Among the most notable political personalities who joined the Manila elections is former Manila mayor Lito Atienza. Atienza is expected as one of the early favorites in the mayoralty race due to his years of experience in public service, political will, wisdom, leadership stature and proven and unblemished track record. Atienza has had an illustrious political career which has spanned for almost four decades now, a clear indication on how he has lived his life as a statesman and public servant. Atienza’s stint as Manila mayor is characterized by a radical transformation of the city’s old and forgotten tourist areas, and the improved living conditions of city folks.

Former Manila mayor Lito Atienza, who holds the record as the only mayor who has served a full term, is one of the well-loved leaders in the city’s rich political history. His resume can speak volumes of achievements and completed projects which have benefited a lot of Manilenos. As a way to achieve his dream of providing the Manilenos with a city that they can call their own, and which they will care for; the former mayor of Manila is gunning for a fresh mandate as city mayor. Atienza will continue to devote his time in serving his beloved city and its residents under his program “Buyahin Nating Muli ang Maynila.”

The former mayor of Manila has vowed to continue his crusade against poverty and uplift the living conditions of the city’s impoverished residents. For Atienza, uplifting the living conditions of the city’s residents must begin with the local government through an effective delivery of basic services. Atienza will push for the improved delivery of basic services especially to Manila’s poorest residents.To achieve his goal, former Manila mayor Lito Atienza has penciled numerous livelihood and economic projects to uplift the living conditions within the city.

As part of his program “Buyahin Nating Muli ang Maynila.”, Atienza plans on improving the delivery of basic services as a way of extending the local government’s help in uplifting the lives of the city folks. Atienza will be launching several programs aimed to benefit the city’s poorest residents.These programs will cover a wide array of services including housing programs, improved healthcare services, enhanced peace and order situation, access to education, sports development, improving the arts and culture, caring for the nature and welfare of the citizens. Some of these projects have already been launched by Atienza during his tenure as Manila mayor.

Atienza will continue to provide affordable housing and land acquisition programs for the poor. With the help of non-government organizations like Gawad Kalinga and Habitat for Humanity, Atienza plans to build affordable houses in the city’s poorest sections including Isla Putting Bato, Parola 1 and 2, and Baseco. Improved healthcare services are among the chief projects of Atienza.Atienza will increase the budget allocated for the procurement of medical equipment and medicines, and to sustain the city’s free healthcare services including free check ups and medicines.

Atienza also plans to hunt down drug traffickers and syndicates as part of improving the peace and order situation of the city. The former mayor will also devote a big portion of the city’s resources into education to sustain the delivery of free education, free school supplies, affordable college education and alternative education that offers vocational and technical courses for all Manilenos. The development of sports, culture and arts will also be one of the key projects of Atienza as a way of as a way of extending the city government’s support to the talented and promising residents of Manila. As a former Environment secretary, Atienza will be promoting policies which can ensure the protection of nature as well as of the public including the expulsion of the oil depot in Pandacan.Senior citizens can also take benefit from great discounts and other benefits as part of Atienza’s program dedicated for the welfare of the older citizens of the city.

An early frontrunner in the coming Manila elections, former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza has pledged several programs which are designed to improve the local government’s delivery of basic services. The former mayor of Manila has vowed to continue his crusade against poverty and continues to be committed in uplifting the lives of the city’s impoverished residents. Atienza plans to focus on several programs which are designed to improve the delivery of basic services which will benefit the city’s poorest residents. elfare of the older citizens of the city.

Lito Atienza has become one of the major pillars and most influential names of Philippine politics. The elections for Manila mayor would certainly be a half-baked race if it did not include an option such as him.
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Former Manila mayor Lito Atienza will continue his commitment in serving his beloved city and dearest Manilenos. The former mayor of Manila has decided to join the Manila elections to continue what he has done for the city and its residents after completing a full nine-year term. The only mayor of Manila who has served a full term, Atienza will seek another three-year mandate as city mayor to fulfill his dream of providing the Manilenos with a city that they can truly call their own and which they will care for. Atienza one of the most admired leaders of the city, promised to continue his livelihood programs and effective delivery of other services which has benefited much of the city’s impoverished residents during his stint as city mayor.

Being a true statesman and a public servant, former Manila mayor Lito Atienza’s platform “Buhayin Nating Muli and Maynila” is centered on the welfare and development of Manila’s residents. One of the primary priorities of the former mayor of Manila is improving the local government’s delivery of basic social services.In light of this, Atienza has bared several programs and flagship projects, all of which are designed to benefit the poor residents of Manila. These programs and projects cover a wide array of social areas and includes programs for housing, healthcare, peace and order and education.

Under Atienza’s administration, Manila’s poor residents were granted with free housing and land ownership under the former mayor’s housing and land for the landless projects. By working closely with non-government organizations like Gawad Kalinga and Habitat For Humanity, thousands of houses were built in Baseco, a 50-hectare reclaimed area dedicated for the city’s housing programs.Atienza also plans on pushing for the same massive housing projects in Manila’s impoverished sections including Isla Putting Bato, Parola 1 and 2, among other. Middle class families will also gain access to affordable housing programs to be launched by Atienza.

Health care services is also among the foremost concerns of former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza. Atienza has outlined his plans to increase the budget allocated for the procurement of medical equipment and medicine to improve the delivery of healthcare services. “Sama sa Masa”, a priority project of Atienza wherein doctors conduct free medicines and checkups to every barangay of the city; will also be sustained. Atienza will also provide Manila residents with free dental and eye care.

