“The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody has decided not to see.”   --Ayn Rand

I recently sent an e-mail about what is happening in America. The feedback was, “I am cynical.” That may well be, but possibly I am just realistic. When I examine what is happening and what history tells me, I come to the conclusion, as the saying goes, that those who do not know or remember history are bound to repeat it. Repeating the good is great. Repeating the bad will have catastrophic consequences. Maybe I am cynical, maybe I am pessimistic, but possibly those who view me that way are simply minimizing or refusing to face that which is plainly visible, that which large numbers of people do not wish to see. If one sees it, one might have to act! Grim news is often avoided for whatever reason. A long-time friend told me many months ago not to send her anymore forwards because she was trying to stay positive. Staying positive is great! Refusing to face reality and/or what is clearly in front of us, is foolhardy at best, deadly or extremely dangerous at worst! Speaking many years ago of Nazi Germany, Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoller has been credited with saying, “First, they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist. Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.” Even speaking out in America today earns one condemnation from others, from Washington, D.C., and from the media.

“We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality.”

                                                                                    --Ayn Rand

Thomas Sowell, a Senior Fellow at The Hoover Institution, Sanford University; writer; an African-American; former U. S. Marine; former Labor Analyst for the Department of Labor; and, someone who holds an A.B. (Harvard College), A.M. (Columbia University) and PhD. (University of Chicago), all in Economics, has recently written two fascinating articles, “Dismantling America” and “Dismantling America: Part II.” In these excellent articles he makes a number of thought-provoking points. With a bit of paraphrasing, they are:

Would you have believed…

--a year ago that an unelected and unconfirmed “czar” appointed by the President could cut executives’ pay?

--that another “czar” would be talking about restricting talk radio?

--there would be plans to subsidize newspapers creating situations where newspapers’ survival would depend on the government liking what is published?

--anyone talking about a panel of so-called “experts” deciding who will get life saving medical treatments?

--a federal agency giving school children material to enlist them on the side of the President?

--singing the praises in class of the President?

--a President would have floated the idea of a national police force?

-- that appointed “czars” would be people who sing the praises of dictators like Mao, or who see the schools as places to promote to captive school children the sexual practices contrary to the values of most Americans?

Mr. Sowell’s article “Dismantling America” appeared on Townhall.com on 10-28-08 and his article “Dismantling America: Part II” appeared on RealClearPolicics.com on 10-30-09.  All citizens should read these two articles.

Neither would I have believed any of the above a year ago, but then I would not also have believed that the federal government would extend control over banks or the auto industry, promote the take-over of our health care industry, continue the practices of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that led to the housing/banking crisis, continue increasing the federal deficit to historic levels, bring terrorists from Gitmo to the States, or refuse to confront Iran and North Korea and their nuclear ambitions and threats. Anyone who knows me realizes that I believed all this were possible if the November 2008 election turned out as it did; however, even I never believed all this would occur within nine months of the inauguration. (Re: the auto industry—Interesting to note that Ford Motor Company, the only one of the Detroit Big Three automakers to refuse government bailouts, reported a profit of $1 billion for the 3^rd quarter! What does that say about government involvement in the economy?)

An extremely illuminating article, “East Germans Wistful for the Bad Old Days” by Clayton McCleskey, appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Sunday, November 1, 2009. A few comments from the article are noteworthy because of the relation to what I am saying here. “A poll conducted this summer by the EMNID polling group revealed that 57 percent of East Germans believe the GDR [Communist East Germany] had ‘more good than bad sides’…Life was so good there that 3.5 million East Germans had fled by 1961…the East German border guard manual instructed that those attempting to flee should be ‘exterminated’…there’s a tendency [today] in East Germany to gloss over life under a dictatorship…after living in a dictatorship, some East Germans weren’t wired to take charge and pursue their dreams…what many East Germans don’t want to see is that the price of freedom is a certain degree of insecurity.”

