Today is November, 23, 2009. Our country is being indundated with proposed massive changes. But--can we believe in them?
Let's look at two of the changes quickly:
A massively expensive overhaul to our healthcare system. A set of changes that will not offer healthcare to ALL citizens, despite the 2,000 pages in the bill. A set of changes that includes a THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR bribe to the state of Louisiana. If the government succeeds in pulling this off, We The People will suffer dire consequences, both in our severly diminished healthcare and in our diminshed cashflow. We know that a government that has the power to "give" also has the power to TAKE AWAY.
An excellent source of information is the Heritage Foundation's blog at http://blog.heritage.org. Details of the bill can be found at http://blog.heritage.org/2009/11/20/the-senate-health-bill-true-cost-is-49-trillion/.
The 911 Terrorist trials in New York City. If this were not actually true, it would merely be laughed at. No sane country would permit such an Obamanation. However, Eric Holder's preposterous announcement was not, in fact, a joke, but a WARNING. The trial will be a CIVIL TRIAL, and thus, they will be entitled to protections under the law. Today it was announced that they will plead NOT GUILTY. They want a platform to air their views.
Where in history has such a thing occurred? True, we tried the 1993 terrorists in NYC, but they were arrested in the US. The current fivesome was arrested in Pakistan. They are military combatants. They have already announced their guilt, and announced it proudly. That will be ignored in order to give them their "platform."
We don't seem to know which way to turn. What to focus on. Our economy is about to be destroyed, as is our way of life. Many people, myself included, KNOW that our voices MUST be heard, louldy, boldly, and without fear. Many of us have joined groups such as ResistNet and the 912 Project. We The People must continue to do so.
Glenn Beck has unveiled his plan for the refounding of our republic. True, he has started it. But it is up to us to continue it, to promote, participate, and take action.
http://www.thenational912coalition.net/
We The People can send emails with frustration and fear. Or we can take action. The choice is clear.
11.23.2009
11.16.2009
Who We ARe
We are overwhelmed with news that infuriates and upsets us. From a civilian trial for terrorists, to the takeover of our healthcare, to the apologies made by the administration all over the world, we look around and say, "What on Earth is going on?" We see children setting their friends on fire and parents staging balloon shows in order to attract attention.
There is a feeling that we are losing hold of our most fundamental values, morals, way of life, and something deeper - a sense of who we are, of our place in a greater community.
I believe that there is a reason for all of this. Something rather simple, actually, as I think about it. We have diminished the value of the individual. We have relinquished our personal power and uniqueness. We question our own abilities and our intellect. We have passed power on to others, believing that they will make decisions for our benefit even without our consent. We are not proud of ourselves as individuals, and that transfers to our country. We are not proud of it, either.
Without that pride and sense of purpose, our grounding becomes unsettled. Subliminally we feel lost and isolated. This is contrary to the promises of universal [fill in the blank]. We are further apart than we ever have been, certainly in my lifetime.
What might be a remedy for this? That appears obvious as well. Stop believing in the government and start believing in ourselves. Think enough of ourselves to take chances, to work hard, to learn, and yes, to fail. Failure is not horrendous; at least, if we fail, that failure belongs to US. It is SURRENDER that is so terrible--the voluntary relinquishment of our own power.
The focus returns to the INDIVIDUAL rather than the STATE. State power would naturally be reduced, and people's strengths would be given the opportunity to blossom.
The focus returns to the INDIVIDUAL rather than the STATE. State power would naturally be reduced, and people's strengths would be given the opportunity to blossom.
11.13.2009
Not The End
This CANNOT be the end of the Tea Party Express! We have LOTS to do!
The first thing on the agenda must be to stop this trial that our out-of-control government has decided upon. The 911 terrorists CANNOT be permitted in our country, never mind New York City.
We MUST take action. We cannot let this group disband.
4.02.2009
Back To Blogging
I had thought that I would permanently discontinue writing this blog. The rise of Barak Obama over the summer was both depressing and frightening, and seeing him get the Democratic nomination settled a pit into my stomach which has now grown in size.
The events that have transpired since the election and the ensuing disgrace of an inauguration / coronation make it impossible for me to be silent, and thus this blog comes back to life.
