WIFLI Briefing for Jul 18, 2012 - Wake Up! Just Wake Up!

You may have noticed that I haven't been very active here lately. I'll explain that here, eventually, so please just bear with me for a little bit. First, though, I have a story to tell you.

What I heard on Sunday night, July 15, really had to be a wake up call! I thought I knew I heard it correctly, but I needed to get the quote right to confirm that it happened. I found it. It was on the Christian Science Sentinel - Radio version: "Spiritual healing in life-threatening situations," with Diane Marrapodi, airing from July 14 – 20, 2012.

Sunday night, with my weekend just one day on the job away, seemed to be surreal. I went to bed earlier than usual, and I had a good reason to make the conscious effort of arriving to work a little early.  The alarm clock was carefully set accordingly. For some reason, however, I woke up just prior to when the alarm clock was set to awaken me.  I always have the alarm clock set to go off about a half hour early, so that I can hit the snooze button a couple of times. For some reason, though, the alarm was silent at the time it was set for. Since I was awake, I reset the alarm for the half hour away when I would have to get out of bed. This time, the alarm clock worked, and being that I have it so the radio comes on, I heard the words, "...wake up, just wake up!"

I told several people about that experience when I was at work that night. However, it wasn't until I started making my decisions about which stories I would include in this issue, and I found the column by Erik Rush, I knew that there was a reason I woke up as I did. Having that unbelievable alarm clock episode, with hearing those words, followed by reading Erik's column, "Tell your neighbors: Time to wake the hell up," couldn't be just a coincidence.

In the commentaries that you will find below, there is the theme that it is time to wake up. Every one of the columns are going to focus on the fact that there is an obvious contrast between the ideologies of the two parties, and ultimately, the candidates. What is exposed in this edition is the fact that it is extremely important for you - who love this country - to get out and wake people up.

A little over a month ago, I started several other projects that have consumed my time. One of the projects involves increasing my income, and perhaps replacing my current employment income someday. It has been a time consuming endeavor, and I'm glad to be taking on that challenge. The other project has been in getting a new Facebook "fan page" started, and building up a following. That project is a major part of my objective to help wake up our neighbors!

The irony is that I had to hear the "Wake up!" message on the radio before I could confidently and consciously make the effort to try to wake up any of "my neighbors." And it seems to be ironically twisted in that I decided to start a new page, Johnny2k's America, in order to share information with my "neighbors." It was twisted, because it seems to contradict the whole idea of sharing information with my neighbors to "wake them up." When I tried that on my personal facebook page, it didn't seem to go over well. Friends and relatives alike seemed to start avoiding my personal page because they didn't want to hear about politics and religion.

That's right, I was one of those people that was afraid to try to wake people up, because I was afraid I would lose some relationships that I've been trying to develop on Facebook, my virtual neighborhood. Friends or relatives, I just wasn't ready to sacrifice my connections and re-connections. Not all the people I have "friended" on facebook would agree with my ideologies.

As a "compromise," I started a new page, which is now called "Johnny2k's America." It was the best I could do to make an effort to wake people up without losing friends along the way. It was a compromise, but I don't regret it.

My conscience is clear, and I am still trying to "wake my neighbors the hell up."  I'm not ashamed of my efforts. While avoiding the pitfalls of losing friends because of disagreements in ideologies, I have survived by giving my fellow patriots a way to shove a little information in the direction of those that aren't informed, without being offensive.

You should read every one of the columns and watch every one of the videos that is included in this WIFLI edition. But, even if you don't, there will be all the information you need to know to get out to inform and educate your "neighbors." Do not depend on them finding the information by themselves. The ones that really need to know what is going on may not be keeping up. Only by you being informed will you be able to reach those that haven't yet heard the Truth. The Truth will set us free, and keep us free! It is still up to you. I'm just sayin'...

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Welcome to this edition of Time 2 Escape WIFLI Briefing! What is WIFLI? You may be wondering what the acronym "WIFLI" means. I started out by calling these issues the Time 2 Escape Daily, but that didn't work out very well. I quickly learned that putting these issues together on a daily basis was a task I was unable to accomplish. To replace "Daily" in the title, I borrowed the acronym WIFLI, which literally means "When I Feel Like It." Putting together a post on this blog WIFLI works much better for my schedule, and for the higher quality of each issue that is eventually published! FAIR USE NOTICE: This edition of the Time 2 Escape WIFLI Briefing may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes only. This constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law.

