Another Response to Interest Price Fixing

After this I shall resume posting on what I feel is "The Way It Should Be". As I review the input from various persons, who emailed me concerning price controls on the price of money, I begin to think some of you have the right idea. People are responsible for their own situations in most cases. Banks and credit card companies should be able to set their own interest rates. Retailers should be able to set their own prices on their products. So I put forth to you that it comes down to personal responsibility. This can be carried over to almost every facet of society. My original posting which brought on this controversy was over Bankruptcy. So let's look at this aspect. Should we be able to file bankruptcy at all? Why should we be able to erase our debts at all? In ancient days, if you were unable to pay your debts you were sold into slavery, and that could have included members of your immediate family as well. Should we bring back that practice? We can scoff at price controls all we want, but, when you come right down to it; there are a lot of things society has price controlled, body organs come to mind. What business of it is mine if you want to sell your spare kidney to the highest bidder? It's your kidney. Why not? If you die, why can't your family sell your heart, spleen, kidneys, lungs, or anything else for that matter? The Government has set down price controls on those items.... The government says they must be a gift, you are not allowed to sell them or have anyone bid on them in auction. Ticket scalpers, they are purchasing a product for resale, why then shouldn't they be able to sell those tickets for whatever price the market is willing to bear? When a hurricane hits a community or any other natural disaster, why can't people purchase water at a dollar a bottle and sell it at $10.00 or more? Plywood? Generators? The list goes on. When it comes to personal responsibility why stop at economics? Libertarians profess an attitude that they should be able to do anything they please as long as it doesn't interfere with (or could interfere with) the rights of others. So speeding would be illegal if you are endangering others. Driving drunk would be illegal since you are exposing others to a hazardous situation. Libertarians would also advocate the use of what are now illegal drugs, since you are only harming yourself and not others. Again it would boil down to personal freedom. If I want to charge you $20 for borrowing $5, as long as you don't have a problem with it, what does it matter? If you want to smoke dope in your own home, and as long as you keep it contained and not in your car going 120 mph stoned, what concern of it is mine? Now if we take on this attitude, what restrictions must we implement to keep us from destroying society? First of all, if you get all liquored up and ruin your liver, don't ask anyone to pay for its replacement, that should be you and your family responsibility (would the insurance company be able to place a clause in your insurance agreement stating that if you were responsible for your condition they would be exempt from paying out on your bills?. The Federal government already refuses to pay off a service member’s SGLI (Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance) if the service member dies in an accident where they are not wearing seat belts (or in the case of a motorcycle accident not wearing a helmet). So where does this all lead you may ask. My Blog is "The Way It Should Be” In a perfect world there would be no need to limit companies on how much interest they lend out, they would do the right thing. In a perfect world we would all adopt the proper attitude when it came down to how we conduct our business and our lives. There would be no loan sharks waiting for the easy mark, ready to break your legs when you don’t pay up. If we had no limits on interest and the deal was the open door, Loan Sharks would be upstanding citizens offering a commodity to those in need. Is Citibank a legal Loan Shark? That, without restrictions is able to raise your interest rates as long as they give you a 30 day notice? Don’t they metaphorically break your economic legs when you are behind? It is right to garnish your wages for a credit card debt, to ensure they get paid before your Mortgage Company, utility company, or grocer? You may think this treatise is socialistic, but I think it is more Conservative in nature. By allowing people to grow more economically on their own, you open up a real economy based on product and demand for that product. When people have more to spend, they spend it. If we reduce the amount they can spend on products, because they have to pay off interest on stuff they have already bought, then no amount of stimulus money will be able to correct a turn in the economy. Money is not a commodity; it is the means in which commodities are exchanged for labor. Interest cheapens the value of labor, by reducing what can be purchased with it. When you create more products, with a wider Marketplace, Society becomes stronger. Perhaps credit cards should be traded in for debit cards and products sold for their value. Would you spend $360,000 for a $125,000 house? People do that every day, and oh yes that price just up to $400,000 because you don’t have a good credit history. I am just saying that interest rates are too high and the people who can afford to pay them, don’t have to, where is the equality? Again in a perfect world we would not need to limit what we do, because we would just naturally do it.

