America’s civil war: Butler county election results

The election results for Butler County were mixed; some good, some bad. The biggest issue for myself was the Lakota Levy; which unfortunately narrowly passed by less than 1% of the vote. It took only 240 people to tip the scales in favor of outright extortion. The good news is that Fairfield defeated the bond, even if it was by a paltry 40 votes. Some other levies were passed in the county, while West Chester finally kicked out its most progressive trustee and replaced her with Tea Party backed Mark Welch.

http://results.butlercountyelections.org/results.shtml

The issues in Butler County are mirrored throughout the US, while there were many small victories across the country, there were losses also. Virginia went completely blue, while New Jersey got to pick between a progressive democrat who looks like Nancy Pelosi, and a progressive republican who looks like Jabba the Hut. Great choices there New Jersey, its no wonder all your businesses are moving out here!.

For those like myself, who are bitterly disappointed in having to fork out an extra $30+ a month for the idiotic new tax levy, I will say this: there is a silver lining. Like I said, West Chester will now be able to rein in its bills, lower its taxes, and put dash-cams in police cruisers in order to hold the cops to a new level of accountability. While Liberty and West Chester Townships narrowly missed defeating a tax levy, Fairfield was able to narrowly defeat one. We truly are in a civil war. The country is deeply divided along both sides. But we are winning. Remember that the American War of Independence was not won through battles, but perseverance. Did we really think we could cure 100 years of progressivism in one election cycle? No, this is going to take quite some time, but we are wearing away at the machine, and groups such as the Tea Party are having a massive effect on local elections. The West Chester Tea Party backed Mark Welch all the way, and today he kicks out a progressive who has been holding the township back for years.

It is disappointing that seniors and those on fixed incomes will have to struggle to find new ways to foot this idiotic tax bill, it is disappointing that teenagers will have less part time work available because local business owners have to lay off workers to pay for this useless tax levy. But all this goes to show that while we are wearing away at the machine, it is time to fight back instead of just defending ourselves all the time. This was the 4th levy attempt, and it only passed by 240 votes! It took only a small band of misguided fools to kick this stupid levy through. So it is time for us to kick the ball back down the field. It’s time to kick the unions where it hurts; we need to push for the bill for a right to work state. we need to push for tax reduction bills at the local level. We must stand up and fight!

The road is long ahead, but we have the founders and their principles to light the way. It’s going to take a lot more effort on the ground level, and many more of us will have to get our hands dirty and get the word out. Our future is out there, we can change the country for the better, no matter how many useless idiots stand in the way, the founding fathers stood up against similar odds, so let no progressive stand in your way. While there will be more battles that we’ll lose, we will win this war!

Vote NO lakota

Another year, another levy attempt. When will these union types get it? We don’t want another unnecessary tax increase!

Did you know that over half your property taxes already go to our bloated school system? The Lakota school district already boasts some of the nicest facilities on the planet, and yet they still demand more money!

And what for? Security? Technology? The schools already have all the technology they need. If they want more, why not just have a fundraiser instead of wasting money on levy campaigns and extorting the residents of Liberty and West Chester Townships?

As for the security. Even if we were stupid enough to post armed guards in the schools, which would make the schools feel more like prisons, why not just let some of the teachers carry concealed weapons? The general public is allowed to carry, so why not the teachers? If we want to avoid a Sandy Hook incident, why not allow the teachers to be the deterrents? The kids wouldn’t even know they had guns. A dozen silently armed teachers is a far better deterrent and far cheaper way to protect school children than a single silly security guard.

Back to the cost; we spend thousands of dollars every year per household for these schools, a number far too great to maintain. We already have many businesses moving into the area, but this number will slow if we don’t rein in these rouge union supported levy addicts.

Just take a look at Fairfeild; another levy attempt! After the last one only passed a year ago! Look at Forest Fair Mall (or whatever they call it this month!) You want to know why businesses are leaving? The taxes are too high! Year after year these levies are passed and the businesses have had too much. Even Bass Pro, the anchor store, is moving to West Chester in 2015, but do you think they’ll stay there for long if taxes continue to rise in the region? My bet is they’ll move even further away if we don’t rein in taxes in our region.

And what about the parents? We always hear that these levies are about the kids, which is a lie, but what about the heads of households? What happens when their mortgages go up and they struggle to make payments? What if a West Chester business leaves the community, or lays off workers to meet the demands of these tax raises? What happens when John Doe losses his job in West Chester, and can’t afford his mortgage in Liberty Township? His employer lays him off due to high taxes, and now he has no job, and higher taxes to pay on his own home. Have none of these levy addicts thought of this?

