Hey Folks, We Need to Talk

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"the War on Poverty", Acheivement, compassion, dependency, fdr, general-welfare-clause, government freebies, great-depression, handouts, Individual rights, Indoctrination, limitations, limitless, Personal responsibility, The "New Deal", The Other America

All the images that pass before our eyes … starving babies, homeless Veterans or single moms, so many struggling to make it … No, not in some remote third world country RIGHT HERE, in America – the wealthiest nation ever! It’s virtually impossible to wrap our heads around it. It’s overwhelming and heart wrenching. Surely, we can do better! Something more has to be done, right? No question! But what?

In response to those who hold that the”General Welfare clause” of the Constitution means taking care of the people, America, as a government,  has tried several different programs over the past few decades to help those in need to find their way to the American Dream and alleviate suffering. “The New Deal,” inspired by the Great Depression, opened the hearts and minds of Americans under FDR (D), way back in 1933–1937.But did it solve the problem of poverty in America? Short answer, no!

Neither was the “War on Poverty” initiated under President Johnson a success. More recently, the policies and programs of President Obama have done exactly the opposite of their so-called intent. They have found more people, not fewer, in the unemployment lines, applying for food stamps and other social programs.

In his January 1964 State of the Union address, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed, “This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America.” In the 50 years since that time, U.S. taxpayers have spent over $22 trillion on anti-poverty programs. Adjusted for inflation, this spending (which does not include Social Security or Medicare) is three times the cost of all U.S. military wars since the American Revolution. Yet progress against poverty, as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau, has been minimal, and in terms of President Johnson’s main goal of reducing the “causes” rather than the mere “consequences” of poverty, the War on Poverty has failed completely. In fact, a significant portion of the population is now less capable of self-sufficiency than it was when the War on Poverty began.

It’s a funny thing about human nature that philosophers seldom seem to consider well … There are specific things that motivate humans to productivity and achievement, and certain things which subdue those inclinations. The “war on poverty was a costly, tragic mistake,” the article, “Why the War on Poverty Failed: Handouts Provide the Wrong Incentives,” begins. “Possibly the most influential policy book in history, The Other America Michael Harrington’s The Other America, published in 1962. (Harrington died in 1989.) was cited again and again by the politicians, activists, and administrators who set up welfare programs in the 1960s. In it we find the fallacies that sent reformers down dark and tangled paths into today’s social tragedies.”

The tragic error of this thinking is in the assumption poverty is strictly a lack of material goods. “While the state of neediness we call poverty does involve a lack of material resources, it also involves a mass of psychological and moral problems, including weak motivation, lack of trust in others, ignorance, irresponsibility, self-destructiveness, short-sightedness, alcoholism, drug addiction, promiscuity, and violence.”  The article continues, “It was a perspective that led to intolerance. Since poverty was so simple to remedy—the activists reasoned—it was unethical not to act. “In a nation with a technology that could provide every citizen with a decent life,” Harrington thundered, “it is an outrage and a scandal that there should be such social misery.”⁴ For the activists, welfare programs did not involve complex relationships and intractable problems about which honest people could disagree. They were simple moral imperatives, and anyone who opposed them was seen as selfish and insensitive. (This dogmatic view has by no means disappeared from so-called liberal circles.)”

Yes, poverty is wretched wherever it appears, but the rational answer (contrary to the sentimental response) is not handouts or “freebies.” The answer is the proverbial “hand up,” instead of the “hand out!”

• Basic education and training, which sadly is no longer flourishing in our public schools, does more to cripple our children than prepare them for a productive adult life.
• Trade schools, long hidden by some pseudo-intellectual pride, hunger for eager students, but are shunned by a populace who want to start as CEO’s, rather than work their way up the ladder.
• Food banks, soup kitchens, and clothing closets are a great start to elp the hurting and many communities have such things, but more are needed, not from government, but from us … you and me.

The Biblical concept of compassion isn’t issued to the government, but to the individual. The Golden Rule (you remember, Do unto others …?) is not for governments, but people, whether people of faith or not … people helping people. Governments have no idea how to help as evidenced by 80 years of welfare programs initiated in an vain attempt to curtail poverty. The secret to overcoming poverty, in most cases, is personal responsibility, we all ought

Now, we have an avowed “democrat socialist”(whatever that is) asking for our votes so he can increase taxes on the wager-earner so he can also increase the number of programs handing out “stuff”to those now trapped in a unemployment and dependency on the government programs that were supposed to free them from poverty.

Isn’t 80 years of failure enough to make a statement to try another tact? It isn’t the rich that are the bad guys here. It is our own greed that as crippled the most successful, productive, innovative, creative, and compassionate culture it the world, and ALL of us are guilty of the same greed, both the have’s and the have not’s!

America, use your HEAD to choose our next president. Use your HEART to make a personal investment in your neighborhood and your neighbors. Vote for individual rights and personal responsibility!