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Erik Rush provides the epic introduction to this edition of the WIFLI, and explains why it is important for us to reach out to those that need to hear more than what they may ever encounter in their day-to-day existence with only the assistance of a water-cooler conversations with even more uninformed idiots...

Tell your neighbors: Time to wake the hell up 
Exclusive: Erik Rush advocates stigmatizing the uninformed prior to November 
From WND Commentary ~ By Erik Rush ~ Published July 11, 2012

ERIK RUSH

Millions who cast their votes this November will do so believing, as they have for many years, that they have a pretty good understanding of the issues at hand. The fact is that few have any idea at all what has really transpired in America over the last several decades, nor do they understand the true nature of the forces that have conspired to make this election into such a pivotal one.

The time for having reservations over telling casual acquaintances that they need to wake the hell up is over. People have been conditioned by design to believe that their superficial perceptions can be trusted, and they tend to have a certain amount of ego-involvement in the beliefs they have cultivated around them. This can no longer be tolerated on the grand scale to which it has been tolerated; it is this kind of intellectual indolence that helped to get us where we are.

~~~ READ MORE ~~~

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Herman Cain explains why depending on the legacy mainstream media for your news will leave you with a large deficit of information that you will need to make a good decision when you vote in November.

Media imbalance: News they let you see 
Herman Cain exposes press' questionable judgment on which stories are covered 
From WND Commentary ~ By Herman Cain ~ Published Jul 8, 2012

HERMAN CAIN

Today, between Fox News Channel, talk radio, leading conservative blogs and now the new CainTV.com Internet network, stories like “Fast and Furious” – or the worst aspects of Obamacare, for example – have outlets to see the light of day. And because news can spread so quickly today via social media, these stories can be seen by a lot more people than just the direct audiences of these outlets.

So even if media imbalance, as practiced by the dinosaurs, results in ignoring a story, the story can still become known.

A problem, though, is low-information voters who often play a major role in deciding elections. These are the 20 percent in the middle of the electorate who don’t lean strongly toward one party or the other and still rely largely on traditional media to get their news. If these folks knew the real nature of “Fast and Furious,” or the real costs of Obamacare, or the true nature of our economic and fiscal situations, they would likely vote to send Obama packing in massive numbers.

But they won’t know any of that if they rely solely on the old-guard broadcast networks and print outlets. Media imbalance will see to it. That’s why organizations that can expose this information to the public must do so. News organizations that cover up stories that matter are no news organizations at all.

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Barry's stories... And here Barry told the biggest story imaginable, just last week, that defines what he considers to be the what he expects his voters to believe, that the government will be the solution to all that ails this nation. Mychal was correct: We the People were listening.

Barry's stories: A chronicle of destruction
Exclusive: Mychal Massie responds to Obama's latest 'the dog ate my homework' excuse
From WND Commentary ~ By Mychal Massie ~ Published Jul 16, 2012

MYCHAL MASSIE

The country is going to hell in a hand basket specifically because of Obama’s pernicious permutation of our domestic and social policies – and the best he can come up with is: “When I think about … the mistake of my first term … [was forgetting that] the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times.” (“Obama: My Biggest Mistake Was Not ‘Telling a Story,’” Weekly Standard, July 12, 2012)

That is the most hebephrenic mea culpa I’ve heard in my life, in or out of politics. As an excuse it borders on “the dog ate my homework.” The truth is that you did tell a story, Barry – and We the People were listening.

Your promise to “fundamentally change” our nation was the story of your plan to transmogrify America into that which Erebus, Lenin and Marx would applaud, and people are awaking to that fact. We heard your story when your wife hissed through her toothy overbite that she had been ashamed of America her entire life, right up until you came on the scene.

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In order to inform our neighbors, we must help them understand that there is a huge difference in the platforms of the two parties that will make up most of the total votes in November. Here are just a few examples of ideologies that you will never see the Democrats and Republicans compromise on.

No, the 2 parties are not the same
Exclusive: Phil Elmore puts excerpts of platforms side by side
From WND Commentary ~ By Phil Elmore ~ Published June 20, 2012

PHIL ELMORE

We must stand up for the United States Constitution. We must hold politicians to their claims. This starts by electing the party that stands, explicitly, for liberty, decency and individual rights. When those we elect for these reasons go on to fail us, we must immediately eject them from office and elect more representatives who stand for the correct ideals. We must not simply elect the “other guy” in the hope that something will change – for if we fight evil by electing those who actively advocate it, we have accomplished nothing.

There is a difference between Democrats and Republicans. That difference is found in what the two parties say they want to do. The only answer to the problems facing our nation is never again to elect a Democrat – while holding elected Republicans to a high standard and throwing them out of office when they fail to meet it. Only by standing against the Democrats, the party of abortion, the party of vote fraud, the party of gun control, the party of socialism, the party of surrender and appeasement in the face of our nation’s enemies, can we prevail.

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Diana West has it right, we get one more chance. But in order to make a change in November, there is no doubt that our neighbors need a wake-up call. Once more, it is important to emphasize the kind of America we will have to live with, should we not take advantage of our last chance to get it right.

Ever-Bigger-Government America 
Diana West: In November, we get one more chance to save the republic 
From WND Commentary ~ By Diana West ~ Published July 5, 2012

DIANA WEST

Such fundamental transformation was a long time coming. Its course was largely set three quarters of a century ago during the 12-year reign of FDR, whose signature “New Deal” entrenched the Marxist (socialist, Leninist, progressive, collectivist, Alinskyite – take your pick) mindset in Ever-Bigger-Government America. In a sense, Barack Obama ranks only as the most audacious of FDR’s successors in his ideological drive to socialize the USA. As Obama himself explained in a 1995 interview with the Chicago Reader (unearthed by Obama biographer Stanley Kurtz), the “right-wing … individualistic bootstrap myth” needed replacing. “We must unite in collective action,” Obama said, “build collective institutions and organizations.”

That certainly describes SCOTUS-approved Obamacare.

Taking the long view, we might say the collectivists inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1917 have won. The individual has lost. The state has only grown, and liberty has only shrunk. The fireworks went off all right, but somehow, the home of the brave remains in the dark.

At least until November, when we get one more chance.

