Retirement

Perhaps France's greatest novelist, Victor Hugo, was right when he said, “no army can stop an idea whose time has come.” Socialist, liberal France is in the pangs of demonstrations and protesters, greatest since 1995, about raising the age for retirement from age 60 to age 62. As in Greece, where the people do not want to work either, most French always bragged about their early retirement when talking with them. My question was always, no matter who or where, why retire when you are perfectly able to work? Those who live the longest, those who are happiest, who contribute most to society, are those who continue to work long past retirement age.

Bankrupt America, looking everywhere for solving economic problems, will raise Americans retirement age to age 69. It was only with the advent of Social Security and other FDR sociological experimentation that the word “retirement” came into the lexicon. Until 1930, there was no such thing as retirement, people worked as long as they desired, the government did not interfere with their freedom about anything. Financially, some people have always been able to quit work early, work only when they want to. Like everything else Christian America, a matter of free will.

During WWII, many teachers both on the public school and college level came out of retirement to resume teaching, these were the greatest teachers I ever knew. When an old teacher or professor entered the room, you felt that a library was present. They had already forgotten more than most young teachers knew.

The greatest pastors and preachers in the world, kept busy in the pulpit until they were hauled away to die. The young ones might be able to talk faster, but old preachers and pastors were filled with knowledge and memory which the young ones could not approach. In professional schools, you always want age, not youth. I do not want a surgeon to cut on me, unless he is so old he can barely hold the scalpel, then I know he has been there before, he knows what he is doing. I'd rather have an old doctor with a stethoscope, then all the X-rays, MRIs and computer print-outs.

Government is responsible for the retirement craze, an enlistment sweetener for those filling military ranks, retirement, after 20 years service, with a “check for the rest of your life.” My first social function as a young army officer, a retirement party for a officer of field rank. He said, “just keep breathing, and you can retire too.” So it is with academia, so it is with civil service jobs. It is usually the second career, after military retirement, which is most rewarding, in the early years of civil service, government jobs were not that great. Now, government workers make an average of double that of the private sector. According to the Heritage Foundation, taxpayers would save $47 billion if federal workers were paid at the same rate as private sector employees.

A working man, a securities broker, who occasionally takes off an afternoon for golf, told me recently, “with the hundreds of golf courses in this area, it is almost impossible to get on one because of the early retirement of government workers, military sorts, preachers, teachers, bankers, and just about everyone who now retires when they are still capable of working.” He said, “I never knew there were so many retired preachers, don't they realize there are many souls out there, young and old, which they should be pursuing instead of a small, white ball. “ In the living of life, you store up a treasure trove of knowledge and memories, valuable beyond words to express, too often, because of the inflictions of disease, such knowledge goes to the grave too soon. But for those still in adequate health, such knowledge-experience should be available.

One wonderful lady I knew in my church, had worked in a large department store her entire life, she was one of their greatest business assets. It was time for her to retire, she did not particularly want to sit around home. The store owner said, “you keep coming to the store. You will get your retirement pay, plus. I want you there just to greet our customers. To give you expertise when it is needed. You are worth more in this business now, than ever before in your life.” At my own father's funeral, one of the several preachers said, “when he had his stroke and death, he was picking peaches off trees which he had planted.”

Now, as you get older, age takes its toll. If you have been resourceful and successful, you no longer have to meet schedules, routines, deadlines. Enjoy the luxury, afforded by age, but I believe everyone is better off to stay involved, to stay productive, to keep making contributions of time, talent, treasure to family, church, community. Hobbies are good, families are better, God's work is best, but it is only the busy mind that gives contentment.

A few years ago, I spoke at a large religious conference, one of the speakers said, “recently, I had the name taken off the face of my watch. Instead, 'the night cometh' (John 9:4)” The night cometh when our work time will be over.

Fumes of Enlightenment

#661

Not from the fumes of others exhaust but from a long day of work as an accountant, dealing with the tax forms of clients, hard working, God fearing, patriotic citizens voluntarily giving their privacy and the little profits they have left to the tax man. The tax man, IRS, under the supervision of the Secretary of the Treasury, a tax cheat himself and the Secretary of the Treasury (Tim Geithner) under the direction of the House Ways and Means Committee who's Chairman (Rep Charles Rangel) is also a tax cheat.

