Wednesday, December 29, 2004

We're From the UN -And We're Here to Help?

What has the UN done for you lately? The tsunami victims in Asia might well be asking themselves that questions these days. In the intervening days since the disaster, there appears to be very little in the way of aid from the bloated agencies of the UN. Maybe they haven’t figured out a way they can skim funds from this tragedy like they did from the “Oil for Food” program in Iraq. The UN is irrelevant. The UN is impotent. The UN is corrupt. Why don’t they just go away?

UN officials have commented on the situation however. UN Undersecretary Jan Egeland has called the US “stingy” even though we are, by far, the biggest contributor of aid in this disaster. In fact, we have contributed more to the victims of this calamity than all other nations of the world combined. Much of the aid we contribute is raised from private religious (Christian) sources which is astounding since virtually none of the victims are Christians. When was the last time you heard of Muslims sending aid to Christian disaster victims? I guess it's pretty much a one-way street. Americans -Christians- are NOT stingy!

But Egeland just couldn’t resist the opportunity to bash America. The UN apparently has it, as part of their standard operating procedures, to bash America. Maybe we should withhold next year’s UN dues, -and donate the money to the victims of the tsunami?

It's hard enough to raise private funds from US religious organizations for disaster aid in remote parts of the earth without the bad-mouthing from the UN. If we strip away all the veneer of civility and human compassion, most people outside of the affected area don't really care what happened to the far-off people of Sumatra or Sri Lanka. It sounds cruel, but it is nonetheless true. If the situation were reversed and we had suffered a catastrophic natural disaster in America, they wouldn't care much about us either. In fact, after 9/11, many of them were dancing in the streets. Many of the victims are Muslim. Where is the aid from Saudi Arabia and the other oil-rich Muslim countries?

Egeland's stupid statement doesn't help ameliorate the problem at all. The USA has always been generous to a fault even if most of the aid is ultimately purloined by greedy local government officials for their own personal use. We've always been far more generous than any other nation in history. Unfortunately, in reality there is little that can be done in the wake of such overwhelming natural force. Whatever aid we throw at this enormous disaster will be like spitting into the ocean. But help, we will. We always do.

And the world will remain ungrateful. They always do.

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Some Thoughts On the Mosul Mess Hall Attack

The terrorists we are fighting in Iraq are not stupid. There is evidence the insurgency was pre-planned before we ever invaded. They are self-sustaining, well-funded and motivated. Their goal? To keep the old order in place- to prevent democracy- to destroy freedom. They are not, however, Iraqi patriots any more than the Nazis were German patriots. They are thugs and murderers who want to restore the previous regime. It is their only reason for being. It is the only way they will survive and they know it.

We can expect intensified effort by the terrorists in the leadup to the elections next month. Their only hope at this point is to cause the US to decide the cost is too high and to withdraw. This is a dangerous business. We must be prepared to take increasing casualties in this effort. Just how "resolved" we really are remains to be seen.

What can be done to change the situation? How can we protect our troops?

The US military doesn't know where the enemy goes at night, or how they move from one place to another, or who is giving them shelter, aid and comfort. The US military may not know, -but Iraqis do. There are Iraqis who could stop this killing. There are Iraqis who want freedom and democracy for their nation. We can do much, but we can't do it all. It is all really up to them at the end of the day.

Somebody in Iraq knew this attack was about to be stagged. Somebody could have informed the US forces who could have prevented the attack. The fact that they didn't, unfortunately, shows they aren't really convinced yet that they can have a better future without the terrorists. They are scared. Who could blame them? Scared that the coalition forces will pull out and leave them to the tender mercies of these same terrorists. Will we stay the course?

We must demonstrate over and over that we are not going to run away. Only when the overwhelming majority of Iraqis truly believe this, will the terrorists finally be defeated and eliminated. And they will be defeated and eliminated by other Iraqis. True Iraqi patriots.

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Another Attack on Christians -Yawn!

Hugh Hewitt has once again called upon bloggers to assess the Newsweek hit piece on Christianity. My opinion of Newsweek Magazine as an example of the MSM in general and Jon Meacham in particular can be summed up succinctly: “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:21)

Hugh points out that the author of this article doesn’t have any credentials or background, education, or any other virtue that would qualify him to attack a two thousand year old institution. Christianity can’t be so easily explained or dismissed. It is the world’s largest religion. Its tenets have shaped the world’s culture more keenly than any other religion in history. Western civilization is founded, to a large degree, on Christianity –like it or not.

