As 2011 comes to a close and 2012 right around the corner, let's not underestimate the boy king and his hopes for a second reign.
As awful a president as Barack Obama has been in his first term, he will still get a significant number of votes because there are still many people in this country who are stupid. Many people who actually like him. And many people who still hate anything and everything Republican from the 8 Bush years.
An Obama/Biden ticket poses some threat. An Obama/Clinton ticket will be extremely, painfully tough to beat.
There is a lot of bickering, mud slinging, name calling, and divisiveness within the GOP as the Iowa Caucuses approach. As conservatives, libertarians, and Americans, let's not let the current infighting take our eye off the primary goal...defeating Barack Obama at all cost.
Whether you support the spineless, whiny WronG Paul, who blames America more than Barack Obama, or the Obama-Lite Mitt-for-Brains Romney, or the screeching crow Michele Bachmann, or even the money grubbing fat, tub of lard Newt Gingrich...no matter who wins the nomination, we all need to support them in any way we can throughout the year up until election day!
Let's not forget that going into 2012. Have a blessed and safe holiday!
The more I see Ron Paul gaining steam, and the more people I know personally begin to profess their love for Ron Paul, the more I feel compelled to voice my staunch opposition to him.
I know I am not the only one who feels like their head is spinning, and sometimes downright sickened, by this year's GOP candidates, their campaigns, and the upcoming Iowa Caucuses.
I will admit, I was sucked in by a few GOP hopefuls who appeared to have potential and promise. Rick Perry, the Texas Governor turned intoxicated retard. And Herman Cain, the successful businessman and orator...who turned out to have a little too much personal baggage with the ladies. Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich also enjoyed short lived rises to the top and horrific crashes to the bottom. I never had any real interest in either of them.
Which leaves us with 3 candidates with less than a week left before the Iowa Caucuses begin. Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and a guy who has been under the radar for a while and punctuated on the devastating failures of the other former front runners...Rick Santorum.
To any freedom loving conservative who supports defending America, Rick Santorum is the obvious choice.
To liberal Republicans and moderates, there is Mitt Romney.
To liberals, anarchists, Truthers, right wing extremists, and libertarians who have no desire to defend America, there is Ron Paul.
And so I get to the main body of this post. Why I (still) won't support Ron Paul.
Julian Assange and the Wikileaks scandal
In December of 2010, the Wikileaks scandal involving Army private Bradley Manning and Wikileaks mastermind Julian Assange was full blown in the media worldwide. Manning had sold top secret US military documents to Wikileaks that included sensitive information that put US servicemember's lives at risk, as well as compromising missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. How did Ron Paul react? Ron Paul defended Julian Assange saying, “In a free society we're supposed to know the truth. In a society where truth becomes treason, then we're in big trouble. And now, people who are revealing the truth are getting into trouble for it.” Paul also referred to Bradley Manning as "a true Patriot" and "political hero".
Views on Israel and Palestinians
Anyone who has ever listened to Ron Paul speak knows he is clearly anti-Israel. Take it from Eric Dondero, who has worked for Ron Paul since 1987. “He wishes the Israeli state did not exist at all. He expressed this to me numerous times in our private conversations. His view is that Israel is more trouble than it is worth, specifically to the American taxpayer. He sides with the Palestinians, and supports their calls for the abolishment of the Jewish state, and the return of Israel, all of it, to the Arabs.” Need I say any more? See this, this, this, and this. If you believe in supporting Israel as an ally, you simply don't support Ron Paul.
Blowback and WWII
Again, Dondero says this, "he strenuously does not believe the United States had any business getting involved in fighting Hitler in WWII. He expressed to me countless times, that ‘saving the Jews,’ was absolutely none of our business. When pressed, he often times brings up conspiracy theories like FDR knew about the attacks of Pearl Harbor weeks before hand, or that WWII was just ‘blowback’ for Woodrow Wilson’s foreign policy errors, and such." Don't take his word for it though. Ron Paul himself, when asked whether he would have sent troops to fight Nazi Germany in response to the Holocaust said, "No, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t risk American lives to do that. If someone wants to do that on their own because they want to do that, well, that’s fine, but I wouldn’t do that." And here is something as simple as supporting military actions in World War 2, and Paul, like he so often does, refusing to agree.
Refusing to go after bin Laden
Following the raid and killing of Osama bin Laden, Ron Paul, instead of supporting the actions and commending the SEALS like any normal American, said this, "It was absolutely not necessary. What if he had been in a hotel in London?" For any American victory, Ron Paul has an antidote.
Denial of Islamic terrorism
In response to Michele Bachmann calling out Islamic terrorists, Paul said,
“she doesn’t like Muslims, she hates them, she wants to go get ‘em”. What kind of pro defense Republican attacks another Republican for vowing to defend America? Watch this video where Paul refuses to acknowledge Islamic suicide bombers, shifting the blame to America yet again. And watch this, straight from his own website.
Ron Paul's words of wisdom regarding 9/11
On, of all days, the day before the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, Ron Paul posted this on his website, saying the war on terrorism has only made things worse. He does not even support the idea of attacking the Taliban in Afghanistan following 9/11. Listen to Ron Paul's anti American diatribe when asked about 9/11. Here is Paul declaring the war in Afghanistan as "illegal".
If you agree with Ron Paul, that Israel should not exist, and is the source of the world's problems, along with the United States, victimizing poor Muslims for decades now, and that we should be friends, even with the most despicable of nations, then it would make sense to support Ron Paul.
If you have even the slightest bit of backbone, and hold libertarian conservative beliefs and ALSO believe that evil does exist in the world, that America is not the cause of all the world's problems, and that America should be defended from evil nations then it is ever so clear that Ron Paul is cut from the same cloth as Barack Obama.
There is outrage among some parents after a substitute teacher in St. Joseph "revealed too much information" about Santa Claus with a class of second-graders.
Some of the 7 and 8-year-old kids went home with tears in their eyes and questions on their mind after the sub raised questions about Santa.
Brown Elementary School officials are saying that teacher is no longer welcome in their school and some parents worry Christmas may be ruined.
Principal Craig Hubble immediately sent an email out to all the parents in the school saying he was, "sickened by what happened," and to warn them that kids may come home with questions. Hubble also wrote in the email that, "I strongly believe this person has no place around children."
This was that substitute teacher's first time at Brown Elementary and Hubble said it will definitely be her last. He reported her to the company that arranges for the school's subs.
At first, I thought this article was a Scrappleface style joke. But alas, I am proven wrong yet again. Oh those poor, poor suburban children. Christmas is now "RUINED" because they realize the 18 presents they will receive Christmas morning are from their loaded parents, and not a lie they have been raised to believe in. Give me a break! No place around children? Why, because she told them the truth? Oh the humanity! Sickened? I actually have no words for this one, other than hogwash.
Has the entire country been led astray so much that we have collectively lost sight of the real reason for the season? Santa is a conjured up lie and the sooner you tell your kids there is no Santa the better. Maybe try telling them something that is true, like the story of Jesus.
