Heritage Foundation - Terror prevention system failure

December 29, 2009 | By Amanda Reinecker

On Christmas Day, a 23-year-old Nigerian named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate a homemade bomb onboard a packed Northwest Airlines flight headed for Detroit. Thanks to a faulty detonator and a few brave passengers, the young terrorist's bomb failed to go off. But this close call raises many serious concerns about airport security.

To put it simply, "the system failed," writes Heritage's Conn Carroll. Even though the explosive Abdulmutallab used can be easily detected and the young man's father warned the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria about his son, the attack very nearly happened. A proper screening process would have exposed both of these findings and kept this enemy combatant from boarding any aircraft. In short, Carroll argues, "the Flight 253 incident was an intelligence failure."

There have been 28 foiled terror plots against the U.S. since 9/11. The vast majority of these -- 26 -- were foiled directly by the important counterterrorism tools the U.S. has adopted since the September 11 attacks. But the Detroit terror plot last week was foiled by luck and courageous bystanders. It exposed the shortcomings of these national security measures and the need to improve and strengthen them.

"Throwing more money at airline security" is not the way to go, Heritage expert James Carafano explains. Instead, as Carroll notes, "the most effective means of stopping terrorist attacks is to disrupt them as early as possible." This means stopping terror plots before they even start. Specifically, the U.S. should:

• Support and strengthen existing counterterrorism tools. Tools such as the PATRIOT Act and the Terrorist Watch List exist to aid in the detection of suspicious persons through the use of modern intelligence. Unfortunately, their use is hampered by laws and regulations that keep this intelligence from security screeners and prevent them from "connecting the dots."

• Strengthen our international anti-terror coalitions. Heritage expert Jena Baker McNeil explains that the Christmas plot was truly international. Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian, resided in London and his plane left from Amsterdam. Congress should place a stronger emphasis on sharing intelligence with other countries.

• Target the root. Al Qaeda has reportedly taken credit for the Christmas terror plot, demonstrating the terrorist network's global reach. This claim (which has not yet been confirmed) emphasizes the need to continue fighting them wherever they take sanctuary.

"America just got lucky," Conn Carroll explains. "The plot [last week] was clumsy and the passengers and crew responded bravely and quickly." The Administration and Congress have to start taking the fight against terrorism more seriously and use our counterterrorism tools more effectively – all of the time. Because next time -- and there will likely be a next time -- we might not be so lucky.

And what if it went off?

That is the question I want to ask Janet Napalitano and others who algebra skills some how leads them to deduce that Mutallab’s failed attempt is a sign that Al Qaeda is weak and our security measures can protect us on airliners. Would they be saying the same thing if providence had not caused his failure or if passengers of flight 253 had not overpowered him? Of course not. No… they would be crafting a different way to bury their heads in the sand.

I don’t understand how anyone can look at this failed attempt as some form of a “policy victory”. The evidence hardly supports such a conclusion. Look at what we know. Mutallab is well educated, he attended a university in London; obviously not a moron. He holds radical views even though dozens of people were “surprised” by his actions; so he was hidden in plain sight. He was on the terror watch list but not the “no fly” list even though his own Father reported his radical beliefs 6 months ago to US authorities; once again our ponderous federal agencies and bureaucrats missed the warning signs.  And he was able to smuggle 80 grams of PETN onto an aircraft in his underwear; revealing that soft spots still exist in airline security. All of these tell one thing to me; we will always be vulnerable to “radical” as long as the “radical” exists. And our bureaucratic system of airline security is doing little if anything to dissuade their plans.

If we really wanted to impede them, we would adopt security policies like the Israeli El Al airline, but we won’t. No they are too intrusive, the ACLU would have a field day litigating all the “violation of rights” cases that arose.

Instead a “new” security measure will be instituted to make us all feel better. What will it be this time?  “Shoes” were the sacrifice of the day in the wake of Richard Reid, However, I’m not sure they will find as compliant a traveler this time if asked to render forth their “underwear”.

Threat containment has never worked 100% of the time. For every security measure there is a method to abate it. As is demonstrated by this latest incident. If we want to stop 100% of the threat we have to stop every “Mutallab” long before he gets on the aircraft. It would require us to employ measures that are contradictive to prevailing political correct attitudes… and unfortunately, it looks like it is going to take more than what we have been through on 9/11 and since to change those attitudes.

 

Thomas The Paine

The Irony is Maddening

On one hand we have an administration and Congress hell bent on passing the largest take over of the private economy ever, citing among the “many” reasons to do so…”waste and inefficiency” by the Healthcare industry. AND on the other we have the same Administration giving out “SAVE” awards. (An award created to be given to people working in the Federal government who identify “wasteful” processes and provide a suggestion on how to save money…)

 

Yep, the organization that has created a program to combat waste within itself is advocating that we turn to it in order to fix the waste in the private sector…

Sometimes, I feel like I am living on Mars

Evidence of spending cuts are now being seen in military operations and training

Having lived personally through the last Democrat Administration’s insipient plundering of the DOD Budget to fund his social utopia, I can relate to what our war planners face today.

This administration and DOD Secretary have already axed “wasteful” programs like the USAF’s F-22 “Raptor”, a generation 5 fighter meant to replace our aging nearly 40 year-old fleet of F-15 “Eagles”, and numerous anti-missile defense programs such as the Polish missile defense program in Europe.

