The Left Lies, Yet Still Wins: Here's Why

     Who is benefiting most from Obama's policies? It's the ones the lefties decry as the greedy, racist, selfish 1%. These people include Wall Street tycoons and politicians. The Dow has increased steadily since Obama was first elected in 2008. Federal salaries and wages have increased steadily as well, that is except for our service men and women, who deserve it most.

     Who is NOT benefiting? It's the people that the Obama administration, Democrats and Liberals claim they want to help. These include the middle class, the poor, blacks, and other minorities. It's plain to see, if you've got your eyes open, that the lefties promise one thing and deliver something entirely different. In short, they lie. And when their policies fail to improve the lives of the people who elected them, they blame Conservatives, even though Dems have gotten almost everything they wanted, either through Congress, executive orders, or regulatory agencies created by them.

     I continually see poll results and statistics that indicate there are more Conservative thinking Americans than Liberal thinking ones. So why do Liberal ideas always seem to win out? Conservatives don't do well in politics. That's because they generally believe in playing "fair." That gets them nowhere. Conservatives, for the most part, believe in honest, open discussion and smaller, less intrusive government. They believe in cutting government spending, including so-called entitlements to those who don't deserve them, and more freedom and personal responsibility for Americans. Those ideals will never float among career politicians who love their fat lifestyles, their power, and their control over the citizenry.

     In a society that has been trained from kindergarten up to believe that government is the answer to all their problems and the giver of all things good, and that anyone who succeeds on their own is evil and selfish, big government always wins out.

     Here is the crux of the matter: Conservatives are busy going about their lives, working, taking care of their families and communities, pretty much minding their own business and leaving everyone else alone. Liberals spend their days trying to convince everyone that we are not individuals, but a collective, and that we need central control (in the form of government) to redistribute wealth, goods, and services to everyone equally. No one should thrive unless everyone thrives, regardless of their efforts or lack thereof. On one side, you have those who band together to form a coalition to control society. On the other, you have disorganized, scattered individuals. Who will win? We see it happening. Even though Conservatives are greater in number, they don't have a single, unified agenda to force on society. The left does, and America will soon be a truly Socialist state before long because of it. But this Socialist state will not benefit everyone as the Left claims, because they are lying. The elite, ruling class will have everything, and the working class will have crumbs, just as in every other leftist society. Your friends and neighbors who consider themselves Liberals are being lied to the same as everyone else. They believe it's all for the betterment of America...sadly.

A Very Disturbing Thought, Shared by Far Too Many

     I recently read a comment that disturbs me, not just because of the one comment, but because I know the idea is shared by far too many people. It was something like, "The entire Middle East should become a parking lot." The concept being, of course, that someone, probably the US, should totally destroy a large section of the earth and all its inhabitants. Why stop there? Let's just destroy the entire earth and all living things, and let God sort out the rubble? I speak sarcastically, obviously.

     My answer to those who truly feel that way, and are not just throwing out hyperbole, is that they should admit themselves into a psychiatric ward somewhere before they harm themselves or someone else. The idea of nuking the entire region is abhorrent, and frankly, sick. I am as horrified at terrorism spawned by religious fanatics as anyone else, but am not in favor of killing millions of people at one swipe to deal with it. Besides being wrong, it would not have any effect on the evil in the world. Destroying such a large section of the world would only energize and activate radicals who have now infiltrated every country and government on earth.

     So if anyone reading this is of the mindset that wiping out the entire Middle East is a good idea, please keep it to yourself, bury the thought deep in the very dark, twisted recesses of your mind, and never let it see the light of day again.

     What is the answer to the violence, hatred and terrorism that is coming from a very warped, radical faction of religious zealots and others who have declared war on Christians, Jews, and the Western way of life? We target the ones responsible, not 1/5 of the earth wholesale. We defend ourselves as far as possible, and pray...pray to God to deliver the enemy into our hands, just as He has done in the past for His people.

Why would God help us?

     God would be our protector if we, as a people, were His children, trusting Him, praying to Him, and living as though we truly believe in Him. There will be all sorts of evil, terrible things coming before the return of the Savior, Jesus Christ. The faithful, and only the faithful, will fare well in the end. In these scary times, with enemies coming at us from all sides, we must realize that they are simply pawns, being used by the one true enemy, which is Lucifer, or Satan. Our defense is to turn to God, keep ourselves faithful to Him, and trust Him. That, and be ready to stand against evil when it comes.

