ORTEGA'S NEW BARBARIANS: THEY ARE HERE!

JOSE ORTEGA Y GASSET

Bend over and spread em, girl,

Show me those---------pearls,

Rub that a-----and play with that c---,

You know I like that freaky s---,

I like the way you lick the champagne glass,

It makes me want to stick my ---- in your ---,

How hard? Hard like a rock,

When you make that ----y pop!

FROM RAP GROUP 2 LIVE CREW

These memorable lyrics are all too representative of what is more and more heard over the airwaves these days. Sadly, they seem to go along with statistics that show that 11.5% of American women have experienced sexual violence.

It may also be instructive to note that comparative scores of secondary-level students in the industrialized world show that Americans rank 15th in reading, 24th in math and 21st in science. It goes without saying that this is likely to give one pause in attempting to understand how such could be possible in the U.S.A.

With the multiple distractions of a perverse and pagan popular culture, it is little wonder that much attention is given to the likes of Snoop Doggy Dog and others of his ilk who seem to capture the attention of America's youth.  Somewhat enlightening, too, is that recent college graduates are more readily adept at identifying Snoop Doggy Dog (98%, in fact) as a premier rapper than they are able to identify James Madison as the "father of the Constitution" (a mere 48% were able to do so).

Jose Ortega y Gasset (1883 - 1955) was a Spanish philosopher, writer and observer of societal trends.  It was Ortega who defined existence as one is oneself in reality as one exists within the context of himself and circumstance.  However, Ortega is perhaps best known for foreseeing the ultimate fate of Western society as resting in the hands of the "new barbarians."

For Ortega, there would eventually come a time when the traditional institutions that had historically civilized the masses, e.g. the church, the school, the family) would no longer be able or willing to serve that purpose; and, to the detriment of society, the result would be masses of new barbarians who would have not the slightest idea of how society had evolved, nor would they have any inclination  of striving in such ways as to maintain and strengthen the traditions that had  supported and sustained previous generations.

In applying Ortega to the culture spawned by society in the 21st century, the future looks quite dismal.  New generations, poorly served by an educational system which has been dumbed-down and overwhelmed by attempting to absorb vast numbers of students who have not been inculcated with Western values by their families, will be easy marks for politicians whose agendas do not include maintaining a strong America.  May God help our children and grandchildren! 

LOBBYISTS: THE GOLDEN SCOURGE OF WASHINGTON

If you think that your vote counts, well, then, think again.  Not only is there voter fraud, bloc voting, hanging chads and gerrymandering of districts according to considerations of race and ethnicity, your senator or representative in Congress is likely in thrall to certain organizations or entities, owing to the billions of dollars spent in an effort to influence votes on Capitol Hill by professional lobbyists.

Yes, dear readers, there is a golden triangle in the District of Columbia, not to be confused with the "Golden Triangle" of the drug trade in Indochina.  The golden triangle to which I refer is made up of intersecting interests of business, industry, labor, education and so-called public interest organizations on one arm of the triangle and members of Congress and lobbyists on the other two.

Former senators and members of Congress now working as lobbyists number 421.  During 2012, Blue Cross/Blue Shield spent more than 22 million dollars to further their cause in D.C.,  General Electric had lobbying costs of 21 million, while Verizon made the lobbyists 15 million richer and, as a group, education interests parted with 90 million..  Not to be outdone, organized labor chalked up a bill for more than 40 million in lobbying expenses.  All told, 3.3 billion dollars were spent last year by lobbyists in their efforts to influence legislation crafted by your public servants in Washington.

Ever wonder what ever happened to senators Chris Dodd, Trent Lott, Blanche Lincoln, Mel Matinez, and Robert Bennett?  All of these former members of the 111th Congress are actively serving various interests in one lobbying capacity or another.  Not only can we speak of a golden triangle, but there is also pretty much of a revolving door in D.C. for former members of Congress moving into lobbying firms.

Recently, news of senatorial jockeying on the immigration bill included reports that some senators were including as amendments (none of which have anything to do with immigration)  add-ons worth millions of dollars to be spent in various home-state pork projects, such as shrimp-farming in Alaska and tourism in Nevada. Obviously, lobbyists were busily working Senator Reid of Nevada and Senator Mulkowski of Alaska. In a brazen move, again not at all related to immigration, Senator Blumenthal of Connecticut threatened to insert a gun-control amendment in the immigration bill. And so goes the tortured process of law-making in Washington, aided and abetted by the highly-paid lobbyists of K Street.  To borrow a phrase from Lou Dobbs, "We have the finest government money can buy."

Dear readers, I dare you to write to your senators, or to your representative in Congress, perhaps in the following manner:

Dear Senator/Representative________:

In view of the fact that you are working for me as my representative in the District of Columbia, I feel that it is only right that you, as an employee, inform me of all of the contacts that you have had from lobbyists during the last fiscal year. Please be sure to include all meals, trips, gifts or any other types of consideration rendered to you by professional lobbyists.  I shall expect such information to be forwarded to me within the next two weeks.

Thanking you in advance, I am

Sincerely,


John Q. Citizen

If all of us would take merely a few minutes to send the above as an email, letter or fax, we could just be on to something that might make a difference.

*Please note that much information for this post was gathered from www.opensecrets.com
You will find this website chock-full of incredible information on the lobbying industry in our nation's capital.