But not to worry, as I am about to show you, our troops in the field are a very resourceful are not about to let reductions in DOD spending hamper their operational war readiness and tactical battle preparedness:

Here two young USAF Academy cadets are demonstrating air combat skills. It should be noted that in addition to the cost savings gained by not burning JP4, the reduction in carbon emissions through this type of training dovetails nicely with President Obama’s environmental initiatives.

 

Facing shortages in razor wire, sandbags and personnel to staff security check points in Iraq, innovative field commanders are developing new and less resource intensive security methods. Here is one such method in place near Fallujah. These methods are praised by the Administration for being in step with current foreign policies.

 

The USAF is not considered the most technically advanced branch of our Defense Department for nothing. Unknown to many, our pilots must practice taxiway and runway discipline. Here a pilot of the 347th FW at Moody AFB makes use of latest in inexpensive flight line trainers.

 

 

Never deterred by obstacles, here members of our 82nd Airborne Division make use of a sandstorm to practice para-assault. Take note that the soldiers, not wanting to risk depletion of valuable combat assets are using a M-65 Poncho Liner in lieu of an operational parachute. Hats off to these inventive warriors!  

 

Every one will agree that even in these times of economic troubles the training of our combat forces should remain high on the agenda of the Department of Defense. However at the same time it paramount to conserve our operational resources. This has meant “slight alterations” in our training curriculums for felid combat personnel. Not to be deterred our forces have excelled in developing innovative and cost efficient ways to keep their skills “razor” sharp. Here a young Marine demonstrates an advanced technique to repeal an assault which does not require expending 5.56mm ammunition.

 

 

And Finally, in what displays most vividly the commitment of DOD personnel to carrying out the Presidents policies. The USAF Air Combat Command, rather than relying on new costlier weapons platforms, are pressing into service reserve systems.

And in a somewhat controversial move the USAF has conscripted several units of the Commemorative Air Force to fill operational shortfalls. As seen in evidence here, the patriotic crew of this WWII era B-26 “Marauder” never pass up a chance to show their support to the President’s DOD budgetary policy.

 

A GOOD LAUGH HELPS KEEP THE TEARS AWAY… HOPE YOU HAD ONE.

ThomasThePaine     

Why should it surprise us?

This was printed in the New York Times Editorial Page on 12 December. Before you read it, I have just two questions

1) The editorial page?? Are you kidding me?

2) What is it going to take to get some real journalism done in this nation?!? 

 

Click the image to go to the article

 

AARP Letter

This was sent to Mr. Rand who is the Executive Director of AARP.  THIS LADY NOT ONLY HAS A GRASP OF 'THE SITUATION' BUT AN INCREDIBLE COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE!

Dear Mr. Rand,   

Recently you sent us a letter encouraging us to renew our lapsed membership in AARP by the requested date. I know it is not what you were looking for, but this is the most honest response I can give you. Our gap in coverage is merely a microscopic symptom of the real problem, a deepening lack of faith. 

 

While we have proudly maintained our membership for several years and have long admired the AARP goals and principles, regrettably, we can no longer endorse it's abdication of our values. Your letter specifically stated that we can count on AARP to speak up for our rights, yet the voice we hear is not ours. Your offer of being kept up to date on important issues through DIVIDED WE FAIL presents neither an impartial view nor the one we have come to embrace. We do believe that when two parties agree all the time on everything presented to them, one is probably not necessary. But, when the opinions and long term goals are diametrically opposed, the divorce is imminent. This is the philosophy which spawned our 200 years of government.       

Once upon a time, we looked forward to being part of the senior demographic. We also looked to AARP to provide certain benefits and give our voice a power we could not possibly hope to achieve on our own. AARP gave us a sense of belonging which we no longer enjoy. The Socialist politics practiced by the Obama administration and empowered by AARP serves only to raise the blood pressure my medical insurance strives to contain. Clearly a conflict of interest there!  

We do not understand the AARP posture, feel greatly betrayed by the guiding forces that we expected to map out our senior years and leave your ranks with a great sense of regret. We mitigate that disappointment with the relief of knowing that we are not contributing to the problem anymore by renewing our membership. There are numerous other organizations which offer discounts without threatening our way of life or offending our sensibilities.       

This Presidential Administration scares the living daylights out of us. Not just for ourselves, but for our proud and bloodstained heritage. But even more importantly for our children and grandchildren. Washington has rendered Soylent Green a prophetic cautionary tale rather than a nonfiction scare tactic. I have never in my life endorsed any militant or radical groups, yet now I find myself listening to them. I don't have to agree with them to appreciate the fear which birthed their existence. Their borderline insanity presents little more than a balance to the voice of the Socialist mindset in power. Perhaps I became American by a great stroke of luck in some cosmic uterine lottery, but in my adulthood I CHOOSE to embrace it and nurture the freedoms it represents as well as the responsibilities it requires.      

Your website generously offers us the opportunity to receive all communication in Spanish. ARE YOU KIDDING??? Someone has broken into our 'house', invaded our home without our invitation or consent. The President has insisted we keep the perpetrator in comfort and learn the perp language so we can communicate our reluctant welcome to them.. 

I DON'T choose to welcome them.
I DON'T choose to support them.     
I DON'T choose to educate them.     
I DON'T choose to medicate them, pay for their food or clothing.  
American home invaders get arrested.     

