A Nation of Bastards
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
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The dictionary defines bastard as:
“bas·tard
noun
1.
a person born of unmarried parents; an illegitimate child. (SOURCE)

In America today “73 percent of black children are born outside marriage, compared with 53 percent of Latinos and 29 percent of whites.” (SOURCE)

What ever happened to shame? An even better question to ask, perhaps, is what has happened to self-respect?

Today in America “…. More than half of births for women under 30 occur outside marriage.” (SOURCE)

It would appear, from the current figures, that our friends of the liberal and progressive persuasion have done a heck of a job in their efforts to destroy the American family. It has worked beyond their wildest expectations.

In the not too distant past having the misfortune to be born a bastard marked you for life. Your expectations were not good, to say the least.

Mothers of bastard children were marked for life as well. They were social outcasts. The fathers were, well, just SOB’s lacking in self-control and having no respect for women, children, or the family. He was not to be trusted, period.

America has truly become a “nation of bastards.”

You may ask why I am so concerned over this jaw-dropping illegitimacy rate. The answer is simple. People’s lives are being destroyed and the future of America is being destroyed right along with them.

THIS is what happens when the American family is destroyed. Understand, two mommies, or two daddies — with children — is NOT a family. A single parent with children is only half a family, at best. A family MUST be a father, mother, and the children.

Msgr. Charles Pope, of the Archdiocese of Washington, has said: “The breakdown of the traditional family is at the heart of what Daniel Patrick Moynihan once called a “tangle of pathologies.” The image I have often used is that the breakdown of the nuclear family is in fact a kind of nuclear fission. For the family (not the individual) is the basic unit of society. Splitting the family is like splitting the atom, it leads to a destructive chain reaction that, if not somehow controlled and contained, destroys just about everything in sight.

So many of our national ills are show(ing) a strong connection to the breakdown of the family: poverty (the highest correlation to poverty is single motherhood), juvenile crime, teenage suicide, promiscuity, teenage pregnancy, lower SAT and other academic scores, higher dropout rates, authority and trust issues, abortion (85% of abortions are performed on single women), a demonstrated lower capacity to make and keep commitments, delayed maturity, and a whole array of other things in a “tangle of pathologies.”

Clearly God, and nature provide that a child should have the influence of both a father and a mother, both a male and a female influence. It makes sense that proper human formation would require both male and female influence, which is both complimentary and diverse. There are important things that a child can learn from his father than he cannot learn from his mother and vice versa.” (SOURCE)

If you were taken aback when you read the title of this piece, then your shock is a clear indication of just how efficient the political correctness movement has been in America concerning issues such as illegitimacy.

Black American leaders have failed, in my opinion. It seems to be evident they had rather rail against racism, slavery, and poverty than attack, head-on, the breath taking issue of black bastard childbirths. Even, it would seem, when 73% of the children of America’s black community are born out of wedlock, it is still much easier to take the path of least resistance and preach “victimhood” to America’s black community than it is to preach “responsibility” for one’s self and one’s circumstances.

As MSGR. Charles Pope says: “Hard though it is, accepting personal responsibility is essential to human dignity.” (SOURCE)

To learn why America is crumbling, it is necessary to inspect the foundation – the family.

When the foundation of any edifice begins to crumble it is only a matter of time before the entire structure collapses.

J. D. Longstreet

Great Britain’s government is at a crossroad. They will either decide to move the UK further to the left in the march towards Socialism or to the right back in the direction of Capitalism.  You see, they are absolutely broke, just like the United States, and can choose to borrow more money to keep going and increase taxes on the rich, or reduce taxes by not borrowing and let private enterprises pull themselves out of the deep hole they are currently in. By reducing the regulations and burdens companies have, like heavy taxes, etc, they can grow small businesses and get people back to work spending money they actually earn as opposed to doling out more money to sustain social programs flourishing due to the entitlement mentality. It will be interesting to see which path their government decides to take. This moment in time is crucial because the wrong choice will take them down the wide path which leads to Great Britain’s destruction.