A Response Concerning Price Controls On Interest Rates

I received an Email expressing concern that I was advocating price controls when I stated that interest rates should be capped at 10%. I was. I have no reservations over the federal government when they take steps to “provide for the common good” as is directed by the preamble of our constitution. I also look to the oath of office sworn by our presidents and senators to defend against all enemies both foreign and domestic. Let me outline the reasons I have against usury (the practice of lending money at astronomically high rates).

Let us first look at the religious reasons

1) Jews are forbidden to lend at interest to one another. Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:19-20, Leviticus 25:35-37.

2) The Prophet Ezekiel includes usury in a list of “abominable things,” along with rape, murder, robbery and idolatry. Ezekiel 18:19-13.

3) Medieval Canon Law Usury is punishable by ex-communication

4) 1306-1321 Dante pens “The Inferno,” in which he places usurers at the lowest ledge in the seventh circle of hell – lower than murderers. “to live without labor was denounced as unnatural, and so Dante put usurers in the same circle of hell as the inhabitants of Sodom and other practices of unnatural vice”

5) 1483-1547 Martin Luther compared the taking of usury with theft and murder, as does the Scriptures.


But, let's go in another direction. How about our own history

1) Early 18th Century American colonies adopt usury laws, setting the interest cap at 8%.

2) After 1776 all of the States in the Union adopt a general usury. Most states set the interest limit at 6%.

So apparently our forefathers had no qualms about price controls when it came to interest rates and what would be considered usury. As we became more liberal with the concept of loaning money it soon caused our society to make money more available by making it more attractive for the banks to lend out, Thus allowing the banks to make more money off of our money that was sitting in their vaults.

1) Early 1900's a move to deregulation causes 11 states to eliminate their usury laws. Nine more states raise the usury cap to 10% or 12%. Banks are not making personal loans. “Salary Lenders” fill the need by “purchasing” a worker’s future wages in exchange for a high fee – equal to a lending rate of 10% - 33%.

2) 1916 A Uniform Small Loan Law allows specially-licensed lenders to charge higher interest rates—up to 36%—in return for adhering to strict standards of lending.

Obviously these practices help set the stage for the great depression loans were made at high rates, and the money used to buy stocks that when the paper tower collapsed, worthless stocks became as worthless as the paper loans used to purchase them. People ended up upside down with no way of paying off their debts. You would have thought we would have learned our lesson, but, no the great depression was alleviated by of all things World War 2. And when that was over......

1) 1945 - 1979 All states adopt special loan laws that cap interest at higher than the general usury rate—at 36%—but cap it nevertheless.

2) 1978 The US Supreme Court decides that national banks may export the state interest rate law of their home state into any state where they do business. In response, South Dakota eliminates its interest rate caps. Several credit card issuing banks move to South Dakota and operate nationally with no interest rate cap.

3) 1980 Congress preempts state interest rate controls on all first lien mortgages. This enables predatory mortgage lenders to make seemingly affordable loans, like adjustable rate and interest-only loans that lead to foreclosure for many.

4) 1994 Congress adopts the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994, which provides some substantive protections to home mortgage borrowers with interest rates or points that are extraordinarily expensive, but sets no limits on what can be charged for these loans.

5) 1994 -2005 Many states and cities try to protect their citizens by adopting state statutes and local ordinances to curb predatory lending, but preemption claims by the federal government impede their efforts. Numerous bills are introduced in Congress to protect consumers in a wide range of transactions, including rent-to-own, credit cards, payday lending, and predatory mortgage lending, but none of these bills makes it to a hearing.

6) 2001 - 2007 Predatory and mainly subprime lenders make home loans to people who cannot afford them, boosting their own profits in the short term. Many of these loans are packaged and sold to Wall Street.

7) 2005 after extensive pressure from the industry, the federal government changes bankruptcy laws, making it harder for consumers to discharge debts and get a clean start in bankruptcy.

8) 2006 Congress passes the “Talent Amendment” which to caps interest on loans made to active military personnel and their families at 36%, reacting to findings that high-cost payday lenders had been targeting the military.

9) 2007 Foreclosure rates begin to increase dramatically as a result of predatory mortgage lending. The launch of Americans for Fairness in Lending (AFFIL), a national multi-organization collaborative message and action campaign designed to raise public awareness and generate outrage about predatory lending.

10) 2008 Unpaid mortgages cause mortgage-backed securities on Wall Street to continue to "go bad," triggering widespread economic downturn in both the United States and around the world. Some commercial and investment banks go bankrupt, and some are the object of government "bailouts."

