Okay, ya'll know I'm not political but

[stormrider]

thought you might want to read what others are saying. 

Mike Crane is a delegate to the SNC from GA. Hope you enjoy reading.

What has happened to our country?
Introduction - by Mike Crane

Today there is a growing chorus of American citizens who are asking the question: “What is happening to our country?” One does not have to look very far before they see something that just doesn’t make sense. In fact many Americans do not have to look very far before they see something that is just plain stupid! How many American citizens stare in disbelief as I did for many years and say?
“We all know that we are the greatest country in the world! This can’t happen to us!”

But sadly right in front of your eyes – you do see it happening.

The American economy and wealth is slipping away, the government at all levels is the nation’s largest employer, and the government is the greatest debtor, throwing money we know it doesn’t have at problems it created like money grew on trees.

Government at all levels is raising taxes and has all kind of new fees, licenses and assessments and keeps telling us these are “investme nts!” But they are very poor “investments,” our government at all levels is operating at a major loss and accumulating debt at unsustainable rates. Perhaps idiots who believe these are good investments would destroy investment banking companies. Oops, that happened last year … In their demented minds the bailouts aren’t stupid - they are investments!

Government is placing more and more restrictions on what we can and can’t do; telling us that weird stuff is legal/required and practical stuff is illegal/prohibited. Placing more surveillance cameras, recording more phone calls and watching us more and more.

The world’s largest manufacturing base has been decimated and moved to foreign countries. This has been done under the guise of being good for Americans. We don’t need to manufacture anything do we, we can all survive by running the government money printing press and hiring more government employees to monitor citizens to be sure they don’t complain.

American Liberty has just become a “term” without the deep meaning that has existed through most of our country’s history. Yes our country rose to become the most prosperous in the world, but was it because of American Liberty or was it because of us? If it was us, we would still be prosperous wouldn’t we?

This is just a partial list, in no particular order. You probably have a different list, but if you have a list, the actual contents are not as important as the fact - you know that something is dreadfull y wrong.

Of course the politicians are having a hey day, they have the citizens fighting the other “party” instead of keeping an eye on the government made up of both parties.

Have you noticed how we sway from either the Republicans being in control or the Democrats being in control? Of course in the process we keep about 75 - 80% of all incumbents in office – so despite the illusion of sweeping changes every few years – very little actually changes.

The current Administration, currently the Democrats (Obama), are of course out doing the last Administration, which was the Republicans (Bush). The previous Republican Administration of course out did the previous Democratic Administration (Clinton). And this process has just repeated its-self for the last 140 years or so. Instead of blaming it on the other “party” American citizens need to invest in a mirror or we will keep repeating the same cycles of the last 140 years.

In each cycle, in each example of so called sweeping change, the march toward increased central government and reduced American Liberty has been relentless and steady, at an ever increasing rate. The two parties only offer you – the citizens – two different flavors of out of control of government. Neither of these parties offer, believe nor promote “limited government” or American Liberty.

Today more people agree with the above than just four or five years ago. You can take it to the bank that even more will agree with the above in a few more years. The march toward out of control g overnment and loss of American Liberty is relentless, steady and irreversible in our current structure.

It is human nature to set aside what deep down is known to be the truth and pour heart and soul into efforts to “Reform” the current situation. It is human nature to dream that all we have to do is elect the right person and everything will be OK again, but it is just a dream. Having been involved in first the Southern Democrats and then for a time the Republican Party spanning 4 decades, I can only say - any hope that “Reform” of either party will be successful is a “hard roe to hoe.”

All of our ancestors and those who preceded us have been unable to “Reform” our government for the last 140 years, the era of the two party system. Is it the epitome of Hubris to believe that we are superior? There is only one Man who will solve this mess and Jesus is not going to run for public office in our country as a Republican or Democrat when He returns!

Trying to “Reform” the current system is like picking and eating blackberries on a dark night. You wind up bleeding with a bitter taste in the mouth.

So we have three choices, 1) sit back and wait for Jesus; 2) continue trying to “Reform” the current system that has failed for 140 years or 3) Look for and devote our meager effort to changing the system, not “Reform.”

By this point many readers have already dropped this article and gone to things more pleasant, and I do not fault them at all. The author is 6 0 years old and for the first five decades of my life I was one of them. I dreamed that good honest efforts could “Reform” the system. Slowly and painfully over the years realized that was just a dream.

