...with Liberty and social Justice for all?

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and social justice for all? Wait, that's not right. That would never be acceptable to the leftist radicals who are attempting to "fundamentally transform" our nation, the phrase "one Nation under God" would definitely have to be removed. What? Oh, that is not the problem? Oh....okay, and social justice for all, that is where the mistake is. It seems these days you do not hear the word "justice" used in Washington D.C. unless it has a "social" in front of it. For those of you who probably have an idea what it means but are not completely sure, Wikipedia says of social justice: "The term "social justice" is often employed by the political left to describe a society with a greater degree of economic egalitarianism, which may be achieved through progressive taxation, income redistribution, or even property redistribution, policies aimed toward achieving that which developmental economists refer to as equality of opportunity and equality of outcome." Justice is the quality of being righteous or fair.

Compassion is a quality that most of us possess, generally in differing quantities. It is understandable how some believe that it is "just" for a government to take money from those who have a lot of money and distribute it to those who do not have a lot of money. What kind of greedy, compassion-less and selfish person would dare disagree with that? Well, actually, I do. The problem is, how do they decide the amount to take from the individual with money? At what point is the tax percentage fair? 50%? 60%? 70%? 80%? 90%? Also, how do we decide who is worthy to be the recipient of the redistribution? Do we redistribute based on race, as a form of reparations? Can you achieve Justice by being unjust to one group to satisfy another? Is that not contradictory? How many generations have to pass before we can stop blaming our shortcomings on our history?

As an example, I present to you Bill and Ted. Bill and Ted grew up next to each other in a lower income neighborhood, a ghetto or trailer park, I will let you choose the demographics. Bill stays in school and graduates, proceeds to college, graduates and gets a very good paying job, works hard and makes a nice life for himself after lifting himself up and out of poverty. Ted on the other hand, enjoys hanging with his friends(or gang), smoking pot, drops out of school, is in and out of prison, lives on welfare as his single mother unwittingly taught him, and fathers several illegitimate children to complete the poverty cycle that has been created by our government programs. Bill, through determination and hard work broke that cycle, as many people in our society have actually done. Bill, is a shining example of what can happen in a Free Market or Capitalist system. Ted is a glaring example of the fruits of "Social Justice," which the Obama administration is in the process of expanding with legislation such as the "stimulus" program, cap and trade, and health care reform. Is the government, by taking money from Bill to give to Ted, promoting justice? Really? Perhaps that should be the new curriculum for schools, stay in school, work hard, and get ahead so the government can take your money and give it to lazy people. Perhaps someone could put that on a teleprompter and President Obama could deliver it to school children.

Now, Barack Obama and his "advisers/Czars" believe strongly in "social justice." Therefore, Bill, who has lifted himself from poverty and is now wealthy, has a responsibility to pay more taxes to support Ted, who spends every dime he gets on dime bags and continues to father illegitimate children and expand the welfare rolls. What is "just" about this scenario? Not every wealthy person is born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but even if they are, someone in their family worked hard and made that fortune. The Obama administration believes that the wealthy built their fortunes on the backs of the poor, therefore they "owe" the poor. I believe that America is a land of opportunity, where if one has the ambition and puts forth the effort, they can do anything and should not be penalized for it and forced to support those who are unwilling to put forth any effort. We will always have the poor among us, many people are content to put forth little effort and live off of table scraps. If my hard work ever pays off, I will refuse to feel guilty about what I have worked so hard for. I would rather "go Galt" than to have the fruits of my labor stolen by an opressive Socialist Regime, especially in a Country that was once known for freedom and personal responsibility.

She Puts the Pal in Palin

It is interesting, the firestorm that Sarah Palin created this last weekend when she announced that she would be stepping down from her job as Governor. The talking heads have been furiously debating whether or not this move will put the nail in her humble, political wooden coffin. Of course, everyone has an opinion, some of them speculative in nature and some just plain tasteless rubbish. One liberal personality in Alaska, Shannyn Moore, was spreading false rumors about Palin, and when addressed by Palin's attorney, claimed she was just an ordinary citizen being attacked by Sarah Palin for "speaking her mind." For the record Ms. Moore, there is an enormous difference between "speaking your mind" and spreading false rumors in the media.

