You Go

Hugo Chavez is the president of Venezuela. He is a democratic socialist (whatever that means), and possibly brilliant.
Chavez hates U.S. foreign policy, and especially President George Bush. Chavez has recalled his ambassador to Israel, and has renewed relationships with Iran and Syria. Chavez was the first head of state to visit Saddam Hussein after the Gulf War.
Venezuela is one of the largest suppliers of foreign oil to China, the US, and Spain. Chavez was the first head of state to offer foreign aid after Hurricane Katrina. President Bush turned his offer down. Chavez has also implemented a heating-oil subsidy program for low-income areas of the US.

I believe that Chavez plans to unite South America in some manner, perhaps using the European Union as a model (initially). This is dangerous to us. Chavez maintains close ties to Iran and Syria, and a Venezuelan Hezbolla has made an appearance or two. (For those interested, go to MSN Groups and search for "Hezbollah Venezuela")

This guy has been portrayed as a buffoon by the media here in the US. Do not be fooled. He is no fool, and so far has shown far more political savvy than any previous Latin-American leader. He is less corrupt than most, and has worked hard to improve the quality of life in Venezuela, thus preserving his popularity. His constant manipulation of the Venezuelan Constitution and presidential term-limits have been forgiven so far, due largely to his progress in so many areas.

Progress or no, he is in bed with our enemies, and he lives in our back yard. This is a definate reason to secure our border.

Insulting Islam

I am reminded of Nick Berg, a young, decent man, who felt bad about the Iraq invasion. He went to Iraq as a volunteer to hand out blankets or build communication towers or something equally noble. Nick was a bit of a pacifist, and was definately one of those touchy-feely types. He was, in my opinion, a brave man. He at least had the courage to act on his convictions.

Nick was taken from his bed in the middle of the night. He was blindfolded and bound for three days. He was asked to talk about his family, his home, and his life in America. Then a tough guy (like the fellow to our left) named Abu Musab Al Zarqawi took a knife and sawed Nick's head off while he screamed. All in the name of Allah. The video is still easy to find on the internet.(someone post a link)

I did not agree with Nick Berg's ideas about Iraq. I doubt if he and I would have been friends. I do respect him and others like him who are willing to walk like they talk.

Whenever one of our soldiers in Iraq would get "soft on Haji" as we called it, we made them watch the Nick Berg beheading. No one ever had to watch it twice. It is the most horrifying thing that I have ever seen.

Watch the video. If you know someone who still believes that these people can be reasoned with, make them watch the video.

There is a new link on my blog. You will notice the counter to the right. Follow the link and explore the site.

Then remember that our borders are still open.

A Message

He probably means with love and kindness...

White Men Can't Gripe

I'm a little brown guy. It was just an accident of birth, really. I could have been a pale-face, but God likes me. You see, my ancestors were lucky enough to be members of a highly advanced civilization that flourished on the North American continent for centuries before the European men came. As society evolved, they became known as Choctaw. I have no idea what that means. Anyway, I'm a little brown guy. I'm also Irish and German. I love to drink, I can drink a lot, and I'm a shitty drunk.

I don't drink anymore, I'm just pointing out my genetic character flaws.

I am mistaken for a Hispanic man quite often. This used to amuse me. Now I find it...disconcerting. I wonder if people avoid making comments about illegal immigration in front of me. I often wonder if people consider my children "mixed". I get offered good "state" jobs when people learn of my heritage. This is just stupid. I wonder how limited my life would be if I was really all that focused on my race.

One thing that I have noticed is that people never call me a racist when I speak in public about illegal immigration. People never call me a bigot when I proclaim from the rooftops my nationalist views. If I was a pale-face, I would be run out of town on a rail. Because white men can't complain.

Being a little brown guy means that I can point out flaws in our current (lack of) immigration policy. I can make fun of white people, brown people, and sometimes (if we're friends) black people. I have accidentally discovered something wonderful. I have more freedom of speech than most of you! I know few black people, and even fewer brown people. So what I'm saying is that even though I am a member of a very small minority, I am more free to speak my mind than anyone in the majority. Its like I'm in on some private joke at the expense of white people everywhere.

