Rants, Ravings, and Sometimes Doing the Right Thing.....

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”The image is one thing and the human being is another. It’s very hard to live up to an image.”

-Elvis Presley

Is that our problem? Did the King (Elvis, not Obama) manage to sum up the entire scope of American politics and maybe even our society there in that simple, lip-curling, quote? Setting aside Elvis’ affinity for Quaalude flavored doughnuts, there actually is some sense in the words above. Especially when compared to the predicament in which we currently find ourselves.

Today, image seems to be everything. Everybody’s a star and nobody’s unique. Everybody’s better than everyone else so no accomplishment is worthy of praise. In fact, a genuine accomplishment is often frowned upon simply because of public opinion. Greed and an overwhelming sense of self-importance have taken over the very fiber of our country. We say that we want better for our children. We say we don’t contribute personally to the creeping kudzu of fabricated warfare, yet abstinence from combat is often not an option. Our brains simply won’t let us accept what we interpret as inferiority. The noblest of men in our country have, at one time or another, fallen prey to the proverbial “I want what he’s got” mentality. Entire industries have been built upon the notion of attaining what can’t currently be afforded. Our government essentially operates under this mentality.

Whatever happened to saving and yearning for something you can’t currently afford? It’s called entitlement and if you are in favor of getting life handed to you for little to no effort, perhaps this would be a good time for you to catch some form of public transportation right on out of this conversation. For those who believe in working your butts off and only going after that which you can currently afford with what is currently yours to give…..please read and share the following examples of desired image being provided to those who have done nothing to earn it.

We’ve all heard about the expansion of fraud within the major entitlement programs. Medicare, Medicaid, housing services, food stamps have topped the GAO’s list of waste, fraud and abuse for decades yet they have grown exponentially. In other words, more and more people have figured out that taking something for free is easier than working for it. I’m not saying that no one deserves welfare so put that ridiculous, race-baiting, victim creating nonsense back in your tent and take a little weed-nap, occupier! What I am saying is that the loopholes which allow such abuse are being ignored by those who could close them and exploited by those who gain from them. Our government is hemorrhaging money and all we hear from our ~~leaders~~ President and Congress is “it’s all his fault” or “it’s because {insert manufactured oppressor here} hates the {insert manufactured voting victim here}.”

Take a look at the so called Buffett Rule Obama is so excited about. Every time he gets to talk about increasing the tax burden of the “rich” or forcing the wealthy to pay their “fair share” he gets visibly giddy. We, as a country, are trillions of dollars in debt. The Buffett rule, over the next decade, would bring in an estimated $46.7 billion. Under Obama’s proposals, our debt would increase by $7 TRILLION over that same decade. The Buffet Rule would make up exactly .667142857% of the money Obama plans to spend over the next decade. The men that Obama parades out onto the stage with him when he promotes this ludicrous idea are men who, like Mitt Romney, earn the majority of their income off of capital gains and dividends, not taxable wages. Notice no one is suggesting that those rates be touched. You know who will be affected the most by these new rules? It’s the young pro-athlete who is out there blindly promoting Obama because of a shared skin tone. He’s the one who earns over a million dollars a year in taxable income. It’s the idiotic little actress who uses her fame to promote Obama as the Messiah. Those people are the ones that Obama counts on in November. Those are the people that will promote Obama’s message of “fairness.” Their fame provides all the authority that will be needed to make them credible supporters in Obama’s constant campaign. In a society where disrespectful sound-bytes equal power and credibility, Obama has inserted himself as King.

This morning, I heard the delightful tale of another blatant misuse of a once noble idea. Kimball Clark, a 45 year old Boston man who has had a long history of “disagreement” with the police, was once again locked up for selling heroin. His “disagreement” stems from the fact that he believes he should be able to sell heroin while the police maintain that it’s still illegal and punishable by arrest. During the booking process at a Dorchester, MA Police Lockup, Clark was overheard making his one phone call to tell someone to “go get {his} EBT card and go to an ATM to get cash and bail him out.” He used his taxpayer funded EBT card to post bail for drug distribution. Now, I’m sure I will be called a racist for bringing this topic up in such a light but where in the hell does a man’s skin color give him the right to use MY money to bail him out of jail for selling drugs? I don’t care if Kimball Clark was as green as Gumby or as blue as a Smurf, he abused a system whose scope was never intended to cover his illegal activities and inherent lifestyle.

EBT Cards began replacing food stamps in the 1990’s. They essentially work like an ATM card only it’s you and me working for the money that goes into the accounts, not the cardholder. Since cash can be obtained from the cards, we are essentially funding whatever the cardholder chooses to do. Drugs, and porn all the way to tithing and baby formula. The intent of the program, like so many before it, was heartfelt. Unfortunately, loopholes are exploited and broadcast long before authorities can close them up.

Social Security Disability fraud is rampant yet very little seems to be done about it. In July of last year, Judge David Daugherty of West Virginia stepped down amidst an investigation into the fact that he approved almost every disability claim that came before his court. Eighteen months of Social Security disposition data show Daugherty decided 2,104 disability cases between Sept. 26, 2009, and March 25, 2011. He denied benefits in four cases. That equaled an approval rate of 99.8 percent. Anybody hear about this? No matter what was found in the course of that particular investigation, it points to a much bigger, systemic problem in our culture. It points to the fact that a judge was rumored to be giving out free money and 2,104 people lined up outside his court for their “fair share.”

Entitlement programs do not need to be expanded. They need to be enforced. The government does not need to support those who are simply lining up for a handout. If someone is truly unable to provide for themselves, then I praise God that we live in a country willing to step in and help. That’s what these programs were designed to do. That’s great. What I don’t agree with is this mentality that nothing is out of reach for anyone in this country.