So how can we stand by and watch the financial system wreck havoc on our economy. Think of this when loans were at rates of 12 -16% Banks paid us 5-6% interest on our savings. As loan rates have climbed what has happened to our return rate? How much do you get paid on money sitting in your savings account? Your Money Market account? Or your CD's?

Price controls on banks? Maybe if they lent their money more responsibly..... They wouldn't need it. Maybe if we look deeper into who owns the banks...... we will see more politicians and lawyers. Just think our forefathers thought 6% interest was too much, now we have 36% and more.... Remember Income tax was originally set at 3% and how much do you pay now? Maybe we should set price controls.

Bankruptcy

The bitter truth is more Americans consider bankruptcy every day. One of the main culprits, are the banks. The banks and credit card companies have raised interest rates through the roof as our law makers sit idly by watching with little or no concern for the welfare of the nation. What should we do to correct these issues?

1) Congress must pass legislation regulating the maximum interest rate chargeable (usury laws are state laws that specify the maximum legal interest rate at which loans can be made. Congress has opted not to regulate interest rates on purely private transactions, although it arguably has the power to do so under the interstate commerce clause of Article I of the Constitution. Congress has opted to put a federal criminal limit on interest rates by the RICO definitions of "unlawful debt" which make it a federal felony to lend money at an interest rate more than two times the local state usury rate and then try to collect that "unlawful debt". It is a federal offense to use violence or threats to collect usurious interest. Such activity is referred to as loan sharking, although that term is also applied to non-coercive usurious lending, or even to the practice of making consumer loans without a license in jurisdictions that require licenses). I would purpose that an interest rate greater than 12% (1% per month) would be a reasonable rate.

2) There should be 3 levels of Bankruptcy.

A) when the Bankruptcy Judge deems that debts are spiraling out of control, yet the person or persons filing are by their own actions responsible for their condition (i.e. Not as under natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or other regional disasters also known as an act of God, or personal disaster such as catastrophic illness, criminal victimization of person or family member or any other situation deemed by the judge as pertaining to the issue of debts). When so deemed all interest rates are suspended and payments made only upon the principle. During the time frame set out by the judge, payments will be constructed to pay off those debts by the end of that said time (i.e. if the debtor owes $12000 in outstanding debts and the judge rules the bankruptcy duration as one year the debtor shall pay to the court $1000 per month; exceptions for payoffs may be imposed by the judge to include mortgages). Level A, bankruptcies may be universally applied to areas affected as National Disaster Areas so designated by the President, without the payoff clause enacted. Thus minimum payments must be made; again all payments during this time would be interest free. Under Level A bankruptcies new debts may be incurred, however, these debts will be exempt from the no interest clause with the exception of new medical debts or recovery loans (loans made to recover from natural disasters). Level A bankruptcies may not be carried on the debtor’s credit report past the payoff date.

B) When the Bankruptcy Judge deems that debts are spiraling out of control, and the person or persons are responsible for their condition. The Judge will review the debts, and be charged with determining whether such debts may be released or restructured. Any debts which are released and having assets will at the discretion of the Judge be dissolved by surrender of said assets to the creditor. The Judge will then assign a recovery fee to be collected by the court and disbursed to creditors. The recovery fee shall be made over a period of time not to exceed 7 years and no less than 1 year, where the debtor shall make payments according to the terms put down by the Judge. Under Level B Bankruptcies, no new debts may be incurred without appeal to the court until said time that the recovery fee is satisfied. Any windfall assets received by the debtor must be reported to the court and assessed by the judge, pending determination of the new conditions which may at the Judge’s discretion give grounds to restructuring or dissolution. Level B bankruptcies may only remain on the debtor’s credit report for no more than 3 years past the recovery fee payoff.

C) When the Judge determines that the situation is beyond control and the condition is his or her responsibility. He may dissolve all debts and order collection of all assets (exemptions of a primary home valued no greater than the National Median price and a single vehicle also valued no greater than the National Median price). At said time, this Bankruptcy shall bear full impact and may remain on the debtor’s credit report for a full 10 years. Any windfall assets received within the 10 year period may be confiscated by the court to be disbursed to creditors...

3) Unlawful or unfair collection of debt shall be addressed by the courts. In these proceedings, should the court find fault with the collection agency or the creditor, said debts may be forgiven, reduced, or restructured (assigned a lower interest rate).

