Leaks of U.S. Classified Information

Recent leaks of classified information offend me deeply as an American citizen, and as someone who has pledged to protect my country, it angers me.  Every single person who has access to classified information has stood before God and taken the Oath of Office:
I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

Obviously, somebody, somewhere has broken that oath.  Of course, I am a thinking person.  I do not blindly do what someone else tells me to do, but I also realize that governing our nation is a group effort, a team effort where each of us should strive to follow the ideals laid out in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

We have all witnessed the fallout from the wiki-leaks mess created by Bradley Manning and can sense there is additional push back from our partners in foreign affairs who question whether or not we can be trusted.  

I have not been privy to any of the information released to the media by this/these criminals, was not even aware of some of it.  I think that most of the American public do not even realize just how big of a wrong has been done to them.  They seem to think that actions taken by Nixon years ago worse than this.  Not that I would defend those actions, but there must be perspective.

It sincerely disappoints me that we as a nation have come to a place where we fully expect our leaders to do this stuff.  Back in the 60's such a leak would have been considered high treason, now we just brush it off as partisan games.
  
Americans who dedicate themselves to defending our country every single day do not deserve to have their work exposed, nor do the citizens of our nation.  I hope the leaker(s) are found and fully prosecuted.

Note to China

Just wanted to publicly tell all those who might be lending the U.S. money--I'm not paying the bill.  There is no more income and we cannot afford to pay any more debt.  The people in DC are signing on the dotted line to borrow money that I cannot pay back; debt that I do not intend to honor.  Just saying.

Congress thinks this country is wealthy and that in the long run it will all take care of itself as it always has in the past...after all they are just talking numbers.  They have no comprehension of the meaning of the numbers.  They authorize the printing of new 100 dollar bills, but what makes those pieces of paper worth anything?  The industriousness of the American people have always put the value behind that paper (after being taken off gold as the standard).  But the American people are losing jobs, losing their resources-still the government takes a majority of their fruits.  American industriousness is being quickly used up.

They are borrowing against the future golden eggs, but killing the goose that lays 'em.

I see my country going down in flames.  The strong, the ingenious and the crooks will all survive, even thrive; the rest will perish.

Interesting how this statistic comes out at the same time..."Washington D.C. Adults are Nation’s Top Drug and Alcohol Abusers."  Seems they have too much money and overindulge in hedonistic pleasures.

American Political Scene Aug 2010

I admit to being busy with my own life, but I have been paying attention to what is happening to my fellow citizens at home. Some of my dearest friends and family are dealing with serious consequences as a result of a government that no longer abides by the restrictions placed upon it by the Constitution.

I cannot write enough to express my disgust with the current state of affairs, but I did find a couple of articles written by others.

Click the links below:
LA Times
UK Telegraph

Can You Hear Me Now?

I have been sidelined with regard to what is happening in the political world, but I found this very interesting.

Years ago the people of Tennessee told their legislators they didn't want certain legislation. They wrote letters, they called and they faxed. The legislators persisted, so the people emailed until the system crashed. The legislators said they didn't care what the people wanted; they were going to do it anyway. With all other avenues exhausted the citizens drove to the capital where the legislators cowered in their offices refusing to hear them. That led to days and weeks of constant horn honking and protestors at the state Capitol building.  The people prevailed and the whole episode spawned a whole new group of candidates and activists that have continued to greatly influence the direction of my state.

Seems another group of people are tired of being ignored. 

Check it out
Operation Can You Hear Us Now?

Missed the Party!

It is Tax Day in the U.S. and there are Tea Parties going on in all fifty states. I'm sorry I'm missing it! There are many reasons for the Tea Party movement but I think the one that motivates my fellow Americans most is an overall increase in the tightening of the Federal government's control over our "wealth" - defined as our ability to earn, to maintain our earnings, and to make decisions about our future productivity.

While I can't be there I can reassert this:
I still believe in the Constitution which clearly states that any power not specifically given to the Federal government is reserved to the States or the people. I believe that my rights do not come from what the government allots to me, but are inherently mine by the will of God. This includes my right to protect myself, my family and my home by any means necessary; my right to speak my mind; and to worship without interference. These are not only my rights, but yours as well-as long as you are a citizen of the Great Republic governed by the Constitution.

I also believe that the people collectively have the right to remove their government when it no longer serves the needs of the people-the same people from which all of its power is derived.

These are the principles I was taught in public school 20 years ago. But according to the recent report from the Department of Homeland Security I might be "radicalized."

State Sovereignty

I am very informed about what is happening back home. I watched with great interest the selection of a new Speaker of the State House, the election of constitutional officers and the much overdue release of Border Agents Ramos and Compean.

