Ending the American Experiment

August 30, 2014

Ending the American Experiment

The economics of civic unrest, which escalates into a frenzied looters oasis, will hurt the poor more than it will the rich. No one is shocked to see the Sharpton’s of the world out in their defiant stance promoting violence, while our president once again manipulates Congress to increase his power. That is the Alinsky mindset and for those who were once mindful of what could occur under these conditions you are either:

1. Aware of the sign of the times and deeply understand what will happen if we do not, as a nation, come to our senses quickly.
or
2. Given up caring and no longer are able to discern the sign of the times. We have in a real sense, become our own worse enemies.

You can delete certain Republicans from the list of those who we once trusted to promote the common good. These modern fat cats have sold out time after time. Little sins add up to bigger sins and there is no better proof of such a fact than the modern Rino. He promotes his interests with real estate brokers, small town police departments, county officials, and back room deals. He may cheat on his wife and drink too much with a “how dare you find me out” demeanor. He lies about his opponents and ridiculously fanes humility while inwardly plotting how he is going to get his next narcissistic supply.

Libertarianism is getting popular with thoughts of “let people do what they want and let individuals just take care of themselves”. This is the mantra of many ex-conservatives because they do see the messy trail progressivism has left behind but what the libertarians do not see is the utilitarian individualism that is housing their foundation. This republic worked for so long because it was based on the common good, which demanded that citizens take an interest in the welfare of others. YOU are your brothers keeper. It defended the unborn and protected marriage between one man and one woman. This republic let folks have their preferences but did not let it dictate the culture. It understand restraint in its own movement forward for the sake of future generations.

For those Americans who thought all day compulsory education would lead to a great competing country on a global scale ...yeah, that didn’t happen either. Instead, the opposite has happened. We are shoving our babes off to school by the age of three to be “educated”. The proof of such an experiment has been a dismal failure. We are importing qualified employees from other countries to compensate for our own lack of quality skilled technicians. The main concern is not the education of the child but whether the school gets funding from the state and federal government. If a child misses a day, the school doesn’t get that child’s payment from the state for that calendar day. If that is what is so important to the schools, we are sicker than we thought. Not many tenured teachers are very impressive anymore, let alone the young teachers that have no idea what real learning is and how to instill that in their students. Even those professing to promote a classical education are dismally aware of what that even entails.

For those of you who thought your continual weekend getaways, drunken dinner parties, Xbox gaming, channel surfing, pornography.... would never harm anyone, uh...it has. It has taken a toll on your America to such a point that one no longer recognizes her. This is not the America the founding fathers left in your stead. They were adamant that a strong America only exists when the people are other-oriented and virtuous. Passively pushing the buck to someone else to take care of your country while declaring you are sick and tired of all the liberals is insane. Quite frankly, it is this type of self-indulgent mindset that got us into this mess in the first place.

Each generation, since the beginning of the American experiment, was not meant to be a substitute for those that started this nation (although, I would relish that idea now). Each generation was to rally the moral imagination anew, strive for excellence in thought and deed, and remember that Rome would burn again if forsaken for self-interest.

The Sharpton’s of the world are able to do what they do because the Americans, who claim to love this nation, only love their stuff and want to be left alone. They want their drink of choice, their game of the night, and have forsaken their own children with smart phones. The Pelosi’s are voted in again and again because we could care less what goes on in Washington as long as no one fusses over our life choices, life comforts, and addictions. The Alinsky push will keep pushing its ideology because the reality of what learning is is not worth the effort and we just want someone else to deal with the disgruntled “Move On” transients and gold diggers.

Rome is burning and it is not the fault of the Sharpton’s of the world. We expect folks like that to gain some notoriety every so often but not to be one of the prime instigators. Good men did nothing for far too long. They passed the buck and dodged the call to participate in life’s challenges. They continue to stand down to responsibility and stand strong in indignation toward those they find “below them” or “immoral”. Such a sad way to end the great American experiment: By the very ones that claimed to be the best citizens.

Pulled by Naturalism: horizontally dead....