The readers who are still here are probably thinking, “OK, Crane – so what? –What do we do about it?”

Sadly there is no quick and easy answer, but with a better understanding of how we got here and what American Liberty is - some courses of action seem obvious. At least they seem obvious to this 60 year old redneck living in the Georgia mountains.

So this is an introduction to a series that will try to convey what I have learned in my 60 years. I learned very little in my younger years, but hopefully more in the later ones. As a preview of the conclusions at the end - they will be based upon words of both Scripture and one of our Founding Fathers:

First, the Scripture:

Ephesians 4:14 (King James Version)

 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Second, one of our Founding Fathers:

“The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite.”

Thomas Jefferson

[Skinhead]

Both parties!  I for one am tired of campaign promisses that are never fullfilled.  And you can call me a homophobe, a racist, a warmonger, or any other word they use when people don't share their views.  I'm none of those things, I'm an Amreican and I cherish my freedom, or what's left of it.  The problems in this country are due to laziness, greed, and a political system that caters to special interests rather than following the constitution. 

Rather than go on, and on, I think best thing we could do is vote them all out.  Let them know how they have betrayed our trust and we willnot stand for it.

[alph]

I was watching an old Harold Lloyd movie called “The Cats Paw”, it’s about a criminal organization that ran both political parties and basically it didn’t matter who won ‘cause they both had to answered to the same corrupt person in charge.  Well, if you’ve seen the movie, you know it’s a lot more interesting then that, but I had to shorten it up or type for a long time….

I seriously think that’s what we’ve got now, problem is, who’s the corrupt person in charge???  Does anyone have a clue? I don’t, I can’t tell whom to vote for anymore, neither party seems to have America’s interest at heart.

Al.

[gregc]

I agree every little group gets catered to, what happened to DEMOCRACY? majority rules.   WE need to get the PEOPLE back into our future.

[rmrc51]

It certainly is a very sad state of affairs. 

If we continue on our present course, I fear that we will witness the fall of the USA. We are being slowly dissected from without and within. History has shown that every Empire falls. I hope to God I'm wrong but it seems like it's our turn if something isn't done soon. I sincerely hope it isn't too late already!

[f6john]

Both parties!  I for one am tired of campaign promisses that are never fullfilled.  And you can call me a homophobe, a racist, a warmonger, or any other word they use when people don't share their views.  I'm none of those things, I'm an Amreican and I cherish my freedom, or what's left of it.  The problems in this country are due to laziness, greed, and a political system that caters to special interests rather than following the constitution. 

Rather than go on, and on, I think best thing we could do is vote them all out.  Let them know how they have betrayed our trust and we willnot stand for it.

is we need someone to vote "IN" to take their place that can do the "right" things.

[franco6]

  replace them with whom? aren t all politician creations from their political parties? who will champion their interests to apeal to   their base. we should have a lotery that will nominate a governing council  drawn at random from the population. They would present  themselves to be voted on by everyone and their mandate wold not be renewable. We would have democracy in action .Poltics that make sense for a change!

[stormrider]

I have, out of fear of losing my personal freedom, become a student of "politics." From what I can gather from the reading I've done, people I've talked to, websites I've read, etc., I have made several observations.

1) From as early as 1812 we have had a group or family of bankers that have exerted enough control over politicians and the media to more or less control our thoughts, our actions, our destiny. The war 0f 1812 being a prime example. The British pretty much had taken control of Washington then suddenly pulled stakes and left. What kind of deal was worked out? The Treaty of Ghent?

2) The American Civil Was was instigated by bankers by financing unrest on both sides so they could loan money to the opposing sides. No matter who won, they would earn interest. Lincoln had the treasury issue Greenbacks, US Treasury notes, of which the bankers were opposed. Quoting the Hazard Circular of the early 1860's, "Slavery is likely to be abolished by the war power, and all chattel slavery abolished. This I and my friends are in favor of, for slavery is but the owning of labor and carries with it the care of laborers, while the European plan, led by England, is that capital shall control labor by controlling wages. The great debt that capitalists will see to it is made out of the war must be used as a means to control the volume of money. To accomplish this, the bonds must be used as a banking basis. We are now waiting for the secratary of the treasury to make this recommendation to Congress. It will not do to allow the greenback, as it is called, to circulate as money any length of time, as we cannot control that. But we can control the bonds and through the bonds the bank issues." Well, guess who was the secratry of the treasury, none other than Salmon P Chase, one of the bankers. Which brings up an important point; was Lincoln assasinated over the greenback?

