Remarkable similarities in the four candidates

Have you ever thought about how much the 4 candidates actually do have in common? 

Vance's wife, Usha, and Kamala Harris are daughters of Indian immigrants who were well educated California academics. Say what you will about class and race in America, but Asian Indians are near the top in education, income and entrepreneurship. (Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley were also candidates and also ethnically Indian.) As an immigrant group they have an advantage since most have a college degree and English as a 2nd language when they immigrate. 

And Donald Trump's mother and wives Ivana and Melania were immigrants (Czech and Slovenian).

Vance and Obama were both raised by their grandparents (Obama technically isn't running, but that's not true in reality). 

Vance and Walz have strong rural backgrounds, Vance with his heart home in rural Kentucky, and Walz in several rural communities in Nebraska and working on a farm as a teen. 

For all they say about the importance of family values (and all candidates say that), fathers don't seem to be on the scene much. Walz's father died when he was young, Vance's father was completely out of the picture and his Papaw was his male influence, Harris's parents were divorced, and other than her father being a Marxist professor, we don't know much about him. Trumps' father is mentioned as a real estate mogul, but I don't see evidence that it was a warm relationship. 

Both Vance and Walz have experience in the military and attribute much of their success and leadership skills to that. 

Both Trump and Harris, children of privilege, attended private schools--Trump's was a military school and Harris' was in Montreal, Canada. 

In stories and rumors of sexual escapades, Trump and Harris match up well.

Can you think of other similarities?

Rape as a military weapon to terrorize civilians

Last night I was reading an investment report which referred to 2 wars--one in Europe and one in the Middle East. And self said, what about Africa? What about South Sudan, Sudan, and Ethiopia? Millions of people, don't they count? So, I started looking at other news sources. South Sudan seems to be holding in a weak cease fire; Sudan is going full-bore killing thousands and making millions refugees; and Ethiopia's problems--I get so confused with the tribal names and the government and non-government militia, I just had to give up. Although in Africa, it isn't skin color or religion, it's all about the tribes. All seem to be on the edge of a food crisis.

Then I came across the horror statistics about rape. I don't remember if it was South Sudan or Sudan but the figure was 70% of the women had been raped as part of war booty--the soldiers are paid with whatever they can loot or steal and permission to rape and torture.

One of the illustrations (journalists try to bring horror down to a manageable level) was about a young woman who had used her college holiday to travel back to her home village, and got caught in one of the raids. Her parents and grandparents were killed, and she was taken hostage and held in a slimy snake filled pit and raped every day. Finally, she was starving so they just expelled her from the camp to make her way back home. And she survived (although these women are usually not accepted back into community). In what she calls a blessing, she learned she was pregnant, and had her baby, who is the delight, love and hope of her life. With the help of other disgraced women who have banded together, she hopes to earn enough to return to college and make a life for herself and her child.

Please vote for life today, November 7, 2023, if you're reading this in Ohio. Vote NO on Issue One to change Ohio's constitution, a bill which is far beyond what most Pro-Choice voters can imagine, and they don't even realize it. They are believing lies. Many call themselves Christians. I know some of them. I grieve.

The Defense Medical Epidemiology Database whistleblower vs. government denials

The damage caused by the untested medical mandates of 2020 has taken a back burner position in the public's mind compared to the Supreme Court decision on abortion, Hunter Biden's laptop, the out of thin air charges by Alvin Bragg against Trump, and Biden's proxy war in Ukraine, but it's had a huge impact on the readiness of our military and on the lives of the military members who still are suffering or who were wrongly discharged.  Combine that scandal with the DEI racist policies while calling white soldiers racist, the general failures of the current administration in closing out the Afghanistan war, it's surprising there is anyone joining the military.

The data from the DMED by 2021 showed a skyrocketing level of many diseases. There doesn't seem to be any reason for it except the mandates that those at little risk submit to an untested and unapproved medical procedure.