 July 12, 2014

Pulled by Naturalism: horizontally dead-----

Modern man is having a rough time discerning the sign of the times and that is in part due to Naturalism's pull to stay within the perimeters of a materialistic utilitarian existence. The transcendent truth of a great Love, which longs to cherish each human person personally is amiss in the swelling culture of rationalism, emotionalism, and self-gratification. Not even Descartes could have seen the future for what it has become today. He could not stomach the vast abyss between man’s dependence on matter and his lack of dependence on sanctifying grace. Although, Descartes saw rationalism as a triumph, he still worshiped the One true God until his dying day. Getting to the core of something observable or mathematically or dissecting parts until the whole is seen was and is a great triumph for the Cartesian or Naturalist and Descartes was fine with putting God in another room, other than the lab, until his science portion of the day had ended. Today, God is kept from all rooms.

Aristotle would say that life is much more lived when we discover the divine imperfectly. When that route is taken, we really make discoveries because it is in right relation to reality and our connection to the Creator; not on a Cartesian or pantheistic course. The Divine’s omnipotence will lead us to the right discoveries at the right time. Is it submission? Yes. Is it ordered according to Someone else other than our own mind? Yes. Is it subject to ethical discernment under the law of God? Yes. Does it require a detachment from using any means to reach a desired end? Yes. But I wonder, when there was a great surge in art and science, man was very much in love with the Creator and directed his efforts vertically. Even before Michelangelo’s time, the so-called cold middle ages boomed with vertical living. Music’s notation, self-governmental ideas,  Gothic cathedrals, Giotto, medicine, philosophy, astronomy, guilds, apprentices, hospitals, orphanages....Wow! Many readily wanted to live a life in accordance with their Creator. Since Heaven was considered to be “up” then man must look vertically; Not at oneself for meaning but toward something Divine, and that Divine cared about the work man was doing.

It is hard to imagine such a society today. With the advent of the Renaissance and every age afterwards, man has lived more and more horizontally, if not actually tilting toward a descent downward. Can we turn as a whole nation toward:

“All Being within this order, by the laws
of its own nature is impelled to find
its proper station round its Primal Cause.
Dante

The Higher Edumicated Thinking Humans

(Don't Pay for College Insanity and Astronomical Tuition Costs)
June 21, 2014

 University and College costs are no longer considered high. They are seen as an astronomical insanity. It is insane to pay for college costs that will take decades to pay back. It is literally insane to continue down a federally implemented loan structure where academia sarcastic progressive elites and greedy federal interests pocket the tax payers hard earned dollars, while families go broke. Those that take on these loans are like frogs in simmering pots, who are smiling and croaking culturally faddish tunes in complete oblivion to the choke hold coming their way. It is not so much their fault because our whole country is on the same hellish ride pretending that the bolts that have come loose on the ride will never effect them even though they are all crashing on the same hellish ride.

Besides the growing costs of governmental student loans, the idea of what a university is supposed to be is now in question. True universities teach a student ideas that help one grow in his life as a citizen, as a statesman, and as a child of God. Degrees have become nothing more than a way to administer facts about specific careers. Great noble ideas are left out of the college curriculum and this has defiled the word "university". This battleground of life is worth hacking over whether one pays over a hundred thousand dollars for an education not worth a penny compared to a true university.

 Bachelor degrees are now considered passe when put beside the master's degree because of the fact that a larger portion of society possess bachelor degrees than in the past. More people are actually getting PhD's because more people have master's degrees. As the jobs decrease and the over qualified job seekers are a dime a dozen, the competition increases---leaving us wondering, "Was the degree ever worth it in the first place?"

What options do students and parents have right now? Firstly, partner together as a family and agree that there is no easy fix. If college is the mode to get the student where he wants to be in the future, then costs can be eased when the student gets good grades in high school, studies to increase his/her scores on the SAT, goes through the FAFSA process, keeps a transcript resume during high school, does not expect luxuries while in college, works part time, and stays the course while in college (no heavy drinking, studies for tests, maintains a schedule).

Parents should help curtail some of the costs. Maybe mom can get a part time job to help with costs. Maybe some of that savings for a specific luxury, such as a sail boat, would be better spent on your child's education. Help with the FAFSA process, take the child to visit  potential colleges that cater to his/her interests that are economically within your budget, explore in state scholarships. Let your child know that this is a team effort and everyone in the family plays a role.

