The Low Road

While coming home from work the other day I noticed the vanity license plate on the car in front of me read "HEATHEN." My first impression was, why would someone broadcast that about himself?  But then I mentally slapped myself upside the head and remembered that we live in a nearly post-Christian culture.  Too many people today are so full of themselves that they actually take pride in such eternal and infernal arrogance.

Let me begin by addressing the heathen; a term which I take to include atheists, Gaiaists (Earth-worshippers/tree-huggers), Wiccans, and communists - by whatever name they identify themselves: socialists, nazis, facists, progressives, Fabians, statists, etc. Essentially, anyone who doesn't have some belief in monotheism (Islam, while monotheistic, is for another discussion). Heathen typically take joy in the belief we're post-Christian partly because the Church - Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, etc. - has seemingly lost so much influence in today's culture, in their opinion. They also see so much anti-Christian animus - let's call it for what it is: bigotry - that they naturally assume their side is winning. Even if true, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, at best.

The heathen see church leaders and professing Christians taken down for various acts of criminality or generalized decadence (completely missing the difference between people who call themselves Christians, and the actual principles of Christianity - which are a pretty high bar by typical human standards); they see the culture being degraded in every area - and not only do they contribute to that degradation they applaude it, unless it hits home for them, personally. And then they cry "victim."  They see Christianity and the faith belittled, impugned, and held up to ridicule by most of the entertainment media; they hearand repeat unthinking blasphemies every day that has become de facto acceptable speech and never think twice about it. They join in in almost subconsciously, and "post-Christianity" thus becomes self-fulfilling prophecy.

In fact, the general public hears less and less of things favorable to Christianity, precisely because there is an active push to erase that huge portion of our history and heritage. Because the teaching colleges are hostile to the faith, most of those who graduate and take their place in your children's classrooms are also hostile to it or ignorant of it. History books are being rewritten with the intent of marginalizing Christianity (pseudo-historian and textbook author Howard Zinn comes to mind), along with any other positive aspects of our national heritage. It has only recently been "rediscovered" that so much of our history, written and taught by Progressives, has all but removed any positives of Blacks in early America (also here, here, and here) before segregation was reintroduced in the early 20th century by Democrats. Now, for the first time in our history as a nation, we have a man posing as president who has virtually declared war on all things Christian and all things traditionally American, and who has unflinchingly favored a religion adamantly hostile to, and diametrically opposed to all that Christianity stands for.

Christianity in America may be down in some ways, but don't ever count it out. Although church attendance is  down from say, fifty years ago, Christianity is still the major religion in the US even if most of those who claim it know little about it, other than they "believe in God." If anything can be said about the Church in general, it is that so many churches have been infiltrated by agenda-driven marxists determined to undermine their doctrines. But there remain uncountable indications of Christianity's influence on America. From examples of architectural embellishments, to artwork, to literature, there are many examples of the part that faith played in the formation, development and maintenance of the Republic. Perhaps some of the least-recognized examples are organizational in nature. How many hospital names are prefaced by "St." (Saint)? How many people have been helped in times of need by various Christian-founded charities, or spent time at the YMCA or YWCA (guess what the "C" stands for), or been helped by the International Red Cross or the Salvation Army?

If you dig deep enough in our now-biblically-illiterate culture, you might realize that the best features of our national heritage are in fact gleaned from our Christian roots. From the innumerable examples of biblical influence on the language, to our deserved reputation (until the past couple of years) as the most charitable nation in the world, to the influence of the Bible on our early laws and Constitution, it takes nearly conscious effort to not realize that as a culture, we have been benefitting from the residue of our religious heritage even as we drift further and further from it. Of course, the Left and its dedicated "heathen" are trying as hard as they can to remove every vestige of the faith from our memory.

On the other hand, what do the "heathen" and "pagans" offer? Unbridled self-interest, unrestrained hedonism, the worship of wildlife and plants over human life, the skewering of all traditional values and virtues (such as earning what you get instead of being "entitled" to something at the expense of someone else's efforts).  Generation "gimme" is about to take center-stage; but when entitlement becomes the majority view, who will do the labor? The one thing that seems to escape the ravenous appetites of the welfare mentality is that eternal truism: there's no such thing as a free lunch. Yeah; there have been dark episodes under misguided Christians or outright charlatans who misused scripture to justify their particular aims, but generally, these have been corrected over time. Even amid the slavery tragedy of this nation, Christians were instrumental in eliminating it, even in drafting the Constitution. There will always be a slave class under socialism because it cannot survive otherwise.

Of course, any mention of religion in American life has to be tempered by the reality that there has always been dissent and opposition; between denominations, congregations, and atheists. And each person should have freedom of conscience insofar as it doesn't willfully impose itself on another who isn't interested. But on the whole, much of the American fabric of life is tightly interwoven with the faith that preaches and promises salvation and eternal life through belief in the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that's so much more than the promise of the nilhilist non-believers, and those who think they'll be reincarnated as bugs or other critters.

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Coming at the speed of night

Has anyone else noticed how little America today resembles America of say, 40 years ago? 

Oh, I realize that the vast majority of young people won't know what I mean. After all, they've grown up with cellphones, cable TV, the internet, high prices for everything (if you think they're high now, just wait a short while), and America being the world's boogey-man.  They won't recognize how foreign it is having to parse your words for fear of the PC-police (I'm talking to the saner people, of course; the nitwits, half-wits and "sue-its" never get bothered by them). But I and my fellow codgers (and our elders moreso) can recall a time when a person could speak their mind, could speak to their religious values without persecution or fear of lawsuit, could start a business and have a fair chance at success, and could buy a gun to defend themselves, hunt or go target-shooting without fear of police harrassment or arrest. We could board a plane without having to become a virtually stripper or street frisk. Oh, and our nation had plenty of energy because we provided most of our own (nuclear, coal and oil), we helped feed and clothe half the world, other people loved and envied Americans, our allies trusted us and our enemies at least respected us.

