SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE

  I've sat here on the sidelines for a few years now as our country boils in a handful of controversial topics as immigration, transgender, election interference, profiling and the list goes on and on!  I've gone to work day after day hoping that tensions will ease and sense regained.  However, that is not to be.  Now...many of us, Blue Collar America, are hardcore party followers but more and more tend to be "SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE".  I guess that means that a lot of folks are getting tired of all the crap put out and paid for by the big parties.  So, here I am...SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, not tying myself to ANY party.   I honestly feel that I care about what is best for the people and our nation and NOT what is best for one party or another.  I also believe in term limitations as politicians that have super glued themselves in the DC scene have completely lost touch with the reality of the daily life the rest of us are toiling in from day to day.  
  So, this morning I awoke with a need to write.  To publish a few words, consequential or not, to voice the opinion of one Blue Collar Patriot.   God Bless America!

Breaking The Bank!

WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! Before you close this because you think it's some more bull shit just read!! I'm just a blue collar American that has worked his ass off since he was 13 and is about tired of the crap that is being fed to us out of our Capital. This affects all of us folks!!! In January of 2013 a possible reduction in 1 TRILLION dollars to defense spending could go into effect. Now I am to understand that this is referred to as Sequestration. With the "Super-Committee" failure to reach an agreement then Sequestration would go into effect for these AUTOMATIC cuts. Now let me tell you that I am just a normal blue collar worker from Texas and I wonder just how many Americans even understand Supper Committee's and Sequestration and even know what it means?? Just who will pay for all these Sequestration cuts? Our representatives in Congress? Not thinking that will happen. Ladies and Gentlemen, it will be US, the simple American. We are flooded with figures and numbers at the cost of defense. In 2001 our country was spending 297 billion on defense. By 2011 that had increased to 529 Billion. Wait...that does not include the cost of war. Does that mean that replacement parts and equipment are not figured into that amount? Just wondering! I think that somewhere in the amount of 1.4 TRILLION dollars have been spent in both wars since 2001. Okay, so now the wars are slowly coming to an end so we should be saving more money correct? Well, I think that depends on who you ask! See how I understand it is that the billions in defense spending that has been spent does NOT count towards how much was spent on the wars. Different pots of money. HHmmmmm!!! Whatever! It is still OUR money that is being spent! So does that mean if the wars were completely over we would spend somewhere around 1.4 Trillion in the next 10 years. Sounds logical but the bean counters that play the shell game with our money will tell you other wise. Going back to my simple roots, I have one checking account. That's it!! My mortgage, insurance, food, electric, gas, it ALL comes out of that account. There is NO hidden account to pay the bills. I cant tell my family that we have to cut the budget but not my golf because it comes from different funds. Why are we going to give Afghanistan 2.7 Billion a year? What do we get in return? Some rocks? I don't get it. Lets not even get into the Billions we give to Iraq! Heck....they dont even know what they have done with it. Like pissing in the wind. How much would we be helping our budget if we just stopped giving them a dime? Now, instead of focusing on paying the bills the big America news stations are worried whether or not good ole boy Mitt has made his tax statements public. My wife wont give a rats ass about any of this when she starts having to pay 15 to 20 percent more for groceries as is predicted. But you know, none of this crap affects our representatives in Washington. Unemployment, high grocery and electric bills. It's all about the vote! They try and convince us that they really do care, and maybe some of them do. But put their sorry ass down at your plant and have them shop for their own groceries and see what Americans are really feeling. Not some 15 minute stop where they cant wait to get back into their limo. What a bunch of crap! Truth hurts folks! We as Americans need to understand that this is a political game of chess and we are the pawns. Nothing more, nothing less. Our government cannot get off their ass and work together and the cost of Freedom will suffer. A new aircraft carrier cost 9 billion dollars. That my friends is Freedom. If we dont spend on defense then every piss ass little dog will come and crap in our yard. Who will the Republicans and Democrats blame then?