Improving the peace and order situation in the city will also be one of Atienza’s immediate priorities.Atienza believes that illegal drugs are the major culprit of crimes in the city. As an instant resolution and to lower down the city’s crime rates, Atienza has promised to run after drug syndicates and criminals. Atienza is optimistic that he can provide Manilenos with a peaceful environment wherein anyone can live without fear and unmindful of their safety.

Atienza also believes that quality education is the key for poverty alleviation and upliftment of the lives of the impoverished. Atienza vowed to continue providing public school students with free education, school supplies and even school shoes.Manila’s public universities like Unibersidad de Manila and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila will also be improved and strengthened to provide the city residents with an affordable college education. Atienza also plans to bring back his non-formal education program wherein unemployed parents and out of school youth can complete their degree in a short time.Under Atienza’s flagship program called Alternative Education, high school students can avail of vocational and technical courses which can help them with their employment. Scholarships and other subsidies will also be continued as part of the former mayor’s platform for education.

Former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza has pledged several programs for housing, peace and order and education which are designed to benefit the city’s impoverished. The former mayor of Manila has joined the Manila elections and vowed to continue to be committed in uplifting the lives of the city’s impoverished residents. Atienza plans to focus on several programs which are designed to improve the delivery of basic services which will benefit the city’s poorest residents.

Lito Atienza has become one of the major pillars and most influential names of Philippine politics. The elections for Manila mayor would certainly be a half-baked race if it did not include an option such as him.
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Former Manila mayor Lito Atienza, one of the most revered leaders of the city; is staging a comeback bid at the city’s mayoralty seat which he vacated after completing a full term. The only mayor in the city’s rich history to serve a full term, Lito Atienza has pledged to continue his devotion and dedication in building the city and improving the lives of the Manilenos. Under his banner, “Buyahin Nating Muli ang Maynila”, Atienza has penciled numerous infrastructure projects and livelihood programs which are designed to benefit the city’s residents.

The program “Buyahin Nating Muli ang Maynila” of Lito Atienza echoes the former mayor’s dream of providing the Manilenos with a city that they can call their own, and which they will care for. To realize this goal, the former Manila mayor has pledged to continue his livelihood and economic projects which are dedicated to improve the living conditions within the city. Atienza has also promised the city residents a better chance of improving their lives through job creation, livelihood programs, decent shelter, and education and learning opportunities. Moreover, Atienza has promised to exert all the necessary efforts to help the city’s unemployed residents and provide them with employment opportunities. “Buyahin Nating Muli ang Maynila” is centered on the city’s economy which is seen by Atienza as the effective antidote against poverty and can help in instilling self-reliance among the city’s poorest residents. Among the primary economic programs of Lito Atienza is providing employment opportunities for the city’s unemployed and providing the necessary financial support for small and medium enterprises which can fuel job creation. The economic program is composed of a number of projects, all of which are dedicated to improve the quality of life of the people of Manila particularly those who are impoverished.

Atienza will priotize the protection of the rights and interests of the pedicab and tricycle drivers by requiring them to secure a license.With this program, illegal activities like unlawful collections and extortions from these small operators and drivers will be prohibited.Atienza has also promised to organize the vendors operating within the city. Atienza has planned on launching an organized vending program in which vendors will be relegated to operate in certain areas only, as a way to improve the convenience of their customers and to help these vendors earn more.

To help the city’s small entrepreneurs including vendors, drivers and ordinary workers, Atienza will spearhead the establishment of cooperatives where members can avail of loans and capital for their livelihood. Atienza also plans to encourage the city’s residents to grow herbal plants as a livelihood alternative. Under this program, every barangay will partake in the growing of herbal plants like lagundi, oregano, aloe vera, malunggay and tanglad.The collected herbal plants will be acquired by the local government and will be sold to the companies who use them.

Atienza will also provide skills and livelihood training for the city’s unemployed residents. Skills and livelihood training will feature short courses on cellphone repair, restaurant and hotel services, haircutting, reflexology, dress making and many more.Atienza will also launch programs that are meant to generate money from wastes and garbage. Under this program, residents will be leaning the proper way to make charcoal from wastes as a way of providing them with livelihood.

Under his program, “Buyahin Nating Muli ang Maynila“, formerManila Mayor Lito Atienza has pledged several programs which are designed to provide employment and livelihood opportunities to the city’s unemployed and impoverished. Atienza has vowed to continue his crusade against poverty and continues to be committed in uplifting the lives of the city’s impoverished residents. Atienza plans to focus on the city’s economy which he views as the immediate solution to address the poverty incidence in the city.

Lito Atienza has become one of the major pillars and most influential names of Philippine politics. The elections for Manila mayor would certainly be a half-baked race if it did not include an option such as him.
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Former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza is one of the hardest working leaders in the rich history of the nation’s capital.His resume can speak of volumes of accomplishments and completed projects, all of which has benefited his beloved Manilenos.The Atienza administration is characterized by the drastic improvement of the lives and welfare of Manila’s poorest residents. A true statesman and a public servant, Atienza is admired and respected by the city’s impoverished residents due to his pro-poor programs and priority projects.