But its only $16 extra a month they scream! What an absolute lie. It’ll be $16 a month extra for a small fraction of the community, while the majority of home owners will be stuck with hundreds of dollars extra a year. All the while their pay checks are being diminished and they are struggling to hold on to their jobs, while the teachers get a cozy pay increase. Extortion indeed! What about the businesses? Most factories and distribution centers in the area are worth millions of dollars, this tax increase will cost them thousands of dollars extra a month, on top of already bloated taxes. That’s someones job!

It’s a fat lot of good bringing in extra unneeded money to the school district ‘for the kids’ if they no longer have a place to live because mommy or daddy got laid off.

Use your head, learn the facts, go to www.nolakotalevy.com and see for yourself that this latest tax levy is completely unnecessary, and remember to vote NO on Tuesday.

Put your money where your mouth is Lakota

For all those conservatives living in Liberty Township and West Chester in Butler County Ohio, I urge you to put your money where your mouth is this November. Once again the Lakota School district is asking for another tax increase due to it’s inability, or lack of interest in balancing its budgets.

Since West Chester and Liberty Township are predominantly conservative, you’d think it would be an easy victory against tax increases every time right? Unfortunately the answer is ‘no’. Many Republicans do not stick by their principles and are certainly not fiscally conservative.

I urge every conservative republican in the Lakota School district to put their money where their mouth is this November and vote NO to any new tax increases.

If you think the National Government is bad, if you think that the deficit is horrendous, if you’re one of the people who is always complaining about government interference, taxation and mismanagement of budgets, then put your money where your mouth is!

If you think that whining about national government policies is going to make much of a difference; you’re dead wrong. If you think that helping to raise taxes at the local level has nothing to do with mismanagement at the federal level; you’re dead wrong.

My father in law; Rich Hoffman, has spent tireless hours slaving away at his blog posts explaining why voting for tax increases is a bad idea, and how much of the money goes toward teachers salaries and Union contracts. If you want all the finer details I urge you to read his blog posts, and do some research for yourself.

www.overmanwarrior.wordpress.com

As for me, I’ll narrow it down nice and neat; if you’re a Republican and you vote for a tax increase this election period; you’re a hypocrite! You should tear up your Republican card right now and go join the progressive Democrat Party. They love Unions, and they love your tax dollars. Or instead, you can put your money where your mouth is, vote no to tax increases and have an actual impact at the local level, which will inevitably reverberate at the national level. And if you think your kids will somehow be better off with more tax dollars going to these institutions, you’re dead wrong also. These institutions are mismanaged beyond belief, and if you just keep throwing money at them, you’ll only make them worse. Think of a future America with massive taxes, and no good place for people to go; that is the future with these levies. If we do not accept responsibility and actually balance budgets now in the present, we will be setting a bad precedent for the future. If you think a few extra dollars a month won’t hurt; think of the local businesses that will lay off workers to pay for the massive tax hikes on their expensive buildings. Where will your teenage sons and daughters work during the summer? Where will they learn responsibility? Where will they learn integrity? If you don’t stand up and make a tough choice and do the right thing, who will be there to teach your children otherwise?

Actions have consequences, and local taxes are no different that national taxes. Taxes are always a bad thing, and you have the power to stop them. So put your money where your mouth is this election and vote NO to the Lakota Tax Levy.

Education

There is a lot to be said about education. Education comes in many ways. We have schools, universities, books, online media and life itself as lessons. Some lessons are welcome, others are hard to take.

This week my wife and I are dog sitting. Her Auntie and uncle left their two dogs in our care, and the first day went great. The dogs were happy and seemed fine. Unfortunately yesterday evening, their little one, a pug, died.

As dog lovers it was hard for us to take. I made the phone call to her Auntie to inform her and her Uncles father stopped by to pick up the body and lay her to rest.

In hindsight, had we known more about the pug breed, we would have kept her in the house the majority of the day instead of outside with the other dogs. Every one that we have spoken to has said it wasn’t our fault and that no one could have known that she would over heat and have trouble breathing. Before she died she had spent the majority of the afternoon in the air conditioned house, and indeed had plenty of water.

I take great pride in doing things well and taking care of animals and objects in my possession. My lab/collie mix is always well fed and I constantly check that his food and water bowl are topped up throughout the day. I find it very hard to accept that a family’s dog who was only dropped off at our house 24 hours before could fall ill and die so quickly in our possession.

When the little dog started to struggle breathing we contacted her Auntie and other friends and family who know more about pugs, we found out that this was normal, that they are prone to overheating and having respiratory problems. No one seemed to worry about her and told us just to lay her next to an AC vent and let her cool down. I even put a little cold water on her and pet her to calm her down. Her breathing slowed down a little and we were assured by our family members that she would be fine after a good long rest.

I went outside to mix some cement and work on some brickwork while my wife sorted out her garage sale items from the morning, while keeping an eye on the little dog. Only a few minutes later Brooke came running outside and told me that the little pug wasn’t breathing. To my shock I found her laying stiff on the ground where I had left her. I tried to resuscitate her, but it was too late. She was dead.

