Post on 06-Apr-2018
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Deconstructing America
The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals
By
John W. Rittinghouse, Ph.D., CISM, CRISC
i
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The very first time I was old enough to vote, I voted for Jimmy
Carter for President. I really did! I was in the Army and it was
right after the end of the Vietnam War and I had just returnedto Fort Bragg, North Carolina from a tour of duty in Southeast
Asia. At that time, I felt like Carter would make a change that
would be positive for America. He had promised America that
he would provide a new path - a new way forward for America.
Hope and change! Political keywords that I fell for then and
now, by God, it seems like were falling for it again. Now, after
learning the hard lesson with Carter, I consider myself more
conservative than liberal. I used to call myself a Republican, but
they've gone over the edge on so many issues that really don't
amount to a rats ass to me that I feel like they've strayed from
what most of America really wants. I believe in fiscal
responsibility and balanced budgets. I am not a religious
fanatic. I am not opposed to a woman's right to choose but feel
like I lean more towards pro-life. I do not believe anyone except
the mother in question should make the choice. It's easy to
spout pedantic bullshit until you have to actually live in the
shoes of the person you're judging.
I admit that in the last several elections I have voted Republican.
However, I do not believe it was because I am a party centric
voter but because the Republicans better expressed what I
expect from our government. I think most of America is looking
for responsibility in the management of our tax dollars and look
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to our politicians to make our system of government work
rather than become fixated on party sides and spouting party
demagoguery. I'm sick of the Democrats and I am sick of theRepublicans. When the Tea Party popped up, I felt like it was a
better alternative than what was available on either side of the
Republican / Democrat party lines.
Nothing is perfect in this world but, being pragmatic, most
sensible Americans make compromises every day to make it
work for them. However, that does not seem to be the case for
Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner or any of the other 532
sons of bitches in Washington. I have no respect for any of them
because all I hear from them are sound bites and snippets that
they believe I want to hear. I cannot remember the last time I
saw any politician in an interview actually answer a question
without spouting off some damn sound bite. I'm sick of hearing
carefully crafted sound bites that should sway my opinion one
way or the other.
Do they really think that we Americans are that stupid? Hell, I
am still waiting for my own Congressman, the Hon. Rep. MichaelMcCaul to grant me an appointment after 18+ months and
several phone calls. Like that will ever happen! Why the hell
would he want to hear from someone who voted for him? Silly
me. Well, fool me once
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I decided to tackle this project because I believe in our
Constitution. I served in our military for over 20 years and
retired honorably, believing that the people we elected were just as honorable and believed in it as much as I did. Looking
back, I see how nave I was in thinking that way. But, you have
to understand my position. I went into the Army when I was 17
years old and stayed in the military until I retired at the age of
38. Almost all of my adult life had been in an environment
where it didn't matter if you were a Republican or a Democrat.
It only mattered that you follow your orders and do the rightthing for your unit, your country, and yourself.
I admit, I did not vote for Barack Obama in the last election. I
firmly believe I would never vote for him knowing what I know
now and I am glad that I did not vote for him then. Never, in my
56 years, has there been so much controversy around the
United States President. Controversy from being eligible to hold
the office as a natural born citizen or from questions related to
his actually acting in the best interests of the United States
government. I think that the most humiliating time for me
suffering under his administration was when he made his
apology tour. Going to other leaders of the world andapologizing for America was the worst possible thing any man
could ever do while holding the office of the President of the
United States of America. To make matters even worse, the
singular act of contrition, an American President bowing to a
foreign king, humiliated all of us. By bending over to show greater
respect to Islam, the U.S. president belittled the power and independence of
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the United States, the Washington Times said in an editorialii. For
those things alone, the man should have been kicked out of
office.
Of course, with a Democrat-controlled House and Senate, he
had free reign to do many things that would've made our
country stronger, better and greater than it already is but he
chose not to do anything except ram an unwanted healthcare
agenda and several do-nothing stimulus bills through Congress
and make it the law of the land and claim victory for his
achievements. I can only pray that it all gets repealed as soon
as he leaves office. It is strange that in a Congress with two
parties, only one party voted completely, to a member, not to
push that health care law through.
That is not democracy and they all should be ashamed of the
way in which they "got their job done". Now, to the Hon. Rep.
