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Dump the Incumbents Next Year

http://westernperspective.blogspot.com/

The anti-incumbent sentiment is not the fault of the voters. The elite forced majority of voters to organize by making life unbearable. This is simply the way in which democracies share power.

In California, Senator Boxer is expected to face a stiff challenge. Again, it is not the fault of the voters if she is voted out of office. It is her own fault for supporting such idiotic measures as legalized abortion and socialized medicine a la public option.

Incumbency can bring the advantages of seniority and committee chairmanships to a state. However, when politicians abuse their seniority to make laws that are antagonistic to the common good, it is then time for the voters to act by electing someone who represents their traditional values better. This is the real challenge for 2010.

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Bishops Should Reprimand Wayward Politicians

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Controversy has again erupted over the episcopal actions to admonish and instruct wayward Catholic politicians and statesmen. This benefits the people of America because our government has clearly overstepped its bounds in several vital areas.

The bishops' actions are intended to instruct and discipline Catholics, and to combat scandal caused by those in public office who publicly flaunt Church teaching. Of course, in many instances such public disapproval would have no effect or be counter-productive. It is therefore a question of prudence for each bishop to decide whether in a particular case, the matter should be handled privately, or whether a public slap on the wrist or other disciplinary action is in order.

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Status Quo? Don't You Guys Want Change?

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The opposition to the Stupak amendment in Congress and in the Mainstream Media is now being portrayed as an attempt to preserve the status quo of the Hyde Amendment limitations. They conveniently ignore the fact that most Americans oppose government funded abortions, and that an explicit, overt prohibition on abortion funding is necessary in any health care bill to make circumvention of the funding prohibition punishable by law.

These liberals are playing politics with our lives. It is time to force them out of the closet. Do they want abortion funding or not? If not, why are they against putting a ban on funding in the bill? Americans don't care about the status quo. They only want to make sure that tax dollars are not used to pay for abortions, or to subsidize organizations or health care plans that provide abortions whether or not the actual payment for abortions comes out of federal funding.

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Is Right to Health Care in Constitution?

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The Tenth Amendment reserves to the states or to the people all rights not specifically enumerated. The Constitution gives Congress the express power of the purse. This means that only Congress has authority to decide how tax revenues are spent.

Whether or not required by the Tenth Amendment, prudence following the principle of subsidiarity would dictate that state and local governments should be in charge of health care. The primary responsibility rests with the individual and families. Government has an obligation to assist only where necessary.

Will liberals in Congress derail health care over abortion? Probably not. Sixty votes are only needed in the Senate to overcome a procedural obstacle, not to pass the legislation with or without inclusion of the Stupak amendment or similar pro-life language.

Will the Stupak amendment come back to haunt Senators and Representatives in the years ahead? We can expect a shift in the balance of power after 2010 and possibly a new administration in 2012. This is before health care reform gets off the ground. There is plenty of time to add explicit pro-life language at a later date. The Stupak amendment is at least a noble beginning.
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The Dangers of Jihadism

http://westernperspective.blogspot.com/

The collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century seemed to many civilized Romans like the end of the world. The barbarians from the North and East were able to conquer Rome because of Rome's own internal contradictions and weaknesses.

A similar, though not identical, phenomena is happening today in regard to Western Europe and America. Islam is gradually becoming the dominant religion, and with it a foreign culture to replace the decadent culture of the West.

Corruption at all levels of government, abortion, pornography, financial fraud, all of these things and more are in need of correction. Rome's government toppled largely because of unsustainable military entanglements throughout the Empire, and because of the high cost of a lavish economy based upon slave labor. The barbarian influx proved in the long run to be the very thing that preserved classical learning and civilization.

Something similar is happening today. An arrogant secular state born out of the ashes of the French Revolution is becoming increasingly burdensome. Deficit spending and outrageously high taxes are causing opposition to government throughout the land. Amidst this chaos, Muslim jihadists see an opportunity to win acceptance of their belief system as the cultural norm, and for some fanatics the expectation of a quick ticket to paradise with an eternal reward of a plurality of virgins to make up for all of the disappointments, rejections and inadequacies of their earthly lives.

Could this be the beginning of another cultural transformation taking mankind to a higher level of development?