I believe that race is a difference that should be recognized, respected, and then forgotten. Celebrate your ethnicity in your communities and homes, but do not lose sight of the larger community. Do not lose sight of America (The United States of, specifically).

Do not give up your right to free speech in order to appear apologetic for something your grandfathers did before you were born. Let it go already. My people took their land from others. White people came (some of which were my people) and took that land again. Had the Indians united and fought back, there would be few, if any, European settlements in America. Now, due largely to an unwarranted sense of guilt, America is on the verge of changing ownership again.

I'm working on my Spanish.

Your Enemy: A Profile

Your enemy is typically a male between the ages of 20 and 40 years. He has a poor education. He is disillusioned and in need of something to believe in. He has been taken in by those who claim to know the truth, and they are willing to share this truth with him. His new education includes all the books of Islam, not just the Koran. He is taught that Muhammed was the last great prophet, and that the words of Muhammed come directly from Allah. He will learn that paradise awaits those who die for Allah. He will be taught simple, yet effective ways to destroy facilities or kill infidels. He will be taught always that Allah hates Israel and the West. He will be taught that while Christians and Jews originally worshipped the One True God, they have been taught by heretics, and that they are forever damned. He will be taught that no life is precious but the life of a Muslim, and that only as far as it serves Allah. Once he has been convinced of all of these things, he will be sent to do "the bidding of Allah". Wherever it is, whatever the task, he believes that Allah has directly appointed him to do it. Whether it be an elementary school in Chechnia, or a junior high in New Jersey. He will set off a car bomb in Baghdad, or Los Angeles. He will stop at nothing. If he loses his life along the way, he understands that this is war, and losses lead to lessons learned. There will always be someone to replace him. It is the will of Allah.

So how do we fight this enemy? Well, I'll tell you.

We seek out and destroy the people and places from which they get their doctrine. We kill all those we can find that spread this diseased distortion of religion. We rededicate ourselves to the defense of our nation and her principles.We give up a little comfort in order to serve our nation, our way of life, and our best interests.
We actively participate in this war on our end.

Since the end of WWII, these people have been fighting this war. They have bombed and killed and kidnapped the West and Israel for the last fifty years. Yet still there are those who wish to reason with them.
Who can argue with the will of God?
We face an army of BELIEVERS. There is nothing more dangerous than a soldier who believes in his cause.

And therein lies Americas weakness.

Recommended Reading: The Art of War, by Sun Stzu

Beat the Devil

So here's the point...

The whole world has gone insane, and we are on the brink of a real war with a real enemy.

We must secure our borders, and do so in a manner that leaves no room for doubt. This way our enemies will know that a direct attempt at infiltration cannot succeed.

We must accept the fact that we will need to strike first, on occasion, in order to prevent a 911 type scenario, or worse. I do not believe that N. Korea is as great a threat as Iran. We must focus on Iran as the "new" enemy. We must be sure that we are prepared to go to war with Islam itself. There is no greater threat to America at present.

We must do away with this politically correct language and become a nation of citizens to whom truth is the most important characteristic of information. Without honest discourse, no progress can be made within our country toward true unity. Without unity, we cannot defeat our enemies.

Mark my words, our enemies will not stop until they are utterly destroyed or utterly victorious.

And post comments for crying out loud!

Emperor's Clothes and Such

"It has always been the perogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes, but the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor."-Neil Gamen's Sandman, in The Kindly Ones

I feel as if I am wasting time and energy here. Perhaps I am the half-wit.

Good-bye for now...

Sleazy Dealings

Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast well over a year ago. I spent nearly six months on orders in New Orleans, helping the police and handing out ice, water, food, and information. I came home at the end of February, and I hear that there has been no improvement since that time.

Now, up front I will tell you that I am not over-sympathetic for the residents of New Orleans. Many of these people had no insurance, and my opinion is that you shouldn't take risks that you can't afford.

That being said, the insurance companies have basically ripped off all of their clients in the Gulf Coast Region.
I personally spoke with one man that had paid his insurance premiums to State Farm for 32 years. He was never late with his payments, and had never filed a claim. His home was destroyed by Hurrican Katrina, and he was offered $120.00 for a storage building in his back yard. His roof had been blown off, a tree from across the street was in his front room, and all of his windows were broken. He was offered $120.00 after 32 years.