Percentage Increase over the Average of the previous 5 years:

Heart attacks 2069%

Cancer 300%

Pericarditis 175%

Myocarditis 285%

Pulmonary Emboliisms 467%

Cerebral Infarction 393%

Bell's Palsy 319%

Guillain-Barre 20%

Immnodeficiencies 275%

Menstrual Irregularity 476%

Multiple Sclerosis 487%

Miscarriage 306%

HIV 590%

Chest Pain 1,290%

Labored Breathing 905%

Neurological Issues 1,052%

Then an anonymous source in the DoD reported that the DMED statistics were a result of underreporting for 2016-2020.  It is that story which all the MSM and various non-profit watchdog "science" organizations reported to the general public. It looks like no one in the military was tasked with asking why the medical establishment didn't question why figures were low for 5 years. Not until Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) began to question what was happening, did the DOD decide its own database had been wrong (under reporting) for 5 years, and then wrong again by over reporting.

"Judicial Watch sues Pentagon for Vaccine Injury Data, Verdict, April 2023, Vol. 29, Issue 4, pp 12-14

https://www.westernjournal.com/military-doctor-testifies-court-high-level-command-ordered-silence-frightening-vaccine-data/

https://www.bitchute.com/video/gZ3FMy54alRe/

https://renz-law.com/attorney-tom-renz-whistleblowers-dmed-defense-medical-epidemiology-database-reveals-incredibly-disturbing-spikes-in-diseases-infertility-injuries-across-the-board-after-the-military-was-forced-to/

Letter from Ron Johnson to DOD https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/services/files/FB6DDD42-4755-4FDC-BEE9-50E402911E02

Wokeism and abortion in the miliary

It seems Leftists in government aren't worried about wokeism now being demanded for our military to create disrespect and hate for whites is a threat to our safety, but pregnancy of female soldiers is. Rand Corp. study: "The Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court ruling will limit service women’s and DoD civilian women’s access to reproductive health care and affect the health of these critical populations." War isn't pleasant and people are killed, including innocent civilians. However, killing the unborn citizens to protect the readiness of the military? Now that's cold. Can our female soldiers not be continent long enough to complete their enlistment?

And yes, we tax payers paid for this, so how could the results have been any different? "This research was sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and conducted within the Forces and Resources Policy Center of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD), which operates the RAND National Defense Research Institute (NDRI), a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense intelligence enterprise." They admit at the beginning of the study that they deliberately made the military dependent on female recruits. 4 women with interests in "gender studies" diversity and inclusion and advanced degrees in psychology, sociology and Spanish are the authors.

The Rise of Wokeness in the Military | Imprimis (hillsdale.edu)

Landmark Women's Reproductive Health Survey Shows Need for Improvements in DoD Reproductive Health Care | RAND

Ob-Gyn: No, The Dobbs Decision Does Not Put Women's Lives In Danger (thefederalist.com)

Southwest Airlines

Occasionally I look at a pound sign (particular topic) on Facebook. Checking #southwest I found many enlightening posts, but noticed this one particularly:

"Paraphrasing from a Southwest employee....

“80% of our pilots are ex-military. We see the tyranny that’s happening. They’re coming for essential workers first (nurses, doctors, firefighters, police, military, teachers and transportation workers) and they’re coming for the rest of America next. We’re not doing it for us, we’re doing it for America. We swore to defend the constitution against all enemies”.

Exercising in the morning

 Saturday morning TV/radio is rather. . . boring and bland.  Rehashes of the week's news and garden shows.  So while riding my indoor cycle this morning (6 miles) I brought up Cheddar, a channel that seems to specialize, at least on Saturday early a.m., short documentaries and films.  Week-days it's a  regular news and technology channel and the target is millennials (obviously, not me). It was founded in 2016 by Jon Steinberg. Today I watched one on suspension bridges vs. cable bridges, their design, span and replacement; two on music how brain-sound researchers are manipulating the background music for exercise, shopping, workings, etc. and the changes in hip-hop and rap (and I assume pop and country-western) by young producers using the internet to sell "beats"; and two more on the military, the use of drones primarily during the Obama administration in military targets, and how the military, particularly the Department of Defense has had a cozy relationship with Hollywood ever since Wilson needed to convince the American public to go into WWI. All very interesting, and I can see how the millennial crowd becomes very jaded and cynical.  Especially with the stories about drone strikes.  Until someone investigated (in 2017) not much was known about the U.S. military branches helping Hollywood.