Death of a Terrorist

Well it has been about 12 days since the death of Osama Bin Laden. It will be noted in the History books as a great day for not only Americans, but for all peace loving people across the world. What extremist's fail to realize and truly understand is that this is NOT a war of Muslim versus Christianity or Muslims versus the West. This is a war of all people across the world who are tired of the constant terrorist threat to their lives and freedom. There are many religious groups across our planet. However, how many of them sew the seeds of fear and terror when another group does not agree with their beliefs? Now, I am not talking about Muslim's in general.
I am referring to the fanatical branch that teaches hatred. I just don't think that God intended hatred to be part of any gospel. Anyway, back to my point, I seen a report this evening about a "school" in the middle east not teaching the basics of reading, math or science. It's primary goal is to teach these young impressionable minds hatred of anything or anyone that did not conform to their belief. I am just not thinking that is what the Koran teaches. You might be saying, "How would he know?". You know, I am not really sure but I base my thoughts on an experience I had in the middle east. It was during evening prayer and I was sitting outside a coffee shop. While I could not understand what was being said, you could clearly hear the speakers from the mosque. A young, maybe 20's, Muslim gentleman approached and asked, "Do YOU know what is being said?" Of course I did not and he told me that it was a story of Moses at the Well. Then he turned and walked away. Why he did this I will never know. While so different, it was a link to the old testament that most Christian's are familiar with. Where is the teaching of Hatred being read? It's just NOT there, no matter how you interpret or move words around or speak them, it is just NOT there. It is being taught by fanatical zealots that dont have a true understanding of what the teaching of God's will is. Anyone who has read my post from 2008, and yes, it's still here, will see that I posted EXACTLY what in the end happened. They were hiding behind women and there was NO Gitmo or trial. The jury of the people had already decided the fate of Osama. The killing of innocent men, women and children across the globe rendered a verdict of GUILTY! Legal? Of course it was. It was the judgment and will of people across the globe. Until fanatics such as osama are eliminated then there will be no religious peace. Until then? You can count that it will be Open Season and a guilty verdict by the people.
Peace Out!

HUMMER

Yesterday I awoke to the news that Hummer would possibly be sold off! As in all the recent economic events in our country this was just another twist in the American Tale! However, if you look closer at this situation is is unsettling in the least. You see, most of us have forgotten that the original Hummer or HUMVEE is the current vehicle of choice by our armed forces. Now that said, GM is the holder of the HUMMER or civilian version of the HUMVEE. No matter who the original and continuing manufacturer, the thought that this logo or brand could be or would be sold to a foreign investor is completely incomprehensible. At what point does America stop selling itself off to foreign investors. Much less, to foreign investors that compete with us on a commercial and military level. This is a travesty to our forefathers and until we stand up and say enough....Big America will continue to sell us off! It's bad enough that when we call a customer service Rep at Time Warner we get to talk to someone that can barely speak English 6000 miles away. Where is our economic future heading too?

Unrest in Tehran

As I sit here in the relative comfort of my flat in Bahrain, I feel quite safe in my thoughts and feelings about the unrest in Tehran and the rest of Iran. I give the great shout out of "Right On" to the many voters and students of that country for standing up for their beliefs. Lets be realistic. No one, I mean no one could ever truly believe that the CURRENT President, Mr Ahmadinejad would step down from office. Face the facts, He is a former General in the Iran Revolutionary Guards who sustains a great ego by remaining in his current position. He had no intention of stepping down from office. While the uneducated may buy into his ranting and raving the educated peoples of this country know that if they are to return to the great days of Persia, then the Hard Liners and the current regime must be removed from their office of power. It is the above that keep the country of Iran well isolated from the current state of affairs in our world. For Iran to return to greatness it must be receptive to change. The current regime will not allow that to happen. This is not about religion or West versus the Muslim Nation. This is about Global Survival to the core. For every Protest or bombing in Iran, the current regime has blamed the west. Why is that so? They do this to try and turn the peoples attention away from the election and unrest and focus their hatred on "The Great Satin". How absurd! Once again...for an uneducated person might buy into this rationale but to the vast educated peoples of this country....they dont buy it. They know that the current regime is trying to stave off unrest and political turmoil. These same people also know that Ahmadinejad is a pawn in the process. It is he that controls the Army. Dont forget the threat to the citizens of this country from the Revolutionary Guard and the Ayatollah himself. It is about control and nothing else.
A protester asked "where is all the help?" I answer, it is your fellow countryman, your neighbor and your friend. That is your help. As recent events in other countries attest, the citizens of Iran must settle this on their terms. No outsider can come in attempt to change your system. So, you can protest and make your complaints known to the council and Pray that your Nation will step forward into the 21st century and mend the great divide that has been created. Rock On!!!