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Basic Health Care a Right for All

http://westernperspective.blogspot.com/

Opposition to reasonable health care reform and support for legalized abortion are really two sides of the same coin. They both reject human solidarity. They both view life as a zero-sum game.

There can be no solidarity without deference to subsidiarity. All persons in society have a basic right to health care as a matter of social justice, which includes the corresponding responsibility of all to contribute in some way to the common good. Basic medical care should be provided first at the local level, and only receiving state assistance when the standard of care falls below normal. Capitalism tends to exalt personal choice above the common good, which is a form of libertarianism and leads to a decrease in the overall standard of care.

In actuality, there are two rights which are the subject of the debate. The first is the right to life, without which no other rights can be realized. This means that abortion is not legitimate health care because it denies human beings the fundamental right to life. Abortion and legitimate health care are polar opposites.

The second right that must be secured is the right of all to basic health care. Each individual who actively participates as a member of society has this right. This also includes immigrants here legally, but not immigrants here through subterfuge. Of course, local governments may nonetheless require that emergency services be provided even to those here through subterfuge for the common good of all.

These two fundamental rights are not opposed to each other. There is no reason why the Senate and House cannot together pass legislation that protects the life of the unborn and at the same time makes sure that the right to basic health care is insured where necessary.

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Basic Health Care a Right for All

http://westernperspective.blogspot.com/

Opposition to reasonable health care reform and support for legalized abortion are really two sides of the same coin. They both reject human solidarity. They both view life as a zero-sum game.

There can be no solidarity without deference to subsidiarity. All persons in society have a basic right to health care as a matter of social justice, which includes the corresponding responsibility of all to contribute in some way to the common good. Basic medical care should be provided first at the local level, and only receiving state assistance when the standard of care falls below normal. Capitalism tends to exalt personal choice above the common good, which is a form of libertarianism and leads to a decrease in the overall standard of care.

In actuality, there are two rights which are the subject of the debate. The first is the right to life, without which no other rights can be realized. This means that abortion is not legitimate health care because it denies human beings the fundamental right to life. Abortion and legitimate health care are polar opposites.

The second right that must be secured is the right of all to basic health care. Each individual who actively participates as a member of society has this right. This also includes immigrants here legally, but not immigrants here through subterfuge. Of course, local governments may nonetheless require that emergency services be provided even to those here through subterfuge for the common good of all.

These two fundamental rights are not opposed to each other. There is no reason why the Senate and House cannot together pass legislation that protects the life of the unborn and at the same time makes sure that the right to basic health care is insured where necessary.

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Was It the Forty Virgins?

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Speculation continues as to what could have possibly motivated Major Nidal Malik Hasan MD to open fire in Fort Hood, killing 13, most of whom being active duty service men and women, and wounding 31 others. Obviously, Hasan was distraught over his orders to deploy to Iraq after Thanksgiving. He gave away many of his personal belongings stating that he was being deployed three weeks ahead of schedule, obviously not expecting to live much longer. One clue may be found in the Qur'an itself. As in the case of the 9/11 hijackers, it may be that Hasan, a devout Muslim, was expecting his reward of forty virgins in Paradise for waging jihad against the infidel.

Medical doctors are called to heal, to save lives, not to kill human beings. If Hasan survives, he will learn this vital lesson, hopefully being confined to the military brig for the rest of his earthly life. Abortionists had better take notice.

So much for the virgins.

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A Reconstituted Reagan Coalition?

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The Reagan presidency reconciled three elements that often seemed opposed to each other. These were the social, fiscal and defense conservatives respectively.

Today's world is much different than that of 1980 when Reagan began making his stump speeches across the country igniting a wave of prairie fires caused by discontent with big government. But the principles are the same. Limited government and lower taxes, keeping the federal government at bay.

Today there is no central national leader to lead the charge. Instead, the wave of indignation is occurring spontaneously at tea parties and town hall meetings nationwide. The lesson of November 3 is that Americans are reasserting their God given liberty which transcends political categories. Either the politicians will get on board, or they will face extinction in the upcoming elections.

Those who view Doug Hoffman's showing in New York's 23rd as a defeat completely miss the point of the reawakening process. As in the days of Ronald Reagan, this is all about redistribution, but not as Obama's supporters envision.