Under his leadership as Manila mayor, Atienza has given priority to the delivery of basic social services to the poor. This is particularly apparent in the programs and priority projects that he started during his term as city mayor. Lito Atienza outlined several flagship programs and priority projects that were all designed to benefit the poor. These projects and programs addressed almost all social aspects and needs including housing, healthcare, peace and order, education, sports, arts and culture, nature and environment and welfare of senior citizens.

A lot of homeless and impoverished Manilenos were given free shelters under Atienza’s housing and land acquisition projects. Lito Atienza together with non-government organizations such as Gawad Kalinga and Habitat for Humanity have built thousands of houses in the 50-hectare Baseco area, all of which were rightfully awarded to the homeless city residents. Atienza has also started affordable housing projects for the middle class during his term.The former mayor has established the Nagtahan Housing and UN Gardens which have benefited many homeless middle class families.

To address the healthcare needs of the city residents, Atienza launched Sama sa Masa, a program which provides every barangay with free check ups, free medical services and medicines. Public city hospitals also benefited from a bigger budget allocation for the procurement of medical equipment and medicines.During his administration, Manila’s crime rates were at their lowest levels in many years.This is due to Atienza’s massive effort in ridding the entire city of drug traffickers and syndicates, which he believed as the main roots of all crimes in the city.

Public school students have also benefited from free education and school supplies as part of Atienza’s program for education, which he believes is the answer to poverty.The city’s universities and colleges were also developed during his administration as part of his program in providing the city’s youth with an affordable college education.Atienza also supported many budding and young athletes of the city by launching the Manila Youth Games, which has helped these young athletes in getting the necessary training and exposure to competition. Atienza also provided free training to children who are gifted in the fields of music and dance with the help of Manila’s top dancers and singers. Atienza has pushed for the relocation of the oil depot in Pandacan which he believes is major environment and public safety threat. During the seventies, Atienza founded the Mahal Ko si Lolo, Mahal Ko si Lola movement wherein senior citizens benefited from special services and discounts.

In this coming Philippine elections, Atienza will continue what he has successfully started during his administration.Atienza will continue improving the delivery of basic social services particularly to the city’s poor residents.Moreover, Atienza remains committed in serving his beloved city and the Manilenos. Atienza vows to accomplish his goal of providing the Manilenos with a city that they can truly call their own and which they will care for.

One of the most accomplished leaders in the rich history of the nation’s capital, Atienza during his tenure as city mayor, outlined several flagship programs and priority projects that were all designed to benefit the poor. Lito Atienza has also prioritized the delivery of basic social services to the poor. In this coming Philippine elections, Atienza plans to continue what he has successfully started during his tenure as city mayor.

Lito Atienza has become one of the major pillars and most influential names of Philippine politics. The elections for Manila mayor would certainly be a half-baked race if it did not include an option such as him.
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Almost daily we hear in the television news or read in the daily newspapers of a suicide attack, or an ambush by the Taliban in Afghanistan or in Pakistan. Casualties mount almost every day with these somewhat holy missions by the Taliban against the NATO forces in Afghanistan and the police and army in Pakistan; unfortunately innocent civilians bear the brunt of these attacks. The question one will ask is what type of people compose the adherents of the Taliban Fundamentalists and what is their objectives in their continual battle to achieve their goals. The Taliban have attracted much attention, often times poorly understood by the world, while at the same time it has demonstrated a remarkably poor understanding of the world and its realities and contradictions.  Today the Taliban movement has recruits from believers in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as from other Muslim countries and it has grown to approximately 10,000-15,000 men. The main question one will ask, can the Taliban Fundamentalists be contained, but there is no answer… 

 In the country of Pakistan under the scourge of the Taliban, battles rage with them and the army and police in the remote areas and within the cities; and in Afghanistan their elusive fighters plant roadside bomb and send in suicide ’shaid’ (martyrs) either belted with explosive or in vehicle loaded with dynamite and filled gas cylinders to cause causalities, mainly to the innocent and to cause extensive damage.. As history show, Pakistani authorities discovered they had made a blunder. They found out that Taliban had no peaceful intentions, but were not  only uncontrollable, but unpredictable as well. In certain instances through the ensuing years the Taliban would declare their desire for peace, willingness to work with the UN, and then suddenly state that “anyone who gets in our way will be crushed.” 

The Pashto word ‘Taliban’ means religious student – but it is not correct to the meaning to this organization as it is a Sunni Islamist, predominantly Pashtun radical religious and political movement, fighting a guerilla war under new their leader and commander Baz Mohammed (Baitullah Mehsud)  against the governments of Afghanistan. Pakistan and the NATO forces in Afghanistan. This fundamentalist group the group grew out of a student movement dedicated to purifying Afghanistan. This Islamic fundamentalist movement’s goal and purpose is simply “to set up the world’s most pure Islamic state”, meaning to encompass the world by conversion or by sword to its belief.. 

The Taliban are one of the ‘mujahideen’ (”holy warriors” or “freedom fighters”) groups that formed during the war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979-89) .Its rise (1966- 2001) to power in the country was initially greeted with relief by many Afghans weary of the corruption and brutality of the warlords who had fought for control in the years after the end of Soviet occupation, but the brutality of the Taliban was even worse, especially to women.  During its time in power in Afghanistan they set up an Islamic government and enforced a strict Muslim code of behavior”. The Taliban, under the direction of Mullah Muhammed Omar, brought about this order through the institution of a very strict interpretation of ‘Sharia’, or Islamic law and punishment for breaking the edicts were quite severe. – public executions were the norm in stadiums instead of soccer.. 

