Shameless Plug

Okay, I have always said we have become a nation of two year olds and everybody just wants a nannystate to take care of them...this book puts an exclamation point on the subject!

Here is the shameless plug pulled from WorldNetDaily...

Are you among the many Americans not surprised by the recent election results?

After all, you've been fed up for years with all the lazy, self-centered, whining, entitlement-minded young people in our country. You knew that at some point, these malcontents would eventually find their way to the polls and elect a leader fitting their mentality.

Well, now there's a book that proves you were correct in your suspicions, expressing the very thoughts that have been echoing in your mind.

It's called "Born Liberal, Raised Right: How to Rescue America from Moral Decline – One Family at a Time," and it's the latest release from WND Books.

Its author, Reb Bradley, an expert on child rearing, says Rush Limbaugh is right about liberals – they are turning America into a nation of victims, dependent, covetous and incapable of the kind of self-government the nation's founding fathers envisioned.

Author of the previous best-selling book, "Child Training Tips," Bradley recalls listening to Limbaugh more than a decade ago and having an epiphany about the societal impact of permissive and indulgent parenting.

"I noticed that all of the societal ills Rush talked about were really manifestations of people who really never grew up – never matured," he explains. "Ultimately, that is what the worldview of liberalism is all about. And we won't escape its dire ill effects until we learn how to parent."

America is increasingly lacking in-self control, explains Bradley. He says adults no longer restrain themselves from destructive actions and behaviors, because they have not been taught to do so as children.

"A few decades ago, people were just as human as we are in this decade," he writes. "Like us, they got angry, they lusted, they coveted, and they drowned their grief by one means or another. But in one important way, they were different from us – they had greater self-control. Because they were more self-restraining, they did not allow themselves to be ruled by their anger; hence the murder rate was markedly less. They lusted, but they had greater sexual self-restraint, so had sexual contact with fewer people and contracted fewer STDs. They coveted other people's money and possessions, but they had the ability to not act on their covetousness; hence fewer were compelled to steal. In the last 40 years we have lost the virtue of self-control. No longer is our society populated by individuals who can restrain or 'govern' themselves. To lack the capacity to control one's urges or passions is to lack what our nation's Founders called personal 'self-government.'"
Bradley contends that liberalism is the natural condition of the human heart and for people to be capable of self-government, they must be trained against their own nature.

"In this age of technology, one might say that liberalism is our 'default' operating condition," he writes. "Throughout our childhoods, our parents must work hard and change our settings to keep us from operating in our default mode. If parents are successful, we enter adulthood with our new settings fully locked in. Left untrained, all children would grow up liberal in their outlook."

Get "Born Liberal, Raised Right: How to Rescue America from Moral Decline – One Family at a Time." If you prefer ordering by phone, call our toll-free order line: 1-800-4-WND-COM (1-800-496-3266).

Listening to Rush Limbaugh describe what he saw as the traits of liberals led parenting expert Bradley to his conclusions that liberals were, in effect, children who never really grew up.

"Liberals are merely inadequately trained children who grew up and now lead using principles they gleaned from their upbringing," he says.

All people are born liberal, Bradley writes, meaning they are ruled first by their emotions and passions.

"We come into the world determined to survive, and we vehemently express ourselves to get what we need: 'Waaa!' and Momma feeds us," he writes. "'Waaa!' and our diaper is changed' 'Waaa!' and we are put down for a nap. As infants, our strong will can keep us comfortable and alive – the more outspoken we are, the more our needs are met. However, as we start to grow, we no longer cry for our necessities – we crave pleasure, too."

These ideas are not really new, explains Bradley. They are just in need of rediscovery. He points out that in 1926, Minnesota Gov. Theodore Christianson established a state crime commission. At the end of its research, the commission concluded that criminal tendencies were not the result of poverty, education or environment. Instead, it made the following observation: "Every baby starts life as a little savage. He is completely selfish and self-centered, he wants what he wants when he wants it: his bottle, his mother's attention, his playmate's toys, his uncle's watch, or whatever. Deny him these and he seethes with rage and aggressiveness which would be murderous were he not so helpless. He's dirty, he has no morals, no knowledge, no developed skills. This means that all children, not just certain children but all children, are born delinquent. If permitted to continue in their self-centered world of infancy, given free rein to their impulsive actions to sat! isfy each want, every child would grow up a criminal, a thief, a killer, a rapist."

Bottom line?

"Liberals are like teenagers whose will-to-be-gratified was never subdued, and now cannot grasp the simple logic of what is being said to them," Bradley writes. "They are so emotionally obsessed with getting what their hearts want that they are unwilling to listen to reason. That is why liberals resort to personal attacks, name-calling, accusing, yelling, discrediting, or changing the subject. And that is why they use inflammatory and emotionally charged words like 'intolerant,' 'hateful' and 'racist.' Desperation ensues when passion rules. When passion rules, blindness sets in."

As a result, Bradley says "America is being governed by adults still in their terrible twos."

"Barack Obama is our King Saul," Bradley continues. "Like Saul, he has fooled people on a base, emotional level. And when people can't see beyond their emotions, they are immature and incapable of the kind of self-government that has been the bedrock of America's freedom for the last two centuries."

Get "Born Liberal, Raised Right: How to Rescue America from Moral Decline – One Family at a Time" from WND's online store now! To order by phone, call 1-800-4-WND-COM (1-800-496-3266).

Silent Night, Holy Night

I was asked to intro Silent Night at our Christmas Eve service. My pastor gave me the story of this historic song and told me to make it my own. Little did I know it was the closing song of the evening and the song used for the lighting of the Christmas candles by the entire church. It really is a cool story. My stately, old stone church never looked so beautiful.

Bill, I am posting this for you...

For many of us, music is very spiritual in nature. Music speaks to our souls in loud words or soft whispers. Music tells the story of our lives, our loves, our sadness and our joys. Songwriters and music makers have a very special gift and sometimes inspiration comes in many interesting forms. One of the most beloved Christmas Carols of all time has such a story. It truly gives a new meaning to divine providence.

The story begins on Christmas Eve, 1818 in Oberndorf Austria. A priest discovers that the church organ is broken. As any good leader would do, he came up with Plan B. He hurriedly wrote an appropriate poem and asked his friend to compose a tune for it. The two friends sang it together that Christmas Eve service with just a guitar as accompaniment. It was simple. It was gorgeous. Kind of reminds me of something Gail and Kaylene would do.

But the story doesn’t end here. From a tiny village that night, an unknown Christmas Carol began its worldwide journey. When an organ repairman came to the church a few days later, he discovered the song jotted down on a piece of paper. Asking if he could share it with others, it eventually got into the hands of a well-known singing family who included it in their concerts.

In 1849, 31 years after it was written and sang in that little Austrian church, Silent Night, Holy Night was published in English for the first time. And yes, it was in a Methodist hymnal. And tonight, 190 years later, we are still singing it. And that, as Paul Harvey says, is the rest of the story.

So this Christmas Eve let’s enjoy this beautiful song and remember that there are no coincidences in life and there are no small or insignificant efforts. We all make a difference in this world by being God’s servants. You just never know how much!

Christmas Fun Facts

I bet you didn't know this one...

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were
not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone
during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each
element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality
which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.


-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,
Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.' (I did, thanks Stacey!)

Christmas Cheer

I swear I know these people...

Why Christmas Matters

Bill is on a rant about the recent bs in Washington state. He definitely has a point.


Why Christmas Matters
Bill O'Reilly
Saturday, December 20, 2008

In 1870, President Grant signed a law making Christmas Day a federal holiday, a national day of celebration. Congress overwhelmingly voted to make that happen, and Grant understood that this was not a trivial gesture. The nation remained deeply divided in the aftermath of the Civil War, and the federal government was looking for ways to reunite the people. Since Christmas was loved by almost everyone, the national holiday became a symbol of healing and unity.

Now America is divided again, this time over social behavior. Traditional Americans want to hold on to the beliefs and institutions that, they believe, have made this country great; while secular-progressives lobby for aggressive change -- things like redefining marriage to include homosexuals and other redefinitions of tradition.

Thus, deep divisions are growing in the United States, and somewhat shockingly, Christmas is right in the middle of it.