Putting America Back To Work: The Rebirth of the Works Progress Administration

In the 1930's President Roosevelt created the National Recovery Act (NRA), which included the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This was originally was designed to put unemployed Americans back to work. What came out of it was the single largest Infrastructure project this nation had ever seen. Through the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), rural America was given cheap electricity in a time where they would have waited years before the large electrical providers would have ever considered giving them service. These work projects included highways, dams, navigable waterways, buildings, and parks. Originally set up as busy work, the WPA, was funded by Americans to benefit Americans. Now, we are 70 to 80 years past the onset of these projects and little has been done to keep them going. Many Dams in the Tennessee valley are long over due for improvements, or renovation, sooner or later, we will suffer from this lack of substantial care. Many states are not capable or willing to expend the necessary funding to properly care for them. The private sector has all but priced government out of the picture. It is time to take an organization such as the Army Corps of Engineers, and develop it into a National Corps of Engineering. This Corps would take over public works projects, administer and maintain them. The Corps would be made up not only of administrators, but engineers and construction workers. This would provide a workable force, who would not only regulate, but do the actual work, and would not be susceptible to the fluctuations in market price. Thus preventing private contractors the opportunity to get rich on bureaucratic delays and cost over rides. Since the federal government would be handling Interstate highway and bridge construction, like they do on dredging projects on America's waterways. Dams, would also fall under these considerations, and perhaps the generation of power and distribution of same should fall under these constraints, making power generation a business of America, along with sewage and water distribution, relaxing the need of individual monopolies in our neighborhoods and cities. Another advantage of this would be electrical rates would be leveled out and everyone would be paying a fair price (as long as we keep an eye on the government to ensure they don't rip us off.....).

Take Away Their 15 Minutes Of Fame

One of the saddest commentaries on American Society is who we remember. John Wilkes Booth, I don't need to tell you was Lincoln's assassin. Lee Harvey Oswald, was John F. Kennedy's assassin. Strangely enough we even know their middle names..... Can anyone tell me General Custer's full name (George Armstrong Custer)? We remember people like Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Ho Chi Minh, Jeffery Dalmer, John Wayne Gacey, Do the names Theodore Bundy, Charles Manson Ring a bell? But, let me ask a more poignant question.... Should they? Why do we dwell on the infamous? Perhaps we should ignore them. Obviously, we shouldn't ignore the deeds of evil, but, why do we need to know Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris ran amok at columbine high? Instead we should know that two distraught youths ran amok and maimed and murdered their class mates, and now are now doomed to eternal anonymity. History books should read Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford's theatre by a southern sympathizer. Let the memory of John Wilkes Booth be forgotten, forever. The same should be true of any other murderer or truly evil person. We should not give them their 15 minutes of fame... That should be reserved for; Chelsey B. Sullenberger III (pilot of US Airways Flight 1549), William Rodriguez (World Trade Center Maintenance worker who saved 15 people on 9-11), William David "Dave" Sanders (died helping over 100 students escape from Columbine High School), Lance Corporal Joe C Paul (Died after placing himself between the enemy and his wounded comrades in Viet Nam), and Etc... Etc... Etc... on down to the Mother who lifts a car off of her baby. These are the people who deserve their 15 minutes of fame....
My solution The newspapers don't need to publish the names of the demons and monsters, who run amok through society, stealing, killing, raping and generally abusing society; It serves no purpose. Delete their names from memory, don't burn them into the collective conscientiousness of society. Erase their names from their tombstones, let the good people who are left behind in their families suffer in quiet pain and away from the limelight of the media vampires who will suck the blood from them and the victims of their relatives actions. Again it serves no purpose to give them their 15 minutes of fame. Perhaps by taking that away from them, others will not see the opportunity for infamy.

