Its Not the Great Depression...Yet

I have been watching a lot of the news lately. More-so than usual. Mostly because I want to see what "analysts" are saying about our current economic situations.
I find it interesting that everyone is predicting doom and gloom, when two short years ago we were the most prosperous nation on Earth.

We need to remember that we are Americans. We've had tough times before. If our great grandfathers & great-great grandfathers could make it out of the Great Depression, then why can't we make it out of a drop in the markets?

We haven't reached that time in our current day where we have hit the Great Depression. Yes, we are in grave danger of a depression. We are not out of the woods on that yet, however, keep your chin up, America.

A friend's mom sent this to me, and I think everyone should read it. And after you've read it, read it again. And then forward it to a friend, or eighty.
+++
"Through the 200 years of American history, this country has been constantly besieged by bad news. If the early settlers believed things were as bad as they sounded they would have given up the fight to settle the new world and sailed back to England, and the dream of freedom would have perished.

From that day to the present, the people of this nation have listened to the bad news for a while, then they turned their backs on that which was bad, placed their faith in God and faced toward that which was good.

Down through the years, through tragic civil war, two world-wide wards, a series of smaller conflicts, recession and the great depression of the 1930's, we have heard again and again the words of Citizen Tom Paine, "These are the times that try mens' souls." in every case the people rejected the bad news and overcame whatever obstacle was facing them at that time.

Once again, we are put to the test. Everything we hear is bad. we are smothered with a never-ending succession of newspaper, radio and television reports on Watergate, drug abuse, crime in the streets, decadent morals and lack of honest and competent leadership. If Citizen Tom Paine were alive today, he could well utter again his famous quotation.

It is impossible to lock your door against the invasion of the news media into every nook of your home and office. They dont make the news, they merely report it (obviously MSNBC wasnt around then ;o) -but I digress). Tell it as it is. We have the option of acceptance or rejection. We can bemoan what is happening in our world, wring our hands and cover our heads, or we can reject the bad and look about us to the good.

When I was a boy on a small farm in Grant County, news wasnt as quickly available as it is today and reached us mainly by word of mouth. A "drummer" would come by or one of our neighbors returned from a trip to Little Rock or Memphis and we saw the news through tehir eyes. Mostly it was about what was bad in the big cities or throughout the country.

After listening a while, my father would say, "That's enough bad news for one day. Let's go to work." America has heard enough bad news for a while. Now is the time to go to work. Turn your back on the bad news and look around you at what is good. You don't need to look very fa. Your family, your children, your friends and neighbors, they are good.

We live today in the greatest country the world has ever known, filled with opportunities which never existed before. The highest standards of living, more leisure time, better health services, better schools, more ojbs, finer homes and freedom to enjoy these wonders.

This is indeed the time to turn our backs on the bad news and face the future with thankfulness.

W.R. "Witt" Stephens
** Mr. Witt sent this memo out after "Black Friday, October 1987" his wisdom and good advice lives on.
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1773 for more information on Mr. Stephens life.

No Time for Partisan Politics

Pelosi asked in a floor speech shortly before the vote. "It is a number that is staggering, but tells us only the costs of the Bush administration's failed economic policies — policies built on budgetary recklessness, on an anything goes mentality, with no regulation, no supervision and no discipline in the system." about the $700 Billion bail out.
At this time, we cannot afford petty name calling. I expect more from my leaders, I expect more from those running my country.
I am absolutely disgusted right now.
As far as I am concerned, the Clinton administration, greedy oil speculators, and unscrupulous Wall Street big wigs are at fault. The economy has taken a serious down turn in the last 2 years since the Democrats have taken over congress we have seen a rise in oil prices, a drop in housing values and I cannot believe the audacity of Nancy Pelosi & Rep Barney Frank to blame Republicans.
We can point the finger all we want, but that is not going to save our economy.
I suggest we all call, email or fax not only OUR congressmen, but also House leaders to let them know how unhappy we are as Americans and that we want PARTISAN POLITICS LEFT OUT OF THIS. I dont care where Barack Obama or John McCain stand on this. Something's gotta be done, and without the name calling.
www.house.gov (search for your Representative)

Stay Classy, Liberals...Wait, is That an Oxy Moron?

