Mark Pryor has supported about every bill that President Obama has pushed. The stimulus was probably the biggest budget busting bill so far. Did that help get our economy going? Not according to Kathy Fettke:
President Obama is urging Congress to raise the $14.3T debt ceiling or else, he warns, the U.S. would be forced to default. Perhaps our representatives need a little lesson on good debt vs. bad debt.
Good debt gives the borrower the potential to create more money. Bad debt gives the borrower something he can’t afford but wants anyway.
In real estate, for example, good debt might be a loan used to purchase an investment property. The borrower acquires an asset that creates income. That income is used to pay off the debt. The borrower then owns an asset free & clear that continues to produce income, long after the original debt is gone.
Bad debt serves a need for instant gratification by borrowing income from the future.
An example of bad debt is getting a loan to purchase a new car. The car is worth less the moment it’s driven off the lot. From day 1, the borrower owes more than the car is worth, and the “asset” doesn’t create monthly income. It becomes a liability, unless it is used as a rental, trucking or any other profitable business use.
Is Obama asking for more good debt or more bad debt?
Politicians are expert wordsmiths who can spin facts into a slick campaigns designed for getting what they want. That’s why President Obama and the money magicians at the Federal Reserve are preaching that more debt would help the economy.
Has their plan worked so far? Let’s take a look:
During the past 5 years, the federal government has borrowed 4.5 trillion dollars to stimulate the economy. That’s a 40% increase in government debt!
Did the stimulus work?
Political spin doctors say it did, claiming that US GDP climbed 1.9% in Q1 of 2011. But how much did that increase cost us?
We spent $4.5 Trillion over 5 years to create $690 Billion in GDP growth. Doing the math, that means the US will receive 14 cents for every dollar of debt incurred to stimulate the economy.
With losses like this, the “stimulus” plan is really a bad debt deal – one in which borrowing results in more liabilities, not assets. And now our leaders are trying to talk us into more of it.
Just say “NO!” to raising the debt ceiling! It’s not just bad debt, it’s ugly debt.
The cure for bad debt is pretty simple and boring: cut spending and increase income. If you can’t do either, you default.
Borrowing just to keep up with interest payments and avoid default is reckless and only exacerbates the problem. It does not fix it.
Politicians must agree to cut spending. And they must avoid increasing income through taxation. As much as the general population would love to rob the rich, that method doesn’t work. Business owners who get punished for making money will stop producing and hiring.
Instead of taxing productive businesses to extended ugly government debt, offer businesses good debt so they can continue to grow.
Members of our society with solid business plans should be the ones borrowing – not the government.
Kathy Fettke is CEO of www.RealWealthNetwork.com, an educational resource for new and experienced real estate investors.
This series of posts concerns the song “The Last Resort.”
Amy Winehouse died today and it was a tragic loss. That really troubled me that she did not seek spiritual help instead of turning to drugs and alcohol. This post today will give hope to those we feel like it is all hopeless.
The band’s place in the pop music landscape was established with the release of their breakout single, “Last Resort,” which was quickly picked up by MTV and nominated for a “Best New Artist Video” award at the 2000 Video Music Awards. The song is a gut-wrenching first-person chronicle of hopelessness that’s gone so deep the singer is seriously contemplating suicide. But the band is adamant about the fact that the song is about fighting to survive by overcoming depression, rather than allowing it to lead to suicide. “It’s not saying I can’t go on living. It’s saying I can’t go on living this way,” says Dick (Spin, 10/00).
I know there are some curse words in the following song. I have eliminated both times the curse word is used. I really think that there needs to be a response to the young people who are saying things like the words in this song Here are some of the words:
Do you even care if I die pleading, Would it be wrong, would it be right, If I took my life tonight, Chances are that I might, and I’m contimplating suicide, ‘Cause I’m losing my sight, losing my mind, Wish somebody would tell me I’m fine, Nothing’s alright, nothing is fine, I’m running and I’m crying, I never realized I was spread too thin, Till it was too late andI was empty within, Hungry, feeding on my chaos and living in sin, Downward spiral, where do i begin, It all started when i lost my mother, No love for myself and no love for another,Searching to find a love upon a higher level, finding nothing but QUESTIONS AND DEVILS, I can’t go on living this way, Cut my life into pieces, This is my last resort.
My response to these words:”Do you even care if I die pleading, Would it be wrong, would it be right, If I took my life tonight, Chances are that I might, and I’m contimplating suicide” is that you should plead to someone who can do something about your situation and that is Christ!!!!
Below David Powlison asserts:
How do you get the living hope that God offers you in Jesus? By asking. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).
Suicide operates in a world of death, despair, and aloneness. Jesus Christ creates a world of life, hope, and community. Ask God for help, and keep on asking. Don’t stop asking. You need Him to fill you every day with the hope of the resurrection.