I find those comments illuminating as they relate to the America I see unfolding. For over 70 years our country has been creating an “entitlement class” with government programs. That--welfare, give me, entitled, I am owed a living, the world owes me a living, (however you wish to describe it) way of life has now been passed from generation to generation. Columnist and writer Star Parker has referred to it as “Back on the Plantation.” The philosophy and way of life is present among all races and classes today. We even have corporate welfare for the wealthy; that is spreading the wealth from the bottom to the top, NOT around! Today, it seems millions of Americans may just be willing to trade their freedom and the freedom of their children and grandchildren for an “illusion” of security, even if it eventually means living in the darkness of a totalitarian system of some sort. For the ultimate truth is that all-powerful governments only provide the illusion of security. A citizenry clamoring for government “security” is not a comforting thought for me, but maybe this is the reality today—citizens so eager for the illusion of security that they will give up their freedom and that of their loved ones. 

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free.” –Ronald Reagan

Our country is now in uncharted territory, and America, the last and best hope for mankind, hangs in the balance. I know there are those who think I exaggerate, am cynical, pessimistic, or am blinded. They can think that to their own peril. Maybe I am wrong, and it would be nice to be wrong on this; only time will tell, I guess. During the last nine months, the America we knew has been disappearing. America will soon approach the tipping point. When we reach that point, government power concentrated in Washington, D. C. becomes irreversible.

“We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.”   --Ayn Rand

May God save America!

Afterthought on 11-4-09: After hearing the election results from yesterday, I have a faint glimmer of hope that some voters are seeing the horror of the government-created mess before us.

“There is no amount of compassion or common sense that can’t be extinguished by government bureaucracy.”

                                                From Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans

I continue to be amazed at the programs and rhetoric emanating from Washington, D.C. Why? I do not know; I have heard much the same things for years! What we keep hearing from that place seems to me to originate from an “alien galaxy” or is reminiscent of what one might expect from those far removed from reality.

I recently read a report from the Canada Free Press regarding the personal taxpayer-paid staff of our first ladies. The First Lady does not hold an official government office we should note. The information, of course, is something we are not likely to hear from American media sources. Each First Lady since Mamie Eisenhower--except Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, and Nancy Reagan who were not mentioned—were reported to have one taxpayer paid staff person, except three: Mrs. Eisenhower’s one staff member was paid out of the President’s salary not by taxpayers, Mrs. Clinton had three paid staff, but Mrs. Obama has 22. The salaries for Mrs. Obama’s staff were reported to range from a high of $172,200 to a low of $35,000 for a grand total of $1,591,2000 annually. This all seems more than excessive, but possibly it is “change THEY can believe in.” To me, it defies common sense and lacks compassion, especially when so many Americans are struggling, the economy is in tatters, we have high unemployment, and the government is operating with the highest deficits in our history. Government bureaucracy does extinguish common sense and compassion. Is this how that stimulus money is creating new jobs?

I noted in the news that the Hate Crimes legislation, around for years, had been attached to the defense bill that passed and was signed by President Obama on 10-28-09. Both compassion and common sense run amok, I think. While I can sympathize with the compassionate intent of such designation when crimes are perpetrated against gays and/or lesbians or others, however, it seems to me that a crime is a crime is a crime, whether the motivation is hate for gays, lesbians, et cetera or not. Was such legislation really needed? I think not. Don’t we already have crime laws? Why not use them when there are crimes, regardless of the orientation or beliefs of the victims. I cannot help but ponder the intent of this legislation. In Canada, Australia, and some European countries hate crime legislation is law (it is not the same as this legislation just signed however), and there has been prosecution of priests, ministers, and laity for expressing religious views opposing homosexuality (even from the pulpit and in published articles). In France, Bridget Bardot has been prosecuted for a hate crime, twice I believe. While I fully understand this legislation just signed by the President does not include hate speech language as do the laws in Canada, Europe, and Australia, our new law could allow prosecutors to use speech that allegedly incites or contributes to crime in hate crime cases. To me, this sort of possible prosecution in America would be a restriction on our freedom of speech and religion; it would have a chilling effect on verbal and written communication. Call me cynical if you wish, but I really think the ultimate intent of this legislation is to eventually suppress ideas/thoughts some groups do not like. I suppose time will eventually prove whether my fears are valid or not.