Please explain to me why foreign lawbreakers can enjoy privileges on American soil that Americans do not get?     

Why do some immigrants have to play the game to be welcomed and others only have to break & enter to be welcomed?  

We travel for a living. Walt hauls horses all over this great country, averaging over 10,000 miles a month when he is out there. He meets more people than a politician on caffeine overdose. Of all the many good folks he enjoyed on this last 10,000 miles, this trip yielded only ONE supporter of the current administration. One of us is out of touch with mainstream America. Since our poll is conducted without funding, I have more faith in it than one which is power driven.       

We have decided to forward this to everyone on our mailing list, and will encourage them to do the same. With several hundred in my address book, I have every faith that the eventual exponential factor will make a credible statement to you.     

I am disappointed as hell.       
I am scared as hell.  
I am MAD as hell, and I'm NOT gonna take it anymore! 

Walt & Cyndy  
Miller Farms Equine Transport

 

For verification authenticity of this letter, click on the following link to SNOPES:  http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/aarp.asp

Debt Limit Raise, Here we go again

The Warrior Song

 

 

Visit the Warrior Song Website and their affiliates to show your support:

 

GOOOH – Moving Forward

I know there are those among you that believe GOOOH is not the answer, or you are not quite sure if it is. I am not writing this to convince anyone that it is. I am writing to point out what is likely to happen in 2010 if we continue the path we are on.

The Republicans will pick up seats in the House and the Senate. I think that is a safe bet if you consider history alone. But if you believe that it will change a single thing, you are a fool.

I believe this because the national GOP is already interfering in our state’s primary races. If you don’t see what Hostettler entrance into the Senate race is, open your eyes. Isn’t it amazing how he is already being called the GOP frontrunner, That Dick Armey has publicly endorsed him, that he’s already been on FOX news!! They are going to pick the GOP candidate for us and we will end up with candidates which, just like in 2008, that we have to hold our nose to vote for. 

I used to think that we should work within the GOP, effect it, much like President Reagan did in the 70’s and 80’s. However, I have become convinced that doing so is useless.

Useless in respect to radically altering the course of this out control government in our lifetime, that is. There is a big difference between Reagan’s revolution of the 80’s and today, Then we had a Reagan. Today we have no such figure. And then the GOP wasn’t riddled with progressives and socialists.

Let us not forget, that it was the GOP that help spend us into oblivion, that authored and continued the legislative onslaught against personal liberty, and did little more than kick the can down the road when it came to the economy and energy independence.

Beyond all that I am no longer convinced that the GOP or any party that has a national top down structure can solve the problems we face. Mainly because these parties will always be susceptible to corruption from special interest money because they only have to influence a set few individuals.

SO having said all that, I’ll get to what I want to say. I have decided to answer Tim Cox’s request to be the State Coordinator for GOOOH in Indiana. It will not change anything as far as my role in the Constitutional Patriots, only add to my already full schedule.

And that is were I need help. I you want to take an active role in forwarding this initiative I am looking for 2 people in our local area, one from the 5th Congressional District and one from here in the 6th to serve as district coordinators. You will join the two I already have from the 3rd and the 7th in organizing the districts by finding county and city organizers. 

It will mean real work, so please understand that you will need to be a dependable self starter and able to spend the time necessary to organize these areas.

The bottom line folks is if we continue to do things as we have done, we cannot be surprised when we continue to get what we have… Its time to change that, and GOOOH offers us a way to do so.

 

Michael Yancey

Contact me Here if you want to get further involved

David Fillers – Letter to Editor

From Letter published on the Wells County Voice

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
We live in tough times, we all have trimmed our personal budgets, businesses have had to cut back, and each of us has felt the pressure of this difficult economy. Sadly, while MOST of us have done our level best to be more cost conscious, the Sheriff department has done just the opposite. The trends over the last few years are outlined below. Gathering this information has been difficult at best and the Sheriff department’s budgeting process seemed to reflect a desire to hide, if not deceive budget realities.

As Wells County enters into the beginning of the next decade, we must be cautious and focused in how local government money is spent. Honest budgets and transparent bookkeeping are more important than ever! In 2007 our current Sheriff Department went over budget by $224,350.00, in 2008 it went over budget $187,798.00 and year to date for 2009 it has again exceeded the proposed budget by $215,059.00. To add insult to injury in November of 2009 they have requested yet another $15,000.00. Fortunately for taxpayers, the county ran out of money! .

None of us have unlimited budgets and neither does the Sheriff’s department. The county needs leaders who know how to accurately project annual budgets and have a proven track record of using limited resources to achieve and exceed goals. It is time our local elected leaders demonstrate they stand against past and current spendthrifty ways.

David Fillers, Bluffton Indiana

Remember Sesame Street?

Some of us can recall the “One of these things” game. Here is a 2009 version regarding Climategate: Which one of these don’t go with the other?

1. Head of East Angelia University Climate Research temporary steps down amid accusations of data fraud.
2. Penn State University announces it will investigate Dr. Michael Mann’s role in ongoing scandal
3. President Obama will attend the Climate Summit in Copenhagen next week, vowing to reduce greenhouse emissions in the US.