How the U.S. Military Influences Hollywood on Cheddar

How Focus Music Hacks Your Brain - Cheddar Explains - VoiceTube

Hip Hop's Underground Beat Economy on Cheddar

Critical race theory in education

I was reading a summary of an article on critical race theory in education about black teachers. I think 5 people were interviewed and from that the author, Michelle Jay who is black, concluded, "The study confirms several tenets of critical race theory including the assertion that racism is not aberrant, but endemic and permanent in American society, and routinely exists in public schools."

This is always the theme in critical race theory which is taught from the highest levels of government and military (reeducation camps) to first graders (get 'em while they are young and parents are clueless). Racism according to critical theory is endemic and permanent, so therefore society must be destroyed and rebuilt. That in a nutshell is BLM.  The talking heads on TV, including Fox, look pretty silly searching for logical, historical, rational reasons for the riots. It has nothing to do with police, or with George Floyd--they are just tools. This author was writing about this stuff 20 years ago.

If there’s a bright side the the house arrest virtual learning, it’s that parents are getting a look at what’s going on in education.

The Impeachment smoke screen, Todd L. Thornton, guest blogger

The Democrat's Articles of Impeachment are a smoke screen of legal jargon covering up why they really want Trump impeached.

Why Trump is being Impeached:

1. Border crossings are down 73% and the Democratic Party is well aware of how preventing illegal aliens from socialist nations to enter the United States is affecting their “Illegal Voter Registration” policies, especially in sanctuary states, like California and New York where an impoverished and dependent class of citizen is crucial to their political power.

2. Despite outright corruption orchestrated by Organizing For America using the American media (NBC, CNN, ABC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others), fake race riots, phony Russian collaboration, and pretend stories about Ukrainian influence were peddled as fact and bolstered by a corrupt leadership team at the FBI and CIA. These efforts failed to topple the President as there was no basis of fact in the allegations and Millions of dollars were wasted. In the midst of an active impeachment trial, The President has begun investigating the Democrats and where their money comes from. Americans are just beginning to learn of global money laundering schemes, pay-to-play diplomacy, and complicity in the actual crimes the President stands accused of. Billions of dollars have been traded for Democrat's families to have jobs, pedophiles and communists to take safe haven, provide for anti-American terrorist regimes, and line the pockets of phony charities like the Clinton Foundation and the myriad of Soros funded groups actively working to destroy the American political system of democracy and freedom. The Democrats must stop Trump or they risk losing the mechanisms to fund their imperial power and socialist agenda.

3. President Trump is not a politician and campaigned as such, promising to accomplish in his first term what politicians holding office for upwards of thirty years have been unable to accomplish during their tenure. His success exacerbates their failure to act. His donated paycheck contrasts with their propensity to become millionaires on a Congressmen's salary.

Below is a list off the Trump Administration's Accomplishments. These accomplishments are pro-American, pro-democracy, and citizen focused. These successes are not derived via deception, corruption, or racism despite media claims to the contrary.