Well; we've certainly fallen through the wormhole now. This is not your grandfather's America. Even though things may look rosy if you pin it down to what you see from where you are standing, a closer look at the things going on behind the scenes points to what appear to be a coalescing into a major paradigm shift. In simpler terms, our world is about to be "rocked" in a way most of us won't like.

I have come to believe we have all but passed the 'tipping point.'  Our culture has been turned into a 21st-century version of ancient Rome's 'bread and circuses.' Between the faux-machismo of ESPN, the shallowness of all the "Idol" clones, and the downright psycho-political manipulation of "Glee," Americans have become high on the list among the most ignorant societies on Earth - and that is saying something. But the facts bear me out; most college-level Americans have virtually no knowledge of even fairly recent important history, they don't know even the most basic geography, have no real conception of the various political and religious systems that influence the affairs of men, many are marginal readers, and most haven't even the interest to watch or read a news report, let alone objectively look at both sides of the issues. We cannot trust what our leaders tell us, because they are politicians instead of statesmen, and their stories change with the political winds.

We weren't pushed into ignorance; we were led there by the Pied-Pipers of Fabian Socialism and their Marxist cousins.  They have followed a clear agenda for the better part of a century; slowly,  incrementally robbing us of our heritage, our values (including our Judeo-Christian respect for human life, our collective wisdom, our faith, our soviergnty, our resources, and of course, our liberties. They have done all this with all the subtlety of the proverbial frog in the pot. And each successive generation gets dumber, on every appreciable level.

Some presumeably wise leaders thought they had a valid reason for committing this monumental crime against this nation and its people. They thought by exposing us to a "thousand points of light" and introducing us to a New World Order through which they were preparing us for the needs of an advanced, (post-?)industrial society; producing a society of worker drones with just enough intelligence to operate the machines of production, while keeping them ignorant and entertained enough to deter them from concerning themselves with politics and upsetting the delicate status quo. 

Unfortunately, the elites who changed the culture weren't watching the 'other hand,' which was slowly moving production overseas because the unions had destroyed the competitive edge of American industry in our own country. That left us with tens of millions of purposely under-educated people (and I'll go so far as to include myself in that group) ill-equipped to go toe-to-toe with the bureaucratic interference with the formerly-free enterprise system that had made America the industrial giant that once amazed the world. The 'great unwashed' masses' primary source of (mis)information about the world comes in the form of carefully-edited sound-bites that are typically light on actual information and heavy on propaganda.

Where is all this leading? The future, of course. Start looking around you with open eyes and an open mind. The most obvious perception may not be the truth. Leave the slogans and party line statements behind, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

The End Is Near!!!

I've been rightly accused of being a depressing individual to hang around over the past few years (not many people actually dig for my "fun" side. Go figure). I've been watching the news most folks don't watch, and just as importantly, watching the cultural trends that guide society. We have all been the rhetorical "frogs in the pot," and most of us have been too focussed on ourselves or our pet interests (a/k/a, 'work') to pay much attention to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, what happens in the rest of the world eventually trickles down into our own lives.

America has been through a lot over the past 230 years or so, but I believe we may be at the beginning of "the worst of times" for us so far. Yes, we've been in tough times; droughts, depressions, crime waves, natural disasters, and wars; but this time we're getting hit with all of them pretty much at once. And while the wars so far are on other soils, I have a bad feeling war may be coming home soon; and unlike the Civil War, we probably won't have the luxury of uniforms to tell each side apart and state lines to divide the sides and to provide refuge or support. Or then again, maybe we will.

The truth is, there is already a literal (and littering) army of occupation rapidly growing and spreading  in our streets and around the world, stirring up old hatreds, causing chaos, trying to further divide us, and ultimately to destroy our way of life. By looking at which groups are supporting Occupy Wall Street, we get an idea of the forces arrayed against our liberties. The amount of social corrosion that is taking place within our country by our own citizens is appalling and frightening, not so much for their numbers as for their power within virtually every social institution, major corporation (including the media corporate giants - which the protesters never seem to complain about), educational establishment, and government agency.

What is ironic about this war is that one side (conservatives) doesn't want to fight it, because they (we) recognize the pain and suffering that will affect us for years to come, no matter which way it turns out. The aggressors, however, really don't have a solid idea of what they are trying to bring about, because they have been lied to most of their lives.  The Bible tells us, "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he grow older he will not depart from it." This is a time-tested truism, because the earliest lessons form a nearly unbreakable pattern of behavior in each of us, for better or for worse. What the 'revolutionaries' don't realize is that even if they completely subdue us, they will then eat each other.

The Real 'Culture of Death'.  The Left is often led to accuse conservatives of wanting to kill jobs (usually by opposing union thuggery), kill freedom (by requiring a degree of personal responsibility), start wars (generally in an attempt to free other people), and ruin the economy (by preferring creation of jobs at home instead of internationally, anf by limiting taxation and the growth of government). But a closer look at the facts tells the tale: it is the radical Left that far and away has a greater propensity for death and destruction. From abortion, to euthanasia, to outright slavery unto death, it is the Left that has pushed love and respect for human life out the back door and into the trash bin.

The Obama malAdministration, in particular, seems to lean heavily toward generating grim statistics, and feeding the Grim Reaper. Take, for example, a current plan to inject American children with Anthrax in an experiment to find a proper vaccine and dosage rate for kids in the event of a major outbreak. Keep in mind that anthrax was virtually stamped out years ago, except small batches used for germ warfare by the US, Russia, and probably Britain, China, North Korea, Iraq and other military powers.

What national leadership would jeopadize its citizens in an experiment like that? Apparently, the same sort that would promote the vaccination of other youngsters - girls and boys as young as 9 - with the Gardasil vaccine that has resulted so far in thousands of adverse affects within a population dosage of more than 40 million. It would be nice if parents could choose whether to play those odds, but the government is pushing for mandatory inoculations. And I would bet that the Obama daughters and other elite offspring will not be part of the Anthrax experiment, other than as a  (non-innoculated) control.