Just like America, England is facing the same hard and painful choices demanding answers such as whether or not to add more money to the IMF for current and future European countries failures (i.e. Greece and Italy). This is money they currently do not possess and would have to borrow. Some members of Great Britain’s government support borrowing more money increasing their debt to come to the aid of failing European nations. While others vehemently oppose taking on more debt because it would result in massive cuts to programs the British people rely on.  In other words, they would have to drastically reduce the social programs and cut services to their people in lieu of bailing out Greece and Italy.

Like Americans, the British people are facing huge increases in fuel costs, which are substantially higher in Great Britain than in America. As fuel costs rise, it causes prices of other goods and services to rise too. The UK’s equivalent of welfare programs such as Social Security and pension funds are broke and underfunded just like they are in America. Great Britain’s officials are looking at making major changes to all those type of programs and also making huge cuts in their military budget. All the fore mentioned programs for the citizens of Great Britain are in real danger of collapsing under the weight of their debt. One can clearly see the similarities facing the people of Great Britain are the same facing the citizens of the United States of America too.

Americans need to watch closely what happens in the UK, because based on what their officials choose to do in this pivotal moment in time will in all probability foreshadow what we as Americans can expect to see coming to the United States as well in the near future. If Great Britain chooses the right path no matter how painful it may be, they will remain strong and overcome despite the world-wide circumstances of imminent global economic upheaval. At this time, America will benefit greatly if we watch and learn from the consequences of how countries such as Great Britain maneuver through these times of economic uncertainty.

America too stands at a crossroad.  Will we decide to do the right thing now by making painful decisions which will ultimately benefit us in the end? Or, will we refuse to make the necessary cuts in our entitlement programs which will further accelerate our national debt to a point we may never be able to recover? The hour of demarcation has arrived and we must choose the right path which initially will result in many painful decisions. Perhaps this analogy will put our economic situation is the proper perspective.  Let’s suppose a person has an infection develop in their leg which will result in the entire leg being infected and utterly useless unless part of the leg is amputated.  We must be willing to cut our expenses which will be painful and life altering if we expect to circumvent the total economic collapse of the United States of America. The narrow path which sustains life is the path the majority will choose not to take because it is too difficult and requires much self-sacrifice. However, this path will eventually lead America to once again reap great economic prosperity. If “We the People” choose the wide easy path which requires no self-sacrifice or painful pruning of the all consuming welfare social programs we feel entitled to receive, we will succumb to the economic holocaust which will consume all nations in the season ahead.

May God give us His Wisdom to become disciplined and make hard painful choices now so we can ride the waves of global economic turbulence which will enable us to overcome no matter what lies ahead.

http://www.freedomtalknetcast.com/Site_3/Archives_files/StewartRhodes320.mp3

Fighting Back

The battle to stop Agenda 21 in local communities and in state legislatures has taken several varied but effective paths. In my travels to speak to more than 38 groups in 12 states in 2011, I have been privilege to meet and work with some of the most amazing activists I’ve even encountered. I’ve also been able to meet with state legislators in four states, along with a large number of county commissioners and city councilmen – all eager to learn about Agenda 21 and how to stop it. Here are some of the results of their work in countering the massive power of those enforcing Agenda 21 across the nation:

Communities Leaving ICLEI

It started last January, 2011 in Carroll County, Maryland, as the newly elected Board of Commissioners, led by Richard Rothschild, voted to cancel the county’s membership in the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). At the same time the Commission also terminated the contract of the county’s sustainable development director, and they sent the county planning commission back to the drawing board for the state-mandated comprehensive development plan – with instructions to not resubmit it until it protected private property rights and complied with the U.S, Constitution. Little did these new commissioners know, they were at the head of a tidal wave that was about to sweep the nation.

