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The Mesmerized Masses

Posted by peripheral on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:41:45 AM
From My Perspective - - -

Years ago, a talented and funny comedian – Red Buttons – would include in his routine a character who would allow “Strange Things Are Happening…” and then go into a litany of some unusual events. If he was alive today, he would be inundated with material for his routine. Indeed – Strange Things Are Happening! As an example of the “Strange Things”, consider the Governmental Proposals for (a) A War Supplemental Bill, and (b) the 2010 Budget. When the President was campaigning, he made a great point of stating – “The day of earmarks is over!” Just a casual reading would indicate that was a forceful and resolute statement. Interestingly, the first stimulus bill that came along in this administration contained hundreds of earmarks (more than a thousand) – but – the President signed the Bill!

The War Supplemental Bill and the 2010 Budget are moving through Congress. Do you think the representatives of the people have any discipline or thrift as they review the Bills? Do you believe there is any evidence of a concern to be frugal when the nation is borrowing Trillions of Dollars so it can operate? Does anyone believe there is either a concern or remedy for the addiction to earmarks and spending in the present Congress? If you wish to be annoyed, frustrated and angry – “Under increasing pressure to reveal earmarks and their sponsors, the House Appropriations Committee made available a 76 page list of home state budget projects added on to the Commerce, State, Justice bill. You can look through it at appropriations.house.gov where you can also see the lawmakers who sponsored each project….There are almost 1,100 projects, which total approximately $368 million. And: http://wsbradio.com/blogs/jamie_dupree/2009/06/let-the-earma rks-roll.html to see who is adding the earmarks to the Bills and how much they have requested.

Yesterday, Gallup released his latest Poll titled: “Conservatives Are Single-Largest Ideological Group.” The findings state: “Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004. The 21% calling themselves liberal is in line with findings throughout this decade, but is up from the 1990s. These annual figures are based on multiple national Gallup surveys conducted each year, in some cases encompassing more than 40,000 interviews. The 2009 data are based on 10 separate surveys conducted from January through May. Thus, the margins of error around each year's figures are quite small, and changes of only two percentage points are statistically significant. To measure political ideology, Gallup asks Americans to say whether their political views are very conservative, conservative, moderate, liberal, or very liberal. As has been the case each year since 1992, very few Americans define themselves at the extremes of the political spectrum. Just 9% call themselves "very conservative" and 5% "very liberal." The vast majority of self-described liberals and conservatives identify with the unmodified form of their chosen label… There is an important distinction in the respective ideological compositions of the Republican and Democratic Parties. While a solid majority of Republicans are on the same page -- 73% call themselves conservative -- Democrats are more of a mixture. The major division among Democrats is between self-defined moderates (40%) and liberals (38%). However, an additional 22% of Democrats consider themselves conservative, much higher than the 3% of Republicans identifying as liberal…”

The Mesmerized Masses are dismissive of the above data. To Mesmerize is: “to hypnotize; to spellbind; fascinate; to compel by fascination.” From a spiritual perspective, II Thessalonians 2:9-11 would construe it in a different manner: “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” This is the end result of irrational and undisciplined self-indulgence! Don't you be dismissive!
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UNIMAGINABLE AND UNPRECENDENTED

Posted by peripheral on Friday, January 09, 2009 5:52:00 AM
From My Perspective - - -

If one scans his/her lifetime, many events come under a heading of being UNIMAGINABLE. Events such as Great Depression; rise of Nazism in Germany; War In Europe; sneak attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor; World War; use of Atomic Bombs; Increase In Nuclear Proliferation; rise and spread of Communism; Liberal bent of Politics in America; Sudden Attacks of September 11, 2001; recessions; Financial Bailout of Financial Institutions and Industries with excessive amounts of tax dollars; etc. It is shocking to see the financial needs and requests from Public Education (1) A School in Detroit, Michigan needing funds for basic supply of Toilet Paper and Light Bulbs so they keep functioning, whereas (2) Schools in Chicago, Illinois spent $67,000 on Cappuccino Machines that no one requested and few are using. It’s difficult to determine whether or not these things are “Unimaginable” or just plain “Ridiculous”!

We are witnessing today Government of Largesse (“Liberality in bestowing gifts, especially in a lofty or condescending manner. Money or gifts bestowed.”)… The Drudge Report has a banner headline this morning that quotes President-Elect Obama: “We’ll Spend Our Way Out Of This”! There is an interesting sub-headline that gives the sense on how this will be done: “Let’s Print More Money”! That is tantamount to saying, “we’ll deal with Inflation and Devaluation of our currency when we get there” – and – get there we will! There is even a hint that this could mean years of recession and the need for higher taxes. On a practical and personal level, none of us could operate personal finances in that way. Who would allow an individual to say: “I want your product for my use now but I won’t be able to pay for it – so – bill it to my Great Grandchild yet to be born”! INCREDULOUS (“Incredible; not easy to be believed”), you would hear – and – INCREDULOUS it would be!

A sobering article in the Wall Street Journal for January 8th, 2009 - THE DEFICIT SPENDING BLOWOUT – states: “The Congressional Budget Office released its latest budget forecast yesterday, and we now really do have red ink as far as the eye can see. Thanks to a 6.6% decline in revenues due to recession, a spending increase of some $500 billion or 19%, and assorted federal bailouts, the U.S. deficit for fiscal 2009 (ending September 30) will nearly triple to $1.19 trillion. That's 8.3% of GDP, which CBO says "will most likely shatter the previous post-World War II record high of 6.0 percent posted in 1983." It certainly blows away any deficit this decade, not to mention the Reagan years when smaller deficits were the media cause celebre. But there's more. None of that includes the new fiscal "stimulus" that President-elect Obama has promised to introduce upon taking office in two weeks. The details aren't known, but Mr. Obama and Democrats have been talking about at least $800 billion, and probably $1 trillion, in new spending or various tax credits and reductions over two years. Toss that in and add more expected bailout cash, and if the economy stays slow the deficit could reach $1.8 trillion, or a gargantuan 12.5% of GDP. That 2006 Democratic vow to pass "pay as you go" budgets seems like a lifetime ago, which in political terms it was.”

Consider these things with me - - - The Government and Christian Faith are incompatible with each other. God’s name is invoked in a deferential and/or ceremonial way but never with that as being part of a Core Value. In difficult times and at all times, followers of Christ and those committed to Biblical Christianity should embrace the following as a personal core value for times such as these: (1) Luke 1:37, in terms of the supernatural “…nothing is impossible with God…”, and (2) Ephesians 3:20-21, in terms of Faith and Confidence, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” The words of Daniel’s Friends – words of Confidence and Determination – “Our God Is Able and He Will…!” should be our commitment and encouragement. That’s the only place the rhetoric that espoused: “Yes! We Can!” is operative and functional! Try It – you’ll see!
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