A Reflection From The Sandbox

While it is Memorial Day out here in the sand box and we had no fireworks, no bbq or a day off I believe there was still reflection. Reflection that after so long trying to bring change and help a struggling society, there is still a mortality rate of 1 in 5 women giving birth in some parts of Iraq. Why? Because they would rather their wife die then let a man touch them or treat them. The ideal that a nurse is considered "a loose women". Because she works at night and has to be in contact with other men. Doctors and nurses that have to have body guards at work because so many of their compatriots have been killed or just left. This is yet just one example of the struggle of an overbearing and sometimes ignorant society. So why are we here? You know....I would like to think it is for the children and the people in this society that are just trying to survive. Some of these people claiming religious laws ....I wonder just how much of it is over political power struggles.
We have lost friends, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers for them......

The Simple Times

Here I am once again trying to sort out in my mind the differences between the simple times and the easier times. Sometimes our personal reflections yearn for the times that were simple and seemingly less complicated. But were they really so? Both phases of our generation have had difficult and trying times and experiences. In our younger years we had the Cold War and today we and our children are faced with the Global War on Terror. At least during the cold war we had a clear and defined enemy that could be identified by the uniform he wore, the plane he flew or the tank that was to cross the battlefields of Europe. One, a war based on the fear of nuclear holocaust and global domination. The other, a war of deeply embedded religious beliefs. This war, while often fought out in society or out of sight has been carried out for thousands of years. Today's conflict finds our brothers and sisters and sons and daughters spread out across the desert in an often hostile environment. We have no clear vision of our enemy, no clear line if embarkation. In most cases we operate day to day wondering just who the enemy is. We know they are fanatical and hide behind their beliefs,women and little children. They spread hate and fear among their own people and are cowards afraid to come out into the light. Our brothers and sisters patrol the streets and roads wondering who will strike out at them next. Will it be the man selling the Genuine Fake Rolex, the cab driver or the woman carrying her goods to the market? Never mind that probably 98% of these people are just like you and I. They are different from us in their beliefs, tradition and religion yet they are the same. They work all day and night trying to make a living and support their family. Their children go to school, the mall, movies and play soccer. It is the few that wish to destroy their society and more. The fanatics that should not be afforded any quarter. No trial, No Gitmo, No Publicity! They are a hazard to all society whether here in the desert or at home where YOU feel so safe. Show them no quarter here or they will be in YOUR town and at YOUR market spreading their hate and destruction. The anti-war protesters and liberals at home dont understand the fear and uncertainty that our brothers and sisters face everyday. They have no clue other than office politics what it is like to not know who your enemy is. They only know that it took too long to get their precious Starbucks. So while you sit at home and debate what you consider is right and wrong, we will continue to stand in the sand and defend the innocent and the weak. We will do it before we find them at our homes. We will do it carrying the great battle flag "DON'T TREAD ON ME" in our hearts and minds. We will do it for the innocent, our wives, mothers, brothers, sisters, children and our great country. So, I sit here still filled with emotion realizing that while as subtly brutal the cold war was.....it was a simpler time. PEACE OUT!