The Taliban sheltered Osama bin Laden and outlawed the education of women and other crazy edicts such as ban on listening to the radio or television, a ban in keeping of pigeons, and even kite flying considered it as un-Islamic, and the growing of beards by men was the norm  – the list is endless with brutal punishments for the violators. Eventually the Taliban was ousted from power in December 2001 by the U.S. (NATO) military and Afghani opposition forces in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the U.S..

Note:

1) The name of Taliban is derived from ‘Talib” an Arabic word meaning “one who is seeking” but the word has evolved to mean “someone who is seeking religious knowledge.”

2) The form head Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, who was killed by a C.I.A. drone strike in August 2009 in South Waziristan, a remote region of the country. He was blamed for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the terrorist attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, and dozens of other suicide bombings.

3) The Taliban in Afghanistan as well in Pakistan has an extensive financial network to pay for its operations, raising of millions of dollars from the illicit drug (mainly opium) trade, kidnappings, extortion and foreign donations. And the Taliban is generously supplied with modern weaponry by the good offices of the government of Iran. Futile attempts by the US government to cut of this Taliban money and weapon trail proved insufficient with poor results.   

The author is a former correspondent for the Continental News Service (USA), now retired – Busy writing short stories and articles of Net sites and magazines worldwide.
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While lathering my face to begin my morning ritual of a shave, I was glad we weren’t nuked as it was a clear sunny day, warm and inviting. I had a few good thoughts on my mind. – Pakistan launched an attack on the Taliban and their allies in the province of Waziristan – hope it works this time. At the Useless Nations Human Rights Commission meeting in the Land of Yodel voted to endorse the controversial findings of the Goldstone Report on last winter’s Operation Cast Lead Israeli excursion in Gaza, only giving what is permissible for the US in Afghanistan, Russia in Chechnya and Turkey in northern Iraq but is forbidden for the State of Israel to defend its border with the Gaza Strip. And the health care debating in the USA continues to wrangle about – this time the youth of the nation will bear the brunt of the costs, and off course, as another false promise from the astute senators that they will be greatly benefited by the new proposal – and there will be no cost of living allowance at the end of the fiscal year for old age pensions – no money. 

As I rinsed the razor I thought of a report by the Palestinian Authority’s chief Islamic judge, Sheikh Tayseer Rajab Tamimi who claimed that there was no evidence that the Jewish people ever lived in Jerusalem and the Temples never existed. And he goes on in a lying statement that all archaeological work conducted by Israel after 1967 ‘failed to prove that the Jews had a presence in Jerusalem and that the city was never a Jewish city’. The Koran itself gives us the evidence of the destruction of the two Temples that had stood on the site of the al-Aska mosque – what could be clearer.

   Arabic historians indicated that the Dome of the Rock on the temple Mount was built in 691AD by Abd El Malik ibn Mirwan, the Omayas Khalif of the Umayyad dynasty. The historians indicated that the holy site was built on the site of the First and Second Temples – in the Dome of Rock is the site where the Patriarch Abraham took his soon Isaac to sacrifice on the word of the Lord. Everywhere about the Mosque of Omar are portions of pillars, curiously wrought altars, and fragments of elegantly carved marble—precious remains of Solomon’s Temple. These have been excavated from all depths in the soil of Mount Moriah, and the Moslems have always shown a disposition to preserve them with the utmost care. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Dome_of_the_Rock

Note: The Dome of the Rock should not be confused with the al-Aska Mosque and the Mosque of Omar situated on the Temple Mount. 

And why today the custodians, the Wafk (the Islamic Trust) of Jerusalem, are destroying all archaeological remnants of the ancient Jewish presence on the Mount? 

The existence of the Temple is made clear in the New Testament and the stories of Christ within the Temple complex. The great work of Herod the Great  is written in Josephus’s book ‘Contra Apion’ in the rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and the great stones that he used in the building of the Temple that can be seen today. Josephus mentions that there was a stone on the southeast corner Temple where the priests stood and blew their trumpets to usher in the Jewish Sabbath – the stone has been found with the inscription ‘Lebett Hatekia’ (the place of Trumpeting) 

While I luxuriated in applying  shaving lotion to my face I thought that I would not argue with that false historian as I know that is what is ingrained in my heart is a firm belief of the First and Second Temples and that these religious edifices stood on the Temple Mount. The Jewish religious documents and literature is all I need for my deep convictions. 

The author is a former correspondent for the Continental News Service (USA), now retired – Busy writing stories and articles for Net sites and magazines worldwide…
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A beacon of hope from an otherwise dark Congress emerges from Arizona as one of their own asks them to “put their money where their mouth is”.

Only a year ago it was business as usual in Washington. The people were frustrated – really frustrated.  Chief among their grievances against the political leadership was the charge that they were no longer listening to the people. Trust in the government had plummeted. Confidence in its ability to work cohesively for the common good was on the slide. Congressional approval ratings nosedived to an all time low of 14%.  Angry voters, finally fed up, confronted the seemingly deaf legislators at Town Halls across the country. Then, sparked by an MSNBC host’ s call for a ‘new tea-party’, Americans dissatisfied with the representation of both Democrat and Republican lawmakers, began a new movement to make themselves heard. The people began to reject traditional party affiliations and organize themselves.  As a result, the first significant change in voter demographics gave impetus for a new voice – by the people.

