Let’s try something new shall we? I got this idea after spending a weekend with my wife’s family. The Andersons are great group of folks who I enjoy spending time with, however, they are about as politically divided a family as I have ever seen. This is not just your standard “this is my view, this is your view lets have a drink and discuss it” type of family. Politics are a sport and are argued as vehemently as two teams fighting like the score is tied with 30 seconds to go in the championship game. Based on my wife’s request, I try to stay out of the circle of engagement, but every now and then I am drawn into an argument. My party affiliation is no secret as I am a registered independent, but my viewpoints are anything but neutral. I am, as my brother-in-law has labeled me, “a right-wing-nut-job”. I am devoutly conservative with my ideals and hence am a target for the “left-wing-kooks”. More times than not, I am challenged to defend the actions of my party affiliations or my ideologies. This has grown tiresome, as my arguments are often dismissed by the those who do not like to hear what I have say or are interrupted prior to my conclusions, so I am going to make an offer of unusual stature.

I do not believe the Republican party has the answer to every problem, nor do I always agree with they way they handle situations, however, I almost always find myself in disagreement with the Democrats and their ideology. Above all, I am searching for what I believe is best for AMERICA. I do not care about political affiliations, but I believe in upholding the ideals of our Founding Fathers and the integrity of the Red, White, and Blue. I do not believe I can effectively call myself a supporter of Americanism if I do not listen to both sides of the argument, likewise, I do not give much weight to an someone’s opinion who does not let me finish a statement without interjecting, arguing, or being otherwise “closed-minded”.

So here is the golden opportunity the Left Wing has been waiting for. I agree to listen to your arguments and give you a chance to convince me that the liberal ideology of the Democratic Party is better for America. Be prepared, because I will ask questions as to why along with a request for supporting data in most cases to ensure clarification. The beauty of doing this in writing is the simple fact that points can be made without allowing emotional interruption to occur. If I am convinced following the discussions that the Democratic Agenda is of betterment for the US, I will then support it. I will list the issues where I draw challenge and invite comment to help clarify my understanding.

At the end, you will have either convinced me to join you or solidly cemented my thoughts of conservatism. This is not an opportunity for you to tell me about what you do not like about the Republicans but to explain your own positions. Here are my points of contention with the Liberal Ideology.

1. Gun Control: How does the Democratic Party portray increased gun control as a benefit to me? As a gun dealer and a gun owner, I have seen the Democratic Party continue to demonize the legal gun owners of America with half-truths and doomsday projections (see Sarah Brady comments on the expiration of the 1994 AWB). How does this proclaimed goal of eliminating private ownership of firearms as well as the destruction of the 2nd Amendment advance society to the betterment of the United States?

2. Taxes: How do higher taxes make things better on me? It appears to me as a taxpayer who works at one job and who runs his own business, that the Democratic Party is bent on taxing me at every turn. Here in Washington State, I am continually tapped for B&O taxes, Sales Taxes, Surcharge Taxes, use taxes, phone taxes, utility taxes, car taxes, registration taxes, gas taxes, death taxes, property taxes, taxes, taxes, taxes, taxes. It seems to me when it comes time to increase taxes, the democratic party is in the lead saying things like “This is only a few dollars a year for the average person”or “the death tax is way of repaying society for the good life you have lead”(Please see comments by Gov. Christine Gregoire), but when an opportunity arises to cut taxes there are screams of bloody-murder followed by news reports of government collapsing without this revenue. I already work the first 112 days of the year just to pay my tax responsibility. How much more is needed and how does such a tax burden help advance society and America?

3. Same Sex marriage. I am against same sex marriage. I do not believe it is a proper or natural behavior furthermore, after actually investigating the medical information on it, I do not believe it is a healthy lifestyle. According to the CDC in 2003, the homosexual lifestyle reduces the average participant lifespan by 25 years or more. I will not support legislation to govern what goes on in one’s bedroom between consenting adults, but I am strongly against the government “endorsing” such behavior. From my perspective, I have seen the Political parties clearly divided. Republicans are against and Democrats are for. How does the Democratic perspective benefit society and how does it benefit America?

4. The use of military force in Iraq. This is a major area for guys like me. I believe in the strong use of military for the protection of the United States of America. I also believe the occupation of IRAQ was necessary for national security both in dethroning a violent dictator who has stood in violation of the UN and his own surrender agreement as well as removing a destablizing catalyst for the entire region. I believe Saddam Hussein was a major source on Middle East instability and by introducing freedom into Iraq, we will have unleashed the one weapon that has destroyed more dictators and oppressive empires through out history, the desire of the people for liberty. I believe Saddam had weapons of mass destruction (as proven by his use of gas on the Kurds) and I believe he would have used his considerable wealth and unlimited resources to obtain more for use against the United States. Assurances otherwise combined with a blatant disregard for UN mandate rang hollow. Furthermore, I believe the US acted within compliance of UN resolution 1447 (as well as 13 previous resolutions and the Iraqi surrender agreement) in occupying Iraq. I believe failure to act upon these resolutions would have led to the complete discrediting of the United Nations as was proven by the League of Nations in its failure to hold Germany accountable to surrender agreement of WWI and prior to World War II. How does the Democratic ideal of allowing these types of criminals to remain in power benefit America, furthermore, how does subscribing to UN mandate without enforcing it benefit America?