I want to take my family to Hawaii for about ten days next year. Is there a government program I should ask to provide this trip or should I just buckle down and save my money and earn the trip? Remember when attaining the goal was as important as the goal itself? Remember when the struggle and the journey enriched the achievement?

“Fair Share” does not mean “free.” By living in this country you are given the fair share of the freedom due to you, but you are also expected to maintain your fair share of the responsibility. You don’t get the money without putting in the work. You don’t get to waste our precious electoral system by voting for the candidate you feel will give you the most free stuff. You don’t get to discredit the intentions of our Constitution by manipulating it to serve only your personal interests. Don’t expect His Barackness or any of his little handbag Chihuahuas to attack this issue. Don’t expect any politician to attack this issue. Doing so will immediately cost them votes. Besides, I’m not sure we want to know the entire scope of the fraud that has ruined our country’s initiative, motivation, and net worth. The change in this arena will come from a constant and impossible to ignore outcry whenever abuse is suspected. Politicians are afraid of losing the votes of those who benefit from fraud but why are those votes they depend on? Why is more not being done to bring shame onto those who are essentially robbing each and every one of us? Stand up and fight, dammit!

As always, thanks for playing!

J Robert Giles

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Who Decides…..

“All things truly wicked start from innocence.” - Ernest Hemmingway

On January 6, 2007; Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom went out to dinner at a Knoxville, TN restaurant. Channon was a senior at University of Tennessee. She was about to graduate with a degree in Sociology before five thugs carjacked her and Christopher. So far the story seems all too familiar, right? Unfortunately, it’s at this point in the story that all familiarity ends. The heartless thugs that carjacked Channon and Christopher may have originally intended to simply secure a ride home for themselves but it quickly escalated into a gruesome and horrifying nightmare. The couple was driven back to a home rented by one of the five thugs. Christopher was bound, gagged, and sexually tortured for several hours before being dragged naked out to the railroad tracks behind the house where he was set on fire and then shot to death. It’s hard to imagine that he was the lucky one.

Channon was tortured in ways that none of us should ever be forced to imagine. She was sexually assaulted with what coroners believe to have been a broken chair leg. She was repeatedly raped by multiple thugs. Her genitalia was so badly abused it was almost indistinguishable at autopsy. She was forced to drink household cleaning chemicals and then she was stuffed into a large plastic bag and shoved inside a trash can where she slowly suffocated. If that seems a little too graphic, I apologize but you must understand that this was a drastically cleaned up version of the details that emerged over the course of the trial. I will not name the criminals who perpetrated these horrific acts. They deserve no more fame or criminal credibility at the expense of their victims.

There are not many people on earth who can imagine the kind of pain the parents of Channon and Christopher must have experienced in the days following the discovery of their children’s bodies. That’s the kind of pain that doesn’t go away.

It’s all real and you are more than welcome to look up the details if you would like. Quite frankly the research is making me sick, but I will put a few links at the end of this article for those who want to read more. Racism seems to provide a nice, easy explanation to those too lazy or too ignorant to examine facts but it fails to answer any of the real questions. Yes, racism may have played a role in a lot of the crimes. I certainly believe the story above started out as an “innocent” carjacking but once the five thugs realized they had themselves a couple of racial trophies, it escalated into a very obvious hate-crime. Five black thugs carjack and kidnap an attractive white couple and brutally torture, rape and kill them in the most sadistic manner imaginable…..that’s a hate-crime. I don’t care what the victims did in their past lives. That’s completely irrelevant. The fact is that five people tortured and killed two other people of differing skin colors. If the roles had been reversed, it most certainly would have been deemed immediately racist.

So, what is it that makes us sit up and take notice of a case like the one involving Trayvon Martin, and ignore a case like Channon Christian? I don’t believe the racial angle. As previously stated, it provides an easy to attach excuse, but it lacks logic or credibility. Racism may have been a factor in the actual crime, but not in the coverage of the crime. News channels, shows, websites, blogs, and made-for-TV dramas are extremely competitive. To suppress a story for reasons of race would not only require an unprecedented level of cooperation among the media giants, but would also require them to actually honor any agreements made during such periods of accommodation. So, what is it then? Is it the details of the case? Is there a certain level of depravity to which our imaginations have yet to lead us? Some of the best shows on TV are based on horrific storylines, but even the imaginations of the shock addicted writers of those shows trail behind the reality described in the Christian / Newsom Trials.

Does the media play on the emotional tendencies of a certain race? Is it true that the black community typically reacts to stories of racism much more publicly and emotionally than the white community? Do media outlets play on the emotions of the black community in this “stirring-up” of racial conspiracy? There has been no evidence given to suggest that George Zimmerman acted out of racist motive. Witnesses corroborate his story and the police have stated that evidence supports Zimmerman’s claims of self-defense, yet Attorney General Eric Holder, whose credibility is apparently beyond reproach, has now thrown his services into the fray. Trayvon even got a shout out from His Barackness in a recent speech, fundraiser, campaign stop, or some combination of the three. Is there a political agenda at play? Remember James Byrd? He was murdered at the hands of cowardly white bastards but his name was only used to insinuate that then Presidential hopeful George W Bush supported such lunacy because the crime occurred in his (and my) home state of Texas. Did the emotional outpouring end with Bush’s election? The Duke Lacrosse Team Rape-That-Never-Was…..anyone remember that? Remember how those rich white boys took advantage of that poor, defenseless black woman? Remember all the cries for humiliating and outrageous punishments to be delivered in lieu of a trial? The crimes, despite any evidence whatsoever, were beyond our simple legal system….they were to be tried in the court of Jesse Jackson’s opinion. They were to be tried according to the rules of the Black Panther Party. Anyone who supported the legitimate legal process was labeled a racist. Remember that? It was class warfare and every single aspect of it was manufactured, inflated, and broadcast by those who feed off of ignorant, uninformed public opinion.