Pew Research Center released a surprising report last spring documenting the emergence of this spontaneous movement. The polarization of the Democrats and Republicans was greater than at any time in nearly a century. But, even as poll after poll showed the divide was wider than ever, Pew reported that voters, increasingly leery of government regulation and spending, were deserting both in record numbers and meeting in the middle.  For the first time in seventy years more voters identified themselves as ‘independent’ of either of the two mega-parties. Yes, you read that right – for the first time since the Great Depression, independent voters outnumbered both Democrats and Republicans. For millions of disaffected voters this was huge.  Too many felt ignored for too long by the very people elected to represent them. Feeling frustrated and forgotten in the endless power struggle and pathological partisanship on Capitol Hill, voters were moving en masse to distance themselves from both parties.

According to Pew, Centrism had emerged as a dominant factor in public opinion as the Obama era began. A year later this new shift has grown into a formidable bloc of voters large enough to possibly determine the outcome of the 2010 and 2012 elections – and it is attracting more former partisans every day. Both party behemoths are continuing to hemorrhage members at an alarming rate. Although the Democrats have lost slightly more of their base than the Republicans, both are losing them to the independent movement.  Despite the fact the Dems like to portray independent grassroot movements as dominated by violent kooks, right-wingers and racists and the Republicans try to claim them as an extension of the GOP, the truth is that neither party seems to grasp the nature of this historic shift.  As the two parties move even further apart ideologically the more moderate majority is coming together.Even though Pew reported almost a year ago that,  ”The political values of independents are mixed and run counter to orthodox liberal and conservative thinking about government.” neither party seems to be listening – or are they?

A remarkable member of congress stepped up this week and asked her colleagues to put their money where their mouth is. In what is sure to be an unpopular move with her fellow lawmakers, Congresswoman, Ann Kirkpatrick, D-AZ, introduced a new bill to cut the pay for members of congress by 5%.  Although the annual savings to taxpayers would be less than five million dollars per year (congressional salaries are $174k + per yr), Rep. Kirkpatrick noted that with congressional approval ratings under 20 per cent, she thinks its time the American people started docking their pay,  ”The last time Congress took a cut in pay was 77 years ago. I don’t know anyone who has not had a pay cut in 77 years, she said.   ”I’m putting my money where my mouth is” she added, “I’m leading by example and I hope my colleagues join me”.  And she’s not kidding – she has already begun voluntarily applying 5% of her monthly pay checks to pay for the national debt! She joked in a FOX News interview that this hasn’t made her the most popular member of the House of Representatives, but it is gaining bi-partisan support. In fact, as of yesterday, 21 fellow legislators – both Democrat and Republican – had signed on as co-sponsors.  Only 2 1 out 500, but it’s a start. More important, Arizona has a new Congresswoman who ‘gets it’.  A savings of five million dollars will hardly pay down the national debt, but taking a 5% cut in pay – especially when 100% of their office overhead, travel, food, mailing, phone service, entertainment and more already paid for by the taxpayers – would certainly signal a symbolic solidarity with the people they purport to serve.

In a era of obscene conspicuous consumption where professional politicians obsessed with their re-election and keeping their nose in the public trough, live like royalty on the tax dollars of hard working Americans it would be reassuring to see them sacrifice something. Even as they propose taxing “Cadillac health care plans”, but maintain their own fat cat, super-posh plan and threaten our retirement by borrowing our Social Security while protecting their own platinum-plated pensions and benefits, driving around in limos talking on cel phones and eating out in expensive restaurants – all at the expense of working Americans – a few of the more transparent have already suggested they have contributed ‘enough’ because they didn’t get a pay raise this year.  These pampered professional political parasites who intend to spend the rest of their lives on the public gravy train need to be weeded out this fall and replaced with representatives who are there to serve the people – not themselves.  How do we tell who is for us and who is for themselves? I think the new Rep from Arizona just suggested a great litmus test.

Like Representative Kirkpatrick says. “Is it too much to ask congress to take a 5% pay-cut? I don’t think so”. I don’t think so either. OK, Congress, the balls in your court – how are you going to play it?

BD Fenton is a freelancer hiding out somewhere near the beach in Southern California. Check out his blog at: http://bdfenton.wordpress.com/
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MOLLE is an acronym which means Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.  It is the current load-bearing system that is employed by the United States Army.  The MOLLE system is a substitute to the ALICE (All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) system.  It was launched in 1997 but its use was not widespread until after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.

The MOLLE system is a fully integrated system which is comprised of a load bearing vest along with butt pack, main ruck that has sustainable pouches and also a compartment to carry a sleeping bag.  The load bearing vest is worn constantly and contains pockets to carry hand grenade or magazine.  There is a device that is connected to the vest which is created to enable the external frame of the main ruck to attach to the waist belt on the vest.  This is very advantageous in transferring the load from the shoulders to the hips in order to enable easier carrying and less tiredness.  One of the main parts of the MOLLE system is the nylon mesh vest.  This vest is fitted with removable pockets that can be used to support the different carrying needs that are faced in the military.  The MOLLE has different alterations so much so that each partner of a squad has one to fit his specific needs.