My wife wanted to take her to the vet but I informed her it was too late, and that she was gone. She began crying and I dialed her Aunties number to inform her. At first she thought I was kidding, and I gravely informed her that much to our shock, she had passed away. She told us it wasn’t our fault and that it shocked her as much as it did us.

In hindsight, had we know that pugs were prone to respiratory problems and over heating, we would never have let her back outside with the other dogs that afternoon. Life’s hard lesson yesterday is that you should always educate yourself on the particular breed you are looking after.

While everyone has told us it wasn’t our fault, part of the blame will always be on us. Our ignorance was a contributing factor in her death, and that is a hard truth to swallow.

One of the other hard factors to accept is that humans themselves bred these little creatures to have these ailing features to begin with. After the fact, we learned that pugs are prone to many health problems. Wikipedia lists paragraphs to health issues attributed to pugs.

What a shame that this little dog died while in our care. We are truly sorry for her demise. Life is full of hard lessons like this.

Education comes in many forms. Sometimes we go out of our way to take on the lessons, other times the lessons come crashing into reality without invite.

Though we easily could have, my wife and I did not go to college. In hindsight, I kind of wish I had continued my education in England and gotten by bachelors degree before moving to the States. But what I realized before I moved here was that I was trying to maintain a long distance relationship, and that I needed to make money in order to pay for expensive flights twice a year, and to build savings to eventually move here. I also needed enough time each evening to talk to Brooke online and to play online multi-player games in order to have little adventures to keep our relationship alive during the months apart.

The reason for obtaining a degree in most instances is to gain a successful career and make a decent salary to support your life’s endeavors.

While it is true that many of the most successful people on the planet never went to college, the vast majority of people who do go, make more money in their lifetimes than those who do not further their education.

When I first moved here Brooke and I began working full time while living in her parents basement. While we had toyed with the idea of moving to England for our early 20’s and studying and traveling through Europe during our off time, we eventually decided to stay in the States and get our life started here. We had grand plans and wanted to buy a nice big house and live the creative lifestyle.

About a year after moving here, and once I had obtained my permanent residence card, we went on a tour of Miami University with the full intention of studying there. It was only about a 35 minute drive from her parents house and had an excellent campus and curriculum.

After we had concluded our tour and had browsed the facilities and study courses we inquired about the tuition rates. To our shock and dismay the prices were astronomical. When we returned home I began researching other universities in the area, and then began looking at online universities. To our chagrin, all of the universities in the United States, every single one of them, was far too expensive.

I’ve mentioned before in a previous article that my best friend growing up, went on to go to Cambridge University, arguably the best University on the planet, and definitely in the top five, of which the likes of Oxford, Harvard and Yale are a part of. When speaking to him last year he said his tuition was only around 3000 pounds a year (roughly $5000) and that was without a scholarship.

How is it that my best friend can go to Cambridge University for less money than the lowest ranked University’s in the States charges per term?

Well, one simple word can answer that: government.

Unfortunately for my generation, government has gotten its grubby little hands in all the pies. It ensures that loans will be given to students, and so universities, knowing that many people including myself want to obtain a better education will pay however much they charge to obtain it.

Where I differ is that I actually understand economics, and know that this bubble is unsustainable. Unfortunately in the mean time I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can get a college education, and end up in more debt than I owe on my house, while being able to make more money at my career. Or I can struggle at work, in a lower position, surrounded by people who are less intelligent that me, while knowing that I am capable of much more.

This is the conundrum that many in my age group now face. We can either go into massive debt with the off chance we’ll make more money in our careers (which isn’t guaranteed, particularly in this current economy) or we can struggle with the rest of the crowd for positions which need no more than a high school diploma, and work positions which are easier and pay less.

The only other option we face, is to create for ourselves an alternative education. We can use the tools provided to us through the internet and the great works presented through hundreds of years of study and philosophy to subsidize our lack of options elsewhere.

Our only real option is to select that which empowers us and start from there. Indeed the greatest achievers in life are the ones who never stop learning.

The only way to make any real money (without drowning in debt in the process) is to start a business. While even this has its costs, it is the only way for my generation to move forward until the college bubble collapses, and the Universities catch up to the modern form of education.

No longer are brick and mortar foundations needed for a good education. You can now learn everything you need to know online. Whether it be through online seminars, eBooks, or even YouTube videos.

Unfortunately had we known the health issues a pug faces, we could have researched this in advance online and perhaps could have prevented the tragedy which befell us yesterday.

While small businesses may be the only way for those among my generation to move forward with their lives and make a decent income, even this avenue is beginning to become blocked off.

