Foreign Policy Tidbits

I want you to know that sincerely his foreign policy was the most troublesome for me at first. But truly the more I learn about Ron Paul's foreign policy vs. the US foreign policy, the more it makes sense and the more flawed, dangerous, immoral, and super sad the US's foreign policy is. I think foreign policy may be my most important issue now because it is so deeply connected with everything else, the economy, our civil liberties, preserving the American way of life and truly having a strong America. It aligns with the council of prophets, scripture, Christianity, and the founders' philosophy - at least the admonition of George Washington in his farewell address. Here are some facts that may help if you have not heard them before:

-Ron Paul gets over 3 times as many donations from active duty military than all the other Republican candidates combined and almost double what Obama gets. This tells you that the troops support him, so maybe we should support the troops in the way they are asking for with their paychecks.

-This article came out about Iran -
Check out the well-written story here:
http://milwaukeestory.com/index.php/2011/12/19/pentagon-says...
And the Department of Defense report from 2010 here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/30277432/DoD-Unclassified-Report-o...
Key quotes:
"Iran's nuclear program and its willingness to keep open the possibility of developing nuclear weapons is a central part of its deterrent strategy."
"At present Iran's forces are sufficent to deter or defend against conventional threats from Iran's weaker neighbors such as post-war Iraq, the GCC, Azerbaijan or Afghanistan but lack the air power and logistical ability to power much beyond Iran's boarders or to confront regional powers such as Turkey or Israel."
So our own govt admits what Ron Paul has been saying: Iran does not have the capabilities to attack, but they keep in mind the possibility of a nuclear weapon because they feel threatened. Our current foriegn policy encourages them to want a nuke.   
-We are currently giving 3x as much foreign aid to Israel's surrounding enemies as we are to Israel, so cutting all foreign aid would actually help Israel, who has 300 nukes of its own and is pretty capable of defending itself and makimg its own decisions. See following video:  http://www.dailypaul.com/193159/ben-swann-reality-check-is-ron-paul-really-anti-israel

-Ron Paul voted in favor of authorizing the President to go after those responsible for the attacks on 9/11. He is not weak on defense, he realizes that there are times to fight. He wrote a bill to declare war against Iraq up or down (he voted against his own bill because he felt the Iraq war was unjustified) because he wanted it to be legal if we were gonna go in there. Guess what, the bill did not pass. He's in favor of going to war when Congress and the people declare it, but he is strongly opposed to illegal wars. He feels we need to get out of Afghanistan because the President went way beyond what he was Congressionally authorized to do. These unconstitutional wars will bankrupt us and destroy the dollar and that is probably the biggest threat to our way of life and future generations.

-al Qaeda and the Taliban are anti-American because we are occupying their lands. The only way to know this is to look at our history in the region and to ask the troops who are in the middle of it. Even if you don't believe this, the terrorists are still winning because of our Congress and administration destroying our Constitution to "protect" us from the terrorist threat i.e. the Patriot Act, the newly passed NDAA defense appropriations bill, the invasive policies of the TSA, the constant keeping us in fear and encouragement from Homeland Security "if you see something, say something" to keep us divided and suspicious of each other. We can't live like this anymore! Especially in these awful economic times when 50% of the population is at or below the poverty level! It's gonna start getting ugly if we don't put an end to the deceit and destruction of our Constitution and start focusing on our problems here at home. We need these brave soldiers at home defending their families, not perpetuating war and killing and violence unnecessarily.

Follow-up to Why Not Mitt

Check out this video and realize why auditing and eventually getting rid of the Fed is so important. And why it's such a big deal that Mitt isn't going to do anything to stop this private central bank from devaluing our currency, burying us in debt, and effectively destroying our country. 

Why Not Mitt?

Many of my friends and family tell me they support Mitt Romney for president and ask me what's so wrong with him. Here's my answer: I think he's probably a great guy. I'm sure he's nice and a good LDS man. I voted for him in 2008 thinking that he'd be good with the economy because he's a business man. I still think these things, and I think we'd be slightly better off if he were in charge now instead of the current president; however, I argue that he would make a good bandaid, but he would not really change things. This is why.

