A Journey To Understand

On April 25th, USW posed a question to me, which was based on my response to Just A Citizen concerning the 2012 national elections, I had replied to JAC that I did not believe they would occur. USW then asked why I would think such a thing and that he certainly didn’t feel the same. The answer isn’t as easy as some would think. I began to feel this way over three years ago, after Obama was elected. Not that Obama did anything wrong, I just had a strong gut feeling that there would be no 2012 elections, as they will be cancelled or delayed for some time. There was something wrong  that I could not pinpoint, but I felt so strongly about it that I told people who were closest to me. But when asked why I felt this way, I could not answer, thus began my journey to understand!

Nothing New tonight

I apologize to all but I am unable to access the internet this evening. I am able to post this via my iphone app for wordpress, but I am sure not going to type out a whole article on my phone and I cannot access the drafts that are out there. So thank Time Warner Cable for being the unreliable jerk-offs that they are. I will post something as soon as I am able.

Capitalism… Day Two

I have to tell you all how disappointed I was to not have time to participate in the discussions around the “Capitalism vs. Communism” article last week. Work intervened and I have failed over the last few weeks to maintain that work/life balance thing they way I should. But today I offer article number two around the idea of capitalism and do so with a caveat. I promised a short article that explained where I think capitalism falls short. And that is what I will offer. At the same time, in the comments below, I will try to offer some answers and replies to the comments from the previous article. There were some good points made, and there were also some ridiculous points made. I will attempt to offer what I can to both. So first, A few thoughts from me around where capitalism is falling short.

Capitalism v Communism

In having some discussions with people over the last few days it has blossomed in my mind the idea that many of those who so vehemently lambast capitalism have no understanding what capitalism actually is. As a result they attack and attack using examples and historical incidents as justification for ending capitalism when those examples are no such justification. So I feel like I have to write this article to clarify that point, to help those who are floundering with those conversations gain some understanding of what my belief is in capitalism. Further it will help those who attack it understand why I refuse to accept the idea that some form of communism/socialism/fascism because it is not only immoral, but is also far worse for any people who aspire to live free.

Guest Commentary – EPA Budget Cuts Needed

Tonight I offer a guest commentary, something that we haven’t had since we started having regular contributors to the Stand Up For America dialogue. For the record, I am still interested in guest commentary pieces from all of you who read here but don’t have time to be a regular contributor. Guest commentaries are the best way for me to give a voice to those who haven’t built an audience that allows them to get their message out. Tonight’s commentary on the Environmental Protection Agency is provided by Scott Portman. Scott has written articles for a few sites out there and wanted to contribute the following to the dialogue here at SUFA. Thursday morning should feature the article that I have been working on and then I believe I only have one other completed article from the regular contributors, so send in your guest commentaries now!

Horse Thieves

Why do words matter?  I have corrected people several times about Nero fiddling while Rome burned.  False statement in all aspects, fiddle was invented a thousand years later, Nero was not in Rome during the fire, even rushed back and was the driving force behind the recovery. He housed and fed the homeless at his personal expense, and required brick homes to be built as part of a fire prevention policy from that day forward.

Seems funny to me that Nero, who should be given the highest praise, is remembered as an un-caring elitist.  So why does it matter today?  A hero from a thousand years ago is commonly believed to have been an uncaring scumbag.

The Problem with the 2%

Ok, this post was inspired by SUFA’s very own Charlie Stella. It occurs to me that, while this is a political site, we are addressing problems that reach beyond politics, and that some things other than politics are involved in the philosophical discussions we have here. I will be doing two posts along this line. This first one will address the super-rich specifically, and a second will be a more general discussion of issues in our country and culture that are not, in fact caused by nor fixable by, the government or any specific political action, at least not exclusively.

I find it productive in any debate to recognize and accept the truths of your opponent’s argument. If you simply throw the whole argument out, then you damage the credibility of your own, and come off as not listening because, well, you really aren’t. That sort of dogmatic approach will not win over anyone, and it destroys the learning process that debate can, and should, be all about. In most of Charlie’s arguments, there is a reference to the problems of the 2%. While I do not have a philosophical issue with inequality of wealth, I do see where there are major problems caused by some of the most wealthy, and I recognize that, all else being equal, the one with the most capital has a MAJOR advantage.

If Not Now…. When?

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I watched the countdown to the potential government shutdown last week with a jaded eye. I can touch on what I wanted to happen in a bit, but what I was watching for was to see how much further we would watch the talking heads go in demonizing their opponents and using emotional rhetoric to sway public opinion. I must say, I was not disappointed. As was true with every major policy debate in the political spectrum over the last few years, each side spouted more nonsense than could be fathomed. It’s just proof to all of you: When you set the proper expectations for those in the political landscape, they are very capable of meeting or exceeding your expectations. And BF has the audacity to say that politicians can’t meet our expectations…

Organizing My Neighbors

Good Day my SUFA Friends! Good news (I think), this will not be my typical G-Man article that all of you love and hope for (sarc).   Over the last couple years, there has been much said and talked about how to change our government from the 1000 pound gorilla it has become, to something much smaller and far less intrusive.  Most would agree that it should start at the lowest levels of government, beginning with our local governments and work it’s  way up.   This thought process has been churning around in my crazy mind for quite some time now.  By now, everyone who knows me, understands what I think when it comes to the division of our nations citizens.

With all this in mind, I am developing a plan under the same pretense of the Neighborhood Watch programs that are scattered through out our nation.  While still in the development stages, I’m hoping for your input to finalize this project.  Once finalized and launched, it could provide a far reaching method of bringing our nation back together, provide for a more secure community, and become a political force based on what is in the nations best interests, not what’s in the best interests of the big banks and our corrupt political machine.

Part Tres: the Beginning – Where to lay the Foundation

The vast majority of the People are stuck in denial or the complexity of the reality of the situation and its inevitable consequences are simply too large for them to comprehend.

The mindset of the American mass mind is, in one word:

Clueless.

A Santa Story…

Well sort of….  It’s really about energy & the environment.

Admittedly, I’m  not very pro-green.  But then, I don’t lie about what I am and what I think.  I don’t like pollution.  I do not litter.  And I drive a gas guzzler.  So does my wife, the biggest SUV I could put her into.  Is there any “clean energy” I support?  Maybe, how much does it cost? According to figures from the Energy Information Administration, oil and gas subsidies compute to about 25 cents per megawatt hour, while wind and solar is about $24.(1) You want me to drive an electric car?  OK,  I will consider it, after you build the power plants to charge 100 million other electric vehicles.  Oh, and you have to do that without any subsidies (meaning taxes).  So, what kind of power plants will you build?  It seems to me, that every time they attempt to build a solar or wind farm, it’s the environmentalists that stop it.

The 12th Imam – Fact or Fiction Part Two of Three

The first question that I would ask is….Does it matter? Many people claim that religion is not the reasons for the tension in the Middle East. I claim that religion is the ONLY reason for tension in the Middle East. It is not American Imperialism or mercantilism as I previously mentioned. It goes back a whole lot further than that. So, let’s take a journey into the world of Islam and its definitions and why I make my claim that the ME tension is strictly religious.

Why Libya is An Extension of Suicidal Policy

The other day I was perusing through the comments here at SUFA and stumbled across a short and simple post from Mathius. He asked whether there was anyone here at Stand Up For America that agreed with what was happening in Libya, specifically, the US participation in that country. I don’t remember what the answer was from everyone who answered. What I distinctly remember is what I thought when I read his question….. No, but why? I most certainly don’t like what is happening in Libya, or what happened in Afghanistan or Iraq either, for that matter. Although I understood the the first foray and tolerated the second. But the real question I wanted everyone to answer, because it seemed as though most were answering “No”, was WHY are you opposed to what is happening in Libya?

Victimless Crime

This is another installment of the differences between Conservative thought and Libertarian thought. One of the big weak points that libertarians have is their stance on drugs and sex and various other vices. Libertarians have been too vocal about those issues for political expediency, and opponents have capitalized on this quite frequently, throwing in a question about drug laws or decency laws and grabbing the sound bite version of the answer. The answer always spells doom for any garnering of support from the conservative camp.