A couple of articles to keep you up to speed:

Inhofe Asks Boxer to Investigate Possible Scientific ‘Conspiracy’ in ‘Climategate’

Climate Change ‘Fraud’

ACORN Infractions are Isolated Events…

We have heard ACORN, the White House, Congress, the Media and every other leftist group tying themselves in knots explaining how ACORN does “good” work and the problems in the organization are “isolated” and “few”… Oh really? Lets look at part of its history shall we…

From 1998 to Present:

 

State	Year	ACORN Offenses
AR	1998	A contractor with ACORN-affiliated Project Vote was arrested for falsifying about 400 voter registration cards
MO	2003	ACORN submitted 5,379 voter registration cards in St. Louis of which only 2,013 were considered to be valid. A minimum of 1,000 were determined to be attempts to illegally register voters
CO	2004	ACORN employee admitted to forging signatures and registering three of her friends to vote 40 times
CO	2004	Two former ACORN employees convicted for submitting false voter registrations
FL	2004	ACORN called the “common thread” in the voter fraud investigation of Florida's Department of Law Enforcement
NC	2004	ACORN investigated for submitting of fake voter registration cards
NM	2004	ACORN registers a 13 year old boy. NM State Representative Joe Thompson cites this and other cases as ACORN “manufacturing voters”.
OH	2004	ACORN worker Kevin Dooley, indicted for the forging voter registration form.
MN	2004	Police find 300 plus voter registration cards in the trunk of a former ACORN employee finding that he had violated the legal requirement that voter registration cards be submitted to the secretary of state within ten days of being filled out and signed.
PA	2004	Reading’s Director of Elections received complaints that ACORN employees deliberately put inaccurate information on their voter registration forms. The Berks County director of elections noted voter fraud and blatant duplicate voter registrations. The Berks County deputy director of elections added that ACORN was under investigation by the Department of Justice.
TX	2004	ACORN submitted a voter registration form for a David Young who said the signature was not his and that the Social Security number and birth date were also wrong.
NM	2005	Four ACORN employees submit no less than 3,000 signatures signatures suspected to be fraudulent.
MO	2006	Four ACORN workers indicted on charges of submitting false voter registrations
MO	2006	Eight ACORN employees in St. Louis indicted on federal election fraud charges
OH	2007	Man indicted on two felony counts of illegal voting and false registration after being registered by ACORN to vote in two counties.
WA	2007	Three ACORN employees plead guilty and four more were charged over the submission of more than 2,000 fraudulent voter registration cards
MI	2008	The Attorney General files felony forgery charges against a former ACORN employee. The employee had submitted falsified voter registration applications
MO	2008	ACORN voter registration recruiter accused of submitting forged and falisified voter registration cards
PA	2008	A temporary ACORN worker charged with falsifying 19 registration applications
PA	2008	ACORN employee charged with forgery for altering 18 voter registration applications
FL	2009	11 arrests warrants issued for ACORN workers for voter registration fraud
NV	2009	Court hearing scheduled for September 29th 2009 against ACORN's former Las Vegas
OH	2009	Voter casts ballot using false address discovered after a seven month investigation of ACORN
PA	2009	Allegheny County District Attorney charged seven people with forgery and other violations, saying they worked with the group ACORN to deliver forged registrations during the 2008 election. 51 counts of forgery and other violations.

Sources:

Live Leak - http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=433_1222804227

Hear Us Now! - http://hearus-now.org/?p=274

 

Download Table Above:

Word Format

   PDF Format

 

 

Map of States (red) that have filed charges, indicted or arrested ACORN Employees since 1998:

Climate Gate Update…

A few few more articles of interest concerning the greatest fraud perpetrated upon man and never reported by the media…

Climate Gate Continues

Penn State will investigate Climate Gate – US News Blog

Climate Gate: The Fallout – WSJ Blog

Climate Gate Scandal Heats Up… – Business Insider

 

Sorry Folks, I would have posted some links to ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and the NY Times… But I couldn’t find any…

The Truth About Canada – Steven Crowder

Test your knowledge

Pew is conducting an online 12 question quiz on current political issues:

Test your knowledge and be sure that you look over the questions missed by others, it will make you laugh (or cry)…