Then there is the government plan - Project Gunrunner - to sell American guns to Mexican cartels, which in turn have been used to kill at least one American border patrolman and possibly one or more US citizens. It is widely believed among conservatives (with good reason) that despite denials from DoJ leadership, the real objective was to spur more draconian anti-gun legislation here in the US.
And of course there are the military ventures, which are suprising for a purportedly anti-military civilian leadership (but perhaps that only applies to Republican administrations). Apart from planning "contingency" deployments within the US, Obama has pushed us (without congressional approval) into action in Libya and Somalia, among other places.

As noted earlier, we can't leave out the Left's undying (sarcasm) support for abortion, eugenics and euthenasia.  As the world population hits 7 billion, let's not forget that the world's elites and many of their mindless followers are dedicated to population reduction on a massive scale. Never mind that wars, disease and natural disasters take a huge toll on human lives, those that know so much better are looking to speed up the process through abortion, starvation campaigns, rather than intelligently scale back population growth through more humane and consistent means. And, as previously noted in this tacky little blog, the 60s radicals who are now in charge of virtually everything had planned long ago to "dispose" of millions of people (i.e., conservatives) who wouldn't bow down to their collectivist, repressive regime.

With all this negative energy directed towards all of us (except for the aforementioned elites, of course), is it any wonder they are also trying to stamp out the comfort, support and hope offered by our Christian faith as well?  Is that brimstone I smell?

Bellringer's lament

Believe it or not, I hate being the bearer of bad tidings (to those subjected to public schools, that means I don't like bringing bad news all the time). I'd much rather be the guy that comes in with a big smile and says, "Guess what, everyone; happy days are here again!"  Unfortunately, that would be a lie, and a dangerous one.Besides, there are plenty of people already doing that. Truth is, the world has changed radically within the past few years, and the bad news is ramping up like a brakeless steamroller running down the mountain toward a ski lodge during the New Year's Eve party. And like the party, most of the folks inside are too drunk or wrapped up in who they're gaming to take a look out the window, even when someone is yelling, "There's a steam-roller coming at us, run for your lives!"

I've been trying to get people's attention for years; to warn them of what could be (there's less mystery now if you pay attention) coming, but most just laugh or shrug it off. It's not as though I'm speaking down from on high, with all the physical and economic security one could desire. In fact, I'm just the depth of a shadow away from complete poverty, but I don't consider myself poor. God has blessed me so much more than I deserve, and He doles those blessings out daily in one form or another. So, I feel my obligation and duty is to serve, and to try and tell others of coming danger and Judgment. Like others who try to ring the warning bell, it can be lonely and frustrating to realize most people - including those you care about - don't believe you and couldn't care less.

While we're on the topic...  Since we're dwelling on bad news here (as opposed to..??), you may as well join me for a run-down of just a couple of examples of the latest social detritus, and see which ones you can check off your "already knew that" list.

We learned from that right-wing (not) news organ Reuters that the Obama malAdministration has a secret panel in the National Security Council that conducts virtual 'Star Chamber' hearings to decide which American citizens to put on a literal 'hit' list. The most prominent victim so far to make this extinguished list is US-born al-Qaeda mastermind Anwar al-Awlaki.  I'm torn on this, because on the one hand I believe our government shouldn't be targeting us for elimination for political reasons. But on the other hand, I believe that the government wields the 'sword of justice' and has a responsibility to punish murderers and those complicit in such crimes. For me, it comes down to the morality of the government wielding that 'sword', and I don't think the present one is the right one to do so. Besides, they claim to "follow international law" while prosecuting their list. So that means it is internationally acceptable to knock off one's citizens? Globalism rules! And that's a scary thought.

We're discovering more about the American educational system that has been systematically poisoning minds for nearly a century.  The mechanism for this dissemination of anti-American values is locked up in the teachers' union, but at its core is the corrupting philosophy of socialists (OK; let's call them what they actually are...communists).  While many are frothing-at-the-mouth commies, most are simply ignorant of the goals and background of the educational elites who influence their own education, and in turn influence their students. As computer geeks say, garbage in, garbage out.

Meanwhile, the "totally (non-)spontaneous" mobs of the ignorant, indolent, insolent and unwashed continue their live-out in the streets of the Big Apple, Washington DC, and other cities.  And although they would probably count me among the "99%" (actually, I'm solidly in the 43%) I think these self-absorbed smellitists are woefully - and purposely - misled.

At the core of the chaos is a statist, collectivist, communist ideology, conveniently wrapped up in phony feel-goodism and globaloneyism. What these overly-impressionable Young Turks don't realize is that they are being used (as in useful idiots) as cannon fodder.

The financial elites who bankroll these events, the planners who formulate and instigate them, and the political elites who set the stage are all using these gullible meatheads (or veg-heads, as the case may be) to provoke the authorities into an action that will ignite a maelstrom of violence, which in turn would cause the authorities to stomp them into submission, which would fan the flames of revolution, which would help collapse the system, which would provide the excuse for the elites to roll in and crush the revolt (which they financially backed in the first place) and restore 'peace'. (Yes, it's a massive run-on sentence, but I'm trying to make a point.) 

This would put them in position to create a new system, the same as the old system that has caused the misery and deaths of millions of people everywhere it is tried. And if you think I'm crazy to talk about the deaths of millions, keep in mind that this brain-trust firmly believes in massive population control, just so long as it happens to any other portion of the population except their own. They have admitted and discussed as much, it's just that so few are listening, and fewer are willing to believe it.

We also learned that the Boy Scouts have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood (Say it isn't so!). The fact is that radical Islamicists have - much like the communists/progressives - infiltrated virtually every aspect of society; every political party and institution, nearly every media outlet, university, union, and government agency. Since they, like the communists, understand that the simplest way to conquer a nation or culture is to capture or influence its children, it shouldn't come as a surprise that these malevolencies would worm their way into organizations like the Scouts that center around the young.  This includes the churches of America as well.  But that is a tale for another time.