3) John F Kennedy, in 1963 had the Treasury print and issue silver certificates, forgoing the Fed Issued dollar. This move undermined the power of the Federal Reserve "Bank". The bankers were losing control again. Was his assasination linked to the bankers?

4) Every war we have been involved in has been instigated by bankers to use as a means of creating debt so they can make more money. Not a theory. If you have the time and really want to know the resources are out there to know the truth.



I was talking with a friend the other week and sharing some of this info with him. He seemed agitated and in a hurry and finally told me that although this was interesting he didn't have the time for it. Odd, he is drowning in debt, yet he doesn't have time to know the cause. It may be the same for many of us because if we know the truth our concience may compel us to take action. And throwing out the congress and electing a new president will not slove the issue. The real issue is our money supply. Getting rid of the Federal Reserve and greedy banking practices is a start.

These are but a few abbreviated observations, by a South Alabama Valkyrie Rider. What do I know. I do have one more observation.

5) We must have a national reconciliation to God. We must have men that are living by God's righteousness, His Word, to stand up and take part in the political process. I know several men that are very Godly business men that might make good national leaders but losy politicians. One in  particular started a business with 3 employees 25 years ago that this last year did $8 billion worth of business. Of course, the greatest challenge they would face is having a Godly support base. Are you ready?

We should be reminded that a long time ago someone made the obeservation that "the love of money is the root of all evi.l"

[Scott in Ok]

   
Okay, ya'll know I'm not political

 

I just spewed diet coke out my nose.  That's funny!

-Scott

[Scanner]

5) We must have a national reconciliation to God. We must have men that are living by God's righteousness, His Word, to stand up and take part in the political process.

you know...there are a lot of fanatics in the Middle East who say exactly the same thing you're saying.  That lunatic fringe has a "revolution" going on too.   

[Phil Owen]

Here is a reply I received via email to a discussion of this same nature.  This is from a cousin who is retired Naval Officer and is his thoughts.  The man makes a lot of sense.


The "folks" (as a kind phrase) who are elected to fill the positions of legislative and executive branches of the government know only one thing: spend, spend and spend then appropiate more to spend, spend, spend. We are the wealthiest nation on face of this earth and is not made up of silver and gold but by moral character, hard work and due diligence via free enterprise. Yes, we have some crooks and we try to get them out of the system but when the "system" rewards bad behaviour, it can only get worse. I agree, our Chief Executive has much to de desired as being a blue blood American as well as lacking executive experience and military training to govern in an effective manner in this point in his tenure. If he is the fast learner that the press says he is, on-the-job training had better be stepped up a notch by reading some history... Does Obama recall: Mr. Chamberlain, Prime Minister of Gt. Britiain, tried appeasing Hitler and look what it cost Gt. Britiain and the rest of the world! Teddy Roosevelt was a President's President and he knew how to use the Chief Executive's office to get things done from busting monopolistic business practices and child labor reform that corrected bad labor practices and then looked after the average US citizen, to founding national parks and waging political clout with military superiority and showmanship that gained the respect of everyone except the Kaiser. Germans had a hard time of learning. Harry Truman took no bull either. The buck stopped on his desk. Can you imagine the time of stress he endured in making the decision to bring the war in the Pacific to a close by us eof an atomic devise? He took the heat in firing MacArthur who was as much a primadonna as Geo. Patton, just more of it. He took on the railway union boses, the coal miner union boss as well as management to keep the nation moving ahead. That took courage when talks failed. Failure on the part of others produced action on the part of Truman.
The almost fiasco in the Gulf of Aden with the pirated US ship was a direct result of delay of Presidential authority to end the hostage situation. It took the courage of a US Navy ship commander to see the situation was not getting better because he was on the scene and, by naval maritime law, the ship's captain has the final say when lives of US citizens are in danger. Who got the praise?
One more slip up like that in international affairs may doom any future gains over pirates or rougue governments because they will see us blink and then slam us in the mouth while the President sits and tries to negotiate. Who negotiated for the Marines in their barracks in Lebanon? No body. The terrorists did the attacking. You cannot negotiate with terrorists because with them, it is get you first and when you are not expecting it. They have no soul
nor respect for our way of life and, as extremist, they live to kill or die trying. They give their so called religion a bad name and a bad taste.
I have put forth too much already but I agree, unless national leadership is reformed, this country is in for a bad four years, economically, politically and militarily.
But I ask and I pray: God Bless America, Land of the Still Free and home of the always brave!

[Skinhead]

replace them with whom? aren t all politician creations from their political parties? who will champion their interests to apeal to   their base. we should have a lotery that will nominate a governing council  drawn at random from the population. They would present  themselves to be voted on by everyone and their mandate wold not be renewable. We would have democracy in action .Poltics that make sense for a change!

My brother in law would be a perfect candidate.  He's a truckdriver, but very wise.  I think the politicians lead you to believe that what they do is hard and you need to be "Qualified" to hold political office.  I think most honest people would be able to handle it, but we don't have the connections and money to get our names out there.

I certainly don't think we could screw things up much worse than the present A$$wipes have.

[f6john]

5) We must have a national reconciliation to God. We must have men that are living by God's righteousness, His Word, to stand up and take part in the political process.

you know...there are a lot of fanatics in the Middle East who say exactly the same thing you're saying.  That lunatic fringe has a "revolution" going on too.   

I beg to differ, you confuse religion with Faith. The lunatic fringe you speak of spout "kill the infidels". I don't believe stormrider has that in mind. The lunatics you speak of hide behind their "religious beliefs" to further there own desires. My religious affiliation happens to be Baptist but I am first and foremost a Christian and in my Bible no where does it say I may kill and receive an eternal reward for doing so just because the people I am killing don't share my views and beliefs. I think that is a major distinction and pretty well separates Stormriders comments and the "lunatic fringe".

[Wingman]

Okay, ya'll know I'm not political but

Thanks Scott. I knew if I said it, I would be shunned by the entire board... oh wait... I am already.

Stormrider, the ONLY reason I read this post was because of the ludicrous false advertisement in the title! 

[Strong Eagle]

5) We must have a national reconciliation to God. We must have men that are living by God's righteousness, His Word, to stand up and take part in the political process.

Well, say... is that the Christian version of God's word, the Muslim version, the Jewish version, the Buddhist version, the Hindu version, Shinto version or an animistic faiths version of God's righteous and His word?  Are we talking the interpretation of God's word and righteousness by the fundamentalists, the moderates, or the liberals found in each religion?

Come to think of it, why should God be in the political process at all?  Is it not enough for good men and women to come together?  Would you have a religious test even though the Constitution specifically states, "...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States".

[f6john]

One day God will not be in any political process in any version that you suggest. I for one don't intend to be around for that party and for your sake I hope you aren't either. I'm fairly certain that God has no need to "be in the political process" only in the hearts of people who desire a relationship with their maker. To make this more bike related, what do you feel when you ride this country of ours ( you do ride don't you?) or when you view the pictures posted on this site? Pretty inspiring? Humbling? I don't know you but you seem to enjoy your role as pot stirrer but that's only a guess. With what little info I have to go on I would think your feelings could be expressed as, I could have done better than this...

[Strong Eagle]

One day God will not be in any political process in any version that you suggest. I for one don't intend to be around for that party and for your sake I hope you aren't either. I'm fairly certain that God has no need to "be in the political process" only in the hearts of people who desire a relationship with their maker. To make this more bike related, what do you feel when you ride this country of ours ( you do ride don't you?) or when you view the pictures posted on this site? Pretty inspiring? Humbling? I don't know you but you seem to enjoy your role as pot stirrer but that's only a guess. With what little info I have to go on I would think your feelings could be expressed as, I could have done better than this...

The US of A is the best country in the world, bar none, and I have lived in several and visited many.  You may call it pot stirring, and I am regularly attacked by those who think adding 'squawking chicken' adds something to the conversation but the fact is I have strong opinions about what this country should be doing next, and they are 180 degrees opposite of what I read here.

I ride every day.  I don't own a car at all here in Singapore.  When I return to the US I rent or borrow a bike so I can ride... next year I hope to take a Colorado road trip again and throw in some dirt biking as well.  I'm on my third Valk, and have two other small bikes.  I just got through with a 12 day ride through Vietnam and Laos... 650 Urals and 350 Honda Bajas.  So, it's riding related.