What Christmas Means to Me

Christmas is upon us. It is the day most Christians celebrate the birth of the Son of God, King of kings and Lord of lords. I could not tell you what Christmas means to me without putting that first and foremost. But the season means much more to me.
To set the background for my joy of Christmas, let's look at what some people experience during this time of year: Some worry and fret over decorations, gifts, family gatherings, office parties, and all the great expense of the whole thing. Some are saddened because it is supposed to be a time of "peace on earth, good will toward men," while all they see is depression, loss, and misery in their lives. I do not judge, condemn, nor belittle anyone's view of the season. I simply say, "Nay, nay!" I, for myself, refuse to let anything stand in the way of my enjoyment of Christmas. Here's why.
During His life on earth, Jesus taught that the greatest of all commandments is love, first to God the Father, and then to our neighbors. I choose, on Christmas, to show my love for Him, for my family, friends, and all His children. I praise Him through pretty lights, colors, and happy songs. Any gifts I give are given as unto God. To quote a line from a recent movie I saw, "Each time you give a gift to one of His children, it is like you are giving it to God."
And the part about "peace on earth, good will to men?" Well, I know I can't stop all war on the earth, bring peace to every corner, and make all men and women have good will toward each other. But there is one thing I can do...that is be at peace with all people as far as it is in me to do so, as the scripture says. I can have good will toward all God's children in my own heart, and with my hands I can help a few of them out.
You see, Christmas, for me, is not just a day, but a regeneration, a reminder, of something I should do every day of my life. I take that joy of Christmas and try to carry it as far into the next year as I possibly can.
Is there evil in the world? Yes, but if at all possible, it won't come from me.
Is there sadness? Yes, but I will do what I can to bring a smile to someone.
Is there war? Yes, but that will not keep me from thanking God for what peace does exist.
Is there hate? Yes, but I won't be any part of it, if I can help it.
You can tell me all the things that are wrong with the Christmas holiday all day long. All I will say is, "It's not that way for me. For me, Christmas is about love, and joy, and peace, and the Savior who was born in a stable so long ago." I refuse to see it any other way.

Nose vs. Face

Nose vs. Face:
I know most of you, especially baby-boomers, have heard the expression, "cutting off your nose to spite your face." It's an odd sort of saying, but we sort of do it every day, metaphorically. It's when we do something that's not really in our best interest out of spite, or to prove a point. The nose: lighting choices. The face: personal economics.

My gut reaction to the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs on January 1, 2014 was like that of many others. I was angry that federal government was, once again, interfering in private industry in a way that was going to cost jobs, cost consumers more, and tell us what we can and cannot buy. I still have an issue with that. But going out and buying up and hoarding all the incandescent bulbs I can find to spite the system is, well...foolish on a personal level. In other words, I would be "cutting off my nose to spite my face." Incandescent bulbs are costly, over time. They use more electricity than other, more modern choices, they don't last nearly as long, and they are often bad right out of the box. CFLs, and the more recent LED lights use less energy, last many times longer, and are generally dependable. In the long run, they save you money. Yeah, the light is a little different, but in reality, for those who are into art, photography or decorating, they can be found to show true colors actually better than incandescent bulbs.
So...will I go out and buy some old-fashioned bulbs? Probably...for old times' sake. But for the most part, I'm going for the money saving LED lights. I already have mostly CFL lighting in my house, which I rarely have to change. You see, I'm one of those older guys who doesn't get stuck in a time period. I like new technology. I embrace it, and enjoy the changes...if it's really for the better. On the other hand...there's something a bit romantic and nostalgic about occasionally reading a book by candle light. :)

Introduction

Introduction

I was prompted to create this blog by a friend who, for some odd reason, liked my comments on facebook so much that she thought I should reach for a wider audience. It sort of reminded me of the times I was told I should be a singer, a musician, an artist, an author, a preacher, and a politician, none of which are among my very successful accomplishments. I do, however, seem to have a way with words, and a propensity for the preposterous, perhaps just enough to make this blog thing work. So here you will find a mixture of random thoughts filtered through some research and consideration, containing elements of all the aforementioned topics of music, art, literature, Christianity, politics, and seasoned with a dash or two of humor.

My first topic, which I will touch on briefly, is the subject of pretentiousness. This is something I will try to avoid with great diligence in this blog. I try to live by a line from the Desiderata: "If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself."
So I just try to be me, and leave the comparison to others. I have learned to spot a pretentious person a proverbial mile away. They always have to have the last word in any conversation, and get a little indignant when someone disagrees with them. I love to hear from someone who is smart, knowledgeable, and interesting, but I'm very turned off by a blow-hard. Prayerfully, during my writing of posts for this blog, I will be thought to be the first, and not the latter. Look for more from me soon. I will always welcome comments, even critical ones.