Changing the rules

Happy Labor Day! Yes; I'm being sarcastic. As President Obama spends the day pumping up union workers in Detroit with the illusion that his job creation plans are nothing more than strategies for failure, Americans celebrate a day that salutes the very unions which have helped to humble us and drive us into depression, psychologically and economically. And while I too appreciate a day off from the grindstone, I cannot help feeling betrayed yet again by people with fat wallets and fatter egos who gather together in closed rooms and determine what is best for everyone else, even knowing that what they plan is just the opposite. In one sense, we are all celebrating the demise of our liberty, but few seem to notice, and even fewer seem to even care. We've been conned on a grand scale by the collatoration of unions and big government (even while that government works with big business on the other side), and they've convinced us to love it so much we kick back and party hardy.

While unions were begun with the best of intentions - at least by the rank-and-file, the end game of organized labor since the beginning has been the ruthless accumulation of power. And while union workers by and large have made out very well, the cost has been an exodus of millions of American jobs out to other countries [According to a 2004 Cornell University report, 39% of the jobs lost overseas were union jobs. Congrats, union bosses!]. The intransegence of the unions - always seeking more benefits and protection for workers without considering the long-term effects of crippling competitiveness and protecting bad workers - has had the inevitable effect of shooting the workers themselves in both feet. After all, a golden contract is no good if there is no production line to support it.  And while this pathetic short-sightedness is bad enough among industries, it is downright deplorable among civil servants, who seem to have forgotten the "servant" part of their job description.

With cities' and states' governments threatening to save themselves by throwing the most essential workers (police, firefighters, water, sanitation and others) under the collectivist bus, it is truly ironic that the police, who are the hammer that pounds the populace on the anvil of government regulations, is so often first on the chopping block. Of course, as the enforcement role is assumed by a generation not versed in rights and responsibilities, the incidence of storm-trooper personality types is increasing exponentially, so we might be able to spare a few of those people, for the general welfare of citizens, if not economic stability.

Who's in charge?  When I was growing up, there were rules that most people took for granted. Marriage meant one man and one woman. You could do pretty much what you wanted - especially with your own property - as long as it didn't affect someone else in a substantially negative way (which meant you could fly the American flag from your front porch with nary a whimper from the neighbors). Children, while not as pampered as they often are now, were loved, and the children generally knew it because they saw both parents every day.  If need be, you could defend yourself and your property without fear of persecution (yes, I meant persecution,in the sense of a common understanding that person and property are sacrosanct). Ideally (if not practically) you didn't lie to people, you didn't cheat, you didn't steal, you didn't murder, and you respected the God of the Bible and His Church.  Leaders were expected to set the example for ethics and personal behavior. Of course, almost everyone screwed up at least one of those at some point in their lives (and some more than others), but you assumed everyone at least knew the rules and would be held to them. They were the  standards you could point to and defend the social fabric with.

My, how far we have fallen. It's getting increasingly difficult to find more than a relative handful of people who even recognize those social boundaries anymore. And with each passing generation, our hold on the wholesome gets more tenuous.  Holy matrimony is being trampled in the name of political correctness as as another direct affront to God. Private property is being swallowed up by the State, and privacy is all but lost to an ever-intrusive government and corporate behemoth that respects nothing but its own power. Children are being pampered to spiritual death; provided with more wants than they can handle responsibly, yet their real needs (the actual presence and involvment of loving parents [plural] and a quality education that reinforces both rights and responsibilities) are relegated to the not-so-tender mercies of the daycare provider, the sickening agenda of the education establishment and the self-centered goals of the teachers' union. Lying, cheating and stealing are not only acceptable but fashionable by many social institutions and groups including the halls of academe and government. Murder has even become legal, as long as the victims are the absolutely most defenseless segments of society. And as predicted, one of the latest pushes on the homosexual front is an attempt to normalize pedophelia via the faux-science of the psychological' community'.

As for leaders...where do I begin?  After thirty-plus years as a Republican, I switched a couple of years ago to the Conservative party (here in New York State), simply to avoid the ambiguity of where I stand, so I don't think it would be fair to lable me as a party hack, although the GOP still has a few good minds in its ranks; however, those folks too often get pushed aside by the party leadership. As someone else once said, "I didn't leave the party, the party left me." And to be honest, I've come to the point where I reluctantly agree that both parties, at the 'establishment' level, are simply two wings of the same agenda.

Then there is the media, some members of which are so far in the bag for the Left they no longer even register on the 'sense' scale, and whose major goal seems to be as water-carriers for the radical Demoncrats of this malAdministration.

Flipping to the other side of the media coin; Glenn Beck's Restoring Courage rally in Jerusalem was held a couple of weeks ago without any of the incidents predicted by his critics who were trying to dissuade him and scare attendees away. It was a series of events intended to reassure Israelis in particular and Jews in general that there are many people around the world who do not agree with the emnity displayed by so many nations, organizations and individuals, including our own current malAdministration.

In addition to his passionate defense of Israel's right to exist, Glenn called for a new paradigm - one that defines human rights but also restores the responsibilities that are the necessary counterbalance to those rights - is a refreshing change from the 'gimme' brand of faux rights put forth by the Left. Besides, if the Left (or the extreme Right) ever achieves total global domination, there will be no such thing as rights for anyone except the most powerful elites. It has become a trusim that our most dangerous enemy is the enemy within.

Just another day of "fundamental transformation."  The Obama malAdministration continues - in line with the sickening agenda of the global elites - its relentless persuit of "nudging" us into total Mao-style communism. From continuous little insults (such as having China provide a 30-foot-tall statue of Martin Luther King and a 2,050 ft bridge spanning San Francisco Bay), to increasing pressure against our national defense, China is demonstrating that they are not content to merely sit back and fix their own country; they want to 'fix' ours and the rest of the world as well, and they are proceding headlong on that course.  Now, imagine how well that will go for all of us once they totally suceed.

Anxiety attack

Have you ever had one of those weeks in which it seems almost everyone around you is pushing your buttons, seemingly trying to provoke you into doing something you'll seriously regret? Yeah; one of those.

I'm here to tell you, it isn't just you. Globally, there is a wave of animus that is engulfing millions of people. And it is neither accidental nor coincidental.