~~~ READ MORE ~~~

RELATED LINK:

• Happy Dependence Day  ~ In a cartoon, A.F. Branco illustrates impact of SCOTUS decision

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If you are not yet convinced that this year's 2012 Presidential election means a lot for the future of freedom, then reading this column by Judge Andrew Napolitano may give you a better understanding.

Bad days for freedom
Andrew Napolitano: 'Imagine Jefferson being told what to eat or stopped and frisked'
From WND Commentary ~ By Andrew Napolitano ~ Published July 11, 2012

ANDREW NAPOLITANO

Imagine Jefferson being told what to eat or stopped and frisked on a whim. And then imagine the Supreme Court telling him that he must pay a tax if he fails to comport his personal private behavior as Congress – which doesn’t believe in privacy or personal freedom – commands.

Here is how you can tell that these are bad days for freedom: Does the government need your permission to violate your rights, or do you need the government’s permission to exercise them? The answer is painfully obvious.

Presently in America, what are we going to do about it?

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In my heart, I know that I could never believe that success is only achievable with the help of government. In fact, it is just the opposite of what I believe. Hopefully, all Americans have the same opportunities, and that government programs would never favor any group of people over another... Well, even if that is not the case, there are people that just seem to make it on their own, despite the government "assistance" that is available!

And here I thought it was the role of government to make sure that nobody had an unfair advantage due to race, religion, gender, age, and whatever other minority "victims" there are.  I thought it was about keeping the playing field of opportunity to remain level.

Obama's view of a level playing field is by having the government being the officials that change the rules as we go, just to make sure the results we end up with are equal... And that can not and never will happen.

There will always be people that are a lot more passionate about finding a way to succeed in life. Success is NOT defined by what the government can provide with you with. It is ALL up to each individual, and their faith that the Lord has given them the tools they need. The government can never provide what our faith does!

Obama: Success is Only Achievable through Government
From GOPUSA "The Loft" ~ By Bobby Eberle ~ Published Jul 17, 2012 at 7:13 am

BOBBY EBERLE

What an incredible few days it has been. Barack Obama has been trying everything in his campaign... pulling ideas from the same, tired leftwing playbook used in the past. He has called for higher taxes. He is using class warfare. He is using character attacks rather than hitting the issues. But with just one speech, Obama showed that he far surpasses left wing presidents of the past. By implying that no American can be successful without government "help," Obama showed that it's impossible for him to lead, because he has no clue what the American Dream is.