I am not suggesting, in any way that the death of Trayvon Martin is a laughing matter. It’s not any easier to imagine the hole in the hearts of Trayvon’s parents than it is to imagine the one in Channon’s. A child was killed at the hands of a stranger. That’s a tough pill to swallow. My question remains, why the fascination with one case over the other. Jesse Jackson is rhyming his way to another vigil with cameras in tow…..Al Sharpton has regained the publicity induced twinkle in his eyes…..Trayvon’s mother has trademarked several of the more popular phrases bearing her deceased son’s name (but swears it has nothing to do with money)…..Channon’s killers are facing the possibility of freedom rather than execution because the judge in their original case was found to have been using drugs…..Spike Lee Tweets the wrong address to 250,000 followers ordering black people to “reach out and touch” the Zimmerman family…..yet we’re supposed to believe that the abolishment of racism is still a goal. If we ever find ourselves in a society where black people don’t do anything to draw attention to the fact that they are “oppressed” and white people stop feeling the need to “apologize” to anyone with a darker than Caucasian skin tone, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will be completely irrelevant; do they realize this? Racism fuels their fame and they are not about to let go without a fight. Even if it means they have to publicly convict a man of a crime he may not have committed.

If the evidence comes to surface that refutes the witness statements and the currently existing evidence, I will gladly hand over George Zimmerman to the proper authorities. Can I get the Black Panthers to agree that they will stay completely away from the polling stations in November? Can I get Jesse Jackson to commit to the notion of innocent until proven guilty? Can I get a White Entertainment Channel, White History Month? How about a “Snow Leopard Party” to answer the “Black Panthers?” No, of course none of these things will ever come to fruition. They would be deemed racist and insensitive and would be met with a level of emotional outcry their ill-advised foundation simply couldn’t withstand. The fact is that George Zimmerman, until proven otherwise, acted in self-defense. It doesn’t matter what you think of the laws that provide him the right to do so. It doesn’t matter what you think of Trayvon’s wardrobe decisions…..the fact is that George Zimmerman, no matter how mad it makes you, has yet to be charged with a crime and there is a reason for it. You don’t get to let public opinion try this case but then discount public opinion whenever it goes against you. That’s not the way the world works. If it did, ObamaCare wouldn’t have required the involvement of the Supreme Court. I’ll end by stating for the record that a) Black Panthers are the most overtly racist group in existence. Their actions and demands make them far more racist than the Ku Klux Klan. b) Jesse Jackson is a racist, separatist idiot. c) Al Sharpton is a tad more entertaining, but just as big of an idiot. These statements have nothing to do with the color of their skin but rather to do with their actions. Act racist, get called out…..isn’t that what we’ve been told for decades? The phrase “justice is blind” means that you can’t blame skin color for motivation in a crime against one of your own, but then use skin-color to claim innocence when the story doesn’t go your way.

As always, thanks for playing!

J Robert Giles

Reference Articles:

Satterfield, Jamie: “Facts Are Enough to Haunt Families of Slain Couple” Knoxville News Sentinel – May 27, 2007

Satterfield, Jamie and Jacobs, Don: “Details of Double Slayings Emerge” Knoxville News Sentinel – January 13, 2007

“New Trials Ordered in Torture Slayings” The Tennessean – December 2, 2011

“Newsom/Christian Murders” http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/newsom.asp

Michelle Malkin Video - http://punditgirl.blogspot.com/2011/08/christian-newsom-hate-crime-murders.html

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Friday, March 16, 2012

The Road WE’VE Traveled…..

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” - Mark Twain

His Barackness is relying on his Hollywood-esque imagination and the belief that people will generally accept what they see in movies as fact. This is made quite clear in the release of yet another propaganda film about the Immaculated One. The Road We’ve Traveled is the fascinatingly inaccurate tale of President Barack Hussein Obama’s first, and Arrogance hopefully only term. The film is 17 minutes of self-glorifying, fact avoiding, number manipulating, evidence ignoring, Constitution damning dribble. Men with credibility issues to spare appear testifying on behalf of their liberal God. The best defense given to us so far for the estimated $345,000 expense that went into the longest 17 minutes of film I’ve ever watched is to ignore the question. The film features a tired looking Tom Hanks, giving what appears to be one of his most hastily rehearsed performances of all time. Perhaps Obama lent him Teleprompter One for the occasion and the weight of such an honor was weighing heavy on the conscience of Mr. Hanks. Perhaps it was the fact that an overwhelming Obama defeat in November would seriously damage the credibility of Forrest Gump in the future. Mr. Hanks looks dramatically into the camera and with the insincere pleading we have come to love from our celebrities in times of need urges us all to “remember how far we’ve come and look forward to the work still to be done.” I’ll tell you what, Mr. Hanks…..you and your family live on MY budget from now until November 6, 2012 and we’ll see if you still feel the same way. You work your tail off from five-thirty every morning until ten, at the earliest, every night only to bring home enough money to scrape by and then tell me how far we’ve come, okay?

The truth is that we have traveled a long way, it’s just been in the wrong direction. It’s like trying to get to Denver from Saint Louis by going through Atlanta. Of course, that flight pattern might not be all that illogical to someone who never has to pay for a plane ticket. It might not be that out-of-the-way to someone who makes the schedule and Road 2 enjoys watching his loyal subjects squirm under his refusal to follow it. You see, while His Barackness is spending $345,000 to make a movie about himself, the country to whom he’s pitching his masterpiece is suffering. Joseph Goebbels and Dax Sheppard would be extremely proud of the efforts made by Hollywood and Obamanyte. He has managed to take horrendously destructive decisions made during his Presidency and twist them so that they are actions worthy of our constant praise. Not only our praise, but the praise of history as well.