So, in an attempt to be...er, funny? Some jackass made up a tshirt that says "[word i will NOT use] republican babies for Palin"
Google the last part of the phrase in quotes, if you must, to see what exactly i'm talking about. -Although if you know what I'm talking about, please don't. These A HOLES don't need anymore website hits.
Where is the media outrage over this? The only people talking about how disgusting this is are the conservative pundits. Shouldn't EVERY American be outraged by this? Are we taking steps backwards into years ago when it was socially acceptable to make fun of those who have handicaps?
I am in NO way a politically-correct, over-sensitive, tree-hugger. But, as a step mother of a child who is severely mentally handicapped, and, as a human being with a HEART, this enrages me to the point where I want to scream & throw things.
I was told recently that the Republican Party was all about "dirty, slanderous, baseless politics." And, that the Republican Party is also "shameful". Last time I checked, Conservatives aren't out touting our "all inclusive, hold hands & sing kumbaya" policies, but not including those who need a voice the most. The innocents who cannot speak for themselves.
I guess being "pro-choice" to a liberal only means that you have a choice if you choose to abort your child when the constraints of a handicap will not fit into your lifestyle.
Leave the poor child alone. Leave the family alone and stop picking on them for having a heart. If it was the "Obamassiah" & his loud-mouth wife who had made this decision, would people be running around calling their child that name??

Obama's Blueprint for America

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlueprintForChange.pdf

I am home sick. So, I decide I'm going to do some opposition research, like every good voting American should do.I know why I'm voting for John McCain, but do you? Or do you know why you're voting for Barack Obama? Don't give me this load of crap line about how you want "change" in America. What exactly does that mean? Tell me...Really. So, I encourage each of you to read this thing. Its LONG, and full of dribble about raising taxes (no, not just the top 5%, as he would like you to believe), and about how he was against the war in Iraq. Really? Cuz that means nothing as far as I am concerned since he wasn't in the Senate. (And remember folks, Constitutionally speaking, only CONGRESS has the power to declare war. The President may ask them to consider, but ultimately, it is their say).

So, here, in what I assume will be a very long post, I am going to dissect a few things for you, and tell you what the main-stream, drive-by, Barack Obama-loving Media will not.

On Page 5: "Obama introduced public financing legislation in the Illinois State Senate, and is the only 2008 Presidential candidate to have sponsored Russ Feingold's tough bill to reform the Presidential public financing system."What makes this so interesting is that, A) Its MCCAIN FEINGOLD Campaign Finance Reform. And B), Obama backed out of his promise to use public financing. Isn't he the one always saying politicians should keep their word? Then how about keeping this one? Or how about when he LIED on National Television to try to sway the American people. And you know what, he was in a church when he lied. That has to take a pair of brass balls.

Remember this from the Saddleback forum?:

Pastor Warren: Can you give me a good example where you went against party loyalty, and maybe even went against your own best interest for the good of America?

Obama: I'll give you an example that, in fact, I worked with John McCain on, and that was the issue of campaign ethics reform and finance reform. That wasn't probably in my interest or his.... But I think that we were able to get a bill passed that hasn't made Washington perfect, but at least has started moving things forward....