It will be interesting to see in the upcoming weeks what the media have to say about Obama and his actions. Yes, they are all firmly in his corner. Yes, they buy into the same "big government" mentality as he does. But Obama is so far out of touch, one would think even some of the "normal" leftists would catch on.

In a speech on Friday, Obama -- whether he intended to or not -- blasted small business owners and entrepreneurs by saying that if you were successful, "somebody else made that happen." Incredible. Incredibly stupid. Incredibly out of touch.

Here's the video:

Video provided by GOPUSA.com

~~~ READ MORE ~~~

RELATED VIDEO:

• Hope and change means, "You can't do it yourself!"?

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Of course, President Obama would also tell us that the Peterson Farm Bros. didn't make the following video on their own, but because of the government providing them with the internet (that Al Gore invented), all of their skills (they gained from the public school system), and the government control of agriculture that provides them with their success and their profits in farming.

And of course, The Peterson Farm Brothers would beg to differ. I think you'll see who is right when you watch the following video, and it ain't the President:

I'm Farming and I Grow It

Video provided by by ThePetersonFarmBros on Jun 25, 2012

RELATED VIDEO:

• Peterson Farm Bros. on Fox & Friends, on June 30, 2012

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Don't be afraid!

WE the PEOPLE

are the MOB
ONE NATION UNDER GOD

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

johnny2k's Tea Party Gear

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A great New Year's resolution ~ By Henry Lamb

The subject of this column by Henry Lamb may not be easily understood by the average American citizen. For the most part, none of us were around before the 17th Amendment was ratified. And I doubt that the importance of the 17th Amendment was discussed in your high school civics or history classes. We have only known that U.S. Senators are elected by popular vote. But it wasn't always that way:

The idea of people-powered government control of society offered by Marx ran head-on into the unregulated activities of laissez-faire capitalism. This produced a new system of political thought dubbed "Progressivism" by Theodore Roosevelt and others, in the late 19th century. This new hybrid political system pursued government policies that regulated economic and social activity without the government actually owning the sources of production – as Marx advocated.

Woodrow Wilson, a champion of Progressivism, ushered in the Federal Reserve, the income tax and the 17th Amendment – which destroyed the carefully balanced, unique structure of the American government. The 17th Amendment removed the states from the federal government altogether by allowing senators to be elected directly by the people rather than by the state legislatures.

Henry goes on to explain, "Since the Progressives sent Wilson to the White House, the states have had no voice in the approval of federal law to which states must conform."

In all honesty, I can't say that I was aware of the critical significance of what the 17th Amendment did until recently, and I'm still learning about it, with the help of the following two videos:

Restore the Republic - Part 1 ~ 26:04
Restore the Republic - Part 2 ~ 17:06

If you could spare the 43 minutes to watch the two videos above, along with reading Henry's entire column, you will probably understand much more about why the Constitution was written as it was, and why the 17th Amendment is leading the United States of America away from being a Republic as it was founded, and is being transformed into a Democracy, a "tyranny of the majority."

A great New Year's resolution

HENRY LAMB

By Henry Lamb

January 01, 2011 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2011

In hopes of returning to a previous, "better" condition, millions of Americans will resolve to: quit smoking, lose weight, or engage in some other activity to make their life better in some way. Suppose there were an activity in which Americans could engage that would make the entire world better, especially that portion of the world we call the United States of America. There is!

We can resolve to restore the original, unique republic created by our founders.

George Washington, Ben Franklin, James Madison and the handful of other great Americans who assembled in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 used nearly half of the Convention time debating the single issue of representation in the new government. Shall the new government be a government of the states, or a government of the people?

The Articles of Confederation created a government of the states, and any amendment to the Articles required unanimous approval. This arrangement was inadequate; no state could be compelled to comply with any directive from the government. James Madison's Virginia Plan proposed a new government of the people; Andrew Hamilton wanted a strong central government, with the president to be elected for life.

Small states argued that the Virginia Plan would essentially erase the small states because the large states would always have more delegates to the new government and could always outvote the small states. Delaware delegate John Dickenson nearly ended the Constitutional Convention by declaring that Madison's plan would exchange the tyranny of the king for the tyranny of the large states – tyranny to which small states would never submit.

Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman, of whom Thomas Jefferson once said: "… here is a man who never said a foolish thing in his life," suggested a compromise. His compromise would make the lower legislative chamber consist of representatives elected by the people based on population; the upper chamber, the Senate, would consist of two representatives from each state, chosen by the state legislature.