Sadly, this is the first in what is no doubt going to be a ton of propaganda films and infomercials soon to be released on behalf of America’s most polarizing President. The man has accumulated, over the course of three and a half years of constant campaigning, close to a billion dollars. He openly brags about it through his designated hype-men. Of course it’s intimidating, and that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. No one has ever questioned the ability of His Barackness to run a campaign. What we do question is the fact that he is not spending ANY of that money to cover the taxpayer funded travel aboard Air Force One. Yes, I’m well aware of the fact that other Presidents have done the same thing, but not to the extent by which Obama is doing it. Obama uses Air Force One like his own, personal vehicle. That’s not “fair.” In a world where everybody has to be fair, and every playing field has to be level, Obama is campaigning at an estimated taxpayer expense of $181,757 PER HOUR according to the United States Military. That’s the cost of operating Air Force One these days. That doesn’t include the forward security teams, travelling staff, or event expenses…..just the flight. Before you liberals start going nuts about the fact that all presidents use Air Force One, let me clarify my position….. I don’t care if Obama is using the plane for governing reasons. As much as I despise the cost of flying this man’s dangerously infectious disease into the minds of other countries, the plane itself is a necessary perk of the Office. My problem is with Obama’s use of the plane for campaign purposes. His competition must pay their own way, so why shouldn’t Obama be asked to withdraw some funds from his “war-chest” to offset the expense he’s passing onto us. If I don’t Gas Prices agree with the message of a particular candidate, why should i have to fund their campaign in ANY fashion? I don’t care if other Presidents have done the same, that doesn’t make it right. Other presidents have not bragged about a billion dollar war-chest and then flown around the country at OUR expense to promote a movie about the “Road He’s Traveled.”

The road WE’VE traveled over the last three and a half years has been littered with broken promises and skewed morals. The signs alongside that road have displayed atrocious gas prices that continue to rise. We’ve been forced to dodge “green energy” failures like Solyndra and the burnt out, skeletal remains of Chevy Volts along the journey. We’ve watched helplessly as our home values have steadily declined with each passing mile. We can’t afford to buy the food along the only road your “leadership” has made accessible to us, yet we get to hear you make clever jokes at our expense. We get to hear that you believe us to be part of the “flat-earth society” because we happen to believe your claims of cooperation with the oil industry to be pure frontier gibberish. You’ve spent billions of our dollars in an attempt to force us to drive on your road in the official pace car of your ideology. When that car bursts into inevitable flames, we are now being forced to seek care in a facility of your choosing. Yes, Mr. President, it’s been a long road, for sure. You have carjacked us multiple times along this journey, and quite frankly sir, we have nothing left to give. You’ve stolen our patience and chopped it up for sale as parts. You’ve pawned our integrity for new rims and a hydraulic lift. You’ve ignored our pleas for leniency and you have cast aside the traditions and customs we hold dear as a people. The Constitution of the United States of America is not optional. Your complete disregard for this all-important document would be comical if not so potentially destructive. The road we’ve traveled has only been a vacation in the eyes of you and your insulated circle of self-worship. You’ve taken our concerns and ridiculed them; laughing at the fact that we are paying for your stage.

Christianity tells me that if I am able to resist the temptation to judge you, then I will be spared judgment. If I can refrain from condemning you, then I will not be condemned. The Bible (Luke 6:37-8) tells me that if I forgive you, I too will be forgiven but dammit if you’re not making that nearly impossible. THAT’s the road we, the American people have traveled since late 2008. We really appreciate that yours has been so much more glorious.

As always, thanks for playing.

J Robert Giles

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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Ignorant Apology Ignored….

“Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn.” - Benjamin Franklin

Sometimes all it takes is that one microsecond to change your entire outlook. Sometimes it’s a much longer, drawn out process. Sometimes your fortunes change from good to bad. Those are the changes that usually occur in an instant, and often seem to have devastating impact. A car accident happens in just a fraction of a second but can have multiple effects on the futures of multiple lives. The changes that go from bad to good are the ones that take a little longer Tipping Point to develop. The process that is required of a transition from bad to good is a journey. Along the way, challenges are met, lessons are learned, losses are suffered, and experience is gained. These moments unite to insure the sweetness of individual victory. Occasionally, the victory is shared, but the ensuing emotions are always processed individually. I think we’re on the verge of a big, shared victory but there are a few steps taken in our collective pasts that require further review. It’s been a long journey, but one we must understand before we can truly utilize the gift of it’s victory.

The Quran burning incident that occurred in Afghanistan recently is unfortunate, but quite frankly does not deserve the attention it has received. Yes, I understand that the Quran is the Holy Book of the Muslims and that burning it is strictly forbidden in their part of the world. Shouldn’t have happened, but please bare in mind that these particular Qurans were part of the library at the Parwan Detention Facility at Bagram Air Base Afghanistan. That library, according to Brigadier General Carsten Jacobsen, had been ordered destroyed because enemy inmates had filled the books with handwritten extremist messages. A secret communication system that could have easily resulted in violent insurgence within the perimeters of the base. Do you inspect each piece of garbage before tossing the bag into the dumpster? No, you do not. This was an unfortunate mistake but it was certainly NOT one deserving of a Presidential apology. The apology from NATO was plenty. The main thing Obama did by apologizing was fuel their already burning desire to see us all dead. President Karzai of Afghanistan, whom I believe should feel a bit of gratitude to the United States and our soldiers , responds that the soldiers who burned the Qurans should be put on trial in Afghanistan. That, quite frankly, is just not an option…..is it? What do you say, Barack Hussein Obama? Is it an option in your mind to allow men who were following indirect orders from you, to stand trial in a country run by men who hate everything those soldiers represent? As cowardly as that would seem, that’s essentially the impression his apology gave.