Having said that, is college right for everyone? Many entrepreneurs left school to pursue an idea and made it work with vision and perseverance. Some of those successful business people went back to night school or took online classes to hone in on specific skills or complete certain certifications that enabled them to grow their business. Options are available and one option is the apprentice/mentor idea. If you know without a doubt what you want to do with your life then start now. Find an expert you can trust in that field and ask them if you can help run errands, watch and take notes, get a list of resources (books or other people) that they believe will help you increase your knowledge in that  particular field.

Would technical classes be a better option? Maybe one or two years of computer, business, or sales classes is all that is needed to help the student earn a living in a field. Starting the college conversation with friends and family should include these ideas. It is a great way to broaden the scope of what is available and may help alleviate the pressure of what is "expected". Too often, we define ourselves by what society is doing and expecting, rather than what our own gifts and talents are. Seeking meaning in our work does not come because we followed the Jones'. It comes when we find joy in being what we were created to do (our work) with the short time we have on this planet.


http://spectator.org/articles/38984/idea-university
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/a-college-the-size-of-a-seminar/
http://www.cheapestcolleges.org/online-bachelors-degrees/

 Dumb and Dumber: US Government and the Media

June 14, 2014

Dumbest idea comes from: our government. No surprise there.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2014/06/11/in-student-debt-fight-billionaires-win/

  The journalist's (I use the term loosely) premise blames the senate if they do not vote in favor of raising American billionaires' taxes to cover the cost of some of the student loan interest rates. This is, of course, an absurd thing to do but makes perfect sense to media liberals.

The "skyrocketing" costs she speaks of actually come from the federal governments involvement in the whole racketeering of student loans, overpaid liberal tenured professors, and unnecessary new buildings on campuses that have some idiots name engraved on the outside wall.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said this would be "a basic question on our values". On? Values? No it isn't. It is a ridiculous way for our government to squeeze more money out of people smart enough to start an idea who employ thousands of Americans. The federal government started this mess and it should bear the burden of cleaning it up, not the taxpayer.

Refinancing student loans is simple. If the government actually implements a budget that cuts waste and deletes all the frills higher paid federal employees receive (not including the military), then the interest rate can be cut in half. Secondly, turn future student loans over to the free market RIGHT NOW.

The journalist ends the article by saying that Congress voted for the billionaires that day. Well, her liberal progressive mindset got in the last opinion line, which unfortunately, is the thinking process of many modern folks, who cannot process logic and truth at the same time. Opinions mixed with emotionalism do not equal truth. And that is where we find the state America is in right now.

Ten Changes for America if Progressives Steal the American Dream

Ten Changes for America if Progressives Steal the American Dream

The actual destruction of a thriving society for the sake of an ideology grounded in a elitist mindset is nightmarish. How can a leadership, which can build up human potential and restore divisions, turn instead to squelch the diversity of the people, undermine freedoms, and obliterate the good millions have gratuitously labored for? What kind of leadership mockingly and verbally belittles people of good will just because they have a differing opinion?

Mankind lives second to second in a global information system (hooked-up to computers, TV, and phones), which brings world events, monetary value stats, and celebrity hook-up reviews into our lives many times each day. The journey on this information highway gives one incredible benefits. We can tap into dozens of search engines and find exactly what we want; and maybe even who we want. Although, filtering out ads and maintaining certain levels of privacy is now unlikely to happen. Mainstream media is emotionally biased, extremely unreliable, and supports the ongoing obliteration of thoughtful rhetoric.

Journalists and celebrities tout the progressive machine more than other groups besides Washington itself. We can declare that they know not what they do because if these promoters were to understand what the road ahead looked like, they would be horrified. Only a few will be in charge of the masses, which will not be writer lap-dogs or sappy celebs. So...what will American lives actually look like if our nannies have their way in D.C.?

1.Lower Wages:

A system that has found a way to squash the entrepreneur and free market will be run by the system for the system. If there are fewer big tax payers, who will pay for salaries? Pensions? Infrastructure? D.C. does not have any money. Really... they are broke. 