Barack Obama and his democrat party have introduced the ‘Affordable Healthcare Act’ which is anything but affordable. Under its new rules employers must provide their employees healthcare coverage which is extremely expensive. Under the collectivist mindset, they have put the responsibility of the employees health in the hands of the business instead of in the individuals. This is a disastrous piece of legislation, and will have a huge negative impact on the economy while doing nothing to aid in the health and care of individuals within this country.

Brooke and I will never be able to hire anyone for our business while this ghastly piece of legislation is on the books.

When you couple this with the proposed internet tax, you have a formula for complete economic collapse. I wonder if the fools in Washington who vote for these pieces of legislation are really so woefully ignorant or if they are actually actively plotting to drown the US economy on purpose?

Either way, education is out there. Whether you want it or not. If you do not seek it, it will bash you over the head some day. If you choose to stay woefully ignorant, putting in just enough hours at a simple job so you can return to your home to watch TV, that is fine, but don’t be surprised when you turn 50 and you haven’t achieved much, and you don’t have enough money to support yourself and pay your medical bills when you get sick. You’ll only have yourself to blame.

For those who wish to advance their knowledge; more power to you. The more you learn, the more you’ll earn, and the more whole you will become. The most well rounded individuals on the planet are those who seek knowledge and advance themselves on a daily basis.

As for me, I will continue my education, which includes history, business, politics and philosophy as its largest support beams, and I will continue to advance myself well past where my friends have stopped past college.

While many in my age group go out and party on the weekends, my wife and I build our business, and during voting season we do all that we can to fight taxes and bad legislation. We will continue to push for the deregulation of the economy so that we and others can thrive.

I hope that whatever life throws at you, whether it be a sad death in the family, or an epiphany while reading a book, that you enjoy life to its fullest. Life is short, so learn all that you can, improve your life as best at possible, and strap yourself in for the ride. Because you only live once. So make the most of it.

Watering my trees in Liberty

One month ago my wife and I purchased our first house. We had spent a long time looking at houses all over the Cincinnati area. We looked at every area of the City all the way out to the country, from Kenwood to Fairfield, from Mason to West Chester, we looked all over.

We finally decided on Liberty Township, which is where most of my wife’s family live. At first we wanted to live some place different, we wanted to be independent and get our lives started in our own way. For almost three years we rented a town-home in Fairfield, and enjoyed every minute of it. But the thought of owning our own land and living in a nice area where we could raise kids, all roads pointed toward Liberty Township.

As my father in law has pointed out in some of his previous posts, Liberty Township does not have a police department, since it doesn’t need it. Just about everyone around here owns at least one firearm, and everyone is too proud of their self worth and their own property to even think about such a petty act as stealing from one another. Another thing about the Township is that there are no city taxes. The only drawback is that the school district constantly asks for more tax levies, but as many of you know, they are soundly defeated year after year because they already have plenty of money, and residents like my father-in-law are quick to point this out whenever the issue arises.

Liberty Township is a thriving community, full of farms and new sub divisions. We were lucky to find a slightly older home in an established area of the Township, and we now raise our spirit of 76 flag in honor of the founding fathers and their ideals. The guidance of the constitution is needed in these dark days of big government, and our house now stands as a shining symbol of rebellion and pride against the corrosive nature of over extended bureaucracy.

Even though the federal government continues to over reach, on a local level efforts in particular from the Tea Party organizations have managed to keep taxes in check, and have allowed for new shopping complexes to be designed. The new shopping complex that will be built in Liberty Township starting at the end of this year will be called Liberty Center.

What an amazing construction from the imagination Liberty Center will be. I have been to many great shopping centers all over the world, from Canary Wharf in London, to Mall of America in Minneapolis, and I can tell you, from what I’ve seen from the virtual tour, Liberty Center will be the best shopping center on the planet if it becomes anything like the video found in the link below.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130425/BIZ01/304250125/Liberty-Center-financing-likely

Living in Liberty Township suits me very well, just like driving a Jeep Patriot. I picked the car and the area to live in for a reason. Both having meaning to me in more than just an economical sense. The patriot emboldens my ideals and personality, and Liberty Township mirrors my convictions.

I was very proud working on fixing up my yard when we first moved in, and I took great pleasure in planting the tree than my in-laws had been saving for us for the last three years. While I’m watering my trees in Liberty Township, I’m always watering the tree of Liberty on this blog and my Facebook page, from your comments that are left on here each week I can see that you are too.

Internet tax – a bill passed by traitors

Make no mistake about it, I mean what I say. Those senators who voted for the new internet tax are traitors.

Unlike the majority of our US senators, I’ve actually read the constitution. In fact, I took an oath to defend it.

Article 1 Section 7, US Constitution: “All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.”

Article 1 Section 9 Clause 5, US Constitution: “No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.”

This new ‘Marketplace fairness act” will do nothing to generate revenue, but may well sound the death bell for the US economy.

You see, unlike the morons in our government, I am an entrepreneur, and I actually understand how to generate revenue, not just steal it from others through bills and taxation.