5. The use of God? I am a Christian, however, I do not believe in forcing my religion upon anyone. I believe everyone is given freewill and am not willing to condemn anyone for exercising it, however, I believe in order to preserve the integrity of the United States and the Constitution, we must endorse the belief in a higher being. The constitution clearly states “God Given Rights”. This is not an endorsement of government religion, but it is a statement which claims the law of man cannot take away such rights. Everywhere I look, there seems to be a movement to remove any reference to God either in the pledge of allegiance, the schools, and even from the face of history. I have seen a swing against such religion from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. How does removing references to God from our lives promote the betterment of America and how does the rewriting of history to exclude God better America? (i.e. please see the new definitions for B.C. and A.D. It is no longer Before Christ and After Death).

6. Abortion. This is another loaded issue full of differences in opinions, which seems to split party lines very clearly. I do not support abortion, likewise, I am not in favor of more goverment control over daily lives and am willing to concede this as a right of the individual in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger. I am not supportive of abortion as a form of birth control, especially in the form of late term abortion. It seems the Democrats have continually fought against any kind of ban this practice. How does late term abortion benefit society and advance America?

This is not meant to be a slam, but rather a chance to address my viewpoints in a logical manner. I welcome comments and look forward to hearing from different perspectives. I am providing this as an opportunity to convince me on fact that my perspective is wrong. I am being open-minded and am willing to listen. If nothing else, perhaps we can learn a little more about each other’s perspectives and concerns.

Author Resource:- Kelsey Hilderbrand is an avid shooter, hunter, collector, outdoor writer, and founder of High Mountain Hunting Supply.

As a soldier, Gen. McChrystal was expected to follow orders. As a career soldier, particularly one who achieved his rank, he knew not to publicly question his orders, or the civilian source. This is pretty much cut and dried that his actions warranted his dismissal. Some who publicly criticized him did so primarily on the principle that the man should know his place in the overall scheme of things Others could not accept the fact that this man who was almost universally highly regarded, both at home and abroad would have the temerity to question the alleged manhood of the White House resident. It is unfortunate that those of honor and good will would be lumped together with the blatant partisanship of this administration.

The concept of civilian control of the military is basic to our American system of government. The elected representatives of the people must be able to direct or restrain the vast power to kill and destroy that we have developed. The rub comes when this civilian control is exercised by those who despise the soldiers, sailors and airmen who keep us safe, or if they have no clue as to what will preserve or harm our great nation.

Reports that the good general was less than complementary to the Commander in Chief brought a comparatively lightning quick response from the normally lethargic administration that took weeks to figure out that it should be doing something about the gulf oil spill. Barack Hussein Obama has developed a reputation for being thin skinned and unable to handle criticism well. In this case, he had a legal and moral excuse for his speedy retribution. Yet in doing so, he found himself in the awkward situation of having to call back into service Bush’s man, David Petraeus whom he set aside for his hand picked replacement, McChrystal – one of the few service personnel who actually admitted voting for his boss.

Many see right and wrong as the primary determinant of appropriate actions. To this thinking, consequences are secondary to doing what is right. If the General sees that the President is incompetent, then it is his duty to speak up. To not do so, would mean he was falling short of upholding his oath to protect our country against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. For some, the question of proper time and place is irrelevant. As with the opposing view, those with the most virulent distaste for the resident of the White House tend to let these feelings color their evaluation.

So what is the right course through this maze of political intrigue? First of all, while it is never wrong to do the right thing, sometimes we have to use the common sense our creator gave us in choosing the proper time and place. At times, we will be prompted to go against our common sense, and because we don’t always have the big picture, it may be the right thing to do… we just need to be as certain as possible that it is a divine prompting and not just our own impatience or, worse yet, a push from the other side.

There are times we know there will be consequences to our actions, and we must weigh the benefits of our choice against the cost. Does this mean that just because there is a price to pay we pull back. I believe our forefathers would be calling to us from the past telling us “Never!”, chief among them, the likes of Nathan Hale.

While I question why any military leader with at least half a brain would give the Rolling Stone the time of day, I appreciate the honesty McChrystal displayed, if not his wisdom. The thing is that this man saw up close and personal the presidential leading us down the path of destruction. To a soldier trained to focus on and accomplish the mission at hand to work under the direction of a President without a firm understanding of the world around us and how to deal with it, must have been exceedingly aggravating. It could be he just slipped, or the thought crossed my mind that consciously or unconsciously he may have seen his actions as the only way out of a no win situation. He was not given the resources he asked for and his hands were tied in so many other ways, yet he was responsible for the success or failure of the mission, which by all appearances does not include victory. Each of us has a breaking point, perhaps the General had reached his. In any case he is no longer responsible for executing and ill defined foreign policy and seeing our young men and women dying as a result.