In London and other European cities mobs have increasingly devolved from ideological and social misfits to racial tribalism. As I noted in the previous posting, it's also happening here. As in other US cases, officials are carefully walking a "see no evil" line, in which any hint of racism - if it is (obviously) black-on-white or Muslim-on-Christian - is automatically denied by politicians who are equally quick to pin the blame on anyone other than the actual culprits.

Earlier this year, I posted Glenn Beck's discovery of an active plot by SEIU organizer Steven Lerner to begin an assault against the banking industry by encouraging millions of people to purposely default on their mortgage payments, with the aim of causing the entire economic system to collapse. The apparent goal was to have the resulting crash to cause widespread riots and violence to ripple across the country. Taken to its logical conclusion, that atmosphere of chaos would be just the crisis needed to declare a national emergency that would necessitate the nullification of our constitutional rights. Because of Beck's public warning, the effort didn't really get off the ground at that time, although more than 400 showed up to annoy people at JP Morgan Chase's annual stockholder meeting in Ohio.

Now, they're back, and bolder than ever. Capitalizing (if I may use that term) on the massed protests in Wisconsin and other areas, the mobs are set to occupy Wall Street itself in what organizers are calling the Days of Rage, with the goal of creating “a week of civil disobedience, direct action all over the city:” Since this action could be an impediment to the conduct of big business, maybe even Mayor Bloomberg will find a backbone and impede them in return.

In addition to the larger efforts at mobocracy, smaller but just as sanctimonious groups including the AFL-CIO (isn't it curious; the union labels are everywhere) are once again protesting individual corporate officers at their homes.

When union thugs end up destroying businesses or driving them away, you can thank your local union member for his support (union dues, protests, intimidation, etc.) in causing even more job losses. And in case you don't work at a big corporation and don't care, keep this in mind: every large corporation buys goods and services from hundreds of small businesses - everything from the local restaurants and pizza parlors patronized by the workers and their families, to the office supply companies, security firms, gas stations, corner stores and markets, hardware stores, beauty- and barber-shops, and many others.

If there is anything to be learned from all this, it is simply that...if people really are out to get you, you aren't schizophrenic. And ironically, it seems that the only folks more afraid of violence in the streets are the people at the top of government. The irony isn't that they are afraid, because they hold the military, police, judicial and political power; it is that they are afraid all that power won't be enough to keep them eternally in those positions of power.

Stand, or get knocked down. This week may become one of the most memorable in recent years, and it could go either way; to glory or infamy. Glenn Beck is holding his Restoring Courage event. Actually, it is a series of events taking place over four days in Israel.

• On Sunday, Glenn, historian David Barton, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Pastor John Hagee and others will speak at the Roman ampitheater in Caesarea, where the biblical stories of Ruth and Esther will be highlighted.
• Monday, from the Old Train Station Plaza in central Jerusalem, there will be a remembrance of the Holocaust, as a reminder of the evil men can do, and the threat that looms over all of us when we forget that. At a time when anti-semitism is again on the rise globally, and billions of people around the world are being programmed with the belief that average Americans are no better than the dehumanized (and patently false) depiction of Jews, there is coming a time when we all will need courage.
• On Tuesday, Glenn will follow that with a special documentary he produced which follows his personal journey into Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than one million people (incidentally, not just Jews) were systematically murdered by a government, while citizens went about their business literally within a stone's throw away, and did nothing about it. We once boldly stated "We shall never forget," and yet there is barely a mention of this shattering chapter of history in the schools or in the media anymore, other than the History Channel archives, which most people never watch.
• The keynote event happens on Wednesday, where Glenn and others will meet at the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, only yards from where Jesus Christ overturned the tables of the money-changers. Glenn will " issue a challenge to all citizens of the world to stand with and declare their support for Israel."

If the impending fate of Israel doesn't interest you, you aren't nearly as alone as the citizens of that tiny nation. It is literally surrounded by enemies determined not to merely beat them, but to utterly destroy them - every man, woman and child, and not just in Israel. Muslim clerics (remember that Islam is equally a religious and political system). Millions of Europeans are revisiting their historic disdain for Jews, and many Americans are being turned against them by our own current government (which also happens to be recalling many of the policies, activities and goals of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union). I have even heard Christians argue that Israel deserves no special attention from us, in the sense of upholding our historic defense agreements with them. Personally, I don't believe my Christian faith tells me that abandoning our honor or compassion is the right way to go. But then, to each their own interpretation of scripture, I guess.

If you are one of those people who doesn't believe we should stand up for Israel when they need us most (by the way, they haven't asked for help yet; what they are looking for is someone that will at least speak on their behalf -- in other words, a friend), then perhaps it is time to recall the words of Pastor Martin Niemoller. The exact text of what Martin Niemoller said, and which appears in the Congressional Record, October 14, 1968, page 31636 is:

"When Hitler attacked the Jews
I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the Catholics,
I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists,
I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned.
Then Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church --
and there was nobody left to be concerned."

You can follow Glenn Beck as he tries to restore the compassion and courage of the American people (you didn't really think the Israelis needed to be reminded of courage, did you?) by signing on to his fledgling internet TV channel which officially launches September 12. You can subscribe to GBTV without contracts for $4.99 per month (until launch day, after which the price goes up to 9.95 per month unless you're already locked in). Having seen a number of productions already presented, I can say it is worth the cost. However,for those who just can't go that step, it was just announced that TBN will carry at least one event (Sunday) so far.

As I've stated before, I don't like to put anyone on a pedestal because we're all flawed. But Beck has done what no one else with his ever-expanding media footprint has been willing to do; put everything - including his own money and his reputation - on the line to put the evidence, the truth as he sees it, and a call for a return to moral principles, and a return to God as revealed in the Bible. Many of those who criticize Beck have either never actually listened to him - other than perhaps a selected sound-bite by other critics - or they judge him purely on the rants of those critics. You don't have to agree with him on everything (I don't), but if you listen to what he presents; the evidence and his interpretations thereof you may tend to consider him worth listening to. The truth is that we've been lied to by virtually everyone, and he's trying to discover the truth, and get it out there for the rest of us to see. And Beck sees God as the ultimate Truth; as do I.