• Almost 4 million jobs created since President Trump was elected.
• More Americans are now employed than ever recorded before in our history.
• The Trump Administration has created more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs since his election.
• Manufacturing jobs growing at the fastest rate in more than thirty years.
• Economic growth last quarter hit 4.2 percent.
• New unemployment claims recently hit a 49-year low.
• Median household income has reached the highest level ever recorded.
• African-American unemployment has recently achieved the lowest rate ever recorded.
• Hispanic-American unemployment is at the lowest rate ever recorded.
• Asian-American unemployment recently achieved the lowest rate ever recorded.
• Women’s unemployment recently reached the lowest rate in 65 years.
• More women are now employed than men.
• Youth unemployment has recently hit the lowest rate in nearly half a century.
• American now has the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded for Americans without a high school diploma.
• Under the Trump Administration, veterans’ unemployment recently reached its lowest rate in nearly twenty years.
• Almost 3.9 million Americans have been lifted off food stamps since the election.
• The Pledge to America’s Workers has resulted in employers committing to train more than 4 million Americans through vocational education.
• 95 percent of U.S. manufacturers are optimistic about the future—the highest ever.
• Retail sales surged last month, up another 6 percent over last year.
• President Trump signed the biggest package of tax cuts and reforms in American history. After tax cuts, over $300 billion was poured back in to the U.S. in the first quarter alone.
• As a result of Trump's tax policies, small businesses will have the lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years.
• The Trump Administration helped win the U.S. bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
• The Trump Administration helped win U.S.-Mexico-Canada’s united bid for 2026 World Cup.
• Trump's energy policies opened ANWR and approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines to secure American oil independence and make the United States a net exporter.
• Under President Trump the United States is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957.
• The President's policies increased US coal exports by 60 percent while U.S. oil production recently reached an all-time high.
• President Trump cut wasteful government red-tape by eliminating a record number of regulations.
• The Trump Administration enacted regulatory relief for community banks and credit unions.
• The Obamacare individual mandate penalty was ended.
• The Trump Administration is providing more affordable healthcare options for Americans through association health plans and short-term duration plans.
• Last month, the FDA approved more affordable generic drugs than ever before in history. And thanks to the President's efforts, many drug companies are freezing or reversing planned price increases.
• The President reformed the Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging low-income seniors on their drugs—saving seniors hundreds of millions of dollars this year alone.
• Signed Right-To-Try experimental medical procedure legislation.
• Secured $6 billion in NEW funding to fight the opioid epidemic and reduced high-dose opioid prescriptions by 16 percent during his first year in office.
• Signed VA Choice Act and VA Accountability Act, expanded VA telehealth services, walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care for American Veterans.
• The President withdrew the United States from the job-killing Paris Climate Accord.
• The President cancelled the illegal, anti-coal, so-called Clean Power Plan.
• Secured record $700 billion in military funding; $716 billion next year.
• The President is working to ensure American taxpayers no longer pay for the defense of national that can afford to defend themselves. As a result, NATO allies are spending $530 billion more on defense since 2016.
• To counter the militarization of space by Russia and China, The President has begun to make the Space Force the 6th branch of the Armed Forces.
• Nominated and confirmed more conservative circuit court judges than any other new administration.
• Nominated and confirmed Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
• Withdrew from United States from the one-sided Iran Deal.
• Moved U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
• Protecting Americans from terrorists with the Travel Ban, upheld by Supreme Court.
• Issued an Executive Order to keep open Guantanamo Bay.
• Passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that will bring relief and business to the American farmer concluding a historic U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Deal to replace NAFTA.
• Reached a breakthrough agreement with the E.U. to increase U.S. exports.
• Imposed tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum to protect our national security.
• Imposed tariffs on China to level the playing field in response to China’s forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and their chronically abusive trade practices.
• Net exports are on track to increase by $59 billion this year.
• Improved vetting and screening for refugees, and switched focus to overseas resettlement.
• Requiring Hospitals to publicly disclose the costs charged and paid by ALL insurance companies to ensure transparency and fair competition.
• Making animal cruelty a Federal felony, praised by the American Humane Society.
• Expanding federal civil rights protections against anti-Semitism, which was duly praised by the President of the Anti-Defamation League.

Now ask yourself, "Who would be against such things, what would motivate them, and why would they want President Trump removed for office?"

