by miami | Nov 28, 2012
I get asked a lot – why if you think life is so good do you post so much negative stuff?
Good question.
In my admitted small little self centered world, life is awesome. I have a wonderful wife of 27 years and counting, two great boys who are now both young men, and we live on a beautiful horse farm in a great place.
On the other hand, I have watched the country I grew up in change in ways it is hard to believe.
So although my life is good (anyone want to buy a beautiful horse farm so I can go sailing?) – the world around me seems to be very screwed up.
It is two different things.
Does that make sense?
It does to me.
by miami | Feb 2, 2012
(Guest post – but I wish I had written it!)
Opportunity and a bright future… Land of Dreams!
America is what it is because of its dream makers. People who dared to dream and realized it through sheer hard work.
The individual flourished and the reason was because his country allowed him to.
There is always a sense of “why does the world criticize us all the time?” And that’s a valid question.
The answer is this:
The world looks up to America and if there is a small disturbance here in this country then the psyche of the world is affected. Americans are role models to countless human beings out there. This is the country which spends the most on philanthropy than any other. This is the country that provides freedom to citizens like no other.
Being the strongest and the most powerful has its drawbacks and one should accept it. There will be cynicism and the cynics will laugh at our miseries. Let them be. They are a negligible minority. To each word of cynicism there are a thousand words of love for us.
If we had gone for oil, as they cynics say, then we wouldn’t have had recession.
This is the country that glorifies its soldiers, champions its women and celebrates its secular credentials.
There is a robust media that can question the President and there are comedians who can make fun of the President.
We are a tolerant country. A rational republic.
Yes, there is problem here.
So what?
We had the Civil War, Great Depression, 9/11… But we are still here.
America is not just a country. It is an idea.
And that idea will live forever.
by miami | Nov 28, 2011
These are quotes from Thomas Jefferson.
“Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.
Never spend your money before you have it.
Never buy what you do not want because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.
Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold.
We never repent of having eaten too little.
Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.
How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened.
Take things always by their smooth handle.
When angry, count ten before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.”
Do you realize how nearly every major problem in this country could be solved if we’d only heeded Jefferson’s words?
• When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.
• The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
• It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
• I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
• My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
• No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
• The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
• The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
• To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
• I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property – until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.
by miami | Sep 2, 2011
The biggest (by far) concern founders like James Madison and Benjamin Franklin had about our government was that the most important check on the institution would become inactive – and that the fringe elements of society would be able to take power. That check? We the people. Since 1904 when the ISS was formed in New York, the socialists minded fringe has been working steadily to get control of our government. They are very close.
Read “The 5000 Year Leap”, and read the book on the Federalists Papers to really understand how our country’s system of govt was built and why.
You will utterly amazed at how far we are from their intent – and how close we are to their fears.
Socialism was specifically mentioned as being anti-constitutional by our founders!
And when we have members of the people’s House stating publicly that Tea Party people want to see blacks hung from a tree – folks we are in serious trouble.
Either we wake up and wake our neighbors up out of their sleep walking – or we might well find ourselves in another internal war.