                          2.  Decrease in Entertainment Choices

Lower wages will reduce the amount of money people will spend on entertainment. Food and shelter will be a number one priority for most, which will drastically reduce the amount people can spend at movies, buying games, vacationing, as well as, money spent on things like alcohol (the only plus I see thus far).

3.  A New Level of Degradation

Think people will find virtue in a progressive regime? Right now fifteen billion dollars is spent on pornography every year. Those seeking a porn fix will not have that kind of cash flow. The depressive state of most people’s lives will take on new meaning when more and more freedoms are stripped away and less privacy is given. People will grab at new ways to soothe themselves and grab at people and things in a hauntingly grotesque manner, leaving behind torn lives and abandoned families. Those who had indulged in prostitutes and pornography in its hey day, will plummet to new lows to get their ”fix”.

4.  Rejection of the Human Dignity of Each Person

A young lady being abused by her live in boyfriend or girlfriend....An elderly man needing help down the stairs...Medical attention not being given to a cancer patient or a woman in labor...Opportunities to snitch on neighbors for bread and cheeses...A young boy being sold through the black market....when will these types of scenarios bother you enough to do something about them? These cases are each a rejection of a human person and even today many of these people are not being safeguarded in our society. What will happen in a progressive future?

5.  Art Forms will be Debased

Although, this has been occurring for some time (one only has to look at google search to see the destruction of beauty), a new low will creep into society. Dingy unkept buildings, lack of electricity, loss of resourceful materials for clothing and homes, black market crime, and utilitarian sycophants will contribute little to transcend art during a progressive totalitarian state. Again, google search will give one the pics to see the new low our society has already sunk but new lows will “progress”, which only knows a dark deluded corner of taking from life and sees no need for self-giving in its most chaste form, especially if there is no immediate reward for the artist. A depressed expression may show the reality of hearts, which is, some say, art. On the contrary; art, which does not bring truth, beauty, and goodness into its equation, is not art. Be prepared for a new form of ugly.

6. Religious Freedom--Gone   

Roger Scruton claimed, "the state controls the institutions where orthodoxies arise – schools and universities – it is in effect making an establishment of religion. The religion is atheism; but an atheism pursued with a kind of vindictive vehemence that has all the marks of faith.” An individual choice of religious freedom is one in which a person can embrace any religion and practice that faith as long as it does not harm another person. Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Judaism have coexisted for a very long time. An atheism in America is growing similar to the one Stalin and Mao established in their own countries. It will not tolerate a Jesus who promotes chastity for the sake of the common good or a Moses with Ten Commandments as a life guide to true happiness. To have an unethical greedy few in charge, a moral foundation must be eliminated. 

                                  7. Distrust Among Differing Groups

Already, our country is inundated with factions that promote lies, secrecy, and corruption: Groups like Acorn (basically dead and renamed), Planned Parenthood, NSA, IRS, Federal Banking system, Organizing for Action, EPA (watch that one), and other appointees by Obama in the administration. These groups do not want freedom to ring. Do not look for transparency. Look for scandals and people milking whatever they can from whoever they can in Washington. It will not be pretty. 

8. Confusion for the Young People

Our youth, for the most part, have not been introduced to great thinkers of the past. They know very little, if anything, about logic, rhetoric, philosophy, poetry, and literature. Young people are struggling for identity and find only a void in their search for what it means to be them. They want answers but find self-indulged parents, unable to participate in full discussions on matters dealing with feelings. We have come to a time inside time, where parents are also at a loss for identity and meaning. How are these parents able to stand strong and virtuous when they are lost themselves? The state is and will continue to take advantage of this dilemma our youth are facing by giving them a statist identity, in which, they will participate because it will give meaning to their lives. Every human person longs to be connected to something---and will at times---accept anything; no matter how hollow.

9. Progressive Elites will Continue to Compensate Themselves Exponentially 

Already we have seen federal employees (minus the military) give themselves raises, bonuses, and benefits higher than what the private sector is able to do and this rises each year. This cost goes directly to the private sector: white collar, as well as, blue collar workers. This will continue and soak up most of the monies that were intended for things like infrastructure. Self-grandeur strutting among our representatives, while the worker bees struggle will continue to grow and the abuse of power will hammer down upon those who once thought these entities were there to pay their bills and give them pleasures of endless entertainment. Disillusioned supporters will realize a little to late that their nanny cares little for their wants or needs.