Many of the police officers that I patrolled with did not file claims, as they had little damage or no flood insurance. They all received letters canceling their insurance, stating that their companies would not be covering the Gulf Coast region any longer. They received no refund checks, and no further explanation.

All-State, Farmer's Insurance, State Farm and others are guilty of just walking out on their clients. How well are you covered?

I am sick of corporate America getting away with this crap! But what can you do? Most banks require home-owner's insurance in order to finance a house. Give me some feedback on this one, folks. I want to know what you think we can do about this.

The Global Economy

While researching my farm subsidies blog, I ran across several articles about the WTO (World Trade Organization). After awhile, I found myself digging deeper and deeper into this organization, and pretty soon I was chomping down blood pressure pills like they were Skittles.

Many people have heard of the WTO (aren't they the group those hippies out in Seattle were protesting a few years back?), but I doubt if the general public knows how the WTO is set up and who they represent. WELL, I'll tell you.

The WTO facilitates trade agreements between nations in order to keep armed conflict to a minimum and to produce commerce between nations who would otherwise never do business with each other. That seems nice.

Over seventy-five percent of the WTO's members are developing or least-developed nations. That means that 112 of the organizations 149 members are what we call "third-world countries". Now I'm beginning to understand!

You see, in order to be a full-fledged member of the WTO, you have to allow them to review your trade agreements and treaties, and (here's where the blood pressure starts to go up) and laws regarding trade, especially laws regarding outsourcing! The over-all satisfaction of members is very high, and most nations can report economic growth since joining. No Kidding! They're third-world countries!

Basically , we are subjugating our nation's interests to the poorest, most undeveloped economies in the world in order to belong to a "Global Economic Circle". Somebody shoot the guy who came up with this crap!

We are the superior power on the panet. We dictate who gets to be our partners in trade. I have nothing against Pakistan or India, or even Kazhakistan, but they do not get to benefit if American citizens lose jobs. The idea seems to be that we are trying to level out the global standard of living. I'm OK with these under-developed nations getting a leg up, but I'm not willing to bring down the standard of living at home in order to improve the lives of people who are not my children.
I do have sympathy for people who don't have indoor plumbing, just not enough sympathy to give up my job.

Capitalism is a lot like democracy or freedom. If it gets handed to people, they don't know what to do with it. We may be improving the lifestyles of Indians and Pakistanis by giving them some of our jobs, but they didn't earn these positions. These jobs were not created by their fathers who worked long hours and dedicated much of their lives to developing new technologies. Just like Iraqis haven't freely risked their lives for freedom (maybe for food, but not for freedom). We all saw what happened to the Soviet Union after they were handed freedom and democracy. The whole damned country nearly starved to death.
We as Americans have to stop feeling like we owe everyone in the world a better life simply because we are a wealthy nation. If these people need help developing their own economy, we should help. But we don't have to give them our jobs in order to help. We already give away $27 Billion a year to these same countries. Why should we give them our jobs as well? We cannot bring down our nation in order to build up others. Or maybe that's the purpose of a group like the WTO.

The Annual Tomfoolery Awards!

As the year nears an end, I want to give special recognition to the best and worst idiots from the American political arena.
The Year of Our Lord Two-Thousand and Six has been an especially interesting year, and here is a brief list of reasons why and persons responsible:

1. A big thumbs up to the Iraqi people, who, after waiting two years to learn how to do it right, have begun killing the Iraqi people! Maybe we really should invade every country in the middle east. You go, Haji!

2. A big, manly pat on the butt goes out to Ted Haggard, who brought us Jesus Camp, The Movie, all the while snorting crank and biting the proverbial pillow. I feel good knowing that the President's Top Spiritual Advisor was out doing research so he would REALLY know what he was talking about when he spoke of sin and death and Hell.

3. A nod and smile goes out to Vicente Fox, who has learned the best way to provide health-care and higher income for his people, all the while saving national treasury funds for important stuff, like BMW's and Mercedes.

4. A hearty punch in the arm to Rush Limbaugh for making fun of that weasel, Michael J. Fox, who has somehow learned how to act as if he has something wrong with him.