Following Carroll County, next came Amador County, California, as the county commissioners voted to end their membership in ICLEI; then came Montgomery County, PA; followed by Edmond, Oklahoma, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The successful battle against ICLEI in Spartanburg, South Carolina was sparked by County Commissioner Roger Nutt; Virginia became a hotbed of activity against Agenda 21 and ICLEI, especially through the efforts of activists like Donna Holt, Cathy Turner and Charles Battig, to name a few. As a result of their efforts, Albemarle County, Virginia (home of Thomas Jefferson), James City County, Virginia (where America basically started at James Town), Abington, Virginia and Lexington, Virginia, have all voted to throw ICLEI out; we can now add to this list Plantation. Florida; Carver, Massachusetts; Pinellas, Florida; Garland, Texas; Sarasota, Florida; Clallam County, Washington; Monmouth County, New Jersey, Chatham County, North Carolina and Somerset County, New Jersey.

Unofficial reports indicate that at least 54 communities have withdrawn from ICLEI in 2011 (though I don’t have all of them listed here because we don’t have official verification). In addition, while ICLEI set a goal of 1000 American cities as members by 2015, indications are that only 17 new cities joined ICLEI this past year. That would be a net reduction of 37!

Property Rights Council

As I arrived in Idaho last September to speak, I was told that a county commissioner wanted to have dinner with me. I said, fine. I’ve gotta eat! What I received from that dinner was nothing short of stunning. As I arrived at the restaurant I was ushered into a back room where about eight people awaited me, including Bonner County, Idaho attorney Scott Bauer and Bonner County Commissioner Cornel Rasor. They began to lay out a full-blown presentation for a plan to protect property rights in their county.

They called it a Property Rights Council. This was to be an official arm of the county government, complete with a full time employee and a selected council of citizens who would oversee all county legislation and regulations to assure they didn’t violate private property rights. In addition, the plan was to connect the council’s activities with a state wide network of free market think tanks that would help make such judgments on the proposed legislation. Amazing idea! I mentioned it in my monthly report to APC supporters and it became a sensation. Tennessee activist Karen Bracken picked up the idea, spent hours discussing every detail with attorney Bauer and quickly organized a conference call of national activist leadership, and the idea is now spreading across the nation. Property Rights Councils will be an invaluable tool to counter ICLEI’s near total control of county government.

State Legislative Activity Against Agenda 21 It has truly been amazing to see anti-Agenda 21 efforts in state legislatures across the nation. My report here is only a fraction of the activities actually taking place, as I literally can’t keep up with the many meetings, hearings and resulting legislation that is being introduced. But here are a few of the highlights:

In the state of Washington, State Representative Matt Shea is succeeding in creating an Anti-Agenda 21 Caucus, designed to educate fellow legislators to the dangers of Agenda 21 and to block passage or any such legislation. Eight House Members have joined so far.

A bill (Assembly Bill 303) has been introduced by Representative Mary Williams into the state legislature of Wisconsin to repeal state mandated smart growth legislation.

Smart growth legislation has been passed in almost very state and is the Sustainablist’s main weapon to enforce Agenda 21 policy in every county. Repeal of such legislation gives the local government the right to choose whether it wants to participate in Sustainable planning or not. The bill has already passed the Wisconsin House and is awaiting action in the state Senate.

Similar legislation has already been passed and signed by the Governor in the state of Florida. That means that Florida counties are now free from state mandates to write and impose comprehensive development plans.

The state of New Hampshire has two landmark bills before it. First is HB 1634, introduced by Rep. Amy Cartwright which prohibits the state counties or towns from implementing programs of, expending money for, receiving funds from, or contracting with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). The second bill prohibits federal, state and local government agents from entering private property without the property owner’s written permission.

Republican National Committee Passes Anti- Agenda 21 Resolution

On Friday, January 13, 2012, Helen Van Etten, Republican National Committeewoman from Kansas, sponsored a resolution entitled Resolution Exposing United Nations Agenda 21. It was adopted during the RNC’s general session that day. This resolution may now be used by all opponents of Agenda 21 to help convince lawmakers that this is a threat serious enough that one of the two major political parties now understands and opposes it. All Republican officeholders now have a valuable tool to stand united and oppose Agenda 21 – if they choose to use it. It is also a major weapon for local activists, who, till now have fought alone, constantly labeled fringe conspiracy theorists.

Mainstream Conservative Movement and Candidates Join The Fight

In addition, The Heritage Foundation has now acknowledged the threat of Agenda 21, in an article entitled Agenda 21 and the Threat in Our Backyard. This is a sign that the mainstream Conservative movement is coming on board in the Agenda 21 fight.