It is challenging to organize and encapsulate these events, and to put them into a perspective that makes sense. I will try to do that. My opinions will be all over this, but I will include facts that I believe support those opinions. I hope that this information causes Americans to THINK and then to decide, on their own, what they think is best for this country.
First - The Past.
Upon first hearing about Barak Obama, I was somewhat disturbed by the awe in which people spoke about him. I don't believe that human beings merit this type of awe, barring some magnificent achievement or contribution to society. Listening to him, I found nothing there, albeit that he was an excellent speaker. Back then, I simply could not understand what all the hoopla was.
Then he started PROMISING. That immediately sends up red flags for me. I don't believe that promisers deliver. I am a staunch individualist,
and people, especially those in government, who start promising everything to everyone. Hearing and watching interviews with the man on the street showed me that people were BELIEVING in the powers that this man pretended to have.
This is beyond an issue of politics. It is an issue so fundamental that we do not consider it consciously. It is what our basic, fundamental principles ARE, what we value, and how we recognize those values. We live in a country that was founded on a principle that was radical at
the time - that EACH individual has intrinsic value, and the United States was designed to afford that individual the opportunity to do whatever he or he chose to do with that intrinisc value.
We were NEVER to SURRENDER to ANY individual - to give that person power over us, to allow him to make decisions for us. No, our president
was a SERVANT, HIRED by American Citizens, granted very limited powers by the Constitution. I can still feel the shadow of George Washington weeping on inauguration day.
That forgetfulness by the American people has opened the gate for a dictatorial government, masterminded by a megalomaniac who continues to expand his powers far, far beyond what the Constitution permits him to do.
There are still those who are believing his promises. One thing that I can say, his promise of CHANGE has certainly come to fruition.
Second - The Nearer Past
What of his affiliations? By now, at the beginning of April, we have forgotten the 'reverend' wright (I cannot bring myself to put his name in uppercase). Is it possible that we have elected a person with such an affiliation? It did not end there, however. The 'professor' who hates the United States is part of the inner circle of friends.
Is this what a servant of the people should be?
Why the worship? From where does the mystique arise? Are We the People so hungry that we search for someone to worship and we chose the one who promises the most?
As I watched this horrendous scene develop over the past months, and finally the election and coronation, I was continually struck with
thought of religious zealots. The scenes at Obama gatherings had all the look and feel of such events, complete with blind, awestruck worship.
Those who rant against religion fail to see the connection between the two scenarios. To me, they were one in the same; it was merely the objects of worship that differed.
So here we sit. April 2 and Obama in in Europe to push a plan that is so radical that even the radicals don't like it. His megalomania is so obvious that it is beyond disugusting that we have tolerated him for this long.
5.26.2008
The Day the Music Died
Today is Memorial Day, and it turned out to be a day to bring me back 40 years. I had my radio on all day, listening to WABC Radio Rewound. As usual, Mark Simone was terrific on the evening portion of the show. I feel young, free, and happy!
That got me thinking. Thinking about music, and how it has morphed from my childhood until now. Wow! What changes! I was a WABC Radio fan, like just about everyone back then. We had the music on all day, and listened to the DJs and the commercials just as much as the music. Today, as the old commercials came on, I found myself smiling and singing with them as well.
Now, I never listen to music radio anymore. I press buttons, and station after station disappoints me. I love music more than ever, but it seems that I can't find any MUSIC. I've been through many changes, and I fear that I'm getting old and crochety, but the music that is played on the radio now just doesn't sound like MUSIC.
Granted, oldies music is not the epitome of musical excellence. Still, it stayed with you, and I love the tunes now just as much, if not more, than I did then.
So, more thinking.
In sixth grade, we had to do a full research paper. Complete with bibliography, footnotes, and proper referencing. No computers of course, and no crossouts. Pen only. No corrections whatsoever. I pondered topics, and as usual, my Dad suggested an idea which opened my eyes. He suggested that I do a history of Jazz, from the Negro Spiritual through the current time. It sounded interesting so I went for it.
I learned so much! It was fascinating. I listened to gospel music, jazz, rock and roll. I loved the soulful, passionate gospel, its depth of feeling, the magic that it created. I learned about George Gershwin at that time, and Summertime and I've Got Plenty of Nuthin' made me shudder. The gospel music evolved, and Frank Loesser took Damon Runyon's tale, and the boat rocked!