Madison compared such a government to a centaur – half man and half horse. Sherman's compromise government would be empowered half by the people and half by the states. This new form of government – unique in the world – would allow competition between the two sources of power, which would serve as a check and balance on each other to ensure that neither became domineering or tyrannical.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

Be sure to check out
johnny2k's Tea Party Gear!

'To the shores of Tripoli …' ~ By Joseph Farah

Joseph Farah explained in this column how our current administration wants to handle the current Somali pirates and compares it to the way Thomas Jefferson handled the Barbary pirates back in the 17th and 18th centuries. When Jefferson found out that the Europeans were handling the Barbary pirates, he didn't think it made any sense.

"He recognized the purchase of peace from the Muslims only worked temporarily. They would always find an excuse to break an agreement, blame the Europeans and demand higher tribute."

Could the United States make the same mistake in the 21st Century that the Europeans made a couple hundred years ago?

'To the shores of Tripoli …'

JOSEPH FARAH

By Joseph Farah

December 27, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

My how things have changed.

I just heard the U.S. State Department is suggesting we should negotiate with Somali pirates by paying ransom for the release of 26 Bangladeshis on board the hijacked ship MV Jahan Moni.

Washington says "money was the sole objective" behind the hostage-taking, and that the pirates would likely release the captives for far less money than they are demanding because it's the "lean season" for piracy.

Bangladesh has taken a more principled stand – that no nation can pay ransom for piracy.

Next thing you know the U.S. will be contributing to the ransom or paying the whole thing.

This is quite a turnabout in U.S. foreign policy.

In 1784, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were commissioned by the first Congress to assemble in Paris to see about marketing U.S. products in Europe.

Jefferson quickly surmised that the biggest challenge facing U.S. merchant ships were those referred to euphemistically as "Barbary pirates."

They weren't "pirates" at all, in the traditional sense, Jefferson noticed. They didn't drink and chase women, and they really weren't out to strike it rich. Instead, their motivation was strictly religious. They bought and sold slaves, to be sure. They looted ships. But they used their booty to buy guns, ships, cannons and ammunition.

Like those we call "terrorists" today, they saw themselves engaged in jihad and called themselves "mujahedeen."

Why did these 18th-century terrorists represent such a grave threat to U.S. merchant ships? With independence from Great Britain, the former colonists lost the protection of the greatest navy in the world. The U.S. had no navy – not a single warship.

Jefferson inquired of his European hosts how they dealt with the problem. He was stunned to find out that France and England both paid tribute to the fiends – who would, in turn, use the money to expand their own armada, buy more weaponry, hijack more commercial ships, enslave more innocent civilians and demand greater ransom.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

Be sure to check out
johnny2k's Tea Party Gear!

'Controversial opinions' make for bad TSA employees ~ By Brad O'Leary

Brad O'Leary contemplates on the new TSA internet use policy that was instituted back on July 1, 2010, and quickly revised less than a week later. This commentary, combined with Phil Elmore's column (see in the RELATED STORIES list below), leads me to one certain conclusion: The Democrats will attempt to silence their critics, however they can, in order to stay in power. We should all be aware by now that the Obama power structure, pretty much a blueprint of the tactics used in Chicago-style politics, is based on silencing any critics, or at the very least, attempting to discredit them (as Obama learned in Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals.").

But the last thing the Obama minions would want to happen is rebellion against what the administration is attempting to do, as Brad points out very well. They can't have the government employees accessing information that may lead them to question what they are being told to do (and I probably just made this blog banned on most government-run websites!).

I know, some of my readers will probably say that I'm just beating a dead horse, being that the less-than-one-week-old TSA policy has already been rescinded. But as I pointed out in my intro to Elmore's column, we have to stay vigilant whenever we encounter a government attempt to control information. Just sayin'...

RELATED STORIES:
Democrats' petty tyrannies ~ By Phil Elmore
Big Sis blowing off ban on 'controversial opinion'

Upon taking office, President Obama famously promised that his would be the most "transparent" administration in history. Here's yet another opportunity for him to make good on this promise. He should simply make public a list of all the websites TSA blocked its employees from viewing.

Wise readers won't hold their breath waiting for this list to materialize.

By Brad O'Leary

Posted: July 08, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

It's true that many private companies and federal agencies block employee access to websites deemed either inappropriate or unnecessary for conducting business. Such policies often make sense, as the Internet, for all its time-saving capabilities, can also be a huge temptation and time-waster.