It's not about pot stirring, it's about a different set of beliefs and my feeling that what is posted by others here is divisive and not in the best interests of this country.  It sickens and angers me to see our President practically called a traitor, certainly called a socialist (when he has done nothing socialistic at all).  It angers me when so called Christians find zero compassion for the illegal immigrants in this country, effectively blocking any solution that would pave the way for a long term resolution of the problem.  Or talking about 'wetbacks', dehumanizing human beings trying only to escape a life of poverty.

It angers me when I see the bigots on this board post their anti-gay rants, always based on some religious mumbo jumbo that seeks to deny equal rights... my favorite that was posted here recently was, "Hey, it's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve."  Brilliant, you know what I mean?  It angers me when idiots like Rush Limbaugh publicly state that they want the president to fail.  Or when idiots like our own good ole Texas House Rep Pete Sessions gets up and states he is sure Obama has a plan to raise unemployment and reduce stock values so he can 'consolidate power'.  Holy $hit Batman, the Martians have landed.

We live in a great country, and we have problems, but you read this post and others on this board you would think the whole damn mess is about to cave in and it's caused by that traitor president and the socialist/liberal/democrats... and people who aren't religious enough... and people (the majority btw) who are so stupid that they cannot possibly understand how correct the writer is that the sky is really falling.  It's stupid people who elect government according to these posts... but guess what... they're not stupid at all... they're like me and you and everyone else you know.

We succeed when we unify, not divide.  It's fun to talk about less government while totally ignoring the fact that living, life, and the world have become enormously more complex.  The solution lies in solving problems not running away from them, pretending they are not there, or wanting to go back to a way in the past that is no longer relevant.

Peace.

[Willy]

Eagle, that was very well said and very very true!

[Scanner]

Eagle...

[Scott in Ok]

It sickens and angers me to see our President practically called a traitor, certainly called a socialist (when he has done nothing socialistic at all).

Wayne,

My only issue with any of these discussions, and I try to stay out of them, is the double standard.  You spent 8 years calling our previous president names, and pretty much saying he was a traitor and unfit for office.  Because of your point of view, that seemed to be Ok.  Now because others don't like the current president it all of a sudden angers you.  Do you not see the irony in that?  I also have the same opinion of those who LOVED the previous president and now bash this one.

And by the way, I'm not on either side here, just an observer.  But it DOES anger me that neither side respects the office of president when its not THEIR president.

With respect,
-Scott

[Strong Eagle]

It sickens and angers me to see our President practically called a traitor, certainly called a socialist (when he has done nothing socialistic at all).

Wayne,

My only issue with any of these discussions, and I try to stay out of them, is the double standard.  You spent 8 years calling our previous president names, and pretty much saying he was a traitor and unfit for office.  Because of your point of view, that seemed to be Ok.  Now because others don't like the current president it all of a sudden angers you.  Do you not see the irony in that?  I also have the same opinion of those who LOVED the previous president and now bash this one.

And by the way, I'm not on either side here, just an observer.  But it DOES anger me that neither side respects the office of president when its not THEIR president.

With respect,
-Scott

We need to be very clear.  I have never called our past president a traitor... and although we've lost the history of the old board, the statement still stands true.  I've called Bush a lot of names and he deserved everyone... from idiot to nincompoop.  The problem with Bush is that he was well meaning but too stupid to cope with the presidency... he made bad decisions... and he was unable to stop the rank opportunists from controlling the presidency... and I offer the number one dick... Dick Cheney...who still lies about torture... amongst other things.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

It sickens and angers me to see our President practically called a traitor, certainly called a socialist (when he has done nothing socialistic at all).

Wayne,

My only issue with any of these discussions, and I try to stay out of them, is the double standard.  You spent 8 years calling our previous president names, and pretty much saying he was a traitor and unfit for office.  Because of your point of view, that seemed to be Ok.  Now because others don't like the current president it all of a sudden angers you.  Do you not see the irony in that?  I also have the same opinion of those who LOVED the previous president and now bash this one.

And by the way, I'm not on either side here, just an observer.  But it DOES anger me that neither side respects the office of president when its not THEIR president.

With respect,
-Scott

We need to be very clear.  I have never called our past president a traitor... and although we've lost the history of the old board, the statement still stands true.  I've called Bush a lot of names and he deserved everyone... from idiot to nincompoop.  The problem with Bush is that he was well meaning but too stupid to cope with the presidency... he made bad decisions... and he was unable to stop the rank opportunists from controlling the presidency... and I offer the number one dick... Dick Cheney...who still lies about torture... amongst other things.