You don't have to get all religious to understand - with a little serious study - that the Bible actually is the essential handbook for the human race. It uses history to illustrate how people get off the track, and that common sense, integrity, morality, fairness, honesty, love, and compassion are timeless principles. If you're willing to believe you aren't the center of the universe, it also shows that there actually is a Being that created and cares about us; and He provided everything we need - eternally - if we're only willing to accept it. But unlike certain other faiths in which your only choice is submit or die, the Bible shows that the God it describes is a God willing to give you a choice to do it your way and suffer the eventual consequences, or do it His way and reap rewards beyond your comprehension.

Playing with matches

As a child, did you ever feel the temptation to play with something forbidden?  Did you, one day long ago, feel the irresistable attraction of a stray book of matches?  Was there a penalty for your impulsiveness; an "accidental" fire as the match fell into some combustible material? (Uh-oh, am I giving too much away?) Did you barely escape real calamity by the "skin of your teeth" or, more likely, by the grace of God?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people right now who are "playing with fire" without the excuse of youthful ignorance. Rogue politicians (great and small), judges and police are becoming more presumptive and abusive in their actions.  They are attacking faith, families, institutions and small family farms and businesses that cannot afford to defend themselves against the government.  These people know full well what they are doing, and though they would be loathe to admit it their intent is to hurt other people (not so much physically - yet, but morally, economically), lots of other people, and not only get away with it but prosper from it. After all, you can't make a brave new world without breaking a few bodies and souls; might as well get something out of it. Right?

As if there weren't already too many loose cannons running around, now we find  people almost literally crawling out of the woodwork, most of them thoughtless renegades running on little more than impulsive behavior and really bad judgment, totally oblivious to the potentially devastating effects they could have on themselves, their families, and other people they don't even know. 

By all indications, we really have reached, and are tottering beyond, the tipping point. The world as we knew it is vanishing. It has been spoiled or stolen by masters of all things devious, slowly disappearing into a cloud of sub-awareness. The primary culprits are radical Marxists and the incestly-related Progressives, and their primary tools are our youth.  It's all but impossible to ignore; by now even a few politicians appear to get it.

The British riots, the riots in Greece, in Spain and other European states, expected riots in Israel, the uncivil wars in Libya and Syria, the Winsconsin state fair wilding; these are all simply exhibits A, B, C, ad infinitum, of the new cultural paradigm: tear things apart, and then....then what?

And that's the real point of the exercise, isn't it? After all the destruction is wrought, after the 'system' has been brought down, after the 'wicked capitalists' have been expelled, after the 'wealthy' (except those on the Left) have been broken through extortion and theft committed under color of law, what's the plan?

Let's play a little game and follow the logical progression and history, since we have that as a teacher, and see where it leads.

Oh, don't worry; there is a Plan.  It just won't involve a whole lot of that equality the protestors are always calling for, because by its very nature there must be a ruling class (the Party) and a worker class (everyone else).  It won't contain much of the justice the downtrodden are looking for, because it will be every man for himself (There are only two ways to get things done in a tyrannical environment: by force or by bribery) and the powerful will do all they can to remain so.  It won't provide much of the protection the fearful are hoping for, because the police and courts will be the most visible components of oppression of the new system. The precursors to the plan have been working their insidious way through the system and culture for many decades.  You just have to take a step back to   see them.

When the radical Left assumes the positions of power that it craves so ravenously, the elites will have no more use for an entire subclass of illiterate, illegitimate, uneducated and (by then) unteachable, useless 'useful idiots.'  With the world in economic chaos and all the threads of capitalism that formerly held it together (whether they're willing to admit it or not) left in tatters, there won't be much left to feed those former tools of the radicals. After all, parasites aren't particularly known for their altruism or generosity, or compassion.  Among the inner cities, much of their former housing will have been reduced to ashes or wreckage in their zeal to please their suddenly invisible puppet-masters (formerly known as 'community organizers'). The new ruling class won't want a lot of eyesores dotting the new landscape.  Frankly, I don't think there will be a lot of patience for millions of nonproductive people with no talent other than making trouble for 'the man' whether it is the old man or the new man.

Ironically, those people will be no better off than a few million conservatives and patriots who resist the not-so-tender embrace of the new world order. First, both groups will be ostracized by the government-controlled media as rabble-rousers and criminals, eventually graduating to merely enemies of the State.  Then will come the disconnect; the cutting of social tethers. The internet and social networks will go silent to stifle mass communication, followed by severe "austerity measures" in the doling out of food and other essentials.  We'll be herded into enclaves where we can be confined and controlled more easily. We may even share the same cattle-cars one day, on a pleasant -although likely crowded - trip into the countryside where there are few witnesses to tell the tale.

Pause for reflection

I'll get to the meat in a moment. But first: For those readers who actually noticed my absence of postings over the past couple of weeks and may have momentarily lamented the absence, please accept my apology. (For the rest of you, I suppose it doesn't really matter, does it? Oh, well.) I had to take a break because after getting halfway through what would have been the blog following "Looking for Hope," I looked at it with utter disappointment and ended up deleting it. It wasn't acceptable to me. I was tired. In a sense, I had lost hope too.

I was tired of putting so much time and effort into what is simply a hobby blog (since I make no money off it) that allows me to air my frustrations about the world. I was tired of the people who rag me for even bothering, because they believe (and I began to believe) no one cares. I was tired of putting my heart, soul and mind into trying to wake people up, only to realize most folks don't want to wake up, and many who are awake feel they have no control or effect anyway.  I was tired of only getting feedback from a couple of friends; and being me, I figured they were just pumping me up because of that friendship (and I truly appreciate that, guys - and gal). After all, I'm not a world-class blogger who gets picked up by the 'big boys' or called to comment on Fox News (Love you, Michele Malkin!); I'm just a guy who comes home from work and pounds on the keys in an effort to provide new information, and perhaps new perspective.