I'm sorry, but who does this guy think he is? Just when I think this arrogant, self righteous, Marx worshiping buffoon couldn't become any more vomit inducing, he goes and says something like this. Really, who is seriously contemplating voting for this guy next November?
What has he done during his tenure? He has aliened every single one of our allies while at the same time pandering to our enemies. A lot of good that has done. Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, Russia, and China still hate us. Now so does Israel and Britain. It would behoove you to remember Obama's thoughtful gift to the Queen of England herself...a shiny new Ipod with a playlist of Barack Obama speeches. Even worse treatment than that was given to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who was not even given the courtesy a world leader deserves, being forced to enter the White House through the back door like some hired butler. But let's not stop at world diplomacy. Let's look at other, more outrageous things. Like nationalizing the auto, student loan, banking, and health care industries; effectively transitioning our already socialist-lite nation into full socialist. He has tripled the national debt, spending ungodly amounts of taxpayer money on failed policies, such as TARP, Cash for Clunkers, and soon to be Obamacare. If you know anything, or have watched the news at all over the past 3 years, you know we could go on, and on, and on, and on about Barack Obama's failures and disgusting character.
Now let's turn to the constantly morphing GOP field, which has seen numerous candidates exhibit a rise and painful fall. Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Herman Cain have all risen and crashed. Newt Gingrich is next. Which leaves Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. This year's electorate and candidates are so unpredictable, there is no telling what might happen. It appears Sarah Palin might still get into the race, and if that happens, who knows where we will end up, besides a 2nd term for Obama of course. So, let's look at the candidates at hand right now. Ron Paul and Mitt Romney. I loathe each equally. There is no need to analyze these guys again, we have all done that enough times. If I had to pick one to be president I would easily choose Ron Paul. If I had to pick one to beat Obama it would be, and is, Mitt Romney. Sadly, we live in a day and age where substance of character is trumped by outward appearance. Ron Paul 20 years younger would be the ideal candidate. Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich all have no chance of beating Obama in the debates. Why? Bachmann is a woman. Perry sounds borderline retarded and drunk. Paul is too old and too short. And Gingrich comes off as a grumpy, old white man. Mitt Romney however, has exhibited nothing but confident, calm, cool and collected answers every time. He is a smooth liar just like Obama. Fight fire with fire. Or should I say liar with liar. I hate to compromise. But we need to think of the bigger picture here and what is best for this country. It is a shame the GOP could not produce a truly conservative/libertarian candidate with the skills and ability to beat Obama. The way it is looking right now, and I know more are seeing this by the day, Mitt Romney is the only one with a legitimate chance.
Already the whining infants on the left are screaming "Racism!". This reaction by the police was totally and completely justified and it's only a shame the cop didn't use MORE force. His 9mm comes to mind. At 0:33 in the video you can clearly see one of the "dancers" tell a player "back up punk!" while pushing him out of the way, as the group seals up the exit to prevent more people from leaving and prepares to do their "dance". (more like a tribal jungle dance in my opinion.) It continues with the police officer standing nearby calmly asking the group to "make a hole" to allow players and fans to exit not 1, not 2, but 10 TIMES before using force, non lethal I might add, to disperse the thugs. An excellent job by these police officers and I give them a pat on the back for a job well done. Really, what do these crybabies think will happen when they willfully disobey police orders and block people from exiting? Like I said, pepper spray was too good for them. "Imma sue you!" they yell after being reduced to crying babies. Sue away. The video evidence is more than enough to justify the police's actions!
Are you ready to see the Occupy Wall Street protests rolled up into one short video? Enjoy!
Here are some more videos uploaded by the same person, a British man I presume, who hits the nail on the head when talking to these lowlife bums. These are wildly entertaining.
Now here's an interesting video of a Vietnamese immigrant businessman who cannot make any money because the bums have chased away his customers as they wade in their filth...
Here's one that really shows what the liberal protesters are made of!
Here's another video I find very interesting. Nothing more than a lawless mob with no regard for the law and no respect for authority.
A quote from a former protester on the above video..."Of course the cops had to corral them, the fools were blocking traffic. I was supportive of this movement at the beginning but now I've seen enough to change my mind. The more videos you guys release, the dumber these people look. They may be peaceful, but some of them also seem to be breaking laws and deliberately goading police because they want to appear as martyrs. Now they all just look like children behaving badly.
Now I'm supporting the NYPD for doing their jobs. Enough is enough, kids."
"We are the 99%!" they scream. This couldn't be further from the truth. I'm sick and tired of seeing these ungrateful, lazy, good for nothing brats cry, whine, and poop their pants on Wall Street and elsewhere.
I will simplify this for you. What we are seeing on Wall Street is the product of entitlement America propagated by the George Soros, Barack Obama, the Democratic Party, and the Unions. The throngs of thug bums protesting are a mixture of anarchists, ultra leftists, and general idiots. Many, as we have already seen, have absolutely no reason why they are even there. Some of these idiot kids just want to be angry at something. But above all, this is the attempted left wing reaction to the Tea Party. The left has been itching to have a movement of their own to counter the Tea Party. With this debacle, they have failed miserably. Even the left wing NY Times is against them.
The irony reeks within these mobs. We continue to see photos of protesters with their Dell laptops, Apple iPhones, Northface coats, Nike shoes, Starbucks coffee and countless other products produced by corporations. Oh those evil corporations.
Now, Keith Olbermann has made an appearance to support the lowly throng. That should tell you something about who these people really are.
Good for nothing-lazy-BUMS. These people are Bolshevik wannabes who think they represent the "working man". Hardly. They protest "corporate greed". In the same breath they say "Make the Banks Pay" and "Tax the Rich". Who is really greedy here? They are essentially advocating the theft of money from one group of people and the transfer of that money to themselves. Get off your lazy butts, WORK, save, and make something of yourself instead of expecting someone else to hand everything to you! These people make me sick! A bunch of little kids with their Guy Fawkes masks and bandanas over their faces to mask their inner fear and insecurity. And the 70's hippies-turned-geezers thrown in. What a gathering!
To make matters worse, just look at their behavior. It doesn't take much to see the difference between these slugs of society and the Tea Party they so desperately want to overtake.
These left wing activists protesting the Wall Street "fat cats" are stupid, lazy radicals who are jealous because they don't make as much money as others. We've heard this same old cliche argument from the left wing before. It's really getting old.
"WAAAAA, mean greedy Capitalists make more money than me!"
"Those big FAT CATS don't deserve to make so much money. Obama please take it from them and give it to me!"
"RACIST Republicans HATE black people and poor minorities but they love the rich white man!"
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
I'm sick and tired of class warfare politics fueled by nothing more than jealousy by the left towards the right.
These same idiots who can't seem to find anything productive to do with their time call for an end to skyrocketing unemployment and government corruption and in the same sentence say they support President Obama. How does that make any sense at all?
Get a job and make something of yourself you losers! McDonalds is hiring and so are a million other low paying jobs you could start at. It's called work for a reason! Join the Army or any other branch of the military for goodness sakes!
