Get Off Our Ass

Once upon a time, in a land that seems far, far away, ‘Liberal’ was a term used to describe people like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Locke, and Thomas Paine. They weren’t exactly those mad eyed leftists that argue for more and more government programs and higher taxes on those evil rich people who work for a living. Somewhere in the early 20^th century the ‘socialists’, ‘fascists’ and ‘progressives’ somehow became ‘liberals’. It was right around the time when people started becoming aware of the prison camps and ovens that became associated with the European socialists, fascists and progressives. So, instead of looking at themselves and their ideals and the human destruction that those ideals led to in Europe… instead of changing the ideals, they changed the language and ‘progressives’ became ‘liberals’.

Then, 50-60 years later, the term ‘liberal’ started to lose its shine so, the progressives have started calling themselves ‘progressives’ again.

Not that they’re all that ‘progressive’. They want to ‘progress’ from the industrial world back to an agrarian world. They want to ‘progress’ from a world that embraces individual liberty and freedom back to a world of serfdom and dependency on the state, not unlike the feudal system that Europe was in until the United States of America smashed over 200 years ago. That’s not ‘progressive’, that ‘regressive’.

I try to avoid speaking for anyone else, but I don’t care to go back to farming my own little plot of land that was allotted to me by any lord, but I digress.

I’m still not thrilled with the term progressive, but that’s their term, so we’ll let them have it, but we should be clear in the fact that these people are going to ‘progress’ us right back into the dark ages… but that’s their term.

It should be noted that every ‘progressive’ regime that the world has ever known has led to an oligarchy. Even here in the United States, we have certain families, whether they’re the Clintons, the Kennedys, or the Bushs, we have a certain small percentage of the population that enjoys the power to decide for the rest of us. In Korea they have Kim jung il; in Russia, Putin; in China they have the ‘party’. All around the world, you can change the names and the nation, but there is little difference between the progressives of today and the lords and ladies of the middle ages. There’s also no difference between the great unwashed masses of today and the surfs and peons of days gone by.

The point is that progressivism is regressive. The progressives have created a caste system, where people of certain classes are set in a caste system. Notice the lines drawn by progressives between the rich and the ‘middle class’, and which oddly enough seem to exclude the political class from the evil rich class.

That, for reference, is how I define ‘Progressive’, which can be interchanged relatively easily with ‘Liberal’ and occasionally ‘Socialist’ and/or ‘Fascist’. 

No, not just any old person, but a really old a really old person. Well, not just any really old person, but a really old person that voted for (or by proxy elected someone to vote for) the original Social Security program. That person would have to be somewhere in their 90’s or older so don’t slap them too hard, I would probably settle for yelling at the old farts for loading, not their children, not even their grandchildren, but their great-grandchildren down with debt.  

We didn’t always have Social Security. It was originally a ‘New Deal’, Depression era program that was passed in August of 1935 and didn’t go in effect until several years later. It was originally set up as a welfare program for old, disabled and unemployed. I really doubt that even those that voted for it intended to be a burden to their great-grandchildren. At the time, it was a program to help the old and needed… and who could argue against helping the old and the needy?

Originally, the Social Security (aka OASDI & HI) tax was only 2% (1% from you and 1% from your boss for you). Now, 74 years later it’s only up to 15.3% (7.65% from you and 7.65% from your boss for you). Now, what kind of selfish person would argue with chipping in 2% of their income to help the poor and elderly? That argument goes a long way until that 2% grows to more than 15%.

Even the argument at 15% might go a little way, until you find out that 15% isn’t even going to be enough to cover what the government is owes in a very few years. That means that our kids aren’t going to be looking at 15%. They’re going to pay progressively more and more every year as more old people retire (and sit on their ass for 20 years drawing welfare), and the ratio between those who are paying into Social Security and those who are collecting Social Security gets smaller and smaller.

So, that really old person that voted for Social Security, and all of their good intentions, have really left a major screwed up mess for their great-grandchildren great-great-grandchildren.

Now, this as much as I’d love to talk about the royal screw-up called Social Security, this isn’t about Social Security. It’s more about the fact that my great-grandparents passed a program off onto me, that I don’t want, and I didn’t get a say about it. I didn’t get a vote on Social Security.