A few years ago some retail companies ordered their employees not to say the words "Merry Christmas" because they might offend people who do not celebrate the national holiday. That was insane. These companies were marketing the gift-giving season that accompanies Christmas, but refusing to utter the word. Please.

Once I and some other media people exposed this, millions of Americans decided not to spend money in the offending quarters and the banishment of Christmas quickly ceased. I guess making money trumps offending people all day long.

This year there is another Christmas controversy, this one engineered by some atheists who want to display signs on public property where Christmas or Hanukkah symbols are present. So far, only Illinois, Wisconsin and Washington State have caved in to the atheists, but it is just a matter of time before the nonbelievers come to a State House near you.

The problem with the atheistic displays in Washington and Wisconsin is that the message is hateful, an attack on religion rather than a positive message. In Madison, then-Gov. Tommy Thompson allowed an anti-religion sign, but posted it far away from the Nativity scene and the menorah.

But in Olympia, Gov. Christine Gregoire, a secular-progressive politician, has allowed a sign in the Capitol rotunda that says religion enslaves people -- among other not nice things -- to be placed within a few feet of Jesus in the manger. And peace on earth to you, too, Governor.

Gregoire did not have to do that. The legal settlement in Washington clearly states that any holiday display must be appropriate and reflect the decorum of the state Capitol building.

The atheist's anti-religion sign could have easily been rejected as being inappropriate. If the nonbelievers want a seasonal display, make it a positive thing. Put a picture of Charles Darwin and Bill Maher up there with the words: "These are our guys -- happy winter solstice!"

But no, the atheists have to attack the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the wise men and whoever else dropped by the Bethlehem birthplace.

Atheists well understand that Christmas is the most visible display of religion in the world, and any diminishment of it is a good thing to militant secularists. But it is inconceivable that Grant, believing he finally had a slam-dunk issue with which to unite a fractured country, could have foreseen the social civil war we have today.

Sadly, we are no longer one nation under God. But those of us who truly understand the spirit of Christmas -- the simple message of good will toward all mankind -- know that Grant was on to something. Christmas should be a time of peace and understanding. It's sad that we now have to defend that.

Management 101

Laugh for the day...thanks Steve!

5-Minute Management Course

Lesson 1:

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.

The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.

When she opens the door, there stands Bob , the next-door neighbor..

Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'

After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands n aked in front of Bob , after a few seconds, Bob
hands her $800 and leaves.

The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.

When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'

'It was Bob the next door neighbor,' she replies.

'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'


Moral of the story:
If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a
position to prevent avoidable exposure.


Lesson 2:

A priest offered a Nun a lift.

She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.

The priest nearly had an accident.

After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.

The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears,=2 0he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'

Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.

On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you
will find glory.'

Moral of the story:
If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.


Lesson 3:

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.

They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'
'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the
world.'
Puff! She's gone.

'Me next! Me next!' says the sa les rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an
endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'

Puff! He's gone.

'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch'

Moral of the story:
Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and
ate it.

Moral of the story:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.


Lesson 5

A turkey was chatting with a bull.

'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'
'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients..'
T he turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the
tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.


Moral of the story:
Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..


Lesson 6

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large
field.

While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.

As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was!

The dung was actually thawing him out!
He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.

Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.


Morals of the story:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your
friend.

3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep
your mouth shut!


THUS ENDS THE FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE
Send this to bright, humorous people who have enough of a sense of humor to laugh at it!

Doing the right thing doesn't guarantee a perfect result...do it anyway.

Lincoln Davis

One of the hardest things about being involved in the political system is having to choose sides. When you go to war for your country, it is important that you believe that your opponent is 100% wrong and you are 100% right...especially if you are going to have to kill them. When you go to war in politics, you are taught to believe the very same thing...especially if you have to go for the throat. Here lies my dilemma. I believe in going to war for just causes, but politically, I am just a doggone borderline pacifist. Ruining someone for the sake of winning a campaign is not something that I can do...especially if I like them.

I like Congressman Lincoln Davis. He is a conservative fellow brought up right with strong, solid foundations. He just happens to be a Democrat. I like his staff, they are one of the best ones in the entire United States. They return phone calls and they get stuff done. I generally like how Lincoln thinks, he has gone off the cracker a couple of times, but somehow he always manages to return to the basics and follow the needs and values of his constituents. That is exactly the kind of fella we need in Congress. My problem has always been his wacky, liberal leadership team.

Today, Lincoln came to the Grundy Rotary meeting. His explanation on the auto bridge loan was dead-on worthy of an attaboy. His focus was the 123 supply companies (and multi thousands of jobs) that would go out of business in his district if the Big 3 went thru bankruptcy. As the old saying goes...all politics are local. That explanation hit home.

I've known Lincoln since Spring '03 when we attended a dinner at the Icelandic Embassy in DC right after his election. Politics is a small world and I have learned to appreciate Lincoln as a person. And that will make it hard in 2010 if he decides to run for Governor. He is a good man.

So I guess the moral of the story is...don't ever get to know your opponent in war.

Saving History

I live in a community very rich in history. Monteagle has been a famous southern resort town since the late 1800's. It was a hideout for Al Capone. There was a lucrative bootleg whiskey and moonshine business running out of various "joints" during and after prohibition. Highlander Folk School created enough interest to inspire people like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Eleanor Roosevelt and enough controversy to have every local, state and federal government agency gunning for it. And then there is the rich educational history surrounding our famous neighbors University of the South and Sewanee Military Academy/St Andrews plus the prolific book writing and art creation that has been nurtured here in the glorious mountain paradise we call home.

But Monteagle is a strange little town. We can't decide who we really are or where we really come from, so we have a hodgepodge of historical preservation efforts by different interested parties with different viewpoints. It would be frustrating if it wasn't kind of comical. The other problem with Monteagle is that most of its history has gone up in smoke...literally.

So until we get our long range plan in place, a few of us insanely dedicated people find victory where we can get it. The most recent victory is saving the Monteagle Motel sign from the wrecking ball. This historic building has been vacant since the early 90's when one of our old summer family members (I think he is 4th or 5th generation) opened a cool jazz club in the main building that housed the old Diner.
Peter's father had designed the arch that connected the old sign to the main building so he had a special place in his heart for the location...plus it is right in the center of town!

Anyway, I digress. Those of us who had grandparents or parents that hung out at the old Diner, the place has very special memories and the cool, retro Monteagle Motel sign is just apart of the fabric of our community.

What are we going to do with it? Who the heck knows, but it has been saved for another day and another purpose. The old building is now rubble and we will have a fancy new CVS with a drive-thru pharmacy that many of our elderly citizens are looking forward to having here. I guess we have to make room for progress. But I just can't help but yearn for a simpler day and time. Saving History sure is bittersweet.

Econ 101

Government intervention into our economy scares the crap out of me. I know way too much about how things work to feel any sense of confidence in the solutions being offered up by our wiley Congress and economy chiefs. I like this article on the subject.

Econ 101: Financial Bailouts and the Rule of Law
Rule of law - not rule of men - is necessary for economic stability.

By Gary Wolfram
Business & Media Institute
12/4/2008 12:46:15 PM

Friedrich Hayek wrote of the importance of what he called the rule of law over the rule of man. His point was that in order to be free to act according to our own plans we must know what the rules of the game are, for what reason they are promulgated, under what conditions they will hold, and that these rules are the same for everyone.

This is consistent with James Madison’s comments in Federalist #62: “It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of our own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that the cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man who knows what the law is today can guess what it will be tomorrow.”

If we are under the rule of man, such as a lord in the Middle Ages, the rule changes with the whim of the man who makes it. This allows for a coercive government and it severely constrains innovation and investment, since these require some certainty of the rules in order of estimate the payoff from undertaking risk.

One of the major difficulties with the recent actions of the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury is that they appear much more to be the rule of men rather than the rule of law. Bear Stearns ran into financial problems when it relied upon risky and volatile short term borrowing to finance longer term higher yielding assets.

When rumors surfaced that Bear Stearns would run short of cash, the Federal Reserve invoked a clause of its charter that, according to Alan Greenspan, had last been used in the 1930s. The clause allowed the Fed to give JP Morgan a $29 billion non-recourse loan to help finance an emergency takeover of Bear Stearns that it had engineered along with Treasury.

