U.S. Must Reduce Objectives in Afghanistan

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10548

Nanny State Doesn't Like Competition

Posted: 26 Sep 2009 12:40 PM PDT by the Cato Institute www.cato.org
“A Michigan woman who lives in front of a school bus stop says the state is threatening her with fines and possibly jail time for babysitting her neighbors’ kids until the bus comes,” CNN reports.
Lisa Snyder of Middleville, Mich., says she takes no money for watching the three children for 15-40 minutes each day so that the neighbors can get to work on time.
The Department of Human Services, acting on a complaint that Snyder was operating an illegal child care home, demanded she either get a license, stop watching the kids or face the consequences, WZZM says.
Snyder calls the whole thing “ridiculous” and tells the Grand Rapids TV station that “we are friends helping friends!”
A DHS spokesperson tells the station that it has no choice but to comply with state law, which is designed to protect Michigan children.
She’s not getting paid. She’s possibly not even letting the neighbor kids into her house. The kids are waiting for a school bus in front of her house, and she’s told her neighbors she’ll keep an eye on their kids. And the government wants her to get a license. (Something similar is happening in Britain.) This is what people mean when they warn that an ever-expanding government threatens the values of neighborliness and community. When the government provides services for free, or when it erects obstacles to individuals’ providing those services, it reduces private provision and simultaneously increases the demand for government services. If you make it illegal for neighbors to watch one another’s kids, you weaken ties of neighborhood and community.
Our nanny-state government not only wants to take care of us from cradle to pre-K to K-12 to homebuying to medical care to retirement to grave, it not only considers adult Americans “just like your teenage kids, [not] acting in a way that they should act,” it not only wants to “nudge” us into acting the way it thinks we should, now it thinks that neighbors should have to get a license to keep an eye on the kids congregating in front of their homes. It’s enough to make you think we have too much government.

United Who?

The United Nations, an organization with a noble charter but somewhere, long ago, lost its way. A giant landmark jutting skyward, with the flags of many nations fluttering in the wind. Curbside decorations, nothing more. Inside, hollow rooms, hollow people, hollow speeches. Podiums for Tyrants, Despots and Dictators spewing their slanted view of the world; slaying their opponents with twisted, venomous hateful words. Never once do they consider the people they oppress whom they have brutally caged and controlled. But oh how they love to point the finger at the United States and others who are always to blame for everything. Who are always the ones causing the trouble, never them. While their rants tirelessly ramble on, a few dissenters leave the room, but are outnumbered by the many who stay, numbed into nothingness, "do-nothingness." By their non actions, they sanction, give credibility to those tyrants and their inexcusable actions and tirades when they should be roundly condemned. But today was different, this September 24, 2009. Today was a day to remember. For on this day a man spoke with more clarity, more truth, more moral fiber than any other person who has ever spoken at the United Nations. The righteous words were uttered by the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu. They were a G-d knock on the head, a pierce to the heart, and a bruise to the soul. For he spoke to this body as it should have been spoken to a long time ago. His chastisement of the United Nations was a breath of fresh air. A rightful condemnation of a frightful body of people who have lost their way. He spoke about the continuous rocketing of his homeland by terrorists, with no regard for whom they murdered...babies, small children, men, women, old people. The Israelis, thinking that giving up more of their land would stop these incessant terrorist attacks, found out, much to their horror, that just the opposite happened--the attacks increased. But to Israel's incredulity the UN condemned Israel NOT the terrorists. Huh???? When Mr. Netanyahu talked of Iran's Holocaust Denier, Ahmadinejad, and actually had to hold up a map showing the location of the concentration camps where Jews were incarcerated to the members listening, it was almost too surreal to watch. Was Mr. Netanyahu's display because most of the people listening believed, along with Ahmadinejad, that the Holocaust "did not" occur? And Mr. Netanyahu's "have you no shame in allowing this Holocaust Denier a podium at the UN?" was right on target. Because the biggest problem with the UN is the one Mr. Netanyahu touched on, they have no shame. They have grown too big for their britches. They have lost sight of their real goal - their charter. It is long gone. It has been replaced with their new charter of power and greed. If ever there was a leader in the world today, Mr. Netanyahu gets my vote, hands down. If ever there was an organization that has done more to silence democracy, pervert justice, enrich itself at the expense of others, it is the UN. Mr. Netanyahu, thank you for standing up, because you really didn't have any other choice as no one else would stand up for you. Thank you for saying what needed to be said, because you really didn't have any other choice as no one else would stand up for you. Thank you for standing up for Israel because you really didn't have any other choice as no one else would stand up for you. And I see now that your staunchest ally, the FORMER United States, has now abandoned you. Thank you Comrade Obama. Thank you Mr. Netanyahu for saying what needed to be said, because you really didn't have any other choice as no one else would have spoken the truth as you did. Thank you for taking the Iranian Holocaust Denier to task, because NO ONE ELSE WOULD HAVE DONE IT. Thank you for taking the UN to task BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WOULD HAVE DONE IT. The UN has let Israel down, its charter down, its members down. Mr. Netanyahu, you champion freedom and truth and morality and courage and stand your ground. I am proud to align myself with you and your country. You and your country Israel are and always will be a shining light to ALL THE GENTILE NATIONS. And shame, shame shame on you United Nations. You really need to get your act together. May G-d help you find your way. Maybe this tiny country's spokesman will help you. G-d Bless you Prime Minister, and G-d Bless Israel. Baruch Ha-Shem