Curiosity made made do more research, before the spiritual and the gospel music. Every uncovering was a revelation - I was only 11.
Music developed for 2 primary reasons - to make requests of the gods, and to honor and give thanks to them. Early cultures danced, chanted, and played rhythms to celebrate life and mourn death. The music was an outward expression of inner feelings - ecstasy - derived from Greek - to go outside yourself.
Music continued to be a celebration of the gods, and God, and of life. It took on new meaning when Vivaldi honored the seasons, and Handel's unsurpassed masterpiece added power and depth to an already rich art. The passion of the ancients was brought to its peak with the Ode to Joy.
Even the symphony expanded. Stravinsky opened the Earth and the Sky. We were drawn inward to a new interpretation of sound.
The music came to the people. Gershwin celebrated the city that he loved. Jazz evolved. The Big Band was Born. Time had passed, but the Call and Response from the gospel music was felt over and over again.
The war prompted a powerful nationalism, and we supported, entertained, and sang about the troops.
Jazz begat Swing, and along came Frank Sinatra, who sang of love; they era of the Love Song was upon us. Rock and Roll followed. Still, the music was celebratory. It spoke of emotions, life, death, gods. It spoke of Love. Music had moved, over time, from the gods to humanity.
Through the 1960s, and then a new transformation began. The music was not merely about love any more, but about things. But - they were fun things! They became silly things, but we still loved them. And we sing them now when we hear them on oldies stations.
More time passed. The music turned dark. Not dark emotion of sadness or loss. The music turned sinister. We loved that too. I don't know anyone who isn't rockin' when Sympathy For the Devil is Played.
It didn't stop. It got darker. But the darkness was not IN ADDITION to the ECSTASY. It REPLACED the ECSTASY. Love songs and silly were becoming rarer and rarer. The feelings inside changed. There was disruption. Chaos. Helter Skelter.
There is a new breed of music. It is charged with hate. I cannot create links to the few that I have heard. I never want to hear them again. Rape, murder, denigration of women, matricide, patricide. What horrors!
Now, songs of love seem to be a thing of the past. We must find oldies stations to hear them. Our children have never heard Rhapsody In Blue, and haven't the faintest notion of who Beethoven might be. The don't snap their fingers to a great beat, because the hateful music is played in non-rhythmic patter. It disrupts the heart. It scrapes at the mind. It overturns the soul.
Is music the reflection of culture, or its cause? There seems to be a common trend in our cultural brilliance - music and culture decline together.
I listen to the lectures produced by The Teaching Company. My favorite professor is Dr. Daniel N. Robinson. In a lecture about ancient Greece, he discussed art and culture. I am paraphrasing, but he suggested that it is not how WE look, but rather WHAT WE LOOK AT, that affects our outlook, sensibilities, and behavior. He pointed out that we might take a long hard look at the buildings that we erect - as he phrases it "In our name." Does a contemporary school compare with Notre Dame? Surely not.
I believe that also applies to what we HEAR. Beautiful music enriches us, lifts us, draws us outside of ourselves, and brings forth joy. Upbeat snappy music sends us boppin'. Love songs soothe our hearts and evoke feelings of love. Silly songs make us laugh.
Horrendous music draws horrendous emotions, unrest, depression, and hatred.
Somewhere, a few years back, the MUSIC died. It was replaced with a savage rage that insults every ear that is subjected to it.
Keep those oldies coming WABC!! Surely the music isn't REALLY dead??
Perhaps we might look backward, and listen to the works that came before this time. Swing dance. Take a ride in a convertible. Close our eyes and listen to The Elf-King and feel the fear and passion. Take our I-Pods to a park by a lake. Sit quietly. Play Moonlight Sonata. But ... laugh and romp as well!
That got me thinking. Thinking about music, and how it has morphed from my childhood until now. Wow! What changes! I was a WABC Radio fan, like just about everyone back then. We had the music on all day, and listened to the DJs and the commercials just as much as the music. Today, as the old commercials came on, I found myself smiling and singing with them as well.
Now, I never listen to music radio anymore. I press buttons, and station after station disappoints me. I love music more than ever, but it seems that I can't find any MUSIC. I've been through many changes, and I fear that I'm getting old and crochety, but the music that is played on the radio now just doesn't sound like MUSIC.