AIG, then the world’s largest insurer, was given a loan of $85 billion on Sept. 16 and another $37.8 billion loan on Oct. 8, with further access to another $20.9 billion through the Fed’s commercial paper program. This was followed by a further restructuring of the bailout in November resulting in a total commitment of more than $150 billion.

On the other hand, Lehman Brothers was allowed to go into bankruptcy.

The Treasury within days of proposing the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was given $700 billion to purchase troubled assets. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson later declared that Treasury would not use the $700 billion to buy troubled assets, but would instead use it to take equity positions in banks. Investment banks, such as Goldman Sachs, were allowed to quickly become bank holding companies in order to be eligible for the TARP funds. Other financial institutions, such American Express, a credit card company, followed suit, with GMAC also applying. Citigroup was given more than $300 billion in loan guarantees.

The point is that this does not appear to be rule of law, but rule of men. This creates uncertainty in the markets in the short term as investors become uneasy about investing in a company because the next day some new rule may change the economic landscape. And in the long term, how long will the federal government own large shares in our financial institutions and will Congress begin to micro-manage the banking sector.

One reason that there is no rule of law during the current crisis may be that there is no economic theory that is generally agreed upon on how to restore credit markets while minimizing the transition costs of the de-leveraging that must occur in order to clear out the mortgage-based derivatives market.

Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke may be just making it up as they go along. If this is the case, then this is not likely to inspire confidence that government action is likely to get to the correct answer. If Paulson and Bernanke do have some theory behind their actions, then this should be made explicit so economic actors may make the best decisions possible for them given the rules.

To quote Alan Greenspan’s book The Age of Turbulence, “We need laws that specify and limit the conditions for bailouts—laws that authorize the Treasury to use taxpayer money to counter systemic financial breakdowns transparently and directly rather than circuitously through the central bank, as was done during the blow-up of Bear Stearns.” Without such laws and transparency market participants will be saddled with uncertainty and the transition to market equilibrium and renewal of economic growth will be delayed.

There is a long term danger in moving from rule of law to rule of men. Even if it were the best solution to our current economic problem, granting unrestrained and uncertain powers to the governmental authorities will damage both the economy and jeopardize out freedom. Hayek argued in his book, The Constitution of Liberty, that it would be better in the long run to abide by the constitution and fail to solve a particular economic problem than to allow government arbitrary power even under special circumstances. We may be setting a precedent that will be used in ten years in ways unimagined by the Congress that voted for the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 or the Troubled Asset Relief Act of 2008.

Gary Wolfram is the William Simon Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Hillsdale College and a Business & Media Institute adviser.

Born Yesterday 2

Okay, here is another good one.

ATTN,PROPOSAL FOR COW MEDICINE SUPPLY.

FROM MR.KEN
kengust012@centrum.sk
15 BP 1003 Abj 15.cocody,
Cote Ivoire
West Africa.



Dear Sir,

Please permit me your attention to introduce to your organization a very lucrative business. I work as a junior executive in a consultancy firm. My name is MR.KEN My boss is in business with one of the greatest businessmen of all time.I am talking about Alhaji Buba Kofam.The president of Bubaco Farms.The owner of the biggest cattle farm in West Africa and The Biggest fish farmer.
This is the man they call the food basket of Africa.His cocoa and palm tree plantations are the biggest and his vegetable oil plants are located in the 16 West African countries.Now my boss supplies this Business magnet an essential vaccine at the price of US4,900. per carton, and sometimes we supply up to 2000 or 3000 cartons.
Briefly,I am contacting you because my boss traveled to china and he will be there for two month. Now,I received a letter from the Alhaji Bubaco Farms, requesting two thousand cartons supply of the vaccine.I have called back to the Bubaco Farms and informed them that my boss traveled,he will not be back soon and since they need the vaccine urgently,that I will introduce them directly to the Manufacturers of the vaccine from where my boss buy.
The President of the Bubaco Farms invited me to his Presence and I confirmed my word to him, and he promised me his confidence and to deal only with me if I can do this.HOWEVER I TOLD HIM THAT THE MANUFACTURERS RECEIVE 70%ADVANCE PAYMENT BEFORE THEY WILL SELL THE VACCINE.I know where my boss buy this vaccine in Europe. The Price of the vaccine is US$2000. per carton. I will need you to contact Alhaji Buba Kofam and Inform him that you are the manufacturer of the vaccine and that you will sell to him at the price of US$4,400 per carton. You will inform him to make 70% advance payment as is the Procedure.He will not hesitate to send the money immediately.If your organization is interested to be my partners in this transaction, please contact me immediately so that we can discuss on how to execute this lucrative bussiness. Plase you can write through my pravite yahoo box above.

Yours,
MR.KEN

Born Yesterday

I am sure most of you get these type requests in your email. There was a commercial that came out a year or two ago that keeps playing in my mind everytime I get one. It was very effective because I laugh and remember it when I read these things.

The commercial starts with a disheveled, well spoken guy on the back of a public bus holding a crumpled "cashiers check" from a foreign national he represents. He starts telling an unsuspecting soul this eloquent story that we have seen a thousand times (different variations) in our emails pleading that he needs to give this money away in return for using our bank account. The announcer says something profound that basically says "you are an idiot if you fall for this crap, don't do it!".

I have the greatest urge to email these people back and say "Do you think I was born yesterday". But I don't. That little rumpled fellow might follow me home.



Attention Please,


I crave your indulgence to kindly attend to this in good faith. I do not mean any disrespect approaching you through this medium, it is due to the time constrain of this matter, I write to inform you of my desire to acquire estates or landed properties in your country, believing that you are within the capacity to handle this project that involves the investment of large sum of money on real estates if you agree to be our over sea agent. Your area of specialization in the real estate market doesn?t matter in this transaction.


I am Tito Thambo, Deputy General Manager, (credit Controls) First National Bank. An American Citizen,Late Engr. Mark Stewart, a Geologist with the department of mining. Until his death in a car acciedent in 2005, operated a domiciliary account with us and had a closing balance as at the end of
September2005 amounting to millions of dollars, the bank now expects a next of kin and till date no body has come forward or put application for the claim. So I want to present you as his next of kin only if you are interested.


You are requested to communicate your acceptance of this proposal, through my private email :(tito_thambo@live.com) after which we shall discuss in details the modalities for seeing this transaction through.To enable us commence, I will need your personal telephone/fax number.



Yours Faithfully,
Tito Thambo

Familiar Tune

Jan sent this to me and it is eerily beautiful. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole died in 1997 of weight related respiratory problems (he weighed over 700 lbs when he died). Sarah and I had a discussion the other day about extraordinary musicians who died way to young but left behind a timeless body of work. Karen Carpenter, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley etc. They are like the beautiful butterfly. There life is so short but so poetic in nature.

Gun Control

From the www.tngunowners.com, thanks for sharing Bruce!

A Little Gun History Lesson

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953,

about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up

and exterminated.

------------------------------

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5

million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and

exterminated.

---------------------------

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total

of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were

rounded up and exterminated.

------------------------------

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952,

some 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were

rounded up and exterminated.

----------------------------

Guatemala established gun control in 1964.. From 1964 to 1981, some

100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and

exterminated.



Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000

Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and

exterminated.

------------------------------

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one

million 'educated' people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up

and exterminated.

-----------------------------

Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century

because of gun control: 56 million.

------------------------------

It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by

new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their

own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500

million dollars. The first year results are now in:

Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent

Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent

Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300

percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in,

thecriminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!

It will never happen here? I bet the Aussies said that too!

While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in

armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the

past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is

unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of

the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public

safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was

expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The

Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.

You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians

disseminating this information.

Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes,

gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind him

of this history lesson.

With Guns.............We Are 'Citizens'.

Without Them........We Are 'Subjects'..

During W.W. II the Japanese decided not to invade America because they

knew most Americans were ARMED ! A Japanese officer had

attended Harvard Univ. 1919-1921 & was Naval Attache to the U. S. 1925-28.

Most of our Navy was destroyed at Pearl Harbor & our Army had been

deprived of funding & was ill prepared to defend the country.

It was reported that when asked why Japan did not follow up the Pearl

Harbor attack with an invasion of the U. S. Mainland, his reply was that

he had lived in the U. S. & knew that almost all households had guns.