So, what to make of the recent news that employees at the Transportation Security Administration were blocked, as of July 1, from accessing any websites that fall into the following categories: "Chat/messaging; Criminal activity; Extreme violence (including cartoon violence) and gruesome content; Gaming; and Controversial opinion."

You can certainly make the case that siphons of our hard-earned tax dollars shouldn't be frittering away the day instant-messaging friends, learning how to make bombs, viewing celebrity autopsy photos or playing Pac-Man … but what is "controversial opinion"? What falls into that category? The Drudge Report? Fox News? WorldNetDaily? Any website that dares question or publish criticism of the logic behind the Obama administration's policy decisions?

It's worth pointing out that pornography doesn't make the list of banned websites. This is perhaps due to sensitivity on the part of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano, showing deference to the well-known favorite pastime of federal "workers."

Yesterday, TSA announced that it's backing off the plan to block "controversial opinion" sites, no doubt because of intense media scrutiny. But still, why did TSA venture down this road in the first place? Lacking a detailed explanation from Napolitano or anyone at TSA, we're left to speculate as to what "controversial opinion" websites they wanted to blacklist – and why.

In my book, "Shut Up, America! The End of Free Speech," I chronicle episodes where President Obama displayed incredibly thin skin at the slightest criticism – such as when his campaign tried to bully Chicago radio station WGN in barring two authors, who were Obama critics, from receiving any airtime.

In her short tenure, Obama's hand-picked security chief has displayed a similar penchant for using power to silence critics – most notably when her Homeland Security Department released a report labeling gun owners, Christians and limited-government advocates "right-wing extremists" and "potential terrorists" who ought to be closely monitored.

And just a few weeks ago, Napolitano declared that the federal government needs the ability to monitor Americans' Internet communications to fight homegrown terrorism.

"We can significantly advance security without having a deleterious impact on individual rights in most instances," she said. "At the same time, there are situations where trade-offs are inevitable." Ben Franklin, arguably a deeper thinker than Napolitano, warned of just such a foolish trade-off.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

Be sure to check out
johnny2k's Tea Party Gear!

Hey, this Cato Institute is doing something! ~ By Pat Boone

Hmmm.... This was not an easy column to write an intro for. Thanks a lot, Pat, you made me have to think a little harder than usual. But that's okay, because I may have learned a few things in the process.

So, as Pat wrote about the Cato Institute, I was wondering, what was his purpose? That was my main question. Within his commentary, Pat reminds us of this important fact: "This train called America is our train, we own and run it, and the engineer is our employee – it's not the other way around!" And further, Pat tells us that the Cato Institute "is leading the fight against the explosion of government growth." Edward Crane, President and founder of the Cato Institution, says:

...we're hardly 'hunkered down' – or alone. In fact, I have never seen our side more energized and clear-eyed in its commitment to reclaim our liberties and our government from the statists and redistributionists who infest our nation's capital.

And, who is "our side"? The Tea Party Movement, "the still-large majority of Americans who revere the Constitution and abhor big, intrusive an oppressive government." Pat goes on to mention that "Cato literally exists to further the kind of awakening exemplified in the tea-party rallies and marches – and in raucous town-hall meetings politicians increasingly fear to hold."

So, there you go. That is what Pat's column was about. Cato Institute is helping to awake Americans, and sets the example for what you and I need to keep on doing, just like I am doing on this blog... and I'm not even a think tank! Just sayin'...

Our citizens by the millions are demonstrating a growing grass-roots resistance to regimentation and governance by coercion and connivance, and this is terribly upsetting to Rahm Emanuel. Hallelujah!

By Pat Boone

Posted: May 29, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

Are you as frustrated as I am about the constant deluge of bad news, revelations of corruption and negligence and overreaching in government, the growing impression that we're on an out-of-control course, like Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train"?

Are you deeply concerned that an ultra-liberal, even leftist or socialist cabal in and around the White House is binding America with unpayable debt, unreasonable entitlements and unacceptable alterations in everything from education to health care to defense to energy supply? That the sacred Constitution is being shoved aside and misinterpreted by activist judges, from the bottom of the judicial system all the way up to the Supreme Court?

With the presidency and both houses of Congress under the thrall of people who proudly want to "fundamentally transform the United States of America," isn't it increasingly bothersome to you that you seem to have precious little to say about all this?

When up to 80 percent of polled Americans say they want to keep health care the way it has been – and our elected representatives, our "public servants," conspire openly to cram the unwanted policy into law and down our throats – doesn't that leave you wondering, as I have been, whatever happened to "We The People"?

