Was passage of Health Care in the Senate a symptom of a larger problem?

While the United States is undoubtedly blessed like no other land has ever been –
She is falling horribly short of her potential and failing to fully exploit the blessings that God has granted, and it’s our fault.

While it’s easy to place the blame for the current state of our country on outrageous spending, excessive taxation, government intrusion, and ill advised social and economic policies –

The fact is the blame falls squarely at the feet of our politicians.
While this may seem obvious – a deeper look reveals a truth many Americans are reluctant to accept; that our elected officials are a reflection of our own commitment to the political process that governs our lives - and in recent years that commitment has waned.

As children we are taught that America is a nation of laws. While true we are also a nation of policies, regulations, instructions, rules, guidelines and accepted practices.

And the majority of these standards of behavior and governance that allow our nation to function without anarchy are created, implemented and managed by politicians that work for us and in theory represent the will of the majority or so it was intended.
Whether at a national, state, or local level our daily activities are managed by laws and policy created by people we elect. The problem however is that very often the people doing the governing are not qualified to do so. And that is our fault.

Over the past few decades American’s have become enamored with the toys and the distractions of success and affluence.

Even the poorest of American families own a car, cell phones, and large television sets behind which they can sit and look out into a world they once participated in.
Through these distractions and illusion of contentment many American’s have lost interest in the process under which we must all live.

The result is we continue to elect politicians not for their knowledge of the issues but rather on the perception they create of how they will govern.
And we do so because unlike generations before us we have become complacent with the political process that is the hallmark of America.

And it was political complacency that preceded the end of other great nations throughout history.

A government that controls the press – controls the people

In a recent survey up to 90% of Americans that regularly read the news get at least some of their news online. This trend has been growing and has placed a serious financial burden, and even forced bankruptcy on major US news papers as circulation of print media plummets.

But according to Democrat congressman Henry Waxman of California since the newspaper industry is suffering "market failure" the US government will need to step in to help preserve serious journalism essential to democracy.

In a statement during a meeting on journalism in the Internet age hosted by the Federal Trade Commission, Waxman said "The newspapers my generation has taken for granted are facing a structural threat to the business model that has sustained them".

"The loss of revenue has spurred a vicious cycle with thousands of journalists losing their jobs”.

Waxman, who chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over the FTC, went on to say "depression in the media sector is not cyclical, it is structural."

"While this has implications for the media it also has implications for democracy," he added. "A vigorous free press and vigorous democracy have been inextricably linked.

"We cannot risk the loss of an informed public and all that means because of this market failure”.

Waxman noted various possible remedies, including new tax structures for publishers, providing non-profit status, changing anti-trust regulations or eliminating a law that bars owning a newspaper and a television station in the same city.
But "as we look at these various solutions, government is going to have to be involved in one way or the other," he warned.

"Eventually, government is going to have to be responsible to help resolve these issues and our whole society depends very much on reaching some resolution of the problem."

When you consider that the first move of any government that is seeking to restrict the rights of its citizens is to seize control of its media,
the idea that the US government should take any stake, let alone a financial one in the media should not only be a major concern to all American’s but one that should be stopped dead in its tracks, before this insane notion has any chance of being taken seriously.

Palin? Yes, but not now

I like Sarah Palin… A lot.

I do not however like her as President – not now at least

Here’s why

I believe the most pressing issue this country is faced with is not the economy, or health care but rather international terrorism. If we are constantly under the threat of being attacked – possibly by a nuclear armed unstable nation – then all the domestic issues we face are merely a distraction.

I am completely confident the US will be hit again and I firmly believe that attack is right around the corner and quite possibly the threat could endure for years.
On domestic policy I think Sarah Palin is a gem. On issues like immigration, taxes, gun control, healthcare reform, environmental issues she falls right in line with what I believe and know to be true.

On foreign policy issues she’s a novice. And with the unstable nature of our world, the move towards globalization, a one world monetary system, the increasing attempts by many nations to grant more power to the United Nations, tension between Israel and Palestine and a whole host of other foreign policy challenges I do not think Sarah Palin has the experience to govern as the President of the United States – not yet at least.

And with the almost certainty that we will be involved in a war for probably decades to come – a President that has a firm grasp on international affairs is no longer a luxury – it is mandatory – and the Presidency is no place for on the job training – no matter how fast a learner someone is.

Imagine this:
It’s 2:15 am, 85 days into the Palin Presidency and the phone rings. 3 Russian Subs have been spotted by the Coast Guard 8 miles off the coast of Long Island NY. They do not respond to attempts to reach them by radio contact and they’re headed this way.

Or perhaps…A Muslim bomber just detonated a nitrogen and phosphorus based fertilizer bomb hidden in a rental truck. The blast caused a gaping hole and a fire ball that reached a 100 feet into the air. The bomb was set off on the lowest level of a parking deck killing dozens and trapping hundreds of people at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover Alabama (My home town)

Is Sarah Palin really the person you want in charge?

Now?

With this crisis unfolding?

Do her views on death panels, immigration, global warming or cap and trade legislation really matter when and not if - a major international catastrophe hits this country

Sarah Plain has many of the exact same experience flaws many of us on the right said should preclude Barack Obama from being President.

How do we justify this position to our liberal countrymen?
Many Palin supporters have sound much like the giddy Obama supporters we said we’re delusional. She is taking on that same rock star persona we warned people on the left to not become drunk on.

As this point we cannot afford to become enraptured with Sarah Palin – the stakes are just too high.

I like Sarah Palin, a lot. I think she has a long, brilliant and possibly history changing political career ahead of her

We cannot afford to put her in office simply because we like her pluck or because she’s sassy.

Not now. The stakes are just too high

Obama - The Rookie President

Recently Thomas Sowell, a brilliant political writer penned the article "A Rookie President". It s a wonderful piece on the price we will pay for Barack Obama's lack of experience. Although the piece was done months ago - in light of the issues with the war in Afghanistan - it deserves a re-read.

Read it here:
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/03/31/a_rookie_president