Did you?

Now, I really don’t care about your specific view on Social Security. I’d just like to hear from anyone who’s paying for it, that didn’t get a vote on it… and happy about it (‘IT’ being the fact that you did NOT get a vote for it).

Now, here is the real rub, and the point that I’ve been working towards… we’re ready to do the same thing to our children and grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) this healthcare system is going to be nearly ‘free’, not unlike the great-grandparents who only voted for a mere 2% tax that’s now grown to more than 15% (and will soon grow to more than 15%).

Even IF (and that’s a mighty big IF) these programs, like healthcare, cap-n-trade or whatever the program of the week is, didn’t grow out of control (like most government programs do) what kind of people impose these programs on their descendants who don’t have a say in it, but will be saddled with it.

Is that no better than the taxation without representation that we rebelled from England for?

How about… having a little foresight. Once these programs are in place, and once people get the idea that they’re ‘entitled’ to these programs, they’re impossible to rescind. Instead of imposing upon our children, a program that they’ll never be able to free themselves from, and our children will never get a say-so on, find a way to take care of ourselves without enslaving our kids.

How about… giving our children the respect that our great-grandparents didn’t have for us.

I don’t want to be sitting here in 50 years and have my grandkids mad at me because we made a decision for them, that they didn’t get a say in.

I don’t really want to get slapped by my grandkids because I loaded them up with bills that I ran up in their name. (and if my kids are any indication what my grandkids will be like, I’d be in trouble)

I’d like to take a moment to remember those who were lost that clear September day 8 years ago… remember those who ran towards the buildings while others where running away… remember those men and women who have fought for the last 8 years ago against the scumbags who perpetrated that attack… and the current administration who are prosecuting those brave men and women.

Remember, Obama wants to set the terrorists free and put the agents who tried to stop more attacks in jail.

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=22843

“6 Simple Ways to Dramatically Cut Costs of Medical Care – at Zero Expense to Taxpayers” by Michael Cloud

Imagine that the federal and state governments imposed laws, regulations, restrictions, and mandates on medical care that drastically increased the cost – without improving medical care.

What if it were possible to cut your medical care costs by 20% or 30% or even 50% now – while keeping current levels of quality and service – by repealing and removing these government-created burdens and barriers?

Hmmm, so when President Obama says that it’s his way or do nothing at all… he’s a liar. God Bless SC Rep Joe Wilson for telling the truth. Obama is lying to you. The only answer does not lie in expanding the reach of the Federal Government into your life!!!

Don’t buy it… don’t buy a ‘reset’ from either party unless it means a big reset on the reach of Big Brother.

I know I’ve been asked a hundred times, “What can I DO?” I know, there are thousands of other pundits that will give you their opinion; speak up, go to Tea Parties, speak up at Town Halls…

And, all of that might be fine. I’m not saying that any of these ideas are bad, but I know that none of these things will protect you or insulate you. So… here is my list of things that I have done and that I do.

Only when enough people take care of themselves will we be able to get the politicians and bureaucrats OFF OUR ASS.

Take your life in YOUR hands… fix yourself and only then will they GET OFF OUR ASS. They will not GET OFF OUR ASS willingly… we’re going to have to fix ourselves to THROW THEM OFF.

Yes, I know… to some people its sacrilege to criticize Republicans, but not to this people.

My greatest fear, after seeing President Obama trash the union, is seeing millions making the leap from Democrats are BAD to Republicans are GOOD. I know, I know… many people grew tired of Clinton and his healthcare reform in the early 90’s, and that ushered in the Republican revolution of 94’…

… and that got us where?

In 2002 Republicans got the hat trick; White House, House of Representin’ and Senate.