A few months ago, I was contacted by the Newt Gingrich campaign after he had been pummeled with questions about his position on Agenda 21. When his answers weren’t satisfactory to the crowd, people shouted Call Tom DeWeese, and he did. A few weeks later Gingrich appeared on the Sean Hannity radio show talking about Agenda 21, and then he even brought it up in one of the debates.

In his last week on Fox News, Glenn Beck used some of his remaining precious air time on an international news network to expose Agenda 21. I was very please to have been contacted by his producers to provide information for the program. And Beck provided a link the American Policy Center’s website so viewers could learn more.

The tin foil is falling off of our hats rapidly as the fight against Agenda 21 is quickly escalating into the main stream of the political debate.

Breaking up Consensus Meetings

One of the chief tools used by the pro-Agenda 21 forces, is the use of trained facilitators and consensus meetings.

These are psychology-driven sessions designed to reach a predetermined outcome, as the participants are led to believe it is their own idea. It’s very effective in countering our arguments that Agenda 21 is implemented behind closed doors, against the will of the people. Of course, behind those closed doors is where the predetermined outcome and the tactics to enforce it is, well, determined.

That’s all starting to change as anti-Agenda 21 forces are learning counter techniques. First, author Beverly Eakman has produced a book entitled How To Counter Group Manipulation Tactics. Beverly has studied this tactics for years and has learned how to stop its progress. Created by the Rand Corporation and known as the Delphi Technique, the process depends on the fact that there is no debate, no open discussion and no dissention allow. Beverly’s book show how that can be turned around on the facilitator, and in effect, ruin his day and his meeting’s outcome. Beverly teaches activist how to lay low and quietly upset the process. Others have taken a more blunt, in-you-face approach. It works too!

Case in point, at a recent meeting in San Francisco, about 50 anti-Agenda 21 citizens turned out for yet another controlled consensus meeting, only they refused to play by the rules (key to messing up the pre-planned process). They spoke out, they video-taped the process, they refused to put their names on sign up sheets (an intimidation tactic used by the Sustainablists), they continually corrected the facilitator’s incorrect statements, they did not participate in the phony voting process, (again a tactic used in the Delphi technique to make you think you had a part in the outcome.

As soon as you take one step in becoming part of the process, even to vote no, you are in the process). The protestors refused to give their names to the media and they brought in cameras and signs. Above all, they passed out flyers to every participant explaining the process being used on them and telling them their rights in a free assembly. No one was arrested in this process. Take away the power of consensus and you have gone a long way toward stopping Agenda 21. It simply cannot be implemented in a free, open society of free debate and transparency in government, as our local, state and federal governments were designed to be.

So, there you have it, a brief rundown of the growing battle to stop Agenda 21. 2011 was an amazing year in this fight to resort the Republic. But 2012 is already shaping up to be the year we finally crush Agenda 21.

The economic reasons for the spike in gas prices at the pump are complicated.  There is no simple reason or solution to the problem.  I know that the spike is not due to an imbalance of supply and demand.  We are not short of oil.  I believe the problem really lies in international and domestic diplomacy.  When we create bureaucratic roadblocks that deny the utilization of the many oil resources that we have, speculators or investors in future petroleum markets become wary.   When we are unable to control or influence the oil rich regions of the Middle East and the region becomes unstable, those investors start to lose confidence.  That lack of confidence is reflected in what we end up paying at the pump.

Presidents, Carter, Reagan and Bush had to face the same dilemma.  They all did something to deal with the problem.  They opened up more opportunities to drill, they removed many of the restrictions on oil companies, they removed some of the taxes on fuel or they released some of our reserve into the market.  With the exception of the reserve oil, none of those applications should have impacted the cost at the pump right away.  But they did.  Gas prices started to decline almost immediately.  Why?  Investors saw a willingness by those presidents to commit to future oil production and their confidence improved.  That renewed confidence was reflected at the pump.  It’s about diplomacy.