How To Stop The Press From Picking Our President

The sad thing has been since the Election of 1960, the press has been picking our presidents; in particular the National Television Media. Had television, been around during the 1860 election it would have been inconceivable that a homely, lanky backwoods lawyer such as Abraham Lincoln would have ever been elected. We have to look at that first televised debate between Kennedy and Nixon, and really ponder weather Kennedy could have won without it. The closeness of that election was tilted in Kennedy’s favor when the Nation was able to see Kennedy and Nixon together. Due to unfavorable lighting and a lack of make-up, Nixon stood there looking more like a dock worker than a man wanting to be the next president. He had what appeared to be a 5 o’clock shadow, plus it was obvious that Kennedy towered over him (A fact that Nixon took into consideration in 1968 when he ran against Hubert Humphrey and won). Now we have leveled back out as far as they are, able to as our candidates now run their campaigns in the same popularity contests found in high schools. The other side of the Media tilt happens on each Primary, as they occur. Local and National affiliates play the poll games, asking people who they are behind, or as when they are exiting from the voting precincts, who they voted for. This creates a situation where people who vote in the early primaries are literally influencing those who vote in the later primaries (since many people want to vote for a winner). Not to mention those who don’t do well in the early primaries wind up dropping out before the big ones since they ran out of funds (no one will donate to the man who can’t win early on). So you are undoubtedly asking right now, “How do we correct this?”

Step 1) Change the dates of all the primaries to one day.

Step 2) Add a secondary where the top 2 candidates from each party have a run off (thereby making Conventions unnecessary).

Step 3) Take away the Rich factor. Level the playing field. Every Candidate should be allotted so many commercial spots to be aired nationwide as PSA’s (Public Service Announcements). Same would be true of mailings.

Step 4) National debates would occur on a regional and national basis, with full coverage. During the Primaries and Secondaries, All qualified candidates would be allowed to participate in their party’s debate.

Step 5) all candidates will submit a full disclosure to the National Election Committee, where qualifications would be reviewed, and eligibility confirmed. The FBI will also conduct a full background check, to determine if there are any discrepancies or irregularities which might bring on any legal issues. Once completed these dossiers’ would be available to all persons concerned (i.e. The American Public).

Step 6) all candidates would present their platforms to the American public, so each and every American will know where their candidate stands on the issues in a format which will allow each American to compare candidates across the board side by side with each other.

Step 7) Public appearances will be done at first party by party with all the candidates able to give speeches at each appearance until the two candidates have been chosen for the national election then at that time the candidates will be able to campaign without the other, as they see fit.

Step 8) since they will be elected as described in an earlier post (see my post titled Return To The Original Selection Process) there will be no need to select a running mate.

Step 9) Limit the donations to only those made by private citizens and not to exceed $200.00, and all unused funds will be redirected to the Party’s general fund.

Step 10) any unsolicited ads made by private citizens will be allowed but, must adhere to strict ethical standards or the person paying for the ad could be held responsible for any libelous or slanderous content. And such ads will be scrutinized by the National Election Committee, to determine their content. No ads can be aired during the last 5 days of the election if they haven’t been submitted at least 20 days prior to the election for review.

Step 11) News Stories, should be News, not commentary The Press will be restricted to the presentation of News stories only when reporting on the candidates during News programs. Any other format is fine as long as they don’t try and pass off commentaries as the News.

Educate Not Evaluate!

At least here in Florida the education system is more concerned with standardized testing, that grades schools rather than students. Lately, we have as a society have missed the boat when it comes to education. Many Teachers have for the most part, been more tuned to prepping students for taking the standardized tests than teaching them anything, and not without cause. The school systems have been forced to implement standardized testing to generate a yardstick on how schools are performing. These results will have no impact on the student's grades. You want a true yardstick of how well the students are performing as well as the school itself? 1) Make standardized tests that judge, weather the student passes the class. 2) Utilize those scores to determine how well the school was able to perform. 3) The subject matter on the tests must reflect the class the student took. 4) Your required courses only, will determine if the students passes or fails the class, these core classes (English, Math, History, and Physical Education and 1 year of political awareness to be taken during their senior year) are required to advance to the next year. All other classes are elective and not required to advance to the next year but, would count towards overall grade point average. Physical Education would be required of all grades, students participating in Sports type extra curricular activities would satisfy this requirement. However, only participation would be required to pass, not proficiency. Electives would be up to the students and their parents. Students wishing to attend college (after their 2 years national service {see an earlier post "Dropouts, Voters, and Voluntary Conscription"}) would be required to have a minimum of 3 years foreign language added to their last 3 years of core classes. Students wishing to enter a trade would have their core classes the first 4 classes of the day and then attend an Apprenticeship program for the remaining school day. Schools would last a minimum of 220 days each year, the four grading periods would be 55 school days or 11 weeks leaving the students 8 weeks off each year.