Many secular writers greater than Meacham have tried over the centuries to destroy Christianity. They all have failed. Jon Meacham has likewise failed. His “smirking” tone, as he blithely dismisses Jesus’ annunciation and immaculate conception as “cover” for an “unfortunate” carnal reality, is utterly offensive to all Christians. He goes to inane lengths to dispute even relatively insignificant issues such as where Jesus was born. He is clearly hostile to all things Christian. Since it is politically correct these days to bash Christians with impunity, nobody can be too surprised by this. One wonders if Newsweek would publish a similarly skeptical and dismissive piece on the founding and dissemination of Islam. –I doubt it.

The fact that Newsweek has done this before, and that they totally failed even to make a half-hearted attempt to balance the article by consulting conservative scholars, but instead relied entirely on left-wing sources, reveals the utter depth of their anti-Christian animus. It’s as if they don’t understand that Christians make up the vast majority of the audience they are trying to reach. I wonder how they can sell advertising?

The bible aptly describes people like Meacham: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,…” (Romans 1: 21,22)

God help him! God help us!

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

The Fair Tax –an Idea Who’s Time Has Come

When the federal income tax lurched onto to the scene in 1913, nobody could have foreseen the obscene creature it would grow into. By 1954, the monster was well understood, but remedies and solutions were mostly confined to gnashing of the teeth and complaining a lot. These days, at last, there is a viable alternative.

There are twin dragons to slay in this arena. First, the unfairness of the income tax, then the excessive amount of taxation we endure. The Fair Tax (HR 25/S 1493) would address the unfairness issue head on. It would replace the onerous, compulsory, confiscatory federal income tax system with an essentially “voluntary” system. You would only pay the tax when you choose to purchase something. It would also be voluntarily “progressive” since those who have more money would spend more money and pay more taxes. Since it has a provision for the universal rebate of the entire amount of tax up to the poverty level, the truly poor would pay no tax at all, for the first time ever. Today, the very poorest worker pays payroll taxes on every penny they earn. The Fair Tax would abolish that.

The essential nature of the government tax dragon is in its voracious appetite. Government will always demand more and more money and politicians will always be looking for ways to pile more taxes on us. The fact is, it’s too late. Big government is a fact of life. It must be fed, -for now. The Fair Tax could raise enough to cover the current expenditures, and do it without unfairly bludgeoning any segment of society. Since the underground economy (drug dealers, undocumented aliens, etc.) would now also be contributing, it would, in fact lower the burden on many of us.

The best way to satiate this omnipresent taxation monster therefore resides in spreading the burden out among as many citizens as possible. Under the current unfair income tax law, the burden falls almost exclusively on the wealthy. The old story of the ten men splitting a tab for a $100 meal in the same way we split up the tax burden is an instructive example of how this works: The first four pay nothing, the 5th pays $1, the 6th pays $3, the 7th pays $7, the 8th $12, 9th $18 and the tenth, the richest, pays a whopping $59. Yes, our current system is that ridiculous!

The Fair Tax solution sounds surprisingly simple: A national consumption tax on the first purchase of new goods for personal use –a national sales tax. The national sales tax would replace all current income, payroll, FICA, corporate and other taxes on the production of income, AND would accomplish the complete abolition of the IRS and repeal of the 16th amendment. It almost sounds too good to be true, yet the more you delve into it, the better it gets. For example, the current system causes all products sold in this country to be priced at about 22% higher than they need be, simply to cover the built in income taxes imposed at every level of production. Since these hidden taxes would be abolished, you would see a corresponding decrease in prices. This is not just “pie-in-the-sky” thinking. Researchers at Harvard have confirmed it. America would become a haven for manufactures the world over who are looking to avoid their own onerous tax schemes.

This is the bill currently pending before congress that would go a long way to solving this nation’s tax morass. It deserves careful consideration.

Summary of HR 25/S 1493:

Imposes a 23% (tax-inclusive) sales tax on the purchase of new goods and services in the U.S.

Lets workers keep their entire paycheck and retirees keep their entire pension.

Abolishes the IRS and ends all audits of individual taxpayers.

Replaces the federal income tax. Frees individuals from ever filing a tax return again.