The MOLLE system has progressed in load-carrying abilities.  It has a new suspension system along with heavily-padded, adjustable shoulder straps to make carrying easier and more comfortable.  The waist belt is also adjustable to different lengths so that more weight is concentrated at the shoulders and the hips.  The MOLLE has a Fighting Load Carrier (FLC) which increases the amount of ammunition a soldier can carry and is designed in such a way that the weight is distributed over the torso.  Three flap pockets on the FLC can each hold two 30-round magazines.  There are also two canteen pouches. One benefit that the MOLLE system has over the ALICE system is the absence of the metal clips or hooks.  These can make carrying a lot harder as they sometimes dig into the soldier’s skin.  The vest on the MOLLE also comes with a H-Harness in the back which lessens the accumulation of heat.

All the other large pouches on the MOLLE have D-rings for carrying them with a sling and are structured with plastic windows that are invisible so soldiers do not have to mark their individual MOLLE.  The system has two six-foot straps used to carry large objects and also a repair kit with supplies for any simple repairs.  Every MOLLE comes with a tube to provide water on the go.

Many amendments have been made to some sections of the original MOLLE and have led to the development of MOLLE II.   MOLLE equipment is available from the US Calvary Store, Amazon and other suppliers of military equipment.

Please visit these links for more information on Molle Vest : Molle Vest – I and Molle Vest – II
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Time and time again the peoples of world had witnessed, through the varied media, Hamas (1) acts of terror committed against the citizens of Israel. Terror that was enacted by a ‘Shaid’, a matyr in the name of Allah, who set off explosives strapped to body, killing himself and also killing and wounding innocent victims, be they men, women or children. Other acts of terror involved placing explosive packed vehicles near a shopping center or at a bus terminal timed to explode at a busy hour, with the horrendous results. The Hamas movement is one of the many Muslim Fundamentalist groups
that has sprung up in past few years and supported by many outlaw
regimes. The visions of these radical organizations are based, not as
Islam as a religion, but with a goal to establish an Islamic theocracy
that will encompass the entire world. They disagree on the nature of
that state, but the majority agree that the first step towards Islamic
domination is in the destruction of the State of Israel. From their point to view ‘Palestine’ is viewed as the center of
the Muslim world, and, off course, it is the duty of all Muslims to
liberate the country from Israel rule. Yet, according to the Koran the
sacred temple is in Mecca, the center of Islamic faith. (There is no
direct mention of Jerusalem or of the Land of Israel in the Koran.) In order for them to recruit their initiates, they never used the
word “suicide” because suicide is forbidden in Islam. Instead, they
called them, “Martyrdom Operations”.., a twist in the Koranic phrase,
“Fight for the cause of God.” The ‘ulamas’ of Islamic teaching has
condemned these acts of so-called matyrdom as it is forbidden in
Islamic law to harm innocent victims, “As for helpless men, women and
children who have neither the strength nor the means to escape, God
may pardon them; God pardons and forgives.” (Sura 4:98). But, again,
Hamas has an answer. They stated that all the citizens of Israel, be
they old and sick, the aged or the young, or even the mewling infant
are “Israeli soldiers” and the fight must be carried to them. (Try to
understand this logic!) “It was the Palestinians, themselves, who had also suffered by
the Hamas terrorist attacks. Everytime there was a suicide attack
it was the Palestinians who were prevented from going to work and shipping produce to and from Palestinian controlled areas; through the anti-terrorist measures taken by Israel, the Palestinian people
were not able to have some measure of needed economic stability.
(Israel Information Center) In the past they have been entwined with the Palestine Authority (under the Fatah faction) (2) – this had developed to the point where Hamas terrorists, even with blood on their hands, had been released from the custody of the Authority. The are many in the Palestinian Authority Police force who was affiliated with Hamas. Also there were (and still today) members of Hamas who are representatives of the Palestinian Parliament and still spouting their radical ideology. And.. the movement’s perception of ‘victory’ over Israel through an act of terror had been celebrated (and continuing) on the streets of Gaza and the West Bank. (Even to the Palestinian Authority, Hamas played a useful role as an useful element of warfare in their ongoing struggle with Israel.) But, today the roles have changed and both parties have squared off as bitter rivals as it is a Hamas led government for the Palestinian State, but the presidency and its police force is still under the control of the Fatah party. And at times there have been bitter feuds between the two parties that at times led to a shooting spree. Today the Hamas Fundamentalist Group is the legitimate governing body of the Palestinians through victory at the January 25, 2006 elections where they received the majority of votes. Yet they refuse to accept the basic conditions for peaceful relations with their neighbor Israel, adamant in their stance of non-recognition of the Jewish State. The Hamas military wing continues to fire homemade rockets into Israel, activates border skirmishes with the Israel army and participates in suicide mission within Israel itself. But the final act of aggression upon the Israel was in the kidnap of one of their soldiers with absurd demands for his release. Off course their sword rattling led to Israeli retaliation, which saw acts of destruction upon targets on missile launching sites, targeted killing of its leaders and imprisonment of members of its cabinet.
On top of all that misery, the Western leaders have imposed economic sanctions upon the Palestinian authority to force the Hamas government to follow ‘the road map to peace’, namely the recognition of the State of Israel along with other measures to ensure a positive peace initiative. Yet the Hamas led government continues in its principals, which is the goal of the destruction of Israel – homemade missiles are still being launched into Israel, and the Israeli soldier has not been released despite the efforts of Egypt and Jordan to mediate between the two sides. The affect of the Hamas stand is quite horrendous; unemployment has risen to nearly forty per cent, civil servants and the police have not been paid in months, and according to UNRWA, a good majority of the Palestinian citizens are unable to buy food for lack of money, and etc.. The situation worsens day by day with continuous riots for salaries, shooting between various factions in the Palestinian community, together with continuing collapse of the economy. Yet, it only takes a word from its leaders to accept the inevitable and sit down with Israel in order to map out the borders, stop the missile and other attacks and release the kidnapped soldier (and to stop the policy of kidnapping and accept negotiations for the right solution to varied problems.) Unfortunately it is only a dream by people with common sense – And the hope for peace and stability in region fades… NOTE:
1) HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization that currently forms the major party of the Palestinian National Authority. 2) FATAH (Palestinian Liberation Movement) is a major secular Palestinian party and the largest organization in the Palestinian spectrum. In Palestinian politics it is on the center-left of the spectrum. It is mainly secular and nationalist although not predominantly socialist. Today the Fatah under President Mahmoud Abbas is assuming the role of the main opposition party.
.