5. Finally, a respectful bow goes out to our brilliant commander-in-chief for his strategic termination of Donald Rumsfeld(The Devil), and his subsequent hiring of a guy with the same last name as a really smart fellow.

I wish to thank my Mother, also, who taught me that the age-old Chinese greeting, "May you live in interesting times." was actually a curse.

Recommended Reading: War on the Middle Class, by Lou Dobbs.
If you don't read anything else on my list, read this!

Sedition

I was listening to talk radio today(because I'm a giant dork), when I heard an ACLU attorney explaining how the current illegal immigration problem is really just like any other time in American history when tensions ran high between the native born and new arrivals.

First of all, for all you Mexican citizens out there, the ACLU is the American Civil Liberties Union, a pinko-commie bleeding heart organization if there ever was one.

This attorney, a Mr. Guttentag (I'm not making that up), claims that these "undocumented workers" are not a burden on society, and that we are just being misled to place the blame on them, when in reality we have over-burdened the welfare system, and the over-abundance of high-paying jobs in the US has led to a lack of low-wage American workers.

By the way, its really long sentence day here at Solving America's Problems.

OK, you heard it, stop using all those social services, people.
As for all the high wage earners out there, well, its your fault, too. I sure am glad that fancy feller with the funny name went to law school and got that fancy eddycation so's he could splain all that to us dumb po folks, ain't you?

Item one: Anyone this stupid obviously cheated on his bar exam and should be prosecuted.
Item two: If you are a citizen, you (theoretically) pay taxes, so therefore, you do have a right to social services when needed.
Item three: Three million middle class income manufacturing jobs left this country last year due to free trade agreements with India, Pakistan, Thailand, and MEXICO.
Item four: The local food processing plant here never had trouble finding workers before the latest influx of illegal immigrants. Now, however, they are able to find people who won't raise hell when the labor laws get fudged a bit.

When did being a patriot and a nationalist become unAmerican?

I know I harp on the illegal immigrant issue a lot, but security is my line of work, so I can't really help it. The sheriff of Laredo, Tx ( a Hispanic man, I might add) is having nightly firefights with illegals crossing into the US. Weapons caches have been found just across the border that look a whole lot like the stuff being confiscated in Iraq. More and more people across this country are discovering that their Social Security numbers are being used by illegals in order to obtain employment. These people are choosing to live outside of our laws. Do not let the language of this issue be blunted.
Undocumented Workers are people who work for cash in order to avoid paying taxes.
Ilegal Immigrants or aliens are people who are in this country illegally, who are breaking laws in order to get jobs, and who do not respect you or me or our rights as true citizens of this nation. The sovereignty of our nation is being tested, and the ACLU is apparently part of the problem.

I believe that the job of every American is to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States of America. To affirm a lifestyle which calls into question the sovereignty of the United States of America is, at a minimum, seditious. We cannot allow illegal immigration to continue unchecked and unaddressed. Some action must be taken within the year or the damage will be irreperable.

Reccomended Reading: Free Money-follow links at right.

Fertilizer and Other Niceties

I am not a nice person.

This has been pointed out to me over the years by various imbeciles and morons, though I can't remember a specific name or group. It has been said that I am insensitive, stubborn, and pig-headed. I agree.

You see, I am following the time-honored tradition of political pundits everywhere. I am expressing my opinions whether anyone wants to hear them or not. If you are reading this, and you aren't new to this blog, then you have at least resigned yourself to the (somewhat) painless fate of reading my arrogant self-expression.

My heros are not famous cowboys or legendary warriors. They are men who made a difference in this great nation, like Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, or Larry Flint's attorney. I love this country, with all of her flaws and foibles. I love the process by which we elect our leaders, and I enjoy scrutinizing them until they break. If we can't keep them honest, we may as well keep them guessing.

I even enjoy when some idiot misunderstands my intent, and assumes that I will agree with some extremist idea or another. I love to squash a foolish premise or step on a bad argument.

I love being a citizen soldier. I would not be the man that I am today without the experiences that I have had in the National Guard. I have seen the best and the worst in myself and my fellow man.