Pure laziness and unwillingness to sacrifice. They expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter by government. Don't buy into this nonsense they pretend to represent. Of course, everyone hates Wall Street behavior these days.
The Tea Party was started because of the Wall Street bailouts by big government!
The ignorant person would look at these people and the Tea Party as essentially the same thing. The difference is these people are collectivist in nature. They favor big government. They don't just hate Wall Street. They hate Capitalism!
"The Crisis Is Capitalism"
This isn't even a movement. Please. The media is already salivating over these mass idiot protests as if they were some enlightened new hippie revolution from coast to coast. They did anything and everything they could to destroy the Tea Party and the conservatives still organized some of the biggest rallies in the nation and sent many elected officials to Washington to speak for them. The Tea Party has shown its power. Why? Because Americans are overwhelmingly conservative and adhere to the 2 main values the Tea Party voices: limited government and low taxes. These people are for big government and more taxes! This little raucous gathering of jealous little Communists will wither away and die. They are nothing but a bunch of radical Bolshevik youths who think they are doing something noble and just. In 20 years they will grow up and look back and see what idiots they were.
To me abortion has always been a no brainer, but to some it is more complicated unfortunately. They make excuses to justify the destruction of unborn life. They view the choice and well being of the mother as top priority over the life of the baby. Ultimately, those who favor abortion are divided into two groups I think. The ignorant who simply do not know the facts (a visible baby is seen as early as 6 weeks, how many unborn children have been murdered since Roe v. Wade, negative post abortion physical and psychological effects on the mother, etc) or choose to ignore them. And the purely coldhearted and evil, who do know the facts and still willingly embrace them despite full knowledge of them. I would like to believe most belong to the first group. Anyway, here is an extremely powerful short documentary on the matter and I highly encourage all to watch! Thanks to my brother at The Narrow Gate for originally posting this.
"African-Americans have been brainwashed into not being open minded, not even considering a conservative point of view," Godfather's Pizza executive Herman Cain said on CNN's "The Situation Room" in an interview airing Wednesday between 5-7 p.m. ET. "I have received some of that same vitriol simply because I am running for the Republican nomination as a conservative. So it's just brainwashing and people not being open minded, pure and simple."
I agree with his statement, and there is nothing but truth and fact to back it up. Blacks consistently vote for liberal politicians nine times out of ten, nationwide. And why? Liberal Democrats promise minorities freebies. They promote laziness. They "take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not" as Thomas Jefferson so eloquently put it. They chain them down with the all powerful outstretched hand in return for a vote. This is how the Democrat party operates and if you cannot see it I seriously suggest you get your brain checked. Many people, however, have not got their brain checked. I scrolled down to read the CNN reader comments. Just listen to a few of these.
"That's really weird seeing Cain accusing someone of being brainwashed. Repubs serve the corporations and Dems serve the public – so the question to you Mr. Cain is when you look around that boardroom or that big tea-bagger revival tent – how many African-Americans are standing with or even near you?"
---The RNC (Righteous Neanderthal Circus)
"Any non wealthy person with a brain should dump the GOP teabagger party. I think that I shall never see, a republican smarter than a tree."
---No Amnesty for Teabaggers - Impeach Republicans
Good point! I just might vote Democrat now!
"The "Black Community" is not brain-washed into voting for Democrats, they vote in the best interest, since the Republicans do absolutely nothing for this community, minorities in general, and the middle-class at large!!!"
---Moderate Sean
Best Interest= Free stuff from gubmint'! Yay! Gimme! Republicans platform is to lower taxes for the middle class, Democrats consistently raise taxes, yet Republicans do nothing for anyone. That makes a lot of sense.
"That's because they know that the republican/tparty is really nothing more then the party of the old south and all they are interested in is making the country safe for lunacy, hypocrisy, hate, and exploitation. The republican/tparty represents today's modern day equivilent of the planation owners who want to bring back slavery. The republican/tparty screams freedom but the only freedom they are interested in is the freedom to exploit others. Caine, like the rest of the republican/tparty candidates and the idiots who vote from them need to get back in the insane asylum where they belong!"
---zb
So I guess the Republicans are the new Dems and the Dems are the new Republicans? If you knew some history you'll know it was the Republicans that freed the slaves and the Democrats who opposed Emancipation, and also the Democrats who consistently supported Jim Crowe. This whole racism spiel is getting old. Again, no grasp of history or fact. If the GOP and Tea Partiers are so racist, why is Cain even a frontrunner? Next.
"Orrrr maybe they realize that the GOP is the party of the Rich, White man? Rich, White men who don't particularly care for them? Brainwashed? No, they just know what's up!"
---um
My favorite! The evil rich white man. Sounds like discrimination to me. Or does it not count as discrimination because he is white, male, and has money? I thought everyone was equal! The rich white man probably doesn't care for me either but do I whine and complain about it because I am not as wealthy? No, I don't care. And I won't vote for liberals just because I am butt hurt about it. I'd rather man up, work hard, and possibly be wealthy some day like them! A person like this commenter would rather sit around on a twelve year old couch with stains, eat cheetos, drink beer, smoke weed, watch Maury and collect benefits from the government while they occasionally log on to the internet (paid for by gubmint' funds) to cry "woe is me" and claim how racist the "Teabaggers" are. Loser!
"BRAINWASHED?!?!? No, we are not brainwashed. Republican elected officials consistently legislate against minorities....CONSISTENTLY.
They were against the Civil Rights act They were against the Dream Act They were against equal pay for women They were against the abolition of Don't Ask Don't Tell
WE WERE NOT AND WE ARE NOT BRAINWASHED. We simply see, hear and feel the effects of Republican legislation.
YOU, Herman Cain, have been brainwashed into believing that the GOtP accept you as an equal. You are a token. You are a pawn. You are a tool. You are a cover for the racist agenda for the Republican party."
---ME
Being against the Civil Rights Act does not constitute racism. It says the government has no business telling private citizen business owners who they can and cannot hire. The Dream Act is a push to legalize illegal immigrant criminals who slapped all legal immigrants in the face when they broke the law. Why is supporting this a good thing? Equal pay for women...again...why is it the government's place to dictate business practice in the private sector? Thomas Jefferson would be rolling over in his grave. Abolition of Don't Ask Don't Tell? Oh don't even get me started. If you want my entire response to that little ray of sunshine, here you go. Token, pawn, tool? Wanna throw Uncle Tom in there too? Why can a black man not be conservative and for limited government? Because this is how the liberal mind works....if you are black, you automatically must be programmed to need help from the government, therefore you are a Democrat. If you are black, and are a conservative, you are a misprogrammed traitor working for the white man, and not a "real" African American. That is the very definition of racism and this commenter, and the liberals in general, demonstrate it with amazing clarity!
I could go on and on with this idiocy. There were plenty of other comments I could have posted, but after cleaning up the vomit off of my laptop, I figured it wasn't worth it.
Just with these few comments you can see the mindset of the Obama voter and the progressive movement. They favor government power, because government is the solution to everything. They are wrong. Their hollow words of reply actually backed up everything Herman Cain said. I can't help but laugh.
