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.

What Are You Prepared To Do, Part 2

The election is over, the choices have been made; thankfully, some were even cast by the voters.

Last week, I briefly outlined some of the many problems we are dealing with as a nation, as well as some that we aren't really dealing with at all. The two main questions we need answers to are, who should I believe, and what should I do? I'm talking about our role as citizens, and about the future of this entire nation, not just our own little part of it.

Part of the progressives' master plan, as I see it, has been to overwhelm the American people with the "Whack-A-Mole" approach; to hammer us with outrage after outrage in an attempt to keep us off-balance, to anger and frustrate us, and to provoke a violent reaction. This would give those in power the excuse to dramatically curtail all our rights (which, presumeably, would disqualify them as rights), to enforce authoritarian rule without the citizens having any peaceable recourse, and to "fundamentally change" the US for a long, long time. We must never forget that virtually all those in the top echelon of our government today are products of the 1960s and '70s radical student movement. Many of these people were schooled in Soviet-style tactics on how to infiltrate and overthrow governments for the purpose of installing a communist-style regime. However, they did not study how to build a new world that any of us would want to live in; they concentrated their attention on the mechanisms of disruption and destruction.

Again let me remind you, I'm trying to fill in some important details to a generation who has typically not been taught about the history of communism. A  series of YouTube videos of a former KGB propaganda expert explains how the rot was introduced and nurtured in America, Britain and Western Europe. Many of the older folks have lived through the era where the spread of communism was highlighted daily in the news and was a legitimate fear. It is no less real now, but a lot less well-known, because it has been largely hidden from public view.  We have become a culture of selfishness and ignorance. But as hundreds of millions of oppressed - and mostly dead - people would tell you if they could, ignorance is not an excuse.

As I noted earlier, the people now running this country have been at this game - this strategy - for a long time. Late in the 19^th century and early in the 20^th, people schooled in European socialism began to earnestly apply themselves to endeavors that are critical if someone wants to gradually infiltrate a society and introduce change. These people, whether influenced by German or French Marxism, Italian Fascism or British Fabianism, all had a common goal: the destruction of a free society and the subjugation of the people by a ruling elite. In this they were no different than Genghis Khan or Julius Caesar, or other tyrants throughout history. They were just more subtle about it, much like Satan tempted Eve; not by forcing her to eat the forbidden fruit, but by causing her to doubt the rule that God had given them for their own protection.

That is similar to what the socialists/progressives/Marxists have done to us here; they've introduced doubt. They've caused us to doubt the collective wisdom of the Founders, they've enticed us to believe that hard things can be done easily and without cost, and like Satan in the Garden, they've fooled a lot of people into disbelieving God's word and His promises to us, both for good and for bad behavior. But we don't have time here today to go over the literal mountains of evidence and facts that support what I've told you, so let's concentrate on just a couple of the things that affect us today.

Let's begin with jobs, because our job - or our career, or our calling - is perhaps the single most important thing that allows us to be independent, to be self-confident, to express and enjoy our liberty. Some of us may hate our job, but if we lose it we begin to hate ourselves, and eventually we may take that self-loathing out on other people around us. Well, many Americans are losing their jobs. The federal government tells us we're currently experiencing around 9.5% unemployment. But a recent '60 Minutes' segment reveals that when you "unfudge" the numbers the actual unemployment numbers are nearly twice that amount, at over 17%.

In 1933, arguably the worst year of the Great Depression, unemployment hit 24.9%. Will we match that, or even exceed it? Let's see; since 2000 we've lost 5.5 million manufacturing jobs in this country; since 2001, 42,400 factories have closed their doors, and over half of them had 500 or more workers. A few days ago the government announced that 434,000 new unemployment claims had been filed, and that's for just a week ago. When we're hemorrhaging jobs like that, how long can we continue to stand before we're all standing in a bread line? At what point do we become so crippled that we cannot even provide emergency aid for ourselves, let alone other nations in distress? Do you honestly think the United States could afford another disaster like Hurricane Katrina now? Keep in mind that eventually, everything connects and affects everything else.