… and that got us where? (Okay, we did get the Dept. of Homeland Security… thanks)

Republicans had control and we didn’t fix Social Security, expanded Medicare, ran up the budget from $1.9 TRILLION to $3.2 TRILLION (and that was before the bailouts for Freddie/Fannie, TARP, Stimulus, GM, Chrysler, AIG and the TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS of dollars the Fed has written but which we can never see, but we are on the hook for)

Now, the Democrats are in control… and they’re not going to fix Social Security, probably going to expand healthcare and/or Medicare and they’re going to ramp up the budget to God only knows and continue the policy of bailing out the GM’s, the AIG’s and the Fed will continue write TRILLIONS of dollars worth of checks (your money) to rich and powerful people who are already millionaire/billionaires.

Remember, again, it was a Republican administration that gave us the Dept. of Homeland Security, and let’s not forget one of my favorites; The Transportation Safety Administration.

So, my point?? (Yes I have one.) Please, America, I beg you; Do not assume that just because the Democrats are bad (which I personally think they are), that Republicans are good (which I do not believe they are).

Now, we will all see a lot of name calling. We will see a lot of people stirring the pot… and the media will be right there in the middle of it… fermenting anger of both sides of the political divide.

THAT… I want to be perfectly clear… is NOT MY GOAL.

So you have the country getting angrier and angrier at other Americans to the point where one liberal protester just bit off the finger of another protester because they disagreed on the healthcare debate. WTF. And all the while both parties seem to be taking us to the same place.

And it doesn’t seem like it’s a place that any of us really want to go to if it weren’t for the fact that we’re all so damned pissed off at each other.

Then… you have someone who is supposed to be a prominent Republican running around the country with Al Sharpton… a man who epitomizes the kind of pot stirring political hack that I’m talking about. Al Sharpton is a man who has made a fortune stirring hatred and resentment between black people and white people for decades and who is better off for it??

Al Sharpton.

So what does it tell you when Newt Gingrich tools around the country with someone who has made his fortune, not helping a damn soul, but stirring the pot of hatred, making more money and expanding his own power base by making sure that more and more people are poor, needy and pissed off?

It tells me that the political class of this country doesn’t care about party affiliation. They only care about their own power and behind closed doors… they love to see you pissed off at other Americans…

… because that means that you’re less likely to be pissed off at them.

Now, I don’t endorse either Senator Coburn or the Republican Party, but on this one, I think Senator Coburn is 100% correct.

I’d like to give GunRights4US a nod for finding this one.

(Okay so the Youtube link isn’t working… so here’s the link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZguOTrNbIY&feature=player_embedded

“I am Sovereign” is one of my favorite phrases, right up there with “Get Off Our Ass”. They go hand in hand, two ways of saying the same thing. Both phrases should be shouted from the rooftops of every free man and woman’s home, every free business man or woman’s business. We should teach our children that THEY are sovereign.

It is one of the core, fundamental American ideals. It is in part how we came up with the principle that “All Men are Created Equal”. As it stands today, as Orwell so quaintly stated, many people are just ‘more equal’ than others.

Today, we are not all created equal. It strikes me as funny that a bunch of millionaires can take as much money as they want (from us) and give it to other millionaires… to bankers and CEO’s and community organizers.

Now, I cannot walk into anyone’s home, take their money and give it to my friends, relatives and supporters. I would be arrested, put in jail and tried and probably convicted. But for some reason, “we the people” have gotten it into our heads that our elected leaders have the power to reach into our paychecks and take our money and give to their friends, relatives and supporters… and they just get reelected.

So, something is wrong here. Are we not ‘all created equal’? I guess not.

Well, the problem, as much as it’s the people who willingly take as much power (and money) from the people, lies mostly at the feet of the people who willingly abdicate their own authority. The problem is the people who fail to think and act like and believe that, “I am Sovereign.”

“I am Sovereign.” What the heck does that mean anyway? It means, in short, that I am my ruler. In this country, we do not elect our rulers, we elect our representatives. (See Democracy vs. Republic, & What Does it Mean to be Republican)

“I am Sovereign” means that that man or woman that I just sent to Washington DC (or OKC as it might be) does not have more power than me, but less. They are not my master, they are my servant. They do not rule over me… I rule over them.

And as I rule over them… because I am Sovereign… they cannot dictate what kind of light bulb I have in my own, they cannot dictate to me what kind of toilet I have in my home, and they cannot dictate to me what kind of healthcare I have for my family.