Driving down the highway, a highway built with tax bonds that have never been paid, gas in his car for which he is still making payments, expensive gas of which 48.6 cents on each gallon is tax, to get to work, plus license tags for his car, inspection fees, permits, vehicle property tax, automobile insurance, registration fees, parking fees, just to be able to get to work to make money in order to pay tax. He first passes the local liquor store where the manager and his son, his assistant, make a total of ½ million dollars a year in salaries, bonuses, retirement, just to manage 29 employees. Employees, who are employed because they are political hacks of the local political party. Liquor, which is taxed more than 50% of it's wholesale cost.

He next passes a restaurant … where he and his family cannot afford to eat. At this time of day, it is “happy hour”. The parking lot is full of government vehicles, driven at tax payer's expense by the bureaucrats and politicians on the inside … whooping it up, soaking it up, making all the advances towards one another which will ensure their re-election, continued employment and promotion. They can deduct the money there are paying there for liquor and food because it is a business expense to them.

A new car passes him, this driver evidently, at tax payer bail out, changed a clunker which he could not pay for, for a new car, government subsidized $4500, which now he cannot make payments on. Showing the conservatism of the government, his old car was destroyed.

Next, he passes a local church, a more or less country club with a steeple. Most members have just rolled over and now are playing dead. Like the Atheist, not satisfied to just be indifferent, just want to win an argument against spirituality. Today's church goer, more interested in changing God than God changing them. If all the members of this church were on welfare, and each tithed, the church would receive more money than in present given practices. If dead people could only talk, church people would learn so much. They would learn, that the hymn book in their hand, as they lied to God, they were only fooling themselves instead of trusting God.

He now passes a school, where everything is taught except the essentials, including the surge in Atheism. Wall to wall sexuality, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual and tri-sexual … try anything, if it feels good, do it, today's preparatory courses for popularity. The schools have a homosexual agenda beyond compare. One teacher said recently, “I believe half the teachers in my school are homosexual”. With new legislation sponsored by Representative Barney Frank and his fiends, the homosexual teacher can now go to school dressed in “drag”. Christian values and family values were discarded long ago by the school system. In 1963, prayer was thrown out of the school and police officers began their patrol.

He next passes a housing project. 50% of American citizens do not pay any income tax, and most live in tax subsidized housing. In this housing project, next to the school, four registered sex offenders live in Section 8 housing, their living subsidized totally by tax payers … even to food stamps and utilities. Single mothers live in most of these subsidized apartments. 40% of all children live in homes without a father … 70% of all black children. But, this is good since these children are alive, 50% of all black babies are aborted and killed.

Our accountant finally reaches home, a house which is mortgaged, furnished with furniture which he is buying on payments. He greets his wife who has arrived home from work ahead of him. Both are still trying to repay their college loans. They have been able to afford one child who sits at the table waiting for her parents to join her for supper. This child, like every child born today, owes the government $48,000 at birth. Mother had stopped at the grocery store with some coupons she clipped from the paper and squeezed from the internet in order to buy some supper. Besides the mortgage, increased ad valorem taxes, increased homeowners insurance and increased utility bills. Groceries are the last thing to be purchased.

This American male, enlightened by the fumes of his homeward bound drive then asks God to bless their food. He thinks, only by the mercy of a gracious and abundant, sovereign creator can he and his family survive this present enslavement.

Sobriety Day And Silence Day

#555

For the four years, I was a hard working student at the University of Memphis health care units in Memphis, Tennessee, I was a member of the great Bellvue Baptist Church. The great preacher Dr. Robert E. Lee was pastor at that time. Before the age of mega churches, this church was the largest church East of the Mississippi river. For my entire life, other than the fact that I met and married my son's mother there, the greatest of that church will be an inspiration. Dr. Lee preached his sermon, “Payday Someday” all over the world. 89% of the the America population say they believe in a final judgment. This is surprising when only 78% believe in God. Any way you put it, each day is important, it is all you have, yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and we often wonder what each new day will bring.

Tomorrow, is April 15th, sobriety day, when you bring into reality how much you owe your government and April 16th is silence day, when you bring into reality how much your world has changed. I often tell taxpayers, to write on a piece of paper just what they get from their government. You can write on a very small piece of paper how much you get compared to how much you pay. The trouble is, 50% of the population pay no income tax at all...rather, they get money from the government for not paying taxes, an economic readjustment procedure...or as President Obama has said, “spreading the wealth”.