Nancy Pelosi, since we the people read the damn bill, we the
people know what is in the bill, and we the people hate the
damn bill. There are parts of it that are good, to be sure. But
most of it is crap, forced upon the public and it will furtherburden America. Oh, I almost forgot we need to blame Bush
for that also! Give me a break! I fail therefore my
predecessor is to blame only works in the DC mindset. In
America, you fail because you suck at what you are doing.
Congress, you have clearly failed with a less than 10% approval
rating.
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Osama bin Laden is dead, killed during the Obama
administrations reign, mostly because President George Bush
had the determination and perseverance to endure all the
criticism of the opposing party and continue his struggle in Iraq
and Afghanistan. It is fact that President Obama was on the
watch that saw Osama deadhe succeeded because he was
smart enough to let those actions that President Bush started
continue. There is some scuttlebutt around that Leon Panettaand Hillary Clinton should have more credit for the approval of
the action after Obamas team had quashed the idea, but I
simply do not know if it is true or not. The real heroes that
deserve the credit for taking out Osama bin Laden are the
members of Seal Team 6 and their Commander.
Dont get me wrong there are some good things Obama has
done in his administration. I am sure date nights on the public
dime is easily explained away along with many vacations taken
while our nation teeters on a disastrous precipice. I decided to
write this short article to try and put some perspective on some
of the actions that this president has taken and why it is has
rocked America back on her heels and literally made her weaker
than at any point in modern history.
It is laughable that he can go out and talk about fairness while
he is dividing our nation into a class warfare state where those
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that feel they are entitled have come to demand that those who
have earned give to those who have not earned. I cannot
believe that the general populace is so dumb that they do notunderstand the distinction between income tax and investment
income. To make the comparison on the amount of taxes paid
for those that do not work but live on their investments to those
that do work and pay tax on their income is just wrong.
Let me explain why. First of all, for most Americans who live on
investment income, they have already paid tax on that money.
Now, they are paying a lower tax rate on the money that their
invested money earns, called a Capital Gains Tax. For those who
work and receive a paycheck for that work, they pay an Income
Tax which is taxed at a different rate because that money they
have earned has never been taxed before. Fair share my ass!
Fair for who? The Iranians? The North Koreans? George Soros?
Has there ever been another president in history that has had so
much controversy raised about his eligibility to hold the office?
For example, just this month, on January 11, 2011, the website
http://military.com published an article by the Agence France-Presse that referred to the citizenship status of the President of
the United Statesiii. In this article, it stated that The U.S. Supreme
Court refused Monday to take up the question of President Obama's
citizenship, which a core group of skeptics continues to challenge despite
presentation of his U.S. birth certificate. The high court, without comment,
rejected the request by Orly Taitz, a California lawyer who has emerged as a
leader of the "birther" movement of mainly rightwing protesters who
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question where Obama was born. She had asked the court to annul a federal
judge's $20,000 penalty for filing a "frivolous lawsuit" by her client, a U.S.
Soldier who refused to deploy to Iraq because she viewed the commander in
chief as illegitimate. The U.S. Constitution allows only "natural born"
Americans to be elected to the presidency. Obama was born on Aug. 4, 1961,
in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
While this lawsuit was dismissed as frivolous, it makes one think
about why a purported 36% of the American populace iv still
believe the President of the United States is not truly a natural-
born American citizen. This birther controversy, as it has
become known, continues to this day. There are urban legends
and opposing views that further propagate the question of the
citizenship status of the American President.
My question is simple - "How could someone be elevated to the
highest office in America without readily being able to show and
prove beyond any shadow of doubt their eligibility for such an
exalted office?" We can only speculate on the truth since three
years have passed since this man took the office of the
President of the United States. Whether the rumors are true or
not is really a moot point at this stage of the game. What thisreally comes down to is an issue of vetting out the candidates
much sooner in the process. As I remember it, Obama was
swept into power on a whirlwind of promises for hope and
change.
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Well, we got hope and change all right. We can only hope it gets
better in the next four years because the change we have
endured has pretty much banished all hope of enduring anotherfour years with this president. It simply has to change. If it does
not, we are destined to repeat the fate of the Romans. It has
been said that no democracy has ever survived more than 400
years. In the mid-18th-century, someone pointed out that
democracy fails when the majority believes the minority should
support them. This is being demonstrated by the 99% in the
Occupy protests that no one really understands. People areorchestrating demonstrations against successful, wealthy
people demanding a fair share when, in reality, those
orchestrating the demonstrations are being funded and backed
by an organization with far more sinister goals.
George Soros recently said The system we have now has
actually broken down, only we havent quite recognized it and so
you need to create a new one and this is the time to do it, in an
interview with the Financial Timesv. In an interview with Der
Spiegel, Soros said European-style socialism is exactly what we
need now. I am against market fundamentalism. I think this
propaganda that government involvement is always bad hasbeen very successful but also very harmful to our society.
Soros has made it clear that he supports the creation of a new
world order and that Communist China should be at the very
top of itvi.
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Soros initially founded INET, the Institute for New Economic
Thinking. INET pledged $50 million for a new Bretton Woods
conference, like the one that established the internationalfinancial architecture after World War II. Soros claims it is
needed to establish new international rulesreconstitute the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and to reform the currency
system. Soros argues that it could and should be revamped so
that American leadership would be re-established in a more
acceptable formvii.
I really dont care what George Soros thinks or how much
money he has to throw towards liberal agendas. To me it is
simple. Follow the United States Constitution! You know, that
old piece of paper forged from the blood of patriots in order to
protect our liberties and freedom. It seems to have some
footprints on it from being trampled on during the past several
years and needs to be (re)read by many in Washington DC. Its
meaning appears to be lost on those we put in the positions of
power in Congress and the Supreme Court. It is used as a tool of
convenience when it works for one side or the other. Perhaps
recalling the thoughts penned by Thomas Jefferson on
September 16, 1787 where he espoused his notion of theprinciples of good government may help. In that letter, which
was written on the very day before the delegates to the
convention in Philadelphia would endorse the Constitution of
the United States of America, Jefferson stated the following:
You ask me in your letter, what ameliorations I think necessary
in our Federal Constitution. It is now too late to answer the
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questions, and it would always have been presumptuous in me
to have done it. Your own ideas and those of the great
characters who were to be concerned with you in thesediscussions will give the law, as they ought to do, to us. My own
general idea was that the States should severally preserve their
sovereignty in whatever concerns themselves alone, and that
whatever may concern another State or any foreign nation
should be made a part of the Federal sovereignty; that the
exercise of the Federal sovereignty should be divided among
three several bodies, Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary, as theState Sovereignties are; and that some peaceable means should
be contrived for the Federal head to force compliance on the
part of the States.
State sovereignty? What have the governors of our nation been
complaining about with the Obama administration? Oh, yes!
Stop interfering with the affairs of our states and protect our
borders, as demanded by the Constitution. In Arizona, Texas,
Alabama and many other states, the question we ask is: Why is
this so difficult for Obama to understand?
Does the Constitution outline the Federal Governments role
and provide for state sovereignty? Well, in fact, it does. In
Article I, Section 8, Subsection 1 it states The Congress shall
have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and
Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence
and general Welfare of the United States ; but all Duties,
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Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United
States; and in Article 4, Section 4, it states that The United
States shall guarantee to every State in this Union aRepublican Form of Government, and shall protect each of
them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or
of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened)
against domestic Violence.
It seems to me that the bigger problem is that of education of
our citizenry on what is expected from our government. More
than half of America (those not paying any taxes) believe they
are entitled to receive benefits from Uncle Sam via those that
do pay taxes! In our Bill of Rights, nowhere can I find reference
to doling out checks for those who would not work for
entitlements. No where does it say the government will ensure
each American citizen has health care. While that is a lofty and
desirable goal to achieve, forcing it to be paid for by Americans
that work solely to benefit those that do not work is not the
right solution.
Freedom and opportunity are what make America great. It isnot our ability to be charitable or to be compelled to spread
wealth around (as many would have it) that makes America
great. That comes from the freedom to choose to help out or
not. Our personal liberty and the freedom to decide those
things for ourselves is what the Constitution and Bill of Rights
are all about. That is why so many people try to sneak into our
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country! They do it for the opportunity to make more of their
lives and have a better chance for their children. They want to
escape from a situation deemed worse by drug cartels, poverty,and myriad other woes to the safety and stability America
provides. The problem with this situation is that we do not have
a cogent means of helping them immigrate without breaking
laws and getting deported. I am 100% for allowing immigrants
into our country. My own wife came from Asia to America. As a
military wife, she studied for and obtained her citizenship all
the while holding a green card. She waited on permission toenter the US for months after her application was submitted
before she could come to this country. After she got here, she
had to fill out a card every year informing the government of her
current address until she became a naturalized citizen.