Granted, oldies music is not the epitome of musical excellence. Still, it stayed with you, and I love the tunes now just as much, if not more, than I did then.
So, more thinking.
In sixth grade, we had to do a full research paper. Complete with bibliography, footnotes, and proper referencing. No computers of course, and no crossouts. Pen only. No corrections whatsoever. I pondered topics, and as usual, my Dad suggested an idea which opened my eyes. He suggested that I do a history of Jazz, from the Negro Spiritual through the current time. It sounded interesting so I went for it.
I learned so much! It was fascinating. I listened to gospel music, jazz, rock and roll. I loved the soulful, passionate gospel, its depth of feeling, the magic that it created. I learned about George Gershwin at that time, and Summertime and I've Got Plenty of Nuthin' made me shudder. The gospel music evolved, and Frank Loesser took Damon Runyon's tale, and the boat rocked!
Curiosity made made do more research, before the spiritual and the gospel music. Every uncovering was a revelation - I was only 11.
Music developed for 2 primary reasons - to make requests of the gods, and to honor and give thanks to them. Early cultures danced, chanted, and played rhythms to celebrate life and mourn death. The music was an outward expression of inner feelings - ecstasy - derived from Greek - to go outside yourself.
Music continued to be a celebration of the gods, and God, and of life. It took on new meaning when Vivaldi honored the seasons, and Handel's unsurpassed masterpiece added power and depth to an already rich art. The passion of the ancients was brought to its peak with the Ode to Joy.
Even the symphony expanded. Stravinsky opened the Earth and the Sky. We were drawn inward to a new interpretation of sound.
The music came to the people. Gershwin celebrated the city that he loved. Jazz evolved. The Big Band was Born. Time had passed, but the Call and Response from the gospel music was felt over and over again.
The war prompted a powerful nationalism, and we supported, entertained, and sang about the troops.
Jazz begat Swing, and along came Frank Sinatra, who sang of love; they era of the Love Song was upon us. Rock and Roll followed. Still, the music was celebratory. It spoke of emotions, life, death, gods. It spoke of Love. Music had moved, over time, from the gods to humanity.
Through the 1960s, and then a new transformation began. The music was not merely about love any more, but about things. But - they were fun things! They became silly things, but we still loved them. And we sing them now when we hear them on oldies stations.
More time passed. The music turned dark. Not dark emotion of sadness or loss. The music turned sinister. We loved that too. I don't know anyone who isn't rockin' when Sympathy For the Devil is Played.
It didn't stop. It got darker. But the darkness was not IN ADDITION to the ECSTASY. It REPLACED the ECSTASY. Love songs and silly were becoming rarer and rarer. The feelings inside changed. There was disruption. Chaos. Helter Skelter.
There is a new breed of music. It is charged with hate. I cannot create links to the few that I have heard. I never want to hear them again. Rape, murder, denigration of women, matricide, patricide. What horrors!
Now, songs of love seem to be a thing of the past. We must find oldies stations to hear them. Our children have never heard Rhapsody In Blue, and haven't the faintest notion of who Beethoven might be. The don't snap their fingers to a great beat, because the hateful music is played in non-rhythmic patter. It disrupts the heart. It scrapes at the mind. It overturns the soul.
Is music the reflection of culture, or its cause? There seems to be a common trend in our cultural brilliance - music and culture decline together.
I listen to the lectures produced by The Teaching Company. My favorite professor is Dr. Daniel N. Robinson. In a lecture about ancient Greece, he discussed art and culture. I am paraphrasing, but he suggested that it is not how WE look, but rather WHAT WE LOOK AT, that affects our outlook, sensibilities, and behavior. He pointed out that we might take a long hard look at the buildings that we erect - as he phrases it "In our name." Does a contemporary school compare with Notre Dame? Surely not.
I believe that also applies to what we HEAR. Beautiful music enriches us, lifts us, draws us outside of ourselves, and brings forth joy. Upbeat snappy music sends us boppin'. Love songs soothe our hearts and evoke feelings of love. Silly songs make us laugh.
Horrendous music draws horrendous emotions, unrest, depression, and hatred.
Somewhere, a few years back, the MUSIC died. It was replaced with a savage rage that insults every ear that is subjected to it.
