Today we move from Social Security to Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty.  Founded under good intentions, it became one of the most abused and fraud-driven programs in America's history, consisting of many different elements.  These included the Social Security Act of 1965 (Medicare and Medicaid), the Food Stamp Act of 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.  To date over $15T has been spent on these programs.

I'll hold off on Medicare and Medicaid until tomorrow since they are an entire world of their own, particularly now that we face another disaster, Obamacare.

Food Stamps.  Originally intended to insure that no one in America went hungry, this program has turned into a major boondoggle with approximately 50 million Americans now enrolled.  Go to any food store on any day and you'll see the check-out delays by recipients of food stamp items while the rest of us have to watch our budgets ever more tightly while we pay for their largesse.  There is something critically wrong with a welfare program being used  by one in seven Americans and something is even worse by noting the lack of restrictions on what is purchased.  Didn't Michelle want people to eat a balanced diet?  Not at the local market in the food stamp basket.

And there is a sidelight issue that we probably don't think about but adds to the cost.  Kids can now get free breakfast, lunch and in some cases even dinner at school.  In my local area, this remains a viable option for anyone eighteen and under even during the time when schools are closed.  In the food department we are rapidly becoming a case of the have nots taking all of the food from the haves who have to pay top dollar buy it.  There is something dreadfully wrong with a society that works this way and it surely won't end well.

Economic Opportunity.   This is a catch all for practically anything the government wants to dream up.  Make work jobs, training programs, etc. etc. that accomplish absolutely nothing are the rule rather than the exception.  And since the minority population was a major focus of the program, take a look at the unemployment of young black males and you'll see that it is truly a disaster.  Unemployment is some areas for this group is over fifty percent and the rest of the population is closing in as well.  You see, give away and make work concepts don't work.  Only through productive free enterprise with a well educated workforce can we hope to attain full employment.

Elementary and Secondary Education.  We have spent billions and bilions of dollars on education programs and have literally been throwing our money away.  Kids are taught to specific tests, not real subject matter material, and the result is that they remember nothing when it is over.  Oh, they can tell you about having sex and birth control techniques and condoms but they can't solve basic math problems, read and write poorly and lack reasoning skills.  Of course, the real reason for the tests is so that politicians can brag they have improved our educational standards.  Really?  All we have done is to dumb  down all to the lowest common denominator.  Talk to any employer and he'll tell you about the poor quality of young job applicants.

Ironically there is one major exception: kids who attend private schools and are home-schooled.  Not only are they showing good results, but they are also being inculcated with good moral foundations for life, unlike what is taught in our now godless public schools.   The trend is for more and more kids to be home-schooled or to attend private schools and, because of this, the government is now in the process of trying to do everything it can in its power to halt this trend.   Remember, we are supposed to believe that Professor Obama knows best.  Kind of ironic that both of his girls attend a high cost private school, don't you think?  Oh, but that's good for him, he doesn't care about what's good for you.  After all, his interest lies with the leadership of the teachers unions, not the students stuck with mediocrity or less.

I could go on and on regarding these subjects, but I think you get the drift.  The Great Society helped us turn another page backwards in America and we are reaping the consequences.  I didn't even mention the problem of children being born without daddies which is tied directly to welfare payments, but that is just another example of politicians buying votes. It is really what this is all about and the mothers quickly learn that they receive more support if daddy isn't around and, believe me, that information gets passed generation to generation.  Is it any wonder we are broke?

I hope we will ponder these problems carefully because we can't sweep them under the rug if we want them solved and the old liberal dogma won't cut it.  We need real change, God centered and honest if we want to bring America back. 

Tomorrow we will discuss another burden that government has created which has the potential to implode our society: Medicare and Medicaid and the advent of Obamacare.   I hope you will join me.  In the meantime, God bless you and God bless America.  If we will turn to Him and seek His guidance, He will show us the way out of this mess. 

Have a wonderful and productive Monday.

The picture to the left is to me one of the truly great memorials to the greatness and power that once was the United States of America.  I say "once was" because over recent years our country seems determined to turn itself into a second or third-rate power, one incapable of maintaining our freedom and liberty or of protecting itself from enemies of our people both from without and within.  Nowhere is the problem more evident than in the area of financial management as the government continues to spend itself into oblivion.

I decided to use a picture of the Iwo Jima memorial because, through the courage represented by those Marines, it represents  America's longstanding promise of freedom for the oppressed everywhere and a better life for Americans.  Sadly, today our image around the world  and at home is  something quite different.  I pray that each of us this Sunday, the Sabbath, will take a moment to pray for her return to the principles of the Declaration of Independence and commit to playing an individual part in turning things around.

