Looking foward to a UNited world?

President Barack Obama (I always feel like washing my hands after writing that!) traveled to India on a 10-day 'working vacation', taking in their national 'Festival of Lights' celebration, seeing the sights, and selling out a little more of the US before heading to Mayalsia, where he spent his formative years (6-10) studying the Koran. While there, he reminded the Malaysians that his efforts to improve relations with the Muslim world remain an "incomplete project."  May I humbly offer this suggestion, Mr. President? Get Muslims to quit trying to kill us and force their beliefs on the US and the entire world, and maybe our relations might improve dramatically.

What would we do without the United Nation? OK, stop laughing. No, seriously. I mean it. The ultimate Big Brother organizational wannabe has decided that it needs even more of our money (because most other nations know better than to give more than tokens from their own economies) to improve peoples' health around the world. I mean, the world is sick, and the big heads at the UN really need more of your money to throw at their problems. So you should just ignore that little UN report about how much healthier the world is now than it has ever been.

But what about the environment? The UN is looking for $100 billion annually and dreams of reams of regulations to "combat climate change" (Has anyone else noticed they no longer use "global warming" as an exuse since that term has been so thoroughly debunked?  Language is perhaps the slipperiest weapon ever). So now, we want to declare war on Nature itself?  And who knew that George Soros - the Puppet Master himself - was on that UN panel? Wow, George, you really get around!

The United Nations has long been popularly portrayed as a medium for peace (I cannot recall them ever touting the organization as being in favor of national prosperity, although several of their top dogs have gotten very rich there). Unfortunately, it's record has been a dismal failure in almost everything it puts its hands on. Since its inception, what have been its military successes?  Korea? That war has never been declared over; there is merely an uneasy 'cease-fire' which is often violated by the North. Vietnam? The UN did more to obstruct than to cooperate with the US as we tried to forestall a North Vietnamese invasion of the South and work to block the spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia. The 1991 Gulf War?  It failed to put any real pressure on Saddam Hussein; and it was only after that failure of diplomacy that the US and Britain (and a smattering of others) went in to save Kuwait from a horrific invasion and occupation (whether it was worth the effort is another debate). And because that conflict left Saddam in place (because of the limit of the UN mandate), we had to fight that war all over again - this time to the finish.

There were a couple of places where we did see the blue helmets, though. There was the Bosnian War in which we interrupted a civil war between a nominally-Christian/secular population that was fighting against encroaching Islamic nationalism. The result was a fractured country, and we still have troops there maintaining the 'peace'. Then there was Somalia. Yeah; that went well. Not.

The fact is that while the United Nations may have been portrayed as a means to bring about the nebulous concept of world peace, it has always been little more than an extension of the global communist elite for the furtherance of their goals, with a little humanitarian window-dressing thrown in for the sake of bilking billions of taxpayer dollars from the working segment of nations stupid enough to fall for them (like the US).  Despite the dreamy rhetoric of "the death of communism" when the Berlin Wall fell, it never really went away; it just went underground. It did what it always has done - it hides in the background until an opportune time.

The truth is, communism never went away, it only went underground; and now, with Obama in office and despite (or because of) the recent socialist losses in Congress, it is reemerging with a vengeance. We no longer seriously prosecute sedition or treason, in part because the Left (occassionally with the Right's assistance) have gradually redefined and reduced what it means to be an American.

Gimme Shelter?  Speaking of communism, why are the Russians constructing nearly 5,000 new fallout shelters in Moscow? Do they know something we don't? In actuality, the world has been made less safe precisely because of the consistent weakening of US strategic deterrence over the past decade.  The fact that we now have a president perceived by many foreign governments to be intellectually weak in the area of international politics, shall we say, less than assertive in his defense of the United States, and having a narcissistic ego that is subject to manipulation. These and other factors add up to a period of increased vulnerability of the US, if not to direct attack, then certainly to blackmail or other form of coercion.

The good guys.  We just celebrated another Veteran's Day.  It's the annual opportunity to remember all the millions of Americans (and a few foreigners who appreciate this nation more than a few of our own people) who have, and continue to, stand squarely between our homes and families, and those who seek to conquer or destroy us. Even those fellow Americans who insult the military, ignore or dishonor the flag, impugn our heritage and insult our values can do so largely because of our military. It has protected us since the Revolution, and it is because of the young men and women who put on the uniform that we still have the liberty to be free, to be productive, to follow our dreams, or to be ignorant, self-impressed fools.

Since our inception as an independent nation, we have always had serious enemies and small-minded enviers whom, if they can't beg, borrow or steal all we have to offer, would just as soon ruin us altogether so that no one else could benefit.  Hmmm...again, that sounds like a lot of our own people).  Our military services have always stepped up to the tasks at hand, whether providing aid for disaster relief here and abroad, or putting their own lives and limbs at risk to fight intractable foes.  Isolated embarrassments are the bane of every nation's forces, and we've had our share, but on the whole, our military has conducted itself above and beyond what most other forces can legitimately boast of.  for example, contrary to rabble-rousers and outright liars, America typically doesn't go in for conquest, it fights for principle and for our national survival.  And while we are often ( and I believe, accurately) accused of being somewhat top-heavy in military brass, there is no doubt that we have produced some of the most notable and exceptional military minds in modern history. One of our biggest concerns now is to avoid an irresponsible government from abusing our assets - especially our troops - any more than they already have.

It is my humble opinion that many of the most patriotic Americans are that way at least partly because of their (or their family members') military service. While time in service is often a combination of long periods of boredom punctuated by brief periods of anticipation or sheer terror, it is also a crucible that aids many on the road to maturity and personal responsibility.

