Politics

Maybe these words won't be so well liked, as a tradition of approving something that may be wrong gives it the fake appearance of being right. Most people actually think that society or economy and government are the same. In fact, they are fundamentally opposites. Economy is produced by our desires, and government by wickedness. Economy promotes our happiness by uniting our desires, and government negatively influences it by restraining our vices. One is a patron and the other a punisher. Economy in any state is a blessing, however, even in its best state government is but a necessary evil. In its worst state an intolerable one. When we suffer the same things from our government that we might suffer in a state without government the misery is far worsened because we are required to provide the means (money) that funds such and pain causing government. We're paying for a disservice. But because we cannot all abide by our conscience to God, we find it necessary to give up part o...

Let's see what we find in the Obama box today. Turkey, he says is a much needed friend, one we can trust, and Christian and Muslim, works together. Perhaps there is some truth to this, but it stops at a very narrow corner I do believe. Our values are different, the Western World hasn't figured this out since the 11th Century, and how long does it take. Whatever friendship we build, and I have Muslim friends, the center is hollow. I know this and they know this, but for coexistence we also know, not to carry guns on our person when we say hello. Foolishness comes at a price. On another note, related to the above slightly, is the only thing President Chavez of Venezuela had to say that was correct, that I ever heard come out of his mouth was Obama doesn't know what he's doing, and he is so right. On North Korea: We stood by and watched North Korea send a rocket into the sky, soon it will be a nuke, we all know this, and we all scream to the high moon as if North Korea cou...

During last year's presidential election, a phenomenon was born -Barack Obama bumper stickers. The popularity of Democratic candidate Barack Obama stirred the imagination of even those amongst us who rarely get so involved in politics. Perhaps it was simply the 'perfect storm'? A widely unpopular incumbent President. A failing economy, a disastrous foreign policy and an unpalatable war. So when a man named Obama came along who, let's be honest, seemed the polar opposite to President Bush, it gave hope to many that finally a national nightmare would soon be over. The one great thing about bumper stickers is that they reflect the nations zeitgeist at the time. The are a running commentary on the way we feel and wish others to feel also. For many bumper sticker manufacturers, being in the center of such an exciting election as this, was a memorable time. We have been through elections before, but nothing quite like this. There was immediately something different and iconic...

Secretary Clinton has been as busy girl. Not even six weeks into the job and she has visited major allies and potential partners and is on deck to visit more within the next two weeks. Already she has earned criticism and courted controversy in her handling of issues and her style. In her most important trip to date, meeting with Chinese officials and leaders in Beijing, she has displayed great candor and pragmatism in her public comments. When pressed to comment about how she proposed to address human rights with Chinese officials, she acknowledged that, while she would stress the need for respect of the human rights of Chinese citizens by its government, it was unlikely that the situation would change. She was immediately attacked for her comment by those who took it as a sign of a lack of commitment by Secretary Clinton to rectify human rights abuses by the Chinese government against its people. She has spent the bulk of her trip dealing with the more practical issues that face our ...

For so long, the United States lived with the idea that they were completely safe in their country in the New World. We weren't going to be attacked and we were able to do whatever it was that we wanted. We could run any business we wanted and believe in anything. Religiously, economically, and politically, we were free people. What if I told you that while you were living with the belief that you were free, in actuality, you were lining yourself up to live under a tyranny? I can imagine the people replying to me saying that this is absolutely ridiculous. We live in a great, free Democracy that protects her people no matter what. Even if some liberties are taken, the United States is free! Compared to a lot of totalitarian governments, our nation is tremendously free. However, times have changed and through acts of fear, the government of the United States has, in part, taken some liberties from the American people and, in turn, this has created a situation where we are potentially...

When Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, he promised that he would see the public learned the truth about UFOs. He was convinced he had seen an unidentified flying object, but never confirmed whether he thought it was an alien spacecraft. UFOlogists call the particular sighting "The Jimmy Carter UFO incident." It happened one evening in 1969, two years before he became the governor of Georgia. He was giving a speech at the Lion's club when a guest called his attention to an object in the sky. The object was reported to be 30 degrees above the horizon and Carter described it as being "bright white" and being as bright as the moon. It was said to have appeared to have closed in on where he was standing but to have stopped beyond a stand of pine trees some distance from him. The object is then said to have changed color, first to blue, then to red, then back to white, before appearing to recede into the distance. One of the things President Obama did on Day One is op...

It seems that our politicians in Washington are a bit confused. They say things, repeat them a thousand times, and then they start all over again and say the same thing over and over. Republicans such as John Boehner from Ohio, John McCain, and Mr. McConnell from Kentucky can't seem to get past "earmarks" and "Oh My God" when it comes to the staggering amount of the budget. Maybe, just maybe, they just couldn't find the words to express themselves when Mr. Bush was President for eight years, and just now, with Mr. Bush hiding in the hills because of all the chaos, the disaster of the economy, and the two wars that were never included in the budget, their voices are coming back, but only in mono-syllables. There is something very strange in Washington and seasoned lawmakers just can't put their finger on it. This strange cloud over Washington is known to the citizens of the U.S. and to the world as "Truth." Truth has not been around very much in...