Economy: I think Mitt would improve the economy somewhat based on good business principles of not spending more than you take in, cutting excessive and unnecessary agencies, etc (Ron Paul believes these things as well and has never voted for an unbalanced budget or to increase spending). However, the government really is not and should not be a business. Once you "follow the money" and understand the root of our economic problems, you understand that we are in deep trouble and need major changes in economic policy, not just tweaking the tax code and other nitpicky measures. Most people don't know about the Federal Reserve. The "Fed" as it is called, controls the US economy based on a Keynesian economic policy (vs. an Austrian economic policy). Simply put, Keynesian theory is a hands-on central planning of the economy and Austrian theory is a hands-off, let the free markets and free enterprise regulate the economy. The Federal Reserve is a PRIVATE central bank that prints money (determining inflation rates) and sets interest rates. It was set up under shady pretenses in 1913 through the Federal Reserve act and it has absolutely no checks and balances on it from any government agency. It is run by private bankers who manipulate the value of the currency by printing up a bunch of paper money (not backed by anything with real value) and lending it to the government or putting it into circulation. Increasing the amount of dollars in circulation decreases the value of each dollar. This is what causes inflation, or in other words, what causes commodity prices to increase (aka gas prices, food prices, the price of education, everything increases in price while our wages stay the same). The Fed controls the money, they are the root of the problem of the economy. A runaway, rubber-stamp (meaning they don't pay attention to the bills, they just give them the ok) Congress certainly hasn't helped us, but as long as the Fed is able to print more money, the Congress has no incentive to stop the spending, thus wildly extending the reach of the federal government. (Learn more about the Fed by reading Ron Paul's book, END the FED - I have a copy if anyone wants to borrow it, or also The Creature from Jekyll Island by J. Edward Griffin.)

So...if we don't start dealing with the Federal Reserve, nothing will really change over time.

Ron Paul's thoughts about the Fed: Audit it, so we can see what they are up to (One partial audit revealed that the Fed printed up 16 trillion dollars to bail out foreign central banks - that's about as much as our entire national debt. A lot of money.) and eventually phase it out completely and get back to letting the free market really take over the economy. He predicted the housing bubble and economic collapse. He understands the economy and can help turn things around.  

Mitt Romney's thoughts about the Fed: He doesn't feel like it's necessary to focus on the Fed and that Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Fed is doing an ok job dealing with the economy according to this interview. He may have some good ideas about how to get the economy rolling, but until he understands that the Fed is the root of the problem, things won't change. Another major thing about Romney's economic policy, he has once supported the stimulus, then stated he didn't support stimulating the economy. This clip shows it, it's a little politicized, but has the quotes nonetheless. The stimulus is a very Keynesian way to try to prevent economic collapse, but is just a bandaid. It also greatly increases our national debt and devalues the currency if we're printing money to pump into the economy (aka quantitative easing or QE as it's referred to in the news). Mitt also supported TARP - the banker bailout of 2008. TARP took money from the taxpayers to prop up the banks that had made terrible, risky, and almost unethical business decisions that helped facilitate the collapse. They basically caused the bubble, then got refunded for what they lost doing it in the name of preventing economic disaster. The middle class took the heat for their dumb decisions and we're not better off economically. One possible reason Romney supported TARP: 2 of his top 3 campaign contributors this year were people who worked at banks that got much of this bailout money, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

Foreign Policy: This leads to foreign policy. As long as Congress is allowed to spend as much as they want because they have access to unlimited amounts of money that can be printed up by the Fed or taxed out of you or borrowed from China (at least as long as the dollar is still considered the reserve currency and other countries put up with our shenanigans), they have no incentive not to go to war and expand our influence around the world. Many Republicans talk about being fiscal conservatives yet take no thought to cut from one of the biggest budgets our govt has - "defense spending." We have been at war against "terror" for over 10 years now. When will it ever end? The military-industrial complex and the central banks are getting rich off of all of the money we are spending to fund these wars. What is the end goal of the war in Iraq? What is the end goal of the war in Afghanistan? Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden are gone. Iraq has had their "democratic elections." Seriously, what is the end goal? Kill al Qaida and the Taliban? This is a powerful clip describing the nonsense of that notion. We supported the Taliban and Osama bin Laden back in the day when Russia was trying to do to them exactly what we are today. They are freedom fighters trying to defend their lands from our bombs! It is completely contradictory and insane.

So...our foreign policy needs to be scaled back and focus on defending our nation, liberties, families, and freedoms.

Ron Paul believes that we would be a stronger country if we didn't go bankrupt trying to expand our empire over the world, policing the world, and getting involved in the internal affairs of other countries. Think this is crazy? This is what Bush ran on in 2000. This is what George Washington advised us in his farewell address. Ron Paul believes in going to war only when Congress declares war. Interestingly, he authored a bill to declare war against Iraq up or down. He voted against it because he did not believe we were justified to go to war. So did the rest of Congress. The bill did not pass. Yet here we are, 8 years later, starting to pull out (but leaving contractors still in the area so not really). Ron Paul believes in defending our nation, he voted to authorize the president to go after those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. He did not vote for a full blown war against Afghanistan. Ron Paul believes in diplomacy and not starting the wars, but certainly defending our country in the case of a real threat (not just because of war propaganda and hype). Ron Paul believes in trading with other nations and that sanctions are an act of war. Oh, and Ron Paul received more contributions from the military than all other Republican candidates combined, and even more than Obama.