                    10. Stirring the Pot

Paid grass root agitators will create a kind of chaos wherever the government deems it is needed. These types care little for the actual harm they may be doing to their own communities because they are being compensated with alcohol, jewelry, or little luxuries seldom seen anymore.  Don’t think this is a far fetched idea. Think of Acorn and more recently, the paid ladies at the Texas state capital.

 Liberal Logo Wording

Allan Clifton, a reporter with Forward Progressive, has a snidey sneery way of writing that borders on emotionalism, and is anything but journalistic in nature. These are the people we pray for and hope they come to love their fellow human beings and accept the fact that sometimes people are not going to believe what you believe or want what you want. He wants to put a new word out there in the new liberal lingo land of made-up words: Republicanity. I think he wants to combine the words Republican and Christianity. He lumps all his fears and anger onto this supposed cult for a purpose, one can only imagine. Scapegoating? 

The truth is that it does not matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat in the 21st century. Both parties want their pensions, medical insurance, gratuitous favors, time for self-seeking continual campaigning, and their names in headlines (no matter how silly their comments may appear to the masses).

A few facts about our political parties:  Democrats pushed a stimulus package that rewarded labor union leaders, pharmaceutical companies, and big business with huge bonuses and payoffs, to the reluctance of the conservative party.  There are some on Wall Street who benefitted from the Obama win and you will find they favor Democrats over Republicans 2 to 1 because of financial payoffs that come their way after an election. Richer states vote more Democratic than Republican. Republican’s volunteer and give more to charity than the Democrats.

Of the senators worth over 25 million dollars, more than three-fourths are Democrats. One thing is becoming apparently clear: The Democratic party likes power and they like other people’s money. They like to wine and dine with the heroes of the day; celebrities. If you can sing, dance, or appear to act in film you may get invited to a political dinner. Democrats seem to love hobnobbing with people that may not understand the difference between Plato or Aquinas but do understand the dance fashion for the week. 

Clifton does not want to know these facts because he is a progressive and progressives love to move change forward even if it means throwing out the baby with the bath water. In a recent rant, he asserts that Christ said nothing about abortion. I don’t believe Jesus mentions the words “bible” or “verbal abuse” but that does not mean that He does not know of them or have an opinion of each. Abortion kills life in a mother’s womb. Killing is a sin, is it not?  Even the horrible Planned Parenthood has conceded that a baby is a baby in the womb. However, they don’t mind, along with most liberals, that we kill those babies.

Moses, Barnabas, Tertullian, and Jerome mention or write of the horridness of abortion. Therefore, Clifton’s statement that Republicanicity is a cult with man-made beliefs would be false because clearly this issue is not a modern concern. It is a human concern, which concerns the souls of human beings and dates back to the beginnings of civilization.

A clarification needs to made here. Not all Republicans are pro-life and therefore, some Republicans think more like a progressive than a conservative. I would encourage Allan to make note of this fact while trying to write future articles. I would highly recommend that he take some courses from Hillsdale, Grove City, or the University of Dallas. If he cannot manage more college, then how about readings from Peter Kreeft, James Schall, and George William Rutler. These men have written clearly and extensively about issues that Clifton is deeply concerned with at the moment.

LaDawn Wilson

May 22, 2013

Implosion Rant:

The United States is at a pivotal point in its deconstruction of its own constitution and its promotion of fiat money, inhumane killings of children, glorification of celebrities as heroes, immersion into the abyss of pornography, and the apathy of a rock. Fathers are not taking responsibility for their own actions, mothers are acting like teenage selfish brats, and our government is a self-serving band of nitwits.  Our country is on the brink of imploding due to its own disregard for the truth of its very existence.

“Imbalance results from ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good. A new, invisible and at times virtual, tyranny is established, one which unilaterally and irremediably imposes its own laws and rules. Moreover, indebtedness and credit distance countries from their real economy and citizens from their real buying power. Added to this, as if it were needed, is widespread corruption and selfish fiscal evasion which have taken on worldwide dimensions. The will to power and of possession has become limitless....”, Pope Francis