How Did He Know?

An interesting quote from Thomas Jefferson appeared in my local newspaper last Friday. How did Jefferson know? His successors have done to "We The People" exactly that of which Jefferson warned.
" I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and in our comforts, in our labor and in our amusements. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy". -- Thomas Jefferson

Having allowed our government to do exactly what Jefferson warned us about, what can we do now to rectify the situation?

It's the DEBT stupid

This reminds me of Orwell's Double-Speak. Using the word "deficit" in order to focus public attention away from the "debt". Unfortunately the average citizen is so illiterate as to think that the words mean the same thing.

DEBT is the amount that We The People owe to our creditors. This is the amount on which we pay interest. This is also the amount that is growing at an exponential and unsustainable rate.

DEFICIT is the amount that the debt increases.

The math is simple. Until the deficit is totally "eliminated" we will not have spent even one dime towards reducing the debt.

So why is everyone talking about only "reducing" the deficit as opposed to eliminating it?

I know it's a radical idea, but shouldn't we be focused on eliminating the deficit as quickly as possible so we can then begin to reduce the debt.

I think it's completely outrageous that about 52% of all the money spent by the government is "borrowed money". If you or I had a spending habit like that it wouldn't take long before our creditors would shut us down and force us into bankruptcy. I believe that Congress has the duty to reduce the debt and find a way to live within its means. If that means cuts to "favorite" programs, then so be it! The cuts, no matter how severe, would certainly be less painful than bankruptcy. So let's get started making the cuts!

Of course, the media is aiding and abetting the problem by not pointing out the error in the words being used. Supposedly, the media people are literate and should know the difference between debt and deficit.

Washington as Usual

Barack Obama met with the Queen of England ..

He asked her how she ran such an efficient government. "Your Majesty, any tips you can share with me?"

"Well," said the Queen, "the most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people."

Obama frowned, and then asked, "But how do I know the people around are really intelligent?"

The Queen took a sip of tea and said, "Oh, that's easy; you just ask them to answer an intelligent question." She then pushed a button on her intercom and said, "Please send Tony Blair in here, would you?"

A moment later,Tony Blair walked into the room and said, "Yes, Your Majesty?"

The Queen smiled and said, "Answer me this please, Tony, your mother
and father have a child. The child is not your brother and it is not your sister. Who is it?"

Without hesitation, Tony Blair answered, "That would be me."

"Yes! Very good. Thank you Tony" said the Queen.

When Obama got back to Washington, he summoned Joe Biden and asked him the same question. "Joe, answer this for me. Your mother and your father have a child. The child is not your brother and it's not your sister. Who is it?"

Biden looked confused and said, "I'm not sure. Please let me get back to you on that one"

He went to his advisors and asked every one the question, but none could give him an answer. Finally, he ran into Sarah Palin at dinner one night. Biden asked, "Sarah, can you answer this for me? Your mother and father have a child and it's not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"

Sarah Palin answered right back, "That's easy, it's me!"

Biden smiled, and said, "Thanks!" Then, he went back to speak with Obama.

"Sir. I did some research on that question and I have ananswer to the riddle.. It's Sarah Palin!"

Obama got up, stomped over to Biden, and yelled into his face, "No! You idiot! It's Tony Blair!"

THAT DESCRIBES MUCH OF WASHINGTON POLITICS TODAY.  People are giving answers to questions they don't understand. And they are asking questions that are equally irrelevant. The whole thing is absurd.

NOTE: The source of the riddle is unknown. I received a version in my email.

Count Your Blessings

Sometimes you don't realize just how good you've got it until something happens to show you.

Last Saturday my daughter Heather was having a party for he son's birthday. She went to check the barbeque grill when, all of a sudden, WHAM! the grill exploded in her face. She spent the next 4 days in a drug-induced coma in the ICU at the local hospital. I spoke with her just a few minutes ago. She came home from the hospital today with remarkably little damage. The fact that she is home so soon is probably the most remarkable part. Yes, she had 3rd degree burns on her ear and chin, 2nd degree burns on parts of her face and 1st degree burns on the rest of her head and neck. But, she inhaled FIRE and is able to speak. She's alive and has a tremendous amount of spunk.

Compared to what she's just gone through - do we really have anything to complain about?

I don't think so.

Bin Laden is Dead - but Islam isn't

There is no doubt in my mind that Bin Laden was an evil man. But, even though he is gone, his shoes will be filled by another's feet. There are many believers of Islam, especially in the United States, who say that their religion is peaceful. Fopr the believers who have a good heart it may be so. However, Islam reserves all good outcome exclusively to the believers.

The Qur'an contains detailed instructions and examples of how believers should treat unbelievers. The instructions are quite simple: Conversion, Subjugation, or Death. First you should try to convert them. If they won't convert, then you must fight them. If they surrender or convert, you must stop fighting. If they do not convert or surrender, you must kill them.

Most Muslims are not in a position to wage war. While the Qur'an teaches that war against the infidels is uppermost, it also encourages believers to lay low, make sneaky victories, and use double-cross, deception and deal-breaking. After all, a deal with an infidel isn't really a deal anyway.
Islam is a religion of very black and white morality. Everything serves to support the fight between Allah and the nonbelievers.

"Slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them captive, and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Qur'an 9:5).


"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued" (Qur'an 9:29).

Unbelievers are the utmost evil, and to fight them you can therefore use any means. In fact, Muslims have to use any means they can to convert or subjugate nonbelievers. "The unbelievers are your inveterate foe" or "The disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy" (Qur'an 4:101 - depending on translation).

Many Muslims in Western countries don't seem to be doing this. However. many Muslims do not know the Qur'an very well. Many do not read it and many cannot read it. When the religion puts a premium on the after-life and the only way to get there is to 'be a Muslim', it only takes a little push to accept radical teachings and take up the sword.

Having said this, I must warn that many Christians and other world religions exhibit many of the same intolerance between their own beliefs and those of others. Personally, I believe that the Creator would want all people to know and believe. I also believe that an all-forgiving God would spare anyone who tried to understand God's will and chose to follow to the extent of their best understanding. I do not believe, that anyone has the right to speak for God and say "This is the ONLY true and righteous way". I feel that most organized religions seem to divide people more than they bring them together.