"Sacred Geometry" - G-d's Blueprint for Creation

The snowflake....Scientists say that each snowflake design is different. How many snowflakes fall in a year? Think about this. We skip a stone across a pond and watch, mesmerized, as ripples magically fan out, small at first they grow larger and larger, drawing us in. We watch the tiny spider spin her lacy curtain, her lovely negligee draping across a nearby fence post or a veranda. We count the seconds before a drop of dew falls from a leaf. We listen to the haunting sounds of the wind as it winds its way through a pine grove. We hear the sound of the Hoot Owl on a frosty night. We watch the glow of red eyes, as they cautiously study us, from the edge of the meadow. We listen to the enchanting sound of the Mockingbird. We stop to breathe in the fragrance of the Rose the Lilac, Hyacinth, Lavender. Do not the stars make their scheduled appearance in the evening sky each and every night? Does not the sun waken us in the morning and the moon beam brightly to bid us goodnight? The rains gently quench a thirsty earth, enabling the seedling to give birth. Shadows lengthen in the fall, the days grow shorter. Seasons come, seasons go. Just like them, are we "sow." We are born, we have our "run" at things, and then our clock starts to wind down. Finally it stops for good. Now we return to whence we came. But for now, we're on the outside, looking in. Can't we see that we can't win? Unless we completely surrender ourselves to Him. But before we can do that we must first stop the din. There is a rhythm that weaves throughout G-d's universe. It's in our own back yard. It's within us. We just need to quiet down long enough to get in touch with it.

Could Obama Be America's Worst Folly Yet?

World events are a series of "ebbs" and "tides". First up, then down. You could also liken them to two tectonic plates grinding against each other. Sometimes grinding ever so slowly, you barely feel the tremblor. And then there are other times they savagely thrust against one another with such force that no one can escape their notice. Such was the case with Obama's decision to forego the Eastern Europe Missile Defense Program that the former administration had worked on for years. And Mr. Obama's timing couldn't have been more perfect. His decision, bolstered by Defense Secretary Gates, that the U.S. new Missile Defense project would be just as good or better, and his announcement to the world, on the very day, seventy years after the start of WWII and the invasion of Poland and the former Bohemia (in the Czech Republic) by Germany on Sept. 1, 1939 and by the Soviet Union on Sept. 17, 1939. This decision by the United States couldn't have been a better dagger to the heart. One wonders what is driving this man. Could it be his dangerously naieve inexperience in world politics? His just plain horribly inexcusable lack of knowledge at how easily one can be manipulated, played, by cunsters who are much more adroit at the game of oneupsmanship? Being had is not hard to accomplish when the one being had doesn't even have a clue he's being had. That he's being played like a deck of cards, a fine-tuned piano, seduced by the best of the best. By one of the world's best known con artists, the darling of the Eastern chopping block, Vladimir Putin. Obama..." Ah, Mr. Putin, I will have a bottle of your finest Vodka, along with the finest cut of Soviet beef, seared ever so slowly to a medium rare, (that's Obama being seared if you didn't get it) a baked potato with gobs of butter and sour cream, and how 'bout a scrumptious piece of New York Cheescake complicit with succulent, ripe cherries on top"? We all know about them cherries don't we? With heads and hearts together, the two, in a frenzy of political lovemaking, Vladimir, tipsy with another easy conquest, and holding a tipsy and "doesn't have a clue Obama" up, another bottle of "ze" finest Vodka clenched firmly in hand, they saunter off to the nearest hotel to "seal" the deal. Mr. Obama, in his quest to be the best, has now alienated our friends in Eastern Europe who stuck their necks out for us (who trusted us)- bad decision; thrown away this country's reputation as having any concern at all for any other country's freedom or defense of that freedom; and has most certainly emboldened our enemies to where they feel they have been given the green light to continue to go about building their nuclear power plants, and continue with their campaign of terror against the "infidels" and anyone else who stands in their way. All because of an inept President who doesn't know his history. Stupidity at this level is mind-boggling enough when left to the common folk but when it is applied at the Executive level, folks we have a problem. The problem is that this decision by Obama and his administration is going to come back to haunt us in a very desperate way. And all because the American people voted a dullard into office. When THAT time comes, All the finger pointing in the world by the Left and Obama will lead in only one direction - THEIRS and no one else.

I am Proud of My Country

I think it plain to see that things are not the way should be. We put our trust in one of us who turned out to be just "WHO IS HE???" Obama says, "I'll bring together, no racial smears...just a couple of beers, no lies no games, but we're to blame. All that we've seen is a "tearing" apart, no "coming" together, no "heart-to-heart." What more is in store from this country's "elite", the ones who rebuke, call Patriots "freaks?" The pols seem to think they can just get away with flaunting, so daunting, but then "it's okay." Well it won't be much longer, in fact, moments away, when long lines of citizens will have "their own say." And then you will hear us, "Have a Nice Day!" Adios! And get lost, just go away. Take a train to no where we've work now to do. All that you've plundered we have to re-glue. Take your Czars and your cars, your liquor, your bars, your rants and your vomit, your spews and your blogs. Bury them deep in a dark smelly bog. Where you'll all be at home with the green wollypogs. So you cannot resurface to do us more harm, to this people, this land, causing us more alarm. For this is a country laced through-and-through with folks who are just plain FED UP with you. They're tired of the way you've squandered THEIR money, they're tired of the way your lips drip with honey. They see what you're doing, they're not stupid, you know, as you've seen by the TEA PARTIES and the just "average" Joe. You awakened their passion that's long been asleep, a love for their country, and the principles she keeps. When you trample, besmirch all that we hold dear...MAKE NO MISTAKE...IT WILL COST YOU NEXT YEAR.

From Romania.....Remembering 9/11

~An Ode to America ~
Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you
painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form
an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs On 9/ll, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand. After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing.. On every occasion, they started singing: 'God Bless America !' I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.. How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put into collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy. What on earth can unite the Americans in such way? Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over, I reached but only one conclusion...
Only freedom can work such miracles.
Cornel Nistorescu