If you are reading this, chances are you currently have a Facebook account. Perhaps you have it open right now, tabbed on another page. Many of you probably came here directly from your Facebook. Most of you have spent at least two hours on Facebook today.
My intent of this post is to weigh the pros and cons of Facebook and maybe ultimately answer the questions in the title. Memoirs of the Attention Deficit already stole my thunder in regards to this issue. She recently put up an excellent post on quitting Facebook which is wildly entertaining and juicy.
This blog will be in informal rant form, so here we go.
To put it mildly, I am sick of it. I am sick of the statuses. Sick of the apps. Sick of the chain posts that tell me if I do not repost some little girl with cancer will die in 7 days. Sick of the creeping. Sick of the stalking. Sick of the incessant profanity. Sick of the hideous pictures people post of themselves, and more than anything else, sick of the whining, complaining, and attention begging from its users.
I have been a Facebook user since late 2007. Back then, it was a pretty decent tool for college age friends to keep in touch, with a simple layout, messaging system, and limited advertisements cluttering the page. Now, it is an online portal into a virtual world where some spend more time than reality. Facebook has transcended mere social networking into an avenue for total control. Look at any given company and their advertisements. "Like us on Facebook" they say. Or sports teams. "Join our Facebook group". Even politicians take advantage of the goldmine of potential in Facebook. Barack Obama harnessed the gullible Facebook youth with remarkable results. We all know how that turned out. The fact of the matter is Facebook is becoming too big, and too controlling.
People spend hours upon hours of wasted time in cyber limbo land, strolling around the streets of the fictional town Facebook with a cigarette in their ear kicking a can with their hands in their pockets. "Liking" statuses. "Liking" products, in effect making yourself totally free advertising for that company. "Liking" causes but not ever actually doing anything about it. "Well I 'liked' it on Facebook, that should be good enough." Don't make me vomit any further. "Adding" "friends" who you don't know or know nothing about. Posting pictures of yourself drunk and passed out, peeing on a building, or posing in front of a bathroom mirror with no shirt on and a pair of cheap sunglasses while flashing a made up gang symbol. Talk about cool! I know people who post literally 15+ statuses a day. They sit around on Facebook all day long doing absolutely nothing but posting pointless information they think people want to see.
In essence, Facebook has brought out the inner whore in a whole lot of people, and it is too easy to go along with it. People post anything and everything about themselves. Nowadays, popularity is measured by how many Facebook friends you have and how many "likes" you get on your statuses. And speaking of statuses, let's just talk about that for one second shall we. If I could delete my entire newsfeed I would. Some people post some of the most idiotic, pointless, mindnumbing, teeth clenching, vomit inducing, blood pressure raising, completely asinine crap I have ever seen. Some examples of Facebook statuses I have read in the past.
"Bored"
"FML. I can't take it anymore."
"drunkkr then sh-------t..."
"waht the f--k is wrng wit dat moterf--king nigga.."
"Tired"
"I seriously can't take it anymore."
"OMG Justin Bieber is like, the most amazng singer evah!!!!"
Oh and my personal favorite:
"OBAMA"
I have since deleted over half of my friends list, and blocked the rest from my newsfeed. Call this blog post you are reading now a culmination of my Facebook frustration, brought about primarily by the last straw, Facebook's latest revamp a few days ago that lets you see an all new real time Twitter like feed showing EVERY single like, comment, status, and any other post every single "friend" is doing as soon as it happens.
Newsflash: I didn't sign up for Facebook so I could know EVERY single detail about EVERY person! And vice versa. Facebook needs to realize this, but Facebook addict users need to realize it more. They are the ones perpetuating this madness. Get something through your head...you are not meant to be an open book. To these people, you are only friends if friends on Facebook. Likewise, you are only dating if it is "Facebook Official". God help us.
Facebook is like alcohol. It is alright in moderate doses. Some people get drunk and hungover on Facebook daily.
I have temporarily quelled the waves and limited the crap by making the changes I did and slashing/blocking people as well as barely logging on entirely, but I have a feeling it won't last long. Recently Facebook has announced plans to usher in a new chapter in the history of social networking by doing away with the classic 'Profile' altogether and replacing it with a 'Timeline'. A timeline, in effect, documents your entire life in the cyber world for all to see. Thanks but no thanks. The Facebook addicts will be thrilled and go a'whoring some more times ten.
Constantly weighing the pros and cons of Facebook? You aren't alone. As much as I hate Facebook, it does have many things to offer, just enough to keep me sticking around. Being deployed, it is an excellent tool for staying in touch with family and friends back home, as well as sharing pictures from the Middle East with them. Facebook has allowed me to stay in touch with some long lost friends I never see anymore, mostly old Army buddies. In many cases, Facebook has actually enabled me to grow in friendship with many of my good friends, some of whom were only acquaintances before. Families can share family photos on Facebook with relative ease. Facebook is a free tool for communication with anyone, and I don't view that as a bad thing at all. But like I said, it must be consumed in moderation.
And so, I go back to my original two questions.
Is Facebook worth it and where do you draw the line? In order to answer those questions you need to answer a few others first. Do I spend more than four hours a day on Facebook? If you answer yes, then it is not worth it. Do I find myself posting statuses just for attention? If yes, not worth it. Do I post racy pictures of myself just to attract the opposite sex? Do I play Farmville at work? Do I offer myself as free advertising to companies by "liking" hundreds of products for no apparent reason other than to inform your "friends" you like it? Do I constantly have the daily urge to post a Facebook status about my day to day experiences? If you answered yes to any of these questions then Facebook is not worth it and that is where you draw the line.
I watched this debate in its entirety on Youtube a short while ago. I am jotting this post down in 'Notepad' because Blogger seems to think I am a spammer. By the time you read this post Hack Wilson will be up and running again, and I apologize for the absence.
What a doozie this debate turned out to be. It is only fitting that the most watched primary debate thus far turned out to be the most revealing for the candidates.
My former favorite Texas Governor Rick Perry has turned out to be exactly what I had expected, too good to be true. Rick Perry was simply awful. If this guy can't go toe to toe with Rick Santorum, how in the world is he going to go toe to toe with Barack Obama? His answers were slow and his speech was slurred. I actually thought he was slightly intoxicated for a second. When Rick Perry talks, it is like hearing a senior citizen tell an old story. You sit on the edge of your seat waiting for the punch line, but the words just do not come, as if there is some kind of mental roadblock. His attempted rebuttal aimed at Romney ("Which Mitt Romney is, is, is this? Is it the, the, the Mitt Romney that.........") which lasted around forty seconds and resulted in the bumbling, stuttering Perry only looking stupider made me cringe.I was previously unaware of his bright idea to give illegal immigrants free tuition to Texas universities, and that, along with his inability to debate has seriously made me reconsider my views on Perry.
Mitt Romney's performance was outstanding. Does that make me like him any better? No. But I can't help but imagine what an Obama vs. Romney debate might look like. Romney made Perry look like a fool. Romney speaks with confidence, is articulate, and is interesting to listen to. That is about the only good thing I can say about Mitt Romney. He acted and sounded presidential. He's a great liar, and that might be the perfect thing to get him to the White House. My views haven't changed on Mitt. He will only get my vote if Obama is the only alternative.