WHY SNOWDEN WAS RIGHT!

BOSTON MASSACRE, 21ST CENTURY STYLE

Since Edward Snowden divulged that  the National Security Agency (NSA) was engaged in the clandestine monitoring of phone calls and email transmissions, vociferous charges of treason have gone up from various quarters of the political spectrum.  In view of the fact that Snowden is now on the run, probably fearing for his life, the likelihood of his personally refuting these accusations at any time in the near future is somewhat remote.

Given what is now known about the questionable use of government power by the IRS, the Department of Justice and the growing number of scandals associated with the Department of State, I, for one, would be more than a bit leery of NSA rationales for the far-reaching seizure of communications records, action which violates the privacy of American citizens.

If such action were truly a necessity, I can see no reason why the public was not previously informed.  It would have been possible to explain that such a program was going to be put into place, and a case could have been made for doing so, without divulging all of the technical aspects of the operation.  With knowledge that the government possessed such capability, that might within itself have been a deterrent to terrorist activity. As it now stands, and,  considering the political partisanship of the IRS and the Department of Justice, for many Americans it would be folly to believe that the NSA and the government contractors in its pay would never compromise the privacy and civil rights of Americans.  And, despite the NSA's assurances that numerous terrorist plots have been foiled because of the program, it should be borne in mind that not even information that was received from Russia about the brothers Tsarnaev was used to prevent the gory tragedy in Boston.

From this quarter, it would seem that more efficiency in battling terrorism could come from:

1. Halting Muslim immigration.
2. Cutting out student visas for students coming from countries spawning terrorism.
3. Reconsidering the granting of visas to "political refugees."
4. Having the moral and intellectual courage to  profile individuals on the basis of ethnicity, nationality & race.

As long as this country is entangled with the twin monstrosities of political correctness and multiculturalism, our peril will continue to mount.

DEFINITELY A NO-BRAINER: THE SOUTHERN BORDER MUST BE SECURED!

Illegal Immigrants Demonstrate for Immigration Reform

Mexico is a rich country.  With oil reserves making it the 5th largest producer of oil in the world and endowed with abundant mineral resources, it has the potential to be a Latin American economic power-house. And, not widely known in the U.S., is the fact that Mexico has more billionaires than France and the United Kingdom combined.

Unfortunately, for centuries, the cultural mindset of Mexico has been characterized by the dominance of the few over the many   And, if one wants to address racism, the many in Mexico have been those of darker pigmentation.

Demonstrators Express Frequently Held Views

For too long, the oligarchs of Mexico have viewed the United States as a safety valve for the masses of their population who, owing to the absence of a level playing field, have sought a better life in El Norte.  With the United States providing welfare benefits and employment for illegals, the Mexican upper-crust has not had to concern itself with providing opportunities at home.

Each year, 1,000,000 potential new workers materialize in Mexico.  With perhaps only half of that number having true job opportunities, 500,000 either hit the streets as vendors and food purveyors, or else hit the road to look for jobs in the U.S.  For too long, the ricos of Mexico have refused to man-up to the problems of poverty, destitution and a dearth of economic opportunity at home.  In effect, the taxpayers of the U.S. have been subsidizing the lifestyles of the rich and famous in Mexico.

Recently, in the U.S. Senate, amendments to an immigration bill that would place top priority on

securing the border with Mexico have been voted down.  The rationale of those opposed to according top priority to border security is their feeling that the main concern should be to first deal with the 11 or 12 million illegals residing in this country.  However, if past experience may be a guide, it is apparent that the border should be fixed to make certain that we do not find the same problem down the road in 5 or 6 years.  Before putting anyone on any sort of a "pathway" to citizenship, we must first insure the safety and defense of our country. To this end, fixing and maintaining a secure border would have several salutary effects:

1.  A secure border would stem the yearly flow of 500,000 illegals to the U.S., where illegal immigrants are presently costing taxpayers in excess of 54 billion dollars annually in public services.  In addition, if our border were secure, the Mexican oligarchs would be forced to deal with their own societal and economic problems.

2.  A secure border would save the lives of hundreds of illegals who fall victim each year to the elements in the Southwest deserts, never to be heard from again by families and friends in Mexico.

3.  A secure border would make possible a drastic reduction in the multi-billion dollar drug trade that sends tons of illegal drugs to poison the minds and bodies of American youth.

4. A secure border would do much to protect this country from Islamic terrorists seeking to use the present porous border to enter the U.S.

If the Solons in Washington cannot see the problem for what it is, then we should fear for our country. If the unholy trinity of multiculturalism, political correctness and the Democrats, continues to equate opposition to any legislation not securing our border to "racism,"  then we must put up a resistance that resonates throughout this land.  When individuals turn their backs to reasonable solutions having to do with our security, one must question their goals and purposes.  And, finally, any political agenda addressing immigration that does not start and end with border security is obviously not in the best interests of this country.

THE EXALTED SOVEREIGN PREPARES FOR A "FAMILY VACATION"!

I'm simply flabbergasted!  I thought that not even the 44th president of these United States would be so bold as to squander 100 million of our tax dollars for a family trip to Africa.

For certain, the man's style is reminiscent of  populist tyrants and leftist dictators who  openly fashion themselves as servants of the dispossessed, but live their lives in such splendor as to evoke the courts of kings and emperors.  

