IS OBAMA THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PRESIDENT?

     I find it interesting when opponents of President Obama's policies say things like, "His policies are failures." or "He must not understand anything about (blank)."  I think President Obama is extremely smart and I believe his policies are incredibly successful.  Please read on and I'll explain my views. (some of you who follow "The Iron" may have been startled by that declaration but it'll all make sense)

     Success or failure is all relative to your point of view.  For example, if you completely burnt a lasagna I might look at it and say, "Awe man!  You ruined the lasagna!"  However, what if you intended to create charred lasagna?  Then, you would be a success!  I may not like the end result and we may disagree on the reason you wanted to produce the carbon casserole.  But it would not be accurate for me to call your dish a "failure" if in fact that was your intent.

     The most important yet most forgotten part of all of this is the follow up question to the President's choices and actions.  It is the question that should be asked the most but is presented the least.  It is the question that can reveal the true nature of any situation if pursued.  It is the greatest question and at the same time can be the worst question.  It is the question that I usually find myself reacting with, "Sheesh. I'm sorry I asked."

That question is WHY?

President Obama's policies, ideals, and actions are tremendously successful.  I am actually impressed with the volume and rate at which his ideas have become realities.  However, to borrow from the words of Abraham Lincoln: 

“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.”

Nov. 21, 1864 (letter to Col. William F. Elkins) 

"Hey, what did you learn at the university?"


"I learned how to be offended.  I learned how to protest.  I learned how to agitate society.  I learned how to whine about fairness.  I learned how to make sure my children have less freedom than me.  I learned how to accumulate mountains of debt.   I also mastered the art of social bullying, and... it only cost me $65,000!!"


"Wow.  Sounds like quite an experience.  Did you learn how to do anything worthwhile like a specific skill or anything?"


"No.  That's what Graduate School is for."


"Oh!  What are you going to study in grad-school?"


"I want to be a college professor someday!"


"...(sigh)..."

THE ILLUSION OF CHOICE

"Hey Frank, have you decided who to vote for?"

"Not yet Bill."

"Gee Frank, why the heck not?"

"Well Bill, my party hasn't told me who to vote for yet."

"Golly-gee-whillikers Frank, you're the smartest guy I know."

"HA HA HA HA HA!"

IS THIS ALARMING TO ANYONE ELSE?

WHY DIDN'T WE EVER LEARN THAT?!!

Why didn't we ever learn in school that an American President issued an executive order to send American citizens to concentration camps based on their ethnicity? (Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Ex. Order 9066, February 19, 1942)

Why didn't we ever learn in school that there were a greater number of blacks proportionate to whites in the American South who owned slaves?  (search William "April" Ellison, among others). 











Why didn't we ever learn in school that monetary inflation can be avoided?  Its not just something that inevitably happens over time.








We learned about Lincoln's Gettysburg Address but why didn't we ever learn in school that he also said this:





"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union:"  (Letter to Horace Greeley, August 22, 1862)

THE ENEMY WITHIN?

"Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest, with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force take a drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer. If it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."

-Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address-

FREEDOM vs. SAFETY

Would you rather be FREE or SAFE?  That is a tricky question and I might even respond to the question with this question, "Could I have both?"  However, I believe the answer is an unfortunate NO.  I don't think there's any way to guarantee safety, but I do think you can be guaranteed freedom.  The people who designed our country's system understood this pretty well.  

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty, than those attending too small a degree of it."  ~Thomas Jefferson~

"Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."  ~Ben Franklin~

There are many others who understand this idea as well.  Some of them from more recent times.

"Freedom is not defined by safety.  Freedom is defined by the ability of citizens to live without government interference.  Government cannot create a world without risks, nor would we really wish to live in such a fictional place."  ~Ron Paul~

"If you want total security, go to prison.  There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on.  The only thing lacking is freedom." ~Dwight D. Eisenhower~

WHERE ARE YOU, PEACEFUL MAJORITY?

We hear that the majority of Muslims are peaceful or moderate and don't agree with the extremism of groups like ISIS.  I believe that this is true.  However, what difference does it make if the peaceful majority don't do anything to stop the radical few?  Consider this:


I believe that most Germans were peaceful.  However, the Nazi's (the radical few) were responsible for the deaths of millions of people, including their own citizens.
The peaceful majority were irrelevant. 


I believe that most Japanese were peaceful.  However, the radical few were responsible for the deaths of millions of people across southeast Asia.
The peaceful majority were irrelevant.


I believe that most Chinese were peaceful.  However, the extreme few were responsible for so many deaths, some aren't even sure how many millions were killed exactly... possibly as high as 75,000,000.
The peaceful majority were irrelevant.



The idea for this post was inspired by a short video of a response by Brigitte Gabriel
Click Here to watch

THIS IS WHY WE MUST BE EVER SO CAUTIOUS OF GOVERNMENT !!

"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."

~Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf~

HEALTHCARE.... WHAT HAPPENED?

THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE

THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

I WISH WE COULD HAVE

WHO AM I ???

Am I a racist because my skin is "white"?

Am I a sexist because I am a man?

Am I a bigot because I worship the God of love?

Am I a "radical extremist" because I believe in strict adherence to the law?

Do I hate children because I think parents have the right to decide what's best for their children's education?

Do I hate women because I believe it's wrong to kill babies?

Am I prejudice against short people because I am tall?

Am I a non-conformist because I study history and value the lessons learned from previous mistakes? (maybe a little)

Am I a killer because I like guns?

Do I hate beggers on the street because I offer them opportunities instead of $5?

Am I insane because I wish my money was worth something?

Am I dangerous because I want the government to leave me alone?

When I listen to what others say, I really don't know who I am...


WHO AM I?