Mitt Romney believes in a strong America as well, but would go about it an entirely different way. He has stated that he would not cut a penny from military spending. According to mittromney.com, he wants to isolate and sanction Middle Eastern countries such as Iran and Syria in an attempt to weaken and eventually overthrow their dictators. As we saw though from Egypt and possibly in Libya, their dictators get replaced with al Qaida! Mitt would also keep and ramp up our military presence in the Pacific to ensure the trade routes stay open and East Asia remains "secure and prosperous." What if the Japanese or Chinese were stationed in the Gulf of Mexico to ensure our security? Why do we have to waste our tax money (or borrow money or print money and devalue our currency) to piss off volatile countries in the Middle East or protect countries that are perfectly capable of protecting themselves? This is also a famous pre-Tea Party clip showing that Romney doesn't want to bother with following the Constitution when it comes to deploying troops for war but would rather "let the lawyers" sort it out. Mitt Romney employs the same war-mongering, fear-mongering that has been going on in Washington for years. Notice that four years ago they were still talking about Iran and there's no evidence that says they are getting any closer to building a nuke. They did the same for Iraq before that and look at the mess we're in now. His end goal for the wars are pretty far-reaching. He talks a lot about modernizing Islam and making the Middle East more like America, improving their schools, establishing democracy, etc. I don't think that it's our business to make thier religion modern. Nor should we discriminate against Muslims and try to say they are not modern. Sure, there are some radicals. I know a few Muslims and they are very nice peaceful people. We are going to be in for a lot lot longer if we are trying to reform entire countries and religions. We shouldn't spend our money doing this, we shouldn't risk precious lives doing this; we should back off and let them live how they want to live. They've been around for several hundreds of years. We probably won't change them. If we quit bombing them, maybe they'll leave us alone too.

Civil Liberties: A famous quote by Rahm Emanuel, Obama's ex-Chief of Staff explains why we need to be extra careful of our Consitution and liberties in times of war: "You don't want a serious crisis to go to waste." Jon Stewart explains well in this video how the government has used fearmongering since 9/11 to chisel away at our civil liberties. Many argue that the terrorists have won because of the imprisonment we have given ourselves trying to prevent every single possible crime through the outrageous policies of the TSA, the Patriot Act, and the new Defense Appropriations bill. Ron Paul often quotes Benjamin Franklin, "Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither." It's okay to try to prevent terrible things from happening, but the most terrible thing that could happen is the destruction of the basic protections of our rights guaranteed to us in the Comstitution. Jon Stewart was so right in the above video when he said in response to Lindsey Graham's argument that terrorists are bent on the destruction of our way of life, "so we're gonna destroy it before they can get their hands on it." The war on terror is not the only vehicle used to chisel away at the Bill of Rights; the war on drugs has also had it's share of liberty (and actual) homocide.

Ron Paul believes that the govt's role is to protect the life, liberty, and property of Americans. He believes that America has gone far from what a free society should be. He voted against the Patriot Act and believes that times of war and distress are the times that we should pay strictest attention to the Constitution, for the founders wanted to guarantee these rights for such times as these. He is against the TSA and would like to have the airlines provide their own security. He gets a lot of flack for being against the war on drugs. He argues that the government should not protect us from ourselves. He argues that alcohol prohibition was a bad idea and didn't work; we should appeal this as well because kids now can get drugs easier than they can alcohol. He puts up some more great arguments and talks about the history of why marijuana was made illegal in his book "The Revolution" if anyone would like to borrow that from me I have it as well. He states that he is against making marijuana use a federal crime because he does not want a federal police force. He would rather that states decide what they want to do regarding the regulation of drugs. He doesn't think throwing someone in jail for using drugs is the best way to get them off of drugs, especially when the jails are filled with drugs themselves. He doesn't feel that the federal govt should intervene if states have legalized the medical use of marijuana. He argues that the 4th amendment has been violated way too often because of suspected possession of marijuana. Read this and this for proof. Ron Paul does not advocate the use of drugs. He just believes that dangerous things happen when the govt oversteps its bounds and tries to protect Americans from themselves. Ron Paul believes many social issues should be left up to the states, but that we should be free to choose what we do to our own bodies as long as it doesn't infringe upon others' rights. Ron Paul is pro-life because he feels it is the govt's job to protect life.