Paul wrote, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” (Romans 15:1–2)

Excellent reading:

• Economic policies highlight partisan divide among governors
• Was the New Deal a success or failure?
• The War on Poverty After 50 Years
• Why the War on Poverty Failed
• What does the General Welfare Clause really mean?
• Allen West: Government Handouts a Form of Slavery
• Europeans Fear Crisis Threatens Liberal Benefits
• Uncovering the Bad Math (or Logic) of an Economic Analysis Embraced by Bernie Sanders

 

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Re-Defining Personal Freedom and our National Identity

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AGENDA 21, and the pursuit of happiness, Berlin Wall, Cold War, community-organizer, Galatians 5: 1, global community, great-depression, Iron Curtain, liberty, life, One World Government, Paul Harvey, personal freedom, political corruption, Representative Republic, Security or Liberty, Tolerance, UN "Small Arms Treaty"

free·dom   [free-duhm] noun
1.
the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint: He won his freedom after a retrial.
2.
exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
3.
the power to determine action without restraint.
4.
political or national independence.
5.
personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery: a slave who bought his freedom.

lib·er·ty   [lib-er-tee] noun, plural -ties.
1.
freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control.
2.
freedom from external or foreign rule; independence.
3.
freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice.
4.
freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint: The prisoner soon regained his liberty.
5.
permission granted to a sailor, especially in the navy, to go ashore.

AMERICA is a collection of Americans!

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty
by which Christ has made us free,
and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1

What made America the greatest nation on earth?
What inspired early Americans to amazing courage?
What defined America to the World?

What is PERSONAL FREEDOM, anyway? We often talk about freedom and liberty with unclear images in mind. We point to specific things that restrict our freedom, i.e The Patriot Act, NDAA 2013, or prison. Do we consider the alternatives? Think of all the nations of the earth that do not know, have never known the liberties our Constitution establishes as Law within our borders.

I had the honor of witnessing the *Iron Curtain that cut through Europe from the end of WWII until the end of the Cold War in 1989 when it was finally dismantled by the people of a newly reunited Germany. The people that grew up behind that “curtain” were taught the barbed wire was there to keep the rest of the world out – because we all wanted the wonders of life they experienced. Those of us who are old enough to remember the images of that wall, the images of those attempting to leave the supposed utopia, know the truth. We know how devastating the culture was behind the wall. Those living behind that wall lived and died without any personal freedom. Choices were made FOR them by the “authorities,” the government. Freedom is the very antithesis of life behind the curtain, of life without choices, without personal freedom. It is something worth fighting for.

“The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989. On either side of the Iron Curtain, states developed their own international economic and military alliances:
• The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and the military Warsaw Pact on the east side, with the Soviet Union as the most important member of each
• The European Community and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the west and south.

Physically, the Iron Curtain took the shape of border defences between the countries of Western and Eastern Europe, most notably the Berlin Wall, which served as a longtime symbol of the Curtain as a whole.

The events that demolished the Iron Curtain started in Poland, and continued in Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Romania. Romania was the only Eastern bloc country to violently overthrow its communist regime.” (Wikipedia)

Most post WWII Americans are fortunate in that they have never known a time of extraordinary difficulty as was experienced during both World Wars or the Great Depression. For the most part, things have been pretty comfortable for the majority of Americans until recently. We have never had to stand in long “bread lines” or “Soup lines” in front of missions or churches. We have never been asked by our government to turn in our gold and metals to be used in the production of weapons. We have never lived with restricted food purchase. We did experience a brief “fuel shortage” in the 70’s, but that was a minor interruption and didn’t last long. We have not been asked to buy War bonds or known the urgency of the “draft.” And we are quick to forget about those times that Americans were called on to make certain sacrifices for the War effort. Seldom are these issues even taught in our schools today.

During the Revolutionary War, those we celebrate as heroes today, experienced the hardship of personal sacrifice, too. Many were wealthy landowners, but with their involvement in the Revolution, their lands and titles were confiscated by the Crown. “Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.”

“They signed and they pledged their lives,
their fortunes, and their sacred honor.”
Many also wept openly!

Grievous corruption within both political parties discourages many Americans from participation in the political process. The corruption has been tolerated by US – by We-the-People for decades! We did not reach this precipice overnight, but we must awaken and wrestle back the reins of our Representative Republic. It is do or die time, friends! This WRESTLING implies WORK … INVOLVEMENT… SACRIFICE, but ultimately, FREEDOM! Yes! we must WORK to regain what has been stripped from us, in the name of SOCIAL JUSTICE, in the name of TOLERANCE. (Tolerance is just another name for amorality!) We must get INVOLVED to STOP the infiltration of UN involvement in our Republic via the UN “Small Arms Treaty” and “AGENDA 21!” We, as Americans, must re-identify our priorities and separate our NEEDS from our WANTS. We must be willing to make some SACRIFICES for the sake of our LIBERTY, even as our Founders were certain their stand would cost them.

What Does the “General Welfare” Clause Mean?

The root of the battle of the Obama Administration is found in one simple doctrine: Socialism = Collectivism rather than Individualism. How many of you have seen or been asked “progressive situational ethics” questions like this:

You live in a small rural village. Your village comes under attack, and all villagers go into hiding. Your baby begins to cry. What do you do?
• A. Do you kill your baby to save the village, or
• B. Do you take your chances?