Click image above to take quiz

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

The Real Story of Thanksgiving – Rush Limbaugh - November 25, 2009

The story of the Pilgrims begins in the early part of the seventeenth century (that's the 1600s for those of you in Rio Linda, California). The Church of England under King James I was persecuting anyone and everyone who did not recognize its absolute civil and spiritual authority. Those who challenged ecclesiastical authority and those who believed strongly in freedom of worship were hunted down, imprisoned, and sometimes executed for their beliefs. A group of separatists first fled to Holland and established a community.
"After eleven years, about forty of them agreed to make a perilous journey to the New World, where they would certainly face hardships, but could live and worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. On August 1, 1620, the Mayflower set sail. It carried a total of 102 passengers, including forty Pilgrims led by William Bradford. On the journey, Bradford set up an agreement, a contract, that established just and equal laws for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Where did the revolutionary ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact come from? From the Bible. The Pilgrims were a people completely steeped in the lessons of the Old and New Testaments. They looked to the ancient Israelites for their example.
"And, because of the biblical precedents set forth in Scripture, they never doubted that their experiment would work. But this was no pleasure cruise, friends. The journey to the New World was a long and arduous one. And when the Pilgrims landed in New England in November, they found, according to Bradford's detailed journal, a cold, barren, desolate wilderness. There were no friends to greet them, he wrote. There were no houses to shelter them. There were no inns where they could refresh themselves. And the sacrifice they had made for freedom was just beginning. During the first winter, half the Pilgrims – including Bradford's own wife – died of either starvation, sickness or exposure. When spring finally came, Indians taught the settlers how to plant corn, fish for cod and skin beavers for coats.
"Life improved for the Pilgrims, but they did not yet prosper! This is important to understand because this is where modern American history lessons often end. Thanksgiving is actually explained in some textbooks as a holiday for which the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians for saving their lives, rather than as a devout expression of gratitude grounded in the tradition of both the Old and New Testaments. Here is the part that has been omitted: The original contract the Pilgrims had entered into with their merchant-sponsors in London called for everything they produced to go into a common store, and each member of the community was entitled to one common share. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belong to the community as well. They were going to distribute it equally. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belonged to the community as well.
"Nobody owned anything. They just had a share in it. It was a commune, folks. It was the forerunner to the communes we saw in the '60s and '70s out in California – and it was complete with organic vegetables, by the way. Bradford, who had become the new governor of the colony, recognized that this form of collectivism was as costly and destructive to the Pilgrims as that first harsh winter, which had taken so many lives. He decided to take bold action. Bradford assigned a plot of land to each family to work and manage, thus turning loose the power of the marketplace. That's right. Long before Karl Marx was even born, the Pilgrims had discovered and experimented with what could only be described as socialism. And what happened? It didn't work!"
"It never has worked! "What Bradford and his community found was that the most creative and industrious people had no incentive to work any harder than anyone else, unless they could utilize the power of personal motivation! But while most of the rest of the world has been experimenting with socialism for well over a hundred years – trying to refine it, perfect it, and re-invent it – the Pilgrims decided early on to scrap it permanently. What Bradford wrote about this social experiment should be in every schoolchild's history lesson. If it were, we might prevent much needless suffering in the future. 'The experience that we had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years...that by taking away property, and bringing community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing – as if they were wiser than God,' Bradford wrote.
"'For this community [so far as it was] was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For young men that were most able and fit for labor and service did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men's wives and children without any recompense ... that was thought injustice.' Why should you work for other people when you can't work for yourself? What's the point? Do you hear what he was saying, ladies and gentlemen? The Pilgrims found that people could not be expected to do their best work without incentive. So what did Bradford's community try next? They unharnessed the power of good old free enterprise by invoking the undergirding capitalistic principle of private property.
"Every family was assigned its own plot of land to work and permitted to market its own crops and products. And what was the result? 'This had very good success,' wrote Bradford, 'for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.' Bradford doesn't sound like much of a Clintonite" I wrote then "does he? Is it possible that supply-side economics could have existed before the 1980s? Yes. Read the story of Joseph and Pharaoh in Genesis 41. Following Joseph's suggestion (Gen 41:34), Pharaoh reduced the tax on Egyptians to 20% during the 'seven years of plenty' and the 'Earth brought forth in heaps.' (Gen. 41:47) In no time, the Pilgrims found they had more food than they could eat themselves.
"Now, this is where it gets really good, folks, if you're laboring under the misconception that I was, as I was taught in school. So they set up trading posts and exchanged goods with the Indians. The profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the merchants in London. And the success and prosperity of the Plymouth settlement attracted more Europeans and began what came to be known as the 'Great Puritan Migration.'" But this story stops when the Indians taught the newly arrived suffering in socialism Pilgrims how to plant corn and fish for cod. That's where the story stops, and the story basically doesn't even begin there. The real story of Thanksgiving is William Bradford giving thanks to God for the guidance and the inspiration to set up a thriving colony. The bounty was shared with the Indians. They did sit down and they had dinner, and I think they had a turkey, but it was not the Indians who saved the day. It was capitalism and Scripture which saved the day."

Way Funny… Climate-Gate Video

 

 

And below is a great article from James Delingpole in the UK Telegraph – thank God for the British Media or we wouldn’t know anything:

 

Click Here to Read Article

Kinda Makes Ya Tap Your Toes…

Climate-Gate – Actual Emails

Since the media will not do the research for you, the actual emails that touched off this firestorm are available at the following web site. The site lists all the emails and is searchable by keyword:

Alleged CRU Emails - Searchable

This “should” be the Media’s Waterloo…

But unfortunately it will not. As the crickets continues to chirp on the MSM about possibly the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on mankind.

At very least this whole flap exposes evidence that one of the IPCC contributing sources provided false data. At very least... This whole discovery should be front page news but outside of the UK Daily Telegraph, FOX and the bloggers there has been absolutely no coverage. This entire movement is hell bent on destroying the US economy and redistributing  the wealth of the United States to every 3rd world nation on earth.

Investigation of this entire issue should be at the top of the US government’s agenda, MSM reporters should be chasing down ALGORE and grilling him about these allegations.  Instead we get politician sound bites, commercials, political speeches, and movie stars weeping over the impact of this lie… Check it out yourself folks…

“The evidence is in”

 

 

And the following links are interesting also:

 

Indianapolis Examiner

American Spectator

BreitBart Big Government

WANE TV – Helping Al cover his tracks

Verum Serum Blog 

Deadline LIVE

Telegraph UK Blog

You got to laugh….