Here's a guy that I really liked watching...Rick Santorum. Of all the current candidates, I think I can identify with Rick Santorum the most politically. He is a PRO DEFENSE libertarian who isn't afraid to say the words "Islam" and "terrorism" in the same sentence. Santorum badgered Perry all night long. He is clear, concise, and one of the top three debaters within the GOP field. I hadn't given Rick Santorum much thought before. He has moved up in my list now and I would be thrilled to see him get nominated. Don't count him out.
Let's talk about Michele Bachmann. She is probably at the very bottom of my list. She may sqeeze by that fidgety Jack Russell terrier Gary Johnson but not by much. Michele Bachmann is not convincing at all. Her remarks on religious freedom were downright stupid. I was unaware people were not allowed to practice their religion anymore in this country. She digs too many holes for herself with stupid comments. My test for each candidate as you may know is picturing them in a presidential debate with Barack Obama. I would hate to think of the results of this one. She is with Mitt. Only if Obama is the only other choice.
Now to Ron Paul. You might have read my earlier blog post about my disgust for Ron Paul due to his foreign policy views and anti-American comments. I look and listen to Ron Paul and it just drives me crazy. His answers on EVERY issue but defense are exactly what I want to hear. He is different from all the other candidates. He says what he believes (He always has.) and doesn't try to be someone he isn't. He isn't your average politician. Splice Ron Paul with Rick Santorum and you would have a monster candidate. As long as Ron Paul continues to criticize America, rag on Israel, and preach defeat he will not get the votes. Pro defense libertarians and Republicans like me desparately want to support Ron Paul, but we never will because of the obvious. The only word I can best describe it is disappointment.
How about former Speaker Newt Gingrich? He has always been the most entertaining to listen to by far with his sharp, witty answers and dry humor. He's the grumpy old man who just doesn't care anymore. I can always count on him to attack Obama in the debates, as well as insult the debate moderators, which brings me great joy. I imagine a Newt vs. Barack debate in 2012 and can see some heated exchanges and wildly entertaining jabs. I love seeing ticked off Newt. Gingrich definitely has the experience, is well spoken, and could give Obama a run for his money if nominated.
Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is just plain boring and cliche. He reeks of politician. Huntsman looks like a 55 year old Ken barbie doll. Good approaches to limited government and the economy but, like Paul, he is all in for cut and run in Afghanistan. "We have been there ten years", he says. People like him put a time limit on the task of defending America, regardless of outcome. That's the wrong approach.
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is an interesting character. He favors the total abolishment of the Department of Education, wants to lower taxes, reduce the size of government, and cut off foreign aid to other countries. Outstanding. He also proclaims he will cut military spending by a whopping 43 percent. I am sure Al Qaida is salivating at that remark.
I save the best for last. That man is Herman Cain. Wow. It is no wonder Cain won the straw poll in Florida. He dominated this debate. Herman Cain seems to be the only candidate who consistently states specifics (999 plan) and he does so with confidence, passion, and a dash of humor thrown in. Herman Cain reminds me of a modern day Patrick Henry. Picture Herman Cain against Barack Obama in a head to head debate. Delicious. Cain is not a career politician. He is a successful businessman who knows money. That is exactly the kind of person this country needs. And let me just say, and I hate to do it, the fact Herman Cain is a black conservative could throw the left for a total loop. He could absolutely crush the opposition's bogus claims of racism on the right, and I suspect bring out the worst in them as they try to attack him, revealing themselves to be the true racists, as is the case. Keep an eye on Herman Cain. He is moving into the top tier. I am very excited about his prospects.
Updated favorite ticket: Cain/Santorum
Your thoughts are welcome and encouraged in the comment section below.
First off, I have absolutely no problem with homosexuals as people. Now let's get to the nitty gritty.
Homosexuality. It is wrong, unnatural, disgusting behavior. Not by my definition. By God's definition and the natural world. Homosexuality is a danger not only to society, but to the very people engaging is such acts, which results in extremely higher rates of STD's and drastic reductions in life expectancy. I won't waste my breath trying to convince you homosexuality is wrong. If you can't see that then you have a problem.
Don't Ask Don't Tell was the perfect policy to address homosexuals in the military. It allowed them to serve and protected them at the same time. Don't fall for the leftist trap that gays and lesbians were prohibited from serving. They had the same freedom to serve as heterosexuals. What is the difference? The gays feel a need to openly advertise their sexuality to the rest of the ranks. Why? Did previous homosexual soldiers really have such a hard time doing their duty for their country because they could not let all their fellow soldiers, and friends know how they prefer to have sexual intercourse? Tell me, who is really wrong here?
I am in the Army, and since the repeal of DADT I know quite a few soldiers who are now openly flamboyant to the point of arrogance. I am disgusted. There are two types of homosexuals. Those who make their sexuality their defining character and those who don't. These gays put their character in this order:
1) Gay
2) Soldier
On the contrary, do I put my defining characteristics as:
1) Straight
2) Soldier
???
Of course not, and neither do the rest of the straight military members. In fact, I wouldn't even put my sexuality on the top five on that list. But the gays do. They are gay above all else, and that is WRONG.
Now let's discuss the effects of gays in the military. For those past and present servicemembers, you know the importance of unit cohesion and the close proximity in which we live, deployed or not. We sleep, eat, shower, goof off, train, and fight together. If you seriously think an openly gay soldier does not make any difference here you are dead wrong. Homophobia? Hardly. Human nature. You liberal "intellectuals" need to come out of the fantasy bubble you live in. Get a clue.
Now that repeal is done, the Stars and Stripes military newspaper here in country is going gaga with "gay stories". They feel the need to highlight the gayness of gay troops from page A1 to D12, relegating the stories of combat in Afghanistan to the back pages. What a joke.
If you want to be gay, I have no problem with it. But quit making being gay who you are! Barack Obama and the liberal whackjobs who thought repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell was a good idea, especially in wartime, are naive idiots who wouldn't know the first thing about putting on a uniform.
I can get along with a gay person just fine, and have in the past, on one condition...don't make your sexuality who you are as a person. If you feel the need to do that, I will not get along with you, I will not respect you, and either way, I will never accept or respect your disgusting behavior.
Repeal of DADT was a big mistake and the evidence will come to light in the coming years.
Oh yeah, and if you think I am a bigot go ahead and kiss my behind. Your intolerance is worse than anyone's.
Who does this guy think he is? I can honestly say, this uneducated American "sheep" has had it up to here with the good doctor.
This may come as offensive to some of my fellow libertarian friends and libertarian bloggers but I simply cannot stand Ron Paul anymore. And please, if you are a Ron Paul supporter, spare me the "You don't know the truth" crap. I am sick and tired of hearing someone who is running for President blame all the world's problems on the United States. You know those little quote mix up games that feature quotes from Obama, Hillary, Hitler, and Mao which you cannot tell apart? I could just as easily put together a nice little list of Ron Paul and Osama bin Laden quotes, mix them all up in a hat, pull one out and not have the slightest clue who said it.