Wednesday Obama gave a speech about the concerns of our current gas prices.  At least four previous presidents had the same problem but Obama is the only president that said, “It’s not my fault and there’s nothing I can do about it.”  It was unbelievable that he chose to do nothing.  The only thing missing was giving us the middle finger.  Then he went into a long winded talk about investing in alternate energy.  Make no mistake about it, it is his fault.  The disorder and instability in the Middle East is directly because of his failed diplomacy in that region.  The many roadblocks and restrictions he’s put up in our own back yard only compounds an already sensitive market.  That’s his entire fault.  No one else!

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m completely behind continuing research to develop a useful alternate energy source whereby we can start to wean ourselves off fossil fuel.  But so far, wind, solar and electric power has not proven itself to be practical and is costly.  The technology has not yet met the need.  When that time comes, I am quite sure that the futures investors and the public will turn their attention to the new market.  But until that time comes, oil remains our primary energy source and it is a driving force to our economy.  Obama chooses to ignore that fact.

High fuel prices do not have a great impact on the wealthy.  They can afford it.  It has little impact on the poor.  They don’t buy that much gas.  It does have a major impact on working middle class families.  The middle class; aren’t they the folks that this president keeps saying he is so concerned about?  Yet, rather than try to do something to help us as other presidents have, he chooses to give us a lecture about the future of alternate energy.

The high cost of gas at the pump is the direct result of the failed politics of this administration.

Get him the hell out of OUR White House.

NO SECOND TERM

My two cents Ron

 This is the kind of manipulation that is driving property owners crazy.  People need to ask good, insightful questions regarding these issues of their political candidates this year.    C.J. is one of the most informed journalists in the country on the subject of Agenda 21 and sustainable development.  You can take what she says to the bank… well, these days, that may not be the best possible reference, but you get what I mean.

http://www.newswithviews.com/Williams/carole117.htm

Following the record gains in silver during late 2010 and early 2011, the metal crashed towards $25 and has since rebounded to around $33. Investor sentiment has crashed along with it. The threat of Euro nations defaulting, banks announcing they are, well, bankrupt, and a series of other factors have scared away many of the Johnny-come-lately silver bulls.

I think too many investors are underestimating the power of the central banks. While I agree they are running out of options, it seems that their ability to kick the can down the road has yet to expire. Given that the United States is heading into election season and President Obama is in full campaign mode, I expect the administration to pull out all stops in order to continue the illusion of economic prosperity a while longer. Every economic fire of consequence is being extinguished with fresh liquidity, more funny money or new legislation. In case you missed it, QE3 has been in full force for quite some time, albeit executed in a somewhat stealth manner.

The implications for silver (and gold to a lesser degree) are going to be incredibly bullish. Absent a deflationary sovereign default that spirals out of control and takes down major banks with it, stocks will continue to creep higher in volatile trade throughout the year. Once fear begins to subside, look for precious metals to come roaring back to new highs by mid-year. Whenever the next financial crisis finally hits, we are likely to witness a new injection of quantitative easing that is even stronger than what transpired in 2008.

Will a major debt default pull down gold, silver and mining stocks with it? Absolutely.

Will it last? Not likely.

Investors are a predictable bunch. They always overshoot on emotions in one direction or another. A rush for liquidity and the perceived “safety” of government bonds or U.S. dollars will be incredibly short-lived and viewed in retrospect as immensely short-sighted. Everyone that rushed for the door by dumping real assets will soon regret their folly. When the fear subsides and some semblance of rational thought returns, the realization of the worthlessness of government paper will be widespread and cause a mass exodus of fiat money.

So while it is prudent to hold a decent amount of cash in the short term, hoping to buy the irrational dip, the medium to long-term investor might consider buying silver aggressively at this juncture. In my view, commodity prices are either going to continue grinding higher throughout the remainder of the year, or there will be a short and steep dip, following by a resumption to new highs.

Either way, the silver price has a long way to go before reaching previous inflation-adjusted highs. It would need to climb to $150 to reach its 1980 high using officially-suppressed inflation statistics and closer to $300 using honest inflation statistics. Seeing as you can buy silver at around $33 today, the upside potential remains absolutely huge. Let’s take a look at the long-term chart to determine price targets for 2012 and 2013.