The Manhattan Declaration

From their website: http://manhattandeclaration.org/ This morning it had 43,000 signatures, this evening it was almost 70,000…

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Click image above for more information

Richard Behney’s Book

Senate Candidate Richard Behney book is now available:

 

Stand! is the story of Richard Behney's ascent from a small-business owner to his run for a US Senate seat in Indiana. Behney is one of the founders of the Indianapolis Tea Party movement which has protested the intrusive actions of the federal government. Behney explains how he awoke to the fact that his liberties were being taken away, while our legislators were putting America in debt to the point of default.

Click Image for further Details

We must be moral, religious people and restore constitutional republic

By Michael Lewinski 

Published in The Online News-Sentinel - 17 Nov 09

Unless we invite God back into our hearts and honor the Constitution, America will never again be a land of prosperity and freedom. It is no coincidence that our country has struggled so much lately. It is you and I who have let this happen. We have abandoned the laws of nature and of nature's God.
Instead of choosing virtuous leaders devoted to the public good, we have empowered men and women motivated by love of power and money. Rather than empower local governments that are more responsive to the will of the people, we have concentrated power in a distant, centralized government that is highly susceptible to corruption and the debilitating influences of special interests. Because we have allowed the idea to flourish that nothing is right and nothing is wrong, that which is evil is accepted and that which is good is shunned.
We find ourselves in a wretched state of affairs because we have rejected the laws on which the Constitution was based. The concept of limited government was long ago abandoned, as were the separation of powers and checks and balances on government power. Now we are losing the rights of free speech and free press; the right to bear arms, even for self-defense; the right to choose our own health care; and our right not to be taxed without proper representation. The institution of marriage is under attack, as well as free-market principles.
Our God-given rights are rapidly being eroded by the state: personal choice; free conscience; enjoying the fruits of one's labor; owning and developing personal property; free association; the right to assemble; the right to petition; and, most importantly, the right to self-government.

Long ago, the Founders warned that we could lose what they had given us if we are no longer a virtuous and moral people. They were concerned that Americans would be "corrupted with riches the way people had been debilitated in Europe, where all they wanted was luxury, indolence, amusement and pleasure." Encouraging a strong work ethic, frugality and honesty, the Founders sought to perpetuate a gospel of morality and virtue.
If there was a consistent theme that appears in their writings and actions, it was that America had to remain a moral and religious people if we were to retain our freedoms. There was no better demonstration of this than in the passage of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Article 3 states, "Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."
In his farewell address; President George Washington identified religion and morality as the pillars of human happiness. John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Benjamin Franklin believed that "only a virtuous people are capable of freedom" because "a corrupt and selfish people could never make the principles of republicanism operate successfully."
Is mankind's most noble experiment forever lost? It will be if we fail to act. We could continue to reject God and ignore the Constitution. We could continue ignoring our civic responsibilities. Or we can forge a better future for our children and grandchildren. To accomplish this, we must do two things:
Above all else, we must become a better people, "a moral and religious people." We must love and honor God and our neighbors as we love ourselves. This is the foundation upon which our country was built.
We must tirelessly fight to restore our constitutional republic. Concerned, determined citizens are uniting and protesting, ordering the Washington cabal to restore to the American people their rights to self-government and free-market principles.
Now is the time to prepare for the two most important elections in the history of our republic — 2010 and 2012. Insist upon an end to the political games, the lies, the deception, and demand a full and honest accounting of the integrity, honesty and political world view of each candidate. Join millions of Americans in this new revolution. With God's help, we can succeed.

Michael Lewinski is a resident of Auburn and Leader of the Kendallville 9/12 Project

Heritage Foundation - In Pictures: Obamacare Puts One-Fifth of U.S. On Welfare

Medicaid is a means-tested welfare program created in 1965 to provide health care for low income families. Despite the fact that it is one of the most poorly performing of all the federal welfare programs it has become the cornerstone of how health insurance is expanded under Obamacare. The Health care “reform” bills advancing in the House and Senate would expand Medicaid by making this government-run health plan available to all adults with incomes at or below 150% of the poverty line. The change would dramatically multiply eligible recipients, with 46 states seeing increases of at least 20%, including 16 posting jumps of 50% or more. Almost 21% of the entire U.S. population would be eligible for Medicaid and seven states and the District of Columbia would have eligibility rates of at least 25%.

Click here to go to Heritage Foundation Article

Tea Party Documentary Film

If the media won’t cover us… then we will make our own. A film documenting the Tea Party movement will be released on Thanksgiving. Click the image and visit the site:

 

Hi Caliber Rocks!… 50 cent and Eminem ain’t got nothing on this kid….

 

Oh Put a Sock in it Chuck…

Right on cue Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), Richard Daley, Paul Helmke and the other members of the “Brady Bill Bunch”, who never let a shooting go to waste, are out decrying lax gun laws as contributing to Hasan’s actions at Fort Hood. In fact Helmke had a statement on his national organization’s website the same day of the shooting… Just couldn’t wait could you Paul?

They place blame on the “availability” of firearms. They state that it is America’s “unhealthy love” of guns which perpetuates these shootings. After all, don’t you realize? Hasan bought that gun at a “gun store!” The laws, they are too lenient, and it is too easy to get a gun… so let’s take freedom away from the people! God knows we wouldn’t want to deal with what really killed those brave men and women… Hasan!