What we need is a clear path to being an American citizen for
those that wish to be here. For those here illegally, there is no
easy answer. Well, maybe it is not as difficult as it would
appear. If you have ever been a violent criminal while staying in
our country, say goodbye. You do not deserve to be here and
we do not want you. However, if you are like the majority, here
looking for an honest days pay for an honest days labor, weneed to provide a means of allowing you to stay. That does not
mean that you can stay on public assistance and get free
benefits from the states you choose to live in. It means you
support yourself, speak, read and write English, pay your own
way and agree that you and all of your dependents will be
deported if you try to get public assistance before becoming a
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citizen. You cannot vote and you cannot expect anything other
than protection provided for any other legal immigrant. We will
allow your kids to go to school but no free lunches or specialprograms for them. If you have not obtained U.S. citizenship
within a 10 year time frame, say goodbye. Thanks for visiting.
You may re-apply at the U.S. Consulate in your home country.
There may be special circumstances for some, such as being
here for 25 years or more, and we should allow them to fast-
track to citizenship. They would have five years to obtain
citizenship or say goodbye. After all, they have been here longenough to learn English, understand our American ways, and
pass a citizenship test. Immigrants who come here and want to
wave a Mexican flag and celebrate non-U.S. holidays are free to
do so under our laws and rules. Just be sure you are here
legally as stated above. Otherwise, there should be very little
tolerance for allowing you and your dependents to stay. Sound
too harsh? Fine, then go back to your country where you think
it may be better than here and wave your flag.
If you feel as I do about the direction America has taken, please
circulate this to as many readers as you can. The more people
gravitate to the idea of righting the ship and getting Americaback on course, the better our chance of making change for the
good in America. I am but a single vote and already know who I
will not be voting for in the 2012 election.
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Lets work together to try and get the right people in office
you know, those that hold the United States Constitution as the
supreme law of the land and want to have a sound fiscal policyand balanced budget. Lets quash those Americans who are
trying to create discontent and upset the long-standing
American ideals of family, God and Country. Join US!
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Endnotes
iihttp://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-state-
union-address?category=29ii
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/10/obamas-apparent-bow-
saudi-king-outrages-conservativesiiihttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-
citizenship-case.htmlivhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-
citizenship-case.htmlvMatthew Vadum, Communism-Loving George Soros Wants To Kill
Capitalism, posted 3/28/2011 onhttp://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/03/28/communism-loving-george-
soros-wants-to-kill-capitalism/vi
Ibid.vii
http://thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-america-
mainmenu-36/6895-funding-of-bretton-woods-ii-by-george-soros-exposed
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-state-union-address?category=29http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-state-union-address?category=29http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-state-union-address?category=29http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-state-union-address?category=29http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-state-union-address?category=29http://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/03/28/communism-loving-george-soros-wants-to-kill-capitalism/http://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/03/28/communism-loving-george-soros-wants-to-kill-capitalism/http://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/03/28/communism-loving-george-soros-wants-to-kill-capitalism/http://thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-america-mainmenu-36/6895-funding-of-bretton-woods-ii-by-george-soros-exposedhttp://thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-america-mainmenu-36/6895-funding-of-bretton-woods-ii-by-george-soros-exposedhttp://thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-america-mainmenu-36/6895-funding-of-bretton-woods-ii-by-george-soros-exposedhttp://thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-america-mainmenu-36/6895-funding-of-bretton-woods-ii-by-george-soros-exposedhttp://thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-america-mainmenu-36/6895-funding-of-bretton-woods-ii-by-george-soros-exposedhttp://thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-america-mainmenu-36/6895-funding-of-bretton-woods-ii-by-george-soros-exposedhttp://thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-america-mainmenu-36/6895-funding-of-bretton-woods-ii-by-george-soros-exposedhttp://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/03/28/communism-loving-george-soros-wants-to-kill-capitalism/http://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/03/28/communism-loving-george-soros-wants-to-kill-capitalism/http://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obama-citizenship-case.htmlhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-state-union-address?category=29http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-state-union-address?category=29