, this causes prices to increase.
Okay, so why were so many more people buying homes? It's because the banks were giving out more and more home loans. And they gave out more loans because of federal regulation.
In 1977, Jimmy Carter passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The CRA required banks to offer more credit to "under-served populations" (read: minorities, lower-income borrowers), and not just people in "wealthy neighborhoods" (read: people who can actually afford mortgages). The mainstream banking community opposed the CRA, but fortunately for them, it wasn't really enforced until 1995.
In 1993, Bill Clinton ordered new regulations for the CRA that would increase access to mortgage credit for inner city and distressed rural communities. The new rules went into effect on January 31, 1995, placing more requirements on the banks, and encouraging community groups to complain when banks were not loaning enough to specific neighborhood, income group, or race. A September 2008 editorial in the Wall Street Journal argued that this law compelled banks to make loans to poor borrowers who often could not repay them and that this contributed to the subprime crisis.
You see, because banks were being forced to loan to people with low incomes and bad credit, they had to start getting creative. They starting making interest-only or ARM loans to keep the payments low (at least initially). They started letting more people use "stated income" on their loan applications (and the income they state is usually a lie. I know. I worked at a subprime servicer for 2 1/2 years and read these loan applications). They started letting people buy homes with no down payment. All of these things allowed people who really could not afford to buy homes to obtain mortgages.
In order to protect themselves for these bad loans, banks started selling them. They bundled up subprime loans in groups called securities, and sold these bundles to investors. However, after a few years, the people with interest-only loans were unable to pay their mortgages because the interest-only period had ended, and the payment amount increased. The people with ARM loans were unable to pay their mortgages because the interest rate increased, causing the payments to increase. The people who couldn't afford their payments in the first place stopped paying, because they are poor (duh). There were millions of foreclosures, home values went down, and the securities became worthless. This is where we stand today.
So it's fairly clear. This did not happen because (as the liberals/socialists say) the government needs to regulate the banking industry more. No! In fact, government regulation is a big part of what caused this in the first place! It was the wrong kind of regulation. Even those lenders not governed by the CRA were issuing more subprime loans due to pressure from lobbyists and community groups, and for fear of being sued or called racists. I mean, come on. A loan is an investment. No one really wants to make an investment unless they believe they can get a good return. These bad investments were made because of liberal/socialist lobbyists, community groups, regulations, and restrictions.
If the government wants to fix the economy, they should leave it alone and stop trying to redistribute wealth through social engineering. Down with the bailouts. We need a purging. Let the bad systems fail, and let better systems rise in their place. That is capitalism.
So then, what caused the housing bubble? Well, usually home prices increase over time proportionally to inflation. However, over the past ten years or so, home prices were skyrocketing, and the rate of increase was no longer proportional to inflation. Hence, a bubble. So why did home prices increase so much? It's all about supply and demand. Tons more people were buying homes, so the supply went down and the demand went up. By the laws of economics, this causes prices to increase.
Okay, so why were so many more people buying homes? It's because the banks were giving out more and more home loans. And they gave out more loans because of federal regulation.
In 1977, Jimmy Carter passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The CRA required banks to offer more credit to "under-served populations" (read: minorities, lower-income borrowers), and not just people in "wealthy neighborhoods" (read: people who can actually afford mortgages). The mainstream banking community opposed the CRA, but fortunately for them, it wasn't really enforced until 1995.
In 1993, Bill Clinton ordered new regulations for the CRA that would increase access to mortgage credit for inner city and distressed rural communities. The new rules went into effect on January 31, 1995, placing more requirements on the banks, and encouraging community groups to complain when banks were not loaning enough to specific neighborhood, income group, or race. A September 2008 editorial in the Wall Street Journal argued that this law compelled banks to make loans to poor borrowers who often could not repay them and that this contributed to the subprime crisis.
You see, because banks were being forced to loan to people with low incomes and bad credit, they had to start getting creative. They starting making interest-only or ARM loans to keep the payments low (at least initially). They started letting more people use "stated income" on their loan applications (and the income they state is usually a lie. I know. I worked at a subprime servicer for 2 1/2 years and read these loan applications). They started letting people buy homes with no down payment. All of these things allowed people who really could not afford to buy homes to obtain mortgages.
In order to protect themselves for these bad loans, banks started selling them. They bundled up subprime loans in groups called securities, and sold these bundles to investors. However, after a few years, the people with interest-only loans were unable to pay their mortgages because the interest-only period had ended, and the payment amount increased. The people with ARM loans were unable to pay their mortgages because the interest rate increased, causing the payments to increase. The people who couldn't afford their payments in the first place stopped paying, because they are poor (duh). There were millions of foreclosures, home values went down, and the securities became worthless. This is where we stand today.
So it's fairly clear. This did not happen because (as the liberals/socialists say) the government needs to regulate the banking industry more. No! In fact, government regulation is a big part of what caused this in the first place! It was the wrong kind of regulation. Even those lenders not governed by the CRA were issuing more subprime loans due to pressure from lobbyists and community groups, and for fear of being sued or called racists. I mean, come on. A loan is an investment. No one really wants to make an investment unless they believe they can get a good return. These bad investments were made because of liberal/socialist lobbyists, community groups, regulations, and restrictions.
If the government wants to fix the economy, they should leave it alone and stop trying to redistribute wealth through social engineering. Down with the bailouts. We need a purging. Let the bad systems fail, and let better systems rise in their place. That is capitalism.
Welcome to my blog...
For a long time now, I have been sending out mass e-mails about political and religious issues in America today. My friends and family have been forwarding my e-mails to others, and now people I have never met keep asking to be on my list. Therefore, I have decided to start a blog. I'm going to post several articles I wrote previously to get things up to date, and from then on, I'll just take things as they go. Thanks for visiting!
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