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Both Wars Stink

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While the MSM has predictably jumped on the Obama bandwagon in distinguishing between the Iraq war as a war of choice as opposed to the Afghanistan war of necessity, the fact remains that both wars together have taken a huge toll in terms of American lives, economic resources, and world recognition. The criticism leveled against Bush 43 for leading American forces into Iraq is not altogether justified. There had to be some strong military response after 9/11. To blame everything on Al Qaeda, and the Afghan Taliban for harboring Al Qaeda, seems simplistic at best. Saddam's regime was far more brutal and dictatorial than that of the Taliban, and was responsible for some of the terrorist violence preceding 9/11.

Unfortunately, America's war crimes, particularly those directed against detainees many of whom were demonstrably innocent, more than offset any rational justification for war at this point. Capitalism breeds vindictiveness. The legitimate goal of interrogation gave way to the temptation to exact vengeance and to dehumanize and ridicule.

Obama's exit strategy is the beginning of our economic recovery. Iraq and Afghanistan will never become like us. The sooner we realize this, the better.

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FOI What a Joke!

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Before the Freedom of Information Act, the government only released whatever information it wanted to release. Today, the government only releases what it wants because of corrupt judges and Senators who change the meaning of the law in specific cases.

Fox News recently filed an FOI Claim demanding the release of the financial records of the Federal Reserve having to do with TARP. The result? A federal justice orders the release of exactly one document and then dismisses the rest of the action without explanation.

The government was ordered on appeal to release evidence of misconduct with regard to Iraq and Afghanistan. The result? Senators Graham and Lieberman have introduced bipartisan legislation supported by the president that would exempt certain photographic records taken between September 11, 2001 and January 22, 2009 which happens to be the anniversary of Roe vs Wade.

The government has already released photographs and videos of mistreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib in 2004 which, because of their pornographic nature, have diminished American prestige throughout the world and seriously endanger our troops. The question arises, were not these photographs and videos bad enough? Is the unreleased evidence even more damning than the released evidence? This would be the inescapable conclusion of a Democratic Congress amending the FOA, which already has a national security exemption with which the government is unable to comply, to exclude the very evidence that the federal appellate justice ordered produced.

The released photos include evidence of forced nudity, sleep deprivation, masturbation in front of our soldiers, rape, and dogs used to scare and bite detainees.

In all probability, the unreleased photographs show even worse forms of abuse. What could be worse except than certain forms of indecency which would prove that the homosexual agenda traitors, again sponsored by certain Senators and Congressional Representatives who have betrayed America, are allowed to act with impunity? Adolf Hitler himself was known to practice coprophilia. The LA Times ran a story after the Iraq invasion in 2003 about a sexual sadist who held a command position in Iraq.  If America does not act to expel this subculture of sexual perverts in our government and in our military, and stop the massive increases in unpaid government debt, we as a nation will very soon be facing the same fate as Germany did in 1949.

This evidence must be released to quell the speculation about America at home and abroad, and to expose and punish those in our government who allowed this thing to happen, both the abuses under predominantly Republican administrations and the cover-ups under predominantly Democrat administrations including Senators Graham and Lieberman. Punishment is warranted for violations of the Treaty of Westphalia in 1658-1659 which ended the Thirty Years War, and the Geneva Conventions and decisions at Nuremberg after WWII.

America must first come clean by releasing all of the evidence, and then start telling our ungrateful allies and surrogates throughout the world that we have our own problems to deal with.
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Holding the Judiciary Accountable

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Since the infamous Supreme Court decisions of 1973, the major focus of pro-life activity has been to seek the overthrow of these decisions in the courts. Of far more importance, in my estimation, is seeking redress for the killings that have already taken place.

The American people should start by bringing to justice the Florida judge who sentenced Terri Schiavo to death. This would send a clear message that America will no longer tolerate politicians or government officials involved in the killing of innocent persons.

This will require that Americans band together to clear the deck of all corrupt judges at the state and federal levels, and bring an entirely new slate of Congressmen and Senators to Washington.

95% of American wealth is owned and controlled by 5% of the American people, who then tell Congress and the President what to do. We must act together to turn the pyramid on our dollar bill upside down, so that the majority of Americans again have the final say in deciding at the local level what we do as a nation.

This may require constitutional amendments to bring to justice the crooks in Washington including those on the bench. They cannot get off the hook just by saying they were following the law. This principle was decided at Nuremberg after WWII.