Charting back to the start of the silver bull market, we can see that silver remains firmly in its multi-year uptrend. Contrary to negative sentiment expressed by some analysts, there has been no significant chart damage or other action to suggest that the bull market has run its course. Silver recently bounced off the bottom line of its trend channel, which also corresponds roughly with the 100-day moving average. This line has provided support during every one of silver’s corrections over the past decade, with the exception of the 2008 financial crisis. I expect it to continue to provide support during the current correction/consolidation.

While we could see one more quick dip below $30, I think any talk of a decline to $25 or lower is now firmly off the table. Silver is currently facing resistance at the critical level of $35. If it breaks to the upside through this level, I believe silver will quickly climb to challenge the $50 mark once again and reach a high between $55 and $65 by year end. To the downside, I think the lowest silver will close out the year is around $31, in the event that short-term deflationary forces take hold. But as mentioned earlier, I think the central banks stand ready to do whatever is necessary in order to prevent such an outcome.

These projections are relatively conservative and based on the long-term trend trajectory. Any number of events could send silver parabolic in the blink of an eye. The silver market is tiny in relationship to the paper money market and if even a small percentage of those dollars decide to buy silver, demand will overwhelm supply and send prices into triple digits. I ultimately believe silver could reach $500, but the more important consideration is the value/purchasing power increase of silver. One thousand ounces of silver used to be able to buy a median-priced home in the United States and I believe one thousand ounces will once again achieve this same feat in the near future.

Some view silver as an inflation hedge or way to preserve purchasing power. I see it as a way to vastly increase purchasing power over the next several years, with the worse case scenario being wealth preservation. I’ll take that risk/reward scenario any day.

The fundamentals are very strong for silver at this juncture. The Obama administration just put forth a budget that will result in another annual deficit of over $1 Trillion, despite promising to cut the deficit to $650 billion. The ECB is bathing Euro banks in liquidity and the US Fed has literally guaranteed an inflationary environment until late 2014. These policies create ripe conditions for commodities overall and precious metals in particular to make new all-time highs.

With less above-ground investment-grade silver available than gold, the supply/demand situation can not persist much longer at such depressed prices. Physical silver demand is growing and confirming our bullish view, as Silver Eagle sales for January posted the second strongest month ever at 6.1 million ounces!

Lastly, silver is the best form of money to own in the event of a collapse in fiat currencies. It will be difficult to use a gold eagle for small purchases, but silver eagles and junk silver will be ideal to use in purchasing food and other goods when the U.S. dollar is no longer accepted. This makes silver attractive not only for the strong returns and ability to increase an investor’s purchasing power, but also as a valuable insurance policy should the current monetary system break down.

So don’t miss the train again this time around. While silver is currently in consolidation mode, this is not likely to last long. When the silver price finally takes off once again, there will be little notice or opportunity to jump aboard the speeding train. Silver remains severely undervalued in my estimation and I expect the price to skyrocket in the near future as it approaches new highs.

You need only have the courage to take the path less chosen, buy when others aren’t interested and sell when the herd is clamoring to buy silver at any premium. While the next financial crisis may begin with panic selling of precious metals, I believe it will quickly flip to panic buying at very high premiums to spot price. I want to be well-positioned before this occurs and also have some funds on the sidelines to relieve panic sellers of their gold and silver at discount prices. A sensible approach that I advocate is to purchase in tranches, building a position now and adding to it every month or two. This will help to ensure that you don’t go “all in” at a short-term top and have funds available to take advantage of any major dip. Attempting to time the absolute bottom is nearly impossible, so I view this a opportune moments to establish or increase positions in silver.

I am currently adding to my positions, both in physical silver and undervalued silver mining stocks. The equities underperformed significantly last year, but against the backdrop of unlimited central bank easing and liquidity, I think we are likely to see a return to the leverage offered during the early stages of this bull market. Junior mining stocks in particular appear very undervalued at this juncture and could offer staggering gains if my analysis is correct. 

By Jason Hamlin