None Of The Above

There are times, when voters are faced with an election where they are not particularly enthusiastic about voting for either candidate, and in rare cases throughout the country they are faced with a single candidate. At times like these they will do one of two things; 1) vote for the lessor of two evils (in their minds), or 2) staying home and not voting at all. Every ballot should have included another option, NONE OF THE ABOVE. When the majority of voters pick the "None of the Above" choice then the political parties would be required by law to select new candidates and the election would be re held.

Space, The Last Frontier

It is time we get NASA back to work! The technological harvest reaped by the private sector from the space program fueled some of our greatest achievements of the last 50 years. John F Kennedy, jump started the space program, with his "We will go to the moon" speech in 1961. America needs a mission to get behind, America needs a goal, America needs to reach to the stars. America needs to spur the economy create new jobs, energize our youth to get an education so they can be part of an exciting future. The Space Shuttle program is on it's last legs, with nothing to replace it. President Obama wants private sector to develop space, this is one area that is not ready for private industry. The prohibitive cost of R & D, alone will keep industry on the launch pad. Usually I am not a proponent of Government spending, but when it comes to space exploration the rewards outweigh the costs. We need to develop a permanently manned base on the moon, where the costs of launching large payloads into space is less, due to the reduced gravity. Not to mention the mineral resources, which could be mined, and brought back to earth. Perhaps if the right minerals are available, we could mine, refine, and manufacture the next generation of rockets and satellites. With the right attitude and the right challenge, Mars is just a hop away. Perhaps a terraformed Mars, will provide us with a martian colony, who will one day become an independent country and a trading partner. I don't know if "Warp Drive" is possible, or to say travelling outside of the Solar system. But we will never know with our feet stuck on the ground and our heads buried in the sand.

The American Foreign Legion, France Has a Foreign Legion Why Not Us

One way for people wanting to become American citizens, is to allow them to serve in the military for a period of time. Upon completion of their faithful and loyal service, reward them with citizenship. This period of service should be no less than 6 years, and should incorporate, minimum requirements. These minimum requirements would include; 1) a conversational command of the English language, to include the ability to read and write at a minimum 7th grade level. 2) Having served honorably, maintaining a socially acceptable record of discipline (i.e. doesn't get in too much trouble). 3) By the end of their enlistment they have at least the equivalent of an American High School Diploma. 4) No felony records in their country of origin, equivalent to corresponding crimes in the US. In addition to achieving citizenship Legionnaires could be granted Citizenship under Heroic conditions, by achieving recognition through demonstrated Valor under fire (earning either a Purple Heart, Silver or Bronze Star, Medal of Honor, etc… etc…). American Legionnaires, would be in their own specialized units, serving autonomously much like the separation of the First Cavalry and Third Armored from each other able to operate together as units yet independently of each other. The major difference would be that Legionnaire units would be comprised of enlisted soldiers, serving under regular Army Officers. Initially Legionnaires would not be permitted to serve as Officers in their own units until they attained Citizenship. Upon honorable discharge those serving would be eligible for all benefits and rights associated with regular Military Veterans. I believe this would be a great way for those persons not normally able to integrate into American society, to become productive citizens without becoming an initial burden on the country, upon their entry.

Provided below is an adaptation of the code of the foreign legion as it might apply to An American Foreign Legion.

Legionnaire, you are a volunteer serving America with "Honor and Fidelity".

Every legionnaire is your brother-in-arms, regardless of his nationality, race, or religion.

You will demonstrate this by strict solidarity which must always unite members of the same family.

Respect of traditions, devotion to your leaders, discipline and comradeship are your strengths, courage and loyalty your virtues.

Proud of your status as Legionnaire, you display this in your uniform, which is always impeccable, your behavior always dignified but modest, your living quarters always clean.

An elite soldier, you will train rigorously, you will maintain your weapon as your most precious possession, and you are constantly concerned with your physical form.

A mission is sacred; you will carry it out until the end respecting laws, customs of war, international conventions and, if necessary, at a risk of your life.

In combat, you will act without passion and without hate, you will respect the vanquished enemy, you will never abandon your dead or wounded, nor surrender your arms.

Undocumented Workers? Why Can't We Call Them Illegal Aliens?