Ron Paul says September 11th was the result of the United States "relentlessly bombing" the Middle East in the ten years before. Oh really? Do tell dear sir. Newsflash: It is not the 1700s anymore. We live in a global interconnected world where intervention is necessary to protect our country. Not cowardice isolation. Ron Paul says a fence on the border of Mexico to keep the droves of illegals out would do the opposite and "keep Americans in." What kind of lunacy is this? Ron Paul says he would not have taken out Osama bin Laden if he had the chance. Do people really take this guy seriously? Ron Paul says the Palestinians do not get a fair trial. You mean before or after the fifty rockets launched into Israel that day? Seriously, whose side is this guy on?
Don't get me wrong, Ron Paul has some great views on limited government and the economy. His foreign policy is worse than Barack Obama's.
I will say it again, this naive isolationist "blowback" mentality is misguided and wrong. Get a grip. And study some history. Our country has been at war with the Muslims for decades. Ron Paul is so quick to blame America. He is worse than Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and John Kerry. Ron Paul supporters are the same. "The truth hurts" they say. "It needs to be said". Well how about this truth...an Islamic extremist movement that is present worldwide and hellbent on jihad against America, Israel, and Great Britain. This is not simply blowback from American foreign policy. It is deeply rooted in the Muslim world, their ideology, and their way of life. Look at the number of Muslim terrorist attacks worldwide. It is staggering. Ron Paul would have us lift our foot up and all the while the Islamic deathdealers would have free reign to plot and plan to their hearts content from Pakistan to Yemen. If I was a Taliban fighter or Al Qaida operative, I would jump for joy if Ron Paul got elected. I would be emboldened. But Ron Paul and Ron Paul supporters conveniently brush aside these truths.
Let us pretend for one minute that the threats of Islamic terrorism were not real. Then I would be 100% in full support of Ron Paul's "humble foreign policy". But this is not the case. We live in a world where it is real. There is a religion out there that is at war with our nation. And we cannot simply ignore it!
I can honestly say, based upon the many speeches, debates, and writings I have heard from Ron Paul, I have heard more critical words directed at America and Israel than the Islamic terrorists.
Even worse than Ron Paul are Ron Paul supporters. I base this opinion on personal contacts and interactions, internet activity, and their public activism. I have never seen such a bungled group of conflicting negative ideologies in all my life. They are a mob of anarchists who hate any form of authority, anti-Semites who decry the "Zionist occupation" of the world, general idiot college and high school kids who want pot legalized, paranoid conspiracy theorists, spineless non defense libertarians, and general people who hate America.
I am sick of being talked down to by these people because I have not come to the light. Maybe you should know this, I am a former Ron Paul supporter and for a time I confess, a 9/11 Truther. Then I began to watch and read the news. Particularly the 'World' section (those Zionist Jews controlling the media can't make up every terrorist attack!). Give that a try. I did come to the light. Now it is your turn.
I recently watched a documentary made by National Geographic called 'Restrepo', which documents the ravages of warfare that a US Army platoon must endure while staying at a remote outpost in Afghanistan. The entire film covers a wide range of emotions as it tells the story of the men who live and die there while fighting the Taliban. The combat footage is real, there is no acting. What struck me the most is the intense realism. There is no fakeness here. There are no Hollywood actors or everyday actors. The hell these men endure strips away all but who they really are. It is something I think every American should see. One part was strikingly powerful, when one of the sergeants is shot, laying there lifeless and bloodied, the reactions of his fellow troops. Grown men, hardened by months of constant combat, crying and wailing like little children. I cannot express here the deep sick feeling I got when watching that. And while it was hard to watch, I am so glad that I did.
This documentary is completely apolitical. There is no agenda other than telling the story of these soldiers as they endure the hell of combat in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. Or so I thought. Alas, the left wing in America proves me wrong yet again. After watching, I decided to check out Restrepo on IMDB to see what others had to say about it. Not only had leftists run rampant on the message boards decrying the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they had vile and insulting words for the very troops (even the deceased) who were shown in the film!
It makes me sick and angry to think there are actually people out there in the United States who legitimately hate our country so much, that they hate our dead soldiers. I have no words.
After spending a good twenty minutes reading the posts from coward, pot smoking, hippie boys hiding behind their keyboards and computer screens I noticed a couple of trends in their thinking.
1) All the troops are brainwashed pawns who enjoy killing
2) America is an imperialist nation and the cause of all the world's woes
Both of these accusations are only subconscious attempts to mask their own cowardice and lack of manhood. Idiots who say such things are ignorant people in denial. They have no merit. I ask you, if you are one of these scum maggots, why are you so quick to accuse American troops of barbarity but you never acknowledge the heinous crimes of the Taliban? Does our military hang eight year old boys and elderly women? Does our military stone women if they are raped by a man? Does our military sever the heads of captured enemy combatants with dull blades?
This moves us to point number two. If America is such an imperialist nation, why have we not completely seized every oil field in Iraq and poppy field in Afghanistan for our benefit and why have we not enslaved their people? Imperialist nations don't spend their very own money rebuilding the nations they "occupy". They take the resources there. Imperialist nations don't construct schools in the lands they conquer. Imperialist nations don't help set up democratic elections for the countries they invade. Why are Iraq and Afghanistan not annexed territories of the US? Left wing scum like these people have absolutely no grasp of history. A history lesson is in order. Egypt, Rome, Greece, Persia, Ottoman Turkey, Spain/Portugal, Napoleonic France, and Nazi Germany were imperialist empires. Difference between America and said empires: they annexed the territory and enslaved the people they conquered. The United States has not even come close to either of these actions. The next time one of you hippies says the United States being in Iraq or Afghanistan is an "imperialist occupation" you deserve a slap in the face with a history textbook. I thought the left were the intellectually enlightened!
The next time I am confronted by an anti-American liberal who presents either of the above arguments I will swiftly bury both inane statements in a matter of seconds. Why? I can personally attest to the exceptional qualities of the American military and its relationship to its enemies. I am a medic. Myself and my fellow soldiers have been tasked out by the US Army specifically to treat captured enemy prisoners here in Iraq. We treat Al Qaida detainees to the same standard we would treat a wounded American soldier. Hardly the actions of a bloodthirsty military and an imperialist occupation. I speak from personal experience and I will trump ANYONE who says otherwise!
And to those who openly mock the actions of dead soldiers, where is your humanity?
Some of my fellows troops and I caught a good portion of the GOP debate last night via live streaming on the web. Before delving into my take on what I heard I will tell you all of us are completely and 100% on the side of the conservatives. There is no question, 90+% of the soldiers (and civilian contractors) I have talked to here are sick and tired of the current administration, massive expansion of government, over regulation, and on a personal note, disdain and neglect of our military. That said, here is my take on what I heard from the Republican contenders.
In short...Rick Perry is the man, for now.