In a day and age where the walls are crumbling between what had been a variety of distinctive popular music genres, Papa Roach is like many other chart-topping bands whose music combines sounds that were once distinct. Coby Dick’s raspy and throat-wrenching vocals join with music that incorporates sounds of rap, rock, thrash, funk and metal. Listeners familiar with popular music will hear the influence of Faith No More, the band Dick cites as one of his early favorites. Similar contemporary bands include Korn, Limp Bizkit, The Deftones and P.O.D.
Reviewer Tim Kennedy of Spin describes the resulting sound as “an amalgam of below-the-belt guitar riffage, punk-rock urgency, and half-sung, half-rapped vocals (10/00). Rolling Stone’s Anthony Bozza says listening to Papa Roach is “like standing on a precipice—sustained tension and the threat of a tumble” (8/31/00).
The sound combines with Dick’s lyrics in a powerful and emotional blend that addresses the reality of life for kids who have been burned over and over again. Tobin Esperance says, “We write about things that have happened to our singer, specifically, and friends around us. It’s real life stuff. We’re not writing about s___ that we don’t know about, like girls and cars and money … we only know real life bulls___ that happens” (nyrock.com). Coby Dick says of his autobiographical music, “I’m venting my emotions. It’s blunt” (Rolling Stone, 8/31/00). He says “Papa Roach, lyrically, is my counseling” (Billboard,6/10/00).
Infest (2000)
Papa Roach released the album they now consider their first in April of 2000. The album quickly began to sell as a result of radio and MTV exposure, went gold after two months thanks to scoring with MTV’s Total Request Live audience, and had gone double platinum by September 2000.
Papa Roach offers an introduction to their music, mission, message and intentions on the album’s title cut. After introducing himself to his listeners, Coby Dick informs them his “God-given talent is to rock all the nations.” In this, the band’s “first manifesto,” the group lays out their plan to “infest” the world and young minds (“wrap you in my thoughts”) with an angry musical message of anarchy and rebellion against a messed-up world that’s let them down: “We’re going to infest/We’re getting in your head/What is wrong with the world today/The government, media or your family.” Institutions and people are not to be trusted. In fact, “First they shackle your feet/Then they stand you in a line/Then they beat you like meat/Then they grab you by your mind … people are the problem today.” Dick admits the struggle so many young people feel: “the game of life is crazy.” Alone in this sea of brokenness and hopelessness, Dick asks, “Would you cry if I died today/I think it be better if you did not say.”
The band’s place in the pop music landscape was established with the release of their breakout single, “Last Resort,” which was quickly picked up by MTV and nominated for a “Best New Artist Video” award at the 2000 Video Music Awards. The song is a gut-wrenching first-person chronicle of hopelessness that’s gone so deep the singer is seriously contemplating suicide. (See lyrics on page 7.) The fact that “Last Resort” is part of the mainstream pop music landscape indicates it is connecting with more and more kids who see it as an expression of their own inner struggles. For casual listeners, the song is very confusing. Listening to the song reveals the criticisms claiming the song promotes suicide could certainly be warranted. Kids who are riding the fence because of numerous other problems in their lives could interpret the song in a way that would give them permission to go over the edge, especially if they don’t know the story behind the song. But the band is adamant about the fact that the song is about fighting to survive by overcoming depression, rather than allowing it to lead to suicide. “It’s not saying I can’t go on living. It’s saying I can’t go on living this way,” says Dick (Spin, 10/00). He also says, “Last Resort” has “a positive edge to it, as far as like, ‘Don’t succumb to it. Keep yourself afloat.’ With these problems in your life, find a friend you can confide in” (Sonicnet.com). Based on the band’s resolve to survive like a roach, one would have to take them at their word. The song chronicles the suicide attempt of one of Coby Dick’s former roommates. After his “unsuccessful” attempt, the young man “turned to God” … Dick claims the attempt was what killed the rotting part of his roommate’s soul. The song has definitely connected. “We’ve gotten so many e-mails from people who tell us ‘Last Resort’ saved their lives,” says Dick. “It makes some people feel less alone” (Rolling Stone,8/31/00).
The album’s third cut is equally powerful. Released as a single and put in heavy rotation on MTV, “Broken Home” (See lyrics) is an overt lyrical, sonic and visual cry from the heart of one whose young life has been shattered by family breakdown. Written by Dick about his feelings after his parents’ divorce, the song offers listeners an emotional window into the reality of kids beaten up by our current culture of divorce. Every parent considering divorce should sit and watch this video. It is powerful.
“Dead Cell” has been called “a darkly sarcastic paean to Columbine kids the world over” (Alternative Press, 10/00). If that’s the case, the sarcasm is not easily heard. The dead cells are described as “born with no soul/lack of control/cut from the mold of the anti-social … sick in the head/living but dead.” Loud, angry and fast, the song could be interpreted by some who are young and angry as a call to arms: “I’m telling ya the kids are getting singled out/Let me hear the dead cells shout.”