Aside from the valiant media soldiers at Fox News, some talk-radio broadcasters and informative websites like this one, is there anybody doing anything to sound the alarms and apply the brakes on this runaway train?

Yes! Yes, there are some bodies, organizations, fellowships and activist think tanks confronting the engineer of this out-of-control administration train and alerting the passengers to get up and reassert control. This train called America is our train, we own and run it, and the engineer is our employee – it's not the other way around!

If we're going to change this destructive, ominous direction, we must be an aroused, informed, determined, organized … and even a sacrificing citizenry. Just being upset, and grousing and complaining, won't change anything.

In the late 1700s, aroused and persuasive patriots like Thomas Paine called effectively to our forefathers, spurring them to heroic action, which resulted in the formation of our republic. Samuel Adams led like-minded men to oppose oppression and even revolt against the armed oppressors, at great cost but greater victory. And you know, hopefully, about George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams and James Monroe.

After the dust settled and a new and vibrant nation was born, Thomas Jefferson warned, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."

I want to shine a spotlight on one of the several patriotic groups that are performing today like these forefathers of ours did – the Cato Institute.

George Will said of the organization, "The Cato Institute is the foremost upholder of the idea of liberty in the nation."

Thankfully, there are other think tanks that might lay claim to that accolade, but Cato is at or near the top of the list. The University of Pennsylvania's index of "Global Go-To Think Tanks" ranks Cato fifth in the world. And a 2009 survey commissioned by Foreign Policy magazine of nearly 1,800 think tanks in America listed Cato among the top 10 overall and No. 1 in the category for "Top Think Tanks for Innovative Ideas."

Cato is a public-policy research organization, guided by the principles that animated the founders of this great nation. The distinguished University of Pennsylvania historian, Alan Kors, sees think tanks as a "market response to the intellectual conformity and stagnation in most American universities." In too, too many cases, our colleges are turning out mental robots, not truly educated, openminded and inquiring learners. But when confronted with incontrovertible facts and logical thought – many of these intelligent and potentially influential men and women can see the light.

The light of truth.

An alarm went off, loud and clear, when Barack Obama's chief of staff let slip the strategy behind the health-care power grab when he declared you should "never let a serious crisis go to waste. It's an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before." Since then, in a shocking display of arrogance and cunning, this administration has created an unfathomable level of "crisis"-related spending that will create at least $1 trillion of deficits per year, for the next decade.

As Cato has revealed, "The total potential federal government support could reach up to $23.7 trillion," according to Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the TARP program. Do you think the liberal media are going to report this to us? How can a citizenry protect itself when it doesn't have the real facts?

Bloomberg News, an objective media source, stated last December, "The few remaining limited-government types are hunkered down at Washington's Cato Institute."

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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We must be heard! We will be heard! ~ By Barbara Simpson

Barbara writes about her fantastic experiences at tea parties. Yes, even in California, there are people that don't like what they see happening to our freedom in this country.

Benjamin Franklin reminded early patriots that "if you make yourselves sheep, wolves will eat you."

He was right then, and it applies now.

We've been sheep too long – too trusting of government. The wolves are at our door, right now. We see them and see what they're doing. We know the consequences. These government intrusions against our Constitution and our freedoms as Americans must be stopped.

By Barbara Simpson

Posted: April 19, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

Tea party one for me was last year, in Pleasanton, Calif., where several thousand people gathered to express dissatisfaction with the direction of the country on a variety of levels. I was asked to speak to the crowd. Many knew me from my writings on WND and my hosting conservative talk radio on KSFO in San Francisco.

There was nothing special about any of us. We were typical Americans – individuals united in citizenship and dedication to the freedoms this country represents.

Several things impressed me – the enthusiasm of the crowd, its well-mannered behavior, the attendance which included single men and women of all ages, families with children, people of all races and creeds and professions and economic levels and finally, when it was all over, for their respect for the location. They left the spacious green lawns absolutely free of litter. That, in itself, was remarkable, given how crowds in this country generally are inconsiderate slobs.

But there was something more important that deeply impressed me: the number of people who spoke privately to me about their concern for the political direction of this country.

The common thread among those conversations was that those people were legal immigrants to this country from Europe, mostly Eastern Bloc countries. These people had lived under communism and Nazism. They know what that means and what freedoms are sacrificed. They survived and escaped.