This ‘Marketplace fairness act’ will only aid in their collectivist thrust back into the stone age. And for those who think that we should be taxed for shipping products online, I have something to tell you; we already pay taxes on the revenue we generate, you utter morons. How do you think millions of small companies like mine will keep up with the thousands of state and local taxes throughout the country? Want to know? We won’t! We’ll have to shut down. Mark my words, if the house of representatives passes this bill, the US economy will founder.

The senators who voted for this bill are traitors because they have ignored their oath to defend the constitution, I bet many of them haven’t even read it. I know some geeky socialist is going to try and prove how we can be taxed like this because of the commerce clause or some other twisted piece of legislation, but I don’t care how you come up with your convoluted analogy. I take the constitution literally. I find it utterly appalling how many people support the stripping of our second amendment rights, among others. Between the gun banners, the internet tax advocates and the Obama-care supporters, this nation is doomed, unless we stand up and fight. Do yourself a favor, call your representatives and tell them to vote NO on the ‘Marketplace fairness act’! And do yourself another favor, send your representative a copy of Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’, because mark my words, if they don’t take a hint soon, Atlas will shrug!

Atlas is shrugging

Since the confirmation of Barack Obama to a second term in office, hundreds of businesses are announcing plans to lay off workers and enact a hiring freeze.

Obamacare is unsustainable, and businesses cannot afford to pay for it.

Many State’s are fed up with paying for unending federal programs, and are ready to leave the Union altogether.

To protect yourself and your family, you need knowledge, food, water, guns and ammo (to protect against looters) and a place to stay. Things may get very ugly very quickly. It is up to the individual to protect his or herself. The government cannot protect you, even FEMA is incapable of sitting through a storm.

Capitalism, free markets and liberty is the only way forward. If we can survive another four years, we might see it again. If not, anarchy (and not the good kind) will spread and you will be left to fend for yourself.

If the states are able to break from the union, and deregulate themselves, there may be hope on the horizon, and free trade will flourish spurring a renascence in the economy. But either way, we’re in for a bumpy road ahead.

Atlas is Shrugging. The best thing you can do is be prepared!

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are the same

The reason many people like myself are still pushing for Ron Paul right up until the convention is very simple. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have exactly the same viewpoint and voting record on almost every issue.

40 Points That Prove That Barack Obama And Mitt Romney Are Essentially The Same Candidate

Michael Snyder

The American Dream
Aug 16, 2012

What a depressing choice the American people are being presented with this year. We are at a point in our history where we desperately need a change of direction in the White House, and we are guaranteed that we are not going to get it.

The Democrats are running the worst president in American history, and the Republicans are running a guy who is almost a carbon copy of him. The fact that about half the country is still supporting Barack Obama shows how incredibly stupid and corrupt the American people have become. No American should have ever cast a single vote for Barack Obama for any political office under any circumstances. He should never have even been the assistant superintendent in charge of janitorial supplies, much less the president of the United States. The truth is that Barack Obama has done such a horrible job that he should immediately resign along with his entire cabinet. But instead of giving us a clear choice, the Republicans nominated the Republican that was running that was most similar to Barack Obama. In fact, I don’t think we have ever had two candidates for president that are so similar. Yes, there are a few minor differences between them, but the truth is that we are heading into Obama’s second term no matter which one of them gets elected. The mainstream media makes it sound like Obama and Romney are bitter ideological rivals but that is a giant lie. Yeah, they are slinging lots of mud at each other, but they both play for the same team and the losers are going to be the American people.

Republicans are being told that they have “no choice” but to vote for Romney because otherwise they will get another four years of Obama.

This “lesser of two evils” theme comes out every four years. We are told that we “must” vote for a horrible candidate because the other guy is even worse.

Well, millions of Americans are getting sick of this routine. Perhaps that is why it is being projected that as many as 90 millionAmericans of voting age will not vote this year.

Yes, Barack Obama has been so horrible as president that it is hard to put it into words.

But Mitt Romney would be just like Barack Obama.

Those that are dreaming of a major change in direction if Romney is elected are going to be bitterly, bitterly disappointed.

The following are 40 ways that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are essentially the same candidate….

1. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both supported TARP.

2. Mitt Romney supported Barack Obama’s “economic stimulus” packages.

3. Mitt Romney says that Barack Obama’s bailout of the auto industry was actually his idea.

4. Neither candidate supports immediately balancing the federal budget.

5. They both believe in big government and they both have a track record of being big spenders while in office.

6. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both fully support the Federal Reserve.

7. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are both on record as saying that the president should not question the “independence” of the Federal Reserve.

8. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have both said that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke did a good job during the last financial crisis.

9. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both felt that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke deserved to be renominated to a second term.

10. Both candidates oppose a full audit of the Federal Reserve.

11. Both candidates are on record as saying that U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has done a good job.

12. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have both been big promoters of universal health care.

13. Mitt Romney was the one who developed the plan that Obamacare was later based upon.

14. Wall Street absolutely showers both candidates with campaign contributions.

15. Neither candidate wants to eliminate the income tax or the IRS.

16. Both candidates want to keep personal income tax rates at the exact same levels for the vast majority of Americans.

17. Both candidates are “open” to the idea of imposing a Value Added Tax on the American people.

18. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both believe that the TSA is doing a great job.

19. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both supported the NDAA.

20. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both supported the renewal of the Patriot Act.

21. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both believe that the federal government should be able to indefinitely detain American citizens that are considered to be terrorists.

22. Both candidates believe that American citizens suspected of being terrorists can be killed by the president without a trial.

23. Barack Obama has not closed Guantanamo Bay like he promised to do, and Mitt Romney actually wants to double the number of prisoners held there.

24. Both candidates support the practice of “extraordinary rendition”.

25. They both support the job-killing “free trade” agenda of the global elite.

26. They both accuse each other of shipping jobs out of the country and both of them are right.

27. Both candidates are extremely soft on illegal immigration.

28. Neither candidate has any military experience. This is the first time that this has happened in a U.S. election since 1944.

29. Both candidates earned a degree from Harvard University.

30. They both believe in the theory of man-made global warming.

31. Mitt Romney has said that he will support a “cap and trade” carbon tax scheme (like the one Barack Obama wants) as longas the entire globe goes along with it.

32. Both candidates have a very long record of supporting strict gun control measures.

33. Both candidates have been pro-abortion most of their careers. Mitt Romney’s “conversion” to the pro-life cause has been questioned by many. In fact, Mitt Romney has made millions on Bain Capital’s investment in a company called “Stericycle” that incinerates aborted babies collected from family planning clinics.

34. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both believe that the Boy Scout ban on openly gay troop leaders is wrong.

35. They both believe that a “two state solution” will bring lasting peace between the Palestinians and Israel.

36. Both candidates have a history of nominating extremely liberal judges.

37. Like Barack Obama, Mitt Romney also plans to add “signing statements” to bills when he signs them into law.

38. They both have a horrible record when it comes to job creation.

39. Both candidates believe that the president has the power to take the country to war without getting the approval of the U.S. Congress.

40. Both candidates plan to continue running up more government debt even though the U.S. government is already 16 trillion dollars in debt.

We cannot see how electing another person to the white house would change anything; if their beliefs and voting records are almost exactly the same as the person they would be replacing.

Click here for another 100 points!

But the biggest reason of all, is that Ron Paul still to this day, has enough delegates to make a difference at the convention, and should be allowed to make a speech. If enough of the delagetes, including those for Mitt Romney, switch sides (remember all the delagates are unbound) then there is also a good chance to get Ron Paul the ticket and beat Obama.

Ron Paul Will Have 500 Delegates at the RNC: 10 Reasons He Should Speak at the GOP Convention

Ron Paul Will Have 500 Delegates at the RNC 10 Reasons He Should Speak at the GOP Convention

With the Republican National Committeefinally conceding the fact that Congressman Ron Paul’s name will indeed be on the ballot at the GOP convention in Tampa this August, the RNC is beginning to warm up to the Paul campaign.

There is no word yet on whether they will offer Paul a speaking slot at the convention, but if the last few days are any sign, chances may be high that Paul will be invited to the convention.

According to a recent USA Today story, the RNC and the Paul campaign “have been working closely over the past few months to work out logistics in order to include the Texas congressman and his supporters in the August convention in Tampa. ‘They’ve just treated us like a friend and like a coalition,’ said Jesse Benton, a spokesman for the Paul campaign. ‘They have been honest brokers in working with us and treated us with respect.'”

This fair treatment of the Paul campaign — and by extension, his supporters — is a welcome change from the treatment that the RNC as well as state and local GOP parties have treated them since the 2012 Iowa Caucus (and even back to 2008). It is by now well known that Paul supporters, obeying the GOP’s own rules at the delegate selection process, have been shunned, ignored, and even strongarmed for their refusal to rubber-stamp Mitt Romney.

Are the RNC and the GOP finally waking up to the significant sized dissent that is their own party? Inviting Paul to speak at the convention will likely answer that question. Only time will tell.

Here are 10 reasons why the Republicans would be foolish not to let Paul speak.

1) Delegates, Delegates, Delegates

From the media’s lack of good reporting to the sometimes confusing rules governing the delegation process, it is nearly impossible to tell exactly how many delegates Ron Paul has that will be headed to Tampa. The campaign admits that they have at least 500, though with alternates and delegates that are technically unbound, Paul could have significantly more than is reported. Even with the most conservative estimates, Paul’s delegates will play a major role at the convention.