“Between Angels and Insects” is an insightful rant against American greed and materialism. Dick says he wrote the song to remind himself that the things the band’s success will bring are not the things that make one happy. The lyrics are powerful and excerpts could serve to spark discussion with teens about the false promises of materialism: “Diamond rings get you nothing/But a life-long lesson/And your pocketbook stressin’/You’re a slave to the system/Working jobs that you hate/For s___ that you don’t need/It’s too bad the world is based on greed/Step back and stop thinking ‘bout yourself … ‘cause everything is nothing/And emptiness is in everything … Possessions they are never gonna fill the void … the things you own, own you.” When discussing the message of the song Buckner says, “all the worldly things that people equate with happiness—do they necessarily make you happy? You can have Rolexes and diamond rings and cars and houses … but really the things that make you happy are peace of mind and passion in your life” (Alternative Press, 10/00).
Relational selfishness and greed are the subject of “Blood Brothers,” a song offering powerful evidence of the depth of sin’s hold on humanity: “It’s our nature to destroy ourselves/It’s our nature to kill ourselves/It’s our nature to kill each other/It’s in our nature to kill, kill, kill.” The song speaks about allegiance in a world where you can’t trust anybody and you’ve got to watch your back. The lyrics leave one thinking the song could serve as an anthem for a street gang or other fringe subculture: “Blood brothers keep it real to the end.”
Themes of severe relational breakdown and the resulting pain continue in “Revenge,” a song about a girl who was “abused with forks, knives and razorblades” and who finally left the man who abused her in fits of rage. Listeners who have been abused will identify with the song’s mention of the ever-present and visible emotional scars they so often feel: “Chaos is what she saw in the mirror/Scared of herself/And the power that was in her/It took over and weighed heavily on her shoulders/Militant insanity is now what controlled her.” The song indicates that she exacts revenge on him, although the method and outcome is unclear.
Backstabbers are the subject of “Snakes,” an angry and threatening rant at those who betray friends. The song reflects the distrust so many kids feel because of the parade of letdowns they’ve experienced. The chorus asks, “Do you like how it feels to be bit in the neck by the snake that kills?/Do you know how it feels to be stabbed in the back then watch the blood spill?/I don’t like how it feels.”
Coby Dick chronicles his wrestling match with alcohol on “Binge,” a song that serves as a personal confession. “All I need is a bottle/And I don’t need no friends/Now wallow in my pain/I swallow as I pretend/To act like I’m happy when I drink till no end/I’m losing all my friends, I’m losing in the end … When I’m sober, life bores me/So I get drunk again.” The song is a heart cry about what drives the binge drinker, how he really feels inside and his desire to see it end. In the song’s final lines, Dick sings, “I wish things would change/Wish they’d rearrange.”
“Never Enough” is another cry for help from a confused and tortured young soul that is deeply longing for redemption. “Life’s been sucked out of me/And this routine’s killing me … somebody put me out of my misery,” Dick sings. The song will resonate with kids who are lost, purposeless and without peace. The song’s conclusion is a loud cry for help: “I feel as if I’m running/Life will knock me down.”
“Thrown Away” offers a view of life through the eyes of a kid struggling with ADD, something Coby Dick knows well as he watched his brother’s personal struggle with the disorder. “My heart is bleeding and the pain will not pass … I want to be thrown away … I am a mess, I’ve made a huge mess/I can’t control myself/I’m losing it, I’ve lost it/I’ve spilt all my marbles … sometimes I want to be thrown away.”
The album concludes with an unlisted hidden cut called “Tightrope.” The track is stylistically unlike any other cuts on the album as it is done in reggae style. The lyrics are a confusing mix of thoughts where Dick calls his words “weapons in which I murder you.” The song offers a confession regarding the ethical dilemmas faced by kids in these confusing times: “there is a thin line between what’s good and what is evil/I will tiptoe down that line/But I feel unstable/My life is a circus and I’m tripping down the tightrope/There’s nothing left to save me now so I will not look down.”
It’s easy to see the risk factors for suicide—depression, suffering, disillusioning experiences, failure—but there are also ways to get your life back on track by building protective factors into your life.
Ask for help
How do you get the living hope that God offers you in Jesus? By asking. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).
Suicide operates in a world of death, despair, and aloneness. Jesus Christ creates a world of life, hope, and community. Ask God for help, and keep on asking. Don’t stop asking. You need Him to fill you every day with the hope of the resurrection.
At the same time you are asking God for help, tell other people about your struggle with hopelessness. God uses His people to bring life, light, and hope. Suicide, by definition, happens when someone is all alone. Getting in relationship with wise, caring people will protect you from despair and acting out of despair.
But what if you are bereaved and alone? If you know Jesus, you still have a family—His family is your family. Become part of a community of other Christians. Look for a church where Jesus is at the center of teaching and worship. Get in relationship with people who can help you, but don’t stop with getting help. Find people to love, serve, and give to. Even if your life has been stripped barren by lost relationships, God can and will fill your life with helpful and healing relationships.
Grow in godly life skills
Another protective factor is to grow in godly living. Many of the reasons for despair come from not living a godly, fruitful life. You need to learn the skills that make godly living possible. What are some of those skills?
Conflict resolution. Learn to problem-solve by entering into human difficulties and growing through them. (See Ask the Christian Counselor article, “Fighting the Right Way.”)
Seek and grant forgiveness. Hopeless thinking is often the result of guilt and bitterness.
Learn to give to others. Suicide is a selfish act. It’s a lie that others will be better off without you. Work to replace your faulty thinking with reaching out to others who are also struggling. Take what you have learned in this article and pass it on to at least one other person. Whatever hope God gives you, give to someone who is struggling with despair.
Live for God
When you live for God, you have genuine meaning in your life. This purpose is far bigger than your suffering, your failures, the death of your dreams, and the disillusionment of your hopes. Living by faith in God for His purposes will protect you from suicidal and despairing thoughts. God wants to use your personality, your skills, your life situation, and even your struggle with despair to bring hope to others.
He has already prepared good works for you to do. Paul says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). As you step into the good works God has prepared for you—you will find that meaning, purpose, and joy.
Papa Roach – Last Resort (Censored Version) This series of posts concerns the song “The Last Resort.” Amy Winehouse died today and it was a tragic loss. That really troubled me that she did not seek spiritual help instead of turning to drugs and alcohol. This post today will give hope to those we feel like […]
I am in the middle of a series on the Papa Roach song “Last Resort” which deals with suicide and then today I hear this sad story about Amy Winehouse. Inside Amy Winehouse’s troubled life With the news that British R&B star and tabloid target Amy Winehouse has died from as yet undisclosed causes, […]
Papa Roach – Last Resort (Censored Version) Today I am starting a series of posts on this song “The Last Resort” by Papa Roach. The band’s place in the pop music landscape was established with the release of their breakout single, “Last Resort,” which was quickly picked up by MTV and nominated for a “Best […]
With the news that British R&B star and tabloid target Amy Winehouse has died from as yet undisclosed causes, two things are clear: the music world lost one of its most passionately soulful voices, and this is a tragedy that has surprised no one. Winehouse’s struggles with drugs and alcohol were often in the public eye and even addressed in her own music, like her best-known hit “Rehab.”
Throughout her colorful, troubled life, Winehouse fought many demons: addiction, an eating disorder, and a particularly tumultuous love life.
Her struggles to stay sober
Although she first broke through to international audiences with a song that found her saying “no, no, no” to her record company’s claims that she belonged in rehab, it didn’t take long for fans to realize she did have a problem with alcohol abuse, frequently appearing in what appeared to be a drunken state while onstage (one time she exited the stage to vomit) and during TV appearances. Hospitalizations, allegedly related to drug or drinking binges, were frequent. A leaked video of a woman alleged to be Winehouse smoking what appeared to be crack pipe and snorting cocaine caused a tabloid sensation and caused police to investigate the matter, though charges weren’t brought against her.
Winehouse was aware of her problems: while she initially resisted her record company’s attempt to put her in rehab, she willingly checked in to a center around that time. And in 2009, Winehouse’s father Mitch-who had frequently voiced his concerns over her healthto the media-said she had entered a program to deal with her drug addiction, but he admitted that there were “slight backward steps — not drug backward steps, more drink backward steps if you follow my drift.”
Her father wasn’t so coy about her addiction issues: he once told UK reporters that his daughter had lung damage from smoking crack cocaine and cigarettes and that her body was giving signs of what could lead to early stage emphysema.
Also in the smoking rotation was marijuana: in 2007, Winehouse and her then-husband were arrested in Norway and fined for marijuana possession.
Winehouse herself resisted confessional 60 Minutes-type interviews, but she didn’t exactly try to hide her history with drugs and alcohol either. When asked by Rolling Stone in 2006 what her worst vice was, she simply responded, “Mainly that I’m quite reckless and always throw caution to the wind.”
“I know Amy Winehouse very well. And she is very different to what people portray her as being. Yes, she does get out of her mind on drugs sometimes, but she is also a very clever, intelligent, witty, funny person who can hold it together. You just don’t see that side.”
Health problems
Even before she gained the international celebrity that probably helped enable her addictions, Winehouse was open about other health problems, admitting to struggling with an eating disorder, self-cutting and depression on numerous occasions. Photos of an emaciated Winehouse were always popping up over the years, causing fans to worry she wasn’t taking good care of her fragile body-a fear once again publicly validated by her own father when he spoketo the media about her bulimia in 2007.