The author is a former correspondent for the Continental News Service (USA), now retired – Busy writing articles and short stories for Net sites and magazines worldwide.
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Sometimes things in life change so slowly that you do not realize how things have actually changed significantly until you sit back and reflect on where you are relative to where you were. The other day, while sitting at a spring training baseball game, I listened to the singing of the national anthem which of course includes the words, “land of the free.” I realized how far we have allowed the political class to take us away from that concept, “the land of the free.” Reflect for a moment on the following conditions and how those conditions deny us the freedom we may have had at one point in the past:

You cannot be free if all levels of government take about 40% of your annual income in order to support itself and perpetuate itself. According to the Tax Foundation, the average American household worked until May 29 in 2009 in order cover all of the political class’s spending including covering the deficit spending by the Federal government. According to the Tax Foundation, the average American household now sends more money to the political class in taxes than it spends on clothing, food, and housing combined. By taking 40% of our income every year, the government denies and restricts us the freedom of choice to send our kids to a better school, support a charity as we would like, start a small business, buy a better home, or just to do anything we want with the money we earned. If you do not have financial freedom, due to excessive taxation, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the political class gerrymanders Congressional districts in order to guarantee that incumbents and the incumbent party is almost impossible to defeat. According to retiring Senator Evan Bayh, he estimates that about 15 Congressional districts, out of 435, are truly competitive. Republican gerrymandered districts will almost always elect a Republican Congressman or woman and Democratic gerrymandered districts will almost always elect a Democratic Congressman or woman. Thus, if you are a Democrat living in a Republican district, your vote will almost always be useless since you have been lumped into a district configured to be overwhelmingly Republican, and the same for a Republican living in a Democratic district. If you vote is useless, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the political class decides when and if your votes in the primary elections are to be counted. In 2008, the Democrats’ leadership decided that Florida votes for the Democratic nominee for President would not count since the Florida Democrats had the audacity to move up their primary date in order to be relevant. If the political class can cut you out of the election process because of scheduling, you do not have a true voice in electing the country’s leaders. If the political class can decide if and when your vote counts, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the political class takes hard earned taxpayer money and constantly shovels it out towards businesses, unions, and lobbyists in exchange or reciprical donations to their re-election campaigns. The recent 2010 budget included over 11,000 earmarks, each representing the sale of freedom for donations. If business, union, and lobbyist interest override individual Americans’ desires, you are not free.
You cannot be free if, at the end of the primary season, party leaders can override the wishes of individual Americans who voted in the primaries and replace their choice for Presidential candidate. The Democratic party has super delegates at their Presidential conventions, special delegates that can override the wishes of all those who thought they had a voice in electing their leaders. If the results your voting depends on the ultimate and final approval of a small cadre or politburo of politicians, who can override your choice, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the government can seize your home and property under eminent domain and turn that property over to private interests for development. In the Supreme Court ruling in Kelo vs. New London, the local political class was allowed to seize homeowners’ property, for a supposedly fair market place, in order to have private developers remake the area, versus the traditional reasons for eminent domain (schools, roads, bridges). Homeowners had to move against their will, giving up their land and homes. Ironically, the private development project was a flop so that the local political class got nothing for its abuse of eminent domain. If the government can take your property in the name of private development/public good, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the government can access your phone records, Internet histories, library activity, etc. The Patriot Act was ramrodded through after 9-11 and encouraged the government security apparatuses to be more aggressive and freedom threatening in the name of homeland security. If the Patriot Act and its potential for abuse is in effect, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the government denies the concept of freedom to others outside of the United States. Whether it is torturing prisoners under its control, denying due process to those same prisoners, instituting trade embargoes against long ago enemies (e.g. Cuba), etc., egregious behavior directed against non-Americans makes it easier for the political class to eventually, and subtly, direct that same behavior against Americans. If lack of due process and torture can be potentially directed at you, you cannot be free.
You cannot be free if those in the political class hold you and the rest of America in contempt. When Americans used their freedom of speech guarantee and spoke up to argue against the current atrocity called health care reform, Speaker Of The House Nancy Pelosi called them un-American. At the opening of the new visitors center in D.C. a center paid for with American taxpayer money, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared that Americans visiting D.C. in the summer physically smelled. When incumbent Congress people accept campaign donations from companies, unions, and lobbyists that do not even do business in their state or Congressional district, they are more likely to reward those out of district and out of state donors than work for the good of their constituents. If your leaders do not respect you and view your interests with contempt, you are not free.