In this time of double digit unemployment, unemployment among minorities exceeding 25%, the 50% of the population who pay the income taxes, which amounts to about 1 trillion dollars to the US budget, the real estate owners, the real capitalists, opportunists, responsible patriots of this democracy, those who went to school, studied hard, worked hard, behaved themselves, lived responsible lives, assume the risk of investment, proud to serve their country in uniform, reared responsible children...are left to bear the burden for half the population. These are the citizens who vote but they are out voted by those who have their nose in the government trough who are riding in the wagon of state instead of helping push and pull the wagon of state. It is the unproductive parasite citizen, who sucks out the very blood-life of our nationalism. Those at the TEA parties, those in real churches, those in the uniforms of police, fire fighters, nurses, armed forces, are getting tired of sweating while their less fortunate and more flatulent fellow citizens relax and are “at ease and Zion”, resting behind cell walls (it costs 80 dollars a day for each prisoner in the local prison) wearing out their “Lazy Boy” in front of the television enjoying “fisticuffs” at the gym or Tom Foolery at the local Starbucks.

Enough is enough, and finally the tax paying citizens have awakened. We cannot out vote them. While we are working, they are actively conspiring against us. Like the great “ACORN organizer” in the White House, these doldrums of radicalism are just thinking up new ways to pirate our tax dollars. The pirates of Somalia, the drug addicts of Mexico, openly and unashamed are immoral. Social scientists and academics...even some liberal religionists...have given a symbolic verisimilitude of decency to the captors of our democracy.

On April 16th, we have a day of silence. The Day of Silence is the Gay, Lesbian and Straight's (GLSEN) annual day of action to protest the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students and their supporters. Students take a day-long vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of LGBT students and their supporters. The Day of Silence has been held each year in April since 1996. The event takes place at college, high school, and middle school campuses. In some cases there are elementary school participants. On the appointed day, students maintain verbal silence either for the entire day or a portion of the day, such as during the lunch break.
During their period of silence, participating students may hand out printed cards explaining the nature of their protest. This may be supplemented by additional texts or images. Some school organizers also create or purchase pins or stickers to put on lockers and t-shirts. Others dress in all black, with rainbow ribbons or gags to emphasize the cause and their presence. Also if allowed, special announcements during the day allow the event to be recognized by the school. Ideally, the silence ends with a "breaking the silence" event in which students participate in activism and education.
Just as the early heterosexual and homesexual suggestive "pornographic" magazines were the early sunbathing peridodicals, then came Play Boy, Play Girl, Penthouse etc. The time when suspected gays and lesbians were mostly in the arts and music classes, topsy turvy, it is the gay agenda to manipulate and monoplozize even into the elementary school, the most sensative area of a child's life, the ptivacy and sensitivity of sex, masculine and feminine identity. It is cruelty beyond belief as with the plight of the taxpayer, those who would destroy our nation, our way of life, our children, must first make us mad. Are you mad enough to do something about this decadence and enslavement?

Read My Lips

Next to his son, George W. Bush, the 43rd President, the most unpopular president in the past 100 years, was George H. W. Bush, 41st president. Twenty-one years ago today, the elder Bush spoke at the Republican National Convention on August 18th, 1988, when he made the famous statement “read my lips: no new taxes,” which haunted him his entire presidency and cost him the election when he ran against Bill Clinton. The other damning statement made by President Bush was to a session of congress, March 6th, 1991 in which for the first time this writer, like the rest of the world, heard this statement, “Now, we can see a new world coming into view. A world in which there is the very real prospect of a new world order.“ Since that time, through the actions of the impeached President Clinton, and the most unpopular president ever, George W. Bush, we have seen and heard the insanity of a new world order.

Because of his liberal opposition, the conservatives came together to elect twice George W. Bush. He was supported not only by Christian conservatives, but the secular, conservative business community and the world. There are 1500 Christian radio stations in the US. The programs and talk shows supported President Bush but towards the end of his second term, his name was never mentioned anywhere. He was an embarrassment because of his ineptness, but particularly because the Republicans had certainly found that he was neither conservative nor Christian.

WE SERVE WHAT WE FEAR. It should be of concern to politicians that the citizenry so fear their government that the time of patriotism is long gone. Like his son, conservatives have never forgiven the first President Bush for the extra misery added to their lives through taxation. The American people are already slaves but have not realized it. You think you own your house, but try not paying your taxes on your house, your car, your furniture, etc. and see what happens. You think you own your chicken house full of chickens, but try not paying the taxes on your chicken house or your store building full of merchandise and see what happens. A license or permit is required for everything you do. Inspections have become just a way of life, whether trying to travel by plane, or vehicle ownership. If you are licensed to practice a certain profession, you must take post graduate courses, pay for privileged license and have all your records available for government inspection. Through the tax system, local, state, federal, the government knows more about your business than you do.