Now, there is a flip side to being a Sovereign individual. Being Sovereign means that with every right that you hold comes with it an equal measure of responsibility. It’s the responsibility part were most of the ‘people’ fall flat on their ass.

It’s hard for you to demand that our politicians get off our ass if YOU are not taking care of business like a Sovereign individual should be. The only reason why the politicians can keep a tight hold on Social Security is because there are so few people taking responsibility for their own ‘Social Security’. The only reason that there is a chance of them taking control of our healthcare is because there are so many people that are not being responsible individuals and taking care of their own health.

That is just another dividing line in this country. I know I lead my life like I was a Sovereign individual… meaning that if the mighty fedzilla were to fall, I would be okay. My family would be okay. It might be a challenge and it might be difficult without the federal bureaucracy to get in the way of actually LIVING like a Sovereign individual… but I think I’d get along.

How many other people could say that? Can YOU? If tomorrow morning you woke up and the government were the size that it was when it was founded, meaning no Social Security, no public schools, no FDA, no ATF, no FBI, no Medicare, Medicaid, no safety net, and no big brother to take care of you… how would you get along?

I challenge you to ask yourself that question. What would you do if that pet government program were gone? Ask your friends and your family that question.

If you can’t answer that question by saying that you would be fine without a government check or a government bailout or government protection… then you are NOT living up to standards that our founders envisioned for you. If you are dependant on politicians… then you are not free.

And if my welfare and the welfare of my family were laid into the hands of a bunch of lawyers and politicians, I would be terrified.

So my greatest desire is that you, and every American, stands up and yells “I am Sovereign”… and “Get Off Our Ass”… and then that you also take the responsibility for your own life back from the lawyers and politicians and finally… for once in the last 100 years… learn to live as free, responsible… Sovereign Americans.

(Now, I would like to add that I am a Christian and Jesus Christ is my Lord. When I say that I am Sovereign, I mean regarding any man or woman born [to a mother and father] on this Earth)

I was recently in a discussion with a friend, a man I served with in the Army, and a man that, though I disagree with, I respect if for no other reason than the fact that we wore the same uniform, the same patches on our shoulder and both of us raised our right hand and swore to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

Now, as said, I do disagree with this man, but in the course of our discussion, I did get a glimpse into the thought processes and perhaps the roots of their ‘issues’.(“Their being shall we say, the more liberal leaning individuals) What I mean is that so often we get caught up in arguing over the varied issues; healthcare, bailouts, social security, et cetera, that we fail to look at why two, very large, groups of very disparate people disagree on such a large array of issues… right down the line.

I’ve always been amazed that, no matter the issue, it seems like there is usually one line drawn and people naturally trend to one side of that line or the other, and that’s even before the politicians come in and stir the pot to really get people pissed off at one another. So, for the most part (there are always exceptions) the same people that are pro-gun control are pro-government run healthcare and are pro-abortion and pro-big government anything, pro-low flow toilets, pro-CFLs (the piece of crap light bulbs). Then on the other side you have; pro-Second Amendment, pro-individual run healthcare, pro-life, pro-small government anything, and pro-deciding for yourself what kind of toilets and light bulbs you have in your house.

Anyway, in our discussion my friend made a statement that really struck me, (I paraphrase) “a Democracy means that we have to accept the will of the majority, and we have to accept what they desire, and by proxy the elected officials that represent them.”

Now, that really did strike me. First of all, we’re not a democracy. As a matter of fact, if anyone took a little time and looked back towards our founding fathers; you’d find that at our nation’s founding, the term ‘democrat’ was almost a pejorative. You’d have to look back at the time frame and understand what was happening. Right after our Revolution, the French went through their revolution; with a much different result. It should be noted that one of the early divisions in this country was over the French Revolution. Thomas Jefferson was an early supporter of the French Revolution, but later changed his mind because of the bloody direction it took, while John Adams opposed getting involved with the French Revolution, even though the French had supported the United States.

Now, the difference? The United States was based on a republican form of government; while the French was pure democracy… mob rule. America wound up with a small representative government, where the government had a few defined responsibilities and the individuals had the rights, and responsibilities, for the rest. The French wound up with guillotines, blood in the streets, fear and eventually Napoleon Bonaparte.