Instinctively, I resist either/or situational questions because LIFE doesn’t work this way. While there are occasions where the sacrifice of one saves the many (i.e. a soldier falling on a grenade to save his buddies,) more often than not, there are OTHER OPTIONS. Obama’s world view falls in sharp contrast to our American Heritage.

We are ONE NATION UNDER GOD (whether we actively worship or choose another route,) but we are a nation of individuals free to make individual decisions and choices, individuals free to pursue our own personal dreams and live life in accordance with our personal belief system as long as it doesn’t INFRINGE the FREEDOMs of another.

President Obama and his supporters are moving to build a One World Government by eroding American Sovereignty. What this means is that President Obama does not believe America, and other nations, have the RIGHT to rule themselves. Contrary to John Locke and others who influenced our Founders’ ideas of Self-Government, President Obama adheres to a global community (after all, he is a “community organizer”) with a Board of Directors in control of everything GLOBALLY: food, housing, transportation, commerce, production … EVERYTHING! This is where he is taking the nation, OUR nation, with or without our cooperation!

The practices of Socialism, though seemingly ideal on paper, do not implement well in humans as history repeatedly demonstrates. Find ONE, just one example of a nation that THRIVED under a Socialist or Communist regime. Search history, search the globe, and clearly, history teaches us that Socialist policy, i.e. “fair distribution” DOES NOT WORK!!! It is just another view of oppression of the masses by a handful of elite Know-it-alls who impose THEIR will, THEIR morals, and THEIR ideals upon the population … reportedly for our own good! Obama has been highly successful in turning the great LIBERTY ship of state nearly 180º, and openly talks sedition – revisionary hopes for our 235+ yr old Constitution.

Socialism at work

In contrast, the principles and practices that drove America up the mountain to the pinnacle, clearly have proven good for each and every American. Even the poorest among us in the USA are wealthy by the world’s standards no matter how it feels to those living in what we call poverty. Dreamers from around the world imagine life in the US and struggle to see Lady Liberty’s welcoming torch in spite of the turmoil within our nation.

Until a few decades ago, there was no such thing as RETIREMENT! One worked until they could no longer work, and then it was the family’s responsibility to tend and HONOR their Seniors. Families remained in tact. Children grew up and usually stayed pretty close to home. They supported one another, helped one another, and loved one another. EVERYONE contributed to the family’s welfare as they were able, and everyone reaped the rewards and security of family.

What changed to bring about this general dissatisfaction and restlessness that covers us like a wet blanket, and smothers the life from us? What happened to make us value LIFE so lightly? Success! Success allowed for more Leisure time, which lead to increased pleasure-seeking, which sooner or later, corrupts! Think about it.

Remember Little House on the Prairie or the Waltons? The men and women of the pioneer world (or early 20th century) worked from sunup to sun down. They were exhausted at the end of the day – too exhausted to get into trouble! Too exhausted to drink to excess or run around on their spouse. Obviously this is over-simplified, but as a rule, these men and women of prior generations were much more content. They reveled in the sense of achievement they earned by just surviving from day to day with the help of their faith and their community. Their lives were rich in relationships and achievement. Both of these, Americans today have surrendered. We no longer think we NEED outside relationships, so they are shallow, electronically maintained, and less valued. Similarly, Americans today value the paycheck more than the actual work or achievement of their day, so we look elsewhere for that satisfaction.

My gramma used to say, “Idle time is the devil’s plaything.” Our society today is prooving that to be true.

CONCLUSION: Each of us needs to rediscover the Source of our Freedom and re-evaluate our appreciation for the many choices we still have. What did our personal freedoms cost? Hundreds of thousands of lives. What have you paid for it? What are you willing pay to maintain freedom so America is still the “land of the Free and the home of the brave?” Are we brave enough to pay the price required to regain and maintain our personal freedoms? Time will tell!

According to the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed …” (emphasis mine)

Throughout history, men and women have known personal freedom while living in restrictive societies or under tyrannical governments, even the most vicious. This is because personal freedom is birthed within our own heart and life. Corrie Ten Boom and the Von Trapp family are some more familiar examples, but there are others – many others. If personal freedom lives inside us, it is both a motivator toward the establishment of freedom all around us, and a strength to overcome what obstacles to freedom exist.

When We-the-People find, relish, and remain ready to defend our personal freedom, the sinews of Progressivism will weaken under the contentment of a hard-working, compassionate, other-conscious population.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,
and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1

Burying Obama – American Thinker (via Gds44’s Blog)

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 Burying Obama – American Thinker. By J.R. Dunn Let me hasten to make it clear before the Secret Service kicks the door in: we're not speaking of the three-dimensional, physical Obama, but the image of Obama created by the DNC, the media, and assorted political mercenaries to sell him and his agenda to an unsuspecting nation.  We need to rid ourselves of Obama as an influence, as an example, as a lens through which to view the world, as a figure … Read More

via Gds44's Blog