Something has been going on in America that has drastically changed our outlook and our drive for individual freedom and liberty.  It didn't happen overnight, but it has dramatically picked up speed in the last five years.  It really began with the onset of the progressive movement early in the 20th century but picked up steam with the New Deal in the 1930's, started running wild with the Great Society in the 1960's and took off on steroids with the election of Barack Obama in 2008.

I want to look at several critical features covering the last seventy years which have led us almost to the "point of no return" we find ourselves facing today.  These features all involved spending money we either don't have or have taken away from people who have earned it and deserve to keep it. They are social security (Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930's), the War on Poverty and Medicare (Lyndon Johnson in the 1960's) and the complete disregard of the Constitution and the concepts of federalism embodied therein (Barack Obama, 2008 until ?).  They have done much to destroy the foundation and fabric of the freedom and liberty which our Founders created for us with success in the Revolutionary War.

In today's  blog I will limit the discussion to social security.  Tomorrow I will continue with a discussion of the War on Poverty and Medicare on ensuing days.  I start with Social Security since everyone is forced to participate in it (there are a few special exceptions)  and we are all subject to the impact of what happens with the program.

                                                        SOCIAL SECURITY: A GIANT PONZI SCHEME

 In the 1930's millions of Americans were suffering from the results of the Great Depression and  continued tinkering by government with programs that made the situation worse.  Social security was designed as merely a retirement supplement to provide some assistance.  Funded by taxpayers in the form of a special tax item, it was supposed to help those who had lost much of their savings.  The money was to be placed in a Social Security Trust Fund where it would earn interest over time and grow as more people were included in the system.  Unfortunately, two major fallacies were not identified at the time.

First, it was always assumed that the increase in the number of workers would be more than sufficient to meet payout requirements.  It never considered a "Baby Boomer" type of situation like we face today where the ratio of workers to those drawing from the system is nearing only 2 to 1, clearly insufficient to meet its objective.  The percentage of the working age population in the workforce today is the same as it was thirty years ago, despite population growth.  

Second, the government violated the trust part of the Trust Fund by putting the money in the General Fund and using it for general government operational expenses.  There is no protected Trust Fund, just a bunch of worthless paper IOUs.  And to make the matter worse, there is no guarantee that the funds will ever be available.  Check your annual statements since they spell this out in small print.

The program is, in a nutshell, a Ponzi scheme that is beginning to crumble and the government has known about this for years but has done nothing to correct it.  Politicians, after all, only worry about the next election.  They can't be bothered by the truth and doing the right thing when it is so much easier to tell untruths and pander.  Never trust the government to know the meaning of the word trust.

If you don't believe me, just look how Congress throws the word "entitlement" around when they speak of social security.  They treat it just like a welfare program even  though it is something that we've been paying into for as long as we have worked.  And also remember that the money you receive is also taxed, beginning in the 1980's even though you paid taxes on the earnings at the time they were withheld.  Sounds a little bit like double jeopardy, doesn't it?  The average American doesn't have a clue and the politicians like it that way.

I hope this has helped to enlighten some of you about where we are headed and I hope you will join me again tomorrow when we talk about the War on Poverty.  What a boondoggle that has been and continues to be and it is bankrupting us.  If you are currently receiving social security benefits or expect to in the future, you need to get involved.  Some changes are going to have to be made and made soon or one day we'll all receive correspondence that the piggy bank is empty.

For now, inform yourself, prepare yourself, speak up often, get involved and let's try and save this land we love and keep it free.  God bless America and may God bless you.  He is the only one who can bring us true Peace and Prosperity.

On this date sixty years ago the Korean War ended in a stalemate.  Including battle and non-battle soldier deaths and missing in action personnel, over 43,000 brave American combatants were lost.  Sadly, today many people call this war the "Forgotten War". 

I personally call it the first of a series of wars that the United States did not clearly win and this result had nothing to do with the bravery and fighting skills of our troops.  No, it was the result of politics just like the ending of the Vietnam War.  It began a trend of politicians snatching defeat from the hands of victory due to lack of fortitude and inability to explain effectively to the American people what was happening.

The Korean War American military on the ground, led by Marines doing the dirty work with the Army in a strong supporting role, fought hard, long and well despite lacking many supplies needed.  On many occasions ammunition ran low, clothing not suitable for the winter months was all that was available and rations were often limited.  Despite these hardships, our troops performed well but became disillusioned with the lack of proper back home support.  This situation was to occur again only twelve years later with the onset of the Vietnam War.

All Americans should honor these gallant men of war today for their efforts as they gave their all on behalf of their country with great sacrifice.  Oh, for our government to sacrifice for her people as gallantly.  Join me in prayer for these brave souls, won't you?

Dear Lord Above,  Today we honor the brave fighting forces of the United States who fought so well in the Korean War which ended on this date sixty years ago.  For those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, bless their souls and help their loved ones still living and in future generations to always honor their memory.  For those wounded, help them with their disabilities and pain and suffering which many still have today.  Give them peace and ease their pain.  For those who are still officially missing in action even today, help us to find out what happened to them so that their families may finally have closure.

And Lord, help us to learn the lesson of history and try to find a way to avoid war whenever possible.  But if war is necessary and can't be avoided, help us to remember that the only way to end a war with finality once it is begun is to win it.  Give our leaders the moral courage and determination to make decisions of this nature based on reality and not politics, using the experience of history as their guide.  We ask in His name, Amen.

May God always bless the United States of America.

I always thought something was strange about the helicopter crash two years ago with the resultant loss of life of so many Seal Team 6 members.  On a mission in Afghanistan, the helicopter carrying them was shot down by a "lucky shot" from the Taliban in remote territory, killing over thirty on board of which over twenty were from the famous unit.

It seemed inconceivable to me that this elite group, the warriors responsible for finally finding Osama bin Laden, would have had so many of its members in the same chopper at one time.  Controversy swirled around the case but below the surface for a long time.

About a year ago we started hearing from some of the family members.  They wanted an investigation of what happened but were continually met with a stone wall from the Pentagon and the White House.  Finally, a few courageous bloggers started "making some noise" and the pressure grew.  Congressman Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Congressman, started to listen and now his subcommittee in the House of Representatives has agreed to hold a hearing.

Here are just a few of the questions that need to be answered:

    * Why would so many members of this unit all be carried aboard one transport helicopter?
    * Why were there no escort aircraft as would normally be the case?
    * Why was the manifest of the Afghan military team members changed at the last minute with the additions                 being unknown to the team members?
    *Why was a slow and noisy Chinook used instead of multiple craft with speed and stealth?
    *What was the mechanical condition of the aircraft and what was its maintenance history?
    *Why has the Pentagon been so secretive about the case?
    * What about the "Lucky Shot"?  Was a military operation so poorly planned that a major force with a record of unparalleled success could be destroyed this easily and what does this say about our combat readiness?

These are just a few of the questions that I have; I am sure there are many more and I hope the sub-committee will look into this with great detail.  The families of the deceased deserve to have their questions answered.  If the record is clean, so be it.  If not, we need to know the truth and if it is another Benghazi-type of fiasco, someone needs to pay for is or her sins.

It seems that so many of the things happening under this administration are tainted with scandal or worse.  We need to demand the answers and find the truth.  I know this isn't Denmark, but something seems to be truly rotten in the State of America.  Pray to God that the answers will be forthcoming.

Yesterday Obama gave a speech in Illinois which was heralded as his new economic plan to move America forward.  I believe this is about the nineteenth time he has said he was going to "focus like a laser beam" on the real issue in America: a failing economy.  It hasn't turned out that way so far and I won't hold my breath that it will this time either.

Once again, Obama said he has turned the economy around from the disaster of George Bush and things are getting better.  And he offered his usual canned solutions to our problems: raise the minimum wage, tax the rich more, create more middle class jobs, blah, blah, blah.  In talking about the middle class he commented that the way we do it is to grow the economy from the middle out, as if the middle class is the job creator. Really?

Since we have never been allowed to see his academic records, or any other records for that matter, we don't know anything about his education in economics.  Judging from his comments and other similar comments made over the years, I doubt if he knows what the word economics means.  Let's take a look at some of his key points:

1. It's all George Bush's fault.  This has been his tireless excuse since Day 1 and now, more than 5 years later, he sticks with that standard.  I'll be the first to say I was very disappointed in W, particularly his second term.  He bought the stimulus mirage from Paulson and company and it headed us deep into the weeds.  The bank bailout was a disaster and the "too big to fail" policy was even worse.  But since taking office, Obama has put Bush's problem policies on steroids and his crony capitalism has favored the few over the many, resulting in a few getting rich at the cost of many other promising businesses left to rot due to financial resources being drained.  How's Detroit looking to you these days, Mr. President?

2.  Minimum wage. Let's put this to rest quickly.  The minimum wage was never meant to be a living wage.  It was a start point for many, particularly young people trying to get their foot in the door.  As they learned the business and gained experience, they would look forward to advancement.  By increasing the minimum wage as he suggests, the only thing that will happen is the elimination of more starter jobs.  Wonder why so many young people can't find a summer job?  Look no further, and it will only get worse.

3.  Improvement coming from the middle class out.  I don't know about you, but I never got a job from a middle class guy.  It was always a rich guy with a start up company or one that was expanding.  That's the way of capitalism; he who takes risk and puts his "money where his mouth is" with a good plan grows his wealth.  And he puts a large part of it toward more growth, hence, more jobs.  Obama, however, thinks that we can tax our way to prosperity with the rich paying for everyone else.  It has never worked and never will and, what's more, the rich will take their money and put it to work elsewhere.  I don't blame them.

If you really want to look at  what would work, think less control and regulation, lower taxes, and use of our abundance of energy resources.  Americans are controlled, taxes and regulated to death and we refuse to take advantage of our energy riches in favor of idiocy like windmills and solar. 

Mr. President, the world isn't ready for your new energy and it certainly won't work if you are the one trying to pick winners and losers.  Get the government off our backs, make America competitive with other countries by lowering taxes, and drill, baby, drill.  Use our petroleum resources while we are developing new and renewable resources but only if it is done fairly with those getting results being the winners not your hand picked crony contributors.  We have the ability to turn things around quickly but we need to get started before Bernanke and company prints us out of existence.

Wake up, Americans, use your head for something other than a hat rack and demand that the government respond to us.  We are supposed to be its master, not the other way around.  That's what makes us Americans.  Stand tall, stand strong, and stand for hard work, the love of God and a return to prosperity for the best land on earth.  It's the only way to survive and prosper.

Over the last week I have been watching the HBO mini-series The Pacific.  As a follow-up to the Band of Brothers tracking paratroopers from D-Day through the surrender of Germany, The Pacific does the same for three Marines involved in the bloody island fights en route to Tokyo.

Sgt. John Basilone lost his life at Iwo Jima after earlier winning the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroic action at Guadalcanal.  After the award he was sent stateside to be a "living PR machine" for the sale of war bond but became restless and wanted to return to action.  He left behind a new bride of only months.

PFC Robert Leckie from New Jersey served with distinction at Guadalcanal, New Britain (Cape Gloucester) and Peleliu, wounded multiple times and finally sent home for good after injuries at Peleliu.  He became a well respected A.P. writer and married a girl from his neighborhood who never gave him the time of day before she saw him in his dress blues after his return home in 1946.  He also penned a great book about his experiences, A Helmet for My Pillow.

PFC Eugene Sledge, a doctor's son from Mobile, Alabama, rapidly grew from a boy to a man through his experiences.  Serving at Peleliu and Okinawa, he was involved in horrific action as a mortarman.  The impact of war was tough for him to overcome after returning home but he persevered and went on to become a Professor of Biology at the University of Monteballo.  Sledge kept copious notes of his wartime service in a pocket diary and later wrote an autobiography,  The Ballad: The Boys at Peleliu and Okinawa.

Why do I mention these heroes and what do they mean today?  Well, they represent the last group of tough American service members who fought in a war that America truly won.  We've had many brave and great soldiers since who have fought  valiantly since then, many of whom have died or been seriously wounded.  But World War II was the last war where it was clear that America achieved her objective, achieved without apology  but with great personal sacrifice  and loss and sadness for what had to be done.

Since then we've had Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan with many other lesser fights and skirmishes and I can't really say that we've accomplished much for all our efforts.  Korea has been divided it seems like forever, we lost a war we could have won in Vietnam because of the influence of the press and weak-kneed politicians, and while the jury is technically still out on Iraq and Afghanistan it looks like things are failing there as well.  We can't even seem to properly feed our men and women who are still in harms way.

Meanwhile, for their service in these later causes, many of our veterans can't even get the medical and financial help they need and deserve from a government which has turned its back on them.  It's much busier pandering to those at home who have never sacrificed anything or it is trying to open our doors to illegals who are often treated much better than our veterans.  What a disgrace.

And what does the future hold?  Well, food stamps continue to rise in number, unemployment only looks better if you fudge the numbers which the government does very well, and the strength and fabric of our nation is being ripped apart.  Our military is being weakened and turned into a social experiment and the best experienced leaders, those who are patriots and want to do the right thing, are being cashiered out of the service in record numbers,  replaced by yes men who will do nearly anything for a promotion.

And as for our politicians, they are right in the middle of the cause, from the President right on down to a large number of our elected officials.  They see as their top priority their agenda and their personal accumulation of wealth, power and privilege, no matter what the voters want.  They think they know best when they have displayed that their reasoning is questionable at best and a disaster at worst. 

So what happens when some distant power, think China maybe or even a huge terrorist force directed by Iran, decides America is ripe for the picking and decides to make a move?  Well, our military will no longer have the power to respond effectively, and its personnel will not consist of a fighting force made of up of men like those three brave Marines I discussed at the outset.  And God will sit back and watch for He sees that our leaders no longer respect Him.  No, our military will be in the midst of a social experiment with its members jockeying for position internally while the bombs are incoming.  It will make Pearl Harbor look like a Sunday school picnic.

Is this what we want, America?  We need to think about it and talk honestly.  Kill the political correctness, recognize when war is necessary and how important it is to finish the job if you start it, and get ready.  Face the truth.  Weakness never wins; in fact it guarantees failure.

May God have mercy on us and change our ways.  And may we always recognize Him is the answer to everything.