Obviously, there are only two possible outcomes of this action, it will either help her or hurt her. She knows this and was willing to go ahead and make this decision for herself, her family and Alaska. Only time will tell. Many, especially liberals, quickly jumped on this and said she is a quitter and therefore is not capable of being President. All the while, voicing hopeful predictions that some titillating scandal was yet to come out. Would you expect any other response from a liberal? (other than a string of obscenities that is) Some have come to her defense saying that it is probably a very good decision, considering all of the unfounded ethical complaints being hurled at her by local liberals who feel emboldened by the likes of "huffington post" and "move on."(I don't believe these hateful organizations deserve to be capitalized) These unfounded "ethical complaints," have cost the state millions of dollars, and have cost the Palin family hundreds of thousands of dollars. They also devour a lot of her time, taking her away from her duties as Governor.

Here is what I find interesting about her decision to step down. She has done nothing wrong, appears to be doing what is in Alaska's best interest, and she is being called dumb, stupid, ignorant and even nutty. (I am sure she is being called other things as well, but this is what I have seen.) Quite a contrast from the likes of Rod Blagojevich(D) who only had his own interests in mind and had to be forcibly removed from his position as Governor.

Who knows if this is the best decision? We will find out down the road. In my humble opinion, Sarah is just as capable now as she was before this decision, possibly even more so. It is refreshing to see a politician standing up for the taxpayers for a change. I believe she is truly a "pal" to the average citizen and taxpayer. Can you name any other politician who would gamble their political future by stepping down from their office because they believe it is in the best interest of the people they represent? I can't either.

Please, Mr. Obama, Keep the Change

Obama says in the video above that under his plan of Cap and Trade, that energy prices for consumers, that is you and me, will necessarily skyrocket.

My family owns a couple small businesses. I guarantee that at least one of the businesses would not survive skyrocketing energy prices. If that is the kind of change that Mr. Obama was speaking of during his campaign, then he can keep it, I will take the cash instead.

For those of you that have bought into the myth of man-made global warming, and actually believe that you are mighty enough to destroy this huge planet, it might be time to step back and get over yourself. We have exploded nuclear bombs on the planet, the Earth has survived. The Earth uses the very same carbon emissions that Obama is wanting to charge companies for producing. Global warming is a hoax perpetrated by environmentalists to make you feel bad for using energy. Why? That is a very good question. Some of them, like Al Gore, have made and will make a lot more money, because of your guilt. Some worship the planet like a god. Some, I think are just not happy if you are happy. I know it sounds crazy, but as Michael Savage says, liberalism is a mental disorder, and oddly enough most hard core environmentalists are liberals.

For those of you who do not know what cap and trade is, shame on you, the government is about to gouge your wallet without your knowledge, you should educate yourself. Too many people are tired of hearing and talking about politics, believe me, I can understand why, but they are putting themselves in a position where the government can do whatever they want with little resistance.

Obama's Cap and Trade system would put a cap on the amount of "carbon" or "green house gasses" that a company could "emit." Sounds harmless enough, however, whatever they use above and beyond what the government tells them they can use, they would have to pay for. Are companies just going to eat this extra cost? You are crazy if think so, they are going to pass this "carbon tax" on to you, the consumer, as Obama says in the video. Some sources say it would cost the "average" consumer an additional $700 - $1400 a year. (you're going to need that extra $8 a week Obama is giving you in your paycheck)

To those of you who voted for Obama, I have one simple question. Is this the kind of change you were hoping for when you punched that ballot? I sure hope you are getting your money's worth of change, because at the end of the day I fear that is all we are going to have left, change.

Please write, call and/or email your congressmen and tell them you are very much against Cap & Trade! Get proactive in your future, as much as you hate politics it affects you whether you like it or not!

A Thousand Words

What an amiable handshake, laughing and smiling, Obama with his free hand lovingly embracing the arm of Venezuelan Socialist Dictator Hugo Chavez. What a joyous time, the socialist dictators of the world uniting in peace. It's enough to bring a tear to the eye, of those that love freedom, that is, and are afraid they are losing it.
A real man would be punching Chavez for calling him an ignoramus just a month ago. Although, after seeing what Obama has been up to recently in the United States, perhaps Chavez has a new found respect for the great TelePrompTer reader. More so perhaps after reading the report issued by the, now very liberal, Department of Homeland (In)Security. The report saying that U.S. Troops returning home should be considered a threat. Also, that freedom loving people who do not believe in the mass slaughter of our unborn children should be considered a threat. That people who do not agree with the socialist ideals of the Obama administration should be considered a threat. I can see how a socialist dictator like Hugo Chavez, who now controls the radio, television and news in Venezuela, could learn to love Barack Hussein Obama almost as much as the "liberal" media does.
If Obama could just get rid of Fox News, talk radio and a handful of newspapers and magazines, then he too would have total control of the media in America. I guess they do have a lot in common.