Since I am a retired military member perhaps my loyalties lie more with my country then someone who was raised in some foreign nation that is notably unfriendly to the US. With Obama's recent idea to appease the liberal elements within our society as well as the Muslim fraction it did not take him long to close the gates to Cuba's Guantanamo Bay detention facility. He was quick to issue orders to close this jail area down however he failed to consider where he would place the 250 terrorist suspects after he does so. More then likely the ultimate location will be either upon American soil or even worse by letting them go. If he so chooses the later we can be assured of continued damage as they further develop their anti American activities which are meant to harm our servicemen and perhaps our fellow countrymen. Granted that this was Obama's efforts to capture the American voters eyes and have them applaud his compliance of a campaign promise but I certainly feel that prior ...

Barack Obama's victory as the next president of the United States has led many to conclude that a lot of areas will soon be facing significant change. The challenge to keep to what already works well and to transform those that need improvement could be a staple within the new administration, especially since we are facing troubled times. They key factor is proper management, of course, and with Obama's entry, everyone's eyes are focused on how his goals would mesh with the realm of project management. Let's have a look at five priority areas. Here is my take on how they might influence project and program management: 1. Health care reform. Reform in health care is aimed at controlling costs and making health care more available and more affordable to many more people in the United States. On the cost control side, it would seem that we can expect companies and organizations of all sorts will put an increasing emphasis on accelerating cost-containment in their organizat...

1783 Massachussetts abolished slavery. 1800-1804 Under the leadership of Francois Toussaint L'Ouverture, Haiti, a former French territory in the Caribbean, became the first black republic in the world. He had led a slave revolution against France. From 1697 to 1804 Haiti was an European colony. Toussaint was one of the most outstanding black leaders in the 19th century. In the 19th century, many new Latin American republics, ex European colonies, were inspired by the example of the Haitian revolution. 1808-1860 African slaves flocked to the United States. 1822 Many American black freedmen went to Africa, where they founded a new republic: Liberia, a Kentucky-sized land of mountains, tropical savannahs and lakes. This African country became the second black republic in the world. 1870-1871 Hiram R. Revels (182-1901) became the first black ever elected to the United States senate. 1896 The Empire of Ethiopia was established. 1904 Haiti celebrated its centenary. 1911 South Africa. Und...

Iraq War opponents use inductive fallacy in their arguments. One of their fallacies is the myth that the Iraqis won't greet our troops with open arms and celebrations. To make their point, they refer to scenes of U.S. Troops parading down European streets. They invoke images of European women smiling at our troops and Europeans greeting our troops with celebrations. "Not Iraq!" they argue as they point to the insurgents that fought against our troops. The problem with this imagery is that the comparison is irresponsible. They try to compare liberation images from a newly liberated France; with post liberation images in Iraq. However, if they want to make a responsible comparison, they'll have to compare liberation day in France with liberation day in Iraq. For the Iraqis, U.S. troops liberated them in April 2003, when they toppled Saddam's Regime. That day, Iraq celebrations and looting images flooded living rooms around the world. Iraqis greeted U.S. troops with ...

America's economy took a turn for the worst. What's next for the American people? With the three top Auto Dealers in the United States, namely: General Motors (GM), Chrysler, and Ford almost at the brink of bankruptcy, the working class is at the mercy of the federal government like patients in intensive care unit awaiting word from their doctors with respect to their prognosis. Let me be candid and blunt. The federal government will have to step in and use the American taxpayers' money to bail them out. If these three Auto Dealers go "belly up" or bankrupt, the American economy will sink into a depression and worsen. Therefore, federal intervention is a must. However, since these Auto Dealers cannot manage themselves, the federal government will have to install an oversight Board or Trustee to oversee the operation of each Auto Dealer. The United States government must regulate them in a matter where transparency and accountability paramount. The department of Tr...

Is Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. the man to steer the United States out of its multiple economic, financial, and military crises? Not since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's (FDR) first mandate in the 1930s have the stakes been so high. Armed with the broadest victory since President Ronald Reagan's 1984 landslide, Obama must bring meaningful change and restore hope to a cynical and apprehensive population. Failure is not an option... Reaching out to 'Red' America. Obama earned the largest Democratic victory since 1964; it was the first time since President Johnson's win that a Democrat received over 51% of the national vote. Muted Republican disappointment reflects the final result, as does the burden of "Bush fatigue" in what was widely acknowledged to be a Democratic year. If immediate post-election commentary is to be believed, President-elect Obama has earned a "honeymoon period" from political adversaries and ardent supporters alike. Recall...