New farm legislation requires that all food products be inspected and controlled mostly at the farm level. Farm animals must be available for inspection by government at all times. Records involving inoculations, even feed quality must be available. Domestic animals cannot be allowed to come in contact with animals that are for sale, (dogs and cats).

The construction industry has become a nightmare of inspections, record-keeping and employee supervision. To every element of construction there is an inspection and a tax involving a permit of some sort. Anything electrical beyond a 6 foot extension cord, requires a permit and licensed electrician and inspection. Commander in Chief, Obama, who has probably never fired a BB gun, has taken over the automobile industry, the banking industry, the insurance industry, and now wishes to take over the health care of the American population. Choice has always been a favorite word with Democrats. We believe in choice involving the birth of a child, but we do not believe in choice when it comes to a voucher for attendance for a private school instead of the useless public school. They do not believe in choice when it comes to investing part of your Social Security tax. There is no choice involving the country's largest minority, (estimated 31.4 %) the disabled. The disabled are expected to pay taxes like everyone else. But you find very few disabled people (crippled, blind, deaf, etc.) in tax-supported parks, concert halls, libraries and jails. All of my employees, and most of my friends, home-school their children in order that their children will get a responsible education, discipline and stay as detached as possible from the chaos in the public schools; but, they get no exemption and pay the same tax as everyone else. My only child, my two grandchildren, never went to a public school because they were loved too much; and we wanted them to have a good education, divorced from the chaos of the public schools. But, even though I give many thousands of dollars in scholarships and awards, I pay the same tax as everyone else for the mediocrity existing in the public school system.

Like NAFTA, Obama-care will be put on the fast track and before you know it, (“Read My Lips”) you will find your most sacred choice outside your church, your health care, under the total supervision of government. Like Medicare and Medicaid (both bankrupt), like Social Security (bankrupt), like the postal service (I think it is bankrupt, too.) like law enforcement, Social Services, public schools and public colleges, Veterans Administration, all under government control, with the accompanying problems of corruption and deceit. Through the firewalls, hackers have obtained financial information on 130 million Americans. The CIA and other law enforcement admit it is impossible to keep drugs out of the prison system.

Three times in my life, I have traveled through Afghanistan. I was “slipped” into Banyan, Afghanistan, while the Russians occupied, to see the great standing Buddhas before they were destroyed by the Taliban. My first time in the Khyber Pass, I saw a camel train come through as it would have 2000 years ago. There was a large sign displaying the British insignias of military legions which had fought in this part of the world just as Russia lost a war here. And, today, a country that does not own one plane, one tank, has no organized military forces continues to win a war against USA and NATO troops which has gone on now for 8 years. And we are losing more troops and treasure now than ever before. In the Hindu Kush mountains (the most horrific mountain range in the world) and even on the plains of western areas of the country around Kabul, where the tribes people still travel by donkey, huge US armored vehicles move around in military style unable to control anything, not even the largest opium market in the world. The 2000 mile Afghanistan-Pakistan border and the 900 mile Afghanistan-Iran border are places of intrigue and terrorist activity which can keep democracies fighting there, stymied for many years to come. Mr. Obama, who knows more about voodoo than he does about military exercises, is doing exactly what he criticized when running for the presidency, sending more American troops into the turmoil.

Recently, a young man killed his father by stabbing him 40 times. He said, “He just would not die.” In spite of politicians trying to kill our country, we just will not die. Politics (poly-ticks) which means many ticks, applies to our situation. Several big ticks on a dog, will suck out all of it's blood and kill the animal. This is what we are facing as a nation, discouraged, bankrupt, and disillusioned. The first time faithfulness is found in God's Word, is in I Samuel 26:23,
The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed. Moreso than any other time in the history of this republic, we face challenges from outside our borders and from inside our country. It is time for faithfulness. One man plus God anytime anywhere, is a majority. We do what we do because we believe what we believe. We believe in faithfulness to God, family and country. Five times, in the New Testament, Jesus said, “Be of good cheer.” These are the only times these words were used. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Blood out of a Turnip

Phyllis Diller, one of America's great wits and a woman much smarter than she appeared, said one time, “Why go to bed mad when you can stay up and fight?” As a doctor, of some reputation, I would advise everyone to get a good nights sleep. I know of nothing that will prolong life, prolong good health, more than rest; getting sleep. When you have nothing else to do, take a nap. It will prolong your life and keep you out of the doctor's office.

