New American Socialism--it's a Red and Blue issue

Friends,

If you listen to what we now call "news" in America, with the various pundits and talking heads all espousing their opinions as "news", chances are you will hear about why we are in the economic state we are in.

The Occupy folks, the no more taxes folks, the tax the rich folks, the outrageous government spending folks, the unfair economic policy folks, the Socialists, Marxists, Capitalists, etc. It makes it difficult for a regular citizen to figure out who really is at fault when it comes to the state of our economy.

So, who is to blame? Yes...they all are.

At least according to the authors of this essay.


You may have opinions about the source of the essay, but I found it to be pretty compelling on all sides. It's pretty direct in poking a finger in the chest of Socialists and Capitalists, Republicans and Democrats. From the essay:

We have lost our sense of honor, humility, and the dedication to personal responsibility that, for more than 200 years, made our country the greatest hope for mankind. I want to detail some of the factors that gave rise to the current entitlement society. We have become a country of people who believe their well-being is someone else's responsibility.

Folks, we have got to get our house in order. Yes, this does have to do with individual Values...and National Character. We've lost it. Plain and simple we've allowed our own desires and self interests to separate ourselves from the greatness that is the United States.

All I can say is, God bless the 2nd Amendment and those who exercise that right. Read the essay...you'll understand.

What kind of Army do you want?

This academic paper makes interesting work of the questions surrounding the developement of a "Warrior Class" that may be forming within the U.S. military. It's an academic work, so if you're going to read it, set aside about 30 minutes in your schedule.

However, it makes for an interesting read. The conclusion summation makes the point that we (the big "we", as in Americans) need to think about the kind of military we want to have defending us. Right now the military seems to be trending towards a self-selecting group of citizens, influenced by heritage and familial ties, who have born the burden of defending the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. The latest numbers I've seen bandied about was something like <1% of American citizens have servied in the Armed Forces. Our experience as Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines is foreign to most Americans.

Is that good? Is it bad? The author makes some conclusions about it, and offers some recommendations in how to "fix" the possible problem.

Good food for thought...

A Question of Legitimacy