The accomplishments of President Trump that Galli ignores in his impeachment for Evangelicals Christianity Today article

1. The appointment of two Supreme Court justices, 50 judges to federal circuit courts of appeal, and 133 federal district court judges (plus two other judges to specialized courts). All of them are committed to interpreting the Constitution and the laws according to the original meaning of the words and not according to their personal policy preferences. This is a good result of immeasurable benefit to the future of the country, for it guarantees that laws must be made by elected legislators who are accountable to the people, not by judges who are appointed for life and have no effective accountability to the people as a whole. Many of these judges will serve for decades to come.

2. Significant tax cuts that have resulted in remarkable growth in jobs and wages. The good results are already seen in the paychecks of millions of workers, with the highest percentage growth occurring in low income jobs, the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years, and the lowest black and Hispanic unemployment rates ever recorded.

3. Massive elimination of wasteful government regulations, giving a strong boost to business and job growth.

4.  Strengthening our military with passage of the largest defense budget in our history.

5. Standing up to China and firmly opposing their long-time theft of our intellectual property, including much copyrighted and patented information.

6. Moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and in general being a strong friend of Israel.

7. Supporting laws and actions that protect the unborn child’s right to life, including permitting states to defund Planned Parenthood, reinstating and expanding the Reagan administration’s Mexico City Policy which halts funding to groups that promote abortion overseas, strengthening conscience protections for individuals and organizations that have sincerely held religious beliefs about the sanctity of human life, and requiring insurance companies to disclose to customers if their plans cover abortions.

8. Building as much of a truly effective border wall as could be built in the face of intransigent opposition by Democrats.

9. Withdrawing from the misguided Paris Climate Accord, which would have significantly increased energy prices in the U.S.

10. Issuing executive orders that protect religious freedom, such as rescinding the Obamacare HHS mandate that forced groups such as Little Sisters of the Poor to provide access to abortifacients through their health care plans or face massive fines, finalizing new rules that protect the rights of conscience for pro-life medical professionals, and the Department of Justice issuing 20 principles of religious liberty to guide the Administration’s litigation strategy and protect religious freedom.

11. Revoking the Waterways of the U.S. regulation, which wrongly took control of millions of acres of people’s private property

12. Gaining approval for the Keystone pipeline, the Dakota access pipeline, and oil exploration in a tiny section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

13. Finally retaining energy independence for the United States (we now produce more energy than we consume)

14. Rescinding Obama-era regulations that required schools to allow biological boys to enter girls’ restrooms and locker rooms in high schools

15. Driving ISIS out of large areas that it had controlled in Iran and Syria

17. Supplying Ukraine with needed weapons to defend itself against Russia

18. Persuading several NATO allies to increase their defense spending

19. Protecting freedom of speech on public university campuses by denying federal funding to institutions that do not protect student speech.

20. Promoting more ability for parents to be able to choose their children’s schools by appointing Betsy DeVos, a veteran school-choice advocate, as Secretary of Education.

https://townhall.com/columnists/waynegrudem/2019/12/30/trump-should-not-be-removed-from-office-a-response-to-mark-galli-and-christianity-today-n2558657?

Marcia the military wife comments, guest blogger

The group where this was posted is generally conservative, and apparently some are unhappy about the President taking action (far less than Obama did with drones where he once in 2014 killed civilians at a wedding and the target wasn’t killed) because like Obama, he’s promised no more wars. So Marcia is letting whoever got snarky, have a piece of her mind.

“As I sit here on the tail end of of my husband’s latest six month deployment to Kuwait, I’d like to as calmly as possible ask the many members of this group to tone down the anti military posts.

I’m not sure why the death of an Iranian terrorist and murderer is triggering you into general anti military sentiment, but if it is, perhaps you need to sit down and ponder why that is and what it is you truly believe.

I apologize for getting heated and using salty language in reply to some antagonists. Two decades of frequent separation from my spouse while working full time and raising my kids is weighing heavy on me. Maybe it’s the broken dryer or the faulty wiring in the garage door, or the fact I need to spend about $1000 on tires for ANOTHER 4000 mile move to Alaska. Maybe it’s how my kids have managed to break the flusher handle on two toilets in my house and I’m debating if I should hire a handyman or wait until my husband returns or try to YouTube it and do it myself with all my free time.