Why do Muslims hate us though? Our intentions are noble, for the most part. Of course there’s a little bit of greed involved, but despite what the left may say, the majority of the money made in the energy industry is reinvested in the form of research and progress. So why the hatred? The answer, as painful as it may be to hear, may just be that tipping point that completes our transition from bad to good as a country. Muslims do in fact hate the United States. That statement would normally draw a defensive ire in me that left me feeling a bit racist. How dare they hate America? Just who the heck do they think they are?

Well, here’s who they are. They’re a very insulated people. Their world revolves around religion but that religion is a very different one from the one America claims to be “under.” For the most part, a Muslim’s understanding of Christianity is as limited as your knowledge of Islam. I’ll admit, my view of Islam is through Christian-tinted glasses. I have seen their faith as contradictory to my own, but further study reveals that the divide in our beliefs is not always as wide as previously thought. In many instances, the divide between Christians and Muslims is the widest space in the known universe, but at times, there are striking similarities. The wars, and the disgust with one another’s faith comes not from the teachings of either religion, but rather from man’s interpretations of those teachings. It’s those interpretations that so often cause social upheaval, violence, and global outrage. As much as it absolutely disgusts me to say it, Muslims are simply following the orders of Allah when they infiltrate and attack the United States. Before you shoot your computer to get rid of my blasphemous words, hear me out…..Islam teaches that there should be no hatred for “those who worship God.” The Quran tells them that murder and stealing is wrong but the difference is that the Quran only believes it’s wrong if done to another Muslim. Their faith teaches them that we are “unbelievers” and therefore not protected. In their Islam-shaded eyes, the United States looks exactly as the Quran warns them the “Great Satan” would look. Both the Holy Bible and the Quran condemn abortion, yet the laws of the United Sates support the act. Both the Holy Bible and the Quran teach that God is the creator of the universe yet evolution is taught and seemingly accepted here. The Bible and the Quran teach chastity, yet we flood the planet with pornography, indecency, and a steady diet of wardrobe malfunctions. The Bible and the Quran mutually condemn gambling, drunkenness, and the occult yet here in the good ol’ USA we have casinos, the lottery, Las Vegas, a beer commercial every 7 minutes, horoscopes, and Halloween. Let’s face it, that’s how they see us. We’re all drunk pornstars, dining from a witch’s cauldron while warming our opulent homes with burning money. A law known as Jizya, in the Islamic Faith commands Muslims to forcefully take the property of “unbelievers” as a tribute to Allah. To them, we are a nation of “unbelievers.”

I think most of us would agree that a sharp turn back toward the moral center might do this country some good but I don’t believe such a course correction should be done simply to avoid cowardly acts of terrorists. Such an act should be done because we ARE “one nation, Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Whether you worship in Church or just step aside and quietly support those who do, we have got to get our act together. Right now, our laws favor Muslims more than Americans in some Right Turn cases and they are finding new ways to exploit our moral absence. We ARE a Christian nation because the alternative is unacceptable. Support that idea or we may just pack you onto a boat and send you over to them so that you may enjoy their kind of religious freedom. Got it?

That may seem like I am saying we should bow to the commands of the extremists who use beheadings, bombings, killing of soldiers, kidnappings, sabotage, and corruption as a form of religious expression but I assure you I am not. I pointed out the problems the Muslims have with the United States, but notice I did not say they were problems with Christianity. We need to make a course correction because it is the right thing to do, not because the word of Allah has any bearing whatsoever in my life or any of the lives of people I love. As much as the Muslims may believe we are a Godless country because we don’t gut adulterous women in the streets, or follow the letter of our Scriptures….there is and always will be one key factor that they truly misunderstand. Their faith requires constant acts to earn the love and approval of their God. Christians are already forgiven for any sin they have committed, and every sin they ever will commit. Yes, our morals could use a fine-tuning, but to say that we are a Godless country is not their call to make. It’s time to close off loopholes that are allowing an all out invasion. They don’t have to approve of our faith but they are sure as hell not going to be allowed to use it against me, in my own home. Our religion provides freedoms they will never understand and our Constitution provides even more but both must be defended. Religious ignorance is not the weapon that will defeat us unless we allow it to be.

So, is this election the launch of that transition from bad to good? Has the Obama administration been the journey through bad times that we all hope it will be? I sure hope so. America is starting to realize that our President is only as capable as we demand of him. When we elect a constantly campaigning, salesman….we shouldn’t be surprised when that’s exactly how he runs the country. It’s time to demand better. It’s time to be better. All of us. The Constitution of the United States does not require anyone to be a Christian. In fact, it does quite the opposite. It goes out of the way to make sure that all faiths have a home within the borders of this great country. That doesn’t mean you can have it both ways though. If you come to this country, for any reason, you obey the laws AND the customs of the United States. Not the other way around. We do not transform our laws to support your customs and you do not get to invoke your customs to save you from punishment in our country. You may have read that you are allowed to take the property of “unbelievers” but I doubt very seriously your Jizya will be able to withstand the blast of my 2nd Amendment Rights! We’re not all pornstars and we’re not all drunk. What we are is forgiven. That means that your permission or the permission of your faith is not required nor sought.

As always, thanks for playing!

J Robert Giles

Friday, February 17, 2012

Give Me Your Lunch Money…

“Part of your heritage in this society is the opportunity to become financially independent.”

- Jim Rohn

The idea behind the Social Security program is a noble one. Like so many other important documents in American History (don’t worry Mr. President, I won’t use that pesky “C” word that rhymes with Constitution) the Social Security Act has been twisted and manipulated through decades of misinterpretation and exploitation. I apologize for going all “Rhyme Master Jesse Jackson” on you, but it had to be done.

In the very first paragraph of the Historical Background and Development of Social Security we are reminded that “all people’s throughout history have faced the uncertainties brought on by unemployment, illness, disability, death, and old age. In the realm of economics, these inevitable facets of life are said to be threats to one’s economic security.” While I am positively ecstatic to see that the government understands death is a serious impediment with regards to earnings potential, I’m less than thrilled with anything I’ve heard from our government about fixing the problems Social Security faces. Lawmakers keep enacting laws by which honorably created systems and policies have become the weapons of our own destruction.

Social Security was the subject of manipulation before it even existed. Civil War pensions were awarded to survivors of soldiers killed in the Civil War. The very first “social security” type of a program. The surviving family would receive a monthly salary equal to that which the soldier could have earned if disabled instead of, you know…..deadsies. Soon, the disabled veterans got wind of this and the benefits program was amended so that they could receive benefits too. The manipulation came when much younger women would marry very old, and very disabled Civil War veterans because they would inherit the Civil War Pension benefits when the veteran died. Benefits from this program were still being paid to surviving widows as recently as 1999. That’s Civil War benefits being paid in 1999! The Social Security act as we know it today was originally unleashed in 1935. In it’s idea and original intent, the plan is admirable. Unfortunately, it’s original intent is a distant memory.

Decades of loopholes being exploited, politics determining accounting, and miscalculations to the tune of $800 Billion, the Trust Fund from which Social Security benefits are paid is drying up like an Arizona puddle in July. Every time a budget is released, the estimated year of solvency gets closer and closer. 2041…..now it’s 2036…next year it will be 2031….until we are finally told that the fund was actually used to keep Elvis Presley in hiding in a sophisticated lair somewhere in the South Pacific. Money has been siphoned off into various government programs under the guise of “temporary loans.” Loan implies intent to pay back the money. No such intent was ever given and no money has been paid back. Individuals have learned to “milk the system” and millions are receiving benefits that would not have been awarded under the intent of the original law. Congressmen have given passionate speeches about reforming the abusive looting, but very little has actually been done to stop it. This is not necessarily meant to be a blame game as any evidence I could throw out of a Democrat abusing the program, Republicans have done the same. The point is that changes are needed regardless of your individual party affiliation.

Brenton Smith, of Fix Social Security Now, LLC compares the current system of Social Security to “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic to accommodate more passengers.” He’s right. Although I’m glad Mr. Smith is willing to assume the role of financial genius, one is not required to see that Social Security does indeed need some fixing.

First of all, any Financial Advisor who lays out a Financial Plan for you in which the majority of your retirement years assume income provided by social security should be stripped of his licensing at a very minimum. Social Security simply can’t continue to provide the benefits it provides with the money it takes in. Another Brenton Smith quote that perfectly explains our current system is that we are essentially “charging our 401(k) contributions to our children’s credit cards.” That’s not really fair, is it? The idea of privatizing Social Security is always greeted with quick dismissal and incredulous argument from Congressional types. My personal argument, as is so often the case, completely dismisses the self-serving, manipulative, deceitful opinions of politicians and is instead based in logic. I understand that Americans, all of us, are complete idiots when it comes to spending habits. We are the reason the “impulse buy” was invented. With that in mind, it is admirable that the government tried to implement a system by which the latter years of our life are protected from disability, etc. The financial and social landscape of this country and the world have changed significantly over the lifetime of Social Security and it is time the plan itself get an overhaul to reflect such progress and to defend against the deterioration in work ethic and lifespan.

For example, according to the National Center for Health and Statistics, the average life expectancy in 1935 was 61.7 years. In 2010, it was 78.7. The retirement age was assumed to be 65 when the program was originally launched. The math was similar to that behind the low premiums of Term Life Insurance. Term Life Insurance is less expensive than Whole Life, or Permanent Insurance because all the risk is assumed by the policy holder. In order for you to receive anything for the premiums you pay into a term policy, you have to die within the “term.” They have entire teams of nerds down in the corporate “Nerdery” that determine the likelihood of you dying within that term and they come up with a premium based on that calculation. (Drastically paraphrased and simplified explanation. Somebody toss some pocket protectors and asthma inhalers down into the aforementioned nerdery before we have a socially awkward uprising on our hands.) The same can be said of the original Social Security plan. The theory was that many would pay into the system for decades only to die before claiming any benefits to which they were eligible. Kind of morbid financial philosophy, but sound. For that particular time. The problem is that very little was done to combat the fact that people began retiring earlier and living longer, thus taking more from the plan than originally projected. That, on top of the fact that Congress raided the coffers with alarming frequency and an epic mess was created. It’s time for change.

The first and most apparent change I can see is to get Social Security immediately and irrevocably out of the hands of Congress. Much of this argument will be met with applause from those on the right side of our political system because it suggests limiting government. That’s exactly what I suggest. Limit government so that they can no longer spend MY money on things I don’t want, need, approve of, or know about. I don’t believe I should support a system that our own government sees as “unsustainable.” I don’t believe I should be asked to cover up the crimes of career politicians with more of my money. That does not mean that I believe we should shut down the idea of saving for retirement or preventative saving. I just believe the system by which both are done should be updated to reflect current actuarial and morbidity statistics; the financial landscape and options of today’s market; today’s spending habits and overall financial attitudes. Millions of Americans contribute the maximum allowable amount to various retirement accounts every year. Millions of Americans pay for some form of disability insurance every year, whether it be short term disability to cover birth and maternity leave, or long term disability to cover catastrophic injury. The point is that everything the Social Security program was originally intended to cover can now be covered on a much more personalized level through private means. Enact laws that require Americans to cover these “inevitable facets of life” as the Social Security Administration refers to them. Payment into some kind of future protection is required by law, but just like an IRA, citizens would be allowed to choose the kind of protection that best serves their individual needs. The current system does not attract new money because no one wants to toss money at a doomed investment. The money that the current system does manage to attract is not accurately or prudently managed. Give Americans the choice to pay more into the system if their individual position allows, or to pay less if they choose to invest elsewhere, or not at all. You are paid according to what you put in. If you pay $50 for a steak you sure as heck better get more steak than the guy who pays $10 for a steak sandwich. And if you choose to go to a pricey steak-house, surrounded by ambience and welcoming wait-staff, you should expect to get a little more for your money than the guy ordering the steak and eggs at the all night diner across the freeway from the airport. Give us a choice.

People will scream that this is just another step toward socialism but I whole heartedly disagree. First of all, socialism wants everything controlled by the government…..giving Americans a choice is anything but socialism. Put competition to work in the financial field. Let them compete for our business. The ones who manipulate or take us for granted will collapse. No more bailouts. It’s time for change in every “inevitable facet” of our lives but the most urgent change is the change in the attitudes of America itself. We have to believe the changes we want are possible and we then have to go out there and make it happen. Will the ultimate Social Security program look anything like the one I’ve described? Possibly. There will be some negotiations and concessions, but in the end there will be change. There will be change because we are demanding change in every part of our lives now owned by the people we elect. We’re taking back our future before it evaporates like Obama in a bath of Holy Water. The tightly coiled, corn-backed rattlesnake of a budget that His Barackness laid on the carpet of America last week is just another example of the changes we must force. We can’t leave our future in their hands and expect them to cherish the responsibility. They’re the bullies who keep taking our lunch money, but guess what……that kid they used to pick on and steal from…..he hit a growth spurt over the summer and he’s looking to exact a little revenge!

As always, thanks for playing.

J Robert Giles

Support Capitalism

Monday, January 30, 2012

So….You Have No Answer?

By: J. Robert Giles & Jacqueline Corner

“Admiration is the daughter of ignorance. “ - Benjamin Franklin

First of all, I would like to take the time to personally thank each and every one of you that read Friday’s article. Even you nutjobs on the left who, for some unknown reason, keep coming back for more. Go Home Mr. President set a readership record for my site and no matter which side of the battle you may hail from, I appreciate the support. That being said, I think the article was widely misunderstood. From my fellow conservatives I received a lot of responses containing more evidence that Barack Hussein Obama should not have been allowed to run for President in the first place. From the left, I received exactly what you would expect. I received over seven-hundred comments, e-mails, and other various messages containing entertaining yet disturbing rhetoric. My sexual orientation was questioned as was my appetite, my mother, and my level of education but not a single answer was given. On an absurdly humorous note, one “brave” Occupy protester actually asked me to make a donation to him so that he could brave the winter in Wisconsin in his tent! Good luck, filthcicle! The little golden man atop your participation trophy is shivering, perhaps it’s time to abandon your ridiculous cause.

I personally don’t care where Barack Obama was born. That was not the question I posed on Friday and it’s not the question that remains unanswered. Why him? Why Barack Hussein Obama? He has done absolutely nothing to warrant the affection given to him yet the Obamanites would rather die than to admit he is in over his smug, condescending head. Here’s what we know about the upward mobility of His Barackness.

Obamanation	*Reality*
Barack and Michelle Obama “Voluntarily Surrendered” their licenses to practice law.	Barack has said time and time again that he surrendered his license in order to focus on his political ambitions, namely his run at the presidency. Now, I know that Presidents are forbidden to hold any personal assets over a certain figure while in office. I’m sure there are many other personal freedoms we take for granted, not permitted to the most powerful man on the planet. However, the voluntary surrender of a license to practice law is not one of them. In fact, Bill Clinton kept his license until he was forced to ‘voluntarily surrender’ it before being disbarred over comments he made during the Whitewater investigations. Michelle Obama voluntarily surrendered her law license in 1993, just three years after she got it. Imagine racking up tons of debt, spending nearly a decade in school, passing the bar exam, and then just giving it up in three years. It doesn’t make sense. Obama surrendered his license in 2008 in what many believe was an escape from investigation into the authenticity of his bar application. That makes more sense than “I just don’t think I’ll need it again.” You surrender your license to avoid investigation. Why were they being investigated?
Barack Obama was a Professor of Law at the University of Chicago	Nope. Not even close. Obama, once a “lecturer” at Harvard Law applied to be an adjunct at Chicago Law but his application was never even considered. Through political power and what was no doubt some Occupy Wall Street style whining, he was given a class to “lecture” and was placed on the payroll in a non-faculty position. Not only was he never a professor, he was barely an adjunct. He was disliked as his position seemed drenched in dirty politics. He never attended faculty meetings and seemed to view this lowly position as a stepping stone in his ambitious career path. Besides, lawyers write. It seems for most of them, that’s all they do. Go onto any lawyer’s website and you will see tons of things that they've written. Lawyers get published. Publishing credits are like sex to lawyers. It would stand to reason that anyone teaching about practicing law would have at least a few things published. Anybody ever see any of it?
Obama has no ties to terrorist Bill Ayers, radical Jeremiah Wright, or any other unpopular figure.	Ridiculously untrue. Ayers and Obama served together at the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 until 2000. Ayers founded the group which touted itself as an “education reform” program. That’s like saying a bomb is a “structural reform” mechanism. The group raised and distributed money to established, leftist causes. Obama’s sudden disdain for “Pastor” Jeremiah Wright is laughable. The man presided over the wedding of Barry and Michelle. He baptized both Obama daughters. The hate spewing, separatist, former leader of the Chicago mega-church Obama attended for years had a definite role in the spiritual construction of Barack Hussein Obama.
Obama was the clear choice of the people of Illinois in his bid for the 2004 senate seat.	Well, okay…..but let’s put it in perspective for those on the left with the amazing ability to re-write history. Yes, Obama won big but only after running an absurdly dirty campaign against Republican Jack Ryan. Jack Ryan, as is the case with most politicians it seems, was into some pretty kinky stuff when married to beautiful actress Jeri Ryan. The details of the sordid sexual activities were listed in their divorce papers which Obama and his camp demanded be released into the public. When Ryan dropped his bid, out-of-stater Alan Keyes was placed on the ballot in his place. Did Obama really win that election or did he simply represent the only option? After all, His Barackness barely made a dent in his previous House of Representatives campaign.
Barack Obama did not have a radical voting record as a United States Senator.	36 times during his short, uneventful, senatorial career did Barack Obama vote “present.” More than 50 times, his votes were simply the vote of his party or part of some other campaign. Once voted “present” as a “show of opposition” to a bill that would have allowed children as young as 15 to be tried as adults if they committed crimes with a firearm on or near school grounds. The bill passed overwhelmingly but Obama didn’t believe tougher penalties were the answer. Yeah? Put your daughters in an inner-city, Chicago public school and tell us how you feel. Barack Obama also voted against providing medical care to a fetus ~~that~~ who survived an abortion procedure. That’s about as hardcore left-wing as you can possibly get unless you get a CEO to pay for your abortion because he’s “too successful.” Obama was also voted “The Most Liberal Senator in the United States” by National Journal in 2007.
Obama was a focused Senator.	No. He was not. It is widely believed that he began his presidential campaign before he knew his way through the maze of corridors on Capitol Hill.
Obama was experienced enough to beat Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Primaries in 2004.	Again, no he was not. He capitalized on the disdain America was feeling for the War in Iraq. He never missed an opportunity to point out the fact that Hillary “Ankles” Clinton voted *for* the ‘unconstitutional invasion’ whereas he was one of the first and loudest to oppose it. The fact that his opposition came in the form of maniacal hate-speech full of illogical and terrifying rhetoric seemed to escape his braggadocio.
Those who question Barack Hussein Obama’s birth certificate, known as “birthers” in the enlightened world, are ignorant.	No, those who obsess over it may be, but those who question it are not. I questioned the legitimacy of Bush’s 2000 election victory until the Supreme Court ruled, after hearing sufficient evidence, that he was the winner. No such rulings have been made on the issue of Obama’s birth and no such evidence has been heard. I questioned Bush’s military biography until it was ruled that Dan Rather had lost his mind and fabricated most of the evidence to which the left was clinging. Why have experts not been brought forth to put this whole thing to rest? (Okay, I may be ‘mis-remembering’ a few of those facts, but you get my point.) Why?
Obama’s economic blueprint and “fair share” philosophies will work if given enough time.	No they will not and he has been given *plenty* of time. The fact that he delivers a State of the Union Address in which he declares he will be investing more of our money into the Lithium/Ion Battery industry is a clear example of the fact he has lost touch with the reality of the United States. Another ‘clean energy battery’ company to which Barack Obama gave $118 million of our money filed for bankruptcy the following day and he vows to give more.

Now, while all the responses I got to Friday’s article were entertaining, I’m still left without an answer. I will gladly publish and give credit to the first person who can adequately explain to me why there has been such an inexplicably condensed journey to power for a man who has done absolutely nothing to deserve such support. Barack Obama has all the markings of a “plant” but he doesn’t seem to know it. Is the man a cyborg? If he pulls back his face, is there a series of circuit boards and wires? Can someone please explain to me why Barack Hussein Obama has been given the support he has been given? It’s not because of his skin color, there are plenty of black candidates the left could have chosen to spike into the White House. Why such blind loyalty? The only unifying bond among die-hard leftists seems to be the tired, tattered flag of their “anyone but Bush” mantra. The problem is that no one is asking why they voted for him in 2008. We’re asking why any thinking person with logic and facts at their disposal would choose to vote for a man who has all but decimated our Constitution, thrown our economy in the tank below a Tijuana Port-A-Potty, and increased our debt at a pace that melts calculators? Why this particular man?

Obama is a charming man. We know the guy can deliver a speech and win a crowd, so where are his ex-girlfriends? Where are the people from his past that seem to pop-up out of the woodwork no matter how irrelevant the celebrity? Can you imagine the level of dirt that would have been dug up on JFK today, in an age where information is old before it even occurs? Obama couldn’t have possibly gone through life without making at least one girlfriend mad. Where are the classmates, the enemies, the publications, the records? When Bush was running for President, it seemed the news managed to dig up every single person he’d ever shook hands with. Why can’t they seem to find anyone from Obama’s past?

Again, I could care less where Barack Hussein Obama was born. I’m more interested in why he has been given such a short and seemingly “appointed” path to the White House? Why did Hillary bow down and ole him to the nomination? I don’t care what you think of my mother, my job, my sexual orientation, my level of education, my spelling, my wife, my home, my opinions, or my fashion sense. I want someone from the left to honestly explain to me why Barack Obama was given the Democratic Nomination after just eight years and zero accomplishments in the senate? I want someone to logically and factually explain to me why failure is so blindly supported as success?

Something tells me I will not be publishing any articles of explanation any time soon.

As always, thanks for playing.

J. Robert Giles

Support Capitalism

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

More Childish Wishes And Presidential Pipe-Dreams….