The next couple of elections in America are going to be very important. For those of you who are unaware, the Senate, the House of Representatives and the White House are all controlled by Socialist leaning "progressives" aka "liberal democrats." If we have a prayer of maintaining the freedom that we have held to so dearly in the past, we are going to have to vote for candidates that oppose big government programs, wealth redistribution and that support a constitutionally limited government.
We are not extremists, we are average freedom loving Americans. The extremists are in POWER in America right now, and the only way we can stop them is to vote them out of office.

Copyright 2009 Stephen Rigg

What If Drunken Sailors Were Running The Country?

If you have ever been intoxicated, you know what a bad idea it would be to have drunken sailors running the country. When one is intoxicated, all inhibitions go out the window and money becomes no object for almost anything, um, so I am told.

I for one am tired of the government spending money like drunken sailors. I believe that is what most people are angry about. (Not Republican sore losers as suggested by the "liberal media") I have no problem with drunken sailors blowing their money however they want, as long as it is their money they are blowing. The government, on the other hand, is blowing money that they have not worked for or earned, but rather have stolen from the American people and future generations. I want America to get back to the principles that this country was founded upon, Individual Liberty, Personal Responsibility, and a Constitutionally Limited Government. (yes, this phrase was in my last blog and will be in many more to come, I am going to keep repeating it until people grab a hold of it.)

I am not an anarchist, I realize that to have national security we have to have some government and some form of tax. However, the federal, state and local governments have been going hog wild making up taxes, we have so many taxes it is not even funny. I am sick to death of being taxed every time I turn around while irresponsible politicians do nothing but sit around and think of new ways to spend money. It has to come to an end, and that is what is beginning to happen with these Tea Parties. Hopefully, Americans are starting to wake up to what the government has been up to and is going to put an end to it.

This government, along with the media http://tinyurl.com/2xj2eb, has caused most of the financial problems that we are experiencing at this time. I do not believe that they are capable of fixing the problems, only making them worse. We do not have a free market, we have an over regulated market, which does not allow the market to work correctly. For instance, the government forced lending institutions to loan money to people who did not financially deserve loans, and that were clearly going to default on the loans. Obviously, under those circumstances, the market is being manipulated and is doomed to fail. A free market would not have allowed this to happen in the first place, but if it did, it would correct itself. The government is spending trillions of tax payer dollars in an attempt to repair a problem that they caused and still to no avail.

We the people need to put these politicians back in their rightful place, under our power as our representatives. It is our responsibility to hold them accountable for their actions and to keep them sober! Support the Tea Parties, write to your congressmen, call your congressmen and most of all, vote for candidates that want to actually represent you and are in favor of limited government.

Copyright 2009 Stephen Rigg

Tea Party of Two, Your Table Is Now Ready...

I am very excited about the Tea Parties that are scheduled around the country on April 15. I am encouraged that some people around the country are showing some signs of no longer accepting the status quo from our Government. The first Tea Party was a message to the British Parliament, some of the Bostonians stood together and declared, "We will have no taxation without representation!" They believed they should only be taxed by their own elected representatives. Our current Tax Day Tea Parties are a little different, obviously, the King and the Parliament are not across the ocean, instead they are in Washington DC posing as our elected representatives. The Tea Parties are a good starting point, however, we have some long and arduous battles ahead of us, I believe. April 15Th will be an exciting day for sure, but what will April 16Th look like?

What exactly do we hope to accomplish with the Tea Parties?
The obvious answer is that we hope to send a message to Washington, that there are a lot of angry people in the country. There are a lot of reasons for average hard working Americans to be angry as of late, that is for sure. There is certainly plenty of blame to go around, both ruling Parties are at fault, corporate executives have made bad business decisions, unions have been unwilling to make concessions, and we continue to elect the same politicians and support these same businesses as if there is nothing we can do about it. So come Wednesday, April 15, some of us will hit the streets to demonstrate to Washington that we are angry and we are not going to take it any more, well at least not until Thursday, April 16.