Maybe it’s because my 9 year old daughter is now in weekly counseling.

Maybe it’s because I’ve never lived even remotely close to my family or the fact I gave birth to my first child alone because my husband was in Korea for a year. Maybe people who have zero idea what military service entails should sit down and shut up for a minute, and realize that if they sound like coastal liberal elites, then maybe that’s exactly what they are.”

Unintended pregnancies in the military

Active duty women in the U.S. military are more likely (one study says 50%) to have an unintended pregnancy than civilian women in the U.S. population (7% compared to 5%). There's no shortage of insurance or education or birth control, the 3 things liberals like to site as the reason we need legal abortion. So why is this? I don't know--but I'm sure there will now be demands for the Department of Defense to pay for abortions.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/militarymedicine/74959

Transgendered in the Military

Diane McDermott writes at Facebook:  "Currently you can't JOIN the military if you have any medical conditions that require constant treatment or excessive accommodation. That's why people with asthma, diabetes, permanent STD's/STI's (like HIV), people with cancer or a recurring history of cancer and individuals with physical disabilities can't serve (except in very rare cases where a specific waiver is granted). Transgender individuals require hormone replacement therapy, they require psychiatric care during transition, and if they elect to get surgery it can take 2-4 years for them to recover to the point of being eligible to deploy. On top of that, after the surgery they are at a higher risk of infection for the rest of their life, which complicates any attempt at sending them to the field to train where hygiene isn't always able to be pristinely maintained or overseas. An overseas deployment also puts the individual at risk because they may not have steady access to their hormone replacement drugs, which leads to withdrawal and hormone imbalances as well as health problems. So, just like diabetics and cancer patients and individuals with physical or mental disabilities, it just isn't feasible to accommodate these people so that they can serve. President Trump makes right decisions for the best of all Americans and it isn't always easy politically, that's the difference between this President, the past presidents and the politicals, he makes the hard decisions regardless of the political fallout."

I do not question the patriotism of the individual men and women who identify as the other and want to serve their country.  I DO question the patriotism of the LGBTQ agenda and political motives. The less safe they make the rest of us, the better.

According to an advocacy website for trans, 19% have HIV (most are trans women, aka men) compared to 1% for the general population. Also, it's feelings not surgery and hormones that determines the status. Suicide attempts are at 41% compared to 4.6% in the general U.S. population. Of course, the blame and responsibility for those health problems are someone else's fault not the fault of the person with the disordered sense of gender.  https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/AFSP-Williams-Suicide-Report-Final.pdf

Women and the draft

Women may soon be required to register for the military draft. What sense does that make? We haven't had a draft for decades, but this signals the reinstatement. Small countries need women in the military; ours doesn't. Our military right now is below pre-WWII levels, and we have a president who can't or won't lead and politicizes tragedies if they involve a favored group.

So what's up? Our military probably also isn't ready to accept draftees. Today's military of volunteers, both men and women, is the best in the world. Don't make the military branches another social service agency for creating "equality."

And no, I don't think women should be in combat, either.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/us/politics/congress-women-military-draft.html?_r=0

 http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/15/482168066/in-defense-bill-senate-approves-plan-for-women-to-register-for-draft

Please pray for our military chaplains

 "It is a hardship upon the Regiment I think, to be denied a Chaplain." George Washington

“A still small voice frequently asked me, where is your God?” he wrote recently in his journal. “I feel so alone in this world. I am so isolated and alienated from people, the world, and myself. I feel like a Prisoner of a War who has been forgotten on the battlefield.” (Washington Post article, May 29)

If you Google Military ministry you'll find a number of organizations helping those traumatized by war or serving chaplains and military families. And of course, always research carefully before you donate, but prayers for those with trauma and PTSD are always safe and stamped in red "approved by God."