While it is important to bring to justice fugitives like Polanski who have harmed innocent people, of far more importance is it to begin the process of rebuilding America by focusing our attention on punishing those in government who are destroying America.
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Was W More of a Liability?

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Historians are now beginning to reexamine the role of Sir Winston Churchill in taking down the British Empire. While none of us can say for sure what effect the Bush presidencies have or will have on America, it is worthwhile to look at the track record.

George H. W. Bush by all accounts got America into the first Gulf War over what was essentially a disputed piece of real estate known as Kuwait, and over the alleged rape of Kuwaiti women by Iraqi men. While there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein was a mean, oppressive dictator who used poison gas against the Kurds and his enemies in Iran, and who quelled public dissent through torture and assassinations, was there really a valid reason to send troops to fight against Iraq in 1990-1991?

Before terrorism became a commonplace, household word, America had the dubious luxury to defend the ideals of freedom throughout the world using our military might. This essentially is what got us bogged down in an unwinnable war in Vietnam, although there was never any serious threat of the war spilling over onto American soil. Today, America no longer has that luxury to go to war on behalf of Israel and other client states. The costs are just too great.

Today, the terms "necessary" and "discretionary" as applied to wars have become all but obsolete, and we should stop using them. War is always a losing proposition. There are times when a nation must take defensive action in self-defense, or in defense of others against an aggressor. However, the decision to go to war is never properly made as something necessary in the sense of being determined by evolution. Man always has a choice, and our leaders must take full responsibility when they commit our boys and girls to fight overseas. Likewise, wars are never discretionary in the sense that one can make a decision based upon a cost-benefit analysis. Those who start wars as a matter of personal discretion should be held fully accountable for all losses sustained on both sides.

So, the question is, did George W. Bush's term of office, in which we went to war full scale to topple Saddam, bring about better or worse results overall for America? This question is separate from whether voters did the right thing in electing President Bush because of his pro-life commitment.

We have fought long enough. It is time to come home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Where the Rubber Hits the Road

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The Values March in Washington DC this weekend marks the beginning of a new era. Ostensibly a disparate group of Americans each having their own issues, in actuality this was the first time in which the premises of Liberalism were seriously challenged. It reminds me of the small breaches that first arose in the flawed St. Francis Dam (pictured above) above the San Fernando Valley before the dam finally broke sending water crashing all the way out to the Pacific Ocean.

Liberals in both major political parties apparently just don't get that their time in government is coming to an end. Just last week, a California Assemblyman who supported family values was forced to resign for talking trash in front of an open microphone in the legislative chamber. This faux pas was a relatively minor infraction of decorum. In contrast, Congressman Joe Wilson is widely acclaimed for shouting out during the President's speech to a joint session of Congress. Both actions were inappropriate, yet the electorate can understand and appreciate the Congressman's frustration at the President's duplicity and obfuscations on health care.

What we are seeing is the beginning of a spiritual revival in which the social conservatives who have always opposed abortion are beginning to persuade the majority of citizens toward their way of thinking, because the alternative just doesn't work. As the majority shifts to oppose abortion, the tide is turning against liberalism. Americans will no longer tolerate egotism in government.
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Let's Have Some Real Health Care Reform

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The Obamaites in the media continue to repeat the mantra that the Obamacare proposal will not force American taxpayers to pay for abortions. Yet it was the same Obama administration that scuttled the Mexico City Policy so that they could fund abortions abroad with our tax dollars. How can any intelligent American believe that this plan drummed up by Rahm Emanuel will not lead to government coercion to kill the terminally ill and elderly among us? Rahm's brother Ezekiel, chairman of the department of bioethics at the National Institute of Health, has himself made the point that the bill will use a person's age as a basis for denial of health care benefits because older Americans theoretically will have had greater access to health care when they were younger and able to work. Rahm again is only looking out for Israel where abortion is against the law, and he is trying to weaken America so that Israel will not be left out in the cold after decades of dependency on America.

This health care plan amounts to treason by Obama and the liberals in Congress. America cannot wait until the killing of our senior citizens, and citizens with serious disabilities, becomes commonplace. We must act now to bring the traitorous scoundrels to justice. America must act independently in order to promote good in the world. This isn't just about grandma anymore. It is an attack against America.

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