Well OK then, since it was YOU who was calling the past president names then all is good. I forgot who you were for a minute there.

Raymond

[Jeff K]

It sickens and angers me to see our President practically called a traitor, certainly called a socialist (when he has done nothing socialistic at all).

Wayne,

My only issue with any of these discussions, and I try to stay out of them, is the double standard.  You spent 8 years calling our previous president names, and pretty much saying he was a traitor and unfit for office.  Because of your point of view, that seemed to be Ok.  Now because others don't like the current president it all of a sudden angers you.  Do you not see the irony in that?  I also have the same opinion of those who LOVED the previous president and now bash this one.

And by the way, I'm not on either side here, just an observer.  But it DOES anger me that neither side respects the office of president when its not THEIR president.

With respect,
-Scott

My sister is the same way. Dogged me about Bush for 8 years, but will have no contact with me now because I told her it was her turn and I fully intended to keep her informed with my opinion of her choice for president. I haven't heard from her or her Liberal daughters since the election, though her Valk riding (republican) husband has called.

[f6john]

One day God will not be in any political process in any version that you suggest. I for one don't intend to be around for that party and for your sake I hope you aren't either. I'm fairly certain that God has no need to "be in the political process" only in the hearts of people who desire a relationship with their maker. To make this more bike related, what do you feel when you ride this country of ours ( you do ride don't you?) or when you view the pictures posted on this site? Pretty inspiring? Humbling? I don't know you but you seem to enjoy your role as pot stirrer but that's only a guess. With what little info I have to go on I would think your feelings could be expressed as, I could have done better than this...

The US of A is the best country in the world, bar none, and I have lived in several and visited many.  You may call it pot stirring, and I am regularly attacked by those who think adding 'squawking chicken' adds something to the conversation but the fact is I have strong opinions about what this country should be doing next, and they are 180 degrees opposite of what I read here.

I ride every day.  I don't own a car at all here in Singapore.  When I return to the US I rent or borrow a bike so I can ride... next year I hope to take a Colorado road trip again and throw in some dirt biking as well.  I'm on my third Valk, and have two other small bikes.  I just got through with a 12 day ride through Vietnam and Laos... 650 Urals and 350 Honda Bajas.  So, it's riding related.

It's not about pot stirring, it's about a different set of beliefs and my feeling that what is posted by others here is divisive and not in the best interests of this country.  It sickens and angers me to see our President practically called a traitor, certainly called a socialist (when he has done nothing socialistic at all).  It angers me when so called Christians find zero compassion for the illegal immigrants in this country, effectively blocking any solution that would pave the way for a long term resolution of the problem.  Or talking about 'wetbacks', dehumanizing human beings trying only to escape a life of poverty.

It angers me when I see the bigots on this board post their anti-gay rants, always based on some religious mumbo jumbo that seeks to deny equal rights... my favorite that was posted here recently was, "Hey, it's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve."  Brilliant, you know what I mean?  It angers me when idiots like Rush Limbaugh publicly state that they want the president to fail.  Or when idiots like our own good ole Texas House Rep Pete Sessions gets up and states he is sure Obama has a plan to raise unemployment and reduce stock values so he can 'consolidate power'.  Holy $hit Batman, the Martians have landed.

We live in a great country, and we have problems, but you read this post and others on this board you would think the whole damn mess is about to cave in and it's caused by that traitor president and the socialist/liberal/democrats... and people who aren't religious enough... and people (the majority btw) who are so stupid that they cannot possibly understand how correct the writer is that the sky is really falling.  It's stupid people who elect government according to these posts... but guess what... they're not stupid at all... they're like me and you and everyone else you know.

We succeed when we unify, not divide.  It's fun to talk about less government while totally ignoring the fact that living, life, and the world have become enormously more complex.  The solution lies in solving problems not running away from them, pretending they are not there, or wanting to go back to a way in the past that is no longer relevant.

Peace.