After countless months of super-exposure, the US presidential elections pretty much became a way of life. Every newsreel and every periodical was bursting to tell us more, fueling plot lines that had become almost soap opera-like. But now it is all over; now the 4th of November has finally been and gone and the world has exhausted the headlines revolving around the words 'historic', 'momentous' and 'the start of a new era'; what happens next? What is building up on the to-do list of Barrack Obama, the new President of the United States of America who will be sworn into office on 20 January 2009? The general expectation is that the new presidency will be the start of a whole new beginning. So what does this entail? Firstly Mr Obama will need to appoint his team. This includes key personnel such as Secretaries of Defense, the Treasury and State. Top priority on the agenda is dealing with the economic crisis. With the American economy facing its worst position sinc...

America you have elected Barack Obama to be your next President. The ultimate question is, where do we go from here? My focus is on your wallet and how will President Elect Obama lead us out of the financial crisis we are in? As of today the answer is, we will not know until he assembles his cabinet and they begin tackling the awesome financial challenges American is currently facing. Will taxes increase? No one knows the answer to this question because no polices have been proposed because President Obama has to be sworn in before he can make decisions for America. What about capital gains? Again once President Obama and his cabinet put proposals on the table, we will not know how this will affect us. Will America become a socialist country? Absolutely not, President Obama will lead from the center and will not be a left wing leader as many speculated during the campaigning phase of the election. Again, the question is where do we go from here? We have to wait until President Bush lea...

This year the election may seriously be one of the most important elections in our time. With the United States in a state of complete financial stress and near total ruin, we need to choose the right party to turn this mess around fast! Your voice should be heard no matter which party you support, democrat or republican. First of all you must be registered! The voter registration deadline usually falls close to a month before the official election. If you missed it you need to register right away to avoid missing out next time! We tend to forget that voting was not always fair. Remember that it was only after the Civil War ended in 1865 that black males were allowed to vote. Amendments 14 and 15 were passed to guarantee black men the right to vote. All women had to fight for years to get the right to vote! This right was not granted until the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. The right to vote is a hard won gift, one that you should not take for granted. Once you're regi...

Revolutionary War political cartoons are the very first American cartoons. These appeared in both mainstream and subversive newspapers that were circulated as the tension between England and what would be America built up. They were made by statesmen as famous as Benjamin Franklin as well as by anonymous authors. Usually made from woodblock prints, these pieces of artwork usually fall into one of a handful of themes. A Need for Unity Many of these cartoons focused on the need for the colonies to unite together to fight a common evil: the oppressive government of Great Britain. Most famous in this category is the well known "Join or Die" picture which shows a snake divided into pieces, each named for one of the American colonies. While many people supported the Revolutionary War, just as many people were reluctant because of the danger to their lives and property. Papers and political cartoons helped round up support for this necessary revolution. Criticism of Britain Many Rev...

An October 25, 2008 Newsweek article by Jeffrey E. Garten is titled, "We Need a Bank Of the World." What I need is some sort of keystroke to represent spluttering astonishment. There can only be a few things on the list of what we need less than a World Central Bank (a planet busting asteroid might be a tie-- other than that I can't think of much). Central Banks have been error making machines. They never have and never will accomplish anything else, because they've been given (or have taken) an impossible task-- money and credit expansion in a fiat currency system along with (rather laughably), maintaining economic stability. A Global Central Bank's most likely accomplishment would be to ensure that any nation that ever has second thoughts and wants to leave the fiat currency and credit creation rat race, is instead trapped. From there the World Central Bank can move on to booming and busting us all, with no escape in any global nook or cranny, until every person...

Here we go. We're days away from determining what the rest of our lives will be like, and what the next generations will have to deal with. There comes a moment where making a seemingly small decision, will change your trajectory so much so, that your end result is night and day from your starting point. Now I don't want to come off as some fanatic "Obama is Messiah" parader. The truth is I don't think he is Messiah at all. He is charismatic, he is intelligent - though not perfect, much like the rest of us, he seems to be the one with the clear understanding of where we are, and where the solutions may lie to change our lives. Before he was just another politician, actually, a pretty darn good one, but a politician nonetheless. But I see his vision. The truth is, I believe that vision will affect the entire world. So without sounding like I'm brainwashed by a campaign, let me tell you the one thing, that told me he is above most, in his understanding and focus...

The capture of badly wounded Papa Faustino Ablen, his subsequent recovery, trial for brigandage (thievery, abduction, extortion, etc.,) and his execution in August of 1907 broke the back of the Dios-Dios Pulahanes as a major insurgency. His principal sub-chiefs, Felipe Ydos, Espiridion Rota, Afroniano Fernandez and other sub-chiefs were also hanged. Lesser officers were sentenced to long prison terms. Recruits received lesser punishments. Many Pulahan members from Leyte and Samar, to put some distance between themselves and their former enemies they had preyed upon, moved to Mindanao. They continued to live in small remote communes and to practice their apocalyptic beliefs of the "golden heaven" they'd seen in Ablen's dagger handle. Continuing government harassment resulted in more conflicts such as the 1924 Colorum Uprising in Surigao. To this year 2008, the influence of the Pulahanes is still found in Christian sects throughout Mindanao.1. Millenarianism took root i...