Perhaps now he can say “Mission accomplished”.

There is a YouTube video making the rounds that inspires tea party patriots and gives ajada to many progressive statists. It is the product of congressional candidate Rick Barber looking for a way into the hearts and minds of Republican voters in Alabama’s 2nd district. The brief video shows him discussing today’s issues with some founding fathers. After enumerating the various assaults on our property and liberty, he is told, “Gather your armies”.

For some reason, those who have imbibed in the Obama kool aid see this as a call for armed rebellion. Considering the abundant and intrusive excesses of the current administration combined with the publicly expressed anger of so many Americans, it is understandable that the perpetrators would be nervous. However, Barber contends that he is really only looking to gather grass roots armies and arouse the sleeping giant that the tea party movement has begun to stir.

Whatever his intentions, he has struck a chord on both sides of the issue. The progressives yelp that this thinking is dangerous. It is dangerous but only to the criminal class now running our national government who expect us to quietly acquiesce to their ravenous demands on our resources. It is a long recognized principle that Americans can defend their lives and their property. With the health care bill, cap and tax legislation and the inept, or devious, handling of the oil spill in the gulf, both of these are under attack.

It has been said that the second amendment is the one that insures all the others. Hence the current administration’s interest short circuiting its effectiveness by any means possible. There are stories floating around about FEMA detention camps and all sorts of nefarious schemes by our government to control us. I don’t know if they are true. However I do know two things: first is that the actions of the people inside the beltway have given these conspiracy theories much greater currency than any time in the past. Second, we have the examples of the runaway murderous power of our government when they attacked the compounds of David Koresh and Randy Weaver. Now they are looking at tea partiers in general and Christians in particular as obstacles to the implementation of their criminal schemes.

Charles Krauthammer has said “Obama is a leveler. He has come to narrow the divide between rich and poor. For him the ultimate social value is fairness. Imposing it upon the American social order is his mission.” The question is how will the American people react as they see everything they have worked for and want to pass on to their children confiscated and frittered away by and incompetent and arrogant government working for the benefit of almost everyone else besides this same American public?

It appears that we have three choices before us. The first, and least painful, is to do everything we can within the existing system, now, to make sure these haughty regulators of our existence are sent packing… some even to the prisons they richly need to occupy. If we fail, we may be pushed to the point of armed resistance. With today’s weapons and tactics, this could get really nasty and represents a really poor choice. Yet is it still preferable to the last choice which enslavement to a regime that mocks the founding fathers and their values… a regime that, without reason or proof, believes it has the answers to every situation…. a regime born of criminal thuggery and more than willing to impose its will and be the savior of the poor, ignorant masses.

The current journalistic malfeasance is a story I picked up this afternoon about how the Israel’s recent actions were straining the relationship they had with the government of Turkey. A quick review of the facts shows this to be a ridiculous position from the very start. This “offended” Turkish government gave behind the scenes approval to send a ship load of goods, wide eyed ideologues and a few weapons into an area that the Israeli government had publicly stated for years was a source of terrorist activity against their citizens.

The fact that the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) stopped the ship and several of the activists died in the process of beating and stabbing the Jewish defenders is considered by the Turks as an affront to their formerly great nation. Their fussing over IDF action defending their homeland is akin to North Korea telling the world that maybe the South Korean vessel was struck by a torpedo, but but that any retaliation would be an act of war. What do these people think of the initial provocation?

It is this inability to acknowledge their own involvement in behavior that challenges the security of another nation – supposedly a friend – that nullifies any outrage they may be expressing publicly. The indignation that Turkey, and most of the rest of the world, express at efforts to prevent terrorist attacks is pure baloney. They say Israel persecutes the poor, so-called, Palestinians, yet justifies it’s own treatment of the Kurdish minority within their own borders. Many of these Kurds have died at the hands of the Turkish government and still others are political prisoners for such misdeeds as “crimes of opinion”.

We can’t just blindly accept everything coming from the news outlets around the globe at face value. We, unfortunately, live in a time when news is often valued for its propaganda value and not for reporting facts about the world around us. It’s like my son is fond of saying, “they wouldn’t tell us these things if they didn’t want us to believe them.”

When confronted by such non-sequiturs from fourth estate, we should express our own indignation they should think us so unobservant, ignorant or just plain foolish that we would accept anything that comes from a man in a nice suit with a great haircut or a good looking infobabe on the tube. If it doesn’t pass the “smell test” we need to keep looking for more answers. On the other hand, it may be that many in the news organizations are working up to their intellectual capacity and do not even realize the balderdash they are presenting for public consumption. In either case, it kind of explains why the formerly mainstream media is the formerly mainstream media.

Sworn officers, military and the like take an oath to defend our country.  By taking this oath they swear allegiance to the constitution and rule by law rather than men.  We need to support those that take these oaths seriously rather than going along to get along.