According to The Washington Times Weekly Edition of October 19, 2009, the Senate “diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to some pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis.” Having been unable to uncover information that these “diverted funds” were restored to the defense bill before it was passed and signed by the President, I can only assume that the bill contained the diverted funds for the pet projects of various senators. Those pet senator earmarks include the Kennedy Institute, World War II museum in New Orleans, Army National Guard installation in Maine, Maui Space Surveillance System in Hawaii, Hawaii Federal Health Care Network. All may be worthy programs, but if so, why were they not funded without cutting the needs of our troops? I am appalled by the misplaced compassion and the total lack of common sense by these Congressional “types.” (Will refrain from using the term I would prefer for those in Congress.) Regardless of what one may think about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the fact remains that we have troops in both places facing death each day. To send troops into harm’s way and not provide all means to achieve a victory and bring them safely home to their loved ones is the height of immorality, a disregard for compassion, and the total suspension of common sense. Of course, what could we expect from politicians whose only goal seems to be winning the next election in order to retain power?

We need to remember the mid-term elections coming in November 2010!

While America faces many problems, perhaps there is only a basic one. In The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand said, “The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody has decided not to see.”

For a long period, I have felt somewhat like an alien in my own country. Our country’s Judeo-Christian underpinnings, culture, and our moral fiber and long-standing traditions have taken a severe beating in recent decades. The society I knew growing up is being increasingly replaced by a society foreign to me and many fellow citizens. Yea, I know there are many, perhaps the majority these days, who think it is about time that happened, but I do not believe that notion for one minute. Majorities are not always right as history tells us. When the fog clears, if it ever does, I think we may well long for the common sense of our past as we endure the chaos of the new reality.

A man has recently been punished for abandoning rats by the side of the road because they could not be in the same house with his new baby. Pet rats? I suppose. Perhaps he could have found a new “home” for the rats, but punishing a father for trying to protect his new baby seems over the top.

Many American Idol contestants obviously have totally unrealistic views of their talent, as do their parents. When one has little or no singing talent, as is so obviously evident in some, one wonders where the high opinion of their abilities originated. Does it originate from parents and/or schools who believe a good self-image is the pinnacle of the healthy? As a former educator, I have always thought, based on personal experience with students and my own children, that when there is no failure, no expectation to improve, and praising everything as great, we do a great disservice to young people. Accomplishment, not undeserved or over-abundant praise, leads to good self-image. An overly inflated ego/self-image, especially when unwarranted, is hardly a healthy mental condition.

Mail carriers in various United States areas have hoarded mail they were hired to deliver, in one case, four tons of mail, some ten years old. What is amiss in a society that no longer has a solid work ethic? Most of us have worked with individuals who simply punch the time clock, do sloppy work, and have no pride in a job well done. All that is important to these folks is the expectation of that entitled paycheck, and that they are owed something by society because they find themselves on this earth.

A current and young Hollywood star is discussed in an article by Dotson Rader, “The Mixed-Up Life of Shia LaBeouf” that appeared in the June 14, 2009 issue of Parade. LaBeouf is quoted as saying, “Sometimes I feel I’m living a meaningless life, and I get frightened…I don’t give a damn about the money. I used to. Money is the reason I became an actor…I don’t handle fame well. Most actors on most days don’t think they’re worthy. I have no idea where this insecurity comes from, but it’s a God-sized hole. If I knew, I’d fill it, and I’d be on my way.” Is it perhaps possible that we alone are not capable of filling those kinds of voids in our lives? Is it not possible that only God and religious faith can fulfill empty lives? But those thoughts are not politically correct or enlightened these days, are they?

Our public educational institutions are in turmoil and have been for years. There is a moral vacuum and religious hostility (towards Christianity only it appears) in many, if not most, of these institutions that must and will play out in our young people’s lives beyond the walls of the ivory towers. And I think it has become increasingly clear that society will not be the beneficiary. A kid cannot read a Bible in a quiet place at recess time. Kids are barred from handing out fliers and using the PA system to announce a before-school prayer event. Student art that features Christian religious symbols is taboo. Students invited to perform an act of their own choosing for a talent show cannot use songs with religious themes because they are “too religious.” Youngsters can dress as Satan for Halloween but not like Jesus. They can share tales of witches but not stories from the Bible. Other religions do not face the same obstacles in our schools and colleges. Why? Is there no common sense or sense of fairness inherent in educational administrators, school boards, or boards of trustees? Has all this been abandoned in favor of political correctness, sheer nonsense, or thinly masked efforts to damage/extinguish Christianity and/or Christians?