There are things that we should get mad about, that we should become filled with righteous indignation, such as what is happening to the most blessed country in the history of man. As a veteran, as one who has known the martyrdom of many of our finest, for this country, it frightens me that there is so little patriotism left. Most of us, can find much more wrong with this country than what is right with the country. Most young people, have no love or devotion for this country at all. Thank God, we still have some willing to fill the military ranks, willing to stay submerged for weeks at a time in submarines, willing to risk everything in landing jet planes on ships in the middle of the ocean, willing to fight for fellow human beings (such as in Iraq and Afghanistan) when it is almost impossible to tell one enemy from another enemy.

Young men and women, every skin color, from every crossroads in the fruited plains, who knows a certain percentage of their number will be killed, and an even larger percentage of their number will be forever wounded, either in body or spirit. It is no secret that a nation, which at one time cared for their own, now treats the Veteran as any other disabled citizen with socialized health care and food stamps. Socialized health care is wonderful, VA health care is wonderful, JUST DON'T GET SICK, DON'T HAVE A NEED FOR IT! Much of the dilemma in the liberal media, the Marxist academia, the bailed out conglomerates, even the public school system, where police patrolling the hallways replaced prayer in the classroom, is a direct result of politicians enamored with their positions, pre-embalmed with the drugs of the lobbyist party-givers, and insulated from the realities of the people they swore to protect and defend.

Much of it starts from the lying and hypocrisy at the very top. “I like Ike” was fine for this great commanding General until we found he had lied about the U2 spy plane and found that Gary Powers, who was supposed to kill himself rather than be captured, did not want to die; the Russians made a fool out of the lying President Eisenhower. Attending the Republican National Convention, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco in 1964, this poor veteran stayed at a low priced hotel (Mark Twain) but a ranking General came by to pick me up each day and he said, “Goldwater will probably put us in Vietnam, but Lyndon Johnson will put us there much quicker.” And so it was. We have 58,000 dead to prove the lies of Vietnam. The older Bush said, “Read my lips”, but he went down in flames (much like the plane from which he was rescued in the Pacific) and has lived to see that each time his son moved his lips, there were lies. (It is reported that George and Laura Bush will get 10 million for their memoirs)

Bill Clinton, in front of God and everyone, said, “I did not have sex with that woman.” When impeached, when we saw Monica Lewinsky testifying in the well of the US Senate. Those of us stumbling around as disabled veterans, were left to wonder, “Is this our country?!”

Add all these lies of past Presidents, past Congressional Leaders, past state and local wannabe slave masters, with their promises and their desire to live like the 'rich and famous'. Multiply all these lies by 10 to the 20th power and you will begin to get an idea of what we now face as a nation from the present lying administration and lying Congress. A baby born in the local hospital this very morning, is in debt to the federal government alone for $250k. This says nothing of the debts of the state, county and city. The Energy Trade Bill passed this week, 1300 pages, most of it never read by those who voted for it, a bill which establishes parameters for the living of every breathing American, is beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Even 40 Democrats could not vote for it, but, 8 coward Republicans, who could have prevented its passage, did vote for it, including, to the disappointment of every Christian in this nation, Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey. This former Democrat, president of the New Jersey Right to Life Committee, now an embarrassment to every Catholic, has with this action, insulted every Christian who thought he was on their side, and believed that he was on God's side. It is these traitors to our country, Chris Smith, Mark Sanford, Allen Stanford and Bernie Madoff, who make Judas appear righteous. It is the political appointee regulators, those who should be given 'oversight', those who put party or race as the idols in their deception which are bringing slow but sure disaster to this republic.

Over 50% of our citizens do not pay income tax at all. The others, unless filthy rich from inheritance, can not begin to pay the bills due. The $134 billion in questionable bonds, (these caught, how many not caught?) the nervousness of our creditors (China, Japan, Middle Eastern countries) would shake the very foundation of Washington or Wall Street if the regulators and political appointees were not too busy having a good time.

I live in the 'old' historic district of my city. Many tourists are on the streets, admiring the old houses. There are some very fine, expensive restaurants in the area (Elijahs, Pilot House, Reel Cafe, etc.) I have never eaten at one of these restaurants, I can not afford to do so. But, I have asked employees who work in these places, “I can not afford to eat in your restaurant, please tell me who does?” Every time I get the same answer, “Political officials and government employees.” You see, our government has about squeezed every tax they can get out of us. For most of us, there is not much left. YOU CAN NOT GET BLOOD OUT OF A TURNIP.