History is full of such characters.  We could start with Julius Caesar and go on through Mussolini, Stalin, Tito, Juan Peron, Mao and others.  

During a time when most families cannot even imagine being able to take a vacation, our first family will tie up naval units, security details, chefs, household staff, appointment secretaries, medical personnel, hair dressers, special limousine detachments and, of course, transportation fit  for a monarch.  

And it is difficult to forget that the vacation is coming in the middle of  a growing number of crises of the first order for this particular administration and president.  Just  to allude to a few predicaments that might just need managing, there are:

1. Benghazi
2. DOJ seizure of Associated Press communications
3. Partisan use of the IRS
4. Threatened DOJ action against a Fox journalist
5. NSA violation of citizen privacy 

In the middle of such a muddle, our great leader is taking his leave, allowing our government to rest in the ineffectual hands of Vice-President Biden, Attorney General Holder, Intelligence Director Clapper, et. al.

Frankly, I cannot think of principled chief executives of any type of organization who would consider departing for vacation at such a time - and, furthermore, spending 100 million dollars to boot!  How tacky!

What has happened, America?  Are we as voters so simple-minded that we confuse the authentic with the bogus?  Are we so addicted to the cult of celebrity that we mistake pop idols for leaders?  Will we be able to maintain our Republic?  Or, is this the beginning of a string of oriental-type despots who will destroy our Constitution and run rough shod over our liberties?  If you are not offended by this president, dear reader, then I fear that your brain cells have long departed your cranium.  It is obvious that we need a bit of sequestration here!

Please pray for America!  

THE MUSLIM POPULATION EXPLOSION: IS DEMOGRAPHY DESTINY?

Thy  fastest growing world religion by far is now Islam. With a present world total of approximately 1.9 billion adherents , the number is expected to reach 2.2 billion by 2020.  In Europe (including eastern Europe and Russia), there are now close to 46 million Muslims.  By 2030, the total should hit 59 million.

An Ipsos poll of a year and a half ago polled citizens of the U.K., Belgium, Spain, France, Hungary, Sweden, Poland, Germany, and Italy.  56% of respondents were of the opinion that there were too many immigrants in their countries, with the highest negative percentages coming from the U.K. (64%) and Belgium (72%).  Only 17% of those polled from all of the countries felt that Muslim immigration had been a positive development . The study revealed also that Europeans were generally of the opinion that Muslim immigration placed great strain on public services.

At the same time that Europeans are questioning their ill-advised immigration policies, the non-Muslim population replacement rate has dropped precipitously low, while the corresponding Muslim number has risen well above replacement.  Consequently, the trend will be for dying Europeans to be replaced over time by a rapidly growing proportion of Muslim babies.

After years and years of Muslim immigration, during which time Europeans have witnessed Muslims becoming a greater and greater percentage of the criminal population and comprising numbers of welfare recipients far out of proportion with respect to the total population, recent surveys have shown widespread disenchantment with government plans for accommodating more immigrants.

A Pew Research Center (Washington, D.C.) survey contends that a majority of Europeans believe that relations between Muslims and non-Muslims are not good.  Those who felt that relations were bad based much of their negativity on feelings that Muslims did not wish to integrate into Western society.  The Pew survey also found that a majority of Europeans were under the impression that Muslims were fanatical

In a separate Ifop poll in France, 68% felt that Muslims were not well integrated into French society, and 61% felt that Muslims had no desire to integrate.

Elsewhere, polls in Holland indicate that 83% of the population perceives the burqa as symbolic of values foreign to Dutch society, and 74% were definitely of the opinion that Muslims should adopt Dutch values.

The message is clear.  Muslim immigrants, overall, do not benefit Western societies.  In summary, from the European experience, wholesale Muslim immigration results in:

1.  Disproportionate welfare numbers.
2.  High rates of criminal activity among immigrants.
3.  A propensity for violent acts against citizens of the host country.
4.  A heightened potential for various terrorist undertakings.
5.  A likelihood of the growth of anti-Semitism.
6.  A dubious possibility of integration and assimilation.

Observers such as Mark Steyn feel that Europe has passed the point of no return and that demography indeed is Europe's destiny.  In other words, it is virtually a fait accompli that Europe will fall under the sway of Islam.  Despite the efforts of some European politicians such as

 Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, the cause, 

in a long-term sense, is lost.

MUSLIM IMMIGRATION BRINGS VIRULENT RACISM

However, in the United States, with Muslims accounting for approximately 4,700,000 residents, or 1.5% of the population, there is still time to alter destiny.  Besides stopping Muslim immigration, steps should be taken to eliminate student visas for individuals coming from Muslim countries and to call a halt to political refugees from countries that have spawned Islamic terrorists.  The choice is ours.  The problem is metastasizing, and the course is obvious. The time is now.

HEY, AMERICAN, WHAT'S YOUR PRICE?

While pumping a bit of iron this morning, I began to think about the 30 pieces of silver and what the American equivalent would be these days. Strangely, in the middle of a set of curls, I found myself speculating on just how much it would take and how anyone could rationalize treachery against the constitution of a country which has endowed its people with more freedom than has ever been seen in this world.