Fundamental Baptist Fellowship, Chaplains

Archdiocese for Military, Roman Catholic

Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Armed Forces ministry

Orthodox Church in America Military Chaplains

U.S. Marine Corps, Religious ministry 

Presbyterians caring for Chaplains 

Prayers for soldiers, families, enemies, USCCB

Meet the neighbors--by guest blogger Septimus Sextus

Went to a Holiday Party last night in my neighborhood and talked politics with some interesting folks. Was told by several that Bernie is the man because he was going to take on the corporations, was going to push for single payer, and was going to take the money we spend on war and spend it domestically. Also spent some time discussing specific issues with some folks.

To recap... These are amazingly pleasant people who are great parents and good neighbors. But when I said single payer means Medicaid for all they claimed to not know much about Medicaid. I told them they were lucky.

When they talked about the high price of college and their student loans I asked them if they saw a correlation between a government loan program, the education lobby, and the rising cost of higher education.
When we discussed energy policy and I mentioned ongoing changes in the coal industry to make it cleaner and the overwhelming need to not mothball coal plants until a workable alternative is actually in place, they mentioned renewables.

When I said renewables wouldn't power heavy industry they didn't follow the logic. When we discussed the need to transition to nuclear power as an alternative and reminded them of the French nuclear success story they focused on waste byproducts. When I said those are buried in the ground in a desert miles from anyplace somebody would want to live they didn't understand. 

And finally when I said you can't not have a military and you have to blow up the really bad guys they didn't understand why we couldn't just wash our hands of international entanglements. And when I said that's fine then don't be surprised if we go back to covert operations and propping up somewhat crazy despots to keep the really crazy people in check, they mentioned human rights. 

So yeah... Quite an evening. And their votes count the same as ours.

Women in combat

On the Patrick Madrid show (radio talk, Dec. 9) the topic was the recent approval for women in combat. A career female military officer called in and said she disapproved for a reason I'd never thought of: In WWII the USSR lost about 10 million men in combat, but did not draft women, and their population recovered. China has lost females primarily in the womb (abortion, one child policy) and can't recover for many years, if ever. If women of child bearing age are killed in combat there is no way to replace your population. She also mentioned the different physical standards for women in the military, but that has been the case all along. In combat it could be a more serious issue.

The general consensus is that women in combat weakens the military.  There are many, many who call themselves Americans who would like to see this.

Obama and the military

Obama vetoed the NDAA. He stabbed our military in the back and sunk us at a very dangerous time—right on the heels of his giving the store to Iran to build nuclear weapons. Such bills had been vetoed by only four past presidents according to WSJ—in 1978, 1988, 1995 and 2007. In each case, the president objected to an actual provision in the bill, and each time Congress’s Armed Services committees were able to find a compromise that earned the presidential signature. Obama isn't about bi-partisanship or compromise.

In vetoing this legislation, President Obama has made history, but for all the wrong reasons. He has become the first commander in chief willing to sacrifice national security by vetoing a bill that authorizes pay, benefits and training for U.S. troops, simply because he seeks leverage to pursue his domestic political agenda.

The president didn’t veto the bill because of any of its policies, which make some of the most significant reforms to the Pentagon in more than 30 years, while giving troops the vital capabilities necessary to combat today’s mounting threats. (Wall St. Journal)

Defense is part of discretionary spending. It’s 16% of the $3.8 trillion compared to the 60% (mandated) spending on Medicare, Medicaid, S0cial Security, unemployment.

A soldier’s farewell to the service (from his Facebook page)

Tomorrow morning will be the final day I lace up my boots and put on my Air Force uniform. I have now served my country in uniform for 14 years but it is time to go.

As I was out-processing today my wife (who will be leaving service next month) and I were asked numerous times "Why don't you just stay in one more enlistment for your retirement?"

It was somewhat difficult to answer with just on...e reason as to why I have decided to take off the uniform. Was it the pay and benefits? No not really (Even though I make less than $15 a hour which many people think the minimum wage should be!) Was it all the deployments? Ummmmm sorta of (I have been deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Bosnia just to name a few in addition to about 25 other countries)but I love my country and would always give my life defending this great nation for my family and friends.