Mitt Romney has nothing on civil liberties or protecting the Constitution on his website. I know the economy is a big issue this time around, but hopefully this post has helped you see that economic liberty is closely related to personal liberty and that civil liberties are worth mentioning. He is for a national ID card proving you're a citizen. This arguably goes against the part of the 4th amendment stating we have the right to be secure in our persons and papers. It also is pretty contradictory for a free society. If you went to Brimhall remember how we hated to have to wear our ID to school, imagine having to show ID everywhere! He is for a federal law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. I agree with this definition of marriage, but I think that this should be left to the states according to the 10th amendment. He has been pro-choice but is now pro-life. He seems to be fairly "socially conservative," which tends to disenfranchise democrats, making him less likely to beat Obama. I am personally socially conservative, but I don't believe in forcing my views on others when it is unconstitutional to do so. That also brings up a debate of free agency. Should we let people make bad choices or make it illegal for them to do so? Interesting debate I plan on writing about later. This post is way too long as it is. 

Conclusion: Things might get slightly better if Mitt were to beat Obama, but our country really isn't going to see any real change unless we start adhering to the Constitution and fix the deep problems and assumptions about the role of govt.  

We're Still a Free Country Right?

Please don't get me wrong. I love my country. I feel greatly greatly blessed to live in America. I believe we're a lot better off than most anybody in the world. Because I love my country, I feel a need to be very critical and cautious of the government. I feel a deep sense of duty to protect this land and way of life we have been blessed with. If you don't think it's in danger and we're free as ever, check out this clip. It's funny, but also very concerning if you really think about it.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-december-7-2011/arrested-development

What America Needs

A great summary of how Ron Paul has been fighting for us for years. He is the most consistent and Constitutional candidate. He predicted the current economic crisis and is the only one that can help fix it. He speaks the truth! Great video.

Will we get another chance to have a man like this run for President? For once, you don't have to pick the lesser of two evils!

Three Questions We Need to Ask About War

I never even thought to question the three "established truths" that the Afghanistan and Iraq "Wars" are based upon. I use quotations around "established truths" because the mainstream media and powers at be feed us these lines so often that it becomes unpatriotic and politically incorrect to question them. I use quotations around "wars" because Congress never declared war on these two countries as the Constitution requires.

1. Do the terrorists attack us and hate us because we are free and prosperous?
2. Is it okay or effective for America to promote democracy around the world through the barrel of a gun?
3. Would it be shameful, unsupportive of our troops, anti-Republican, and anti-American to leave the Middle East immediately?

Probably my favorite Ron Paul video:

I showed this video to my dad some time ago, and he said he disagreed that the biggest moral issue in America is the acceptance of pre-emptive war. I probably agree with my dad on that one, but I think that Ron Paul was speaking of acts of government as a whole rather than acts of individual Americans. When I think of it this way, and really think about what war means, I think I agree with Dr. Paul. What is the most serious sin you can commit? Murder - taking someone's life. I strongly believe that war is called for in a few cases, and I get my belief from examples in the Book of Mormon, Alma in particular. He went to war to defend his family, his religion, his liberty. I think that is necessary. He did not start wars. When the enemy was not upon him, he fortified the land. There was not a happier time among his people (see Alma 50). Starting wars for no good reason leads to needless loss of life, including American soldiers and innocent civilians often referred to as "collateral damage." These are real people! Your family, friends, and neighbors being sent to war for no good reason! More to come on Ron Paul's foreign policy and how important it really is to end the wars.

There are many more good videos and essays explaining Ron Paul's foreign policy. Ron Paul voted to authorize President Bush to go after those who attacked us on 9/11. He wasn't against fighting and bringing to justice those who killed many of our fellow Americans on that awful day. However, he proposed using a small special ops force to hunt down those responsible. He was not for a full out war against Afghanistan (most of the attackers were from Saudi Arabia anyway) because he knew it would cost us many more lives, billions more dollars, and it would never end.

Anyone But Obama?

Hey folks!

So whenever I try to talk to a person about Ron Paul or really anytime the conversation turns to anything about the next presidential election, the person I'm speaking with 99% of the time ends the conversation with something like, "ya, well anybody would be better than Obama."  

This may be ultimately true, but that phrase drives me crazy. It is so frustrating to hear people say that. To me, it's almost just a concession. Well who cares, let's not discuss the issues, let's just cop out and just remind ourselves who the "bad guy" is that we're supposed to be against because he's a liberal democrat who is trying to bring socialism into our country. We're on Team Republican, so we have to take down Team Democrat at all costs. Carroll Quigley, a professor and historian who many say is unashamedly socialist (to say the least), pinned it right on the nose when he said: "The National parties and their presidential candidates, with the Eastern Establishment assiduously fostering the process behind the scenes, moved closer together and nearly met in the center with almost identical candidates and platforms, although the process was concealed as much as possible, by the revival of obsolescent or meaningless war cries and slogans (often going back to the Civil War). … The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can “throw the rascals out” at any election without leading to any profound or extreme shifts in policy. … Either party in office becomes in time corrupt, tired, unenterprising, and vigorless. Then it should be possible to replace it, every four years if necessary, by the other party, which will be none of these things but will still pursue, with new vigor, approximately the same basic policies."
So basically, the two parties are just a circus to keep us occupied while the real important things are ignored and our liberty is undermined. Dig into records of Congress to see that this is true, but a few easy to see examples: Bush's No Child Left Behind = Federal overhaul of education, Obamacare = Federal overhaul of healthcare. Both unconstitutional, but since the guy on our team passed it, it's all good. Were there Republicans (so-called fiscal conservatives) all for the banker bailouts just because their buddy Bush passed them? Why were the Democrats (who voted for Obama to end the wars) outraged at Bush going into Iraq to overthrow the evil dictator but were all for Obama invading Libya to overthrow the evil dictator? 

Obama may be accelerating our debt twice as fast as Bush did, but Bush still accelerated our debt! They both made the federal government much much bigger. Point is, we can do better than the status quo! Let's look through all the available candidates while we still have time before the primaries and see if we can do better. If you want, vote for the Republican no matter who he or she is in the generals. Don't just roll over now. We have an amazing opportunity to start getting this country back on track for real. It is going to be hard. It will be long. But until people start getting out of the mindset that we're Democrats and Republicans instead of Americans, it's never going to get better. Have you seen the hockey movie, Miracle? This newly-formed hockey team was training for the Olympics, to be the best in the world. The coach makes them do like a million laps after a game because he wants them to learn a lesson. The only thing that could make him stop blowing the whistle was Mike Eruzione. The coach asked him who he played for, and instead of stating the name of the college he played for, he said, "[I play for] the United States of America!" Same kind of thing. We need to come together and change the status quo. Stop the corruption. Quit killing the Constitution, our liberty, and our freedom. 

Don't fall into the Fox News vs. CNN, Republican vs. Democrat trap. Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity make big bucks off of this silly illusion. They keep us occupied worrying about stupid stuff and never bring up things that matter. The important things can't be explained in a sound byte. Or a brief blog post (I'm trying my best). We actually have to read and study things that aren't always that entertaining.

Anyway, I know several of Obama's policies and actions are destroying America and the Constitution. I'm just saying he is not the only one who has done it (Democrat or Republican) and he is not the only one who would do it (intentionally or not)! We have a better choice. Look into Ron Paul. Listen to the debates and look into the voting records. Listen to the 2008 debates too, there was a lot less mention of the Constitution, no mention of the Fed, and a lot less mention of cutting spending. Except by Ron Paul. Look at his 1988 debates. He was fighting for the same things then! Let's not lose this monumental and historical chance to do join him in the fight for our liberty and our wonderful country.

Tell me why you like or dislike the candidates, just don't tell me anybody would be better than Obama.

T-Shirts

Hey Everybody -

I know a lot of you aren't converted yet (to Ron Paul or the gospel)... but those of you who are interested, I designed these T-shirts and would like to order a bunch if you like them. Depending on how many we get, they are $12-15 each. Let me know if you are interested and what quantity/sizes you want. Maybe we could wear them for the debate at the Mesa Arts Center on Feb 22nd to let everyone know that Mormons can vote for someone besides Romney! :) Latter-day Saints for Ron Paul! Thanks!

Why Should We Care?

Like I said in a previous post, politics is a racket. Our country is in pretty deep doodoo already. It can't be fixed in a day. Nor is one man going to change things in 4 years. Even if he could, there's no way my one vote will count. The system is rigged anyway. Even if it did count, I don't have time to spend researching the candidates or keeping informed with current events. I feel like I probably should pay attention, I just don't really care to spend the time I do have learning about this stuff. I'll just wait until right before the next election. Politics is boring, I'd rather focus on other stuff. I have enough troubles in my own life to think about the troubles in our country! The country is fine and free as ever, just let our elected officials handle it - they're the experts.

I think at one time or another we have all had at least one of these thoughts enter our head. I totally have. I've always felt that I probably should pay attention but I don't understand what's going on enough to really have an opinion. What finally kicked my butt into gear about all this? Let's start off with some quotes:

• "If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.... If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed." - Thomas Jefferson
• "I don’t know how you feel, my brethren and sisters, but I’d rather be dead than to lose my liberty. I have no fear we’ll ever lose it because of invasion from the outside. But I do have fear that it may slip away from us because of our own indifference, our own negligence, as citizens of this land. And so I plead with you this morning that you take an active interest in matters pertaining to the future of this country." -President Ezra Taft Benson
• I started listing a bunch more President Benson quotes because they are all so awesome. I decided rather than flood you will all these, I'd invite you to go to http://www.latterdayconservative.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/ and read through them!
• "The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men." -Samuel Adams
• "[We have been given] a republic, if you can keep it." - Benjamin Franklin
• “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” -Dr. Seuss
• "Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood." -John Adams

Are you fired up yet?

To lead into my next argument, I'll begin with this quote by George Washington.

A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing... than ... communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?

We are the guardians of liberty in our country today. We have heard all of the catch phrases, "freedom is not free," we sing the songs, we have learned of the many who sacrificed to give us this great country and died for our liberty. Making America free is not something that can just be checked off the list. We can't just thank a veteran on Veteran's Day and watch fireworks on the 4th of July and call it good. We have been given an awesome country and an awesome responsibility to preserve the reasons this country is great! We can't be complacent. We were born here for a purpose. We each have an inherent duty as a citizen of a republic to participate in our government. If we truly believe in a government for the people, by the people, and of the people, why do we not pay attention?? I believe that is why our country is so screwed up now. People over time have just gradually forgotten their duty to keep the government in check, and certain institutions have slowly gained power.

We need to wake up! We can no longer forfeit our right and duty to be the watchdog of our freedom and liberty. We can't just leave the "fighting for freedom" to our soldiers! If you really think about it, how is bombing Iraq and Pakistan and Afghanistan and Libya and Yemen and all those other countries fighting for our freedom anyway?? (More on that to come in a later post). We are running out of time - and we aren't making things better by simply putting a flag in our yard on a designated holiday. I have to be diligent, you have to be diligent. "The science of government" has to be a part of our lives. It has to, or our freedoms and liberties will continue to erode. Adolf Hitler once said, "What luck for rulers that men do not think." If we don't stand up for our freedoms - write to our representatives, elect just men who uphold the Constitution and sincerely love liberty, talk to our friends and neighbors, teach our children, live righteously, we will lose (if we haven't already) what our forefathers have fought and died for.

If you think we are still free, if our rights are not corroding, read the Constitution and other founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, Washington's Farewell Address. Compare their thoughts and feelings to what's going on today. Read, read, read. It might be hard, but it's important! Wake up! Learn about what this precious thing called liberty is. Why so many men fought so hard for it. We all know that "history repeats itself," so learn the history! Start studying and then go act. I'm not saying I have all the right ideas, but once you start learning, you at least know what the wrong ideas are. So, instead of coming home and relaxing after a hard days work (if you're lucky enough to have a job) in front of the big game, check out what's going on in the world today. It won't change overnight, but the sooner people wake up, the sooner we can start taking steps in the right direction - toward the Constitution.  



Start Tonight! November 22nd-Presidential Debate at 5PM Arizona time on CNN or cnn.com for a possible livestream. If you miss it, you can usually find it up on youtube not long after.

Did You Know? Foreign Policy Edition

Many people say they love about 90% of what Ron Paul says. Often the 10% they don't love is his foreign policy. I'm sure I will have much to say defending his foreign policy as I get the time to post on this blog, but just this one fact will give a lot of merit to Ron Pauls views:

Ron Paul got almost twice as many campaign donations from active duty military personnel than Obama, and almost THREE TIMES as many donations from the military than all the other Republican candidates COMBINED!!! That should tell you something about his foreign policy.  (If you didn't know, Ron Paul's position on the wars is to bring the troops home immediately, "as soon as the ships could get there.") If the soldiers support him, maybe the best way to "support our troops" is to support Ron Paul in bringing them home!


Speaking of campaign contributions, this is an interesting link I came across from 2008. Notice what Mitt Romney, Hilary Clinton, and Barack Obama all have in common. P.S. Goldman Sachs is a huge corporation that many argue controls the government. They at least own a significant chunk of these three!

Also, I will have more to say about this as time goes on, but one difference between Mitt and Paul is the people contributing most to their campaigns. The top 3 donors to Mitt Romney's campaign according to opensecrets.org are individuals from Goldman Sachs,  Credit Suisse Group, and Morgan Stanley. All big banks highly involved with the government, two of which received bailouts in 2008/2009. You really think Mitt will really change things, will really decrease the size of government? The top 3 donors to Ron Paul are individuals from the Ron Paul for Congress Committee, the US Army, and the US Air Force. The US Navy is 4th.  

Best Video Explanation if You Have the Time

This video is what really woke me up about Ron Paul. I'm so glad we get a second chance! I highly highly recommend watching this if you really want to learn the truth about Ron Paul.

Register Republican by January 30th at Midnight!

The Presidential Primaries are sooner than you think! February 28th! That's only 3 months away!

This is important!! In Arizona, you can only vote in the primaries if you are registered as a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or other designated party that has a candidate running in it. IF YOU ARE  REGISTERED AS AN INDEPENDENT, YOU CANNOT VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES!!! It's sad that the D&R machince controls politics, but it will be a long time before that changes. So please, register as either a democrat or republican by January 30th so you can have a say in who our next president is.

HAVE YOU MOVED RECENTLY? Make sure you are registered in your new precinct and that your addresses matches the address that is shown on your ID so you can vote at the correct polling place. Or, better yet, sign up for Early Ballot so you can have the choices mailed to you ahead of time. You can still just take your completed ballot to the polls on election day and get a cool sticker saying you voted today!

Ok so let's think about this. I encourage EVERYBODY to register as Republican for this upcoming election. Why would I do that? Well, the only democrat running is Obama. So you don't really have a choice there. You can't vote in primaries if you are an independent. So the only way you actually get to participate in the primaries is if you are registered as a republican! There are plenty to choose from there! (Only one good choice though!) So if I was a democrat, I would register as a republican just in case my man Obama doesn't win, I'd rather have a guy that respects my rights as an American and stands up for the Constitution be the president than someone who will force his views on me or do a bunch of favors for Wall St. Or maybe Obama isn't my man! After all, he is doing the same things Bush did, except a lot faster and bigger! Bush overtook education, Obama is overtaking healthcare. Bush started the stimulus and spending with TARP (the banker bailout - which Romney and Cain supported), Obama simply has continued it. Bush started the illegal, undeclared wars, Obama sent more troops into Afghanistan and is taking forever to keep his promise to withdraw from Iraq. He also started a war in Libya. I could go on - the PATRIOT Act, Guantanamo Bay, etc, Obama has not kept his promises so I would be one ticked off democrat.

Point is - register Republican soon! So you have a say in all this! You can change back to whatever you were before the generals and still vote for whomever you want, Republican or Democrat.

EASY WAY TO REGISTER, CHANGE ADDRESS, CHANGE PARTY AFFILIATION :
http://www.servicearizona.com/!

Reality Check to Dispell Some of Those Rumors...

The Natural Man/Woman is An Enemy to God

The older I get, the more I realize that life is one big attempt to overcome ourselves:

• Exercise - The natural man prefers to be lazy
• Consequences - poor health, get fat, more stressed out, women have weaker bones, lower metabolism, loss of muscle tone, I could go on and on...
• Spirituality/Religion -  The natural man sins and forgets God
• Consequences - loses his relationship with God, falls into temptation, wastes eternal potential, forfeits lasting happiness
• Food - The natural man goes for the best tasting food that he can get the quickest
• Consequences - poor health, gets fat, irritable, no energy, little satisfaction
• Political Matters - The natural man doesn't want to get involved
• Consequences - the few gain control of the power, loses freedom, gets taken advantage of
• Dental Hygiene - The natural man doesn't want to floss, maybe not even brush
• Consequences - tooth decay, gum disease, root canals, early dentures
• Housework - The natural man doesn't want to do any
• Consequences - you live in a pig sty, you surround yourself with unsanitary conditions, your house smells, can't feel the Spirit in your home

The list goes on folks. These things can effect (and have effected) generations! Lesson here is that we need to keep paddling up the river, because if we stop, that waterfall is right behind us!

One of My Biggest Regrets

So, here is my experience - maybe you can relate. I've always hated politics. It was (and is) just a bunch of bickering about stuff I know nothing about. However, I have always considered it my duty and privilege as an American citizen to participate and pay attention to what is going on in my country. Many men and women fought and died so that I could vote and take part in a government of the people, for the people, and by the people (not sure if I got that in the right order). I just never thought I knew enough or had the time to find out enough about what was going on to really have an opinion about anything. So a week or so before elections I'd read an article or two about a candidate or two and ask my parents who they were voting for and then pretty much just vote for whoever they said or whoever had an (R) next to their name (my parents are Republicans so that's what I registered as and who I voted for even though my conscience didn't always fully agree).

This shameful way of exercising my precious right to vote prevailed during the presidential election of 2008. I'm LDS, so my first instinctive choice for President was naturally Mitt Romney. I didn't want to vote for him just because he was Mormon though. So, I read a couple articles about him, found out he was a good businessman and a good leader. I read minimal things about one or two other candidates, and called it good. Romney was my pick. The only thing I heard about Ron Paul is that some of my acquaintances supported him because he was big on the Constitution. I was like, "well duh - isn't everybody?" And then I saw the Revolution banners - those turned me off because I thought he must be some weirdo radical hippie guy. "Youtube Ron Paul", "Google Ron Paul"-saw the signs, never did. 

I had read a few articles on the candidate I was already leaning toward pretty much because of his religion and called it good. I had done my research right? Wrong! My wonderful husband and his crazy family opened my eyes up to Ron Paul after the 2008 election and it changed my life. All I can say is - Ron Paul is big on the Constitution - the ONLY one who is consistently and sincerely - and it is an issue! PLEASE "Google Ron Paul" and "Youtube Ron Paul!!!" One of my biggest regrets is not just my vote in 2008, but my failure to learn about all of the candidates. It's so important! And I'm not taliking about just reading a biased article or two about them, or listening to a segment on Fox News about them. Look up their voting record if they were previously holding public office, find out what they support - not just what they say they support. The thing is - do you know what you support?

Getting back to what politics is - just a bunch of bickering. This is true. I am convinced that politics as the mainstream media conveys, is just a stupid, annoying distraction - just like pro wrestling. They try to bait people by putting as much drama into it as possible - pitting Democrats and Republicans against each other at all costs, saying the key talking points, getting people to focus on irrelevant petty things while both parties sneak through huge important real things right in front of us! I am registered as a Republican (I consider myself a Constitutional Conservative though, I probably would register as an Independent or Libertarian if the system wasn't so biased toward anything that's not D and R). But I don't pay attention to politics, at least not the demagoguing, bickering, nonsense. I like to say that I try to pay attention to what's really going on in America. It's easy to tell the difference when you listen to Ron Paul. A few good videos to show the difference are clips from the 2008 debates here  and here. Notice how Ron Paul talks about real issues. He uses history and logic to defend his position, not just happy American phrases just to get applause. He challenges the status quo and reintroduces the true meaning of liberty and freedom. Don't know what you support? Read the Constitution. It's not that long. Start paying attention to things that go on in the news, not just to what Suzie posted on Facebook, who got kicked off American Idol, or what team beat who in football. Those things are fun, but like I said - we are a chosen generation - not just spiritually! Don't waste your potential! Do you know if the Patriot Act is a good thing? Are you really unpatriotic if you don't support it? 

Whether or not you decide to vote for Ron Paul in 2012, I hope you make your decision after finding out who he is and who the other candidates are. Don't make the same mistake I did. We have a chance to change the course of history here - it won't be easy and one man won't make everything all better in 4 or even 8 years, but at least we'll get a start.  

So I Finally Gave In...

I've been contemplating making a blog for a long time, and I finally gave in. I don't know if anyone will read it or if anyone will really even know I have one, but I decided that now is the time. I decided to entitle my blog: "Ruckers Keeping it Real," not just because I still use the nerdy phrases I used in Jr. High, but because I have learned the last few years that you can't just coast. Coasting, going with the flow, and being lulled away into "carnal security" in any aspect of life never turns out good. So, we are trying to always keep it real by staying on top of things, not taking things for granted, and recognizing what's real and truthful, not just what's easy or popular. Hopefully I can post and whoever wants to can comment and it'll open our eyes to a better way of living!

I don't really want this to be a blog about my life - if I did, I would just get a Facebook :) I kind of just want this to be an educational blog. Idk - I always worked hard and learned a lot in school - but I think once I graduated I've really been able to learn. Thanks to the wonders of the internet we can choose what we want to study and people like you and me can discuss important things that aren't even mentioned in schools or mainstream media. Anyway, hopefully my writing doesn't bore you to death or turn you off. We live in an important day and age - we can't be complacent and just fill our heads with reality TV and other dumbed-down, shallow entertainment. We were saved for this day for a purpose. I don't think it was to waste it on worthless pursuits or to go along living life without questioning anything or standing up for your beliefs. I'm so sick of small talk. Why don't we talk about real things??

Because it's scary. We don't wanna get too involved. We don't want to offend anyone. So I'm going to start small. With a blog that probably very few people will read. So, why did I decide to finally start one? Ron Paul.

If you are still reading this - thank you! Ever since I learned about Ron Paul I have felt a strong desire to share his message! It's like the gospel - we have something great and we need to share it! I'm not good at that either, but hopefully this blog will help serve that purpose as well. For some reason it's easier for me to talk about Ron Paul. And let me tell ya, I think it kinda has given me a slice of what it feels like to be a missionary - they share the message and get denied. Or want so badly for their friends to know what they know but their friends don't care or don't wanna get into it. So I will write it on a blog. No commitments necessary. I'll just present what I know and think, and you can do whatever you want with it.