I am so tired of slime-balls like Schumer being provided a microphone to spew their vitriolic ignorance. He has the audacity to say that federal gun laws are not restrictive enough to stop lunatics from getting guns. However, it is federal laws that preclude military members, like those stationed at Fort Hood, from carrying their own personal firearms for protection on DOD property. A law which did a bang up job deterring Hasan by the way.

What difference do you suppose one armed person could have made? But come on now, trained soldiers carrying firearms? We can’t have that. Its quite fine for you to carry your gun into battle Sonny, but here on post, now that's a different story. There is simply no reason for you to be armed. As long as you exclude a radical Islamic Palestinian traitor whose jihadist rhetoric was overlooked by the same entity that says you need not be armed. Hey Chuck! how about looking into that…

Add to this madness the fact that Texas has one of the most liberal open-carry and conceal-carry laws in the nation. Consider this, had ol’ Hasan picked the local Wal-Mart to go on his little jihad, the headlines would have read “One dead as Local Rancher prevents Army Major’s Deadly Rampage”. And have been lucky to make the 11 o’clock news in Austin, let alone CNN.

These morons will say anything to deflect the truth. Being that all of these laws amount to nothing but the destruction of personal liberties for honest Americans, and are next to useless for stopping a Hasan-type from murdering innocent people. A law is no help when you desperately need a “9mm Glock 17” to stop a mad man whose is about to kill you.

The Triumph of Socialism

I am not a real big fan of Lew Rockwell… but I hope to heavens his data is flawed, but I am just afraid it isn’t.

Read About it Here:

The Triumph of Socialism

Ha Ha this is a Great Idea…

These are GOP and RNC letters soliciting for donations that were returned to them with a few… ummm “embellishments”… Dang I wish I hadn’t thrown mine away now.

Click Here to read more

And Here for even more

 

 

Do you see? You Better!

Open the link below and take a good long look. This is what the Federal government has been doing to us for years. Keep in mind these are the changes from one single day…

CLICK HERE

9 Nov 2009 – Meeting Minutes

MINUTES

November 9, 2009

The Constitutional Patriots met for a regular scheduled meeting on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 7:00pm at the Life Center Auditorium. Johanna Campbell opened the meeting by welcoming everyone. Steve Huffman offered the prayer followed by the audience reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

In light of Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11th, Johanna asked that all veterans please stand for recognition by the audience, after which she read a very moving poem to honor the veterans. She then announced some upcoming events for the Constitutional Patriots group and asked everyone who could to please attend these meetings.

November 23rd - Don Bates, Jr., Rep. Senatorial Candidate

December 14th - Marlin Stutzman, Rep. Senatorial Candidate

January 23rd - Meet Your Local Candidates for 2010

She also stated that several tea party groups will meet at Warsaw IN on November 21st for a rally called "Count Down to Judgment Day." If anyone is interested in going she will try to get tickets as they are limited to 3000.

The next speaker was David Fillers who will be a candidate for Wells County Sheriff in the upcoming election. He asked everyone to come out for a pork chop fundraiser at the 4-H park on Saturday November 14th.

Michael Yancey then introduced our guest speaker Matt Rawlings of the Alliance Defense Fund. Mr. Rawlings explained the functions and goals of the ADF which is based in Scottsdale Arizona. Their work consists of three priorities - Life, Marriage, and Religious Freedom. They bring organizations together for an alliance to pursue these goals. He gave a very interesting and enlightening presentation, followed by questions from the audience.

Michael then told everyone they should not get discouraged with all that is happening because it is going to take time and all our involvement to change things. There is only so much one group can do about what happens in Washington D.C. He said where we can really make a difference is right here in Wells County and the State of Indiana.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:05pm.

Remember to thank a Veteran

A Veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

- Author Unknown

31 strikes and you’re out…

Very quietly this past Tuesday night the people of Maine spoke. Just like the other 30 times it was tried a ballot initiative to strike down gay marriage legislation was accepted by the voters. And once again poor jurisprudence and legislative practice was overruled by the people.

This will not be the end, no not by a long shot, one proponent of gay rights on the Huffington Post said “we are counting on changing opinions in the younger generations to achieve our ends”. Well, if this is the plan, I say wait 30 years before taking up the cause again. But they won’t.

What is amazing is that the brokers behind these gay rights initiatives only respect our Constitution when they can manipulate it, but wring their hands when their sidestepping and subterfuge is defeated by it. The cries of voter manipulation and discrimination reach a fevered pitch every time they lose.

I personally do not care what your sexual proclivities are. Nor do I want or desire to know. They are a personal matter between you and Almighty God. Not between you and the almighty government and by extension… us. That's the point.

My beef is not primarily with your choices of bed partners, I don’t agree with it at all, but that is my belief. My primary bone of contention is with the continual onslaught of judicial activism outside the auspice of due process of the people. The special interest arm twisting that goes on in legislators, and wholesale social-thuggery, to get your way… only to whine and cry when the system and people defeat you… 31 times.

The groups supporting gay rights don’t give a codfish about the people they “advocate” for. If they did they would not usurp the Constitution. They care about the one thing that all special and single interests care about… getting their way no matter the costs. Cloaking their real agendas, which is the destruction of this Republic’s founding document. The stumbling block to their ultimate goals. A progressive utopia to impose their way at the point of a gun… only if necessary I’m sure.

