Credit to Obama

While in a reflective mood, it came to me that Conservatives and Republicans alike share a lot of Obama's goals. No doubt, we would take different paths, but as a Conservative, I realize that until the political structure in this country changes, things are going to be done Obama's way. So I worked at finding positive things about what he is trying to accomplish. It makes no sense for any group that is not in power to keep their panties in a wad over what they cannot change. I know my readers will find this piece distasteful, but whether we want to believe it or not, we are all in this boat together. At the present, the majority does not support our ideas.

As it appears to me, Obama is acting neither on ideas that are shallow nor for any short time gain. One of those priorities is the reduction of our use of oil and other fossil fuels. His comprehensive goal is to reduce our demand by several means. Some of the first priorities is to get rid of the gas guzzling autos and use some of the new technologies like electric and alternative fuel. His plan for Detroit, aka GM and Chrysler includes the production of these vehicles. Next, he has taken steps that will curtail drilling and exploration for new oil in and around the United States.

Tax structures will send the prices for gasoline to high enough levels to force most hold outs with their SUV s and other gas-guzzlers to switch to the more economical vehicles. Deep down, I do not believe that he harbors some nefarious plan to destroy this country. Obama is only giving it a nudge to where market forces would eventually take us, but only after the price of oil is too high to use.

We are also starting to learn how to monitor the electrical energy that we use every day. The new technology could have beneficial results and we could potentially save a lot on energy. For instance, using electricity at certain times is less costly than at others. During peak demand times is a bad time to be adding more electrical load to the system. Learning to co-operate and use electricity less sporadically will help a lot with power generation. The new technologies will help us in that respect.

The reduction in our use of oil will also accomplish another good thing. Countries like Venezuela, Russia, and those in the Middle East will see their selling price for oil dwindle as the United States decreases its use of oil. By reducing our use of oil, we will gain the moral authority we need to persuade other countries to shed their dependence on oil. With the United States leading the way, our technologies on alternative sources will be in demand and possibly reinvigorate our economy.

Remember, Obama is a true believer in anthropogenic global warming. For that reason, I do not believe that he is out to wreck this country as some of the other writers and pundits have stated. It also explains his insistence on the cap and trade policy, even though it will be very costly to the American consumer.

Will his plans work? I don't think there is a snowballs chance in Hell of them working without turning us into a Socialist country. But we shall see. Kudos to him if it works and we maintain our free enterprise system, but the Conservative side of me thinks he will overreach with all of the other items on his list. Energy independence alone would be a big item to accomplish without nationalizing healthcare and cap and trade. Those ideas are very contentious and divisive. We can do without such initiatives at this time. As to the roadwork and other infrastructure projects, that infrastructure work is both necessary and will be an investment in the future.

This is not a capitulation on my part, just a realization that any attempts to upstage Obama before his ideas have had the chance to mature would be counter-productive to any opposition group. Americans will continue to support him if he can show some progress with his efforts. American support is his shield against efforts to thwart him.

Cheers,

-Robert-

A Nation of Dummies

It has become blatantly obvious to anybody observing. We live in a nation populated by historical, mathematical, geographical, political, and scientifically ignorant people. The ignorance of our population is only getting worse.

I have always found 'man on the street' questions to ordinary folks entertaining. Jay Leno has a segment every once in a while, and you can get a glimpse of what people know on the different quiz shows like 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' and others. The questions asked of the people are simple such as, "Who is the Vice-President?" or "How many inches in a Meter?" It is truly amazing the percentage of people that do not know the answers and most have absolutely no idea.

But asking pop-culture questions hits the jackpot. They hardly ever miss questions about songs, movies, or games. They know how to use their gadgets (cell phones, X-Boxes, or Wii's) but have no clue as to how their gadgets work. They can tell you the latest hits by most of the headliners, even the lyrics to most, but can't answer the simplest question of substance.

What has gone wrong? It is not a question of money. The average dollar spent per pupil is over $8,000.00 per year. The following are three states rated by the amount of money spent. The one that spends the most, one from the middle and the state that spends the least are rated by how well they are teaching math and reading skills. This information is from http://putourkidsfirst.com/kidsfirst/nat_reading.asp


Dollars/student:

1st New Jersey $11,793 ---, Spending per pupil - First in Spending

20th Minnesota $7,736---, Spending per pupil - Middle of the Pack

50th Utah with $4,900 ---, Spending per pupil - Spends the Least

How They Rank
Math:

1st Minnesota 44% rated above Basic Levels

13th New Jersey 33% rated above basic levels

20th Utah with 31% rated above basic levels

Reading:

7th Minnesota 37% above basic levels

13th New Jersey 36% above basic levels

29 Utah with 32% above basic levels

Does money make a difference? It is also notable that no state has a majority (over 50%) of their students above the basic levels. As you can see by the tables above, Utah spends the least amount of money per pupil, but ranks solidly in the middle of learning statistics among all 50 states.

If you click on the link above you will notice that those states with high minority populations consistently rank in the lower half of the statistics.

What do we do? Continuing with our dummy factories only has one outcome - more dummies. I am absolutely no authority but I have a wish list about educating our children. Parents are not parenting nor making sure that their children are doing the things necessary for an education. So first, we have to train the parents. A parent should be fined if a student does not have his/her homework on time, a child's truancy, misbehaving in class, and not following instructions. - Else, a parent should sign over to the school permission for the school to administer appropriate corporal punishment (spankings, extended exercise, corner standing, etc.) for intentional offenses that impede the child's education. The parent will hold the school harmless in all cases that do not rise to the level of injury, harassment, or sexual abuse of any stripe.

Education is a serious matter and the sooner we address it and solve the problems in our schools, the better. My ideas may not be the way to do it, but somebody needs to do something other than argue about the teacher's union, parents, poor teachers and all of the rest of the carping and playing the blame game. A good start would be to establish order in our schools. In the beginning, it might seem to be heavy handed but once the students realize that they will have to use the school as a place to learn instead of a social club, it will get better.

This piece is not meant to impugn the small percentage of students who do well in our public schools. This writing only calls attention to the majority of students who graduate functionally illiterate.

Please send me your thoughts on the subject,

Cheers,

-Robert-

Christianity Under Siege

This was written to all of those who are out to destroy Christianity. Should you succeed in destroying this faith, inadvertently you will be destroying the very freedom that you enjoy. No doubt, the understanding of Christianity and its importance has not been taught to you or you would not be so doggedly determined to destroy it. First, you should know that Christianity is a faith-based religion. It is not a scientifically provable equation. There are certainties that are accepted as faith. Christians believe that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb whose blood redeemed all who would believe in Him. Just as the Jews had to sacrifice a lamb while they were in Egypt, and put the blood of the lamb on their doors to keep the angel of death from where they lived, Jesus fulfills that same purpose for all of mankind. Promises that are included to Christians of faith are inner peace, and everlasting life.

Christians are admonished to live within the Secular systems that they find themselves; hence the “Render unto Caesar” lesson in the New Testament. And to be peaceful by, “Turning the other cheek”. Christians are required to live God fearing, useful lives, and to accept Christ as their Savior. For the believers in Christ, their faith transcends the fear of death. They have an understanding that there is something better for them after death. Having faith is a far better way of life than living in fear of what is to come. Any person, who has the knowledge that his life has been one of devotion to God, and his Son, is in an immensely better position to face his own mortality than the person who has rejected God and his teachings.

There is nothing to fear from Christians in and among a Society. And yet, Christians are attacked at every level. Why? Simply put, Christianity represents having to make a choice between right and wrong. There are a lot of people who want to live certain lifestyles that are prohibited by God. So they see the teachings of faith as an obstacle to do what they crave for their own pleasures. Those who are weak and refuse to obey God, turn to the Secular to make things right for them. They want laws changed to address their concerns. The problem with shaping the Secular laws to suit the wants of people is that it’s like re-arranging the deck chairs of the Titanic. Their mortality still approaches and God has the final judgment, not man. Those who reject Christ need to ask themselves if a few years of depravity is worth an eternity of damnation.

Likewise, to those who have the authority to shape Secular law. By attempting to sanctify that which is prohibited by God, are you also not in danger of losing Paradise for yourself?

For the sake of not being misunderstood, I want to be clear that rules are necessary for the governance and protection of a society. But I want to explore the differences between the Secular and non-Secular adhesion to rules. It is these differences that define whether we are held hostage to “Big Brother” or allowed the freedom to maintain our societies.

There is a difference between having to obey Secular laws and a willingness to obey God’s laws. Secular laws are mere boundaries. They represent limits for which a transgression can be either criminal or just a fine. There is no guidance in navigating these boundaries. A person is free to bounce around in his Secular society as long as he doesn’t run afoul of one of these boundaries. There are Secular boundaries everywhere, but no guidance. You are allowed to drive your car down the highway as you choose as long as you don’t go over the speed limit, make an improper turn, fail to yield, not stop for a stop sign, and on and on. The lesson here is that society wants you to drive safely so as not to harm yourself or others. Hence, we have the establishment of all those boundaries. (Laws)

The differences I am talking about are profound. For instance, when a person who rejects faith approaches a stop sign and sees nobody, he may or may not run the stop sign. Running the stop sign gives him no remorse, because after all, there wasn’t any oncoming traffic. However, because there is no remorse, the lesson to him is that it is okay to disobey a Secular law. Remember though, all of the intersections won’t be empty. Others can be put in danger if it isn't realized that on this day, he was lucky.

Same scene with a Christian at the stop sign, and he also determines it is safe to run it. Now however, he knows he has done wrong, and it bothers him. His conscience will not allow the broken law to go unnoticed.

The Secular world without Christ just bounces one around from one boundary to the next. The only price to be paid, if caught, is maybe a fine or it could be a life behind bars, depending on the boundary that was violated. The emptiness of such a life is real. The search for “neat” things in the Secular world will expand exponentially because nothing can quench this thirst. The search for satisfaction eventually runs afoul of the Secular boundaries. The person is left with nothing. He becomes an island of despair, and turning to the Secular world for help is also empty. Nothing in the Secular world can help because the help that is needed is spiritual. No pill can mend what is broken.

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we also accept the responsibilities for our actions. Whenever a Christian does the wrong thing, there is this tug at his conscience that tells him about it. Guilt is spawned out of doing wrong, whether by disobedience to God’s Law or Secular Law.

The love of God creates a goal that is beyond Earthly goals. It is for that reason Christians are constantly aware of their actions here on earth. Once a person becomes a Christian, they receive an indescribable joy in their hearts. This spirit will guide them for the rest of their days. They will renounce sin and pray for forgiveness when they falter. And, all will falter, contrition is vital if there is to be any relief from the relentless tug of the conscience knowledge of transgression. It is our conscience reminding us and guiding us that makes life bearable for all of society.

Should this Nation lose it’s faith and succumb to nonbelief, the goodness that has bound us together since our founding will be lost. No more will we be guided by our conscience into doing the right thing, for we will have rejected the premise of right and wrong. The common trust between everyone will dissolve into avaricious behavior for riches and power. The great United States would be powerless in the face of such fractious behavior. Anarchy would reign.

So be of good faith, and know that your faith is the ultimate guarantor of freedom. There can be no freedom without faith. Remember, it is faith that creates the need for a decent life, not the threat of punishment from Secular laws.

Cheers,

-Robert-

Your Tax Dollars at Work

Watching television makes my blood boil anymore. Entrepreneurs seem to dominate the airways hawking their many methods of getting Uncle Sam to pay for things. It is no wonder that our taxes are sky-high.

Taxes: Are you behind on your taxes? Do you owe more than you can repay? Have you failed to file your taxes for several years? Hiring a tax lawyer can solve most of your problems with the IRS. The airways are full of ads from attorneys who for a fee will get your taxes settled for pennies on the dollar. Personally, I don't have any sympathy for tax-cheats. I think that everybody should pay their taxes and not try to wriggle out of it. It saves a lot of pain, anguish, and worry. Letting tax cheats off the hook hurts the rest of us. By not collecting those taxes, the Government may decide they need to raise taxes to make up for the lost revenue.

Blood Sugar Testing Supplies: Insurance companies want to nail the Government for you blood sugar testing supplies. They'll even kick in a free meter to be able to send a UPS truck around when you need more strips, lancets, or batteries for the meter. Why should the Government do this? My medical insurance pays for mine. All I needed was a prescription from my doctor. Medicare also provides for blood sugar testing supplies. So the question remains - why would I want to stick the Government with shipping and handling expenses to get these supplies sent to me from out of state.

Power chairs: Power chairs are another example of a way to pick the pockets of the Government. The purveyors of those motorized wheelchairs hold out the carrot of little or no expense to the chair recipient. It is a hard sell showing only the sunny side of having a power chair. What the commercials do not talk about is the need for assistance to go anywhere with the chair. The commercial shows people rolling happily around in their yard, the park, and the mall - but not a word about how the chairs get to those locations. The truth of the matter is that anybody wishing to just go into the back yard will need someone to help with the chair. Those chairs are heavy and can be unwieldy, even on a ramp.

Loading and unloading the chair from a vehicle can also be a hassle, especially if you cannot afford one of the electric lifts to raise the chair into the vehicle. Most just use a ramp, but again, the ramps need a strong person to help with the loading and unloading. Then the mobility challenged person also needs to be loaded in most cases. I am not trying to throw a wet blanket on the idea of a power chair, but getting the chair is only the start of many problems to solve. In many cases, the fold up wheel chair is better suited for a person's mobility outside of the home. They are light and easily handled by most grown-ups, and are more easily stored in a vehicle than a power chair.

As useful as a power chair may be to some, my position is that I do not think it is a Federal responsibility to furnish them. And believe me; getting a power chair is much like buying a boat. The buyer will find an endless parade of doo-dads to purchase in order to get the full value of the chair. Those extras are generally not part of the original purchase of the power chair.

But the sellers of these chairs have found willing financing through Medicare etc. And they milk it for all that it is worth.

The Racket of Student Loans: There was a time when student loans were about the most beneficial benefit around. But in the last decade or two our colleges and universities have taken advantage of it. Like all government programs from health care to college loans, the idea of educating or healing our citizens may have had the best of intentions, but the real losers were Americans. Government sponsored programs just bring out the greed in people. Colleges have put their prices so far out of reach of ordinary citizens that getting college degrees now means that the students have to take out government loans. Gone are the days when a person could work his or her way through school - the cost is just too much.

It is an arrangement that works well for Liberals. The Universities and colleges know where their money comes from and how to get more, so for their part; these institutions promote and produce brainwashed students in Liberalism. Colleges and Universities are the perfect place to take advantage of our young people because it is at that age that we are naturally idealistic.

Conclusion: Given enough time, we will have to give more to the government to meet our obligations. There is no limit to the number of hands out to receive this manna from the taxpayer. The government will consume everything in a few years and we will become a totalitarian state. Our once vaunted and admired population of self-reliant people will have become just another self-indulgent population wanting everything done for them.

President Obama is doing everything possible to hasten that day.
The surest way I know to save on taxes is to stop electing Democrats.

Cheers,

-Robert-

Wondering

Responsibility: Ever wonder what has happened to being responsible? It seems that the whole nation has the 'wants' and is depending on 'others' to make their dreams come true. What happens when the 'others' get tired of propping up those with the 'wants'?

Global Warming: Have you been wondering why the Al Gore crowd changed their mantra from 'Global Warming' to 'climate change'? Could it be because the Earth is experiencing a cooling trend?

Wealth Creation: Ever wonder why it is so bad to have ambition and create wealth but perfectly acceptable to confiscate that wealth and give it to others?

Class Warfare: Ever wonder what to tell the 30% of our economy engaged in building and maintaining yachts, private jets, limousines, and other finery that depend on those jobs? Who needs the construction jobs that build and furnish such luxuries as penthouse apartments, or the tall buildings built by those greedy rich people? Democrats will no longer tolerate those mean heartless rich fat cats; they'll show them a thing or two.

The Greedy: Ever wonder who are really the greedy ones in our society? You don't suppose local, city, and state governments qualify - do you? Liberals understand that businesses want to stay in locations where there are plenty of taxes to help them lose their competitive edge. Did you ever travel through Gary, Indiana or Detroit, Michigan or New Orleans? These cities were all glittering jewels of commerce and activity before the Liberals took them over. You can tell the predominating politics of an area just by visiting. It is shocking how Liberals can devastate an area in such a short time. If their policies ever dominate nationally, the whole country will look like it does in Detroit, Gary, New Orleans or any of the many other places where Democrats hold sway in the local politics.

Religion: Ever wonder why Liberals are trying to stamp out God? Could it be that a self-indulgent public rejects decent behavior and they do not want the guilt for their disgusting lifestyles? Did you know that a lot of serious legal time and effort goes into preventing those dangerous manger scenes at Christmas time? Did you ever think that rejecting God may be at the heart of the chaos in our society?

Jobs: Ever wonder where all of the jobs are going to come from after Liberals kill the reward incentive for wealth creation? After the Obama Presidency, we may all have to move to China to get a job.

Cheers,

-Robert-

Our Shrinking Tax Base

It's the numbers that are getting to be alarming. The Federal payroll is growing at an alarming rate and with every job added to the Federal payroll; we get another non-contributor to the tax rolls. Federal employees do not contribute to the treasury; in fact, their income is a drain on the treasury. Regardless of the importance of the job, a Federal job contributes nothing to the money that the Government needs to spend.

The numbers of Federal employees add to the others in our society who not contributing to the economy. Those groups include our prison population, social-security recipients (retirees), the military, and those on welfare. This is a large portion of our population and growing. The strain on the rest of society that is supporting this large aggregate of non-contributors is also growing.

There is a lot of talk about people's mortgages that are upside down, but when the number of contributors to the treasury dwindles to the point that they cannot keep up with the demand from the government, our society can look forward to the complete Socialization of our economy. This is scary stuff.

If you haven't heard, the Obama administration has allegedly given China the option of imminent domain over US territory as collateral for our debt that China holds. If true, Obama is mortgaging our country to satisfy his spending spree. The Chinese can see the trouble we are in and have demanded assurances that the dollar holds its value. There are a lot of blogs reporting that Hillary Clinton did in fact surrender the right to China to seize assets in the United States as part of an agreement that China would continue to hold and purchase our debt.

Snopes' is reporting that the claim is false and you can read their statements here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/domain.asp My problem with the Snopes' account is that their rebuttal is based on logic rather than produce proof for their stand.

To read the viewpoints from the perspective that Obama has made that agreement with China, do a search in Google using this search criterion. "US gives China option of imminent domain" I would give you a website to go to but there are so many that I did not want to choose. None of the sites listed are familiar to me so on that regard - caveat emptor. Also, keep in mind that the internet is full to the brimming with conspiracy nuts.

I only bring this to your attention because of the theme of today's article about the declining tax base. The policies that Obama is advocating will drive the value of the dollar down and can make us vulnerable to the Chinese demand for payment of our debt. If we continue to grow the government, then we will become a progressively poorer Nation. Our real wealth lies in our industriousness and our ability to produce. But we are rapidly losing that edge as we progress to the welfare state. The risk/reward incentive is undercut by the notion that life is not supposed to be challenging. --There is a limit to how long the prosperous among us will continue to tolerate the shenanigans of an ultra Liberal Government. It is a mathematical certainty that those we depend on now to finance the Government will seek and find greener pastures elsewhere. It is already happening on a small scale, but it will not take much for that trickle to become a torrent.

Cheers,

-Robert-

Property Taxes

In 1973, I bought a house for $15,000. Payments which included an escrow for insurance and taxes were only $76.00 / month. I have borrowed via a second mortgage against the property, and kept it rented for 17 years. Those mortgages were paid off several years ago and now, the only expenses to pay on the house and property are the upkeep and taxes. The house is the same as when I bought it except for closing in the garage to make another bedroom, the occasional paint job, replacement of trim, and two roofs.

Today the property, for tax purposes, is estimated at $100,000. That’s a seven-fold increase in the 36 years that I have owned this property. Am I carping -- no, but just think about it. The house was 10 years old when I bought it. It was built to different standards than new houses and add to the mix, the foundation has settled, cracking the brick veneer outer walls. (2 very minor cracks) Looking at the house from a purely physical standpoint, the house is not as good as it once was, so it ought to be worth less, not more. The property the house sits on hasn't gained any girth so it is the same size.

The neighborhood was once a thriving middleclass area, but most of the houses are rental houses now and the middleclass have moved out to the burbs for newer digs. So what is it about this property that the county, city and state find so valuable?

I know that this story is not unique, but when you own a property in an area dominated by Democrats and Liberals, you can expect your housing appraisal to increase with regularity. By increasing the appraisal value, they can collect more taxes and make the claim that they haven't raised taxes. At least they can claim not to have raised the tax rate.

If I were still living in the house, other than carp about the taxes, I probably would not have an issue. The house is kept rented which supplants my income and pays the taxes on the property. However, I have to rent it for much more than I should to overcome the high taxes and insurance. Several times, I have listed the property for sale, but received no offers for what the county appraiser says the property is worth.

I think of myself as a principled person so I took the house off the market for good. I will leave the disposition of the property to my children when I am gone. In good conscious, I cannot saddle another human being with a mortgage of $100,000 for a 46-year-old, small 1400 square foot house in a rental neighborhood. It is my opinion that the house is not worth its appraised value and that the county officials should be ashamed of themselves for running up the appraisal on those old tract houses. No doubt, that the house has appreciated in dollar value because of a less valuable dollar, but not to the tune of what the county appraisers say. If I sold the house for what I thought it was worth, I would be cheating myself out of a good monthly income from the rent I receive.

If I were to sell the house for market value, the new owner could not recoup the purchase price. It works for me because I have so little in the property. So, if you like seeing your house increase in value because of tax appraisals, then keep electing Democrats. They will keep you satisfied.

I relate this story because everywhere Liberals or Democrats dominate, their areas become depressed. It is always for the same reasons -- they tax their constituents until those with the ability to pay move and leave the high taxes to those who cannot. The county in Texas where I live is being developed at a very fast pace as people move here from Houston to escape the city and county taxes. Friends of mine who bought their homes in Harris County pay more in taxes than for their mortgage. It is really a sad commentary for an area with so much industry and great heritage. Unless things turn around in Houston, that city will wake up one morning and realize that those who can afford to pay high taxes are gone. That leaves the city with those who cannot afford the taxes. What will they do then? It will be especially painful for Houston if the Liberals and Greens diminish the oil business. Yet the people keep electing Democrats. Democrats are like smoking cigarettes, you know they will kill you but the addiction (to their handouts) is too powerful to overcome.

Maybe it is just me, but I don't see anything that Obama is doing that will help this country. His policies will drive our wealth to foreign shores. If you are one of the lucky ones to have a job, I would suggest that you hold on to it. Unless Obama stops his war against those who make it possible for everyone else, things will get immeasurably worse. We will be sitting here with our high tax rates for the rich and watching our jobs migrate to other countries. We won't have to worry about polluting the atmosphere when nobody can afford to drive their cars if they own one.

Hope to be more cheerful next time. I promise to not write just after opening my 401K statement.

Cheers,

-Robert-

Agenda 21: Part 1

In spite of divination from conspirators, Agenda 21 is not a diabolical conspiracy. Large segments of the world's population really believe that humankind is contaminating and ruining the planet. They also hold fast to the notion that the wealth of the planet is unevenly distributed and that it is up to the governing authorities to distribute the world's wealth equitably among its inhabitants. The Agenda 21 program is supposed to remedy the ills of the world. This plan exists in document form at the United Nations website (see below) and is available for all to scrutinize. Opportunistic political interests want to use Agenda 21 for their own purposes, but this article only relates to Agenda 21, the UN program. The following is my take on that program.

Agenda 21 is a program run by the United Nations related to sustainable development. It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area where humans impact the environment. The number 21 refers to the 21st century.

The text of Agenda 21 reads like the book of Genesis. It is full of grand rhetoric that translates into broad statements describing outcome much like the "Let there be light" statement in the Bible. The Agenda 21 lays out a wish list that will turn our societies into Utopian enclaves. The doctrine challenges every level of government from the highest to the lowest local level to formulate and put to task procedures that will change the human experience from one on the precipice of global contamination to one where we will all join hands and sing cum-ba-ya in a world free of anthropogenic garbage.

The goals laid out in the doctrine are laudable. But vague outlines of outcome are a recipe for disaster. For instance, who is in actual control of the policies? In order to enforce some of the goals, we would need a world government. There are references for local groups to 'get together' and express their ideas. But who makes the determination that an idea from these local groups is useful? Who would determine if an idea was a good or bad?

Clean Energy: The Agenda 21 document only outlines outcome with no roadmap on how to get there. It does not specify any of the details needed to implement how to do things. Sustainable rates of pollution are arbitrary so the document is no help to energy providers. I couldn't find a stamp of approval for any method of the generation of power, but research is called for to help develop green energy sources.

There is also no mechanism for funding these research programs. Whom do you think the document is referring to fund and manage this research? The answer to the question is obvious -the burden will fall on the industrial nations of the world. Who else has the expertise and economical strength to do the research? By making no specific statements about how we accomplish the high goals articulated in its doctrine, the economical burden of such research is not reward oriented but instead bureaucratic in nature. Incentives for accomplishing the goals specified are the goals themselves.

In case you are confused with my statements, the long story short is that the document needs more specificity than just fine sounding rhetoric of wishful thinking. The best way to educate yourself about what is contained in the document is to read it. You can find it here at http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21toc.htm. Not everybody will agree with my conclusions about Agenda 21, but by your reading it, you can draw your own conclusions.

Poverty: Who wouldn't like to see a world without poverty? In spite of the feel good rhetoric espoused by the Left, distributing wealth to the less motivated in the world does nothing to help elevate those people from poverty. In fact all that happens is the creation of a dependency that either has to be continued or risk a cultural war if it is discontinued. The Agenda 21 program does nothing to address the real source of the disparity between the haves and the have-nots and that is the motivational gap between the two groups.

Any group motivated more than another group will accomplish more and reap more reward than the less motivated group. The United States has been successful because of the risk/reward feature of its society. All Americans have the same opportunity, and those who take advantage of those opportunities reap the reward while those who do not, fall into the welfare basket. So to solve the problem of poverty, ways of motivation must be found so that an individual will use his talents to climb the socio-economic ladder. Those who cannot or will not motivate themselves will always be at the mercy of those who have.

Mid-latitude countries (Those countries that lie between Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) of the world have evolved people that best suit those environments. In those perpetually hot, humid places, the inhabitants of those regions generally exert as little energy as possible to survive. It is not easy to thrive energetically in such oppressive locations. Skin color has nothing to do with a person's motivation. Skin color does however indicate a person's background to one of these oppressive places. Nature's evolution and not laziness is more of a factor in the low energetic output generally found from these peoples. Other than hunting and tribal celebrations, the only other energy expenditure is sex.

Do these traits disappear when such a person relocates to one of the temperate or colder regions? My answer is a firm maybe. You can make an argument for either side of the question. However, when questions of poverty come up, unless the goal is to make dependents out of these people, we are going to have to find a way to motivate them into helping themselves.

This is important because expecting an energetic output from the people of the mid-latitudes is a non-starter. Residents of the temperate and colder areas where the human body isn't punished for physical exertion do much better. Evolution provided those people with a different outlook towards expending oneself for gain.

These are only generalized observations but I haven't been able to find any persuasive argument to change my mind.

Reducing poverty in the mid-latitudes will require a thought process that accepts the idea that the technologies involved will have to account for a less energetic people. Large plantations do well because the work suits the lifestyle of the indignant people. But expecting them to create and produce products using the European model without strict supervision is not possible. Factories built in the mid-latitudes fall into disrepair and are quickly abandoned after the European supervision leaves. The same type of result applies to most European models set up in those mid-latitude regions. The indigenous people are just not genetically inclined to pursue objectives like the people from the temperate and colder climates.

Motivation for these people is not impossible. But the motivation should suit their lifestyle, not ours. The mid-latitude people need motivation if we expect them to overcome poverty.

Agenda 21 is anti-freedom. A fully implemented Agenda 21 program would necessitate an oppressive government to limit ambition and motivation. The government's role would, by necessity have to suppress motivation to maintain an egalitarian society. It is truly a frightening concept for freedom loving people.

More to Come-

Cheers,

-Robert-