What I saw in Rick Perry was a strong, unwavering, articulate, and prepared debater, and a serious threat to Barack Obama.
The entire debate was a sham, aimed at pitting Perry against Romney with a dash of Bachmann, Gingrich, Paul, and Cain to fill in the spaces in between. I witnessed for a long time a pack of wild dogs snapping at Rick Perry with tenacity. Was this supposed to be an all out assault on Perry or an honest debate on the issues? Good grief. He handled himself professionally, calmly, but most importantly boldly.
His remarks on capital punishment were perfect (a few of us even clapped) and his line "we need provocative language in this country" was bold and I think exactly the kind of talk Americans want to hear.
Romney? YAWN.
Ron Paul? Where to begin. A fence on the border with the drug cartel run state of Mexico would keep Americans IN? Why does everyone rave about how smart and "honest" Ron Paul is? His comments are stupid and he sounds like a whiny child every time he talks. Put simply, he is annoying. And his isolationist philosophy is dangerous. I don't trust him to protect our country. People who support Ron Paul are deniers of the threat Islam poses to our nation.
Michele Bachmann? I'm sorry, but she simply does not belong there, nor is she presidential material.
Herman Cain? Showed more substance than anyone else and told the viewers what exactly he would do, instead of dodging each question with mushmouth talk like Bachmann and the rest. I loved what Cain had to say and he has quickly become my second favorite after Perry.
Gingrich? Past his prime.
Santorum? Virtually no chance.
Hunstman? Seems to be more interested in evolution and global warming than anything else. He also needs to quit tanning and get rid of that ridiculous haircut. He looks like a career politician, and is.
I will take a Perry/Cain ticket after what I saw tonight! But more important to note than the candidates is the fact MSNBC tried to rig this entire debate to get the Republicans to fight amongst each other, as well as throwing them stupid questions that don't reflect the GOP platform. How about the fact they brought out a Hispanic to address a question about illegal immigration??? And Brian Williams or his liberal partner in crime couldn't ask that? Further proof it is the leftists who harbor the real racism deep down. The entire debate was a sham, but Perry and Cain were bright spots!
A melee broke out Tuesday afternoon at Playland Amusement Park when Muslim visitors became angry that the park was enforcing its ban on headgear by prohibiting the women from wearing their traditional head coverings on some rides.
Police from at least nine agencies converged on the park beginning at 3 p.m. after county police sought assistance in responding to the disturbance, which involved 30 to 40 people.
...
The park was crowded with Muslims celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr, one of Islam’s two major holidays. Most were from community groups in Westchester and New York City as part of a daylong event arranged by the Muslim American Society of New York.
“It’s unfortunate because everybody just wants to be home with their families today,” said Zead Ramadan of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
...
Earlier, a park cashier told a Journal News reporter that a woman wearing a hijab either pushed or hit a ride operator who forbade her from going on the ride. She said a police officer tried to restrain the woman and the woman’s husband took offense, at which point a multiple-person fight broke out.
Yet again, we see that the "moderate" American Muslim is no more than a conjured character of the left in order to further deny the threat of Islam. No, these Muslims are not killing anybody. But what does behavior like this tell you? It tells me that they believe they are above the law, that their "religion" makes them superior to all others, and that if anyone questions them, disagrees with them, or tells them they cannot do something they want to do then they are a victim. Like I have said before, Islam is incompatible with American society, and the West in general. Muslims are consciously using our Constitution and leniency against us.
I am sitting in Atlanta International Airport waiting on a flight back to Kuwait while I watch Barack Obama stutter his way through a speech on the economy and jobs in my home state of Illinois. Apparently he is speaking at the headquarters of Wyffels's Hybrids. Not ten seconds after I begin watching he says, "I'd like the thank the Waffles family for...."
Unbelievable. And people think this guy is a good speaker??
He goes on to stress that the problem with America is its politics. Oh joy! Please elaborate Mr. Obama!
I'd like to make the point that Mr. Obama is dead on, yet not quite precise enough. The problem with America is big government politics, HIS politics!
I could go on and on but I just don't have the energy.
The death toll in Iraq yesterday, with at least 70 murdered in attacks across the country, was bad enough. But the scope of the killing carries worrying echoes of the way sectarian warfare ramped up across Iraq starting in late 2003, leading to the country's civil war.
The sheer scale of the activity yesterday makes it hard to dismiss events as the work of a handful of terrorists. Car bombs at a market in the southern city of Kut killed about 40. A suicide attack killed three policemen at the government counterterrorism center in Tikrit, the hometown of executed former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Four Iraqi soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the Sunni town of Baquba, north of Baghdad. Separate car bombs in Baquba and nearby Khan Bani Saad killed eight.
In the Shiite holy city of Najaf, a suicide car bomb attacked the police headquarters, seeking to open the way for other militants. Seven people were murdered in that attack. There were multiple attacks in the ethnically and religiously mixed city of Kirkuk, with extensive damage done to a Syriac Orthodox Christian church there.
Iraq is fast becoming the next forgotten war. In addition, Afghanistan is also fading into the shadows, even though American troops are still dying there. Americans are tired, they don't care anymore while the economic and entertainment news of the day dominates the headlines.
Pawlenty is out of the race. Gingrich is sputtering. Palin has stayed back in the shadows for too long. That leaves some top tier Republican candidates. Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, and Michelle Bachmann.
I will keep this short. As you all know, my favorite has been Paul Ryan. I firmly believe Ryan has the very best chance of defeating Obama. He still hasn't announced any plans to run, and I don't think he will in the future. So it's time to assess other candidates.
Let's start with Ron Paul. I have slowly but surely begun to like him to the point where he just might get my vote. I will admit, Ron Paul has a following like no other candidate and he has hung around with tenacity. He is a thorn in the establishment's side. For just that, I like him. He may be the only candidate who offers real change and has a real understanding of the Constitution. He has a spot on approach to free market economics and limited government but when it comes to defense, I do not trust him one iota. Coming in second in this week's straw poll has given him a boost and made the name Ron Paul mainstream.
Mitt for Brains Romney is out of the question. If, by chance, he does get the nomination I will put aside my disgust for his liberalism and support him as the lesser of two evils. As of now, Romney supposedly is the front runner. I have one question. HOW? Every conservative I have talked to hates Romney. He may attract moderates and Democrats but not the Teavangelical vote by any means. Expect Romney's numbers to fall just as they did in 2008. He is just too liberal to get the nomination.
Newcomer Rick Perry has a special appeal. He has substance in the "Texas Miracle" with which he can use against Obama. Perry has the look of a president, much like Reagan, and a record to back it up. It will be interesting to see how Perry handles himself in the coming months. Perry has establishment and evangelical support but it all hinges on if he will be able to nab Tea Party support. I have high hopes for Governor Rick Perry. I think he has a very good chance at defeating Obama should he get the nomination.