Keep those oldies coming WABC!! Surely the music isn't REALLY dead??
Perhaps we might look backward, and listen to the works that came before this time. Swing dance. Take a ride in a convertible. Close our eyes and listen to The Elf-King and feel the fear and passion. Take our I-Pods to a park by a lake. Sit quietly. Play Moonlight Sonata. But ... laugh and romp as well!
5.25.2008
OK - I Don't Get It
First and foremost...
I am as far from a Hilary fan as you can get. I shuddered the first time that I ever saw her. And the sound of her voice! I am certain that Dennis Miller could come up with a far better metaphor than I can.
In this case, however, I must define myself as one individual who is not repulsed by her most recent verbal faux paus. I'm absolutely positive that she will never top "it takes a village." Certainly, the frantic scramble to dodge bullets is worthy of a snicker (and the loss of the nomination).
But this? I watch the pundits, and I still don't get it. Does anyone actually believe that she's suggesting an assasination attempt?
My simple mind sees things very simplistically. She mentioned the event because it was a major event that occurred in June, and her poster-boy husband still campaigned in June. That's it. Nothing more.
This never-ending election cycle has become a series of juvenile verbal stabs, media nitpicking, and media adoration. If I see another picture of Barak, I will screem for a prolonged period. Every time I see a picture, I think that I'm in a large plaza in Russia, bowing to the image of Stalin, or in Beijing, awestruck over Mao.
Hope!!! Here's what I hope. I hope to hear something coherent from someone.
Enough!
We are hiring a president. I would ask tougher questions of a high-school student that wanted to help me in my office.
The media had better calm down. We the People are completely frustrated!
Should we take a very careful look at Bob Barr??
I am as far from a Hilary fan as you can get. I shuddered the first time that I ever saw her. And the sound of her voice! I am certain that Dennis Miller could come up with a far better metaphor than I can.
In this case, however, I must define myself as one individual who is not repulsed by her most recent verbal faux paus. I'm absolutely positive that she will never top "it takes a village." Certainly, the frantic scramble to dodge bullets is worthy of a snicker (and the loss of the nomination).
But this? I watch the pundits, and I still don't get it. Does anyone actually believe that she's suggesting an assasination attempt?
My simple mind sees things very simplistically. She mentioned the event because it was a major event that occurred in June, and her poster-boy husband still campaigned in June. That's it. Nothing more.
This never-ending election cycle has become a series of juvenile verbal stabs, media nitpicking, and media adoration. If I see another picture of Barak, I will screem for a prolonged period. Every time I see a picture, I think that I'm in a large plaza in Russia, bowing to the image of Stalin, or in Beijing, awestruck over Mao.
Hope!!! Here's what I hope. I hope to hear something coherent from someone.
Enough!
We are hiring a president. I would ask tougher questions of a high-school student that wanted to help me in my office.
The media had better calm down. We the People are completely frustrated!
Should we take a very careful look at Bob Barr??
Vertical!
A pinprick comes directly at us at high speed. Two seconds later we realize that it's the F-22 Raptor, and there is Silence! It's sound hasn't reached us yet. Now the pilot turns the plane upward, pointing directly at the sky. As it rises straight up, the blast of sound hits us. He rises, and rises, and hundreds of thousands of us sit in disbelief. He is totally vertical, and he is slowing down. As he reaches the pinnacle, he turns ever so slowly, and meanders his way straight down toward the Atlantic Ocean. The sky is clear blue and he is stunning against it.
He banks left, traveling west, and rides on his side. The machine is so beautiful and graceful! And the speed - it's unbelievable! He is doing things that nobody can believe unless they are actually watching!
He flies upside down - fast! The sounds are following the aircraft and they are mind-boogling, just as the visuals are mind boggling!
The P-51 appears and flies tight next to his wing. They move as one unit.
Our heads are straining as they are craning, but we cannot bring them down to rest. 65,000 pounds of design, test, manufacture and superb flying are above us and we cannot miss a single flip of the tail.
He rises and rises again, and then he FLOATS down. Can this be happening?
The aerobatic pilots are awesome as well. While they are not flying Raptors, the beauty of their flying and precision leave the crowds breathless. A father and son fly 2 planes, side by side, and we can barely see the air between their wings - they are THAT CLOSE. They rise, pause, nearly stall, and spin down toward the water, only to revive themselves at the last possible moment,
Black and Gold - the precision parchuters leap from the aircraft and float in the sky. The chutes open, and plumes of colored smoke follow the men float down. They land on a miniscule black circle, lost in a sea of people on the Jones Beach shoreline.
The sky clears. Silence. From the east comes a plane. No wait. It's not a plane. It's SIX PLANES. They are so close together that they appear to be one craft, until they are close enough, and we Earthlings realize that we are witnessing superb precision. They bank as one and fly past, and like the Raptor before them, the blast from the Hornets reaches us a few moments later.
The Blue Angels are aptly named. Every angle that the sun hits them is beautiful. Every action is perfect - every move thrilling.
Two separate off. Where are the other four? We don't know. But the two are returning from opposite ends of the sky along the beach. From the west and east they follow the Jones Beach shore. They are going to meet directly in front of my eyes. The jetstreams meet and the smooth line that followed each of them melds with the other to form a bursting cloud. How did they miss each other? We could not see any air between them.
They disappear at opposite ends of the sky. The other four approach from the north behind us. Four - one. It is difficult to discern. Again perfect. Their jetstreams follow them and fill the sky. They separate into their Delta formation, moving in 4 different directions, and their jetstreams burst apart. Again beauty.
I realize that I am so proud, and I wonder why. I have done nothing. It hits me. I am simply proud to be Human. To see such accomplishments. To honor the efforts from the initial ideas that bubbled in someone's mind, to the dedication of all of the pilots that honored us with this demonstration of extreme talent. But no, it is far more than talent. It is work, practice, mistakes and corrections. That is what hundreds of thousand of people have ultimately come to see. It is the knowledge that such things exist, and the deep appreciation that they do. The ultimate in science, engineering, and comeraderie. The product of the efforts of many minds striving to achieve spectacular goals.
From the engineers to the pilots, the message was simple and clear: "This is what can be done."
He banks left, traveling west, and rides on his side. The machine is so beautiful and graceful! And the speed - it's unbelievable! He is doing things that nobody can believe unless they are actually watching!
He flies upside down - fast! The sounds are following the aircraft and they are mind-boogling, just as the visuals are mind boggling!
The P-51 appears and flies tight next to his wing. They move as one unit.
Our heads are straining as they are craning, but we cannot bring them down to rest. 65,000 pounds of design, test, manufacture and superb flying are above us and we cannot miss a single flip of the tail.
He rises and rises again, and then he FLOATS down. Can this be happening?
The aerobatic pilots are awesome as well. While they are not flying Raptors, the beauty of their flying and precision leave the crowds breathless. A father and son fly 2 planes, side by side, and we can barely see the air between their wings - they are THAT CLOSE. They rise, pause, nearly stall, and spin down toward the water, only to revive themselves at the last possible moment,
Black and Gold - the precision parchuters leap from the aircraft and float in the sky. The chutes open, and plumes of colored smoke follow the men float down. They land on a miniscule black circle, lost in a sea of people on the Jones Beach shoreline.
The sky clears. Silence. From the east comes a plane. No wait. It's not a plane. It's SIX PLANES. They are so close together that they appear to be one craft, until they are close enough, and we Earthlings realize that we are witnessing superb precision. They bank as one and fly past, and like the Raptor before them, the blast from the Hornets reaches us a few moments later.
The Blue Angels are aptly named. Every angle that the sun hits them is beautiful. Every action is perfect - every move thrilling.
Two separate off. Where are the other four? We don't know. But the two are returning from opposite ends of the sky along the beach. From the west and east they follow the Jones Beach shore. They are going to meet directly in front of my eyes. The jetstreams meet and the smooth line that followed each of them melds with the other to form a bursting cloud. How did they miss each other? We could not see any air between them.
They disappear at opposite ends of the sky. The other four approach from the north behind us. Four - one. It is difficult to discern. Again perfect. Their jetstreams follow them and fill the sky. They separate into their Delta formation, moving in 4 different directions, and their jetstreams burst apart. Again beauty.
I realize that I am so proud, and I wonder why. I have done nothing. It hits me. I am simply proud to be Human. To see such accomplishments. To honor the efforts from the initial ideas that bubbled in someone's mind, to the dedication of all of the pilots that honored us with this demonstration of extreme talent. But no, it is far more than talent. It is work, practice, mistakes and corrections. That is what hundreds of thousand of people have ultimately come to see. It is the knowledge that such things exist, and the deep appreciation that they do. The ultimate in science, engineering, and comeraderie. The product of the efforts of many minds striving to achieve spectacular goals.
From the engineers to the pilots, the message was simple and clear: "This is what can be done."
5.24.2008
Wyatt's Torch - Ayn Rand Was a Prophet
I read Atlas Shrugged for the first time when I was 18 years old; like so many other people, my life and my outlook were influenced forever. Ayn Rand's characters emerged larger than life - whether they were good or bad, sinister or benificent - whether I related to them or was repulsed by them. At 18, I believed that Rand was a wonderful storyteller,
but, of course, I thought, the frightening picture that she painted could NEVER come to pass.
Nearly 40 years later, I am shuddering at the similarities between her "story" and the reality of life in the US in 2008. As if she had staged it, our uber-government launched an astonishing attack on the executives of the major oil companies.
Our "representatives," who hold the purse strings on We the People's money, had the audacity to attack the monies that the oil companies make. Before emotion takes hold as you read this, try to bear in mind that making money is the ultimate purpose of doing business. Moreover, the CEOs explained what their return on the dollar was.
The false outrage at the numbers is nothing less than comical; the congress is supported by truckloads of money provided by lobbyists and special interest groups that push legislation to further their individual causes rather than representing the citizenry as a whole.
The executives also pointed out that the government, vis a vis the strong environmentalist lobbies, has prevented both the drilling and the refining of oil in the United States. This leaves the oil companies with very little leeway regarding what they can choose to research. It stifles exploration and creativity. It stunts the development of new ideas. It curtails free enterprise and competition. The result - a country (and a world) in which the citizens become SUBJECTS, falling under the thumb of one and only one industry, and who must succumb to the dictates of that industry.
This is a far cry from the free market system. Business operates best when it operates without restraint, either from the government directly, or from special interest groups that do not reflect the majority of the population. Now, 40 years after the last refinery was constructed, the United States and the world face surging oil increases. Had the companies been allowed to pursue energy resources located here in the US, we might be in a very different position than we are in now.
The economic implications are grim. But...
The social implications are worse.
The government, in the person of this special investigative body, attacked the "obscene" salaries that the oil executives enjoy. Regardless of whether or I not I am happy with their salaries, it is beyond my control to determine them. And that is the way that it should be. That is what FREEDOM is about. Each of us has the same opportunity to explore new ideas, to work hard, and to take risks. The end result, for each of us, is determined by the choices that
we make, and how we pursue those choices.
Bill Gates is not being called to the carpet for the money that he earns, nor is Warren Buffet, or dozens of other wealthy individuals who have made names for themselves via the free
enterprise system.
What is the difference between the two groups? The one that is being attacked is the one that is already subject to government controls! The one that is not is subject to the dictates of the marketplace. During this fiasco, one congresswoman made the horrendous blunder - one that she thankfully recognized as soon as she let the word slip out - but it was too late. The real motive for this "hearing" surfaced. The real purpose of what our "representatives" want to do reared its ugly head. Maxine Waters shuddering the frightening word "socialize" when she threatened the oil companies. It was so ridiculous that she could not recover from it. She stuttered and then fell into stupefying silence.
Ayn Rand already wrote this scene in The Fountainhead. Be sure to watch the video. You will see that Rand had a better resolution. The person called to the carpet actually stood up and spoke on behalf of himself. And in doing so, he spoke on behalf of all of us.
What We the People have forgotten in 40 years is that the individual is what really matters; he is the one who makes the difference; he is the one whose interest must be preserved. The government, on the other hand, now attempts to speak for the people. Yet they cannot do so. It is the INDIVIDUAL, seeking to protect his interests in a free society, who will ultimately create a situation in which EVERYONE benefits.
Somewhere, out there, is a Howard Roark. A John Galt. A Dagny Taggart. A Francisco D'Anconia. What they have to do is stand and speak. If they do not, their work, their risks, and their accomplishments, will be taken away. And if they are, they should not surrender them willingly to a government who would overstep its powers to this stunning extent. Rather, they should destroy what they have created, rather than leaving their creations to the looters who would take them by force. They should emulate Wyatt, and create a torch that can be seen for miles.
Watch the videos. It may be that Gary Cooper was playing a part in a fictitious story. But I believe not. I believe that scene is an ominous foretelling of what was to come.
Beware of a government that is ready to take from one of us in order to beneift of us. They next person that they take from will be you.
but, of course, I thought, the frightening picture that she painted could NEVER come to pass.
Nearly 40 years later, I am shuddering at the similarities between her "story" and the reality of life in the US in 2008. As if she had staged it, our uber-government launched an astonishing attack on the executives of the major oil companies.
Our "representatives," who hold the purse strings on We the People's money, had the audacity to attack the monies that the oil companies make. Before emotion takes hold as you read this, try to bear in mind that making money is the ultimate purpose of doing business. Moreover, the CEOs explained what their return on the dollar was.
The false outrage at the numbers is nothing less than comical; the congress is supported by truckloads of money provided by lobbyists and special interest groups that push legislation to further their individual causes rather than representing the citizenry as a whole.
The executives also pointed out that the government, vis a vis the strong environmentalist lobbies, has prevented both the drilling and the refining of oil in the United States. This leaves the oil companies with very little leeway regarding what they can choose to research. It stifles exploration and creativity. It stunts the development of new ideas. It curtails free enterprise and competition. The result - a country (and a world) in which the citizens become SUBJECTS, falling under the thumb of one and only one industry, and who must succumb to the dictates of that industry.
This is a far cry from the free market system. Business operates best when it operates without restraint, either from the government directly, or from special interest groups that do not reflect the majority of the population. Now, 40 years after the last refinery was constructed, the United States and the world face surging oil increases. Had the companies been allowed to pursue energy resources located here in the US, we might be in a very different position than we are in now.
The economic implications are grim. But...
The social implications are worse.
The government, in the person of this special investigative body, attacked the "obscene" salaries that the oil executives enjoy. Regardless of whether or I not I am happy with their salaries, it is beyond my control to determine them. And that is the way that it should be. That is what FREEDOM is about. Each of us has the same opportunity to explore new ideas, to work hard, and to take risks. The end result, for each of us, is determined by the choices that
we make, and how we pursue those choices.
Bill Gates is not being called to the carpet for the money that he earns, nor is Warren Buffet, or dozens of other wealthy individuals who have made names for themselves via the free
enterprise system.
What is the difference between the two groups? The one that is being attacked is the one that is already subject to government controls! The one that is not is subject to the dictates of the marketplace. During this fiasco, one congresswoman made the horrendous blunder - one that she thankfully recognized as soon as she let the word slip out - but it was too late. The real motive for this "hearing" surfaced. The real purpose of what our "representatives" want to do reared its ugly head. Maxine Waters shuddering the frightening word "socialize" when she threatened the oil companies. It was so ridiculous that she could not recover from it. She stuttered and then fell into stupefying silence.
Ayn Rand already wrote this scene in The Fountainhead. Be sure to watch the video. You will see that Rand had a better resolution. The person called to the carpet actually stood up and spoke on behalf of himself. And in doing so, he spoke on behalf of all of us.
What We the People have forgotten in 40 years is that the individual is what really matters; he is the one who makes the difference; he is the one whose interest must be preserved. The government, on the other hand, now attempts to speak for the people. Yet they cannot do so. It is the INDIVIDUAL, seeking to protect his interests in a free society, who will ultimately create a situation in which EVERYONE benefits.
Somewhere, out there, is a Howard Roark. A John Galt. A Dagny Taggart. A Francisco D'Anconia. What they have to do is stand and speak. If they do not, their work, their risks, and their accomplishments, will be taken away. And if they are, they should not surrender them willingly to a government who would overstep its powers to this stunning extent. Rather, they should destroy what they have created, rather than leaving their creations to the looters who would take them by force. They should emulate Wyatt, and create a torch that can be seen for miles.
Watch the videos. It may be that Gary Cooper was playing a part in a fictitious story. But I believe not. I believe that scene is an ominous foretelling of what was to come.
Beware of a government that is ready to take from one of us in order to beneift of us. They next person that they take from will be you.
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