This fits the media template that Israel is just a bully pushing around anyone they jolly well please, completely disregarding the numerous times rockets have been smuggled into the area, later to fall into populated areas of the country. A look at a map, which is something most are unwilling to do, will show a country surrounded people who hate  the Jews and their state more than they love their own children. Many consider it their holy duty to eradicate this country from the face of the earth.

Unfortunately there are those in our own country that feel the same way. Many in the current administration see the existence of Israel as the primary obstacle to peace in the middle east. Most Christians have a grasp of our spiritual kinship to the Jewish people and special place these people and their land have in God’s economy. Others have, to their detriment, rejected the reliability of the scriptures and have substituted the humanistic thinking propagated by academia, the media and our own government. Many of the mainline denominations… the ones losing members year after year, are the primary culprits here, but they are not alone. Some, who call themselves evangelical, want to spiritualize much of prophecy, in addition to adding the thinking that since Israel rejected His Messiah, God has forever rejected the Jewish people.

This thinking, even though cloaked in religious sounding terms and tones… arrogant ones even, as it makes the assumption that the church has completely replaced God’s chosen people. Romans 11:17-21 tells us:

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

Sure it says that some branches were broken off… but it does not tell us a new tree was selected. It tells us that the Gentiles were grafted in because of belief and that we should not become arrogant and take our position for granted. The original tree is the one he is concerned with. II Timothy 3 tells us that in the last days there will be those that will be “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof“. What does it tell us to do with them? “From such turn away”, we are told.

Of course, the land of Israel is not perfect. It is run by people with basic human frailties. So mistakes will be made. However we must be careful we don’t get sucked in by the world that wants to destroy the small nation and accept their accounts, condemning the evil Israel for attacking the poor, innocent do-gooders on their way to Gaza. Even now, the facts to bear this out.

Israel makes no secret of the blockade of shipping into the region. They have a port and a route to get goods into the territory, so it would not be difficult to get the materials into the people, if they were needed… which they aren’t. Knowing that the Israeli military is always on guard because of their hostile neighbors who have the nasty habit of lobbing rockets across the border periodically, it is the height of foolishness to attempt to run this blockade – unless, of course, an incident like this one was desired.

My Bible still say to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” This is good, but we need to put feet to our prayers… and we can’t do that if we are following along with all those who want to push the small nation into the sea. The incident needs to be investigated, but not with the forgone conclusion that Israel was unreasonably at fault.

Long weekends are great to have friends over, go to the beach or just lounge around the house getting some much needed rest. It’s the unofficial beginning of summer, and time for cookouts, the Indy 500 and Coca Cola 600… not to mention the Turkish Gran Prix, Stanley Cup Finals and all sorts of lesser sports. In spite of the destructive efforts of our unprofitable servants in DC, we still live in the greatest country in the world.

This country, that is the envy of the world, did not just pop up out of nowhere. It about through the efforts and sacrifices of brave Americans from the fields of Lexington and Concord to the deserts and mountains of Iraq and Afghanistan. American patriots have defended this country with courage and honor… qualities we would really like to see in the rest of our government. Many served, but not all came home to their friends and families. Because these people did not shrink from danger that we enjoy this day in freedom… and, to be honest, that much of Europe can enjoy relative freedom.

General Patton told us, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” While it may not be possible or proper not to mourn for those we lost, we really do need to take the second half of his advice. We need to thank God that we were privileged to have such men and women among us. We should be grateful for parents who raised people of such character as to put the good of the country above their own welfare… unlike so many today who are only looking for what they can take… not what they can contribute.

It wasn’t through the efforts of people like banking queen Barney Frank or the long legged mac daddy, as one preacher is fond of calling the President. It was the guys who slogged through the mud and cruised silently beneath the sea that kept us free. This one day let’s remember why we can enjoy our burgers and family while we cheer for the likes of Danica, Tony… and yes, the Flyers!

Even many of those who oppose the prospect of secession understand the increasing tyrannical nature of the current central government in Washington, D.C., and that something must be done about it.

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines tyranny as “1: oppressive power . . . 2: a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler . . . 3: a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force . . . 4: a tyrannical act.”

Even a casual observer would have to conclude that most of the actions proceeding forth from DC today match at least Webster’s 1st and 3rd definitions of tyranny. Besides, who would argue the advantage of the tyranny of an oligarchy over the tyranny of a monarchy? A tyranny of many cannot be distinguished from a tyranny of one in most cases–especially not by those poor souls who are at the point of the spear of Government’s cruelties.

The fact is, there is collusion between Big Government and Big Business (as each feeds and profits off the other) to strip the American people of their God-given liberties. Without a shadow of a doubt, had America’s Founding Fathers not sagaciously cemented the Second Amendment into the US Constitution, the Jackboots would have marched over us years ago.

That freedom-loving people are reaching a point of frustration–and even fury–is quite understandable. And State secession is, very properly, the last best option for freedomists to maintain fidelity to the principles of liberty. All of America’s founders understood this–all of them! And millions of modern-day American patriots are just now beginning to become reacquainted with this great, historic doctrine.

However, whether one subscribes to the doctrine of secession or not is quite immaterial. The breakup of the US is inevitable! Short of another Great Awakening, nothing can stop it. And given the spiritual deadness of most American churches these days, the prospect of a modern-day national revival seems remote at best.

It is a historical fact that no empire can sustain itself. And America is more and more becoming a global empire. For the sake of simplicity, I ask readers to ponder this question: How can one sustain a global economy without global government to manage and control it? Answer: One can’t.

This is why elitists in politics, economics, and the military have been calling for global government for decades. People such as George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Walter Cronkite, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, David Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger, Gideon Rachman, Warren Christopher, Walt Rostow, Richard Gardner, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Robert Pastor, et al. Furthermore, organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Bilderbergers, and the Trilateral Commission are constantly promoting regional or global unification. Moreover, institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and, of course, the United Nations (UN) all contribute to the escalation of globalism.

I have written two previous columns outlining much relevant information on this very real promotion of globalism. See them at:

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?p=84

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?p=86

Therefore, it is safe to say that, for the most part, America’s foreign policy is (and has been) controlled and manipulated by globalists. Accordingly, America’s armed forces are used more and more as international policemen to patrol the streets of the world on behalf of this international cabal of merchants and politicians. The cover for this is the mantra of fighting an international “war on terrorism.” But the real agenda is, keeping our troops fighting in perpetual war so that they might be available to the globalists at the UN and US State Department (not to mention countless “off the books” operations being run by the CIA and a host of other agencies) for the purpose of maintaining the “global economy” (and only God knows how many illegal enterprises).

Perpetual war also allows the Machiavellians who desire to turn America into a police state to increasingly encroach upon constitutionally protected liberties by keeping the populace in a perpetual state of fear. After all, as long as our troops are “over there” fighting (and making) enemies, we will always need Big Brother to keep us safe “over here.” And the only way he can do that is by putting us all in cages; but hey, it’s for our own good, right?

And, of course, this new “global force for good” must itself be reshaped into an image compatible with the political correctness of the New World Order. Hence, more and more women are being placed in combat units. In fact, females are now the fastest growing group of enlistees within the US armed forces. And for the first time in US history, women are now approved to serve aboard submarines. (I am sure submariners’ wives are thrilled about this!)

“How does flooding the US military with women fit into the scheme of the globalists?” you ask. Simple. By reducing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of our military forces, it requires them to be part of a “coalition” force. Come on, folks, figure it out: our troops are always part of some sort of global “coalition” army. They always serve in concert with NATO, or the UN, or at the behest of some other global entity.

And please, I don’t need readers to write me with great indignation, calling me “sexist.” Get real! If women can serve in combat equally with men, why not have an all-female combat infantry division? How about an all-female tank division? Let’s have an all-female Navy warship! What about an all-female Navy SEAL team or Army Special Forces team? If, then, women are inefficient in combat as a unit, they are equally inefficient in combat individually. Wise up, people! It is critical to the globalists controlling Washington politics that our military be integrated with foreign entities. Allowing the weaker vessels to dilute the warrior-strength of our combat units helps to accomplish this in spades!

Folks, this new American empire is not sustainable. Mark it down: the American empire will follow every other notable empire of antiquity and collapse under its own weight. The signs are already ubiquitous.

In its attempt to entice illegal aliens (a necessary component to the globalization of America) by providing them with almost complete and universal welfare benefits, the Empire has saddled the states with a monstrous debt and has planted the seeds for its own fragmentation.

The American Southwest is a boiling caldron. Revolutionaries, violent criminal gangs, agitators, drug runners, human traffickers, and agent provocateurs–all loyal to Mexico–have been allowed to freely unleash their anti-American vitriol to the point that, in desperation, the State of Arizona is now trying to fight back. It is probably too little too late, however. Both the central government in Washington, D.C., and the national news media are sympathetic to the cause of La Raza. Look at how those brave legislators and governor in Arizona have been lampooned by the national press corps.

The call for the “reconquista” of America’s great Southwest will continue to escalate. It is all part of the globalists’ plan to regionalize the United States. The template is already in place. CFR’s Robert Pastor has already done the legwork. The North American Community (or Union) is past the drawing table stage; it is now being implemented. The NAFTA superhighway is being built and La Raza has been unleashed on the frontier. It’s only a matter of time.

Furthermore, take a look at the staggering debt that this government in Washington, D.C., has burdened the American people with. To talk numbers is meaningless: they total more than we can possibly begin to fathom. These numbers shock sensibilities and strain comprehension. In this regard, toss away all notions of partisan politics. Both major parties in DC have forever plunged our children and grandchildren’s future into a chasm of indebtedness so deep that it can never be recovered. Never!

Yet again, perpetual war has accomplished its purpose: unmitigated debt has allowed international bankers to print and loan vast sums of paper money that can be used to further their dreams of a global economy, complete with a mutually palatable system of burgeoning global governance.

I say again, the American empire is not sustainable; the breakup of the United States is inevitable. It is only a matter of time. The real question is not IF the US will breakup, but WHEN and HOW?

Globalists are already planning America’s breakup. Indeed, their plans for the future global economy DEMAND that America fracture. So, all of those who want to parade around and pontificate about the “unconstitutionality” and “impracticality” of secession can do so to their hearts’ content. It changes nothing. The breakup is coming.

What is yet to be seen, of course, is if there will be enough states (the last vanguards of liberty) with the foresight to recognize the rise of tyranny and globalism as it approaches, and muster the courage and fortitude to do what principled patriots and lovers of liberty have always done: draw their line in the sand for freedom. Call it what you will; debate the definitions and language all you like; it all comes down to the same thing: either men fight for freedom and independence or they allow themselves and their children to be sold into slavery. At some point in the future (how far in the future, no one knows), we Americans will, once again, have to face that decision.

In the meantime, keep talking about freedom around your coffee tables; keep writing about freedom in your books and columns; keep praying about freedom in your churches and closets; keep dreaming about freedom in your hearts and minds. Real freedom–where a man can be left alone; where a man can keep what he earns; where a man can make his own choices; where a man’s property is his own; where harassing agents of an oppressive central government are nowhere to be found; where a man doesn’t have to sell his soul in order to sell his wares; where a man’s worship of God is not subject to political correctness (or the IRS); and where a man can actually exchange commerce and correspondence without the prying eyes of Big Brother–is worth any price. ANY PRICE!

As Barry Goldwater said, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.” Amen! And if the pursuit of freedom requires the extremism of secession, I say, LET IT COME!

For more by Chuch Baldwin, go to http://chuckbaldwinlive.com

Every year, the House Armed Services Committee, on which I serve as Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, considers one large authorization bill that sets the course for the Department of Defense. It is a critical piece of legislation that sets our country in motion on a specific national security path and establishes our future national defense priorities. Next week, the House Armed Services Committee will consider this bill. Now more than ever, with American long-term priorities in flux and vital national interests at stake, it is imperative that the Committee get this bill right.

From the very beginning, the strength of our nation was found not in the complex, but rather in simple truths that served as the foundation of our freedom.

These simple truths can be found in the Declaration of Independence that says we have certain rights endowed by the Creator and that those rights cannot be taken away from us. These simple truths are found in the structure of our government whose very purpose is to defend and protect those inalienable rights. These simple truths are outlined in our Constitution that says one of the primary roles of Congress is “to raise and support Armies” and “to provide and maintain a Navy.” This command is unparalleled in its importance – it is the only type of federal spending mandated by the Constitution.

Our Founding Fathers knew that our freedoms were so precious that they were worth protecting and worth defending. They also knew, as we know today, that one of the realities of having these freedoms is that there will always be individuals who want to rob them from us. Throughout the course of our nation’s history, we’ve seen this to be true. Today is no different. Recent attempted attacks in Times Square in New York City and on passenger airlines on Christmas Day are stark reminders that there are terrorist organizations that are actively trying to kill Americans citizens.

Unfortunately, in spite of these simple truths and in spite of these realities, not everyone agrees that we should place America’s security first. Despite the recent Times Square bombing plot, failed Christmas Day attempt, and the recent Fort Hood shootings, Attorney General Eric Holder has said that the Administration remains determined to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. And for the first time in years, we are seeing an Administration that is content with our federal budget driving our defense and national security strategy, rather than our defense and national security strategy driving our budget priorities.

We would be foolish, though, to place our national defense second. That is why I joined this week with several of my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee to stand for the simple truths needed to defend America:

Simple Truth 1.

We need to stop apologizing for America and for American success.

Simple Truth 2.

We need to keep terrorists off of our soil, not fight to get them here.

Simple Truth 3.

We can defend America better from a position of strength, rather than a position of weakness. We should not disarm America.

Simple Truth 4.

To defend America we need the best-trained, best-equipped Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

Simple Truth 5.

Our military personnel and their families must receive the support they have earned.

Simple Truth 6.

Our defense strategy should be driven by defense needs, not by the budget.

You can read more about them here. Not everyone will agree with these truths. But I believe that the American experiment is exceptional, that our freedoms are exceptional, and that to defend these freedoms should be our first priority. Defending America is not just a responsibility – it is a privilege.

It is time, however, that we awaken to the reality of what our military is becoming and where it is heading. Suffice it to say, this is not your father’s army.

On December 8, 1941, my father, Ed Baldwin–along with his two brothers, Bud and Gene–marched down to a recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, to enlist. The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor the day before, and no branch of service had to beg people to enlist that day. Bud joined the Navy. Gene joined the Marines. When government officials saw Dad’s resumé, they selected him to help construct the atomic bomb. All three brothers served their country with distinction throughout the war.

But what all of us need to realize is, World War II was the last constitutionally fought war in which America has been engaged. The United Nations was created at the end of WWII, and ever since then, our military forces have increasingly become the “peacekeeping” arm of that evil institution.

Since WWII, American forces have fought major wars in South Korea, South Vietnam (including Laos and Cambodia), Kosovo, the Persian Gulf (Kuwait), Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Pakistan–all for the benefit of the United Nations. Add to these major wars lesser conflicts (except to those Americans killed or wounded in them) such as Lebanon, Dominican Republic, Congo (Zaire), Iran, El Salvador, Libya, Grenada, Honduras, Chad, Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia. And this does not take into account the countless CIA-sponsored Black Ops missions that have taken place all over the world.

Yes, American forces have been used to both put people in power and take people out of power all over the world. And as often as not, the people we put in power were counted among the “bad guys,” while the people we removed from power were “good guys.” Remember, our own CIA was the organization most responsible for the rise to power of Osama Bin Laden. And it was the US government that surreptitiously set up the murder of Dr. Jonas Savimbi, who was one of the best friends the United States had overseas. Plus, does anyone remember how the US treated our friend, the Shah of Iran? Yes, some of us are old enough to remember when Iran was one of the best friends we had in that region of the world.

But mind you, not one single war in which American forces have been engaged since WWII has been constitutionally fought. Not one!

Ever since the United Nations was created, its interests have dominated the usage of US forces. In fact, our military today is quickly morphing into the tip of the spear for a burgeoning, global New World Order. To those with eyes to see, the evidence is everywhere. It’s not even being hidden anymore. Have you seen that new US Navy television commercial? It boldly proclaims, “The US Navy: A GLOBAL FORCE For Good.” (Emphasis added.)

This politically correct, UN-dominated New World Order has changed (and is changing) our US military right before our eyes. It has taken the greatest and proudest independent fighting force in the world–one created to defend the people and property of the United States–and turned it into a global military policeman for the evil Machiavellians at the UN.

In order to convert the US military into a true “Global Force,” several changes are being forced upon our fighting men.

First, more and more women are entering the US military.

Currently, women comprise about 20% of military personnel. And for the first time in US history, women are actively engaged in combat units in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The massive integration of women in combat may serve the interests of political correctness, but it does not serve the interests of combat effectiveness. Neither does it serve the interests of family and child rearing. And I don’t care how old fashioned that sounds!

Wives and mothers are the backbone of family nurturing. To willingly take mothers away from their children–and subject both mother and child to the separation and suffering that military life demands–is both unnatural and cruel.

And there is another stark reality that few people want to discuss: the fact that 30% of all women in the US military are raped. Yes, you read it right: 30%.

According to NPR, “In 2003, a survey of female veterans found that 30 percent said they were raped in the military. A 2004 study of veterans who were seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder found that 71 percent of the women said they were sexually assaulted or raped while serving. And a 1995 study of female veterans of the Gulf and earlier wars, found that 90 percent had been sexually harassed.”

See the report at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103844570

Government and military brass know that the introduction of women into the military environment (especially the combat environment) is reaping problems of epidemic proportions, but they are deliberately ignoring and even covering them up.

For example, does anyone recall the name Jamie Leigh Jones? According to ABC News, “A Houston, Texas woman says she was gang-raped by Halliburton/KBR coworkers in Baghdad, and the company and the U.S. government are covering up the incident.

“Jamie Leigh Jones, now 22, says that after she was raped by multiple men at a KBR camp in the Green Zone, the company put her under guard in a shipping container with a bed and warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job.”

See the report at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3977702&page=1

And this story leads into another phenomenon being created within this New World Order army: the way our government and military are increasing their use of “private” or “independent” contractors. In the past, these people were always known simply as mercenaries. Call them what you will, mercenaries are now a major component of the way our government wages war.

According to Global Research, “The growing use of private armies not only subjects target populations to savage warfare but makes it easier for the White House to subvert domestic public opinion and wage wars.

“Americans are less inclined to oppose a war that is being fought by hired foreign mercenaries, even when their own tax dollars are being squandered to fund it.

“‘The increasing use of contractors, private forces, or, as some would say, “mercenaries,” makes wars easier to begin and to fight–it just takes money and not the citizenry,’ said Michael Ratner, of New York’s Center for Constitutional Rights. ‘To the extent a population is called upon to go to war, there is resistance, a necessary resistance to prevent wars of self-aggrandizement, foolish wars, and, in the case of the United States, hegemonic imperialist wars.’”

See the report at:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=14972

Remember, at any given moment, there might be as many–if not more–mercenaries fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as there are US military forces. For example, according to the Christian Science Monitor, in early 2008, the number of mercenaries fighting in Iraq numbered more than 190,000. Remember, in addition to the benefit of not drafting US citizens to fight these perpetual wars (and thus avoid incurring the wrath and resistance of the American public), mercenaries enjoy the luxury of not having to comply with the military rules of engagement. And the stories of atrocities committed by US-employed mercenaries in Iraq and Afghanistan are too numerous to list.

In addition to the Jamie Jones case mentioned above, consider the case where Blackwater (now called Xe) mercenaries mowed down 17 Iraqi citizens in an unprovoked attack. And, of course, no one at Blackwater was held accountable for these murders. Reports of abuse, cruelty, and savagery by mercenaries in Iraq are commonplace. According to the Global Research report, “Many soldiers of fortune on private payrolls previously served dictators in South Africa, Chile, and elsewhere.”

The Washington Post quotes Brigadier General Karl Horst, an advisor to the U.S. Joint Force Command as saying, “These guys [mercenaries] run loose in this country [Iraq] and do stupid stuff. There’s no authority over them, so you can’t come down on them hard when they escalate force . . . They shoot people, and someone else has to deal with the aftermath. It happens all over the place.”

And you wonder why the United States is viewed so negatively around the world?

Granted, there is a place and proper use for mercenaries. Fred E. Foldvary, Senior Editor of The Progress Report, rightly observes, “One alternative to U.S. military action against terrorists who have attacked the U.S. and other countries, and are threatening further attacks, is to enact Letters of Marque and Reprisal. Article I, Section 8, paragraph 11 of the U.S. Constitution authorizes Congress to ‘grant letters of Marque and Reprisal and make rules concerning captures on land and water.’ A ‘reprisal’ means an action taken in return for some injury. A reprisal could be a seizing of property or guilty persons in retaliation for an attack and injury. It could include forces used against the perpetrators for the redress of grievances. A reprisal could even involve killing a terrorist who is threatening further harm and cannot be captured.

“‘Marque’ is related to ‘marching’ and means crossing or marching across a border in order to do a reprisal. So a letter of Marque and Reprisal would authorize a private person, not in the U.S. armed forces, to conduct reprisal operations outside the borders of the U.S.A.

“Such Letters are grantable not just by the U.S. Constitution, but also by international law, which is why it was able to be included in the Constitution. The Letters are grantable whenever the citizens or subjects of one country are injured by those in another country and justice is denied by the government of that country, as happened with the attack by persons who were in Afghanistan.”

See Foldvary’s column at:
http://www.progress.org/fold232.htm

And that is exactly what Congressman Ron Paul attempted to do. He proposed H.R. 3076, the September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001, to authorize the U.S. State Department to issue such Letters. See Dr. Paul’s Press Release at:
http://www.house.gov/paul/press/press2001/pr101101.htm

However, neither the Congress nor the White House–Democrat or Republican–has any intention of following the Constitution; therefore Letters of Marque and Reprisal were never authorized. As a result, no authority has been granted to these mercenaries to wage war on behalf of anyone, especially not the people of the United States.

But what unauthorized mercenaries do accomplish is to fulfill the demands of internationalists and globalists to use unaccountable and uncontrolled (at least by normal military protocols) private armies for their own personal and nefarious purposes.

The next step for our politically correct “Global Force” is the authorization for homosexuals to serve openly in the US military. This has long been the goal of globalists, and it is now about to happen.

It was globalist President Bill Clinton who introduced the current “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that allows homosexuals to serve in the US armed forces–but not openly. Of course, this was a major departure from US military history. From George Washington’s Continental army until the Clinton administration, homosexuality was deemed “incompatible” with military service. And now globalist Barack Obama is leading Congress to change the policy even further by allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the US military.

However, please consider this: if our governmental and military leaders would cover up the raping of American servicewomen by servicemen, don’t you know that they will cover up the raping of American servicemen by homosexual servicemen? Mark this down: mixing sex (heterosexual or homosexual) and military service is a recipe for disaster. And the potential damage inflicted upon military units (especially combat units) is exacerbated exponentially by the introduction of large numbers of homosexuals and women into those units. (This is the universal sentiment of virtually every active duty or retired serviceman I have ever spoken with.) But it does fit perfectly into the plans of the New World Order architects, who want to use the US military as much for the advancement of their politically correct agenda as they do for any actual military purpose.

Plus, dare I mention how that many violent gangs in North America are encouraging their members to join the US military in order to learn tactics and skills, which enable them to more effectively inflict their criminality upon the American people? Well, it’s true. And our military brass knows it’s true, and yet they still allow these thugs to enter our military. Hispanic gang members, especially, are entering the US military in droves.

According to a report in The American Conservative magazine, “[R]ecent figures indicate that gang membership in the Armed Forces significantly surpasses civilian levels. Stars and Stripes reported that 1 to 2 percent of the military are gang members, compared to 0.02 percent of the general population.”

See the report at:
http://www.amconmag.com/article/2008/may/05/0012/

No, ladies and gentlemen, it is not your father’s army. And, sadly, while many of our fine military leaders (not to mention many of our active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines) see all of this taking place, they are practically powerless to stop it, because political correctness and globalism run rampant in Washington, D.C., including at the Pentagon.

For more by Chuck Baldwin go to http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com