Then I re-read my last post, and realized I was succumbing to the very thing I was writing about. I had forgotten what got me started on this in the first place. I began this tacky little blog knowing full well it would remain virtually unknown. But I thought that if I could change one mind, lift one heart, teach one thing that might save one life or soul, it was worth the time and trouble. After due deliberation, I still believe that.

So, here I go again. The preceding passage is probably the most personal pronouns I've used in decades, and it's uncomfortable for me to do so, but the explanation was needed, both to air out my own difficulties and to offer something to the one or two people who might actually read this far.  For you, dear friends, thanks for sticking with it.  Now, on to the stuff that matters.

Polish off the crystal ball.  Naturally, most people would choose to be optimistic; good for them. But there comes a point where to ignore the obvious is just plain stupid. If you are willing to continue wrapping yourself in your own personal bubble and ignore what is happening around us, you are - along with a couple hundred million others in this country - setting yourself up for even worse disaster than those who go in possibly helpless but open-eyed. We each make choices every day. Sometimes those choices - whether choices of ommission or comission - can affect not only ourselves but many others we may never meet.  Can something be done? I believe so, but we are rapidly running out of time, largely due to apathy, disbelief and indecision.  Let's take a look at just a couple of things that are currently on the radar. Put these under the heading: Did You Know?

Rise of the Police State. I've noted before that a dramatic change is taking shape among American police forces, and it isn't necessarily for the better.  I've stated previously that I generally support police and law enforcement, but I've also said that laws don't always equate to justice.  Increasingly, the law is being used not to keep the peace, but is being used as a hammer by petty bureaucrats, politicians and organizations with an agenda that doesn't respect personal liberty, equal justice or equal opportunity. And the changing social paradigm - the way people operate on a personal level - is producing new attitudes of disrespect and belligerence across the spectrum of society.

Increasingly we are seeing a rise in the number of cases - often documented in videos - of officers either out-of-control, or being directed by their superiors toward totalitarian behaviors. The calm, rational  Joe Friday and Adam 12  characterizations are giving way to a new sort of cop; but that sort is actually very common, especially in almost every other nation on the planet.  The new breed presents itself as superficially dedicated to law enforcement, but all too often seems detached from what used to be the supremacy of the US Constutition and the Bill of Rights.  And law uncoupled from the restraints imposed on it by those documents leads to ominous and bad things happening to honest citizens and future generations.

Change in the religious paradigm.   A recent Gallup poll indicates that Muslim-Americans are the most optimistic segment of society.  That probably comes as a shock to many Christians, who have always felt we had a corner on that market.  Of course, it's possible the poll numbers may be skewed either intentionally or incidentally, but the fact that they are providing legitimacy to the claim only increases the odds it will become self-fulfilling.

But why wouldn't American-based Muslims feel optimistic? The government supports nearly everything they do, they are making inroads throughout the culture with the help of this malAdministration's clear favoritism, plus support from bureacrats, the media, and millions of dollars pumped from the Saudis, Hezzbollah, Hamas, CAIR and other activist groups. Meanwhile, the former majority of benignly-dominant Christians are fast becoming the new persecuted faith along with a global resurgence of anti-Semitism. Churches are being attacked, invaded, burned and vandalized here and around the world. Christians are being harrassed, tortured and killed for their faith more than they have in hundreds of years. Much of American media is waging a tacit campaign against Christianity, but minimizes or virtually ignores the dark deeds of Muslims, including "honor" killings, beheadings, sexual and spousal abuse, money-laundering, terrorist support and direct actions and other crimes - including those commited in our own country.  Is there really any wonder why Christians are losing their traditional optimism for this world, and further retreating into their consideration of the next?  After all, it takes time for a formerly dominant culture to acclimatize to being the new persecuted sub-class, especially when its own laws and institutions have been thoroughly infiltrated and are being used against it.

And while we're on this happy train of thought, consider this: the evidence is mounting that there is an active push to start any sort of real social crisis, including a full-fledged race war. The race-baiters have been at it for years, but now there is active incitement. It began with so-called 'flash-robs': large groups of people who organize on social networks such as Twitter, meet up and essentially invade a store, stripping its shelves of everything they can carry, and run out the door leaving the shop-keepers bewildered and enraged, customers terrified, and police helpless to stop it.

The latest phase seems to be centered around violent confrontations calculated to provoke via race, like the LA riots in the wake of the Rodney King verdict. A recent, unprovoked mob attack by more than a hundred blacks at the Wisconsin state fair Thursday night appears to have been specifically targeting white people bringing their families to the fair. Numerous fairgoers were beaten and cars damaged by the mob. Note to the oblivious: When someone incites attacks on innocent people with their families, they don't expect to get a cheery aftermath. This was calculated by someone to attract retribution and further violence.

We're also seeing outbreaks of spontaneous violence elsewhere, including a Philadelphia incident (no longer the 'City of Brotherly Love') in which a woman on a bus who felt slighted by another passenger phoned a group of others who met her at the bus stop openly waving firearms and then fired randomly at the bus with an AK-47 semiauto. Fortunately, no one was injured. Unfortunately, no one on the bus was able to fire back in self-defense.

Expect to see more of these violent provocations and incidents taking place across the country. The mindset of America has been altered through decades of programmed ignorance of our founding values and social mores, the skewering and deconstruction of our language, history (both good and bad) and national goals, the undermining of our economic principles and social institutions.  When you have a state (Pennsylvania, again) that declares that owning a cellphone is a civil right and the state is obligated to provide one to the poor - along with 250 free (taxpayer-bought) minutes per month, you know something is radically wrong.  I mean, really; if a massive solar storm or EMP wipes out cellphone service, does that make the state a violator of civil rights for not protecting against it? And why only provide them to the poor? Shouldn't every citizen be entitled to those "free" phones and minutes? [Insert scream of frustration here]  This is a perfect reminder that the State cannot legitimately provide rights, it can only protect God-given Rights - which was the primary function of American government from the beginning - and grant (or revoke) Privileges.  Many people cannot tell the difference between the two, but we will certainly recognize when we lose them.

