Friday, March 27, 2009

Some Reasoned Apocalyptic Observations

I once really liked the Left Behind series. I was young, impressionable, and interested in the end times. Yes, the books are entertaining to read, but I learned long ago not to exclusively buy into one particular take on end times prophesy. In fact, I have opted not to speculate about the end times at all, focusing instead on what I believe end times prophesy is really all about -- living a life of holiness and service here and now.

With all that said, have you seen the news lately? Now trust me, I am not prone to grand conclusions or speculations, especially regarding the apocalypse. But I don't want to be an ignoramus with my head buried in the sand either.

Now that you've read my disclaimer and will hopefully not view me as a wild haired end times fanatic, consider some of today's headlines.

George Russell of Fox News reports that a new U.N. 'Climate Change' plan would likely shift trillions to form a new world economy. He writes:
A United Nations document on "climate change" that will be distributed to a major environmental conclave next week envisions a huge reordering of the world economy, likely involving trillions of dollars in wealth transfer, millions of job losses and gains, new taxes, industrial relocations, new tariffs and subsidies, and complicated payments for greenhouse gas abatement schemes and carbon taxes — all under the supervision of the world body.
Just earlier this week Secretary of the Treasury and tax cheat Tim Geithner said he was open to a Chinese proposal to move towards a global currency. Granted, the tax cheat did qualify his statement by saying that such a move would be "evolutionary...building on the current architecture rather than moving us to global monetary union," but the openness to such an idea at all is somewhat troubling. Especially given the renewed global movement toward such an idea.

And who can ignore the global threats posed by rogue nations with nuclear ambitions such as the terrorism-sponsoring state of Iran and North Korea, or the emergence of the Chinese communist superpower that is buying up all the world's debt, or the many recent provocative advancements of the Kremlin, including the most recent news of a new arctic military presence.

All things considered, one thing is for sure: the world is changing. While I welcome the return of Jesus, and eagerly await seeing him face to face, the world in the meantime is becoming an ever more hostile and dangerous place to live. And even if none of these things above have anything to do with the end times, they still give reason for concern and demand that we do not remain idle or oblivious.

posted by Sean Scribner @ 8:56 AM 2 comments links to this post
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Thursday, March 26, 2009

College Football and the US Senate

(Update 1:19pm: I beat Rush to this topic by almost three and half hours.)

Economic crisis. Rogue nations threatening millions. New anti-American global alliances.

Apparently these things are not enough to occupy the time of the United States Senate.

The AP reports this morning that the Senate will review how college football picks its champion at the end of the season. It seems that the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) poses an anti-trust problem that "leaves nearly half of all the teams in college football at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to qualifying for the millions of dollars paid out every year."

Please, God! I can handle the politicians in Washington increasing the federal deficit by over 60%. I can handle the politicians in Washington reverting to a pre-911 mentality and weakening our ability to protect ourselves from foreign enemies. I can handle the politicians in Washington using my tax money to fund every single liberal entitlement project from the last 30 years as the nation falls into generational bankruptcy. But please, Lord, do not let them touch college football! It is all we are going to have left when they're finished with what they're doing.

All sarcasm aside, the real issue here is not the merits of a playoff system vs. the BCS (which, despite its faults, is still the best system we have). The real issue, as I see it, is two-fold: 1. The government's attention being set on such a comparatively trivial issue in the midst of global chaos; and, more importantly, 2. The government's intervention in yet another sector of American life. Why does Congress have to tinker with college football? Why can't the conferences figure everything out on their own? Because Washington bureaucrats think they should be in control of EVERYTHING, even the most sacred of sports institutions.

I am disgusted by the surge of government intervention into every aspect of American life. Aren't you?

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Danny Boy Stickin' it to Old Gordie

As you listen to this, imagine that he's talking to Barry:

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Barack Obama: The Selfish Coward

(Update: Obama has since withdrawn his veterans' insurance plan idea. But we'll keep an eye out on this issue.)

This little gem should give you the warm fuzzies.

Yesterday it was brought to the public's attention that Barack Obama intends to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases. Meanwhile, as you will recall, Obama has been proposing a $634 billion down payment for health care reform.

So let me get this straight. Let's take away government-funded health care from veterans and place them in the private sector, and then add everyone else to the socialized health system. Simply incredible. Of course, some argue that by placing the vets in the private sector Obama is simply trying to overload it and destroy it altogether so that he can remake the health care system in his own European-style socialist image. But in doing so, he is hurting the very men and women who sacrifice their lives for the people whose government places them in harm's way. Does this man live in a parallel reality or bizarro world? Or is he just a selfish coward.

Once again, you tell me.

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He Only Wants the 'Change' in Your Pocket

Barack Obama campaigned on "change we can believe in." According to his logic, George W. Bush led our country in the wrong direction, and it is up to Obama to change the course and get us back on track.

But consider these statistics (courtesy of The Heritage Foundation):
Heritage continues:
The only sharp break President Obama takes away from President Bush is the amount of money he takes from the American people. President Bush reduced taxes by approximately $2 trillion; President Obama has proposed raising taxes by $1.4 trillion. Yet even after taking $1.4 trillion more out of the private sector, Obama’s budget still would double the public debt level to $15.4 trillion. Between 2008 and 2013, the budget will add $5.7 trillion ($48,000 per U.S. household) in new government debt. The annual interest on this debt would nearly equal the entire U.S. defense budget by 2019.
All these numbers tell me one thing: The only change Barack Obama cares about is the change that is in your pocket. As Heritage Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Brian Riedl puts it, "President Obama has framed his budget as a break from the 'failed policies' of the Bush Admin­istration. Actually, his budget doubles down on President George W. Bush's borrow, spend, and bail­out policies."

Change we can believe in, indeed.

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Friday, March 13, 2009

Obama's Greatest Virtue is My Greatest Fear

Most politicians are slimy weasels whose positions ebb and flow with the tide of public opinion. They base all their decisions on the latest focus group or opinion polls, and cater to those most likely to get them reelected.

Obama, however, may turn out to be a better man than that.

So far, there doesn't appear to be any slime on him at all. It is quite possible that this man is no weasel. Instead, he might break the mold of the typical politician and prove to be a very principled individual committed to his ideas.

And this is what scares me.

In the 90's, our country enjoyed relative prosperity. Reagan put this country back on track after a disastrous Carter administration. Clinton, while as sleazy as they come, at least tried to work with the Republican majority in Congress, not because he was in any way non-partisan, but because he knew it was political suicide to do otherwise. In fact, I would contend that Clinton's sleaziness and lack of principles altogether is what kept his tenure as president from destroying this country. Ironic, huh?

But since Clinton, it appears as though the White House has been occupied by men who care more about their principles and ideas rather than the polls of popular opinion. Bush, believing that freedom and security were worth 8 years of demonization, stayed the course in Iraq and Afghanistan (even though a lot of his decisions weren't the best), and this may very well have cost him his legacy -- at least in the short term. And now comes Barack Obama, the radical leftist ideologue, whose commitment to far-left, socialist/communist principles seem impervious to the will of the people. Does that scare you?

I don't know. Maybe I wish Obama was just another slimy weasel of the Clinton mold. If we're lucky, maybe he'll turn out to be just that. Of course, this all depends on what happens in next year's election cycle. If America doesn't clean out Congress and get rid of the liberal majority, we might be in for some very scary years indeed.

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The Future of Evangelicalism

Pretty good assessment here.

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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Wasting No Time

A quick observation as I watch Fox News before going to bed....
mod·er·ate (mŏd'ər-ĭt)
adj.

1. Being within reasonable limits; not excessive or extreme: a moderate price.
2. Not violent or subject to extremes; mild or calm; temperate: a moderate climate.
3. Opposed to radical or extreme views or measures, especially in politics or religion.
I chuckle when I think back about how Obama campaigned as such a moderate. The American electorate, including many of my good conservative Christian brothers and sisters (shame on you), just gushed over him, impressed with his eloquence, cool style, and calm demeanor.

But moderate he is not.

In his first 50 days, The Magnificent One has been anything but moderate. Reasonable limits? Not excessive or extreme? Not exactly. Instead we have this delicious little list:
  • The largest proposed budget/largest projected deficit...EVER
  • Reversed ban on federal tax dollars used for abortions overseas
  • Reversed restrictions on embryonic stem cell research
  • Closed Guatanamo
  • Countless corrupt appointees
  • Doom and gloom scenarios galore
  • And much, much more!
You would think that this guy would have spread some of this stuff out over the next four years. But he has just come out blazing! Good for him. I'm impressed. Catch the sarcasm yet?

Thanks again to those of you who drooled over his messianic glory and voted for him. This is great. Sarcasm. Again.

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Monday, March 09, 2009

Today's Economic Fact

Courtesy of the Heritage Foundation:
A core principle of the political left in this country is that our current levels of defense spending have harmed, and will continue to harm, our economic prosperity. So last month while he was defending the $700 billion Wall Street bailout program, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) said: “The biggest ongoing threat to fiscal sanity in this country, I believe, is an open-ended, ever expanding military budget that goes far beyond what is necessary.” Frank’s assertions about the scope of defense spending in the United States are just flat out wrong.

At the height of World War II we spent 46% of our GDP on the military. By 1945 that number had dropped to 34.5%. Throughout the Cold War, defense spending averaged 8% of GDP and since 1962 the average spending level has fallen even further to 5.5% of our GDP. Today we spend less than 4% on defense. Our economy has boomed multiple times in the past despite our government devoting much higher levels of our GDP to national security. Currently, there is runaway spending in Washington, but it is coming from President Barack Obama and the left. Congress spent more in just one bill–this year’s “stimulus” bill–than it spent on Afghanistan and Iraq combined since 2001.
There you have it. Use anti-war propaganda to cut back on defense spending while simultaneously bloating the federal deficit with entitlement spending. What do you think the liberal left is concerned about -- the overall safety of our country, or the safety of their own political careers?

You decide.

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The 'Green' Benefits of Being 'Green'

Oops, I just vomited in my mouth watching the video that Marshall Daigre posted on his blog Saturday morning. Sorry about that.

Marshall got me thinking again about this whole business about being 'green' -- not so much in regards to whether or not global warming is a plausible theory, because it's not. Rather, I was ruminating on the motives behind those who promote it, particularly those in Washington D.C.

I used to wonder why the liberal left catered so much to the environmentalist lobby. After all, it seems rather silly to let such an obnoxious and hysterical minority single-handedly dictate such a massive portion of their agenda. But the more I see what's going on in Washington these days the more I realize that the liberal left doesn't cater to the environmentalist wackos because they care so much about saving the planet. Instead, I believe that they embrace the 'cause' because of it's ability for them to assume more control of people's lives.

Sure, there are countless droves of morons who swallow everything they hear from the media and actually believe that mankind is somehow responsible for climate change. And sure, Al Gore may just be stupid enough to believe the stuff he says, but for the liberal leadership that champions the environmental cause it has nothing to do with saving the planet. You see, the only benefit that politicians see in being 'green' is political. For example, if they can convince enough people that your SUV is destroying the world, then they can convince people to let them tax you for owning it. Furthermore, they can generate doom-and-gloom scenarios in order to scare the masses into voting for them as the only ones who care about the world and are able to fix it.

Don't believe me? Look at what Congress and the Magnificent One are doing in Washington these days. They are making policy decisions based on fallacious science and propaganda, not because they actually believe in global warming (although some probably do), but because they can use it to generate more tax revenues. The current cap and trade proposals are just one example of how it all works. The bottom line is this: Convince enough people into believing that we're destroying the world with carbon emissions and you can pass ANY legislation that you want in the guise of saving the planet -- regardless of its effectiveness as a solution or its damage to the economy, the free market, or well-being of the private sector. After all, in today's socialist climate, the private sector is evil. Those rich white guys flying around in their private jets at the expense of the health of the ozone layer deserve to be punished, and their hard-earned wealth really belongs to every else but them, right?

This same principle applies in other areas too -- such as the fight against those evil tobacco companies, the so-called 'war on poverty,' affirmative action, hate crime legislation, or any other of the countless policies that have at their core a self-centered political agenda. Scare/anger/disenfranchise enough people, and they will give you that much more control of their lives and the lives of everyone else.

So it appears that the ultimate benefit of being green, at least for our beloved Washington bureaucrats, is the green. Ignore the truth. Ignore the consequences. All that matters is control. That alone is what drives the left.

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Thursday, March 05, 2009

Barack Obama, Our Fearless "Mis"leader

Now I know that it appears as though I only ever have anything negative to say about our new President, and that is because it is true. I believe he is the most unqualified person to ever occupy the Oval Office, and America ought to be ashamed of placing him there.

But not only is he unqualified, he is also a liar. He ran a campaign based on platitudes and falsehoods, and his actions since moving into the White House have proven it.

Take the following video, for instance, from PMSNBC of Obama giving a press conference on budget reform dating back to January 6th, 2009. In the first 3 minutes of the video, then President-elect Obama makes several promises that he has proceeded to break over the last several weeks.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

He begins by talking about the need for responsibility with tax payer dollars (:45). He blasts the previous administration for accruing enormous federal debt and shares his growing concern over his inheritance of a $1 trillion budget deficit, and rightly so. Those facts are an absolute travesty and embarrassment. Obama then states, "It's time to stop talking about budget reform and start embracing it."

But look at what Obama has done since making those statements to the American people. The United States Congress is about to pass the largest single-year increase in domestic federal spending since World War II! Obama and the Democrat Congress is planning on ballooning the already $1.2 trillion deficit to $2 trillion and beyond -- that's almost 14% of our GDP!

Next in the video Obama talks about how his administration is going to set new standards of "accountability, transparency, and oversight" (2:24). To illustrate this point, Obama promised to "ban all earmarks." Let me restate that: Obama promised to "ban all earmarks." That is a direct quote. For those of you who actually watched the 2008 presidential debates and listened, you will recall in the first debate that Obama pledged to go "line by line" to catch irresponsible spending: "Absolutely, we need earmark reform. And when I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely." In countless other places Obama has restated his intentions for budgetary reform, and he is always quick to criticize the practice of earmarking. (Of course, this sounds silly coming from a man who requested $932 million in earmark requests during his first three years as a United States senator, including more than $90 million worth of earmarks in 2008 appropriations bills that raised discretionary spending by 8% over the previous year.)

And sure enough, Obama is now poised to sign into law an omnibus spending bill that is loaded with over 9,000 pork projects -- nine THOUSAND. He downplays his hypocrisy by stating that it doesn't count since it was "last year's business." And yet, in one of his first major opportunities to put into practice his eloquent campaign rhetoric, Obama is going to sign yet another major pork bill into law, line by line.

I could go on and on with examples like this. But I have demonstrated that Mr. Obama's words and actions do not properly align. He is a liar, and I predict that the only campaign promises he intends to keep are the ones that align with his ultra radical, socialist, liberal agenda to reshape America into his own image.

President Obama, I will not forget your words and subsequent actions here on my blog. When you are campaigning for reelection in three and a half years, everyone else will probably have forgotten by then what a liar you've proven to be these last few weeks. But I will not. You promised to "stop talking about government reform and start executing" (3:55). Well, I promise to keep talking about what a liar you are as long as you continue to be one.

P.S. And by the way, to all you Kool-aid drinkers out there, I am fully aware of the fact that the biggest earmarker in Congress is Mississippi's own Thad Cochran. I make no excuses for him, except one: At least he didn't run on a campaign promise to terminate earmarking when he had no intention of actually keeping his promise once elected.

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posted by Sean Scribner @ 12:43 PM 1 comments links to this post
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Talk About Embarrassing

One of President Obama's campaign promises was how he was going to reestablish respect for America in the eyes of the world. This was because Master of Evil, George W. Bush, had so globally shamed our country. So what was Obama's first gesture to America's closest ally, Great Britain?

According to This is London,
Gordon Brown has been given a collection of 25 classic American films on DVD as his official gift from Barack Obama.

(Brown) had tried to keep the present a secret, refusing to answer reporters who asked what President Obama had given to mark the reaffirmation of the special relationship.

One reason for the secrecy might be that the gift seems markedly less generous and thoughtful than the presents taken to Washington by the Prime Minister.
Gordon Brown gave Obama gifts that we very thoughtful and classy, including an ornamental desk pen holder made from the oak timbers of Victorian anti-slaver HMS Gannet, once named HMS President, a framed commission for HMS Resolute, a vessel that came to symbolise Anglo-US peace when it was saved from ice packs by Americans and given to Queen Victoria, and a first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.

Brown received some DVDs. Are you kidding me?

Barack Obama has NO CLUE how to be President of the United States. He doesn't even have a clue about how to share gifts with friends. This man has no respect for the office and no clue about what he is supposed to do.

Enjoy your DVDs, Mr. Brown.

Talk about embarrassing.

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