"But that one example of his great bi-partisan moment turns out to be as fleeting as it was disingenuous. In February of 2006, when Obama and McCain were serving in the Senate together, neither yet a presidential candidate, there was indeed a bipartisan effort to pass reform legislation. McCain initiated one of his "maverick" efforts to reach across the aisle in an attempt to reform lobbying. Obama pledged to McCain his willingness to rise above bipartisanship and work for the good of America — only to change his mind after one week and withdraw his cooperation. That "selfless-bipartisan" effort of Obama's ended in a scathing letter by McCain on February 6, 2006:

Dear Senator Obama:

I would like to apologize to you for assuming that your private assurances to me regarding your desire to cooperate in our efforts to negotiate bipartisan lobbying reform legislation were sincere. When you approached me and insisted that despite your leadership's preference to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections, you were personally committed to achieving a result that would reflect credit on the entire Senate and offer the country a better example of political leadership, I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable. Thank you for disabusing me of such notions with your...decision to withdraw from our bipartisan discussion. I'm embarrassed to admit that after all these years in politics I failed to interpret your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in politics to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble. Again, sorry for the confusion, but please be assured I won't make the same mistake again....

Sincerely, John McCain.

Obama's one example of bipartisan, self-sacrifice was a careless lie, told to the wrong audience about the wrong senator...one who was waiting in the wings and just might remember. It was another kind of audacity of hope — hoping that no one would notice." (excerpt taken from onenewsnow.com, article by Sandy Rios, Radio Personality out of Chicago)

Now onto the issue of Public Health care.In case Obama wasn't aware, we have free health clinics all over this country. Just here in Las Vegas there is another set to open by December of this year. Several well-to-do doctors are joining together to "give back" to the community. And they will receive donations to keep their doors open, government subsidies, and even tax breaks. This allows health care to stay open to a free market type approach. When you start screwing with the free-market society, you screw with the American public's wallet.Look at the cost of Lasik surgery over the last 10 years. When Lasik first became popular, people were spending thousands of dollars on ONE eye. But, the competition grew, because of the free-market, and so now the price is near $200 per eye. When government regulates what costs should be, there is no longer competition. Doctors can only charge what the government says they can charge, and with the bureaucracy of government-linked health insurance, you create a huge problem. People who have health insurance through places of employment will no longer have "excellent" health care, theirs will be mediocre in comparison. So, why should they work for it, when they can get a government subsidy? And so, we fall back to relying on the government and the taxes go up to pay for all of this. So much for your top 5%.

And of course, lets not forget the SCHIP Re authorization Act. Obama boasts that he voted for this so millions of American children can have health insurance. They had something similar when I was growing up, it was called "welfare".

But what Obama doesn't tell you in this little ditty about how awesome he is when it comes to taking care of the youth of America, is that he voted NO on authorizing SCHIP include unborn babies. So if you're pregnant & can't afford health care, SCHIP isn't going to look out for you. Do you know why? Because then Obama would have to admit that the "thing" in your stomach isn't tissue, or mass; its a real live human being. And then his pro-"choice" stance would be an oxy moron. Because how can you say a woman can abort her child, but also that you want to cover it with health insurance? Isn't that sending the message that its not a "zygote", a "fetus" or whatever other term you want to use, but a "baby"?

And how about that "Making Work Pay" tax credit? So, Obama says he plans to eliminate income tax for 10 million Americans. Want to know whats funny about that? Those are probably the 10 million Americans who live below the poverty line & receive their taxes back in a refund every year anyway (or they are exempt to begin with). And 10 million? In a country of over 350 million, is 10 million really a lot on a grand scale?

And now onto more "Free Government Money"...Obama wants to increase the FMLA time off, and "encourage" all 50 states to give more time off. So, he's proposing a $1.5 BILLION budget for this. Guess where that money is coming from...Yeah, its not just the "top 5%" - eventually, to pay for this, we all will have to pitch in.

I could go on & on & on. The fact of the matter is, there is another 20-something pages, and I just don't think anyone is going to read for that long.

But in reality, you should. You should know where your candidate stands on the issues. Why doesn't he want to privatize social security? (because he wants to tax us more to pay for other generations that have bankrupt it), Why doesn't he support voucher programs for schools, rather than throwing MORE money at an already broken system?(As a side note, America spends more money, per student, than any other 1st world country - and we have the lowest testing scores. Why is money always the answer to government bureaucrats?)

Go read the issues on BOTH candidates. Take the political test to see who you line up with.http://www.ontheissues.org/