It gets depressing when you take a really hard look at where freedom and liberty stand in this country today. We have allowed the political class to slowly but steadily erode our freedom that is recognized only as we view the deterioration over time. This deterioration is what the fifty steps in “love My Country, Loathe My Government” attempts to redress. We need to act now before the political class makes a total sham out of “land of the free.”

Sometimes things in life change so slowly that you do not realize how things have actually changed significantly until you sit back and reflect on where you are relative to where you were. The other day, while sitting at a spring training baseball game, I listened to the singing of the national anthem which of course includes the words, “land of the free.” I realized how far we have allowed the political class to take us away from that concept, “the land of the free.” Reflect for a moment on the following conditions and how those conditions deny us the freedom we may have had at one point in the past:

You cannot be free if all levels of government take about 40% of your annual income in order to support itself and perpetuate itself. According to the Tax Foundation, the average American household worked until May 29 in 2009 in order cover all of the political class’s spending including covering the deficit spending by the Federal government. According to the Tax Foundation, the average American household now sends more money to the political class in taxes than it spends on clothing, food, and housing combined. By taking 40% of our income every year, the government denies and restricts us the freedom of choice to send our kids to a better school, support a charity as we would like, start a small business, buy a better home, or just to do anything we want with the money we earned. If you do not have financial freedom, due to excessive taxation, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the political class gerrymanders Congressional districts in order to guarantee that incumbents and the incumbent party is almost impossible to defeat. According to retiring Senator Evan Bayh, he estimates that about 15 Congressional districts, out of 435, are truly competitive. Republican gerrymandered districts will almost always elect a Republican Congressman or woman and Democratic gerrymandered districts will almost always elect a Democratic Congressman or woman. Thus, if you are a Democrat living in a Republican district, your vote will almost always be useless since you have been lumped into a district configured to be overwhelmingly Republican, and the same for a Republican living in a Democratic district. If you vote is useless, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the political class decides when and if your votes in the primary elections are to be counted. In 2008, the Democrats’ leadership decided that Florida votes for the Democratic nominee for President would not count since the Florida Democrats had the audacity to move up their primary date in order to be relevant. If the political class can cut you out of the election process because of scheduling, you do not have a true voice in electing the country’s leaders. If the political class can decide if and when your vote counts, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the political class takes hard earned taxpayer money and constantly shovels it out towards businesses, unions, and lobbyists in exchange or reciprical donations to their re-election campaigns. The recent 2010 budget included over 11,000 earmarks, each representing the sale of freedom for donations. If business, union, and lobbyist interest override individual Americans’ desires, you are not free.
You cannot be free if, at the end of the primary season, party leaders can override the wishes of individual Americans who voted in the primaries and replace their choice for Presidential candidate. The Democratic party has super delegates at their Presidential conventions, special delegates that can override the wishes of all those who thought they had a voice in electing their leaders. If the results your voting depends on the ultimate and final approval of a small cadre or politburo of politicians, who can override your choice, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the government can seize your home and property under eminent domain and turn that property over to private interests for development. In the Supreme Court ruling in Kelo vs. New London, the local political class was allowed to seize homeowners’ property, for a supposedly fair market place, in order to have private developers remake the area, versus the traditional reasons for eminent domain (schools, roads, bridges). Homeowners had to move against their will, giving up their land and homes. Ironically, the private development project was a flop so that the local political class got nothing for its abuse of eminent domain. If the government can take your property in the name of private development/public good, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the government can access your phone records, Internet histories, library activity, etc. The Patriot Act was ramrodded through after 9-11 and encouraged the government security apparatuses to be more aggressive and freedom threatening in the name of homeland security. If the Patriot Act and its potential for abuse is in effect, you are not free.
You cannot be free if the government denies the concept of freedom to others outside of the United States. Whether it is torturing prisoners under its control, denying due process to those same prisoners, instituting trade embargoes against long ago enemies (e.g. Cuba), etc., egregious behavior directed against non-Americans makes it easier for the political class to eventually, and subtly, direct that same behavior against Americans. If lack of due process and torture can be potentially directed at you, you cannot be free.
You cannot be free if those in the political class hold you and the rest of America in contempt. When Americans used their freedom of speech guarantee and spoke up to argue against the current atrocity called health care reform, Speaker Of The House Nancy Pelosi called them un-American. At the opening of the new visitors center in D.C. a center paid for with American taxpayer money, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared that Americans visiting D.C. in the summer physically smelled. When incumbent Congress people accept campaign donations from companies, unions, and lobbyists that do not even do business in their state or Congressional district, they are more likely to reward those out of district and out of state donors than work for the good of their constituents. If your leaders do not respect you and view your interests with contempt, you are not free.

It gets depressing when you take a really hard look at where freedom and liberty stand in this country today. We have allowed the political class to slowly but steadily erode our freedom that is recognized only as we view the deterioration over time. This deterioration is what the fifty steps in “Love My Country, Loathe My Government” attempts to redress. We need to act now before the political class makes a total sham out of “land of the free.”

Our new Book, “Love My Country, Loathe My Government – Fifty First Steps To restoring Our Freedom and Destroying the American Political Class” is now available at www.loathemygovernment.com. It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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