I am sick and tired of the Politically Correct crowd, whining about the poor undocumented worker. First of all, they are Illegal Aliens, with emphasis on ILLEGAL. That's right Illegal aliens are outside of the law. They should be arrested, thrown in jail, and afforded every comfort granted to them by their country of origin. Now, if you want to get rid of the problem of illegal aliens taking jobs away from Americans, using up our resources, (hospitals, welfare, and state aid) you have to dry up the attraction for them being here. Jobs, that's right they come here and work for those employers who will hire them and since they are undocumented they are paid way below what, legal Americans will work for. Thus the employers get cheap help they don't have to give benefits to, nor have to match their, taxes, which they don't pay in the first place. They don't have to pay them vacation or sick pay. Therefore if you want to get rid of the problem of illegal aliens, you have to get rid of the reason they come here... jobs. To get rid of the jobs you have to prosecute the source of our problems, the people who hire them! If you hire an illegal alien, you should be prosecuted, plain and simple. Tough measures must be employed, Prison terms 2 to 5 years per illegal job hire, 10 illegals working for you means 20 to 50 years in prison, plus fines. Fines equivalent to what the income tax would have been collected, during that illegals time at work at a comparable rate of pay, times 10. As for the undocumented worker, if no one hires them they have two choices go home or turn to a life of crime (which by the way, they already have by being in this country illegally). In addition to all this you cancel the anchor child problem by not extending citizenship to persons born in this country, if their parents are not citizens. Illegals should not be afforded driving privileges, health care, welfare, housing or education. When illegals are discovered they should be arrested and escorted to the nearest border and dropped off. You will find however, if they cannot get employment, or benefits, they will go back on their own. Right now the illegal alien environment is so much more inviting than the country of origin. It is no wonder they sneak across the border to work for less than we will, because it is better than what they have available. So to sum it up, punish those who hire, dry up the job market, end benefits for illegals, and end anchor baby citizenship. Then the problem goes away.

Congress Takes Away

It used to be in this country, when someone dedicated 20 or more years in the service of this nation (Military Service); He was rewarded with retirement pay equivalent to 50% to 75% of his base pay. In addition to that, he was given base privledges with medical, dental, and optical benefits, for him and his dependants, free of charge. As time has passed, out illustrious politicans have wittled these benefits away. Today even active duty service members have to pay for supplemental insurance for their dependants to get what used to be available for not only active duty, but, for retirees. Yet Congress, gets all these benefits for themselves and for their families. In perpetuity, even if they have only served 1 elected term. Congress has taken away from the men and women of our armed services, a benefit they have put themselves into harms way for. and kept it for Congress... SHAME ON YOU! SHAME ON THE CONGRESS! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! On top of everthing else, the medical benefits were space available, where congressmen have had and still have front of the line privledges. If you think the government will take care of you with a new health care bill think again, they won't take care of the men and women who have served our country.

Charity At The Point Of A Gun or Robin Hood Was A Socialist

Point of the matter is this; If you reach into your pocket, and donate to your fellow man, that is Charity. If the government takes your money and gives it to another person, that is wealth redistribution. Wealth redistribution is not charity, you do not have a say so in who gets your money, or for what purpose it is used for. It is highway robbery literally, Robin Hood, was a highwayman; dispite what he did with his ill gotten gains, he was a thief, a robber, and a highwayman. What he did with his money made him a socialist, a liberal and a democrat. Redistributing wealth as he saw fit. I am not saying that the rich in Robin Hood's day were fine upstanding members of society. I am not saying that of the rich today. The point is, if socialism doesn't work once people know, that when they are idle, someone will give them something. We have people today, who have made a career out of gathering hand-outs. The main reason why democrats give money to the poor is to buy their vote. They don't care, if those people could become productive members of society. As I said in an earlier post, "If the poor couldn't vote, the politicans wouldn't give them anything". In accordance with the Preamble of the Constitution "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." In particular, promote the general Welfare These words do not require the government to create the general welfare, but to promote it. This in it's self means to give everyone an equal opportunity, to develope the best lifestyle they are capable of creating, for themselves! Not, to give it to those who are not interested in doing it for themselves. It is up to we the people to care for one another. Charity comes out your own pocket, and goes to whom you want it to go. Taxes are to run the government. We need to tell Washington D.C. to stay out of our pockets. If Congress gave away their own money, instead of ours, you can bet, Welfare would be more under control.