It's great to hear you ride, but boy you do have a lot of issues don't you. You might want to take a chill pill and go for another ride. It's obvious that you are never going to agree with most of the posts on this board and it seems the majority of the people posting on this board are not going to see things your way. That's life, right? But to your credit, the most impressive thing you wrote was in your last paragraph, "We succeed when we unify, not divide."  I think it may not always be what you say but the tone and delivery of your message. Terms like idiots for state reps, religious mumbo jumbo, and so-called Christians tend to divide rather than unite. Peace to you also!

[ricoman]

I believe that this country, value-wise, is not what it was in my youth (age 62), nor is it what it was during the period from , say the late 20's to the late 40's.
We have become a nation of blaming, too few individuals take responsibility for his/her own actions. We have a legal system based on greed and blame. A truly disturbing number of people feel entitled to have success for which they did not work.
What happened to saving for what you want? There are hundreds of thousands of families with 20,000 or even 40,000 dollars in credit card debt-why? because they couldn't wait? Now we are beseeched with commercials as to "how to lower or even eliminate credit card debt, legally" What is that all about. Who pays? What about the fact that those borrowers gave thier word to repay the money?
The same is certainly true with the mortgage fiasco. I have zero sympathy for a person losing a home because they lied on the application and were urged to do so by the loan officers, and who got the funds from a lender making quotas. Now the rest of us are "bailing" them out, and it is becoming expected.
Strong Eagle is disturbed that some call his (and my) President a "socialist". Deal with it big bird, if it walks like a duck and acts like a duck-then guess what!
In reading the posts here, and other bike forums, I am dissapointed that so many accept what is happening to this country as being the way politics has always been. Not this time.
Our national debt is reaching catostophic numbers. We have lost english as our language. Don't think so? Name a product you buy or service phone number you call that does not incude Spanish as an option. Did your grandparents have the option to press 2 for German, Italian, Czech, Lithuanian, French or any other language they spoke when they immigrated here to fulfill thier dream? I don't think so.
Back to basics-keep your word, be mindful of the other guy, buy what you can afford, love and teach your kids the values that are worthwhile, and tolerate those who are different.

[SteveNZ]

Testament to the decline of the US, item on national news here in New Zealand announced the Australian govt was increasing its defence spending as its major ally (the US) is declining in power and influence. Australia feels the need to better prepared for trouble due to its proximity to Indo-china nations that are increasing in power and Australia feels it can not rely on its allies as much as it used to.

That kinda blew my mind. Australian govt acknowledging the decline in US influence, especially in the Pacific. wow.

[G-Man]

I have been following and noting the exact same thing, Scott.

There is a tremendous double standard when it comes to bashing by the parties, the press, and the people.  If you disagree with the Left, you are demonized as the most extreme form of hate (ex: racist, bigot, etc.).

Bush was absolutely destroyed every day, in every liberal papers, late night TV, on every message board, blog, and on, and on.  He was chastised for for actually thinking for 7 seconds after being told of the second plane on 9/11.  7 seconds?!?  That's more time than this administration spent on reading all of the bailout bills.

In every election, there is one side that wins, and one side that loses.  The losers usually tuck in their tails, go back to work, re-group, and hope for a better result next time.  This time it's different, though.  The losers, as well as a large (and growing) population of the winners, aren't agreeing with the policies that have been rammed down the throats of the citizens.  They propose and sign laws in secrecy, with lightning speed (or their will be detrimental effects for years to come).  But when the dust settles the rightwing press and the citizens are now actually able to look at and digest what has just happened, we see trillions of dollars thrown at nonsense and even thrown away (bailout money to companies that go bankrupt anyway.....how do you collect on that "investment"?).  9,000 (NINE THOUSAND) little earmarks......a few thousand here, several million there, a couple billion over on that side, a few more million around the corner.......all because they could?????? 

This is the outrage that sparked the Tea Party movement.  All of this spending, after promising that 95% of the population will not have their taxes increased, has a lot of people scratching their heads.  Where's the money coming from they ask.  If they keep the campaign promise, from the same 95% of the population they made the promise to.  Nope, the federal part of your income tax bill will not go up.....BUT, your state taxes will go up, your town taxes will go up, your property taxes will go up, your school taxes will go up, your sales taxes will go up, your cigarette, gasoline, road and bridge tolls, social security and medicare payroll deductions will all go up.  This is what people are outraged about.  I can't recall such outrage and debate, to the level that it has forced people out of their home and jobs to demonstrate their disbelief in what is happening.  Where not talking about picketing a war or descrimination, where talking about governmental growth and reckless spending.