Fred's Holiday Wish

You know, I just realized I was going to give up talking about politics this holiday season...dang, there goes that one.

Choices

You know you live in paradise when you have to make a choice on attending a lecture by famed Reagan economist Arthur Laffer (Laffer Curve) or talking politics with your favorite state representative over at your favorite leaning blue restaurant.

This was truly a painful choice, but I knew my friends Scott and Rhonda had the Laffer lecture covered so I could hear a report later, but chatting with my dear friend Judd about the upcoming Republican majority legislative season was too tasty to pass up.

I have been fortunate to see the build up to this Republican majority since 2003. When I moved back home, I had just come off a state rep campaign in Illinois so I went looking for the same kind of solid, Reaganesque candidate here in Tennessee. I found Judd. He had just won a wildcard victory from an entrenched incumbent in 2002 and he was the only Republican state rep nearest to me (I live in a sea of Democrats).

Judd is a cagey fellow, honed by years in the military, police and private investigation arenas. You don't get into his inner circle very easily and I literally had to go thru Judd "bootcamp" to prove my loyalty to the cause. It is pretty comical in retrospect, I wore high heels to the first meeting and ended up in camoflage and carrying a Walther PPK. I never looked back.

The first year we started working on a TV show to bring Nashville politics back home to Judd's district. It was an interesting year to say the least. But I got a chance to see the good, the bad and the ugly in Nashville. I realized how truly broken the legislative system had become. Thug politics at its best, probably learned since birth from the small town thugs that permeate our mountains and valleys in Tennessee. There is a reason Tennessee is on the bottom rungs of every national indicator.

The subsequent years are a blur, Judd kept winning and fighting the "establishment" at every turn, I got involved in local politics and ended up running for state representative in my district in 2006. Although I had no chance whatsoever, the good guys needed help in Nashville and I knew I could stir it up around here by jumping in. When you are the underdog you work 100 times harder than the incumbent talking to people and doing grassroots politicking. That year, I learned a great deal about my district (4 rural counties, 1200 sq miles) and the needs of the people.

That is how I got involved in the OHV movement and the meat of yesterday's discussion with Judd. One of the biggest issues in my district was the quickly disappearing access to land by our Off-Highway Vehicles users. One fellow, Steve Melton, was so utterly passionate about the topic that I could not help but listen. And the more I found out, the more it pissed me off. So in 2007, I was hired by Southern Four Wheel Drive Assc to further the objectives of the 2004 Off Highway Vehicle Act which called for a statewide system of trails. The Act had effectively been circumvented and laid to death but for one project in East Tennessee. As I said earlier, the more you learn about government and politics, the more it pisses you off at how illogical and counterproductive it can be.

But I digress. Judd had carried my OHV legislation for the past 2 sessions and we were looking at next years agenda now that the political landscape had changed. Jason Mumpower had personally endorsed my legislation last year which means that Joe McCord and TWRA may not be able to stop it this year if Jason becomes Speaker. Jason is one of the good guys and one of the warriors, like Judd, who is passionate about good politics that benefit the citizens not the pockets of a few. My OHV legislation is just housecleaning and getting the program moving again. It is not rocket scientist stuff.

So my choice of hearing Arthur Laffer talk about how the "Redistributionists" are going to lead us straight to economic hell or talk about exciting opportunities that could exist in our newly empowered state legislature was one that was painful, but oh so sweet. I LOVE living here in paradise!

God vs Science

This was a "Joke of the Week" listed on Stacey Campfield's blog, but let me tell you, if a joke explains things this well then maybe laughter is the best medicine for what ails us all.

God vs Science
A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the
students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The
atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks
one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a
moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over
here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would
you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you
could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't,
does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though
he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you
answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water
from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.
"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil
in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created
everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according
to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality?
Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this
world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his
question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the
lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is
mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you
believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use
to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen
Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your
Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or
God for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable
protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to
that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science
has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of
His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The
room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You
can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat,
unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't
have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero,
which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no
such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the
lowest -458 degrees."

"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or
transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or
transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat.
You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of
heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units
because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just
the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom,
sounding like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it
isn't darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the
absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright
light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have
nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use
to define the word."

"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make
darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This
will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to
start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can
you explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student
explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a
good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as
something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even
explain a thought."

"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less
fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is
to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive
thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved
from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man,
yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes
where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and
cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you
not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a
preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the
commotion has subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student,
let me give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who
has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into
laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt
the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one
appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of
empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have
no brain, with all due respect, sir."

"So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your
lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his
face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess
you'll have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with
life," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as
evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see
it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man.
It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world.
These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it
does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is
just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe
the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of
what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart.
It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness
that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

Snow

Growing up in Chicago, I have great snow memories of sledding, snowball fights, building snowmen and snow days. As an adult, I hated the snow. It was cold and wet, hard to drive in, a pain in the tail to shovel, it got dirty and yucky after the first day, I had to wear ugly boots and my clothes were worn for warmth not style most of the time, winter and snow seemed to last forever, and did I mention it was cold and wet?!

But snow here in the mountains of Tennessee is a different ballgame. Snow is peaceful and wondrous here in the woods. It makes every tree limb look like it was a part of a decorated winter wonderland. It is pretty snow, just like the first one of the season in Chicago. It is happy snow. And because we are on mountain time, snow adds a whole other dimension to the concept. Snow here will close schools, close businesses and keep people close to home.

I love the snow here because it is so rare and so special. Hmmm, that sounds like an object lesson to me.

Faith

For all my best intentions, I have usually been a curmudgeon around the holidays. The travel, the forced expectations, the "not getting work done" attitude that permeates the air from mid November to mid January. All of it used to create heartburn and unhappiness so I just endured the season and embraced the positives as best I could. My children never knew this and I kept it from them pretty well. But I think on some level they felt the uneasiness.

This year is a different ballgame and I am really enjoying the change. And yes, my newly found Faith is the reason for this new attitude. January 13th, 2008 I "surrendered" to the good Lord above. I fell to my knees and I surrendered to him my pain, my questions, my heart and my soul. I surrendered everything and I finally found the freedom I had searched for my entire life. Now that is irony at its best.

So this holiday season, I am thankful for the fresh outlook on life God has given me.

I am thankful for the people in my life

I am thankful for the church that fills me up

I am thankful that my children have turned out so well against the greatest of odds

I am thankful for the kindness in people's souls who reach out to others

I am thankful for the warriors who protect us

I am thankful for the public servants who govern with their honor and ethics still intact

I am thankful for the business owners who treat their employees with respect and dignity

I am thankful for employees who give business owners a full days work and a job well done

I am thankful for the creatives who give us so many things to think about

I am thankful for the environmentalists who can balance public good and public use

And finally, I am thankful for the people with backbone and gumption for a good cause. They are my heroes in life.

Sometimes it just takes Faith to see all of this clearly. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Volkswagen

I and about 10,000 of my neighbors attended the Volkswagen professional and supplier job fair at the Chattanooga Convention Center today. I haven't seen so many well dressed men and women in one building since, heck, I don't know when.

Since I am your classic overachiever, and I don't have a "real job", I thought I would get there about 45 minutes before the event started and check out the scene. I had already registered my info online along with my resume, so this visit was just a look-see. Plus, it doesn't hurt to put in face-time at these things and hand over another physical copy of my resume.

I am glad I went, and I am certainly glad I went early. There was already a line when I arrived. Most everyone it seemed had not done all the early leg work that I had done, so their line was longer. I wanted to be in the first group to go into the 30 minute informational meeting where the company brass put on their dog and pony show. I was able to get 5th row center, with a great view of the speaker and the slideshow.

Volkswagen didn't disappoint me. Their visions are precise and forward looking. Their goals concrete and their methods revolved around the "Volkswagen way". German's are notorious for being very functional and literal (I was married to one), which I really do appreciate, but I also saw a visionary side that really appealed to me. In today's global marketplace, we all need to be rethinking and retooling our ways of doing business if we are going to survive this current economic crisis. Volkswagen is solidly on that track.

As for my future career with Volkswagen, who the heck knows. I am comfortable knowing that I have followed the required steps and my resume is in their hands. You just can't pass up that kind of opportunity. Volkswagen is a bright, shiny bulb in a dark dismal room called America. Go Chattanooga!!!