As for her cutting problems, Winehouse seemed to have moved past that as she grew up: However, during an interview with a reporter from Spin magazine, Winehouse inexplicably began carving her the name of her then-boyfriend (and future ex-husband) Blake Fielder-Civil into her stomach with a piece of glass.
Public Brawls
As with many of those who abuse alcohol, Winehouse had a tendency toward physical fighting. In 2008 she admitted to slapping a man in public and apologized for the common assault, receiving just a police warning. But a few months later, she descended into the audience tothrow a punch at a fan who had allegedly grabbed at her breasts.
Love Life
Similarly violent was Winehouse’s long-time flame Blake Fielder-Civil. It was breaking up with him that fueled much of her songwriting on her acclaimed Back to Black album, so it was a surprise to family and friends when she secretly married him in 2007. But married life hardly helped settle down her tumultuous life. Not long after tying the knot, the couple were photographed arm-in-arm, each of them bloodied and bruised amid reports that they had been fighting the night before. Winehouse defended her husband and said the wounds were self-inflicted, a claim that was met with public skepticism.
Fielder-Civil was jailed from July 2008 to February 2009 after pleading guilty to assaulting a bartender, among other charges. The two divorced not long after his release, with Winehouse claiming: “Our whole marriage was based on doing drugs.” Before Fielder-Civil initiated divorce proceedings, Winehouse had allegedly began dating a younger actor for a short period.
Family
Her father, who recently cancelled a jazz performance in New York of his own to fly back to London, has been expressing alarm and concern over his daughter’s well-being for years now, publicly referring to her heroin, cocaine and alcohol problems when Winehouse’s publicists remained mute. He even took issue with her smoking, saying in an interview with Sky News (via Access Hollywood) earlier this month: “She has got a serious health problem. My biggest fear is that she would die and she won’t die from an overdose, she will die from emphysema. We would be talking about a very slow and painful death, gasping for air.”
Recent Trouble
As recently as last month, however, Winehouse unwittingly revealed that all was not well. Video captured of her performing in Belgrade-at a show that was to launch her immediately cancelled European tour-showed her forgetting lyrics, stumbling around and being booed by disgruntled fans. Whether she was intoxicated or not, it was clear that Winehouse hadn’t released herself from the demons that plagued her. Hopefully now she has found some peace.
Papa Roach – Last Resort (Censored Version) This series of posts concerns the song “The Last Resort.” Amy Winehouse died today and it was a tragic loss. That really troubled me that she did not seek spiritual help instead of turning to drugs and alcohol. This post today will give hope to those we feel like […]
I am in the middle of a series on the Papa Roach song “Last Resort” which deals with suicide and then today I hear this sad story about Amy Winehouse. Inside Amy Winehouse’s troubled life With the news that British R&B star and tabloid target Amy Winehouse has died from as yet undisclosed causes, […]
Papa Roach – Last Resort (Censored Version) Today I am starting a series of posts on this song “The Last Resort” by Papa Roach. The band’s place in the pop music landscape was established with the release of their breakout single, “Last Resort,” which was quickly picked up by MTV and nominated for a “Best […]
For Senator Mark Pryor it is time to get back to his liberal democratic roots. Blame the evil Republicans for wanting to end Medicare as we know it and push granny off the cliff. For heavens sake we better not cut a dime out of the government now, but maybe promise to cut 6 trillion out of it about 7 or 8 years from now and call that a 10 year plan.
Senator Mark Pryor on July 22 made the following statement on the Senate floor to encourage his colleagues to end the budget gimmicks and move forward with a comprehensive debt-reduction plan as part of a debt ceiling solution. A portion of his statement is below:
Mr. President, Abraham Lincoln once said, “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.”
We need to bring people the facts about our nation’s debt. People in my state see through the games being played in Washington. They want solutions, courage and leadership — the kind that puts us on a more secure fiscal path for the future.
… Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last summer said, “Our national debt is our biggest national security threat.”
___________________
Mark Pryor is not going to lift a finger to cut down our national deficit. That is why he did not want to pass the “Cut, Cap and Balance” plan.
Pryor notes, “We need to bring people the facts about our nation’s debt.” However, he does not believe in a Balanced Budget Amendment. How does that make sense?
Then he complains, “People in my state see through the games being played in Washington.They want solutions, courage and leadership — the kind that puts us on a more secure fiscal path for the future.” Nevertheless, he will vote for a responsible plan like “Cut, Cap and Balance.”
Finally Pryor asserts, “… Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last summer said, “Our national debt is our biggest national security threat.” But Pryor’s inaction on cutting the deficit is speaking volumes. He just can’t break away from those old favorite tactics of the liberals. He travels across Arkansas screaming “The Republicans want to send granny over the cliff!!”
Abdication: Senate Votes to Do Nothing Unless It Can Hike Taxes for the President” by David S. Addington July 22, 2011 at 2:54 pm, seems to be perfectly describing Pryor’s own actions. Here is a portion of that article:
Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed the Cut, Cap and Balance Act, to get federal spending under control and balance the budget. That legislation passed with 234 votes in the House. The House is a legislative body, and it has legislated. The House has done its job.