They came to the United States to be free of those strictures on their lives and futures, and to their horror, they see the seeds of the same restrictive government policies being imposed.

They begged me to please tell people the truth about what's happening before it's too late. Their anxiety was palpable.

Last week was my tea party two. I drove from the post office, where I mailed my income tax forms and the checks (ouch!) covering them, and then on to the city of San Jose for the gathering.

I wasn't sure what to expect this year because the support of the tea-party idea had mushroomed into a grass-roots phenomenon across the country. In my area alone, there were three major gatherings with a number of smaller efforts, attracting thousands.

We were warned that disruptors had strategized infiltration to bring down the events. Liberal media wrote that the tea parties were meaningless, right-wing rantings.

Polls reported that the only people there would be 45-year-old, angry, white, rich males and I would be surrounded by them as they carried signs calling for the overthrow of the Obama government.

They were wrong in more ways than one.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Government – of, by and for the government ~ By Pat Boone

Commentary from WorldNetDaily

By Pat Boone Posted: December 12, 2009 ~ 1:00 am Eastern © 2009 How many of us have memorized Abraham Lincoln's immortal words from his Gettysburg address? "…that government, of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth." I suspect that, apart from Thomas Jefferson's equally immortal "… certain unalienable rights, among these life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," there are no words better known or more precious to patriotic Americans. Democracy. Independence. Liberty. Freedom itself. All of these more abstract concepts are actualized and made understandable in the words "government of the people." Government by the people themselves. Government fashioned completely for the benefit not of the governors, but for the people who select their own governors – to do the will of the people. This was a truly revolutionary concept. And it brought about the revolution that changed the world. The colonies that constituted America then were peopled with folks who were subject to a king; they were under his authority and pretty much had to live as he ordered, at his pleasure. But, the king wasn't there, and the people had gotten a very good taste of what it was like to make most of their own decisions and live as they chose. And they liked it. When the commands of the king became odious, and when he forced them to take things they didn't want – and then taxed them heavily on those very things – the people rebelled. In a bloody, impossible war, which against all odds they won, the people formed a whole new kind of government. It was their wish to govern themselves, voluntarily, through elected representatives who would implement the wishes of the majority. It would be a spare, lean government, guaranteeing equality for all citizens and favoritism to none. The framers of the Constitution foresaw, even foreordained, a competitive tension between the executive and legislative branches of this government, so they made the judicial branch the referee, determining which branch was adhering to the Constitution and which was usurping powers not granted it. And to make sure the elected representatives obeyed the Constitution and the expressed wishes of the people, they knew they could be kicked out of office after serving a short term. The people were in charge. The people ruled. And it worked! For over 200 years, this unprecedented, wild dream worked! The United States of America became the best, the most prosperous, powerful and envied country in the history of the world. The people proved they could govern themselves, in a system they called a republic, a democracy. But early on, Ben Franklin warned, "Beware; if the congressmen discover they can appropriate funds by taxation for their own purposes, the republic will be lost." READ FULL STORY>>

When America was great - By Joseph Farah

Today, Joseph Farah has written about wisdom and insight: Not his own, but that of our prominent Founding Fathers – those who left us with the legacy of liberty – if only we were bright enough to keep it. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin had it right. We should have learned from what they had told us, wisdom from centuries ago.

It's the wisdom and insight of some of our prominent Founding Fathers – those who left us with the legacy of liberty – if only we were bright enough to keep it: "Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." – John Adams, letter to John Taylor, April 15, 1814 "Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor or private interest of any one man, family or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity and happiness require it." – John Adams, "Thoughts on Government," 1776 "I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer." – Benjamin Franklin, "On the Price of Corn and Management of the Poor," November 1766

"But with respect to future debt; would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare in the constitution they are forming that neither the legislature, nor the nation itself can validly contract more debt, than they may pay within their own age, or within the term of 19 years." – Thomas Jefferson, September 6, 1789 "Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories." – Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 14, 1781 "I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious." – Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Ludlow, September 6, 1824

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