Replaces all payroll taxes including Social Security and Medicare taxes. Current Social Security and Medicare benefits would not change.

Replaces corporate and self-employment taxes.

Eliminates all hidden federal taxes.

Provides a universal rebate equal to the sales taxes paid on essential goods and services to ensure that no American pays taxes on necessities.

Replaces all estate, gift, and capital gains taxes.

Dramatically lowers tax rates for low- and middle-income Americans.

Closes all tax loopholes.

Brings accountability to tax policy.

Lets American-made products compete fairly.

Sunday, December 05, 2004

Postponed Iraqi Elections = More American Deaths

Tim Russert just had Iraqi president Ghazi al-Yawar on his show for fifteen minutes. He spent the whole time badgering him to delay or cancel the Iraqi elections scheduled for January 30, 2005. You must ask yourself, why would an American left-of-center news reporter want the elections in Iraq to be postponed or cancelled? Why do they all oppose these elections -in lock-step?

The only obvious answer is that the leftist mainstream media share the same values, goals and aspirations as the terrorists in Iraq. Think about that! The only logical reason anyone would have for not wanting to have free, democratic elections in Iraq is because they do not favor freedom for Iraq. They favor the return of the repressive former regime.

Why would the leftist press want the murderous, monstrous, repressive terrorists to prevail in Iraq? Only one reason: –they hate George W. Bush. Think again about that again! They are all perfectly willing to throw away the future of millions of Iraqi people just to cause President Bush an embarrassing failure. In order to gain political advantage over George W. Bush, and out of shear illogical, rabid hatred, they willingly support the terrorists.

Make no mistake about it. Each time Russert or any other spokesman for the left suggests a delay of the scheduled elections in Iraq, more American soldiers, more Iraqi civilians, more Iraqi police and national security forces will be killed by the thugs. The terrorists in Iraq, many of whom are not even Iraqi, take great hope and comfort from this opposition to free and fair elections. It gives them a very good reason to go on killing. It gives them a plausible expectation that they will eventually prevail. If you think there is a lot of killing going on in Iraq now, just wait until the terrorists are handed the significant victory of causing the scheduled elections to be postponed or cancelled. That can’t be allowed to happen. Mere political animosity between the two political parties in this country, is not sufficient justification for this ill-conceived opposition on the part of the left to free and fair elections. Iraq can be a free and democratic nation. They deserve our support.

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Steve Gardner -An American Hero

I don’t know Steve Gardner. I do know that he did this country a great service –twice.

First, Mr. Gardner served in Vietnam. He served under John F. Kerry’s command for a short period. Not that many sailors really ever served with Mr. Kerry since he was only in Vietnam for four short months. Mr. Gardner did, and he got to know intimately Mr. Kerry’s shortcomings as a leader.

Second, Mr. Gardner spoke out about Mr. Kerry as a member of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Mr. Gardner had been apolitical. He really hadn’t been involved in national politics at all until that fateful day when he discovered that his old commander, John F. Kerry, was running for president. Mr. Gardner could no longer remain on the sidelines. He had first hand knowledge that Mr. Kerry was unfit to be commander in chief of this country. He spoke out because he knew the truth about Mr. Kerry. He spoke out because he is a true patriot.

This country owes him, and all the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth members, a great debt of gratitude. Mr. Gardner has apparently been down on his luck for a while now. In spite of leftist blathering to the contrary, Mr. Gardner didn’t get any remuneration for his patriotic Swift Boat activities. In fact it cost him money. As his hometown paper puts it:

"Somebody asked me one time what I gained out of this, and I said, 'Not a darn thing,'" Gardner said. "I've been called a liar and ridiculed. I've been cussed up one side and down the other. I'm 56 years old. I'm looking for a job. I did this for one reason. John Kerry is not fit to be president."

John Kerry isn't president. Steve Gardner is broke.

And he's smiling.

The same cannot be said for the six or seven Swifties the Kerry campaign hired to accompany him all around the country. They were living lavishly as hired political stooges for the Kerry campaign. Mr. Gardner is now jobless, broke and about out of savings.

His plight has been exposed on several radio talk shows and on numerous blogs and hopefully, America will not let this patriot down. He deserves better. Men like Mr. Gardner help keep this county free and should be honored. The least America could do in return would be to provide them an opportunity to work and earn a living.