For all of her imperfections, I love America, and all of her sons and daughters. This is why I spew my home-spun solutions in hopes that someone will someday take action on one issue or another. We are a unique experiment gone wild, and I hope and pray that, as a nation, we continue to evolve in interesting and radical ways.

As for my insensitivities, my pig-headedness, and my stubborness, live with it. What is the point of having an opinion if I don't believe that it is right?

Why Pedro Didn't Vote

I just read a news article that said Hispanics made up around 6% of the vote last Tuesday. The author of said article was puzzled by the lack of Hispanic turn-out. I'll try and explain...

IF YOU ARE NOT A LEGAL CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE!!

Just like you shouldn't be allowed to draw any kind of welfare/social services. Or get a job. Or bond out of jail. Or even be here.

I am so tired of being called a racist. When did national pride or concern over the security of my country become a racial issue? Why am I supposed to watch what I say in order to keep from offending people who don't belong here in the first place?

These people don't want to be Americans. They wave Mexican flags and watch Spanish television. They segregate themselves from mainstream America more than any other group in the nation. They refuse to learn the language. They are arrogant and insolent toward American citizens and police.

Why did Vicente Fox spend three months of his campaign tour in the United States?
Why doesn't Mexico secure her borders?

When illegal immigrants began raising Mexican Flags at US Post Offices and Schools, I became more angry than I have ever been over any political issue. Even more upsetting was the lack of news coverage of these events.

My children go to school with children of illegal immigrants. The teachers are constantly struggling with the language barrier. Valuable classroom time is taken away from the English-speaking students in order to play catch-up with the illegal immigrants.
Then I have to hear about the wonderful contributions these people are making to America.
Soldiers are reenlisting now more than ever in my unit, not because they are planning on a career in the service so much as they need the bonus money, because there are no jobs available at the local chicken plant.
Then we hear how these people are taking jobs that Americans don't want, anyway.
My friend on the local drug task force tells me of a drug smuggling ring here in town that is led by illegal immigrants. No one will testify against these people because they are afraid. The Mexican gang that these men represent has a reputation for burning down houses and killing entire families.
Then I hear how these people are good and decent and just want to provide for their families.

So maybe I am a little judgemental. Maybe I am a little skeptical of the motivations and intentions of the Hispanic men that I come into contact with.
The racial tensions created by this situation are not the problem, however. The security and safety of my country IS the issue.

Arizona Rocks!!

Four items on Arizona's ballot Tuesday received national attention. All were related to illegal immigration, and all passed by more than 70%.

Item one made English the official language of Arizona.
Item two made illegal immigrants who are incarcerated for serious crimes unable to bond out of jail.
Item three establishes that illegal immigrants may not sue any citizen in civil court, nor or they eligble for any punitive damages from any state agency or private enterprise.
Item four(my favorite), establishes that no illegal immigrant may receive state or federally supported social services of any kind.

I say we do this across the nation. What do you think?

Public Referendums and Cyclic Redundancy

OK America, I'm going to take you by the hand and explain, yet again, why your actions on election day were lacking...

We keep sending messages that are subject to interpretation. All day long for two days, talk radio has been buzzing with theories about what America was trying to convey. Was it just about the war? Was it about spending? Was it about unchecked power? Was it a liberal uprising? Did the conservatives give up?

My head hurts from it all.

People wanted things to change. That's all, that's it, no more. We have become like Pavlov's freaking dogs. If a republican pisses us off, we vote for a democrat. If the dems incur our wrath, we vote republican.

Had we voted out all the incumbents, as some idiot may have suggested, we wouldn't have sent a message that would take months to translate.

Most people don't want to be involved in the actual governance of America. They want to make their pick and drive on, knowing that they made a good choice with their vote. When a choice turns out to be bad, they replace a candidate with whatever choice is left. The republicans are obviously not doing so hot, so we have replaced them. Just like fifteen years ago we replaced the democrats FOR EXACTLY THE SAME REASON.

Any military man knows that no task can be completed without the clear and concise communication of expectations to every key position on a team. We, the people are not clearly communicating our expectations, and so the team is not reaching the goal.