As abortions have increased, all life has been devalued. The question for some people is, if abortion is acceptable up to nine months, how can it be so wrong to throw a new born in the dumpster or kill infants who are not wanted? Why are people punished for the death of a fetus in the womb in an auto accident but not for an abortion? One wonders why the moral confusion in these situations? As pornography has gone main-street, why have sex crimes increased, especially against the young? Yea, I have heard the explanation that the population has simply increased, and these crimes have always been with us, but we never heard about them. Sorry, I am not buying!

The news has been filled in recent years with reports of: violence in our schools, workplaces, churches, malls, et cetera; financial gurus scamming investors; businessmen cheating companies and/or driving them into bankruptcy; rampant cheating at all levels of our society; elected officials violating the public trust by enriching themselves, their families, their friends, special interests, and padding legislation with boondoggles, thus cheating the hard-working American taxpayers.

Congress grants its members a raise while thousands of Americans lose their jobs. Congress spends billions--no, it's trillions now--with no accountability and pours billions into their own districts and states for special projects as they prepare for their next reelection. Then they hold hearings and lecture citizens about some perceived bad behavior. It is a disgrace and a fraud! Some of us see through it; why can't we all? Congress, with the help of Presidents, racks up a deficit that our children and grandchildren cannot possibly repay. There will be dire consequences to this violation of the public trust.

This nonsense seems to go on endlessly. So, what’s the basic problem in America? I would suggest it is a moral one, it is looking the other way, and it is refusing to see what is clearly evident! And this is a crisis! Make no mistake about it.

President Calvin Coolidge once said, “A nation that is morally dead will soon be financially dead.”

 My cousin Bill in Stillwater, Oklahoma recently sent me this interesting e-mail, one I had never before seen:

“These “Ten Points” appear every February 12 in an Illinois newspaper honoring Abraham Lincoln:

*You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

*You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

*You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

*You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

*You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

*You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

*You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class-hatred.

*You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.

*You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.

*You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

--Reverend William John Henry Boetcker (1873-1962)

I had never heard of Reverend Boetcker before this. He was born in Germany, but after immigrating to the United States became an ordained Presbyterian minister and a successful motivational speaker. I doubt he was a liberal. His pamphlet “The Ten Cannots” was published in 1916, yet many people over the years have attributed his “ten cannots” to Abraham Lincoln.

I find Reverend Boetcker’s “Ten Cannots” instructive in our current situation. America faces economic chaos; rising unemployment; business failures; home foreclosures; businesses requesting federal bailouts; increasing federal deficits; business and government corruption; Congressional earmarks; expanding government programs; an increasing entitlement burden; citizens/businesses infected with the victim, welfare, and entitlement gimme-syndrome; a lack of personal responsibility; growing personal debt; proposed tax increases on those with higher incomes and on businesses or more likely on all of us; politicians and citizens advocating class envy and hatred; citizens’ independence and initiative replaced with dependency; expanding government into all aspects of public and private life; a public education system in total chaos with the educational establishment and teacher’s unions saying for decades that more money would solve the problems; and, a host of other problems. Now we have bailout requests from state governments who have spent beyond their means and are facing huge deficits, especially California where liberals in the state legislature have spent like drunken sailors for years. Now California has an 11.2 billion dollar budget gap, while Texas has a current surplus of over 11 billion dollars. This old guy thinks something is going on in California that is obviously not happening in Texas. What could that be? Following the “ten cannots” would have prevented at least some of these problems. Even though lengthy, it would also behoove Americans to read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

Ronald Reagan’s three statements below need to be heard once again:

*“In Washington people don’t realize that you can’t drink yourself sober or spend yourself rich; that you can’t prime the pump without pumping the prime.”

*”There are two ways of doing things: the right way, and the way they do it in Washington.”

*”When our struggle seems hard, remember what Eric Liddell, Scotland’s Olympic champion runner, said in Chariots of Fire. He said, 'So where does the power come from to see the race to its end? From within. God made me for a purpose, and I will run for His pleasure.' If we trust in Him, keep His word, and live our lives for His pleasure, He’ll give us the power we need—power to fight the good fight, to finish the race, and to keep the faith.”

As it is with an individual, so it is with America.