Michelle Bachmann. The media hates her and is doing all it can to discredit her much as it did Palin. This morning I watched in disgust on NBC's Meet the Mess with David Gregory as Michele Bachmann was grilled without mercy, first on her belief in God, then on her views on homosexuality. Gregory asked her lamebrain questions repeatedly ("Should wives submit to their husbands?"..."So the man has the last word?"---WTH??) and Bachmann deflected each flaming arrow of liberalism with finesse and professionalism. I don't expect her to get the nomination but if she does, I will vote for her in a heartbeat.
And then there is Sarah Palin. I am sorry if this comes as insulting or offensive to supporters of Sarah Palin but I do not like her as a politician, nor do I think she has any chance of beating Obama should she get the nomination. Sarah Palin is like a withering flower. Her time has come and gone. Yes, she will eventually enter the race with a bang, and her poll numbers will rise. That is only natural. Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama would be an absolute disaster, especially in the debates. Granted, this is just my opinion.
As of now, I am set on two candidates. Ron Paul or Rick Perry. I would love to hear your input if you have one. Comment below and feel free to vote in the new poll I have posted to the right!
I have often found myself debating with atheists and skeptics alike on the validity and truth of the Bible, as well as the Christian faith in general.
Most of the time people who argue against Christianity do so out of denial, disgust for organized religion in a historical context, and dislike of the modern day "American Christian". You may very well be one of these people. I am here to say I understand you. It is a shame what reputation modern evangelical Christians have given themselves in America. Sex scandals, hypocritical behavior, political priorities, and an overabundance of cult-like denominations all accumulate, brick by brick, in the wall going up between the saved and the lost.
I am here to make a few points. First of all, true Christianity is not an organized religion. In fact, I hate the word. Christianity, in its purest form, is a personal relationship between Jesus Christ and the believer. It is what separates the "religion" shall we say, from all other religions. It is all dependent on one thing and one thing only: Belief in Jesus, and a 100% desire to follow him! Many try to make the point that Christianity and the other main religion of the world, Islam, are essentially the same. This couldn't be further from the truth. If you want to get to the root of that debate, compare Jesus and Mohammad according to historical fact and their beliefs and writings. If you truly do this with an unbiased, open mind, you will find that Jesus was unlike any other spiritual figure in the history of the world, including Mohammad.
Central to the argument for Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus. If this event never happened, the whole belief system falls apart. From a historical perspective, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after his execution by the Romans two thousand years ago is as established as any other event in history. Why is it you have no trouble whatsoever believing any given fact about Nero, Alexander the Great, or Napoleon but when it comes to Jesus, all of a sudden historical FACT is a fairytale?
Let's get to the Resurrection. I will start by introducing you to a man named Simon Greenleaf. Greenleaf was a professor of law at Harvard University during the late 17 and early 1800s. He was also a skeptic who doubted the validity of the Bible. Greenleaf sought to disprove the Resurrection of Jesus but came to the opposite conclusion instead. You can read his entire conclusion here. One of his arguments involves the twelve disciples of Jesus. Put in layman's terms it goes something like this...
Why, if Christ had never risen from the dead or never exhibited traits of being the son of God, did his disciples continue years after his death to preach the gospel to the point of death?
I still have yet to hear a solid argument. Peter was crucified upside down in the year 64 AD. Andrew was crucified on an X shaped cross, by his own choice. James was executed by the sword in the year 44. Bartholomew was skinned alive and beheaded. Thomas was speared to death. Paul was beheaded around 67. More important than the deaths themselves is the fact that the disciples continued after the death of Jesus to preach, as far east as India and as far west as modern day Spain. More so, the fervent followers of Jesus within the Roman empire and beyond continued to worship him and die for him in the decades after his death. Why?
To put these historical events into context...
The death of Jesus and subsequent persecution of Christians from approx 1 to 60 AD is the same as if John F. Kennedy rose from the dead in 1963 after being shot, galvanizing a religious following into the late 60s all the way until today. We all know of course that this is preposterous. Why then did people worship Jesus to the point of horrible death and martyrdom if Jesus was just another man and didn't raise from the dead?
According to the Gospels, Jesus was seen alive after his death by approximately 500 people, including the disciples. Most atheists and agnostics will immediately dismiss historical documentation simply because it is included in a religious text. This is both narrow minded and stupid. What about secular Roman historian Flavius Josephus who also wrote..."When Pilate, upon the accusation of the first men amongst us, condemned [Jesus] to be crucified, those who had formerly loved him did not cease [to follow him], for he appeared to them on the third day, living again, as the divine prophets foretold, along with a myriad of other marvellous things concerning him."
Often, the denial of the truth written in the Bible is ignorance of historical fact and a refusal to accept it, simply because what is written, what has survived for thousands of years and flourished despite numerous attempts to destroy it, is a "religious" document.
If you choose to believe what is written in the Bible, specifically the Gospels, is not true, then you choose to accept that the Bible is the greatest hoax in the history of mankind. You choose to believe that 40 different authors spanning a period of roughly 1400 years all were in on the same hoax, and all had the same message, with no apparent motive. You also choose to believe that these same people willingly died horribly for this hoax. You believe the prophecies of Micah, Daniel, and Zechariah which were fulfilled is recorded history hundreds of years later were simply false. I say, you have an imagination I thought never existed.
And now I get to the original intent of my post. This video of Ravi Zacharias is what I originally wanted to share. Whether you are a Christian, an Atheist, a Muslim, or just someone in search of truth, I urge you to watch.
Recently while in Iraq my buddy downloaded a movie I hadn't heard of called 'Ironclad'. I looked it up on IMDB and it looked promising so once it was done downloading we all huddled around the laptop, which was hooked up to a nice subwoofer, and watched it.
Boy was I blown away. Completely. This movie was awesome from start to finish. In terms of blood, guts, and medieval brutality this movie makes Braveheart and 300 look like child's play. I am not squeamish when it comes to gore and neither are my friends here (we are all medics) and we all like "man movies" as much as the next guy. This movie had us literally yelling and cringing and jumping to our feet during the battle scenes.
The battles are intense and real, no choreography is even noticeable. I have never seen a historical war movie where it actually looks like the actors are trying to kill each other. In Ironclad, you are almost convinced what you are watching is real.
Another highlight of this under advertised movie that I simply cannot overlook is the brilliance of Paul Giamatti. This guy is fast becoming one of my all time favorite actors because he never disappoints. Giamatti plays the ruthless King John of England with such a sinister aura of realism, it is almost eerie. His acting in Ironclad ranks as one of the top ten best acting performances I have ever seen...from anybody in any movie. Brian Cox's performance should also not be overlooked.
A third and final praise I would like to express is the fact this film did not contain any politically correct feminist garbage. By that I mean we are not subjected to seeing any sort of unrealistic female warrior heroine cutting her way through a sea of male opponents. As was the case in factual history, men do the fighting in this movie. At one point the Templar knight says to the lady of the castle..."I fight, so you don't have to." That is chivalry, and quite unheard of in 2011 Hollywood if you ask me.
It is a shame this film was undercut by the studio. It's release was pitifully buried. I consider it a miracle I even found out about this movie.
If you have an interest in historical war movies, medieval brutality, or any film with guts, gore, and good old fashioned chivalry I highly recommend Ironclad.