Additionally, the Paul delegates could actually select the vice presidential pick if Romney indeed gets selected as the nominee. Much political coverage has been dedicated to the yawning “Veepstakes,” but if the RNC were to actually follow their own rules, Paul could easily be nominated VP.

With this much power, enthusiasm, and grassroots organization, a Paul-less GOP convention might cause some interesting chaos at the convention thanks to the amount of delegates Paul has. The Republicans can’t win without the support and votes of the growing libertarian wing of the party. Without proper respect shown to Paul, they will likely stay home or vote for Libertarian Governor Gary Johnson.

2) Ron Paul Will Not Endorse Mitt Romney

At nearly every debate and mainstream media interview, Paul was asked if he would endorse the eventual Republican nominee. Paul, principled and patiently, always answered in the negative. As of yesterday, he again reiterated that he would not endorse Romney, just like he didn’t endorse or vote for Senator John McCain in 2008. After all, Paul reasons, Romney agrees with little to any that Paul believes in, and an endorsement would be properly seen as a sellout to the GOP that scorns him and to the delegates and organizers that have worked so hard to push Paul this far.

Given that Paul won’t endorse Romney, a speaking nod helps mend that bridge with him and his supporters.

3) A Platform to Ignite the Party

Paul is the intellectual heart of the Tea Party and the libertarian/conservative movement that has ascended in this country in the last few years. Although the Tea Party has unfortunately been co-opted by mainstream Republicans, talking heads, and right-wing radio, Paul’s 2008 presidential run laid the groundwork for a real grassroots movement and puts actual teeth behind the rhetoric many Republicans give only lip service to.

If Paul’s eventual speech at the convention is anything like the hundreds of speeches he gave across the country in the last year, then the GOP won’t know what hit them. In the debates, Paul tended to be interrupted, asked “gotcha” questions, and at one foreign policy debate, was given 89 seconds to speak.

Without rude interruptions and all eyes on him, Paul will finally be able to address a (likely hostile) GOP crowd. And whenever he is given more than 2 minutes to speak, heads start nodding. Fellow PolicyMic columnist Allan Stevo reported that “After Ron Paul spoke in Sparks, Nevada … observers took note of Mitt Romney supporters crumpling up their Romney signs and vowing to vote for Paul. It was the first time many Republican activists had ever heard Paul speak outside of the several minutes of sound bites allotted to him during televised debates.”

Paul is the heart and soul of the grassroots and frustrated GOP, addressing the issue the party refuses to discuss, like ….

4) Actual Cuts in Spending

While the mantra of conservatives and the Republican Party has been “cutting spending” and balancing the budget, their actions haven’t exactly matched their words. Every other GOP candidates’ spendial proposals besides Paul promises to significantly increase spending, deficits, and the national debt. Romney, while uncomfortably posing as some type of fiscal conservative, promises to increase federal spending by trillions.

Paul has been warning about excessive government spending for decades, warning about billion dollar deficits in the 1980s. Now that the deficits are in the trillions, Paul’s message — and budget proposal that would cut $1 trillion and eliminate five cabinet departments — is something that needs to rub off on the Republican Party soon.

5) War and Peace

This is a crucial issue not just for the Republicans to pounce on, but for a broader appeal to the rest of the country as well. A majority of Americans want the U.S. out of Afghanistan and a reduction in foreign military intervention in general. With the Persian Gulf heating up, war in Syria a serious possibility, and President Obama waging war on an unprecedented scale, Paul’s message of peace and non-intervention helps make the GOP an actual alternative to Obama. Unfortunately, Romney doesn’t think Obama is being aggressive enough overseas, and with the possibility Obama and Romney arguing over who is the bigger warmonger, the Republicans miss a key opportunity to appeal to the growing anti-war sentiment in the country as well as cut spending and save American lives.

6) Civil Liberties

Romney has talked so little about civil liberties, I doubt he could even define what they are if asked, let alone why they are important. A Paul speech at the convention would no doubt include a firm defense of the Bill of Rights, opposition to NDAA, Bradley Manning, the PATRIOT Act, opposition to the drug war, and articulate why Republicans should value civil liberties just as much as economic liberties. This would also again be an effective strategy for the GOP to circumvent President Obama’s draconian record on civil liberties.

7) The Fed

With Paul’s “Audit the Fed” bill moving forward, now would be the most opportune time to make this a huge part of the convention. Paul’s speeches and rallies are infamous for their “End the Fed!” chants, and an understanding of the follies of central banking go hand in hand with a grasp of real, free market economics. With Paul’s help, the GOP could adopt a strong position on auditing the Federal Reserve and reversing course on decades of terrible monetary policy.

8) The Party Platform

Many libertarians and Paul supporters will scoff with cynicism at the influence that the party platform will have. Perhaps there is an element of truth to that, but in a time where it is becoming easier and easier to hound and hassle elected officials, maybe this method isn’t as hopeless as some might believe. Paul has said he wants to see the GOP adopt as part of the platform moves to audit the Federal Reserve, abolishing the Sixteenth Amendment, protection of civil liberties, etc. If the GOP does let Paul speak and addresses his very valid concerns, this forces the GOP to maybe be a little bit better on these issues than they have been in the past. Or maybe it doesn’t, and more and more people get fed up with party politics as a means for change. Either way, it’s a win-win.

9) Re-thinking Romney

While President Obama and Governor Romney bicker back and forth over tax returns and desperately trying to differentiate themselves from each other, Paul represents a synthesis of what many people already understand: that Romney and Obama are identical on any and every key issue facing America (literally 100 of them). In a similar way to what Allan Stevo reported in the article above, a chance to hear Paul speak may change the minds of people and make them actually vote for him at the convention. Seeing an authentic conservative — interested in conserving classical liberalism — and Paul’s bipartisan appeal could offer Republican voters the real thing and the GOP a political realignment for years to come.

10) Paul Deserves It

And lastly, Ron Paul deserves it. Since 1976, he has been an advocate of limited government, peace, free markets, a sound currency, and civil liberties in every step of his career as congressman, author, and even in his private practice as a doctor. He has given countless speeches on the House floor warning about the economic bubbles caused the Federal Reserve’s inflationary monetary policy and predicting the chaos and bloodshed that would result from whatever country is the fashionable target of the Administration at the time. The least the GOP — who have ignored him for decades — could do is give him 15-20 minutes to help light the last brushfires of the liberty revolution he has been instrumental in starting with a speech that would tear the roof off of the convention.

Here’s hoping the GOP lets him speak! For the sake of the party, and more importantly, the future of the country, Paul needs to be heard loud and clear.

Mitt Romney does not carry enough support with the republicans, and none from the increasing number of libertarians. If Ron Paul is not the republican nominee, Barack Obama will win a second term.

Obama Will Win

Michael S. Rozeff
lewrockwell.com
August 16, 2012

Intrade has Obama at 56.7%, down from about 59%. Romney’s more pointed attacks and choice of Ryan have coincided with this decline. Nevertheless, I feel (based on no research except general reading and knowledge) Obama will win. Meanwhile, an excellent case of insider trading can be brought against Paul Ryan. He had what is called “material nonpublic information” and acted upon it. Will the SEC do that? Ha-ha-ha.

Ron Paul was the strongest candidate for the nomination, but the Republicans chose to die instead, wedded to their habits of thought and their ingrained channels of power, influence and money. Paul could have hit Obama very hard by melding the negatives of deficits (and looming breaking of social promises) with useless foreign wars and spending into a positive program of reducing government spending while cutting taxes and taking steps to restructure the social programs and eliminate whole departments. He could have attacked Obama on the TSA and on the FED.

So we will continue the fight for Ron Paul and to restore the constitution, all the way up until the convention, to give the republicans and all the freedom loving people of this country, a chance to beat Obama and restore the republic. God speed to all those Ron Paul supporters heading to the convention, the eyes of the world will be watching you!

Debt Slavery

I’ve mentioned debt slavery a few times now throughout my blog posts, but I’ve never gone into detail about it. I think it is an important subject you should know about, since many in the developed world, keep themselves locked up in the never ending rat race without ever realizing that they’ve sealed their own fate.

Debt slavery is not hard to get into. As soon as we reach adulthood, the expected culture is to go to college and get hooked up to massive student loans. After that we are hit with a barage of credit cards. Then we have new reliable cars to pay for, and of course the life mortgage of buying a house. After all is said and done, and we have kids, we have locked ourselves into a never ending cycle of paycheck to paycheck debt repayments for the rest of our working lives. Our whole life flashes before us as we carry our debt balance from one month to the next, never really getting far ahead in life.

Of course, certain loans can be beneficial, but why does it seem mandatory that to ‘get ahead’ in life, we are required to take a loan out on everything we do?

It seems like this process of taking out loans, having more money printed, and then paying back to the same people who print our money, devalue it, and then expect us to pay back with interest, all seems like a bit of a scam. And that’s because it is. Eventually a debt based society will collapse in on itself.

In one of my previous articles I talk about the gold standard. Our standards of living slip when we print more money. A return to values will ensure that our money has value, and everything we buy will be worth more. Loans may become harder to obtain, but our money will have more value, so we will not have to become so indebted to buy everything.

Debt slavery is a plague upon society, it helps to frame the farm that we live in, and keep us all in bondage. The only good thing about it, is that it is optional. The bad thing is, that so many people take the option to carry it. Personally, I will be debt free at the end of the year, and I plan never to return to it. I’d rather live out on the street and be free, than carry debt like a slave from month to month, paycheck to paycheck.

How much better would your life be without debt?