I have been paying close attention to Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, especially regarding the bailout plans; "stimulus" goings on; the great leadership of Sen. Jim DeMint and Gov Bobby Jindal; the viral video of Santelli on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; and the disgrace of the Blagojevich/Burris affair.

But I am really excited to know that my Republicans compatriots in Nashville are working to pass a state sovereignty resolution. With House Joint Resolution 108 they will join the ranks of other states seeking to reign in unconstitutional mandates the federal government imposes on the states.

signed~Proud Tennessean

Musical Chairs

Pollster Frank Luntz says the GOP needs to gain the support of more independents if they want to win elections.

But I think I am more inclined to agree with Rush, who said this week that

"McCain's whole campaign was a concession speech." He also noted that if
Republicans wanted to win elections, they should not put so-called "moderates"
on the ballot." The conservative movement does not need to be rebuilt," he
said. "We had some people abandon the conservative movement, and they need to be abandoned."

I wonder if there were more than a few hard core conservatives who decided against casting a ballot for the man who proudly sponsored legislation to quash speech with McCain Feingold; refused to support tax cuts; supported amnesty for those who entered our borders illegally; was at the forefront of the bailout; and happily joins Democrats to accomplish THEIR goals. Maybe there was a large group that simply sat this one out.

As the power brokers of the GOP meet this week to begin discussing the direction of the party and who the "standard bearer" should be, as they all jockey for position and point fingers, I am quite certain that more than a few will propose that the Republican Party jettison the dragging weight of the right wingers, the "anti-intellectuals" like Sarah Palin and those evangelicals who simply won't change their values.

The so called anti-intellectuals are the people who value common sense, character, moral behavior, pure motives and hard work. Those who consider themselves the intellectuals among us appear to value their own station in life, money, power and elitism above all else. They have very little respect for anyone deemed to be boorish, of improper standing or simply the unwashed masses.

Washington Post article. As McCain returns to his cushy seat as a senator and the power brokers play musical chairs, it seems like a win-win for everyone. Pelosi and Reid gear up for an even more partisan Congress, and Obama picks the members of his new administration-its like Christmas! Wait...what did Jack and Jill get? Oh, yeah, the bill.

More MEPI, Palin and Well Wishes

You may have noticed my absence here. It has been a...long week, involving doctors and even a night in the hospital - but we're all good now!

It is hard to comprehend that we leave 3 weeks from today. Sometimes it seems like it is never going to get here, and other times it seems to have happened so fast. We will be soon picking the boxes that we want shipped overseas for us. I'm looking forward to having my own cookware, music and decorations. Funny how you miss the simple things.

I did spend a little bit of time with the Washington Office of MEPI and learned a considerable more about its mission. USAID spends American dollars to build infrastructure, to teach about democracy and how to hold an election. But USAID is limited to working in underdeveloped [read poor] countries. Much of the Near and Middle East are not underdeveloped, but someone saw the need to encourage democratic activities like transparency of government by broadcasting live meetings; education in running a business for women; and translating English language children's books. Thus MEPI was formed. There is an office in Tunis and my office in Abu Dhabi just opened a couple of years ago.

You know that I am a very political person, but you've heard bloody little about the Presidential Campaign from me. I suppose disappointed could describe how I feel about it. I was energized when Sarah Palin was introduced as the VP. I now hear rumors that if McCain loses, they plan to lay blame at Palin's feet. I have heard her called a rogue candidate-by McCain's people. Very bad idea. Palin strikes a chord with people who have all but given up on the Republican Party. Her plain spoken demeanor is extremely refreshing and her words strike the target.

I could ramble on too long, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm still on the face of the earth and waiting anxiously for Tuesday's results.

P.S. Buck and family, we are wishing you well.

Standing in the Dark

I think all citizens can agree that we do not respect politicians who use games and double speak, as well as parliamentary procedure to accomplish very little for the people and most for themselves. "Politicians" are not representatives of the people, nor are they statesmen who do what is right for their country.

I am pleased to say that I see leadership by the U.S. House members who have now staged a four day protest in the darkened nation's capitol. They protest that Dem. Speaker Nancy Pelosi recessed the House for a summer vacation without bringing legislation to the floor that could ease Americans' current pain at the pump ($4-$5 gas depending on location/grade). Democrats left town without even allowing a vote on lifting a ban on offshore oil drilling.

It is disappointing that major news outlets are paying very little attention to what is a huge story. Their history of this kind of coverage is why people in the know get their information from talk radio and blogs. I have found through the years that information found on blogs if often closer to the truth than news coverage. Of course, you must sift through a lot and decide for yourself what jibes with what you actually know to be true.

I would love to bring this to the attention of so many right-minded people who could help put pressure on legislators to do the correct thing. Unfortunately, this is just one of so many issues that raise my ire and fuel my passions, and right now I just don't have the energy for it. I'm thankful that someone else does.