Only a half-century ago, America was called the "engine of democracy." But because of progressive, socialist, globalist interference and what I believe has been deliberate sabotage, we are now being turned into a second- or -third-world basketcase.  We are being collapsed, no less than ancient Rome was when it was sacked by the tribes of the Vandals. And the modern-day vandals are inside our gates as well. Rome's downfall was a bloody, vicious event. I suspect that if the Lord doesn't intervene, and if a large percentage of Americans doesn't join His side, we will also experience a wave of violence like we've never seen in this nation since the Civil War, because a minority of workers and taxpayers can't support a majority of dependents in a nation forever, especially when you've crippled its ability to feed and power itself; and hungry people get angry.

I could go on and on telling you about what's wrong in America, but honestly, more and more dirt is uncovered each day. Instead, let's try to concentrate on what we can do, what we should do.

We should start with prayer. We should get down on our knees each day with humility (that's where the knees come in) ask our heavenly Father to preserve this nation; not for our own personal sake, but for all the innocent people who are or will be victimized by corrupt government and ungodly people. Not for our own sake but for those who will follow after us and wonder why we allowed this to happen to them. Not for ourselves, but for the tens of millions in other countries who have it much worse than us, but who look at us as an island of hope in a sea of hopelessness. As a nation we've done a lot to damage that hope and the future dreams of our children - and their children. We first turned our backs on God, then we turned to vain loudmouths who made promises they had no intention or ability to keep. Now, more than ever, we have to turn back to Him, and to convince as many others as possible that He is ultimately the only solution to our problems, no matter what those problems might be.

Next, we have to start or continue to participate in the process. We can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines watching others try to do the heavy lifting while we carry on as though our only concern is our own life, because, like a leaky roof, the things we neglect will come back to haunt us. If you're old enough to vote and aren't registered, why not? If you are registered, did you get to the booth? In any event, it looks as though there may be future elections (this might not have been the case if the election had gone the other way).  Before you cast your next vote, do a little homework about the candidates, and do not rely solely on the commercials and the stream of candidate's flyers in your mailbox.

Up until election night I had several people ask me who to vote for. I wouldn't presume to tell someone that, because I recognize that it's difficult to know who to trust. Frankly, you won't find a perfect candidate, because the only ones running are all mere human beings. But I will tell you how I decide who to pull the lever for; you might use these tips next time.

I don't pay much attention to the party affiliation because one doesn't stand for the things I believe in, and the other has proven that it doesn’t believe in the things it says it stands for (I hope for their sake they learn from this election that they cannot afford to be the 'other party lite'.  I don't particularly care for the libertarian line because they seem to put freedom ahead of responsibility, and independents can go either way, but they too often lean left.  So, because I can't trust party affiliation, I look at their history. What have they supported; what have they opposed? What other groups or people are they affiliated with:

Social groups - are they members of the Knights of Columbus or the Boy Scouts, or NAMBLA or ?the Fabian Society (note: the Left cannot really separate social from political)?

Political groups - are they part of Americans for Separation of Church and State, the ACLU or the Sierra Club, or are they friendly with the US Chamber of Commerce or the National Right to Life Committee? Causes - do they back "a woman's right to choose" or same-sex marriage, or "save the trees" or do they favor right to life, return to the Constitution, the 2^nd amendment?

Who endorses them? -  Are they supported by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), or the National Rifle Association? The National Federation of Teachers, SEIU or AFL-CIO, or Freedom Works, the John Birch Society, or the Tea Party? If they're unwilling to show these connections, they either don't have the political courage to stand on their beliefs, they're trying to hide their true beliefs, or they don't have any to stand on. In any case, they don't get my vote.

Another thing you should do is try to be as prepared as you are able for the 'worst-case scenario.' The economy is still in very bad shape and getting worse.  Anything could happen; perhaps a national emergency that could put the election on hold for an indefinite period. And even though a lot of the "good guys" won, we still have the lame-duck session to get through, where it's a sure bet that the sore losers will do all they can to pass bad laws, hold up good legislation, and do as much damage to the country as they can before they go home. 

Nearly three-quarters of the combined legislature have been in office for more than a decade, and quite a few for several decades. Those people have dug deep trenches and have far-reaching strings they can pull. This  Congress is now at its most dangerous, because many feel they have little left to lose, and has the potential to cause total chaos and to indirectly initiate massive violence and mayhem just by holding up some legislation, or blocking certain funding for the 'entitlement class.' We must be mentally and physically prepared for that possibility. 