THAT is the difference between a democracy and a republic.

Another difference between a democracy and a republic; you can do a lot more under a democracy than you can a republic. One of our founding principles, if anyone would go back and read our founders, and the genesis of the phrase, “All Men Are Created Equal”, is the idea that my elected officials have no more rights than I do as an individual. I elect neither my ruler nor my slave master. The people that I elect work for me.

That means that if I can’t walk into your house and force you to change your light bulbs, then neither can my elected officials. If I, as an individual, cannot come into your home and force you to either pay for someone else’s healthcare or take a healthcare system of my design; then my elected officials cannot do it, and it doesn’t matter how many of them band together into a majority.

But under a Democracy, there are no prohibitions on the power of the masses. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t even take a majority of the masses today; it only takes a majority of the elected officials. (So, to all of those people who don’t pay attention to politics and then bitch and complain that the government is taking away your rights… F’ You)

So, how have we managed to survive for over 200 years without a universal healthcare system? Because, our founding fundamental principles prohibited our government from imposing itself on its people. The government, in short, respected the people.

This, I believe, is where the battle line has been drawn; between a democracy and a republic. (Now, please don’t misunderstand my support for a republican government with any support for the piece of crap Republican Party we see today). On one side, you have people that see this nation as a democracy, as my friend does and the other as a republic. The democracy folks think that just because so many people want to do something, then it’s alright and the rest should just suck it up… and the rest of us basically want to be left alone (thus the genesis of GOOA).

Now, I do not hate my friend. I think he’s wrong. I do not think he understands what was meant when he stood, raised his right hand and swore to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. I do not think he understands the phrase, “All Men Are Created Equal”.

I will stand up, and until the day I die protect my friend’s right to be wrong. I will protect my friend’s right to live as he chooses, no matter how much I disagree with him. I will help him fight anyone who wants to impose their will on my friend, by the vote or by the gun…

… my only hope is that one day my friend will wake up and return the favor.

So, Miss Carrie Prejean is now just another victim. What the hell.

Now, I applaud her answer when she was asked about gay marriage… hell I agree with her. I know being from the People’s Republic of California, it took a lot of courage to stand up there on stage and tell the world that she marriage is between a man and a woman.

Now, I could go on for a while about the whole gay marriage debate, but suffice to say that gay marriage is to marriage what three wheels are to a bicycle. If you want to be a knob-gobbling rump ranger, go for it, but that has nothing to do with marriage. A bicycle has two wheels. If you have three wheels then you can’t call it a bicycle no matter how much you stomp your feet and whine. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Two men or two women or three women and one man or… well we could all assign different names to it… but none of them would be marriage.

Now, that said… Miss Prejean is now filling a discrimination suit against the Miss California organization, and I’ll grant her, she is probably in the right, but in filling her lawsuit and going to the media whining and complaining about how she’s been mistreated has done nothing except turn herself into just another class of victim.

And, personally, I think we’ve got enough victims in this country. We don’t need any more… not even the pretty blonde kinds that I would otherwise agree with.

My greatest desire is simply to get big brother off my ass. Period. Now, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been wronged in one way or another by someone somewhere. Myself included. But just because we’ve been ‘wronged’ doesn’t mean we have to turn to the big bro’ to fix it for us.

Most of the time, we have to simply stand up face the fact that we’re probably paying some kind of stupid tax for letting someone else get into the position to put one over on us.

Miss Prejean will no doubt sell a lot of books, and probably get a great gig on TV somewhere. She might even be able to parley this ordeal into a pretty good career, but if she truly hold heartfelt conservative Christian values… then she was just dumb to expect the Miss California organization to embrace her and support her. DUMB. Period.

Instead of looking like a whiner that’s playing the victim card, she’d get a lot more respect from me by saying, “Yep… that was pretty dumb of me and I’m better off parting ways with these left wing loonies.”

But alas, no… now she’s playing the victim and I respect her about as much as any other victim…

That’s just not the sort of people I want to support.