Sure, there are a lot of less-than-fun moments when you're in the military. But there are also many less-than obvious (mostly to those without military experience) benefits to US military life that only serves to enhance one's perceptions, love of country, respect for others, and readiness to step up to right a wrong. For one thing (and I say this only half-jokingly) it teaches you how to live for extended periods in close proximity to other people whom you might not ordinarily have gotten along with. It teaches you to settle the little disagreements and learn to get along for your mutual benefit. It teaches you to watch your buddy's back, and feel confident that he's watching yours. It pushes you past your self-imposed limits and shows you that you can accomplish more than you thought, be more self-sufficient and responsible than you thought you could be. It teaches you to respect others, even those less able than you, and to extend a helping hand. It teaches you how to subordinate your own selfish desires to the greater effort. It also teaches you that you are part of one of the greatest military traditions and forces of all time. It helps you to define, appreciate, and strive to live with honor. And of course, you get to occasionally shoot guns, throw grenades, blow stuff up, handle expensive, high-tech gear and go places you never expected (or wanted) to go.

The Sheep That Roared

Last time, I mentioned the Tea Parties that occured on September 12. While the no-longer-mainstream media worked hard to ignore them or downplay them, those gatherings have helped to invigorate a large portion of America that had begun to lose hope in their nation's future.

In particular, the Washington, DC tea party was a rallying cry for the renewal of the Founders' dream of a free and independent country in which government defers to the people, instead of the people cowering under the government boot. Ordinary working Americans -- people who are usually loathe to parade in the streets and wave signs -- gained a newfound strength and zeal for what it means to be an American, and what it takes to defend it. The crowd, estimated to be as much as 1.7 million white-, black-, Hispanic-, and Asian-American people, marched, cheered, and voiced their frustrations and their righteous anger at the wholesale betrayal committed by those we sent to protect it. And they did it without any violence, arrests, drug use, gunfire, profanity-laced speeches, or mountains of litter.

It was encouraging to me, because as I look around, I see way too many people who have little or no real conception of what being an American is all about. It's something that has been allbut drummed out of our consciousness. We've become so wrapped up in our own little bubble that nothing else registers; not the increasing theft of our money by taxation without real representation; not the dismantling of our national defense and betrayal of our friends; not the continuous insults heaped upon us by our own leaders here and around the world; not the intentional teaching of our children to loathe our own nation; not even the incremental loss of our freedoms through unnecessary overregulation. What is occuring before our eyes is a much greater tragedy than anything Shakespeare could have envisioned.

No defense. Treason is a word you rarely, if ever, hear mentioned in American politics; or elsewhere, for that matter. Despite the gross insults and harsh epithets bandied about by all sides of an argument, that seems to be the only remaining 'unspeakable' word in the English language. But I think it's time to polish it off and reaquaint ourselves with it.

How would you define treason? My own answer is "to actively betray military and intelligence secrets related to our defense; or to join with or perform acts for the joint purpose of aiding our enemies and hampering our own defenses, or otherwise threatening our existence as a nation of free people." These criteria could be met by high officials in a variety of ways; causing conflicts within the command structure, ignoring experienced advice for the purpose of weakening our capabilities or - in the case of war - our resolve to win and come home. Some, including myself, have come to believe our own president is either grossly incompetent to command, or is willfully pursuing a strategy to weaken us in Afghanistan and elsewhere, which will lead to our ultimate defeat. Additionally, he is doing a full-court press to force cultural and institutional changes in all sectors of America. In my view, that's how President Obama has been conducting the affairs of state since his inauguration. And that puts all of us at risk.

Along that line of thought: President Obama continued his "Trash America" world tour on Wednesday, although this time the rest of the world came here to listen to BHO commit rhetorical treason at the UN. I believe he is trying to walk a fine line, following the typical liberal policy of 'deny (any charge), distract (attention from what they're doing) and defame (their opponents),' favoring a not-so-rhetorical brand of treason in his conduct of our national defense. In addition to gutting our missile defense program, he has marginalized our military effort in Afghanistan, and alienated some of our most trusted allies. He needs to commit to either winning the war and bringing the troops home, or continuing the Vietnam-era tradition of simply pulling out and declaring defeat. His current stonewalling is costing needless lives on both sides, which only strengthens the Taliban. I think he's trying to wait until the American people cry out for bringing the troops home, so he can offically wash his own hands of blame. And that's not only cowardly, it is despicable to cause so much human suffering simply to further his own political aims.

Your children on public education. I've often railed against the state of public education in America (being a product of it myself; which explains a lot). Glenn Beck has been looking into what kind of minds the progressive-laced education - at an unbelievable cost-to-effect ratio - has produced in typical college students today.

But the progressive/socialist begins much, much earlier. Take, for example, the video Story of Stuff, an undisguided attack on capitalism and promotion for government control of our lives that is being shown - specifically geared for 9- to 12-year-olds - in grammar schools (and some churches) across the country. If you care about what is being fed to your children in public schools, try this point by point rebuttal of the Story of Stuff. Memories are incredibly difficult to erase, and the early ones form the basis of our personalities for a lifetime.

The latest outrage is a disturbing video of small schoolchildren being coached to sing praises to Obama. The essence of this piece of Obama-worship and similar events dredges up memories of another charismatic Pied Piper. To forget history is to doom ourselves to repeating it.

"Amazing Grace" indeed. After all the depressing news, it's time to look for the positive and refresh our spirits. Turn the sound on and listen to Il Divo's rendition of this most famous inspirational hymn.