We learned some great lessons from this election.  We learned that we, the people still have power, if we choose to use it, and use it courageously and wisely.  Although preparedness is a good idea at all times, try to be ready for what could go wrong. Do your best to be prepared for worst-case scenarios. 

• If you're able, try to set aside extra cash for emergencies or even casual expenses, in case the electronic banking system goes down. Try to avoid increasing your debt load, even as government raises taxes, eliminates exemptions, and causes a ripple effect throughout the economy that increases the price of everything.
• If you haven't before, take a first-aid course and get a good-quality home medical book. As medical expenses climb and care is rationed, we may be fending for ourselves more and more. It would also be wise to stock your medicine cabinet with essentials like aspirin or other pain relievers, first aid supplies including cotton swabs, antiseptic, rubbing alcohol, assorted bandaids, peroxide, etc.
• Think about ways to secure your home from intruders: learn self-defense, learn how to use weapons (not just guns, but common objects), reinforce your doors and window locks, do a security survey around the home. See what you can do to make it safer against burglary, home invasion (which is becoming more common), storm damage, and fire. Have a fire plan, get an extinguisher and learn how to use it.
• Form a personal network: meet with friends and family you can trust, and discuss ways of mutually supporting one another; if someone has yard space for a garden, consider a joint food garden project. If one home is compromised, plan for extra guests for extended periods. (Note: This will be one of the hardest things for a lot of people to do. We all know that guests are like fish, after three days they both begin to stink. Choose such alliances wisely; don't make promises to take in people who will be more of a burden than a help. Selfish people with no skills or willingness to contribute to the common good may find a rude awakening when the bad times come.) Meet with those people when practical and have serious discussions about your capabilities and your limitations, and draw up a plan for what you all might do, and what conditions would be the trigger event to activate your plans.
• Never be content with your preparations, or leave yourself dependent on the stuff you have or the place you're in.  Always be thinking of 'Plan B.'

These measures really aren't anything just for trying times, they are practical suggestions for all times. When it comes right down to it, we can't prepare for everything, or for an indefinite time period. But what we can do is to look to God, help each other, and be the best citizens of Christendom we can be.

Problems? What problems?

It's the Independence Day weekend, and before I depress you, here's something to inspire you.  Rise Up! is a terrific and inspiring music video that is fast becoming the anthem for the Tea Party movement. OK; now, on to Bummerville.

I know, you've heard it all from me before; the Progressives are destroying the country, the education system is destroying the minds of the next generation, Islam is going to open a mosque in your front hall, bladda, bladda, bladda. Maybe you're thinking "He's making too much out of nothing, this will blow over after the elections, it can't happen here as long as I don't pay attention."

Sorry, snowflake; sometimes things are as bad as they seem, or worse. I've come to the conclusion that we have passed the 'tipping point', and things are headed in a truly evil direction.  Still, people would rather look the other way than start looking at the evidence.  Take, for instance, the rising tide of hate happening in this country, both racially and ideologically.  Despite the best efforts of many people, there are some who subconsciously amplify their own bad personal experiences and/or feed off the lies and horror stories of the hate-preachers among us.

Racism exists in every color, although in America the popular perception has been that it is the exclusive domain of white people. And there is history to support that contention to an degree, but in a kind of mocking, self-fulfilling prophecy, much of that history has been grossly distorted. Someone believes the lies and distortions they've grown up hearing; that hatred takes root, and they eventually perpetrate the same sort of terror and tragedy on those he/she has been convinced are devils, thus becoming a 'devil' themselves while convincing themselves they are the 'good guys'.

Am I wrong? So, then, how do you explain an attitude like the guy who spoke at a public forum advocating the extermination of white people? Or a rogue Justice Department that seems to feel that reverse racism is justifiable? The truth is that there are many who have done their best to overturn the work of Martin Luther King and others who put their own lives at risk to make things better. And they were largely successful. Over the past generation, while there are still and always the throwbacks, we haven't been the same jaundiced people that our grandfathers were or knew. As evidence, consider the sheer number of highly successful black sports and media stars, not to mention certain political figures. Yet there is an atmosphere of change that could potentially undo all the good will that has been forged over the past few decades. I contend that much of the prejudice can be laid at the feet of the Demoncrats and socialists/Progressives who have perpetuated a victim mentality that has destroyed families, communities, and hope for millions of black Americans (and that doesn't even consider the millions more who have been victims of abortion - no thanks to progressive Hitler-admirer Margaret Sanger).