We are headed 180 degrees away from what our Founders intended, and what they sacrificed so much for. We have gone from the Greatest Generation straight into the Prodigal Generation. And that's the last stop before the train hits the mountainside.

What is occurring today is the result of intricate planning that began more than a century ago, aimed at the dissolution of the American Republic and our liberty - the greatest social experiment in history. We are at the end of the beginning of the end. We have reached the tipping point, and it could go either way; but at the moment we are leaning in the wrong direction. Those hardy and vocal conservative souls who are keeping the heat on are the last bastion.

Yes; I believe God is in charge; but throughout history, good people have suffered along with the bad. He expects us to act anyway, and He is not only directing, He is waiting for us on the other end, but He is also waiting for us to act in the here and now. Our duty is in the effort, His will be the result.

Looking for Hope

The "good old days," a bygone era 

Assuming that you are more than nine years old, and unless you've had your head safely tucked under a rock, you are probably aware that the world around us has changed.

Prior to September 11, 2001 this was a much different country than it is today. Sure, we whined and complained, but we could get on a plane with little more than a ticket and boarding pass (and with a lot more luggage for a lot less price) and unlike today, retain our dignity in the process. There were millions more of us who had jobs, we could afford decent medical care, and we still had some semblance of privacy. As a nation we still had allies we could count on, and who could still count on us. While we had plenty of disagreements, for the most part the world was relatively stable, both geologically and socially. Then the world changed, and so did we; slowly at first, but now social change is happening at a more rapid pace. The Earth itself is in upheaval and society is freefalling toward chaos. That last part is no accident.

Until three years ago, we were still respected throughout the world, even (grudgingly) by our enemies, because we had a President who knew how to lead without surrendering our national dignity. But now we have a president who seemingly came from nowhere, has accelerated and exacerbated the trashing of our economy, has pushed our military to the brink of exhaustion while giving more aid and confidence to our enemies, has humiliated himself and this nation before the rest of the world, has emboldened our enemies and alientated our friends, and is redesigning this government on a neosocialist model which I believe will ultimately be the worst combination of the old Soviet Union and Huxley's Utopia. He has the attitude and arrogance of a king, with the leadership abilities of a demagogue.

Although children born within the last decade won't realize it because this is their "normal," things are dramatically diffferent today, and they are likely to get even more so in the months and years to come. We are witnessing an era marked by gross disrespect for the preborn, the very young, the elderly, and the peacefully patriotic. We are seeing continual diminishing of our right to free speech, freedom to peaceably assemble, right to dissent, right to protect ourselves, right to own and do as we wish with our own property, not to mention the right to life itself. A complicit news media distorts the truth to foster revolution. And the attacks against our freedoms have come from both sides of the aisle.

As people grasp for hope in increasingly difficult times, it is continually being pulled further away from us. One 'hand' doing the pulling are atheists.  Instead of being simply a personal choice, atheism as a movement has become more agressive, with its often nihilistic proponents initiating innumerable frivolous lawsuits against anything associated with Christianity (but oddly, virtually never against Islam).

Recently some have begun proselytizing their non-faith to the point of following the example of homosexual activists and trying to popularize it in movies, with TV sure to follow. On the other hand, our churches - the final bastion of organized hope - have been so deeply undermined that many are all-but-empty, and the preaching from many pulpits has become so radically separated from their world-changing founding document - the Holy Bible - that people are either flocking to some churches because they pander to man's weakest traits or they are running away from them because of their blatant fraudulence.

I'm undoubtedly going to ruffle feathers here, but if a church grossly violates biblical principles by redefining biblical doctrine, it should not even be called a Christian church. That applies especially to those denominations which cherry-pick the particular verses that can be twisted to a completely different meaning from their original intent, and those that ignore the Bible completely as the authoritative source of doctrine and information regarding the faith.

I know some readers are chomping at the bit to challenge me. "What do I consider as true biblical doctrine?" they're asking. My response would be that Christians should be following the Ten Commandments of the Mosaic Covenant, and the so-called "eleventh" commandment of Jesus Christ; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40).

It must be noted, however, that the Commandments were given to make us aware of our sinfulness before God, and that each of us is flawed, violating one or more of those laws either in our body or our thoughts, all of which are accountable before Him. To God, there are no greater or lesser crimes; all offenses are punishable by death, because a perfect God cannot tolerate imperfection; and as any thinking person will admit, a little disease (sin) soon spreads and contaminates the whole body. And because we are "faulty," and cannot free ourselves from the ultimate penalty, the Father offers us a means to save us from eternal punishment. Christ Jesus came to provide that Way to escape.

Christians, by default, should be bound by the New Covenant which is symbolized by baptism in Christ, because it was His sacrifice on the cross that provides salvation for us. For those who don't believe, nothing I say will convince them. We could have endless discussions on biblical doctrine and religous philosophy, but this forum is too limited, and I'll be the first to admit I don't have all the answers. God provides an option, but each of us chooses his own path. My real concern is that many are willing to believe, yet are confused by clever wolves in pastor's clothing who twist scripture to twist minds.

Rev. Wright and Fr. Pfleger
preach marxist revolution theology

There are now, for example, so-called mainstream "churches" that are attempting to gut the concept of the Holy Trinity; for example, abandoning the concept of God the Father. As the Father image is the superior aspect of the Trinity, the attempt to minimize or remove Him from the equation is nothing less than an attempt to destroy the faith at its very foundation, and those who preach such blasphemy from the pulpit are worse than mere liars.

But this all fits in with a larger plan initiated by the communist party that has been in effect for a long time. Concerning the Church, their goals were:

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

This plan was exposed back in 1963. Look at it, and then look around you. Has it been successful or not?
As I noted earlier, we each choose our own path, even if others limit our choices. Too many of us have either remained in the dark or silent, and the enemy isn't just at the gates, they are well within the gates. Our choices are now narrowing between life or death, prosperity or poverty, peace or war, courage or cowardice. Make your decision soon, or someone else will make it for you.