What will be the response from Washington?
Probably the same response that I always get from Washington when I write an email or call, a polite and concise form letter, basically stating, "Thanks for writing, but I am going to do what I want." Unfortunately, I fear that the government is familiar enough with the American people to know that if they put it off long enough, all of the angry people will become distracted with American Idol and the start of baseball season and forget what they were angry about to begin with. What was I saying? Oh yeah, American Idol, the blind guy got kicked off tonight....wait...that's not right, oh yeah, Tea Parties...sorry...

What happens on April 16Th and beyond?
That, my friends, is up to you. We, the American people, are going to have some big decisions to make in the near future. The country is pretty divided at the moment. It appears to be split right down the middle. Some people believe that the government is the answer to all of our problems and that the government is going to "fix" everything. Some people, like myself, believe that the government is the problem, and they need to step back, decrease (or cease) taxes and stop spending money like they earned it. Until there is a greater consensus one way or the other, I fear that not much is going to change. However, I do believe that this is one major reason why these Tax Day Tea Parties are so important. Washington will not be impressed by your efforts, but hopefully, more Americans will be affected in a positive way and will join the effort to return America to the founding principles that this great nation was built upon: individual liberty, personal responsibility and a Constitutionally limited government.

Copyright 2009 Stephen Rigg

It Rhymes With Mocialism

When I speak with liberal friends about the way the Obama administration is moving further and further to the left, the argument remains the same, I say he is moving us closer to Socialism, they say that the Republicans were just saying that during the campaign as a scare tactic. Which begs the question, how much of the private sector is going to have to be taken over by the government before the liberals will admit that it is Socialism? When we are taking our cars to the Department of Motor Vehicles(DMV) for a tune-up after we get our yearly physical at Planned Parenthood and pick up our food rations from the new and improved state run Walmart, then will they admit it? Obviously that's an exaggeration, the Card Check legislation should pretty much "take care" of Walmart.

For those of you unfamiliar with Card Check, it basically provides that once a majority of employees fill out sign-up cards passed around by union organizers, the employer would then have to recognize and bargain with the union. And if both sides are unable to reach agreement in a short term, federal arbitrators would impose one. Wages, fringe benefits and work rules would all be imposed by the federal government. This could happen in any privately owned business. What's the definition of Socialism again?

According to an article by Stuart Varney in the Wall Street Journal, the Obama administration is refusing a major, yet unnamed, bank from returning TARP money, in an obvious attempt to control the bank. They did however apparently accept a measly $340 million in TARP money from 4 small banks in Louisiana. Why accept the smaller amount, but refuse the almost $1 Billion from the large bank? I guess they are not interested in controlling the small banks at this time. Give it time...

So lets see, thus far the Obama administration is controlling mortgage lenders, banks, auto manufacturers, and GE. Oh yes, GE received a $139 Billion bailout. G.E. subsidiaries include GE Energy infrastructure, NBC Studios, NBC Universal, CNBC, Bravo, Sci Fi Channel, Telemundo and Focus Features just to name a few. Of course, GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt was named to Obama's Economic Advisory Board, obviously for his skills at running a major organization into the ground. It is very interesting when you start looking at how things are connected, isn't it?

It is no secret that The New York Times is having financial problems, being over $1 Billion in debt. I wonder if the Obama administration bailed out the Times, if Obama would fire Pinchy Sulzberger?

So, I am left with this question to my liberal friends. Why are you so afraid to call a spade a spade or in this instance, an Obama a Socialist? Obviously, he is proving with every passing day that the warnings by Republicans throughout the campaign were not merely scare tactics. Either you secretly want the United States to become a "socialist utopia," or you are too embarrassed to admit that you too were beguiled by the great teleprompter reader or you just do not care.

In any instance, please be honest, if you like what is happening in America then your job is done, however, if you can now see that perhaps you were mistaken, then please help us to minimize the damage being done. Go to the tea party rallies. Get informed, call and write your legislators when they try to pass legislation that threatens the liberty of individuals, entrepreneurs and business owners. If everyone believes that someone else will stand up for them, then very few people will be standing up. So get involved, do not leave it for someone else, we need to make sure that our government is working for us, not against us. We control the government in our "Land of Liberty," not the other way around.


COPYRIGHT 2009 STEPHEN RIGG

Hi,

Welcome to my new Blog. I have every intention of writing a book, its simply a matter of time. I am hoping that this little venture will help to get me motivated.

This is my very first post, so I will just leave it as a welcome until I have more time to get down to brass tacks and show you what this blog is really going to be all about. Since I have no one following me yet, its going to be a short welcome note...hehe.

Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to follow me, until you get tired of hearing from me. Happy blogging!

Stephen