Things could be worse?  Your President, Barack Hussein Obama, recently went off-teleprompter in Racine, Wisconsin, where he told an audience that "things could be worse" than the 9.6% national unemployment rate. As he stumbled over the good news that "at least it's not at 12 or 13 or 15%," he seemed oblivious to the fact that in the Racine job market, the unemployment rate was just a tad over 14%.  Perhaps he still has the same coach who must have told him there were more than 57 states, although I suppose that could be excused for someone not born(?), raised, or educated in this country. 

No longer in "arms" way?  As if to acknowledge John Stossel's recent Fox Business Channel report that more guns equal less crime, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), in a 5-4 decision, reaffirmed the Second Amendment right to own firearms. While gun opponents are not likely to give up in their deeply-rooted hatred of the individual right to self-defense (some cities are already drafting new laws to effectively cancel out the decision), the ruling does hearten those who believe in private gun ownership.

Honoring that independent streak.  As we prepare to celebrate our nation's birthday, it would be well to remind ourselves and those around us that the occasion is more than just another party opportunity.  Hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their lives to grant us the liberty to live our lives generally in the way we choose rather than being forced to follow the strictures of some tyrant. A mere one percent of our population has provided the fresh air of liberty for the 99% who have sacrificed little and (in recent decades) complained much.

Yet it is becoming clearer each day that we have forgotten those sacrifices, and we have squandered our birthright by self-indulgence and apathy. Each day, we see our rights being minimized and threatened by our own leaders. While some are in denial, others are waking up to realize they have been supporting a political system that is actively working against our freedom, our prosperity, and which threatens our posterity.

As you celebrate the fourth of July - our Independence Day - remind your friends, family and strangers of how precious our liberty is; how fragile it is, and how endangered it is.  Liberty is a gift from God that is too often truly appreciated only when it is lost. Pray to Him who offers it, that He doesn't take it back.

Power play

Did you hear about the non-binding House resolution that voted in favor of Puerto Rican statehood? Unless you're a Glenn Beck fan (or read  New American), you probably didn't, since he was the only reporter of the story to hit the media the day before the vote occurred. Yet another sterling example of the Obama malAdminstration's version of 'transparency', and, incidentally, Beck's cutting-edge reporting and analysis of the sinister operations of our government.  He is doing the job of journalists who have seemingly gone off to become government propagandists. The final vote was 223-169 in favor of the resolution, with more than 50 Republicrats going along with it. What people don't realize is that it was just another step in a massive power play to secure a huge potential voting block that will keep the Demoncrats in power for a generation or more. While the vote was only a resolution, it served to take one more option off the table when it next comes up for a vote, bringing the island one step closer to statehood.

What's so bad about that, you ask?  Well, currently Puerto Rico pays no income tax, while reaping virtually all the benefits of statehood. That's one big reason the islanders have voted against statehood several times.

The Progressives are agitating through their numerous front groups for Puerto Ricans, for illegal immigrants, for ex-convicts, and for residents of Washington, D.C. to push for voting rights. And it begs the question, who would be the primary beneficiary of those votes?  (Of course, there are "front groups" on every side; but which are trying to defend America, and which are trying to weaken it?)

Question: when does a conspiracy theory actually become conspiracy truth? There is such an immense and far-reaching web of deceit in play right now that it's nearly impossible to imagine or wrap your head around it. The vast majority of what used to be called journalists are virtually silent on the all-encompassing plot to undermine America's existence as a free Republic. Generations of us have been deliberately dumbed down in respect to our heritage, our history, our form of government and our personal responsibilities, because an ignorant or nervous populace is an easily-led populace. After more than a century of socialist intellectual-elitist subterfuge, we have finally reached the tipping point where those behind the scenes truly believe they merely need to give us a final push over the edge and they will reach their own perverse Nirvana: a "brave new world" where truth is irrelevant and meaning is only what the State requires it to be. Most Americans haven't got a clue. Hey, we all begin life with the meter at 'zero'.  But the real tragedy is that most of them wouldn't care even if they did know. Incidentally, if the Progressives (regardless of party) get all they want, how soon do you think it will be before they repeal the 22nd Amendment?  And you thought the Bushes were a dynasty?
                                                                                  
The new Mexican-American War?  Anyone not living in a cave or getting their news exclusively from MSNBC and their ilk knows that there is a war going on at our southern border. Mexican drug gangs are quickly turning into major power players ("do as we say or we'll cut your family's heads off")south of the border, and thugs are now making military-style incursions across the border into our own country. While their hit-and-run attacks don't always go as planned, Tucson, Arizona has become the No. 2 kidnapping capital of the world.  Fed up with these foreign incursions, kidnappings, tortures, murders, and the utter non-response of the federal government, Arizona finally took matters into their own hands and enacted a law allowing police to arrest ILLEGAL aliens. The law doesn't specify race or point of origin, and should be a model for other states, since we seem to be under a subtle attack from many nations, as well as from our own government and social elites.

As must now be expected in an age when sanity has been displaced as the ruling thought process, mobs of people are trailing behind Al Sharpton and other race-baiting, opportunistic miscreants to shout down the AZ law. The obnoxious Left is raging against the law, falling back on their usual meme of calling supporters racists or "Nazis". 

Every time you hear someone on the Left call a conservative a Nazi, know that it is evidence of how deliberately crappy and indoctrinational our non-educational system has become. I mean, how long has it been since a teacher actually taught that the term "Nazi" was a German contraction for "National Socialist"?  In truth, one of the primary and most effective (against an uninformed populace) weapons of the insidious Left is their skill at accusing their enemies of their own sins.  I believe the term is "guilt transferrance".  It is the way that liars typically win arguments, and how evil governments rewrite history to make themselves look like heroes, and make the good guys appear to be the bad guys. Want examples? Compare American history textbooks from a century ago to those in use today.

No more valor?  You may have heard about Rev. Franklin Graham recently being  "disinvited" from speaking at a service at the Pentagon to commemorate the National Day of Prayer on May 6th. His offense? He called Islam a "very wicked and evil religion." Naturally, militant Islamicists such as CAIR are up in arms (figuratively only...so far), and they've brought enough heat on Graham's utterance to cause the Army to cancel Graham's invitation. It shouln't go unnoticed that the military serves at the order of the Commander-in-Chief.  In what appears to be nothing more than an attempt to play both sides, CiC Obama went to the Graham home on Sunday and spoke with Franklin and his 91-year-old father, Billy. Like a dutiful president, Obama pledged to "look into it."  Keep in mind that "looking" isn't the same as "doing."

OK; we have radical Muslims around the world and in our own country attacking us verbally, politically and violently.  Those within our borders enjoy the protection of our legal system, with (former) combatants and terrorists living the fat and lazy life in our prisons as they proselytize and recruit the lame-brained and disaffected among us.  Our valiant CiC treks around the world apologizing for America while conveniently leaving out all the things those countries should be thanking us for.  Meanwhile, a Christian minister is dissed because he dares to imply that his religion is superior to another one...one that urges its followers to blow themselves up to get virgins in the afterlife, that treats its own women as slaves, that shows no mercy, and that pledges to enslave, torture and kill anyone who will not submit to it.  Have I got that all straight?

Honestly, what kind of preacher would Rev. Graham be if he didn't believe his faith was superior to all others, and have the courage to speak it plainly? Better yet; when was the last time you heard a Muslim cleric claim that Christianity was as valid as Islam? Yeah; thought so.

Tyranny, rising

In case you haven't noticed, tyranny is no longer something that only happens to other nations, nor is it merely an unpleasant aspect of history. Tyranny in various forms and stages has plagued mankind throughout history.  It surrounds us even today, and on a global scale has been the aim of Progressives (also known as liberals, socialists, Marxists, communists, ad nauseum) for a long time. It has been creeping up on our own shores for more than a century.  For all our imperfections, America has at least presented the illusion, if not the fact, of being a shelter from that storm.

Now, America has been brought to the tipping point, where the most aggressive Progressives believe this is their moment; the prime opportunity to seize power and destroy that pesky freedom thing we Americans seem so attached to.  Too many of us have no real idea of what's at risk here.  We are told again and again that this or that is a right, but we are no longer taught what rights really are (clearly spelled out here by News legal analyst and former Judge Andrew Napolitano), and that ignorance leaves the door open for all sorts of evil.

One of the things Progressives conveniently ignore is the essential role of God in American liberty and throughout our national history, and most Americans have forgotten - or have never been taught - how essential God is to our cherished and undervalued way of life.  This animosity toward the foundational faith of America includes slams such as atheist public school teachers humiliating young students for their Christian faith and college professors comparing the Christian cross to the swastika.

But just as egregious as ignoring God, the progressives are now actively changing our history (please watch this segment) even as we live through it. The ways in which they do it can be subtle; not just through what passes for news, but also which news items they don't report.  The effect they seek is - as Obama told us a few days before the election - "fundamentally transforming America." They are rapidly turning this  country into their long-awaited socialist a Utopia (literally: "no place") that will be a living nightmare for all but the most influencial. 

There are only two things standing in the way of this Marxist juggernaut.  One has been Americans who still believe in the American dream; people like the 9.12 Project, the Tea Party movement and other conservative grass-roots groups and gatherings.  But those people are being maligned, belittled, ignored and occasionally, physically attacked by the Left's radicals.  The Left has no intention of going away peaceably; their course of last resort has always been extremism and violence.  They, like their spiritual brothers the radical Islamists, are bullies by nature; if they can't convince you, they'll force you to follow them, or they will try to destroy you.  And any clear look at the wake of both those philosophies will show that hopelessness, depression, enslavement and poverty result.

The second thing that may stand in the way of the Left's fulfillment of their dream to take over America is...Barack Hussein Obama. There is a growing disillusionment with the pace of the formerly Annointed One's putsch by the less-patient fanatics on the Left.  His speech in Copenhagen was disappointing to those who were expecting to get their undeserved share of what's left of America's wealth.  His fiscal policies (the "inheritance" from Bush is past; he owns it now) are utter failures as they drive the economy deeper into the dirt, and Americans into debt.  The poorly-named stimulus of 2009 also bombed, with every state except North Dakota and Washington, DC showing a net loss of jobs (and even those two fell far short of government expectations - it was supposed to produce jobs).

Not so funny then, less funny now.  For years, long-ago Saturday Night Live star and current Minnesoa Senator, Al Franken, has demonstrated that what little sense of humor he has is geared more toward sarcasm and insult rather than levity.  Since the dubious court decision that ended an election tie with Norm Coleman, Franken has shown himself to be more Frankenstein than funnyman, as he uses his senatorial privilege and committee memberships to insult, confront and annoy both Republicans and those on his own side of the aisle who don't show proper party unity. He has revealed himself to be even more petty, hateful, disrespectful and hyper-partisan than we thought.

Mosque, or mocks? America is a country wherein by default, virtually any religion will be allowed to exercise itself. Unfortunately, this graciousness (some might say, short-sighted foolishness) extends itself even to religions that have shown themselves to be hostile to America and our traditional values. Now, as a slap in the face to the respect we offer, a new five-story mosque is being constructed just two blocks from the World Trade Center site.

The building, which formerly housed the Burlington Coat Factory, was abandoned after it was damaged by a falling landing gear assembly from one of the ill-fated aircraft used in the attack that killed nearly 3,000 people.  The the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), which took over the building, plans to develop it into a major Islamic cultural center.  Curiously, a permit was granted even though city inspectors were unable to gain access to inspect the building, despite several reports of illegal construction and blocked exits. What are they hiding? Who else in New York City could get away with such slipperyness, especially in light of such a high-profile development?

I wonder; will it be the same sort of 'cultural center' where the terrorists who hijacked those planes were trained?  Will the worshippers be able to look out at that still-undeveloped hole in the ground as they face Mecca during prayer?  Are they connected with the Black Muslim communities throughout the US, including Hancock, NY (aka, "Islamburg), where members practice paramilitary and guerilla tactics.  Frankly, I'm not so concerned about the training as I am about their philosophy for using it.