Laugh, I don’t care, laugh yourself silly. Call me narrow-minded, homophobe, or a fascist (Best look that last one up before you do though). After all its not me that is advocating the destruction of the rule of Law. I want it upheld at all costs, because it, and nothing else, can protect each of our rights.

If you want your way, then do it in the light of day in full view. Stop hiding behind PC terms like “marriage equality” just because they sound better in the public square. Quit elevating a “choice” to an “rights” issue. And stop comparing your plight to the Civil Rights movement. You can stop or not be noticed being gay, my friend Louis can’t stop or not be noticed being black.

Have you stopped to think where all this will end up? If you succeed in convincing politicians and people your life decision was

But if you want to persist, you will learn the lessons that others have when you let politicians use you to get elected… They are only using you to get elected.

Its simple as this, make your case, speak your piece, and have the maturity to accept the answer… Even when it is “No”… 31 times.

 

ThomasThePaine

Gubmint and How Gubmint Works

Once upon a time the government had a vast  scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Congress said, "Someone may steal  from it at night." 

So they created a night watchman  position and hired a person for the job.
Then  Congress said, "How does the watchman do his job  without instruction?" So they created a planning department and  hired two people, one person to write the instructions, and one  person to do time studies.

Then Congress  said, "How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks  correctly?" So they created a Quality Control department  and hired two people. One to do the studies and one to write  the reports.

Then Congress said, "How are these  people going to get paid?" So They created the following  positions, a time keeper, and a payroll officer, then hired two  people.
Then Congress said, "Who will be accountable  for all of these people?"
So they created an administrative  section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a  Legal Secretary.

Then Congress said, "We  have had this command in operation for one Year and we are  $18,000 over budget, we must cutback overall  cost." So they laid off the night  watchman.

NOW slowly, let it sink  in.

Quietly, we go like sheep to  slaughter.

Does anybody remember the reason given for  the establishment of the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY..... during the  Carter  Administration?

Anybody?
Anything?
No?
Didn't  think so!

Bottom line. We've spent several hundred  billion dollars in support of an agency...the reason for which  not one person who reads this can  remember! Ready??

It was very simple...and at  the time, everybody thought it very appropriate.
The  Department of Energy was instituted on 8-04-1977, TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN  OIL.

Hey,  pretty efficient, huh???

AND NOW IT'S 2009 -- 32  YEARS LATER -- AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS "NECESSARY" DEPARTMENT IS AT  $24.2 BILLION A YEAR. THEY HAVE 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND  APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES; AND LOOK AT THE JOB THEY HAVE  DONE! THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD AND SAY, "WHAT WAS I  THINKING?"

 

32 years ago 30% of our oil consumption was foreign imports.  Today 70% of our oil consumption is foreign imports.

Ah, yes -- good ole  bureaucracy.
AND, NOW, WE ARE GOING TO TURN THE BANKING SYSTEM,  HEALTH CARE, AND THE AUTO INDUSTRY OVER TO THE SAME  GOVERNMENT?
HELLOOO!     Anybody Home?

 

Provided by Mike Connett

Pence Exposes Health Care Bill Facts

I copied this verbatim from Mike Pence's Facebook notes. Also, be aware that on November 5 Mike is hosting a 12-hour online town hall to expose more about the Health Care bill. The link for the town hall is: http://gop.com/12truths/. Here's the article:

A list of egregious, questionable, or potentially absurd proposals in the Pelosi Health Care legislation with page numbers and provisions in the 1,990-page health care bill:

Page 122—Section 233(a)(3) requires the Commissioner—the new insurance “czar”—to “issue guidance on best practices of plain language writing”—this from the same people who wrote a 1,990 page health care bill

Page 183—Section 305(a) gives the Commissioner the power to enlist “appropriate entities” like Planned Parenthood and ACORN to engage in “outreach to specific vulnerable populations” about the bill’s new programs

Page 216—Section 322(b)(3) prohibits “any federal funds for purposes of insolvency” from being directed toward the government-run health plan—an anti-bailout provision that may seem implausible given Democrats’ role in advancing legislation to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Page 872—Section 1433 requires the director of food services at nursing facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid to hold “military, academic, or other qualifications” as determined by federal bureaucrats

Page 1067—Section 1729 requires States to cover incarcerated juveniles previously enrolled in Medicaid after their release “unless and until there is a determination that the individual is no longer eligible”

Page 1183—Section 1904 provides $750 million in federal funding for a new entitlement program to offer “knowledge of realistic expectations of age-appropriate child behaviors” and “skills [for parents] to interact with their child”

Page 1255—Sections 2231-2235 make veterinary students eligible for up to $283 million in federal scholarship and student loan forgiveness funding

Page 1432—Section 2531 provides incentive payments to States that enact new medical liability laws—but only if such laws do “not limit attorneys’ fees or impose caps on damages”

Page 1515—Section 2572(b) imposes labeling requirements on all vending machines nationwide, in addition to new mandates by the federal government on all restaurants with more than 20 locations

Page 1925—Section 3101 creates a new program within the Indian Health Service to provide federal funding for “perpetrators of child sexual abuse who are Indian or members of an Indian household”

If you would like to read the entire 1,990 pages yourself, you can find the legislation here: http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf