Talking to an Iranian...

I recently had an online discussion with an Iranian citizen, and my how interesting it was. The most interesting aspect of it was the discussion regarding Israel and her existence. Of course we talked about Nukes, US/Iran war prospects, who would win and how... all the things that you would expect one nationalist discussing online with another, but from opposing countries.

One thing in particular caught my attention, and inspired this blog. It was during the discussion of Israel. He was trying (poorly) to form an argument in support of the Palestinian rebellion in Israel, while I was rebutting with his own words about people being allowed to live in a land and govern themselves... He made a statement that really helped explain the mindset of Hamas, Syria, and the Iranians...

He said, "We do not hate the Jews, just the Zionists".

So they don't have a problem with Jews, just Jews that choose to govern themselves.

I sat in meditation on this statement, and am continuously astounded by the backwards (il)logic that is in the mind's of these people... Everyone deserves to be free, and govern themselves... unless they choose to do so in a way that is un-islamic...

The statement that he made is "common sense" in Iran... and the fact that he said it so un-apologetically is frightening... not frightening to the effect that I am afraid of Iran, but to the effect that you can kill a man, but it is meaningless unless you can kill the ideology...

Source

The Problem with National Polls

First and foremost, let it be known that I LOVE polls! It is a pulse of the living and breathing free republican democracy in which we live! Knowing that there are so many people free and willing to give their opinion on how our government and way of life should be molded... well, it is all a sign that freedom is still alive and well in the US.

But recently I have been plagued by the national presidential polls. I keep hearing about the almost certain general election showdown between Rudy and Hillary. National polls show one edging out the other on any given day. And it is right time that we all shake off the results of these polls and understand that the United States does not elect a President in the General election based on a national popularity vote... we use the amazing Electoral College System.



The great thing about the Electoral College system is that it forces candidates to campaign in the "flyover states" as well as in the big cities of New York and Los Angeles. It ensures that the "little guys" have power via delegates that takes away from the sheer quantity of citizens (and sometimes illegally voting non-citizens) found in the big cities.

So the question that I have for these poll takers is this: Where are you making your phone calls? Do they call Farmer Henry in Nowhere Kansas and Forest Ranger Steve in Montana, or do they make calls to Tom, Dick, and Harry living in St.Louis, New York, and San Francisco?

The problem with the National Polls is that when Hillary loses the General election, there is going to be a huge outcry because she was leading the national polls, and further calls for the elimination of the Electoral College System of voting in favor of Mob Rule.

The question is going to be this: Which candidate can pick up, for their respective parties, states that traditionally have supported one party over the other? Consider the 2004 results map:
The national polls, as fun as they are, should be replaced with a poll facing the candidates off in a state by state match-up, and determining which gains can be made.

In a Rudy/Clinton match up, there has been much discussion about a third party contender taking a large split of the votes... this is not a new concept. Consider the Bull Moose party of Teddy Roosevelt, splitting the Republican vote and delivering electoral victory to Woodrow Wilson. This was a case where a third party candidate actually received electoral votes... the cause? The Republican party had shifted too far from it's platform.

What states could Clinton steal? Perhaps Florida is in play... Perhaps Nevada and New Mexico... and Ohio is always a key player... But if she were head to head with a Liberal candidate like Rudy, who knows where the states would go.

What about Rudy... could he take New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania? Perhaps...

But what if a conservative third party candidate were to take the stage? This could throw the "fly-over states" into a Democratic win overall, as these states may give their electoral votes to the third party candidate, or split the Republican ticket so badly that Hillary wins the state.

But if the GOP elects a conservative candidate that rallies the base, one could expect that the electoral map would not vary much from the above image, and the Republicans would continue to hold on to the White House.

So, I say, enough with the attention on the National Polls... what are the state by state results, and how do the match-ups in those states relate to electoral votes? Who, then, will the victor be?

Can Democracy Survive in America?

An interesting e-mail has been going around for about 7 years now, in which it discusses the Scottish Historian, Lord Woodhouselee Alexander Frasier Tytler's, research into the phases of a democracy. As I do with all chain e-mails, I ran it by the snopes webpage, and found that the research is real but the rest of the e-mail has inaccuracies related to the 2000 presidential election.

So I am going to post the accurate information, in hopes that it will spark some discussion.

Alexander Tytler concluded the following:

'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a
permanent form of government.'

'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover
they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.'

'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who
promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every
democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always
followed by a dictatorship.'

'The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning
of history, has been about 200 years'

'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the
following sequence:
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage'

It is suggested that we are in the 6th phase of the Democracy, in the Apathy phase... and quickly moving into dependence.

Don't believe me?

Look at the Katrina refugees, unable to help themselves... some died due to lack of water, food, shelter... all the while they had the means to band together and help themselves.

Look at Hillary Care. This is a further plan to ensure dependence on the government for healthcare, rather than personal responsibility in ensuring self and family health while demanding a fair market price.

And look at Social Security. Originally planned as a protection against starvation, it has become a government controlled retirement plan, mandating savings, and leaving no room for personal savings. Hell, with taxes and inflation it is hard to save anything above and beyond my current costs of living! The perfect situation where one becomes dependent on the government structure and handouts.

Is the sun setting in the West? Is the great experiment coming to a close? What can we do to return us to phase 3/4?

Comment if you have some ideas... otherwise, check in later... I will surely be expanding on how to save America!

Heartbreak and Chaos in the Rocky Mountains

The Colorado Rockies... the fluke that brought hope and heart-ache to the Mile-High city... After an amazing streak to come from 4 1/2 games back in the wildcard, going 21 of 22 to make it to the world series, the Rockies fell to the baseball Juggernaut called the Boston Red Sox.

For better or for worse, I saw a football city become a baseball town overnight, and I loved every minute of it. Originally from Seattle, which is a baseball town indeed, it was odd to see a half filled stadium and fans that did not know how to cheer... enter the winning streak, and viola! It was like being in baseball heaven...

But baseball comes with high AND low points... and getting swept in the World Series is a very low point!

However, there is hope for the Rockies... the increased name recognition and appeal will bring more money to the ball club, and maybe, just maybe, we can afford some solid pitchers!

And now the chaos... Tom Tancredo has announced that he will not seek re-election in the Colorado House District CD-6... my district. This brings chaos because every state senator in the district is jockeying for this seat, which will leave a number of state senate seats up for grabs... This means that a number of state representatives are looking for that promotion and will surely put their names in the hat, leaving state representative seats in question.

As if 2008 wasn't going to be hectic enough, now Douglas county (and other south of Denver counties) are going to be scrambling to not lose any more seats to the liberal democrats.

Tom Tancredo has been a beacon of conservative hope in Colorado, and his absence will surely be felt nationally and locally.

My hope is that he throws his name in the hat for the Colorado Senate seat and challenges Bob Schaffer in the primaries. This could be the key to beating Mark Udall, and maintaining a 1-1 Democrat/Republican split in the Colorado US Senate. Or perhaps, due to his extended bid for the White House, he will hold off on a Senate run in an attempt to unseat liberal Ken Salazar in 2010. Either way, I say "RUN TOM RUN!"

The Implications of a Communist Moon Landing

It is a feat that only the United States has been able to accomplish: Landing a Man on the Moon.

Communist Russia failed, and since the great space race no one else has even tried.

In fact, the United States has been sitting in the Ivory Tower of space travel so long, that many fail to see the problem with China stepping ever so close to landing a communist on the moon.

When the US beat the Soviets to the moon, there was a lasting impression that only in a free society was man capable of achieving the impossible. Russia gave up their lunar ambitions, and within 20 years they ceased to exist as a communist led society.

Fast forward to the 21st century, where China is making all the appropriate advancements in their plan to permanently inhabit the moon. Today they will launch a lunar orbiter, proving that they have the capability to at least get to and orbit the moon. And with their space program cloaked in secrecy, they could be just a few years away from planting a flag of an oppressed people on the surface of the moon.

Remember, the US left a plaque on the moon which stated that our journey was for all men... the significance of this plaque was that it represented the heights to which free men could travel... and now that we are sitting idly by and watching, let alone providing help (Thanks Bill Clinton - Ass), and who knows what this could mean.

In fact, working on the current US moon program myself, I take issue that we are slipping schedule and focusing so much time and energy on the ISS. We are unloading a significant amount of time and energy on a way station that serves little to open the expanses of space to the next generation of explorers. I compare it to Columbus rowing a dingy around the harbor instead of sailing across the Atlantic.

When the US fails to dream big, we fail... period.

This is a case where the ambition of an oppressive entity is greater than the drive for being the best from a free society.

So perhaps this means that the America that existed just 50 years ago no longer exists. Are we no longer up to the challenge of proving the superiority of a Free Society? Are we even still a free society, or are we bogged down with suspicion and corruption... the legacy of freedom?

Think long and hard about what we are giving up in allowing China to have dominance in the new Moon Race... leave a comment... and perhaps, if you think the implications are as I have stated, give your government representatives a call and tell them to Make Space a Priority!

Stupid Is as Stupid Does

Barack Obama, in a continued disregard for American values, now chooses to disrespect the National Anthem. A month ago, Obama was caught on film to not properly salute during the National Anthem...

During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. — United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171

Of course it was just days after this event that Barack Obama stated that he refused to wear a flag lapel pin during his campaign.

So I have to ask myself, "What does this guy have against America and our values?"

He seems to have a complete disregard for America, and in my opinion, his lack of respect for American patriotic rites is reason enough to not support him as the leader of this sovereign nation!

California is Burning...Santa Ana's Destroy SoCal

Images of uncontrollable flames tell a story of a Southern California that is in the fight for it's life, one it will long remember.

Over a half million people have been evacuated, the Governor has declared a state of emergency, and National Guard troops from all over the nation are on their way to help stop the uncontrollable fires.

With the loss of property, homes, and the enormous cost that is going to go into dealing with this natural disaster, one cannot help but wonder if the terrorist minds are paying attention. Imagine the satisfaction on their part of starting small fires, and letting Santa Ana take care of the rest?!? And one cannot help but wonder how a tragedy of this caliber can be avoided in the future. With the inability to protect against natural occurences, it is questionable that such a human attack could be avoided either.

As we sit and watch in horror as California is helplessly burned to the ground by the wrath of God, it would behoove us all to say a prayer for the residents who are victims of the fire, as well as for the cities choked by the smoke.

God Bless

Louisiana Tired of Do-Nothing Democrats?

The nation's youngest governor in history, and the first non-white governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction is 36 year old Republican, Bobby Jindal. Jindal received 53% of the vote in a race where 11 candidates duked it out for control of the post-Katrina state.

This event is significant for so many reasons... the biggest is that the people of the state are so tired of their local Democratic leadership's inability to solve the problems of the state after the Katrina disaster that they are overwhelmingly ready for party change.

How overwhelming and what is the significance? Jindal received 625,000 votes (53%), where the next closest candidate received 209,000 (18%). The remaining field (other than Jindal) split the votes between multiple Democrats and Independents, but no one clear alternative to Jindal and his leadership came about.

We are seeing the same frustration with the members of the US House and Senate, as their numbers remain in the low teens.

And with the 2008 presidential race on the front of everyone's minds, we have to look into message, content, and most importantly their ability for action.

With Democrats and Independents upset about the Pelosi/Reid do-nothing approach to leading the US Congress, and the results rippling into Democratic strong states like Louisiana, could we be looking for a Republican upset in 2008?

I say yes. The Democrats laid all their cards on the table in 2006. The US has taken this year to realise that Jokers are not wild, and that a pair of 4's does not beat a pair of Aces. I am not saying that Republican leadership is without fault, but the loss in 2006 has been cause for introspection, and in doing so the party is beginning to see the importance of being strong conservative action takers.

The outcome of the election in Louisiana should be closely observed... It may be foretelling of the attitude towards Democratic talking heads, and may be an indicator of how the 2008 election will go!

As always, comments are appreciated!

God Bless.

The Republican Presidential Field Shrinks Again

Firstly, I must admit that I was wrong in my latest prediction of who would stay, who would go... of course, that was a month ago and I predicted the next to go would be Duncan Hunter...

Well, FoxNews is reporting that Sam Brownback is exiting the race.

He has not stated an endorsement of any candidate, but we may see an endorsement when he officially exits the race tomorrow.

So the Candidate field is now as follows...

Rudy, Mitt, Thompson, McCain, Huckabee, Tancredo, Paul, Hunter.

My predictions for the shrinking field are as follows:

Tancredo will withdraw by the end of the month, giving him one more debate (this Sunday) to make his case on immigration. Then it is time for him to come home (to my district) and consider running for re-election into the House.

Though Hunter has little support, and little funds, it seems that he is willing to stick it out a little longer... perhaps until the early Primaries.

Ron Paul will continue his crusade through the primaries. Why do I think this to be true? Because he has no intention of running as a third party candidate... so this is his shot for the spotlight.

The other five will be the core group of vote-getters, and will continue to jockey for position.

Make sure to tune in on Sunday to see another great debate (i hope)

The Importance of Gun Ownership

When I mention the word TYRANNY, what does it make you think of? Perhaps you are reminded of the American Revolution, fighting against King George... or perhaps you think of our current involvement in Iraq, in which we are fighting the totalitarianism of islamofascism.

But what if I told you that our very own government is guilty of tyrant-esque behaviors?

Consider New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Law abiding gun-owners, lawfully carrying personal protection were subdued and had their fire arms unlawfully confiscated. That is right... if you choose to defend yourself, the government is guilty of taking away your endowed right of liberty.

And it is bound to happen nation wide unless we send a clear message to our elected representatives that gun ownership is not about hunting or sport, but about maintaining liberty!

Consider that the American Revolution could not have happened without an armed citizenry... In fact the Continental Army was made up of farmers using their own arms.

And consider that the founding documents were written with this very fact in mind, that a well armed citizenry is the only defense against tyranny, protecting our liberties, and defending ourselves against our own government!

And now consider the following two videos:





With conservatives who think like this, who needs liberals?

Implementing a nationwide gun ban, or gun confiscation is nothing less than a Casus belli for Revolution against a Tyrannical US Government. What is the last straw? This is... taking away my RIGHT to liberty... one of the three rights endowed by my Creator.

I hold the Declaration of Independence above the Constitution, because the Declaration of Independence establishes the rule of law as the continuation of our rights to Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness... The Constitution merely sets up a government to protect the rule of law and outlines how the government can protect, but not infringe on our liberties!

We are now in a place where we fear our government... wire taps, spying internally, creation of the North American Union, and now the confiscation of our last means with which to protect ourselves.

I have five words for you:

FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS