Rome and the United States... A Disturbing Comparison.

If you're living in the United States of America, if you're a resident of the United States of America then you should be able to identify the comparison regarding Rome's subsequent demise and what's currently occurring in the United States of America.

Here's the short and long list of contributors to Rome's demise. I did a quick Google search and came up with many sites that suggested the same eight things that happened in Rome which subsequently led to Rome's demise as an empire.

Here's the short list.

8 Major Reasons Why The Roman Empire Fell

1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes
2. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor
3. The rise of the Eastern Empire
4. Overexpansion and military overspending
5. Government corruption and political instability
6. The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes.
7. Christianity and the loss of traditional values
8. Weakening of the Roman legions

And here's the long list. I'll provide the link here.

8 Reasons Why Rome Fell
Find out why one of history's most legendary empires finally came crashing down.
Evan Andrews

1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes

The most straightforward theory for Western Rome’s collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. Rome had tangled with Germanic tribes for centuries, but by the 300s “barbarian” groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire’s borders. The Romans weathered a Germanic uprising in the late fourth century, but in 410 the Visigoth King Alaric successfully sacked the city of Rome. The Empire spent the next several decades under constant threat before “the Eternal City” was raided again in 455, this time by the Vandals. Finally, in 476, the Germanic leader Odoacer staged a revolt and deposed the Emperor Romulus Augustulus. From then on, no Roman emperor would ever again rule from a post in Italy, leading many to cite 476 as the year the Western Empire suffered its deathblow.

2. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor

Even as Rome was under attack from outside forces, it was also crumbling from within thanks to a severe financial crisis. Constant wars and overspending had significantly lightened imperial coffers, and oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor. In the hope of avoiding the taxman, many members of the wealthy classes had even fled to the countryside and set up independent fiefdoms. At the same time, the empire was rocked by a labor deficit. Rome’s economy depended on slaves to till its fields and work as craftsmen, and its military might had traditionally provided a fresh influx of conquered peoples to put to work. But when expansion ground to a halt in the second century, Rome’s supply of slaves and other war treasures began to dry up. A further blow came in the fifth century, when the Vandals claimed North Africa and began disrupting the empire’s trade by prowling the Mediterranean as pirates. With its economy faltering and its commercial and agricultural production in decline, the Empire began to lose its grip on Europe.

3. The rise of the Eastern Empire

The fate of Western Rome was partially sealed in the late third century, when the Emperor Diocletian divided the Empire into two halves—the Western Empire seated in the city of Milan, and the Eastern Empire in Byzantium, later known as Constantinople. The division made the empire more easily governable in the short term, but over time the two halves drifted apart. East and West failed to adequately work together to combat outside threats, and the two often squabbled over resources and military aid. As the gulf widened, the largely Greek-speaking Eastern Empire grew in wealth while the Latin-speaking West descended into economic crisis. Most importantly, the strength of the Eastern Empire served to divert Barbarian invasions to the West. Emperors like Constantine ensured that the city of Constantinople was fortified and well guarded, but Italy and the city of Rome—which only had symbolic value for many in the East—were left vulnerable. The Western political structure would finally disintegrate in the fifth century, but the Eastern Empire endured in some form for another thousand years before being overwhelmed by the Ottoman Empire in the 1400s.

4. Over-expansion and military overspending

At its height, the Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Euphrates River in the Middle East, but its grandeur may have also been its downfall. With such a vast territory to govern, the empire faced an administrative and logistical nightmare. Even with their excellent road systems, the Romans were unable to communicate quickly or effectively enough to manage their holdings. Rome struggled to marshal enough troops and resources to defend its frontiers from local rebellions and outside attacks, and by the second century the Emperor Hadrian was forced to build his famous wall in Britain just to keep the enemy at bay. As more and more funds were funneled into the military upkeep of the empire, technological advancement slowed and Rome’s civil infrastructure fell into disrepair.

5. Government corruption and political instability

If Rome’s sheer size made it difficult to govern, ineffective and inconsistent leadership only served to magnify the problem. Being the Roman emperor had always been a particularly dangerous job, but during the tumultuous second and third centuries it nearly became a death sentence. Civil war thrust the empire into chaos, and more than 20 men took the throne in the span of only 75 years, usually after the murder of their predecessor. The Praetorian Guard—the emperor’s personal bodyguards—assassinated and installed new sovereigns at will, and once even auctioned the spot off to the highest bidder. The political rot also extended to the Roman Senate, which failed to temper the excesses of the emperors due to its own widespread corruption and incompetence. As the situation worsened, civic pride waned and many Roman citizens lost trust in their leadership.

6. The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes

The Barbarian attacks on Rome partially stemmed from a mass migration caused by the Huns’ invasion of Europe in the late fourth century. When these Eurasian warriors rampaged through northern Europe, they drove many Germanic tribes to the borders of the Roman Empire. The Romans grudgingly allowed members of the Visigoth tribe to cross south of the Danube and into the safety of Roman territory, but they treated them with extreme cruelty. According to the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman officials even forced the starving Goths to trade their children into slavery in exchange for dog meat. In brutalizing the Goths, the Romans created a dangerous enemy within their own borders. When the oppression became too much to bear, the Goths rose up in revolt and eventually routed a Roman army and killed the Eastern Emperor Valens during the Battle of Adrianople in A.D. 378. The shocked Romans negotiated a flimsy peace with the barbarians, but the truce unraveled in 410, when the Goth King Alaric moved west and sacked Rome. With the Western Empire weakened, Germanic tribes like the Vandals and the Saxons were able to surge across its borders and occupy Britain, Spain and North Africa.

7. Christianity and the loss of traditional values

The decline of Rome dovetailed with the spread of Christianity, and some have argued that the rise of a new faith helped contribute to the empire’s fall. The Edict of Milan legalized Christianity in 313, and it later became the state religion in 380. These decrees ended centuries of persecution, but they may have also eroded the traditional Roman values system. Christianity displaced the polytheistic Roman religion, which viewed the emperor as having a divine status, and also shifted focus away from the glory of the state and onto a sole deity. Meanwhile, popes and other church leaders took an increased role in political affairs, further complicating governance. The 18th-century historian Edward Gibbon was the most famous proponent of this theory, but his take has since been widely criticized. While the spread of Christianity may have played a small role in curbing Roman civic virtue, most scholars now argue that its influence paled in comparison to military, economic and administrative factors.

8. Weakening of the Roman legions

For most of its history, Rome’s military was the envy of the ancient world. But during the decline, the makeup of the once mighty legions began to change. Unable to recruit enough soldiers from the Roman citizenry, emperors like Diocletian and Constantine began hiring foreign mercenaries to prop up their armies. The ranks of the legions eventually swelled with Germanic Goths and other barbarians, so much so that Romans began using the Latin word “barbarus” in place of “soldier.” While these Germanic soldiers of fortune proved to be fierce warriors, they also had little or no loyalty to the empire, and their power-hungry officers often turned against their Roman employers. In fact, many of the barbarians who sacked the city of Rome and brought down the Western Empire had earned their military stripes while serving in the Roman legions.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

IMHO
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Mueller's Investigation! Only A Year?!

The "Mueller investigation" has run on for over a year now with "nothing new" or so we're told. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's allegedly been running an "out of control and unaccountable witch hunt against Donald Trump" our POTUS. Special counsel Mueller's been accused of abusing his power, his authority, his mandate "by straying far beyond the scope of his mandate" and he (Mueller) according to the press (liberal AND some conservatives) is in jeopardy of being replaced.

WHY?! I mean, I'm not a Mueller fan. I don't even know him. I don't necessarily like him and I don't necessarily dislike him. He's an investigator at heart. An established, career investigator. Let him do his job. Let him investigate.

I'm not a liberal, I'm not a Republican nor am I anything near a Democrat. I'm not one of those smaller, reactionary "third party" associates and I'm not fond of any party candidates simply because of their "party". I'm a conservative. I'm definitely nowhere near perfect! Not even close. I was raised as a conservative and I was raised to recognize right from wrong and to make my decisions accordingly. I was also raised to accept whatever baggage comes with my decisions and to learn from those decisions- right, wrong or indifferent- then, now, in the future. Logic, common sense and ownership plays a huge part in our life process... or at least it should. Coupled with that comes duty and dedication to yourself, yours and our society. I retired after over forty years of service in the law enforcement career field and am familiar with what it takes to complete a thorough investigation of acts and/or omissions committed by folks. Some of those investigations took years, some are still being investigated. I'm still called back into the fold by folks, by "agencies" to look at challenges to society, law enforcement with a set "fresh eyes" and a "clear mind" in relation to the matter at hand. Several investigations I was assigned and/or performed or helped investigate are still "outstanding". In other words, they're still being investigated but they're not nearly as "fresh" as the new ones being piled on the investigator's desks. The duty bound investigator requires that they all be investigated IN THEIR ENTIRETY... and quite often they can't be.

Obviously I don't know Mueller. But being that career "investigator" I was, I can identify with a lot of his angst, his desire to follow the information to the end. He has legal boundaries that he has to stay within and he's in one helluva politically charged situation. I was lucky. Most of those investigations I did were usually your run of the mill, bad assed idiots who simply went nuts one day and did stupid things. Sure, later in my career I caught quite a few of those planned, pre-meditated, choreographed, "organized" criminal events and yes, I did have folks who would "prefer" I'd simply "get'er-done" fast so as to catch who I could catch and forget about the res. My "handlers" preferred short, sweet investigations that nipped the political element in the bud. They preferred it be wrapped up and that point so I could move on to the next one... or maybe (was it?) so I wouldn't expose the whole puzzle, just the piece(s) they wanted exposed.

"Investigations are outstanding challenges, they provide an outstanding and quite often rewarding career to those who love to be challenged. Every investigation is a puzzle and like any puzzle, every true investigator wants to find all of the pieces and complete the ENTIRE puzzle, not just the pretty picture on the cover. If "it's there", it's there. If it's not, it's not.

For once, I'm "all in" for allowing Mueller to go where he needs to go to get the job done. Legally, he most likely won't be able to complete the puzzle but morally and professionally and personally he's duty-bound. He can't help himself... he's an investigator first, a politico second. He's just trying to solve the whole "puzzle".

Just let the man do his job.


IMHO
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The Republicans and Their National Election Opportunities

Here's how things are shaping up in several respective state's political processes. Things shouldn't be all that bad for Republicans so long as they continue to keep their fingers on the pulse of us, the citizens of this country. Those of us on the right have to ensure our chosen politicos understand they're representing our interests first and foremost. Not theirs, not their own self serving ways.

So, here's FOX's latest take on the national election picture for this cycle. It should be another good election cycle for those of us on the right who actually seem to care for our country.

MAGA

IMHO

#

"Returning" to Politics In 2018?

That failed POS-exPOTUS Obama can say what he wants but it's obvious the fool never left his hapless attempt at politics. It appears to me he's trying to announce to the world that he's ready to step back into the arena and throw his tight fitting, self loving hat into many liberal politico candidate rings in preparation for the 2018 elections.

Personally, I hope he does!

During Obummer's horribly inept two terms as our failed POTUS the "Republicans gained 14 governor seats, 15 US Senate seats, 68 US House seats and more than 1400 state legislative seats. Since then, the demos won one (Ala) US Senate seat back. Oh yes, the demo party has lost .02% of their party's moderate membership to the Independent groups, who are now voting Republican." Now that's a great record to toss out there, if you're a Republican.

If I were a democrat I'd be fighting suicidal thoughts right about now. Obama must have a pretty sparkling image of himself. It's painfully obvious to the rest of us, those who can see the truth through the smoke and mirrors that Obama's a blight on his precious democrats, liberal minions. His endorsement is the kiss of death to a wannabe politico.

But then again his golf game has improved, or so I read somewhere.

I double dog dare you Barry, throw that hat into the ring. PLEASE!!!!

IMHO

#

Good ol' boy Franken

 Isn't he a gem?! He's been running around for decades decrying the immoral, corrupt police, he was elected on a "throw them out" platform demanding that the corruption and pandering cease and desist in Washington D.C. and anywhere else his fellow politicos wander.

He's called for the heads of a lot of his fellow politicos and is currently demanding a political lynching for Moore.

Now, it seems he's the center of attention himself. You know, one of those "aw shat" center of attention moments. I can't help but find it hilarious. I don't know Franken, don't care about Franken, don't respect Franken and would never vote for him but this latest "gaff" of his?! It's a classic example of fantastic poetic justice.

And his fellow demoncrats and other politicos. You know them. The ones who have been screaming for Moore's head on a platter, for the Republicans to be held accountable for "womanizing", "groping", "demeaning", "sexually abusing" female and male citizens while "serving" us, their constituents.

 You have to truly appreciate the level of Democrat morality and their sincerity in ferreting out the truth when they or one of their own are exposed. They'll toss their "morality" aside, compromise it in very short order to secure a party seat anywhere in government. But then again I'm pretty sure the Republicans would do the same.

Yeah, those same democrats who damn and try so very hard to demonize anyone else, any Republican or independent who might be a challenge to them, their party are "all in" for us, their constituents so much that they're willing to overlook, forgo sexual harassment in their ranks. After all, they ARE the Democrats.

Yeah, right. Those democrats... it's so entertaining to see them squirm when the whole situation is turned back on them.

It's going full circle on them and as absurd and as decadent as it all is their reactions are wholly beyond the pale. Now they're worried about losing a seat. They're no longer worried about the "poor, helpless victims". They're no longer worried about the sexual predators who just happen to be running this country from both sides of the aisle.

Nope! It's nothing more than politics. They're worried about losing a seat to the "other party".

Move along folks, nothing to see here.

We need TERM LIMITS!

Saul Alinsky... and the rest of us, The "Useful Idiots"

Here's a meme that I've had around for awhile. I remember back in the late 60's, early 70's when we had to study this stuff in high school AND in college in order to get a diploma of sorts. If you were seeking a public administration degree in college you had to pass this and similar indoctrination programs of society but, quite often "passing" the program didn't necessarily mean "understanding" it. Nope, quite often it required being in "agreement with" and/or even "participating" in the whole charade of these "preferred" models for society.







            

For all of us who remember this, lived and still live it we knew then and truly know now that Alinsky wasn't alone. He had a lot of co-contributors, co-conspirators (and a helluva lot of "followers". 

Alinsky, Guevara, Cloward-Piven, Castro et. al. needed a vessel for their models and the Demoncrats became that vessel. They were the targeted group selected by the global elite to impress the "values" of The Great Society on their fellow politicos at the time, including our educators, our mentors and our local, state and federal governments.

But it certainly didn't stop there. It's alive and well today!


Nope, we're still a nation of "useful idiots". More-so now than ever before.

IMHO
                                                                                                                                                          

Abbas, Hamas... the habit of hostage taking is alive and well.

Only this time the cowards are kidnapping journalists. AGAIN.

"Hamas and Abbas have turned Palestinian journalists into weapons in their internecine war. Palestinian journalists are now being targeted not only for expressing their views and reporting in a way that angers their leaders; they are also arrested and tortured in the process of the settling of scores between Abbas and Hamas."

That's what happens when you have two distinct major government "influences" ruling or trying to rule the same people,  IMHO.

Oh wait...

Win The Future!

A "New" movement.

Here's how to do it, from "24 Ahead"...

It's all about politics. Changing politics, making politics vulnerable, more accountable via modern technology and realistic human input.

So, let's start with the Democrat Party boil that's been growing on our arses over the past eight years at least.

IMHO

Is the Democrat Party doomed?

Well, lately they've made blithering fools of themselves. They showed their hand early and now they can't win the game, or so it seems. The Democrats, the liberals have blatantly demonstrated they're NOT our ally in this journey we're taking as a united United States of America. They've demonstrated they'd be better served if we, the citizens of this mighty fine country would just shut up, get out of their way and let them do what they thinks best for them, the democrats and in particular the liberals... collectively, globally.

Given that, Here's Julian Assange's take on "Why The Democrat Party Is Doomed"

Like it or not I think Assange has some valid points here. I have to admit it's an interesting take, the Assange piece.

Assange makes it about us, he makes it about the voters who refused the liberal agenda. He makes his piece about the democrats. When I read it, "the dog chasing it's tail" seemed to come to mind. Those democrats, scratch that... all of the global politicos... they're looking for some recognition, some authority, some "progress" relating to their global agenda(s) and for now, the vote of the people keeps getting in their way.

How dare us! How dare us to vote our conscience, our choice!

Get over it libs, politicos. We had a rebellion at the ballot box.

IMHO

But Wait A Minute!!!

I thought Comey DID say our POTUS Donald J. Trump was "investigated" and the notes of the "investigation" were hand delivered to Comey's friend that had solid contacts in the mainstream media! You mean there's even MORE LIES! coming out of the left's camp!

Oh, wait. Those were nothing more than "memorandum of interview" notes. After the fact. In the backseat of his limo on the way back to his office. There must be a federal distinction between the two.

I've been told there are, there appears to be a distinction so I guess there is. Kinda...

You know those feds. They're like a poorly hooked worm at a fishing hole. They'll do, say anything to get off of the political hook. But that's usually after they'll do, say anything to get the goods they need to preserve themselves. I can't say I blame them for doing that. Besides, the higher they get the farther they have to fall.

Comey was near the top.

But my perspective? I mean, in my professional past when I started asking detailed question and engaged in detailed discussions regarding matters at hand relevant to potential criminal acts or breaches of moral character I tended to call that "investigating".  When I made detailed notes of those discussions and copied those notes and stored or otherwise maintained those notes for any potential future reference then I was wholly in an investigative mode.

It sounds much the same as what Comey did during and after he met with our POTUS Donald J. Trump. He admitted that he memorialized and detailed his discussion(s) with our POTUS Donald J. Trump then committed those discussions to writing and/or recordings. He also passed off a copy of those "notes", "records of information", etc. to a "friend" who was personally selected by Comey because the "friend" had connections with the media and could get the information "out" to the media.

But there's subtle changes to Comey's story-(ies) every time I read or hear them. Either way it all adds up to copious amounts of lies to me. From everywhere!

This is American politics at large here, folks.

IMHO

Our POTUS Donald J. Trump is new to politics. He doesn't know any better... yet.

Well, our POTUS Donald J. Trump just had one helluva introduction to Politics 101 and he's still surviving.



Don't think for a moment that the whole political structure in this country isn't being manipulated, affected by the global politico community. It is! The argument is our POTUS Donald J. Trump better be a fast learner or he's going to be gutted and devoured by that global politico community, our politicos included.

Our POTUS Donald J. Trump doesn't know any better. Our POTUS Donald J. Trump isn't a politico, YET. Let's hope it stays that way.

That's why he's saying what's on his mind. That's why he's genuine, direct, frank in his discussions, his reactions. He has no time for the "kinder, gentler, more sensitive" approach. He calls things as he seems things and if he's wrong he'll back up, regroup and attempt to make it right.

THAT'S WHY HE WAS ELECTED!

But the existing politicos... locally, nationally and globally... well, they won't give him a second's notice before they pounce on him.

If I were the POTUS I'd wear their angst, their banter, their disdain, their lack of trust in him as a badge of honor. They're blatantly admitting that our POTUS Donald J Trump has no experience re: being a thief, a liar, a malcontent, a blight on society, a self serving public leach... I could go on but you get the idea.

They're admitting that POTUS Donald J. Trump doesn't know his way around the politico arena... locally, nationally or globally.

Hell! Trump said that himself!!! He told us that up front!

They're admitting that our POTUS Donald J. Trump isn't a member of their precious sorority, their "all about me" club. They're admitting that our POTUS Donald J. Trump doesn't fit in with them and their needs, wants, greeds. He doesn't share their lust for power, authority.

Nope. They're admitting that our POTUS Donald J. Trump is, well... just one of us... but with a helluva lot more money than us, as individuals. Which, quite frankly is why I voted for him. He was by far, without any doubt the best choice for me to make of the last two standing. He is just one of us...

Naivety, gut reaction, logic, experience and frankness seems to be the order of the day for our (so far) non-politico POTUS Donald J. Trump. I find that refreshing... refreshing as all get-out.

IMHO

History, Precedent and Comey Statement Show that Trump Did Not Obstruct Justice

I'm borrowing this from the Gatestone Institute's website! One of my favorite reads.

History, Precedent and Comey Statement Show that Trump Did Not Obstruct Justice

IMHO

POTUS Donald J. Trump won't invoke Executive Privilege re: Comey's testimony.

If our POTUS Donald J. Trump doesn't want Comey's testimony to be heard then why won't he shut Comey up?!

Take a look for yourself. Maybe this is why!

The liberals would have us all believe they're wholly above the law and above board. We all know better. Any politico... ANY POLITICO who has their mouth open and is speaking is either lying or is thinking about lying on the next sentence if necessary.

Demoncrats, Republicans... any partisan politician tends to lie and/or otherwise deceive their listeners to get the politico's point across.

Our POTUS Donald J. Trump isn't a part of that POLITICO fraternity... yet. He's a businessman, NOT a politico.

But he might turn into one.

I hope not.

Charlie Reese’s Last Column in the Orlando Sentinel!

I never read Reese's stuff before this, never really read the Sentinel. Someone forwarded this to me and I have to admit THIS IS A GREAT COLUMN!

Now I wish I would have read more of his stuff.

------------------------------------------

Charlie Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel...
He has been a journalist for 49 years.
He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.

Be sure to read the poem and the list of taxes at the end.

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!

545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House now? He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses. Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44..75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax


STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom, if agreed, stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!

GO AHEAD. . . BE AN AMERICAN!!!

Some simple things... Politics, you gotta love it!

Ain't this the sad, sad truth!!!


An anonymous post on Yahoo
01/24/12

Bill Ayers, Reverend Wright, Tony Rezko, George Soros, Van Jones, Eric Holder Fast and Furious, Solyndra, GE and Jeffrey Immelt, Keystone Pipeline, Fiskar, 57 states, special Olympics, Lazy, First Time Proud to be an American, 1.8 mil jobs lost, Obamacare, school transcipts, birth certificate, illegal aunt and uncle, suing Arizona, black panthers, Joe the Plumber, Obama gonna pay my mortgage, Acorn, Chevy Volt, cap and trade, ClimateGate, $4 gas, enemies, Joe Biden, welfare state, cash for clunkers, give kids a breathalyzer, Fort Hood was workplace violence, Jon Corzine, Maxine Waters, Franklin Raines, Barney Frank housing collapse, Corpse Men, Bill Daley, gitmo closure, Afghanistan escalation, non-wars in Libya, etc., no budget, etc...... Obama lol

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.


NOBAMA 2012!!!

Are we having fun yet?!

health care reform???

I was reading some health highlights for December 11, 2009 today and there was this one particular highlight that bothered me a lot...

"Senate Bill Would Let Insurers Limit Annual Medical Costs

Patient advocates are upset about language in the Senate health care bill that would allow insurers to put yearly limits on medical care costs for people with expensive-to-treat illnesses such as cancer.

The bill would permit annual limits, as long as they're not "unreasonable," the Associated Press reported. But there's no actual definition of what level of limits would be permitted.

Such limits would have been banned under legislation passed by the Senate health committee last summer. However, a weakened version of that provision is in the bill the Senate is now considering.

The change surprised officials at the American Cancer Society Action Network, who said they haven't been able to get a satisfactory explanation, the AP reported.

"We don't know who put it in, or why it was put in," said group policy expert Stephen Finan."

The current health "care" discussions and proposals happening in the "other Washington" are really, really catching my eye. I'm not sure where anyone else stands relating to the proposed health "care" reform ideas being debated in this country but I think putting yearly limits on payment for care paid out by the insurance companies smacks of favors and sellouts to those companies. I'm of the belief that if there are to be any limits placed on anything relating to health care have those limits be for payouts relating to litigated monetary awards and settlements! Certainly not on yearly limits of those health care costs an insurance company pays out annually.

That's just another not so subtle attempt to create those alleged death lists. Cutting off care for the terminally ill or others in need of specialized care simply because it's too expensive isn't and should never be an option!

That IS unreasonable!

As the AP article mentioned, those limits were banned by last summer's legislation and now the politicos are trying to sneak it past us again in this boondoggled universal health care fiasco.

What gives? Why are our "representatives", those politicos we sent to D.C. to represent us... why are they trying to ram this legislation, this poorly written vessel of pork down our throats?

If there's to be universal health care do it right! Take your time, don't set a timeline on it. Gather your experts, your reasonable and practical people together (if they exist) and create a proposal that not only makes sense but can be fairly and reasonably applied to every citizen of this fine country without limitations. If you can't do that then get out of the way and let others do it. Don't do what you're doing! Don't piecemeal something together, don't cater to the special interests of lobbyists, insurance companies and the health care industry, don't play politics with our health... don't effect change just to effect change... it doesn't make sense.

Represent us, the citizens of this fine country who entrusted you to represent us not them, those who stand to gain politically and monetarily if or when the legislation passes.

This stuff simply makes no sense outside of greed!

An open letter regarding health care reform

From: A United States Citizen

To: Every politician in America!

Re: That proposed health care fiasco you've all got in the works back there in Washington D.C.


Hi Folks,

Let me set the record straight at the "get-go" here... I'm a normal, well educated blue collar guy who has absolutely no political party affiliation... just contempt and disgust for the politics of the day.

You politicos are making us, your fellow citizens, your "constituents" the most recent victims of your political shenanigans. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of being lied to, cheated, deceived and taken for granted. Take your political crap elsewhere, you're ruining our lives here!

I'm a mid 50 yrs. old Washingtonian. I'm a son, brother, uncle, husband, friend, father and grandfather. Like my father and several brothers before me I served our country as a soldier the United States Army. I was and still am very well aware that my health would always be one of those priorities in life. I knew I had to provide for it's care. I also learned early on that our U.S.A. citizenship everyone of you politicos seem to want to trade off or give away nowadays is an earned citizenship and should be respected, cherished and protected by everyone who possesses it. It should not, cannot, will not be handed out willy nilly or traded off for political favors or future votes.

It needs to stay that way!

Anyways, back to this health care thing you got brewing back there in ol' D.C. land.

When I married in the mid 70's I took on those shared responsibilities associated with marriage, family... life. I've always worked... from the age of 13 years old through today I've always had a job of some sort. I've always willingly participated in a health care plan offered by any of my several employers. I sacrificed financially in other areas of my life so I could afford those health care premiums. That was my choice. Most of the time those "sacrifices" were nominal... including foregoing certain unnecessary "perks" such as premium cable t.v., coffee, "sin" comforts (cigarettes, candy, soda, etc.), fancy cars and trucks, season tickets to sporting events, recreational vehicles, vacations, gourmet meals, fine wines, trendy clothes, etc. to ensure I had the money to pay the necessities for my family. My wife and I both contributed to the cause of raising and providing for our family since we married over 32 years ago.

I've lived with, befriended and otherwise witnessed those who, unlike us willingly chose to forego some of those same "necessities" in life like health care in favor of some of those life's perks I previously mentioned. At times I've seen them scramble to sell what they can, to liquidate some of their "toys" just to make a medical payment of one type or another for medical services that resulted from some unexpected mishap or illness. Now more-so than earlier in life... attribute that to age and health. I watch as they now sacrifice what we sacrificed for years and realize they made the choice, the decisions earlier in life that brought them to where they are today... older with poor or no health insurance coverages and having those pre-existing conditions they never thought they, themselves would ever have.

I want to feel sorry for them and help them but then again I think about the overall situation they're in and realize they're the reason they're having the health and medical issues that they're having. They made bad choices earlier and now the results of those choices are difficult if not impossible to turn around.

I've made several bad choices myself over the years but I've learned to account for them, learn from them and adapt however difficult it was. That's part of what I thought being and American was all about… the freedom and ability to choose, to negotiate hardships and to reason and succeed, or fail if you so choose. I do believe in helping my neighbor but I don't believe in giving up what I know works and what I've sacrificed to maintain just so those who want what I have can have it without making the same sacrifices I've made most of my life.

I'm certainly not alone.

They see the care we've paid for all these years and now they want it too...

Let it be known that we have "free" clinics, medicare, medicaid, mandatory emergent health care requirements imposed on health care providers, reduced rate health care options, co-pay options, veterans care, etc. available for some of the best health care in the world. People who cannot afford or choose not to subscribe to private health care plans regularly utilize these "free" or reduced fee social health cares.

I truly don't want to see the health care that I've contributed to and participated in all of these years be taxed out of existence or otherwise rendered defunct because our federal government wants to socialize the whole health care system in this, our fine country. I don't want my neighbor paying for my government proposed health care simply because that fine neighbor took certain risks that I wouldn't take earlier in life and generated an income greater than $250,000.00. I don't want to have others carry my weight for me. I can do it on my own as I have for the past 40 or so years. I've planned ahead and realize I'll still have to make some sacrifices in life to maintain adequate health care coverage for myself and my wife... not to mention those in our family who aren't able to yet. I don't want to see our existing health care be reduced to another government boondoggle. I don't want the government making medical choices for me or my loved ones. I'll pay the premiums and I'll accept the service provided by my current provider but I surely don't want to see government interference in the care that we currently have.

I'm not in favor of the health care reform as it exists. You're all moving way to fast! You haven't convinced this taxpayer that you know what you're doing, you aren't being "fair and unbiased" and you certainly aren't looking out for what's best for us, the citizens!

Finally, I recognize health care in one form or another... primarily emergent health care should be available for everyone in this country when the need arises for that emergent care. However, I will not vote for any public servant who insists general, socialized health care paid for by the very citizens of this country should be available to those who are in this country illegally or without citizenship status.

For what it's worth politicos, I'm urging you to vote "NO" against this proposed health care reform. Democrat-Republican- I don't care! Lose the partisan politics crap and think about us, the voters, this country's citizens, your employers for once! This health care reform bill... it's a boondoggle and it's a very, very bad idea!

If reform's necessary (and in many ways I believe it is) then let's slow down, study it and do it right. I don't want to be force fed another federal government mess and I sure as heck don't want my children and grandchildren left to carry the water for me and others. It's a matter of practicality, principle and pride... not to mention knowing what's right from wrong.

Wake up, do the right thing and abandon this plan. It's a horrible plan and will surely cost us more than we can afford collectively as a nation!

Thanks for reading this. Hopefully it will be supported by scores of thousands of others who share the same or similar thoughts or beliefs.

Sincerely,

A proud, voting, blue collar, tax paying citizen of the United States of America

“The Ten Commandments According to Obama” - A Free Press for the Conservative Revolution

Obama's done a lot of damage to us in the little bit of time he and his cronies have been in office. We should all be up at night worrying about what he and his policies are going to leave us with (without) when they're defeated and removed in 2012.

In the meantime here's Barack Hussein Obama's ten commandments. Read them, study them, memorize them and obey them! Especially if you're a conservative, Republican or a christian.

“The Ten Commandments According to Obama” - A Free Press for the Conservative Revolution

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Pass it around! Before we lose our freedom to do so. Many thanks to those at The Patriot for posting these commandments initially.

And remember, let's keep the limit on term limits! Protect our 22nd Amendment! Four years of this guy is too much!