EDWARD SNOWDEN

And then, even more bizarrely, my mind drifted off to college and university curricula and those courses that are "hot" these days, courses like "Feminist  Goals & 21st Century Sociology,"  "The Point & Counterpoint of Gay Politics," and "Black Folks: Victims of the White Capitalist Onslaught."  Combine such academic offerings with "A" being the grade most often awarded in the halls of academe, and it quickly becomes apparent that many students are likely not graduating with much broadening of the intellect, not to mention any understanding of the liberties that were provided by forefathers who sacrificed their all. 

In settings that look distressingly like scenes from X-Files, 100's of young "geeks" are the 21st century's version of miners and are under contract to your government, with the difference being that they are mining data, not minerals. And, in the process, the email transmissions and telephone records of millions of Americans are subject to government scrutiny and analysis.  Given what we know now about the internal workings of the Justice Department, the IRS and the State Department, this is obviously not a development 
to inspire confidence in the multicultural philosopher
 kings and queens on the Potomac.

THE LYING IDIOT GENERAL CLAPPER

One always hopes, of course, that geek scruples have been formed and that geek technical curricula have been supplemented by serious study of American history and the Constitution.  But, about that, I am not optimistic.  The average young geek, burrowed in a dark warren of computers, is probably drawing more money than he or she could ever have imagined, made possible, of course, by your tax dollars.  And, there is always that new car or that new house to be bought.  And, of course, there are those troublesome student loans to be paid off; and, after all, the geeks are undertaking these tasks for our "own good."  In fact, idiot general James R. Clapper himself said so!  And that was after the fact of lying to Congress last March in denying that there was no gigantic data mining program going on.

As a trenchant critic of both government waste 
and attacks on our civil liberties,  it is apparent to 
me that the threat of terrorism could be abated and billions could be saved by simply cutting back on Muslim immigration into the United States.  Oh, but no, this solution is too simple!  Just like the TSA, solutions must hamper and inconvenience law-abiding Americans. Never mind  illegal searches and seizures!

Thank God for Edward Snowden, for without his blowing the whistle we would have been totally ignorant of the nefarious activity going on that threatens liberty.  If this government chooses to persecute, prosecute and hound Mr. Snowden, it will be making a terrible mistake.  And that brings to mind all the rumors about Muslim money circulating in D.C. that has furnished some pretty exclusive villas for some "public servants" on the Aegean coast of Turkey.  Are they not as compromised, or perhaps more so, as the geek miners who are undermining our rights in their gloomy and depressing burrows?  And, could it be that we have descended into the dark, paradoxical  world of Mulder and Scully?

And, finally, to the geeks in the mines:  Hi, fellas! Hope you had a good read over there in Hawaii, and be sure to keep in touch with Ed!

INSANITY OR COMMON SENSE? WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE?

Omar Shafik Hammami

Many in this country of ours have reached the point of no longer tolerating the insane rhetoric of politicians who shy away from associating terrorism with Muslims.  It is almost as if the boys and girls at the White House are so fearful of uttering the dreaded "M" word that  they believe in doing so they will fall from grace with the priests and priestesses presiding over the great altar of multiculturalism in D.C.

A true leader confronts problems head-on. And, indeed, do we have a problem! But, instead of a goodly supply of leaders,Washington seems full of brain-washed zombies, who prefer to dance around the issue of terrorism and how it affects Americans.

Our national policies should be about what is best for Americans.  In that regard, much is being made these days of what has been taking place without our knowledge in the name of security.  From this perspective, a  few simple steps might be much more effective than mult-billion-dollar facilities that "mine" data and invade our privacy..

Ziyad Abid

First of all, if I were a policy-maker, I would propose that there should be no student visas for students coming from countries whose citizens have been known to take part in terrorist acts against the U.S.  Secondly, foreign aid should be shut off immediately to countries which have a history of their citizens engaging in terrorism against our country.  With that in mind, we might want to start with the Islamic "Republic" of Pakistan, which receives millions of dollars in military aid which in effect subsidize that country's atomic weapons program, a program which is a direct threat to India.  And, finally, there should absolutely be no "political refugees" admitted to this country from Muslim lands which spawn terrorists.

As it now stands, our own country follows policies which inconvenience loyal Americans, while providing convenient pathways for individuals who wish to harm us.  Once we put the squeeze on, for example, Saudi "students" entering the U.S., pressure will increase on the Saudi monarchy to do a better job of policing the sorts of Saudi students who end up in our country.

There are literally thousands of these student cases, but here are a couple of illustrations.  Omar Shafik Hammami was a leader in the Alabama Muslim Students Association.  After spending some time "matriculating in the United States, he has "graduated" and is now a leader with the terrorist organization al-Shabaab. He is currently thought to be in Somalia.  Then there is Saudi "student" Ziyad Abid, who is now sitting in a Warrensburg, Mo., jail charged with paying his college roommate to kill a local bar owner.  With a bail of 2 million dollars facing him, Abid's government came up with the money.  Missouri authorities, wisely expecting Abid to be a flight risk, have refused to accept the bail money.  The Missouri judge is absolutely right, inasmuch as a good many of the 47,000 students from oil-rich Muslim Saudi Arabia think that money talks while they walk.

Have you had enough from a government, which, in the name of multiculturalism, doesn't seem to care if Americans must pay the price of exposure to potential violence and mayhem?  Are you fed up with a higher education establishment that views foreign "students" as cash cows to be milked?  Let's put a stop to this foolishness.  We don't need any more Tsarnaev brothers on the prowl  in the U.S.  It is time to shake the intellectual lethargy of soft tyranny.  This is our country, and we must no longer abide the liberal establishment's politically-correct policies which are threatening our safety and  running amuck!

SEBELLIUS: "AGONIZING DECISION THAT SOME PEOPLE LIVE, SOME PEOPLE DIE."

The hideous face of the Obamacare death culture was exposed last week with insensitive words coming from Kathleen Sebellius, secretary of Health and Human Services.  Secretary Sebellius, reacting to the  plea  of the parents of a dying ten-year-old daughter  suffering from cystic fibrosis and waiting for a lung transplant, took refuge in bureaucratic regulations and let it be known that it was "...an agonizing decision that...some people live, some people die."

Having observed the secretary dealing with Southern Baptist and Roman Catholic institutions whose beliefs would be violated by Obamacare's demand that employers provide health insurance with birth control and abortion coverage, the secretary's cold and unfeeling response was no surprise.  And those who quite early spoke out against the so-called Affordable Care Act and the likelihood of "death panels" being associated with it may not have been so far off the mark after all.

Former Kansas governor Sebellius is widely known as being pro-choice, and her political undertakings in Kansas were underwritten by thousands of dollars in contributions from abortion advocates. Although she professes to be a Catholic,  she has been barred by her church's hierarchy from partaking of communion.  Time after time,Sebellius has turned a deaf ear to those who have objected to Obamacare on religious grounds; and, consequently, her department is the focal point of suits filed on the basis of religious freedom, as protected by the United States Constitution.

As Secretary Sebellius busily scurries about hitting up various corporate interests for support to implement Obamacare, the day of reckoning is just around the corner.  And, for most Americans, that day is not shaping up to be a pleasant one.  For starters, millions are likely to lose their coverage.  With "appropriate" add-ons to coverage coming from Health and Human Services, it will be to the advantage of employers of 50 or more to drop coverage, pay a 10% fine (figured from the average cost of family coverage with the Sebellius requirements) and encourage employees to acquire taxpayer-subsidized coverage from the state exchanges.  Douglas Eakin, a former CBO director, estimates that, in the process, 40,000,000 individuals will lose their coverage.

One big lie that Obamacare has fostered is that $2,500 would be shaved off the cost of  insurance for the average family.  But, since 2010 when Obamacare was passed, the average cost has risen by $3,000.  And with all the promised new benefits as part of policies, costs are bound to go up more!

For senior citizens, the Obama team has truly "thrown them under the bus," with 716 billion dollars cut from Medicare over the next 10 years in order to pay for the foolishness.  Many doctors will find that it will be more profitable to treat Medicaid patients, and seniors who had kept in force policies to supplement Medicare will find those policies soaring in price.  No doubt there will be hospitals finding it to be fiscally prudent to drop services for seniors

Also lurking around the corner is employment chaos, with more and more employers cutting costs by replacing full-time employment with part-time employment.   Already, those employers with more than 50 employees are cutting back their work forces.  All of this means that unemployment will likely climb, and taxpayer burdens for benefits like food stamps and unemployment insurance will rise as well.

The upshot is that we are about to experience the consequences of misbegotten socialism.  As Ms. Polosi said, "We have to pass the act, so as to see what is in it."  Well, it was passed. Now, we indeed are going to get a full dose of seeing what is in it!

"PANEM ET CIRCENSES:" OR, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO REAL STATESMEN?

                                              

The beginning of my disillusionment with President Barack Obama began quite early in 2009, when I heard him speaking on Afghanistan and Iran. Apparently very confused or very poorly informed, he declared that the vernacular language of both those countries was Arabic.  As someone who had spent a great deal of time in the Middle East and had also visited Central Asia, I was appalled.  Unfortunately, although the president can be quite fluent in his use of the English language, many of his subsequent speeches were marred by similar  instances of inaccurate information.

Eventually, as time went by, I simply threw up my hands and exclaimed, "What have we done?"  To think that someone coming out of the thuggish politics of Chicago who had his most productive employment as a "community organizer" and had passed a mere 2 years in the Senate would be an effective chief executive was beyond the scope of reason.

That we have twice elected Barack Obama to the highest office in this land speaks volumes about America in the 21st century.  Perhaps there were may who wished to think that they were "good people" and wanted to see a minority president as proof of the exceptional quality of the country and its citizens.  However, I fear that the basis for the election of our 44th president goes far deeper and is, on reflection, somewhat disturbing, although capable of remediation.

As a one who has never been far from the study of history during his lifetime, I often find myself engaged in attempting to find parallels to what I observe today, although that, admittedly, can be a dangerous preoccupation.  Unfortunately, one hears lately more and more talk of decline and deterioration.  The Spenglerian liberals, now in positions of power, seem convinced of the inevitability of American failure, following the example of Europe to rack and ruin; and it is clear they see themselves as the modern day equivalent of British Laborites who ushered the British Empire to the dustbin of history. But, to me, that is nothing short of begging the question.

Dear readers, decline is nothing more than a mindset.  If we were of a mind to destroy ourselves, then an interpretation of our plight based on a pessimistic view to the future would likely be valid.  To be sure, there are infinite numbers of interpretations to explain the decrepitude of civilizations.  Certainly, in our case, we could speak to civic failure and even refer to being inundated by legions of newcomers having nothing to contribute to the established order, nor any frame of reference to even relate to it.  But the remedy to our present wretched and desolate course is at hand.
By now, owing to serial crises and scandals ranging from Benghazi and the IRS to attacks on the 1st Amendment and a free press, the minds of right-thinking people are beginning to gauge the seriousness of the shortcomings of the Obama administration, which has used its superficial "rock star" image to conceal and deceive. And despite the all- too-apparent sham and fraud of the group of charlatans surrounding Obama, our rock-star-in-chief  persists in drawing to himself  more acolytes at his altar of  self-adulation.  On what basis, for example, could a chief executive of a great country nominate a shallow-minded pseudo-intellectual who has compared the policies of the United States to those of Nazi Germany to represent us in any sort of international body?  And to cap it off, how could it be acceptable to move a prevaricating, failed U.N. ambassador to the White House to advise the president on national security affairs?
Yes, dear readers, many of us were taken in by the mask of duplicity and deceit.  But now the mask is off, and we have looked political extremism, opportunism and power- seeking in the eye, seeing it all for what it is.  Now, the antidote is in our hands, and our 1st opportunity to remedy the situation will arise in November 2014.  We must be ready to repudiate the disaster of Barack Obama!  We must join together in returning sanity, American principles and competence to the United States of America!  Deo vindice!

 

LOST: ONE MORAL COMPASS. IF FOUND, PLEASE RETURN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

U. N. AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE

It was more than a little astonishing this morning to learn that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice would soon be moving to the White House to assume the direction of national security affairs.  As I recall, this is the same Susan Rice who spun - no doubt at the direction of the White House and the State Department - an incredible tale of a spontaneous uprising joined to a totally incoherent video as being the catalyst that resulted in the inferno of Benghazi.  No doubt it is a foregone conclusion, dear readers, that our nation will feel safe and sound with  Ms. Rice in place in this all important post.  If, as it seems, the most important qualification for the job is to be a baldfaced liar, then it is easy to see how Ms. Rice was a shoo-in. 

LOIS LERNER  OF THE IRS NEVER DID WELL IN MATH
 AT NORTHEASTERN U. AND WESTERN N. ENGLAND LAW

Just as shocking were yesterday's testimonies that IRS bureaucrats had interrogated citizens as to the content of their prayers and the names and contact information of youngsters who were recipients of educational programs on the U.S. Constitution.  If I didn't already know that IRS personnel were undergoing training in the vital and critical art of line- dancing at pricey conferences, I would assume that they had been learning the finer points of interrogation techniques from guest speaker Kim Jong Un.

PRESIDENT  OBAMA & HILLARY HAVE MUCH TO ANSWER FOR

With each passing day, it becomes more and more apparent that an ill-informed and easily bamboozled electorate returned to office an administration that is determined to hide truth by the means of deceit and even - in the matter of Benghazi - to treat American lives as expendable in order to meet political objectives.  

FOR AG HOLDER, TIME TO GO

Have we as a country become so conditioned to the "soft tyranny" that now holds sway that we are unable to see the very foundations of our Republic being undermined?  If "fast and furious" were not enough, is it possible that we will be able to awaken to the dangers to the First Amendment posed by the indefensible measures undertaken by the Department of Justice against the Fourth Estate?

One of the "talking heads" recently heard and seen on the airwaves was of the opinion that the present administration had lost and was "...in search of its moral compass."  I am not so sure, dear readers.  In fact, I am seriously wondering if those people ever actually had one of those contraptions.  I don't know about you, but I believe that this bunch of cold, calculating ideologues would not know what to do with a moral compass if they ever came across one!  In the meantime, if a moral compass is found, it would certainly come in handy when Americans express their wrath at the polls in 2014 and 2016.   

SOME THOUGHTS FROM BEHIND THE WALLS OF BARHAM ABBEY: IS HISTORY NO LONGER TAUGHT AT THE ACADEMIES AND AT COLUMBIA, HARVARD AND YALE?

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

WILL AND ARIEL DURANT

This morning, while accomplishing some of my chores within the walls of Barham Abbey, my mind began mulling over the latest bad idea of Senator John McCain of Arizona.  Without apparently thinking through all of the possible ramifications, Senator McCain has staked out a position favorable to U.S. intervention on the side of the anti-Assad rebels in the civil war raging in Syria.   Certainly Assad - and his father before him - has not been a benevolent leader, but at least one can say that the regime has prevented the wholesale  persecution of Christians.

The historian Will Durant once famously said, "The main thing that we learn from history is that we do not learn much from history."  No truer words have ever been spoken, and this is especially true for the present generation of leaders and policy makers in the U.S., who cannot seem to even recall current events, much less history of a few decades ago.

SYRIA'S CHRISTIANS WOULD BE THE FIRST TO BE BLOODIED BY ISLAMISTS

Just a bit over two years ago, the movement called the "Egyptian Spring" rocked Egypt.  Many in the U.S. naively assumed that any revolution overthrowing Hosni Mubarak would bring in its wake democracy and freedom.  Instead, under the despotism of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt has lapsed into a dark night of extremism and religious persecution.  Whatever may be said of Mubarak, it is indisputable that Egypt's Christian minority was much more secure during his tenure.  Now, they daily undergo violence, pillage, rape and and the unimaginable horrors of Islamic persecution.

A SYRIAN MASS

Making up approximately 10% of the population, Syria's Christians number 2.2 million.  If the past may serve as an indicator for the future, it is likely that in the event of a rebel victory, the Islamists in Syria would embark upon a campaign to rid Syria of non-Muslims. And, of course, their first targets would be Christians.

Dear readers, it is sometimes difficult to believe that the Ivy Leaguers in the State Department have any idea that Christianity had existed centuries before Islam came on the scene in the region of the world that today we call the Middle East.  Or perhaps - and it is a sad possibility to ponder - it might not be a matter of not knowing but one of not caring.

LORD ROBERTS, HERO OF KANDAHAR

Having been educated in state universities (except for a couple of years at Vanderbilt),  I am often incredulous of the Ivy League products on display in Washington, most of whom seem to have no grasp of history, instead preferring to rely on the pablum of liberal ideology ingested during student days. Over the past 14 years, this type of leader has failed the United States repeatedly.

There is no better paradigm for ill-considered foreign policy than Afghanistan.  Going on more than 3,000 lost lives, 12 years expended and almost 700 billion dollars wasted, the American taxpayer has been abysmally served.  And one cannot help but wonder how many of those billions have passed through the corrupt fingers of Hamid Karzai and his network of corrupt cronies.

I also wonder, too, if George W. Bush ever considered the 20th century Russian experience in Afghanistan. Cold it be, as well, that Bush never heard of Major General Sir Frederick Roberts, who sagely remarked that foreigners entering Afghanistan begin to wear out their welcome on the first day they enter that sad and depraved land? Lord Roberts, who was celebrated for raising the siege of Kandahar during the Second Anglo-Afghan War, was of the opinion that any foreign army entering Afghanistan should as rapidly as possible accomplish its objective and then withdraw. Accordingly,  Lord Roberts' strategy represents virtually the only successful Western incursion in Afghanistan.  Oh, Will Durant, I believe you were entirely correct!

SENATOR RAND PAUL OF KENTUCKY

Of late, I have begun to hear a Republican speaking out on foreign policy who makes good sense.  Senator Rand Paul asks an incredibly simple question:  Why does the United States need to continue to involve itself in the civil wars of other countries?  How have these long-running conflicts benefited the United States?  How can we justify to the families of the fallen the sacrifices that have been made in places like Afghanistan and Iraq?

Actually, I cannot think of one American advantage that might accrue from Afghanistan - or from Iraq.  Karzai and other warlords will continue to drain their country and will show no gratitude to America.  Incredibly, after all the blood and treasure expended, the Karzai government announced recently that its first contract for  oil exploration was signed with China!  And that is the same China, dear readers, which has never shed one drop of blood or wasted one red yen on Afghanistan!  The same, I fear, holds true for Iraq, which will gradually see its Shiite leadership taking the country into the Iranian orbit.

Let us not forget, dear readers, the old aphorisms that may be applicable here.  Let's see, there was Thomas Fuller's saying, "A stitch in time saves nine."  And Benjamin Franklin was right on target when he declared, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."   Could it  be that the stitches and the ounces of prevention of botched foreign adventures might arrive from a more rigorous study of the past?  Could it be that Dr. Rand Paul (himself a physician) has a better grasp of this than the academicians who fill Ivy League departments in history, government and diplomacy?  

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS: SPOTLIGHT ON TURKMENISTAN!

Each day, some 200 million Christians worldwide face violence and death for their faith, while a total of 350 million Christians are officially discriminated against by governments denying them access to employment, education, housing and medical care. Even in Europe, which is becoming more and more secular and irreligious, practicing Christians are openly ridiculed and maltreated for their faith. And, with the influx of Muslim immigrants, Jews in Europe encounter more antisemitism and violence.

Having spent six years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I did not experience physical violence, but I did learn what it is like to have one's religion officially prohibited and to worship secretly with other Christians.  Sadly, most Americans take for granted their freedoms and have no notion at all what others throughout the world must go through.  

Some may assume that the United Nations and its Commission on Human Rights are actively engaged in combating religious persecution; however, several of the countries serving on the commission are nothing but totalitarian dictatorships which seem to spend most of their time either protecting each other from criticism or voting for resolutions aimed at Israel.  Seemingly, little notice is given to the fact that Christian persecution occurs in those countries where Islam is predominant.  And, as for Jews, their lot receives even less notice.

Voicing support for human rights and officially condemning religious persecution, the government of the United States and especially its president, Barack Hussein Obama, has cravenly turned its back on Christians and Jews undergoing persecution.  The present course of our government must be reversed and the United States must realize that it has a duty to speak up for those persecuted for their religion.  A good starting point would be for the present administration to use the reports of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to put some teeth in demands for change from countries like Egypt, which draw considerable American foreign aid.

Turkmenistan is one of the "stans" that were part of the former Soviet Union, and achieved its independence in 1991 with the Soviet Union's demise.  With a population exceeding 5 million, it shares borders with Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, and has a shoreline of more than 1,000 miles on the Caspian Sea.  The country has extensive reserves of oil and gas, and the revenues from those resources have spawned significant corruption.

IN TURMENISTAN ISLAM IS OFFICIAL DOGMA

Unfortunately Turkmenistan, moving from the domination of the Soviet Union, transitioned into even more totalitarianism, and the government has had a doleful history of human rights violations, which has bonded seamlessly with persecution against Christians and Jews.