Simplicity is the answer here. We must stop assuming that our differences need to be addressed on every side by all involved before decisions are made. No one is a true liberal or conservative in this country. Our differences are far less well defined than politically correct language would lead us to believe. For instance, parents (good ones, anyway) want their children to get a good education and to have choices when they come of age. Husbands want to be able to provide for families. Students seek opportunity. People in general are chasing one VERY important piece of the American Pie: the persuit of happiness.
All the other stuff is just detail that really won't make a difference in a hundred years. If we remain caught up in this redundant and pointless political game, the simple stuff that we all want will get chewed up by the big machine, and no one wins in the end.

Recommended Reading: 1984, by George Orwell, and This Perfect Day, by Ira Levin

Eschew Obfuscation

A few years ago, a friend loaned me an 8th grade Latin primer from 1907. I figured I would teach myself a bit of Latin (that's right folks, I bite off more than I chew). My problem was not the Latin. The English lesson at the beginning was enough to make me quit.
Don't get me wrong, English is my first language.

Now, I graduated salutatorian of my class. I make good grades even now that I am the "old guy" in college. I like to think that I am of average intelligence. But an 8th grade lesson in English was beyond my comprehension. Now I know why it was a big deal that my grandfather graduated from High School.

Public education in America is ranked 50th in the world. -Interestingly enough, I don't know how many countries there are...

I hate to say it, but we have to make life a little tougher on our kids, at least academically. Imagine a high school with modern technology and a curriculum as tough as it was in the early 20th century. As a nation, we would be unstoppable.

We need to find a way to triple our education budget, and spend an EQUAL AMOUNT PER STUDENT. Forget standardized testing. Some kids will be left behind. Some will do fine. What does a college degree really mean if everyone can get one, anyway?

The best and brightest are being held back by political correctness. "No child left behind" is a rediculous concept. Do we think for a moment that the people who came up with that little sound bite actually send their kids to public school? Do we believe that all students posses an equal ability to learn? Aren't we just lowering the bar?

We need better books, tougher curriculum, and more structure. We need to put more stress on the importance education. The children of America deserve the best education that we can offer. They need to be as smart as possible so they can clean up all the messes we're leaving them.

Recommended Reading: Anything written before 1930.

Rock the Revolution!!!

Every two years, we are given the opportunity in this country to "overthrow" the current government (at least the largest part of it). This year, it is more important than ever. Congress blames the President for the current state of the Union, but they have ALL given in to partisan party politics. I say FIRE THEM ALL.

We as citizens of this great nation owe it to each other to send a message to congress. We cannot allow the political games that have run rampant in the hallowed halls of congress to continue for even one more term. So here are some important things to remember before you vote:

1. If a candidate is talking smack on his/her opponent, they have no fresh ideas to present. Do not vote for this idiot.

2. If you disagree with a candidate on two or more important issues, do not vote for them.

3. If a candidate mentions his/her political party in a campaign ad, they are part of the partisan party politic games. Do not vote for them.

4. If a candidate mentions "distraction" issues that cannot be resolved at this time, like school shootings or drugs, do not vote for them.

5. If a candidate uses politically correct language, like "undocumented immigrants" instead of illegal aliens, do not vote for them.

6. If a candidate is an incumbent, think seriously about their record. Any incumbent who has been in office for more than ten years is probably out of touch with the American public.

7. If a candidate apologizes for something in a campaign ad, ask yourself, "Would he/she be apologizing if the information wasn't already made public?".

8. If a candidate does not have an answer to illegal immigration, alternate fuels, or Iraq, they are a waste of time.

9. If a candidate does not mention education reform, Social Security reform, or Medicare reform, do not vote for them.

I would not presume to tell people who to vote for. I certainly won't tell people who I'm voting for. Imagine, if you will, what kind of message we could send to congress and even the president if we voted out every incumbent. I know that some of these people are doing a good job (or trying, at least), but we have an opportunity to completely renew our legislative branch. If we did this two elections in a row, I bet we would see a whole lot less party politics in Washington, and a whole lot more of what we need from our governing body.

So let's all go about our business for the next few days, like everything is normal. Come election day, let's get together and get rid of some dead weight.

Recommended Reading: The Broken Branch, by Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein.