Some Often Missed Bible Details

    Understanding some easily missed details that the Bible mentions or explains. Hopefully this will help someone grow in their understanding of the Bible

                                          Micah 7:15                                                                                                        

        According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt,                              will I show unto him marvelous things.               

      This verse changed my understanding of the Bible.  I had always believed the Bible, but this verse answered a question.  It opened my eyes and made me see I was on the right track.  For some time before finding it I had pondered in my heart. The meaning of the verse in Exodus 12:41 where it says the selfsame day.  Why was it worded the way it was. What was so important about that particular day?  After all in Genesis 12:13 God made it clear that they (The Jewish People) would spend 400 years in captivity.  God also made two other statements. He stated they would come out in the fourth generation. He also stated that it would not happen till the time of the Amorites had been fulfilled.

      Over the years I had heard many discussions about what or how long a generation is or was. It can’t be twenty, or thirty, or forty, or even seventy years which are the time periods I hear most often..  Even if you use seventy and take it times four, you only get two hundred and eighty years. It had to be a period longer than one hundred years. Four hundred thirty divided by four gave period a little longer than one hundred and seven years.  Then I remembered what God had said in Genesis 6:3 that he would not suffer man, but would limit his days to one hundred and twenty years.  Well one hundred and twenty would work but I wanted more proof.  Moses died at one hundred twenty years old, but he never entered the Promised Land.

     It was later when reading in Joshua that it made sense. It says Joshua died at one hundred and ten having done all God gave him to do. Well if there were three generations before Moses and you subtract three generations of one hundred and twenty years you have one hundred and twenty years left. The thing that made it work was Joshua 14:7 which says, at the time Moses sent Joshua into the land to search it out Joshua was forty years old.  They then wandered in the wilderness for forty years before entering the Promised Land.  If you add the forty years in the wilderness to the four hundred and thirty in the captivity it comes up to four hundred and seventy years.  It means they did in fact enter the Promised Land in the fourth generation just as God had said they would. 

      Remember the other part of The Prophesy, of God?   God had said that the time of the Amorites had not been fulfilled.  Well Joshua was 110 when he died and he had overcome the Amorites. This becomes significant when you start reading the book of Amos.  In that book God gives all the enemies of Israel a fourth chance.  So why wouldn’t he give Israel a fourth chance also. This encouraged me to look for more four hundred and thirty year periods and I found three of them in the Old Testament.  The problem is I think I found a fourth one. If I did we are living in it at this time.  I also found that each four hundred thirty year period was followed by a period of seventy years.

     You can find the other four hundred thirty year periods in the first four chapters of Ezekiel 4:5-6 and Daniel 9:25-27. Figuring this out just requires some basic math. Three score and two is 62 weeks, times seven which equals 434 years.  However, it says the Messiah will be cut off in the middle of the week. Simply subtract 3.5 and you will have 430.5 years.  Notice it is Ezekiel that gives the accounting of each day for a year.

        Remember earlier I said there is a fourth four hundred and thirty year period.  Well it may be a coincidence that from the time Martin Luther nailed his treatise onto the door of the church until the coming of Israel was 430 years almost to the day.  Some say from 1517 to 1948 is 431 years so you are wrong.  That is fine by me, but it was passed and approved by the United Nations for Israel to become a nation in November 1947.  It was a done deal at that time.  It just physically did not take place till 1948.  There is a free book on my blog which is done in seven parts.  It gives this story in more detail.  The title is Further Down the Path.  Just type it on the search bar on my blog and it will bring it up.

       

       Notice I have been talking of times.  In Luke 21:24 it talks of the, “times of the Gentiles” Notice it is not one time but times which is plural and from other places in the Bible may mean two times.  Peter 3:8 tells us to not be ignorant, that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day.  That being said, from Adam to the flood was roughly two thousand years or two days,  from Noah to Christ was another two thousand years or two days, and finally from Christ till today has been roughly two thousand years or two days.  So we are dawning on the seventh day which is a day of rest as it is the Day of the Lord.  Notice in Luke though that it says all prophecy will be fulfilled at the time Israel is restored as a nation.

      The third chapter of Joel has an interesting prophecy especially in this day and age.  Regardless of what Newt Gingrich, the history professor and politician says. Palestine is not some knew creation.  It was mentioned almost a thousand years before Christ.  One has to wonder what he calls new.  That chapter says a lot about what Palestine is going through in this day and age.  It also makes clear that the judgment on Palestine will be in the end of time.

     This might seem unimportant to many, but the Bible makes clear in Hosea 4:6, “My people perish for a lack of knowledge.”  It does not say the sinners, or the heathens perish.  It says my people.  They perish because they do not take the time to really read and understand God’s Word and what he is telling us. The Bible tells us to be prepared. Are we?

    
       The Bible clearly defines three four hundred thirty year periods in the old testament.  Then when I was reading further I discovered there was a seventy year period after the four hundred thirty period that led caused them to go into the Babylonian captivity.  Also from the birth of Christ to the destruction of the Temple was a period of seventy years.  The has a verse speaking about God that says, I am the same, yesterday, today and forever.  Based on that there should have been a seventy year period at the time they came out of Egypt.  I could not find one.  Then I found Joshua 14:7 that says Joshua was forty when Moses sent him in to search out the land.  It also says he was one hundred and ten when he died.  BINGO, the light came on. Forty from one hundred and ten was seventy years.  

        This made me wonder if there were other recurring events.  I remembered the story of Moses and how they were killing the babies in Egypt.  Also at the time of Christ they were killing the babies. After a little research I found one of the main reasons Israel went into the Babylonian captivity was that they were sacrificing their children to idols.  That made me wonder if all the abortion and lack of respect for life in this day and age was going to lead to our judgment?   Are we living in a seventy year period?  If I am right about a fourth four hundred thirty year period it would seem we are in the seventy year period that follows them. Most of this is in my free book with several other things I have noticed over time.

        In closing let me encourage you to get into and read your Bible and get to know God.  You will come to have real peace in your life when you come to understand that he is always working on behalf of those who seek him.  Hope you enjoy reading this and learn something.

Fixing Social Security Could Fix America.

      America has problems.  Lots of problems and one of them is Social Security.  If Social Security is properly fixed it could fix America. The real question is can the system be fixed.  Republi-can'ts say they are not going to raise taxes for nothing or nobody.  Well if they do not do something we are all going belly up.  It is just a matter of when. There is a solution and I think it is just a matter of semantics. We need to remove the cap from Social Security. Technically that is not raising taxes at all. It is just letting those who are blessed with good jobs and the benefits of the system pay their fair share.

        Somehow over the years the Social Security system has been characterized as a system for the poor folks in America. It is that way because some con artist convinced those who created the system that you did not need or benefit from the system after you paid in so much money.  That was the biggest con job ever played on the American people.  It was and is a Ponzie scheme for the rich folks in America. The idea that you do not benefit from Social Security after you get a little money in your pocket is a snow job  When America was a Christian nation and people actually helped their fellow man.  It might have been true but, it is not anymore.

       Social Security was designed as a way to prevent people from falling through the cracks.  At the time it was created millions of Americans were living on the street and going hungry. The sad part at the same time people were going hungry farmers were burning their crops, poring out there milk and killing animals because they could not get enough money from their goods to justify selling them.  The government came up with a program to buy the surplus goods and feed the poor and homeless people in the country.  While it did not solve the problems it did keep things going till World War II bailed the country out.

     Since the end of World War II the rich have learned to play the system to their advantage.  Their taxes have gone steadily down and they have created ways to exempt their money from taxes.  Big business got on the bandwagon and found ways to give themselves subsidies and exemptions from taxes. Three things need fixed in this country.  The first is Social Security, the second is tax system, and the third is the election system. Anyone who is eligible to vote should be able to spend whatever they want on an election. However they should have to do it in their own name and certainly not get any special tax break for doing so.  Many of the rich people in this country would rather spend $10 to keep a poor person from getting a dime.  They want to keep "their"money and the poor in their place. We need an amendment that says only people who can vote can contribute to the election process.  Corporations are not people and should be exempted from buying power which is exactly what is going on in America today.

      When I was in the Army and stationed at a military base in the south I dated a banker's daughter. In the area I was stationed.  I noticed blacks lived in falling down shacks.  They had brand new cars in the drive and real nice stuff in their houses.  The houses though were in sad condition.  I asked the banker what the deal was.  Why didn't blacks fix up their homes?  He very bluntly told me it was because he would not lend them money to fix up their property.  If he did they might try to move up and possibly move in next to him. He was not going to allow that to happen.  At the time  I was the token white in a twelve man room.  I learnt a lot living in that room.  Especially about the stereotypes of blacks. Some of the issues are forced on them by society.  Others are done as a means of survival.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it.  Discrimination is no longer based on color in America.  It is based on what you have.or don't have.

    Having lived in that room for almost a year I learned to see discrimination.  Especially its more subtle sides.  Many of the blacks I lived with said discrimination was much more acceptable in the south than in the north.  In the south it was plain racism.  I really had this taught to me while stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. I was temporarily living with a friend of mine from Alabama and his wife. One night we robbed the piggy bank and went to the store to get milk and cigarettes.  The wife and I stayed in the car while my friend went into the store. As we sat there a black man walked by the car and into the store.  The wife started telling the baby, "Say nigger Johnny, say nigger"  This baby could not even talk yet and the first thing it was learning was hate.  My room mates expected that in the south.  They said in the north it was much more subtle.  It was never spoken openly, but when you did not get the job, you knew why.

     Why mention this racial stuff at all.  It is because I see the same thing being done to poor people today.  They can not get a loan regardless of their background.  There is an old saying that the only way to get a loan from a bank is to not need it. It still is true. You have to prove you do not need it.  I left the Army went to college and experienced this first hand myself.  Then I learned to talk bank talk.  When you go in for the loan you talk yourself and your side of the loan up.  You prove why it is a sure deal.  Even if you do not have a clue if it is. You sound positive and have the answers to any questions they might ask.  You will probably get your loan. Just do not produce anything negative. especially a doubtful attitude.

     All this brings me to why I said it.  In many cases President Obama is not getting any help to fix the country only because he is black.  Many of the politicians do not want a black man to succeed.  Well they are a little late.  One already has. Now they need to get off their high horses and help fix the problem.  The Republi-can'ts started two wars and lowered taxes without ever cutting spending or making a way to pay for what they have done.  They need to step up to the plate and pay their fair share of the debt.  Even if it means raising taxes. By the way, I am an Independent, and not a Democrat.

     Removing the cap from the Social Security system would be a good first step.  Technically it would not be raising taxes.  It would be the rich paying their fair share into the system.  After all you give 10 % of everything to God, nor a capped amount.  At least your supposed to. A cap should be placed on how much one can receive from the system, but not on Medicare. The excess money going into the system could fix many of the problems in America today. It could be used for infrastructure and to create jobs to fix the parts that are in need of fixing.  A national infrastructure audit and budget needs to be put in place so the nation fixes the problems before the nation falls apart.  Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress not only the right but the duty to defend and provide for this nation and they have failed in that job miserably.  The budget makes that clear.

    My blog of 11/24/11 The 10/20/30 Tax Plan tells how we need to fix America's tax system.  We also need to eliminate "all' deductions, exemptions, and subsidies for any and all programs.  We need to establish a tax across the board at a level that will take care of the programs we have.  Cutting willy-nilly anything without studying the problem is total ignorance.  The FAA today is living proof of that.  They are closing towers across he country because of the sequester of funds.  They are doing it at airports where they just finished spending millions of dollars to build towers for aviation safety.  Now they are saying it will not affect aviation safety.  Then why the hell did they spend the money.  It is time for them to get their head out of their ass and do their job.

     Taking the cap off of Social Security would put tons of money in the system.  Oh and yes it would be from the rich people.  It would be just a means of fixing the system quickly till they can fix it properly.  It is something that needs to be done.  There is nothing wrong with helping the country. It would be a way that every American would give their fair share.  If they are self employed it would be a little bit more, but business would know where they stand and they could live with that.

     Congress could then create a Medicare system that helps every American and do away with co-pays. In fact it would do away with the need for health insurance entirely. That would definitely help employers,
Co-pays are absolute robbery and ignorance.  You are required to pay part of the bill to get the insurance company to pay the bill you are already paying them to pay.  Their logic is if you have to pay some out of your own pocket you will not get sick as often.  How about a system that gives you money back if you do not use the system.  That would cut costs and be much more effective than co-pays. Malpractice insurance should be totally eliminated. All people taking the Hippocratic oath should be exempted from Federal taxes on their first million dollars of medical income and exempted from being sued for malpractice.  They pay large sums of money to get an education and swear an oath to save lives.  Review boards should be established and people or institutions performing malpractice should simply have their license to practice medicine pulled.  If the act was criminal then charge them.

       When someone does experience malpractice it should not be a lottery ticket. They should receive the national median income yearly for the rest of their life or until they are recovered. All their medical bills should be covered and that is it.  It is not a lottery.  The government should also get a deduction for quantity buying of medications.  From my experience with the VA the government is getting ripped off big time on meds.  Explaining that would be a whole knew blog post.

    These are some suggestions that if implemented could fix Federal Budget and get the economy moving again.  That is why I figure they will be ignored unless people like you get involved and send a copy of this to your Congressman and add your two-bits.  Let them know we want fixed and in the words of J.B. Wentworth. 'And we want it now."

Save America, How "WE" Can Balance the Budget

      Many people believe the government is in crisis because it can't balance the budget.  The sequestration of funds has supposedly caused the White House tours to end.  The articles I read said it would save funds.  My question is how?  They did not say they were downsizing the Secret Service. That is the only way there would be any savings.  Secret Service agents will get paid whether they are standing around watching the crowds or taking a siesta.  That is the way the government works.  The military gets paid the same whether they are fighting a war or training for a war.  Supply costs might increase in a war, but military pay does not change.  The opportunity for promotions might increase and increasing the size of the Army might cost more but the pay stays the same.

    If they really want to save some money take the keys to Air Force One away from President Obama. Tell him he does not get them back till the budget is balanced. The fuel savings in one month would probably equal or exceed the annual budget for the Secret Service. Congress could get their act together and do this. Then His Highintheass Obama could stand in line and talk to the people going through the White House on tour.  He could find out what some of the real problems are.  He can retaliate by cancelling all their travel reimbursements and all paid holidays and time off.  Like that will ever happen.

     It has become clear to me that Congress has no intention of passing a balanced budget amendment.  They all have their pet pork that they refuse to sacrifice to budget cuts.  The only good thing is that in my reading I found out there is a way to circumvent Congress.  There is a way to force them to act whether they want to or not.  The key is that it will take action by concerned citizens to make it happen.  The Constitution allows for a way to force Congress to act.  Article V of the Constitution says two thirds of Congress must agree to put forth an amendment and it must be approved by the states.  It also says two-thirds of the state legislations may call a Convention for proposing an amendment.  Well as supposedly forty-six of the states have mandatory budgeting requirements in their Constitutions it should not be hard to get the states to push the Federal Government into balancing the budget.

      What it will take is the action of millions and millions of citizens from all the states petitioning their state legislatures to act and demand the Congress to act on the matter. It has never been done, but America has never been in such sad economic shape in the past.  Not even in the Great Depression.  The Federal Government was solvent when he Great Depression started.  In fact the one day loss on the stock market that triggered the Great Depression was equal to three times the national debt at that time.  That should make any concerned American see just how bad our situation is.

     While they are at it they should demand a revision of the Federal Tax Code and elimination of all deductions and exemptions for any reason.  They should pass a flat tax that is enough to run the budget.  A tax that every citizen and corporation pays their fare share.  You want a different view than is normal take the time to read my blog of 11/24/11 titled " The 10/20/30 Tax Plan.

    After fixing those two problems there is one other problem that needs to be addressed to stop corporations from having undo power in our election system.  Pass a law that only people who have the right to vote in an election may contribute to an election.  Corporations do not vote and should have no say so in the political process.  That is half, if not more, of the problem with the present political process.  We need to send the lobbyists packing and stop their influence on Congress.  Groups try to buy influence to get the legislation they want.  The only way to stop that is eliminate them from the election process.  We do not need billion dollar elections.  We need honest elections and people who care about America and not their wallets running America.

Morality Can't Be Legislated.

       Many of America's problems could be fixed simply by changing Federal regulations and dealing with reality.  The reality that needs to be dealt with is trying to legislate morality.  Prohibition proved it would not work for alcohol and it will not work for drugs either.  You can however tax immorality like crazy. What is presently being spent on drugs and drug law enforcement could balance the present sequester cuts. It could balance the budget over time.  It would not require raising taxes.  It would require creating taxes, but if you do not do drugs that should be of no concern to you.   People say we would have a nation of junkies.  I can not back it up but in the course of my readings on the subject supposedly the amount of alcoholism dropped when they lifted the ban on alcohol.  Also fewer people died from buying tainted alcohol that was improperly made.  Thousands of people die every year from tainted drugs but society does not care.  From what I understand alcoholism and drug abuse are both a form of addiction.  Incarcerating citizens does not cure them.  It educates them so they will be better thieves and marks them so they can no longer be productive members of society.  Is legalizing drugs going to hurt America?  Certainly no more than the present system is doing. At least it could be taxed and create jobs here in America and put money back into the economy instead of into a multi-billion dollar underground economy.  The enforcement people would not all loose their jobs. Taxing and inspection of drugs to make sure they are safe and not contaminated would be new industries.

      Speaking of new industries hemp offers a multitude of manufacturing possibilities.  In Canada a car was built using hemp fibers in the fiberglass instead of nylon fiber.  That could open a multitude of opportunities if it replaced the present fossil fuel based fibers.  It is also biodegradable which the fossil fuel fibers are not. Plant based fuel can be made from hemp fibers.  The nice thing about that is that it requires very little fossil fuel based chemicals to grow.  It is a weed and grows on the worst soil, under the worst conditions.

    One reality needs to be dealt with honestly for a change. If pot was legalized tomorrow would you become an addict.  Most people will say of course not.  I do not smoke, drink or do drugs and have no intention of doing so just because the government says I can.  That is the attitude of most people I meet and talk to.  The question is why are we destroying lives and building more and more prisons for a drug culture. A culture that even our last three Presidents, that is including the present one, have admitted to trying.  They did not become junkies.  They have however become hypocrites saying don't do what I did.

      That hypocritical attitude is creating an underground empire that is draining the legal economy of most of its potential profits.  America claims to be a Christian nation but is willing to write off millions of people as a waste and a lost cause.  They are willing to destroy their lives permanently because they have an addiction.  Personally I would legalize all drugs and let anyone go into the drug stores and by them. If people could self medicate maybe the sky rocketing cost of medical care would slow down or stop.  Sure some drugs need medical advice on how to use them.  The majority however do not.  If a person has a terminal illness they can not self medicate till they die.  Even if that is going to be the outcome and they know it.  They have to fork over their life savings to the hypocritical healthcare industry which is administered by a hypocritical government.

      Our Founding Fathers Washington and Jefferson both grew hemp on their farms.  Our Constitution says we our endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights.  Well if you read the Bible, in Genesis 1:29-30 God granted man the use of all crops on the earth.  I am sure he also knew and knows all the purposes those plants can be put to.  Just as the grape can be used to make wine. People's interpretation of the Bible can get twisted.  The Catholic church does not allow priests to marry.  In Genesis 2:24 God created the institution of marriage.  It was one of his first interactions with man.  So marriage is normal, or at least it was till this day and  age.  The Bible also says in Matthew 8;14, Mark 1:30, and Luke 4:38 that Peter had a Mother in law, or at least it says, Jesus healed  Peter's wives mother." Which should translate into Mother in Law. The Bible also says, "The Truth will set you free."  If the church wants free from its homosexual problems it simply needs to allow what the Bible says God and Jesus allowed.   So if this "Christian Nation" wants to fix itself it needs to quit persecuting people for their God given, Constitutional rights.

      While we are fixing problems lets require a permit and background check for anyone possessing a  revolver, semiautomatic and automatic weapon.  Also charge a license fee annually like a car license plate and have a title which must be registered when transferred from one person to another. All single shot, bolt action, lever action and shotguns should be exempt from the requirement though.  The later type weapons are the kinds used to secure our independence and preserve our nation.  Properly handled they still will.  That should raise enough money to put security doors on all schools and classrooms similar to those found in hotels.  That would at least limit or slow the mad men from inflicting their insanity on the defenseless.

       All crimes committed with a gun should be considered Federal crimes, including improper transfer of a weapon.   Any crime committed with a gun should carry a minimum sentence of ten years.  If you injure someone in the commission of a crime a twenty year minimum should be applied.  If the person is disabled for life you get life.  If you kill someone life is the minimum sentence.  That should make someone think before they use a gun in the commission of a crime. The lack of respect for life in this nation is half the problem.  The Constitution guarantees you the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  The government has no right to be in the abortion decision business.  That should be a matter between a woman and her doctor.  They are the ones who will stand before God.   The nation may be judged by God but each person will stand or fall on their life's record.

The Stock Market Balloon< Ready to Pop?

       If your watching the market and trying to figure out what to do it is really simple. Take your money and run.  The market is not up regardless of what it appears to be doing. It is another bubble just waiting to pop. If you listen to commentators they are saying personal income had its worst drop in 20 years.  The GDP has only gone up .01 %.  People are spending more. Wonder if that could be because of inflated prices that the Fed denies is happening.  At the same time people are saving less.  If that is the case what is driving the market up.  It is really pretty simple to understand. Many people pay into retirement plans which then invest the money in the markets. Well they can't put the money in savings. Interest is virtually zero on savings. They can't put the money in bonds as interest rates are in the tank on bonds also.  The government can not let interest rates go up because it will drive up the cost of borrowing money to keep the government running. The only things going up are the housing market and the stock market.

     So why is the housing market going up when everything else is in the tank.  It is pretty simple really.  It is the only place you can put money and hope to have something to show for it when the market collapses. Many people got burnt back in the 07 to 09 downturn.  My wife lost 40% of her retirement over a two year period before her retirement in January of 09.  She could have kept working, but she was ready to retire and we managed our money so that she was able to retire regardless.  The key was having no debt.  We knew having no debt was the only way we could survive and had been planning accordingly.  It has been the key to our survival so far.  Our real estate investments took a beating, but we still owned them.  Lately we have been taking advantage of the rise to unload some properties we had and turn them into cash.

     The stock market is not going up because it is increasing in value.  It is going up because for many investors it is the only place to put their money.  The stocks themselves are not really gaining in value.  What is happening is something like a water hose under pressure.  If you step on a hose in one place it simply sends the flow toward the place of least resistance.  If another person steps on the hose and the flow can't escape it will move toward the weakest point in the hose and it will start inflating.  Not because the hose is a good place to store the flow, but because it is the only place it can go.  Eventually the pressure will get so high the hose will explode.  When that happens the contents of the hose will escape.  Where the contents escape to is the question. In the case of stocks the funds just miraculously disappear.  The companies certainly do not give back the money.  They do not tend to invest it either.  At least that is what is happening at this point in time.  Government regulations are stopping many companies from investing.  They are scared if they try to grow, their investments will be consumed by Obamacare and government taxes and regulations.

    It is the uncertainty that is holding economic growth back. It is not a shortage of funds by corporations. Many are in the best financial condition they have ever been in.  They are sitting on tons of capital and it keeps increasing as people keep buying stocks.  The trick is that they need to invest to keep the growth going.  If they do not the stock bubble may bust. Then the economy collapses and they lose their opportunity.  It is a sort of danged if you do, danged if you don't for corporate America.

      One of the good things that was not mentioned above in all the gloom and doom. While income is down and the GDP growth is down, like many other indicators.  Personal debt is also going down. People may not be saving, but they are reducing their debt load.  That means they will or may be able to survive if the market collapses.  It you owe nothing you need much less to survive on.  Some people are spending money to buy property they can grow their own drops on.  Some are creating their own cash flows through crafts and bartering for goods and services.  During the Great Depression many people survived simply by learning to do for themselves and get along with less.  It may be a lesson that will have to be applied by many if the market collapses.

    In the Great Depression era banks and big business went broke but the government was solvent. The total national debt at the time was only 38% of the GDP.  The government was able to help to some degree.  If there is a total economic collapse there is no one to bail America out this time.  The government is in worse condition than most of those who depend on it this time.  The government will not be able to bail anybody out.  Sure they can print money. The only thing it will be good for is toilet paper.  I always hear people say you need to be in gold.  Well as I always say, 'I can milk and then eat my cow.  I can't eat that gold.  It has no value as far as I am concerned.  The only thing that has value is what will keep you alive.  Which brings us to the scary part of the equation.  What will happen to those 300 million guns when the economy collapses.  Will we return to a wild west type environment.  If no one is in charge that is certainly the direction that seems most likely.  If the government fails to support the economy which sequester indicates is exactly what is happening.  Then people will be left to fend for themselves.  Scary thought.  Enough gloom and doom, but I hope you get the picture of where this could be headed.  Guess I will keep raising my chickens and tomatoes till some idiot comes up my drive with his assault rifle.

Solving America's Problems

      With America's leadership allowing us to flounder from crisis to crisis it is a strong indicator that something is wrong with the system.  The leadership is not leading.  It is working for its better interests and the interests of the lobbies that allow them to get elected.  The interests of the average American are not even considered in their decisions.  As we enter the era of sequestration it is quickly becoming apparent that the needs of the people are not the focus of America's leadership.  As roughly two million people are cast into the unemployment lines I am seeing a side of America I do not like. Those who are making or have made the sacrifices for America are being thrown under the bus.  Furloughs without pay seems to be the catch phrase of the day. Does a furlough exempt people from applying for unemployment benefits.  That is like sticking in the knife and then giving it a twist for extra effect.

      When I was in the military we had a saying, "Your either part of the solution, or part of the problem." There is no middle ground. If you say I do not care, you just took sides and are part of the problem. The whole Federal system needs to be looked at and some real changes need to be made.  While I want America to remain the number one world power. I do believe our military could stand some restructuring to make it more effective and less costly.  What is cut out is the key.  Cutting military pay, retirement benefits and medical care should not even be on the table. Programs for ships, planes, bases and other expenditures should be fair game.  Cutting benefits to military personnel should be considered an act of treason against everything America stands for.  Social Security is in the same category. The people getting it supported the system and paid their dues. Cut Congressional pay.

       The leadership needs look at all expenditures and determine if they are actually working.  The last three Presidents, which includes the current one have admitted experimenting with pot. Our founding fathers Washington and Jefferson both grew marijuana (hemp) as a cash crop.  Somewhere America lost focus of what is important.  Evidently the war on drugs is not working.  Does that mean we end it?.  How about if we change the focus and tax the drugs and grow and manufacture them here. It would beat sending all that money abroad.  Legislating morality does not work.  That was proven with prohibition during the twenties and thirties. When prohibition ended and alcohol was legalized the gangsters went out of business.  The profit motive was gone.  The present method of dealing with the drug problem definitely needs to be looked at.  Incarcerating people with addictions instead of providing treatment is just another sign of the failure drug enforcement. The trend toward legalization needs to be evaluated as one possible step to raising some major money for the government.  All the dollars that are hidden in the present drug system would suddenly be back in the system.  It is estimated twenty percent of the population uses illegal drugs. If those sixty four million Americans are using just six dollars a week you are talking about an expenditure of roughly twenty billion dollars a year nationally.  That is a lot of lost revenue. My guess is that, that number is way under the actual cost.

     A solution that might be more agreeable to the majority of Americans is fixing the tax system.  Eliminating all deductions and exemptions and making a flat and equal tax that applies to every American and every dollar in the economy.  That has to be coupled with eliminating all waste in the government.  Helping the poor and needy is not a waste and is covered in the Constitution in Article 1, Section 8.  It states it is the duty of the government to provide for the welfare of the nation.  There have always been indigents and people who needed help from the system.  The problem today is that there is a attitude of resentment towards anyone who gets anything without working for it.  The Christian values of sharing are being tested from both sides. There is a segment of society that wants to live off the system.  A balance and a way of means testing needs to be established.  Testing for drug use is controversial.  It is not discriminatory, it simply eliminates those who have poor priorities from being a burden on the working class.  People who want to do drugs need to be self sufficient.  The present system actually generates more dysfunction in the system as drug users steal to support the high cost of their habits.

     The medical system needs a complete overhaul.  It is clear that down the road the present system is not a sustainable system. Every American should be able to get medical care.  It should not be a choice between eating and taking your medicines. The insurance system needs to be completely restructured.  The present system of deductibles is ludicrous. They charge you for insurance and then force you(in the form of co-pays) to pay to get the service they are charging you for.  Whoever came up with that piece of insanity should be shot.

    The education system needs to be restructured in America  It needs to produce workers to fill the skilled jobs that are needed.  While the arts are nice, they do not necessarily support the values the country needs supported.  The present system is not cost effective. The quality is falling while the cost is increasing.

     All these problems require leadership. The present leadership is part of the problem in America.  They are not part of the solution.  There are problems that need to be addressed.  The budget needs to be balanced.  To do so will be hard, painful and costly.  Failure to deal with the problems will turn America into the next Rome. The leadership needs to either be part of the solution or get out of the way of those who are willing to take on the job.

    The present cuts over a ten year period are just a drop in the bucket. America needs to come up with to a balanced budget.  That will require cutting or replacing over five trillion dollars in debt.  A plan to live on just 95% of income and spend the remaining 5% towards reducing the debt only works if excessive spending is stopped.  Taking the keys to Air Force One away from the President would be a good start.  His job is in Washington.  Vacations are understandable, but running all over the country while failing to provide ideas to solve Americas problems, means he is part of the problem.  Just as are the members of Congress.