At least 93% of the population of Turkmenistan is Muslim, and government fiat has dictated that Islamic principles be taught in public schools.  In addition, interests from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Turkey have promoted the building of new mosques and Islamic schools.  Such an environment has proved fertile for religious persecution.

In Turkmenistan, Protestant Christians appear to draw the most ire. In the last year alone, Protestants have faced expulsions from their homes and villages, and their children fear for expulsion from their schools.  Elderly Christian leaders have been beaten and denied permission to return to their residences.  Home Bible studies in Turkmenistan are officially referred to as participating in an "unregistered religious community," and Christians engaging in such activity are told that they may lose their jobs and be sentenced to prison.

IN TURKMENISTANTHE CULT OF DICTATORIAL PERSONALITY IS SUPREME

Last October, 11 Baptists were tried and fined 2 months wages for holding a worship service.  Christian teachers are regularly taken out of classrooms, threatened and told that they must turn over the names of other Christians to the government.  In the meantime, Christian churches undergo arson and government authorities are "mystified" about the perpetrators.

Government censorship is official policy, and all religious literature must bear the governmental stamp of approval.  Anyone caught reading any non-approved religious material is subject to government action.

For the 1,200 Jews in Turkmenistan, the story is even sadder.  With the last synagogue torn  down at the time of the fall of the Soviet Union, the remaining Jews manage to carry on, operating with no rabbis or houses of worship.  Like most ethnic minorities, Jews are without employment.  In many cases, those Jews wishing to undertake higher education must bribe the proper authorities to gain admission.  Almost totally, the Jewish community is dependent on outside funds, most coming from Israel.  Immigration to Israel would appear to be their only hope.

Yes, dear readers, wherever you turn in the world those lands where Islam prevails are not noted as being bastions of liberty or regions of brotherhood and good will.  In this respect, Turkmenistan appears representative of the "stans," where Soviet withdrawal did not herald the dawning of a new age of enlightenment.  Let us be wary, then, of Muslims entering the U.S. wishing to bring with them the "wonders" of the Koran and Sharia law.

A NEST OF VIPERS: THE COUNCIL ON AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS

Most Americans initially exposed to an organization usually assume the best, and this is especially so when a group has an innocuous or even high-sounding moniker that suggests altruistic intentions.


                                                    As for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), certainly most Americans would hope that there would be good relations with Muslims in their country.  And, if an organization professes itself to be in favor of charity and calls itself the Holy Land Foundation, so much the better!

In 2004, a Dallas grand jury came out of session and levied several charges against the Holy Land Foundation, supposedly a charitable group which had its headquarters in Richardson, Texas.  The indictment specified that the Holy Land Foundation collected donations for charities operating on the West Bank, but in reality participated in fraudulent activity which saw the so-called charities funnel several millions of dollars to Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organization which has had a long-standing presence on the U.S.  list of terrorist groups.

In the 2007 trial which followed in a federal court in Dallas, proceedings ended in a mistrial.  However, in a second trial in 2008, the administrators of the Holy Land Foundation were convicted of aiding and abetting terrorism and received sentences ranging from 15 to 65 years. As for CAIR, the organization which bills itself as the leading American Muslim advocacy group, it was named a an unindicted co-conspirator.

Since the 1990's, reports of involvement with terrorist organizations and support from foreign powers have dogged CAIR.  The charges of involvement with Hamas, especially, have been difficult to shed. The founders of CAIR, Omar Ahmad and Nihad Awad, were alleged to have met with senior leaders of Hamas and the Holy Land Foundation in 1993.  Both men have been described by FBI personnel running a surveillance operation as being linked to the top levels of Hamas leadership, and several members of Congress have called for a thorough, ongoing investigation of CAIR.

In 2009, Paul David Gaubatz and Paul Sperry published Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld that's Conspiring to Islamize America.  Gaubatz, an Arabist and former Air Force investigator, and Sperry, a Hoover Institute fellow, based their book on documents removed from the CAIR offices by Gaubatz's son, Chris, who had posed as a  convert to Islam and  served a six-month internship with CAIR.

With the "borrowed documents" lending credibility, the Gaubatz/Sperry book made what appeared to be a solid case that CAIR was indeed a revolutionary Islamist organization with extensive terrorist connections in the Middle East.  Alleging in November 2009 that its documents had been unlawfully removed, CAIR brought suit only eventually to see the FBI present a subpoena to attorneys representing the authors, demanding that the material be turned over to a grand jury.  In none of the legal maneuvering did CAIR ever declare that the authors were guilty of libel.

Not only are there indications that CAIR has received contributions from the Saudi monarchy, in 2011 Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia called attention to a 2009 letter  from Nihad Awad to the late Muammar Ghadafi soliciting support for CAIR undertakings.  Despite the letter, CAIR insists that it has never received money from Libya.

Late in 2012, a federal law suit was filed on behalf of the American Freedom Law Center alleging that CAIR, far from being a civil rights organization defending American Muslims from discrimination, was in fact a criminal conspiracy committing fraud and has consistently utilized its resources to undermine American law and security.  In its painstaking work of discovery, counsel representing the AFLC traces questionable financial activity and links to questionable foreign sources.  

If CAIR is, as it claims to be, the preeminent advocacy organization for American Muslims, then Islam in this country appears to be poorly served.  From this quarter, dear readers, one can only surmise that CAIR is nothing but a front organization, engaging in what seems to be just another form of stealth jihad.