Battle Hymn of the Republic

This version sent chills down my spine and a tear to my eye. Thanks for sharing Claudia!

http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle Hymn/index.htm

Christmas Break

I have found that people in my neck of the woods start into the holiday mode just before Thanksgiving and continue the process thru the first couple of weeks in January. Not alot gets done during this time. When I first moved back here 6 years ago, the concept threw me into fits of frustration. I couldn't get anything done!!!

Now, I accept and become one with the beauty that is called "Mountain Time", especially during the holiday season.

So in that vein, I am taking a break from political discussion and will meander thru the joys of living here and finding the goodness that creeps into everyone's souls during this wonderful period of time. It is time to thaw my cynical heart around the joys of a warm fire, good friends and the pleasures of seeing a world thru rose colored glasses. A world I want my children to know and appreciate.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Gotta Love Steve 2

Tool Definitions



DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat

metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest

and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted part

which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.



WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere

under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints

and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you

to say, ''What the...??''



ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning pop rivets in their

holes until you die of old age.



SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.



PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation

of blood-blisters.



BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert

minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.



HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija

board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked,

unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its

course, the more dismal your future becomes.



VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off

bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to

transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.



WELDING GLOVES: Heavy duty leather gloves used to prolong the

conduction of intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.



OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various

flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the

grease inside the wheel hub you want the bearing race out of.



TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch

wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.



HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the

ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the

jack handle firmly under the bumper.



EIGHT-FOOT LONG YELLOW PINE 2X4: Used for levering an automobile

upward off of a trapped hydraulic jack handle.



E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool ten times harder than

any known drill bit that snaps neatly off in bolt holes thereby ending

any possible future use.



BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most

shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily

fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead

of the outside edge.



TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile

strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.



CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 24-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A very large pry bar that

inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end

opposite the handle.



AVIATION METAL SNIPS: See hacksaw.



PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals

under lids and for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and

splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name

implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.



STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes

used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.



PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip

or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.



HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.



HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer

nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most

expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.



MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of

cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly

well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic

bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic

parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while

wearing them.



DAMMIT TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the

garage while yelling ''DAMMIT'' at the top of your lungs. It is

also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

Pretty Words

Call me a cynic, but I am a person who doesn't trust government at any level. I have personally experienced the dark side of government's abuse of power at the local level and the judicial level, I have witnessed the abuse of power at the state level and I can only imagine how bad it is at the federal level. If the public is asleep at the wheel or mollified into complacency, bad things can happen because there are less than honorable people who crave power and seem to gravitate to public office. The Founding Fathers saw that pifall and created a structure that had checks and balances...but that doesn't prevent the devil from creeping into the system.

Then there is an entirely other concept of government control. Socialism.

What if Pretty Words conceal the very basis of government slavery and the public buys into the concept? To me, that is a truely horrific Stephen King novel come to life.

Evil Concealed by Money
Walter E. Williams
Townhall

Evil acts can be given an aura of moral legitimacy by noble-sounding socialistic expressions such as spreading the wealth, income redistribution or caring for the less fortunate. Let's think about socialism.

Imagine there's an elderly widow down the street from you. She has neither the strength to mow her lawn nor enough money to hire someone to do it. Here's my question to you that I'm almost afraid for the answer: Would you support a government mandate that forces one of your neighbors to mow the lady's lawn each week? If he failed to follow the government orders, would you approve of some kind of punishment ranging from house arrest and fines to imprisonment? I'm hoping that the average American would condemn such a government mandate because it would be a form of slavery, the forcible use of one person to serve the purposes of another.

Would there be the same condemnation if instead of the government forcing your neighbor to physically mow the widow's lawn, the government forced him to give the lady $40 of his weekly earnings? That way the widow could hire someone to mow her lawn. I'd say that there is little difference between the mandates. While the mandate's mechanism differs, it is nonetheless the forcible use of one person to serve the purposes of another.

Probably most Americans would have a clearer conscience if all the neighbors were forced to put money in a government pot and a government agency would send the widow a weekly sum of $40 to hire someone to mow her lawn. This mechanism makes the particular victim invisible but it still boils down to one person being forcibly used to serve the purposes of another. Putting the money into a government pot makes palatable acts that would otherwise be deemed morally offensive.

This is why socialism is evil. It employs evil means, coercion or taking the property of one person, to accomplish good ends, helping one's fellow man. Helping one's fellow man in need, by reaching into one's own pockets, is a laudable and praiseworthy goal. Doing the same through coercion and reaching into another's pockets has no redeeming features and is worthy of condemnation.

Some people might contend that we are a democracy where the majority agrees to the forcible use of one person for the good of another. But does a majority consensus confer morality to an act that would otherwise be deemed as immoral? In other words, if a majority of the widow's neighbors voted to force one neighbor to mow her law, would that make it moral?

I don't believe any moral case can be made for the forcible use of one person to serve the purposes of another. But that conclusion is not nearly as important as the fact that so many of my fellow Americans give wide support to using people. I would like to think it is because they haven't considered that more than $2 trillion of the over $3 trillion federal budget represents Americans using one another. Of course, they might consider it compensatory justice. For example, one American might think, "Farmers get Congress to use me to serve the needs of some farmers. I'm going to get Congress to use someone else to serve my needs by subsidizing my child's college education."

The bottom line is that we've become a nation of thieves, a value rejected by our founders. James Madison, the father of our Constitution, was horrified when Congress appropriated $15,000 to help French refugees. He said, "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." Tragically, today's Americans would run Madison out of town on a rail.

Dr. Williams serves on the faculty of George Mason University as John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics and is the author of More Liberty Means Less Government: Our Founders Knew This Well.

Fred!

My youngest daughter loves going to those color-your-own pottery shops. It is our special time together to create something lasting and memorable. My earliest memorable creation is from 2001, and it is a huge yellow and purple coffee mug with a "I Love Mom" on it that she made for my birthday. Of course, I still use it.

Last August 2007, at the end of Summer Break, we hit the pottery shop as usual. Madison made a darling muffin jewelry container and I made a coffee mug that reflected my mood at the time...it says FRED 08 with the American Crest on the reverse side. I also have in my library a signed copy of the "Fred Factor" by conservative talk show host Steve Gill. Yes, 2008 was supposed to be Fred Thompson's year. What the hell happened, I still am at a loss.

But Fred is back on the airwaves and back on the team, reminding us of our conservative roots and urging us all to move on and up. I love this guy! And yes, I am drinking out of that mug today. It is a very memorable creation.

Fred Thompson: Time to Look Ahead
Townhall

I’m sure after this two-year campaign everyone would like to take a deep breath and put aside politics for a while. The holiday season approaches. It is time for all of us to give thanks for the many blessings we have been given.

But our gratitude for life and liberty should also serve as a reminder that what we were working so hard to achieve these past few years still very much hangs in the balance. And it is up to each of us to continue that fight. Our participation as citizens of the United States does not end once we’ve pulled the lever in the voting booth. That ballot is just the beginning.

We are now living in a nation controlled by a Democratic Party committed to cutting the budget for our national defense, raising taxes and nibbling around the edges of our personal freedoms in the hopes none of us notices. Democrats will do it through regulation in the executive branch, legislation in Congress and rulings from the judiciary.

This activity will be taking place during a time when we know that somewhere in the world our worst enemies either have, or are trying to get their hands on, the most dangerous weapons known to man. Small rogue nations are developing nuclear weapons to threaten us and our allies. Some large nations are engaged in massive military buildups, while others seek to take advantage of our weakened financial condition to wage a kind of economic warfare that is only now possible because of our global economy. And all the while the greatest economic threat of our lifetime and our children’s lifetime—the bankrupting of our entitlements systems—will be ignored.

It’s not a pretty picture, is it?

But if the time I spent traveling around America the past 18 months has given me anything, it is hope. And it if has confirmed anything for me, it is this: America remains the greatest country in the history of the world, and our citizens who care about our nation’s founding values—freedom, free markets, respect for life and the rule of law—will not stop defending these values as much as some of our fellow citizens and leaders might wish they would.

The Democrats and their P.R. machine known as the “mainstream media” liked to talk about 2008 as an election about “change.” Well, let me tell you, by their nature, every election is about “change.” In fact, responsible change is the essence of conservatism. We must change in order to preserve what is best about our country. We have always been able to accommodate constructive change without turning our back on our first principles.

But now, we should admit that we didn’t do a good enough job of holding our elected officials accountable over the past few years when spending got out of control, and we seemed to lose sight of the policies grounded in our first principles. It’s going to be a high price we pay, but we must not lose sight of what we must be doing now: fighting for conservative change we want today—and tomorrow.

We are going to have to use every tool we have—grassroots organizations, think tanks, magazines, talk radio, the Internet—while building new institutions to blunt the efforts of a left-wing establishment that appears willing to use uncertainty to impose an agenda that would never see the light of day in normal times.

The challenge will be to fight the Democratic instinct to let government meet every need and solve every problem and to divide our nation by class and race, while also laying the groundwork for the kind of historic mid-term election we achieved in 1994.

We gained those victories with a focus on innovative, free-market, pro-freedom, policy solutions to issues like welfare reform, promising to cut spending and balance the budget, and recruiting a host of talented, young (and perhaps not-so-young) men and women willing to step into the arena and run for office.

We have the formula—a conservative formula—that has worked before and will surely work again. It is grounded in our first principles. It’s time we moved past the recriminations and seven stages of grief. It’s time to look ahead, to stay united and to defend the values that we know must endure if our nation is to do the same.

Ode to My Father

I am sure most of you don't wake up on a Sunday morning, coffee in hand, expecting a deep discussion on world history, politics, religion or economic theory. On any given Sunday, thruout my life, that is something I have come to expect from my father and I have taken it for granted most of my life.

Do we ever fully appreciate our parents? My mother died 6 months after my first child was born almost 17 years ago, and I miss her deeply. She was a one of a kind and it is her backbone that I have in my spine. It is her love for the hurt and the weak and the oppressed that I have in my heart. It is her courage and convictions that are in my soul.

But it is my mind that belongs to my Dad. My father has shaped my world view more than any person or any book that is in my large library. His kind of intellect is based on logic and a vast knowledge base honed over his 73 years. In my younger years, I listened on our Sunday's but I didn't ever fully comprehend the importance of the knowledge that was being given to me.

Today, a Sunday, it really hit me. These discussions are like the puzzle pieces of life with the borders put together and the inner structure completed enough to see the bigger picture. Like fathers handing down the family tools, my father was handing me the keys to the future. I hope I can use them well and then pass them on to my children with the same care and patience. So far, it looks like they are definitely ahead of the curve that I was on.

Gotta Love Steve

This is straight from one of my favorite military friends and personal hero Steve...

Rules for the Non-Military (12 STEP PROGRAM FOR CIVILIANS)
>
> Dear Civilians,
>
> We know that the current state of affairs in our great nation has many
civilians up in arms and excited to join the military.
>
> For those of you who can't join, you can still lend a hand. Here are
a few of the areas where we would like your assistance:
>
> 1. The next time you see any adults talking (or wearing a hat) during
the playing of the National Anthem - kick their ass.
>
> 2. When you witness, firsthand, someone burning the American Flag in
protest - kick their ass.
>
> 3. Regardless of the rank they held while they served, pay the highest
amount of respect to all veterans. If you see anyone doing otherwise, quietly
pull them aside and explain how
these
veterans fought for the very freedom they
bask in every second. Enlighten them on the many sacrifices theseveterans made
to make this Nation great. Then hold them down while a disabled veteran kicks
their ass.
>
> 4. (GUYS) If you were never in the military, DO NOT pretend that you
were. Wearing battle dress uniforms (BDUs) or Jungle Fatigues, telling others
that you used to be 'Special Forces,' and collecting GI Joe memorabilia,
might have been okay when you were seven years old. Now, it will only make you
look stupid and get your ass kicked.
>
> 5. Next time you come across an Air Force member, do not ask them,
'Do you fly a jet?' Not everyone in the Air Force is a pilot. Such
ignorance deserves an ass-kicking (children are exempt).
>
> 6. If you witness someone calling the US Coast Guard
'non-MIlitary', Inform them of their mistake – and kick their
ass.
>
>
7. Next time Old Glory (the US flag) prances by during a parade, get on
your damn feet and pay homage to her by placing your hand over your heart.
Quietly thank the military member or veteran lucky enough to be carrying her -
of course, failure to do either of those could earn you a severe ass-kicking.
>
> 8. Don't try to discuss politics with a military member or a
veteran. We are Americans, and we all bleed the same, regardless of our party
affiliation. Our Chain of Command is to include our Commander-In-Chief (CinC).
The President (for those who didn't know) is our CinC regardless of
political party. We have no inside track on what happens inside those big
important buildings where all those representatives meet. All we know is that
when those civilian representatives screw up the situation, they call upon the
military to go straighten it out. If you keep asking us the
same stupid
questions
repeatedly, you will get your ass kic ked!
>
> 9. 'Your mama wears combat boots.' never made sense to me - stop
saying It! If she did, she would most likely be a vet and therefore could kick
your ass!
>
> 10. bin Laden and the Taliban are not Communists, so stop saying
'Let's go kill those Commies!' And stop asking us where he is!
Crystal balls are not standard issue in the military. That reminds me- if you
see anyone calling those damn psychic phone numbers, let me know, so I can go
kick their ass!
>
> 11. 'Flyboy' (Air Force), 'Jarhead' (Marines),
'Grunt' (Army), 'Squid' (Navy), 'Puddle Jumpers' (Coast
Guard), etc., are terms of endearment we use describing each other. Unless you
are a service member or vet, you have not earned the right to use them. Using
them could get your ass kicked.
>
> 12. Last, but not least, whether or not
you become a member of
the
Military, support our troops and their families. Every Thanksgiving and
religious holiday that you enjoy with family and friends, please remember that
there are literally thousands of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen far
fromhome wishing they could be with their families. Thank God for our military
and the sacrifices they make every day. Without them, our country would get
it's 'ass kicked.'
>
> 'It's the Veteran, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom
of the press.'
>
> 'It's the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of
speech.'
>
> 'It's the Veteran, not the campus organizer, who gives us the
freedom to demonstrate.'
>
> 'It's the Military who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the
flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag who allows the protester to burn
the flag.'
>

God Factor

As I was writing my previous post, I was reminded of the story about the late addition of "Under God" into our Pledge of Allegiance so I decided to Google it. Several hours later, I am still fascinated by what I found. I am glad I am off today, because this subject is of great interest to me. Did you know the original pledge (1892) was written by a Christian Socialist? Yep, no Under God in that version.

The God topic is a big one. And probably will will take up several posts. I think this is one of the biggest struggles we Conservatives have in relation to government and politics. To some degree, we are a fragmented bunch. Constitutional Conservatives believe in less government and more personal freedoms. Fiscal Conservatives believe in less government and tight spending policies. Social Conservatives believe in traditional and religious values being reflected in government policies. Libertarian Conservatives believe in free trade and oppose government economic intervention.

But where is God in all of this? The Social Conservatives seem closest to the God Factor, but I don't think that premise was the overall purpose of our Founding Fathers in creating our Nation. They were all Christians, but they didn't want to have a Monarchial Church Nation like the one they came from. I am a practicing, fully operational Christian and would recommend that way of life to anyone who asks me. But I certainly don't want government imposing a morality structure on me even if I totally believed in and practiced the premise that would keep me "legal". What if this country became a Muslim controlled nation and we had to follow their moral laws? Can you say, HELL NO.

So where does that leave God in government? Personally, I think it should continue to be a rigid reference placed in our courtrooms, money, pledge of allegiance, induction into government office and military service and national songs. Make it off limits to everyone once and for all and be done with it. There are bigger things to worry about these days.

But then you start reading why the Left doesn't want God referenced in ANYTHING governmently controlled and you start realizing why it is such a big deal to them. Some of the court cases involve the point that we are "indoctrinating" our children. Well, yes, I guess we are. Patriotism not only involves a salute to the flag of our nation but a salute to a higher power guiding our decisions for virtue, decency and welfare of others for the good of our nation. Those are personal responsibilities of each and every citizen of this country. I certainly don't trust any government not agreeing to those principles. When you take out those guiding lights, what do you have...a nation ready for a new type of leadership. If that doesn't send chills up your spine, I don't know what else will.

Thankfully our Constitution was drawn up by strong Conservatives who believed in a rigid document that would withstand the test of time and could not be changed at the whim of a temporary majority. Will the God factor have the same fate?

Beware the Dragon

I am going to say this straight out. Barack Obama will receive my respect as the man who is President of the United States. I am an old school Nationalist. I believe in the visions of our Founding Fathers for a free and unifed country. I also believe in their vision for a bloodless and civil handing over of power. As a Nationalist, I respect the position of President and all that entails.

So as we move into this next segment of our nation's history, those of us who believe in "One Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all" will be watching and solidifying our strategy for a defense/offense should the Dragon come out of the Cave.


Shame on You!
Nick Nichols
Saturday, November 15, 2008

J.R.R. Tolkein cautioned in The Hobbit that, “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations if you happen to live near one.” For those who value private property, free speech, unfettered competition, limited government and the principle of taxation with representation, Election Day 2008 was not only an historic event from the perspective of race relations in America, but also a shocking affirmation that a new generation of power-hungry socialists have surfaced from within that Trojan Horse called the The Democratic Party. These neo-socialists have already begun the process of turning this country into a nation of hand-out seekers, Wall Street whiners and corporate derrière smoochers seeking bail from the very people who contributed to their economic imprisonment.

In the coming months, I am certain the NeoSocs will be joined by others from both sides of the aisle who, for the sake of political expediency, will turn their backs on the principles of free-market capitalism. These sell-outs will help enact legislation that may cause Karl Marx to do an end-zone victory jig in his grave. It will not do to leave this live dragon out of our calculations.

When the media hype and spin are unraveled, three key factors emerge that explain America’s current political and economic debacle:

First, starting with Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society program, the U.S. Congress created numerous market disruptions in the form of social justice, pro-union and environmental laws. Ask anyone who has observed the downfall of the American auto industry about the impact of punitive environmental regulations and pro-union policies on the competitiveness of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. Take a good hard look at the long-term effects of Jimmy Carter’s 1977 Community Reinvestment Act and the Clinton Administration’s influence at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to find the root cause of the sub-prime mortgage disaster.

Second, when the Republicans took the reigns of power in both houses of Congress, they quickly abandoned their conservative fiscal values, increased the size of government and spent taxpayer cash like it was growing on those Japanese cherry trees that surround various monuments to our nation’s founders. Talk about rolling over in their graves!

Third, during the past decade social and environmental activists have been wildly successful convincing thousands of business executives to embrace corporate socialism. The so-called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement had business executives spending corporate capital on programs and policies that contribute very little to profitability and, in some cases, harmed their companies’ bottom lines. It was all oh so voluntary, neither government mandated, nor shareholder-sanctioned. Oftentimes, these expenditures amounted to pay-offs for the pet projects and policies of non-government organizations (NGOs) who helped shove CSR down our collective gullets.

Why did the anti-business activist groups preach the gospel of CSR? The simple answer is that they were preparing the battlefield to advance their socialist agenda at the ballot box, and in the court of public opinion. They knew that it would not be difficult to sneak into corporations led by executives who talk like Rambo but act like Bambi.

So why did these corporate leaders participate in this capitalist equivalent of treason? Some believed the myth that good PR—at any cost—is the Holy Grail of successful business management. Others wanted to position their competitors as corporate villains who could care less about human rights or the environment. Most were trying to appease the socialist attack groups, and their allies in the media and in government.

Guess what all of you corporate appeasers, CSR is about to become real mandatory!

Economist Milton Friedman wrote that some “businessmen believe that they are defending free enterprise when they declaim that business is not concerned merely with profit but also with promoting desirable social ends; that business has a social conscience and takes seriously its responsibility for providing employment, eliminating discrimination, avoiding pollution and whatever else may be the catchwords of the contemporary crop of reformers.” Friedman added, “In fact, they are . . . preaching pure and unadulterated socialism. Businessmen who talk this way are unwitting puppets of the intellectual forces that have been undermining the basis of a free society these past decades.”

It boggles the mind to think that any self-respecting business executive would pay lip-service to the CSR movers, shakers and spinners given their basic belief that corporations should become government property, while leaving the financial risks to the private investors.

Long before the economic meltdown, millions, if not billions of corporate dollars were diverted from shareholders and redistributed to others under the guise of CSR. Every dollar represented a hidden tax on unsuspecting investors. Talk about taxation without representation. Now, of course, people who actually work hard to achieve success won’t have to worry as much about hidden taxes. They will have to worry about Congress and the President deciding that their property and prosperity must be shared with people who haven’t worked quite as hard, or not at all.

How can we stop this lunacy? First, America’s 100-million shareholders need information about how their investments are being shanghaied, how their rights are being subverted and how corporate socialists and government officials are using their hard-earned cash to undermine free enterprise. This is advocacy of the kind employed by the Free Enterprise Action Fund (FEAF). The Fund uses its status as an institutional shareholder to persuade companies to focus on increasing shareholder value and profits rather than vainly trying to appease the socialists and their allies.

Second, American voters must be reminded of Winston Churchill’s admonition that, “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy, its inherent value is the equal sharing of misery.” I fear that Americans will discover what Churchill meant in a multitude of ways over the next four years.

In the meantime, I offer three words to the corporate Neville Chamberlains who helped put this country in the hands of people who advocate wealth redistribution and government control of what was once the private sector: Shame on you!

New Liberal Order

As we regroup and rethink, it is also good to understand the history of Liberalism and where we are at on that curve. Being so "anti-government" as I am, I was fascinated by this article. It makes sense.

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008
The New Liberal Order
By Peter Beinart
Time

The death and rebirth of American liberalism both began with flags in Grant Park. On Aug. 28, 1968, 10,000 people gathered there to protest the Democratic Convention taking place a few blocks away, which was about to nominate Lyndon Johnson's Vice President, Hubert Humphrey, thus implicitly ratifying the hated Vietnam War. Chicago mayor Richard Daley had warned the protesters not to disrupt his city and denied them permits to assemble, but they came anyway. All afternoon, the protesters chanted and the police hovered, until about 3:30, when someone climbed a flagpole and began lowering the American flag.

Police went to arrest the offender and were pelted with eggs, chunks of concrete and balloons filled with paint and urine. The police responded by charging into the crowd, clubbing bystanders and yelling "Kill! Kill!" in what one report later termed a "police riot." Across the country, Americans watching on television gave their verdict: Serves the damn hippies right. Democrats, who had won seven of the previous nine presidential elections, went on to lose seven of the next 10.

Forty years later, happy liberals mobbed Grant Park, invited by another mayor named Richard Daley, to celebrate Barack Obama's election. This time the flags flew proudly at full mast, and the police were there to protect the crowd, not threaten it. Once again, Americans watched on television, and this time they didn't seethe. They wept. (See pictures of Obama's Grant Park celebrations.)

The distance between those two Grant Park scenes says a lot about how American liberalism fell, and why in the Obama era it could become — once again — America's ruling creed. The coalition that carried Obama to victory is every bit as sturdy as America's last two dominant political coalitions: the ones that elected Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. And the Obama majority is sturdy for one overriding reason: liberalism, which average Americans once associated with upheaval, now promises stability instead.

The Search for Order
In America, political majorities live or die at the intersection of two public yearnings: for freedom and for order. A century ago, in the Progressive Era, modern American liberalism was born, in historian Robert Wiebe's words, as a "search for order." America's giant industrial monopolies, the progressives believed, were turning capitalism into a jungle, a wild and lawless place where only the strong and savage survived. By the time Roosevelt took office during the Great Depression, the entire ecosystem appeared to be in a death spiral, with Americans crying out for government to take control. F.D.R. did — juicing the economy with unprecedented amounts of government cash, creating new protections for the unemployed and the elderly, and imposing rules for how industry was to behave. Conservatives wailed that economic freedom was under assault, but most ordinary Americans thanked God that Washington was securing their bank deposits, helping labor unions boost their wages, giving them a pension when they retired and pumping money into the economy to make sure it never fell into depression again. They didn't feel unfree; they felt secure. For three and a half decades, from the mid-1930s through the '60s, government imposed order on the market. The jungle of American capitalism became a well-tended garden, a safe and pleasant place for ordinary folks to stroll. Americans responded by voting for F.D.R.-style liberalism — which even most Republican politicians came to accept — in election after election. (Read a TIME cover story on F.D.R.)

By the beginning of the 1960s, though, liberalism was becoming a victim of its own success. The post-World War II economic boom flooded America's colleges with the children of a rising middle class, and it was those children, who had never experienced life on an economic knife-edge, who began to question the status quo, the tidy, orderly society F.D.R. had built. For blacks in the South, they noted, order meant racial apartheid. For many women, it meant confinement to the home. For everyone, it meant stifling conformity, a society suffocated by rules about how people should dress, pray, imbibe and love. In 1962, Students for a Democratic Society spoke for what would become a new, baby-boom generation "bred in at least modest comfort," which wanted less order and more freedom. And it was this movement for racial, sexual and cultural liberation that bled into the movement against Vietnam and assembled in August 1968 in Grant Park.

Traditional liberalism died there because Americans — who had once associated it with order — came to associate it with disorder instead. For a vast swath of the white working class, racial freedom came to mean riots and crime; sexual freedom came to mean divorce; and cultural freedom came to mean disrespect for family, church and flag. Richard Nixon and later Reagan won the presidency by promising a new order: not economic but cultural, not the taming of the market but the taming of the street.

See scenes from voting day.

See the campaign in T Shirts.

The Receding Right
Flash forward to the evening of Nov. 4, and you can see why liberalism has sprung back to life. Ideologically, the crowds who assembled to hear Obama on election night were linear descendants of those egg throwers four decades before. They too believe in racial equality, gay rights, feminism, civil liberties and people's right to follow their own star. But 40 years later, those ideas no longer seem disorderly. Crime is down and riots nonexistent; feminism is so mainstream that even Sarah Palin embraces the term; Chicago mayor Richard Daley, son of the man who told police to bash heads, marches in gay-rights parades. Culturally, liberalism isn't that scary anymore. Younger Americans — who voted overwhelmingly for Obama — largely embrace the legacy of the '60s, and yet they constitute one of the most obedient, least rebellious generations in memory. The culture war is ending because cultural freedom and cultural order — the two forces that faced off in Chicago in 1968 — have turned out to be reconcilable after all.

The disorder that panics Americans now is not cultural but economic. If liberalism collapsed in the 1960s because its bid for cultural freedom became associated with cultural disorder, conservatism has collapsed today because its bid for economic freedom has become associated with economic disorder. When Reagan took power in 1981, he vowed to restore the economic liberty that a half-century of F.D.R.-style government intrusion had stifled. American capitalism had become so thoroughly domesticated, he argued, that it lost its capacity for dynamic growth. For a time, a majority of Americans agreed. Taxes and regulations were cut and cut again, and for the most part, the economic pie grew. In the 1980s and '90s, the garden of American capitalism became a pretty energetic place. But it became a scarier place too. In the newly deregulated American economy, fewer people had job security or fixed-benefit pensions or reliable health care. Some got rich, but a lot went bankrupt, mostly because of health-care costs. As Yale University political scientist Jacob Hacker has noted, Americans today experience far-more-violent swings in household income than did their parents a generation ago. (See pictures of the 1958 recession.)

Starting in the 1990s, average Americans began deciding that the conservative economic agenda was a bit like the liberal cultural agenda of the 1960s: less liberating than frightening. When the Gingrich Republicans tried to slash Medicare, the public turned on them en masse. A decade later, when George W. Bush tried to partially privatize Social Security, Americans rebelled once again. In 2005 a Pew Research Center survey identified a new group of voters that it called "pro-government conservatives." They were culturally conservative and hawkish on foreign policy, and they overwhelmingly supported Bush in 2004. But by large majorities, they endorsed government regulation and government spending. They didn't want to unleash the free market; they wanted to rein it in.

Those voters were a time bomb in the Republican coalition, which detonated on Nov. 4. John McCain's promises to cut taxes, cut spending and get government out of the way left them cold. Among the almost half of voters who said they were "very worried" that the economic crisis would hurt their family, Obama beat McCain by 26 points. (See pictures of Obama's campaign.)

The public mood on economics today is a lot like the public mood on culture 40 years ago: Americans want government to impose law and order — to keep their 401(k)s from going down, to keep their health-care premiums from going up, to keep their jobs from going overseas — and they don't much care whose heads Washington has to bash to do it.

Seizing the Moment
That is both Obama's great challenge and his great opportunity. If he can do what F.D.R. did — make American capitalism stabler and less savage — he will establish a Democratic majority that dominates U.S. politics for a generation. And despite the daunting problems he inherits, he's got an excellent chance. For one thing, taking aggressive action to stimulate the economy, regulate the financial industry and shore up the American welfare state won't divide his political coalition; it will divide the other side. On domestic economics, Democrats up and down the class ladder mostly agree. Even among Democratic Party economists, the divide that existed during the Clinton years between deficit hawks like Robert Rubin and free spenders like Robert Reich has largely evaporated, as everyone has embraced a bigger government role. Today it's Republicans who — though more unified on cultural issues — are split badly between upscale business types who want government out of the way and pro-government conservatives who want Washington's help. If Obama moves forcefully to restore economic order, the Wall Street Journal will squawk about creeping socialism, as it did in F.D.R.'s day, but many downscale Republicans will cheer. It's these working-class Reagan Democrats who could become tomorrow's Obama Republicans — a key component of a new liberal majority — if he alleviates their economic fears. See pictures of former Presidents Clinton and Bush.

Obama doesn't have to turn the economy around overnight. After all, Roosevelt hadn't ended the Depression by 1936. Obama just needs modest economic improvement by the time he starts running for re-election and an image as someone relentlessly focused on fixing America's economic woes. In allocating his time in his first months as President, he should remember what voters told exit pollsters they cared about most — 63% said the economy. (No other issue even exceeded 10%.)

In politics, crisis often brings opportunity. If Obama restores some measure of economic order, kick-starting U.S. capitalism and softening its hard edges, and if he develops the kind of personal rapport with ordinary Americans that F.D.R. and Reagan had — and he has the communication skills to do it — liberals will probably hold sway in Washington until Sasha and Malia have kids. As that happens, the arguments that have framed economic debate in recent times — for large upper-income tax cuts or the partial privatization of Social Security and Medicare — will fade into irrelevance. In an era of liberal hegemony, they will seem as archaic as defending the welfare system became when conservatives were on top.

See pictures of the world reacting to Obama's win.

See pictures of presidential First Dogs.

A New Consensus
There are fault lines in the Obama coalition, to be sure. In a two-party system, it's impossible to construct a majority without bringing together people who disagree on big things. But Obama's majority is at least as cohesive as Reagan's or F.D.R.'s. The cultural issues that have long divided Democrats — gay marriage, gun control, abortion — are receding in importance as a post-'60s generation grows to adulthood. Foreign policy doesn't divide Democrats as bitterly as it used to either because, in the wake of Iraq, once-hawkish working-class whites have grown more skeptical of military force. In 2004, 22% of voters told exit pollsters that "moral values" were their top priority, and 19% said terrorism. This year terrorism got 9%, and no social issues even made the list.

The biggest potential land mine in the Obama coalition isn't the culture war or foreign policy; it's nationalism. On a range of issues, from global warming to immigration to trade to torture, college-educated liberals want to integrate more deeply America's economy, society and values with the rest of the world's. They want to make it easier for people and goods to legally cross America's borders, and they want global rules that govern how much America can pollute the atmosphere and how it conducts the war on terrorism. They believe that ceding some sovereignty is essential to making America prosperous, decent and safe. When it comes to free trade, immigration and multilateralism, though, downscale Democrats are more skeptical. In the future, the old struggle between freedom and order may play itself out on a global scale, as liberal internationalists try to establish new rules for a more interconnected planet and working-class nationalists protest that foreign bureaucrats threaten America's freedom.

But that's in the future. If Obama begins restoring order to the economy, Democrats will reap the rewards for a long time. Forty years ago, liberalism looked like the problem in a nation spinning out of control. Today a new version of it may be the solution. It's a very different day in Grant Park.

Beinart is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations See pictures of the Civil Rights' Ground Zero.