In contrast, the Senate is a legislative body that has failed to do its job. So far, the Senate has come up with lots of bad plans, but no votes. The Senate plans that have cropped up in the last week — the McConnell-Reid “Just Borrow More” Plan, the Coburn Plan with its tax hikes, and the Gang-of-Six Plan with its tax hikes — have among them exactly zero votes, because the Senate has not voted on any of them.
Today, the Senate voted 51 to 46 to not even consider the House-passed Cut, Cap and Balance bill, even though two-thirds of Americans, according to the CNN Poll dated July 21, support such legislation. The Obama Administration chimed in that, even if the Senate passed the bill, the President would veto it anyway. Therefore, if, ten days from now, America fails temporarily to meet its obligations because the Treasury lacks sufficient money to pay them when due, the responsibility for that failure falls squarely upon President Obama and the Senate liberals, who let it happen because they wanted to raise taxes. Conservatives have commendably pursued legislation to ensure that the government pays its most important obligations first when the Treasury has a shortage of money to pay all its bills, but even on that liberals have been no help.
President Obama and the Senate liberals may represent well that ever-shrinking tax-spend-and-borrow crowd of liberal special interests, but most of the American people want to cut government spending, cut the size and scope of government, and cut up and throw away the national credit card.
So far, only the House conservatives have acted responsibly.
A week is still plenty of time to pass legislation to get the spending-cut job done. The time to put America on the path to driving down federal spending and borrowing, while preserving our ability to protect America, and without raising taxes, is now.
Smoke rises from the central area of Oslo Friday, July 22, 2011 after an explosion. …
Today there is a big debate caused by the tragic events in Norway where an extremist associated with a Christian group that opposed multiculturalism has killed over 90 people.
In the article below Chuck Colson noted, “True Christians renounce violence and promote human freedom, which is why the major human-rights movements of the past centuries were inspired by and fueled by Christianity.” That is why I believe it is clear that the terrorist in Norway was not a true Christian. The Bible does not teach jihad.
As part of the Economist magazine’s coverage of religion’s role in the twenty-first century, a recent story covers the “new wars of religion.”
The magazine’s emphasis on religion represents a nearly 180-degree turn from the publication’s 1999 declaration that belief in God had “passed into history.” But while the magazine is looking in the right direction, it does not understand what it is seeing.
The graphic accompanying the story could not be less subtle: an arm reaching down from heaven holding a hand grenade. According to the story, “faith will unsettle politics everywhere this century; it will do so least when it is separated from the state.”
We are not even into the story, and there is already a problem: There is a world of difference between mixing faith with politics and the kind of violence suggested by the hand-grenade graphic.
Even if you think that faith and politics should be completely separate, it is absurd to equate—as theEconomist does—the actions of American Christians with those of al-Qaeda or the Muslim Brotherhood. The article unintentionally exposes this absurdity: The only mention in the article of a Christian resorting to political violence was the Gunpowder Plot of 1605! Even there, calling Guy Fawkes a “Catholic Jihadist” is a bit of a stretch—a desperate attempt to draw a moral equivalency where none exists.
That’s because it has been 400 years since Christians settled religious disputes with explosives. (No, Northern Ireland, you may be thinking, but that was political.) Yet Islamic, and even Hindu, uses of political violence make headlines nearly every day.
Clearly, this is the case in the two countries the magazine spotlights: Nigeria and India. In Nigeria, when Muslim-majority states in the North adopted sharia law, the Christians faced possible flogging and mutilation, as well as restrictions on practicing their faith.
The adoption of the sharia law was followed by attacks on Christian neighborhoods and businesses. While it is true that some Christians fought back, that does not change the fact that in almost all cases Muslims initiated the violence.
In India, Hindu nationalists use their political power to oppress Muslims and Christians. Two thousand Muslims were killed in anti-Muslim riots five years ago.
It is simply grotesque to compare Hindu nationalists, as the Economist does, to Focus on the Family and my friend Jim Dobson—almost as grotesque to lump Christian efforts at social reform with the imposition of sharia law.
The Economist is still looking through a lens distorted by secularism. Maybe we cannot blame it, because so much today in our politically correct culture tells us that all religions are alike: All that matters is that we worship God, and we worship the same god. When I criticize Muslims, I have often been attacked.
We need to lovingly make the case to our neighbors that all religions are not alike. True Christians renounce violence and promote human freedom, which is why the major human-rights movements of the past centuries were inspired by and fueled by Christianity.
We cannot expect our critics to get it right, but we can teach our secular friends. I have done this from time to time and watched their attitudes dramatically change. We have a great case—all we have to do is make it, and let people know that worldviews do matter.
Today the world has learned that yesterday’s tragic events in Norway where over 90 individuals were killed, was NOT THE ACT OF A MUSLIM AS EARLIER REPORTED. Actually now it seems that this person may have been a member of an extremist Christian group that opposed multiculturalism. At least that is the information that we are getting now. This has prompted people on the Arkansas Times Blog to ask for Christian leaders to apologize. However, it is my view that Christianity is truly a religion of peace and that Islam does have a large element in their group that hold to principles of jihad. What is the results of the last few decades? Why not examine the list of terror acts? Here it is below taken from wikipedia.
Senator Conrad calls Balanced Budget Amendment is laughable, but I think it is laughable when you look at the lack of resolve of Congress to make the necessary cuts!!!
The White House is quietly encouraging the Reid-McConnell talks.
Meantime, there is talk of pandering to the tea party radicals in the unwieldy House by letting them pursue referral of a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.
Ratification would take years. If enacted, such an amendment would amount to the same abdication of political responsibility to make wise and responsible cuts in spending as has been evident in the debt-ceiling debate.
It is obvious to me that the Balanced Budget Amendment is needed because of the “abdication of political responsibility to make wise and responsible cuts in spending” that Brummett is talking about and we have all seen for decades.
Abstract:Republicans in the House and Senate have announced that they will force votes on balanced budget constitutional amendments. While the Senate and House versions of the current BBA are similar, there are some important differences that Members of Congress and the American people need to understand. For example, the Senate version makes it more difficult to enact revenue-neutral tax reform, while the House version would waive its tax limitation in times of military conflict. How Congress resolves these differences could determine whether future Congresses and Presidents balance the budget without increasing taxes.
Conclusion
These proposed balanced budget amendments differ on some fundamental issues that would dramatically affect the way Congress attempts to balance the budget. The House version, for example, is easier to waive. There is a lower threshold to declare military conflict in the House version that would allow for an easier waiver. Also, the tax limitation—forcing a two-thirds vote to increase taxes—would be waived in times of military conflict in the House version. The House version allows a lower supermajority threshold to pass an unbalanced budget than the Senate version does.
The Senate version makes it more difficult to enact revenue-neutral tax reform. The provision that forces a two-thirds vote to raise any tax would make it more difficult to modify the tax code in a revenue-neutral manner to implement a flat tax. For a flat tax to work, some Americans might have their tax rates increased as a means to make every American pay the same rate.
Also, neither version contains the complete ban on judicial enforcement that is necessary to prevent activist judges from setting budget priorities, which is a job reserved for the political branches of government.
The differences between the House and Senate BBAs may seem small to those who are not steeped in the budget process, but they will have a dramatic impact on the lives of all Americans. Ultimately, these differences would need to be reconciled in a manner that leads to a balanced budget without jeopardizing U.S. military interests or punishing taxpayers.
Hemingway talks about the fear of death in the latest Woody Allen film “Midnight in Paris.” This is one of Allen’s themes that visits often in his films.
The CNM Chronicle gives “Midnight in Paris” 4.3-of-5 stars
Woody Allen’s 45th directed film “Midnight in Paris” is aesthetically appealing, whimsical, and harkens a respect for the past in a world society that perpetually looks to the future.
“Midnight in Paris” (Which was written and directed by Allen) stars Owen Wilson as Gil Bender on vacation with his fiancée Inez, played by Rachel McAdams.
The movie begins with a series of shots of Paris landmarks, some in regular weather and some in rain, synched to change shots along with the upbeat in the score. Like other Allen movies, the first dialog is heard from Gil against the black title credits which progress to reveal Inez and Gil walking through Monet’s Garden in Giverny.
Throughout the early daylight scenes of “Midnight in Paris,” Gil and Inez walk through a series of landmarks. Gil, an American television writer working on his first novel, professes his love of the city of Paris, how the people operate and his desire to live, write there while Inez cannot wait to return stateside.
Gil and Inez are in Paris along with Inez’s parents John, played by Kurt Fuller, and Helen, played by Mimi Kennedy, who are in town on a business venture for John. Along the way Gil and Inez meet up with Inez’s Gil-termed “Pedantic” friend Paul played by Michael Sheen and Carol played by Nina Arianda.
Paul invites Gil and Inez along with he and Carol to tour Rodin’s museum where Paul proceeds to give a tour to an attentive Inez and Carol, and an unwilling Gil.
There is a shot in front of Rodin’s museum where the two women follow Paul with a rapt focus while Gil follows as if he becomes more uninterested and annoyed at Paul with each step he takes. It’s in a scene like this where Wilson shines playing the Allen surrogate role of Gil. While Wilson may not appear as cynical or sharp as Allen would in the role, there is a believable mocking quality to the way Wilson plays the character.
After a day of listening to Paul bemoan about the history of Paris and the various works of art that contribute to the city’s prestige, Gil excuses himself to walk around the city. Eventually Gil finds himself lost on the streets of Paris, and sits on a city street stairway in the Latin Quarter. As the clock strikes midnight a Duisenberg strolls up to where he is sitting and the inhabitants of the car invite him to come along.
After Gil gets out of the car, he finds himself in the 1920’s France world of Cole Porter (played by Yves Heck) music, late-night parties and stimulating conversation. Eventually, he finds himself talking to Zelda (played by Alison Pill) and Scott Fitzgerald (played by Tom Hiddleston) and joining them in escaping the boring party in which they go to a bar where they meet up with Ernest Hemmingway (played by Corey Stroll).
Throughout the process Gil is entranced by each author or artist he meets. After asking Hemmingway to read his novel-in-progress, Hemmingway declines but promises to bring him to the only person he trusts with his work, Gertrude Stein (played by Kathy Bates).
During the next day Gil tells Inez about his night and she devalues everything he says. Throughout the day the growing disconnect between Gil and Inez becomes more obvious as they argue over where they should live after getting married.
The next night Hemmingway takes Gil to Stein where he is thrust into an argument between her and Pablo Picasso about a painting. The painting was a portrait of a woman, Adriana (played by Marion Cotillard), whom Picasso had been seeing. Gil talks with Adrianna in the next room and they bond over a common bond, a love of the past.
There are many great performances in “Midnight in Paris,” the most notable being any with Hemmingway. Stroll plays an engaging Hemmingway who rivets all he talks to with poignant words and elegant phrases. Throughout the movie Hemmingway delivers bits like “All Cowardice comes from not loving,” and “You will never write well if you fear dying.” But the best bit of Hemmingway in this movie is a conversation between him and Adrianna at a party thrown by the Fitzgerald’s.
Hemmingway says to Adrianna, “Have you ever shot a charging lion?” Adriana responds no and Hemmingway responds with “would you like to?”
Bates is also brilliant as the poetess Stein. She is forceful and abrupt which allows her to motivate Wilson in his writing career.
Cotillard is, as Wilson describes, “Effortlessly Lovely.” The chemistry between Adrianna and Gil is enchanting and propels the movie forward.
Lastly, McAdams is abrasive as Inez which is most likely the point of her character. She constantly puts down Gil which makes her character hard to care about.
The movie has been proclaimed in many critics reviews as a love note to Paris. While each image on screen is beautiful and filmed with the perfect amounts of light, weather and blocking, the content of the movie seems to be more focused on Allen’s post famous career.
Wilson plays a writer trying to find a living where he isn’t a corporate hand making things that are moronic and simplistic. He hates the fact he spends his life ridiculed by pedantic people who have no clue what they are talking about and indoctrinate the naively willing.
What Allen is beckoning for through a love letter to Paris is a return to writing or self-expression before the corporate takeover of the arts realm. In the words of Inez in an early scene, “Midnight in Paris” Is Allen willfully stating that he would give it all up just to struggle.
Politicians and interest groups claim higher taxes are necessary because it would be impossible to cut spending by enough to get rid of red ink. This Center for Freedom and Prosperity video shows that these assertions are nonsense. The budget can be balanced very quickly by simply limiting the annual growth of federal spending.
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Below in the clip you can see President Reagan asking for a balanced budget amendment back in the 1980’s. How much heartache would we have avoided if we had one back then?
The White House is quietly encouraging the Reid-McConnell talks.
Meantime, there is talk of pandering to the tea party radicals in the unwieldy House by letting them pursue referral of a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.
Ratification would take years. If enacted, such an amendment would amount to the same abdication of political responsibility to make wise and responsible cuts in spending as has been evident in the debt-ceiling debate.
It is obvious to me that the Balanced Budget Amendment is needed because of the “abdication of political responsibility to make wise and responsible cuts in spending” that Brummett is talking about and we have all seen for decades.
Abstract:Republicans in the House and Senate have announced that they will force votes on balanced budget constitutional amendments. While the Senate and House versions of the current BBA are similar, there are some important differences that Members of Congress and the American people need to understand. For example, the Senate version makes it more difficult to enact revenue-neutral tax reform, while the House version would waive its tax limitation in times of military conflict. How Congress resolves these differences could determine whether future Congresses and Presidents balance the budget without increasing taxes.
Enforcing Legislation
The House and Senate versions differ on the authorization for legislation to enforce the BBA. Section 7 of the House version allows Congress to enforce and implement the BBA “by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays and receipts.” Section 10 of the Senate version, however, allows enforcement “by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays, receipts, and gross domestic product.” The Senate’s version specifically references GDP, whereas the House version is silent on this point.
—Brian Darling is Senior Fellow for Government Studies in the Department of Government Studies at The Heritage Foundation
As part of the Economist magazine’s coverage of religion’s role in the twenty-first century, a recent story covers the “new wars of religion.”
The Daily Hatch 