So I just wanted to share a couple thoughts with all of you while I sit here thinking about my final day in uniform which will come at 0630 tomorrow morning. I currently am an AMMO troop. Our mission is to build bombs and process numerous other munitions to take the fight to the enemy. We pretty much put "Warheads on Foreheads!" But what I signed up for many years ago has changed dramatically. Even though our mission is to kill, we are more worried about upsetting someone’s feelings versus getting the mission done. We spend more time doing ancillary training then actually training. Even though I have a military drivers license I have to be signed off in another database to drive a vehicle and then have a competency card saying I know how to drive on top of that. That is just a few examples of why I have decided to call it quits.

And then we get to the bigger issue America. Can anyone tell me what the following names mean? Thomas Sullivan, Skip Wells, Carson Holmquist, David Wyatt, or Randall Smith? Or is this easier for you, Cecil the lion or Caitlyn Jenner? Yes we give more attention and respect to stars and animals then we do to those who continue to give their lives for this country.

I have met my greatest friends in the military. I have left home for months not knowing if I would return. I have written letters to my family just in case something happened to me while at war. I have looked war in the face and have taken the fight to the enemy. I have watched grown men cry and sat in the middle east wondering how big my kids were getting and how my beautiful wife was doing.

So would I do it again? Absolutely! But we as Americans need to realize what is going on and return to the greatest nation we used to be! If we as a society don't toughen up and grow thick skin then we will definitely loose the battle to those who wish ill will upon us. Perception is reality, and right now we are more scared of speaking our mind and hurting someone’s feelings versus doing the right thing.

In closing 99% of America knows Cecil the Lion and Caitlyn Jenner. Only 1% will know the other 5 names (4 Marines and 1 Sailor) who gave their lives in Chattanooga TN at the hands of an terrorist!

So tomorrow I will lace up the boots head into work shake a few hands and be on my way. Its been one hell of a ride. To all those I have met along the way I say "Thank You for your Service". To my brothers and sisters overseas right now "God Speed" and I will drink a beer for you all. Continue to put Warheads on Foreheads and you will continue to be in our prayers each and every night.

God bless America!

Long lost purple heart will be reunited with family of recipient

Ten years ago Smuckers the dog dug a hole in the lawn and when his owner Steve Jankousky went to fill it up, he found something shiny—a Purple Heart.  For 10 years Jankousky has been looking for the man whose name was engraved on it--Cpl. Richmond Litman.  Finally, he found a step-daughter, and will soon be in touch with Litman’s family.  The Korean War soldier died in the 1990s.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.3010341/dog-finds-long-lost-purple-heart-returns-it-to-veteran-s-family-1.3010605

And Smuckers is still alive to help with the reunion.  Neat story.

Read between the lines—Obama is no military leader

“Washington spent $25 billion to re-create and arm Iraq’s security forces after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion [under Bush and a large coalition], only to see the Iraqi army easily defeated last year by a ragtag collection of Islamic State fighters who took control of large parts of the country [after Obama pulled out the troops and left them defenseless]. Just last year, President Obama touted Yemen as a successful example of his approach to combating terrorism.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-loses-sight-of-500-million-in-counterterrorism-aid-given-to-yemen/2015/03/17/

WaPo is an Obama apologist—so you won’t find outright condemnation. Obama pulled out and left Iraqis defenseless.  Our losses in Afghanistan are triple what they were under Bush, and that war—the one Obama said was “good,”--was virtually won before he took office. Gave armaments to a country not strong enough to handle them.

Even with the Benghazi scandal, there were rumors of American arms being part of the story and then it appeared in a report not released to the public at the time. ‘The consulate’s only mission was to provide cover for the moving of arms,’ the former intelligence official, who has read the annex, said. ‘It had no real political role.’ Many of those arms probably ended up in the hands of ISIS who are now killing our allies and Christians. http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/04/real-benghazi-story.html

http://www.wsj.com/articles/covert-cia-mission-to-arm-syrian-rebels-goes-awry-1422329582