This is not a blog based upon statistics, news or current events. This is my blog, a personal observation, question if you will, of where we are as an American Nation. I must admit, I am perplexed by our current status.

I am going to make an assumption and I know the cliché, when you “assume” you make an ass out of you and me, and yet, I’m going to make an assumption, Most folks admire American principles of innovation, personal responsibility, and my favorite, triumph. Triumph is defined by my Webster’s College Dictionary as “the act, fact, or condition of being victorious or highly successful.” Now correct me if I am wrong, but my America lauds all triumphs, from somebody kicking drugs to somebody having a great idea and making a bunch of money, regardless of circumstances. That’s our deal, right? Everything is possible in America. Just check out our American movies. I’ve watched movies where the triumph was financial, personal, even winning a football game is a traditional movie triumph. Hell, in the movie Footloose there was triumph just because the protagonist, Kevin Bacon, threw a senior prom with dancing. (I love the movie Footloose.) We laud it all, triumph, big ones and little ones. We don’t even rate them. We love them all. In our hearts we know them when we see them. We as Americans can think the biggest success, bigger than Bill Gates, is a homeless person getting it together, getting a job, a house, a spouse, maybe even children, and then having that person’s children doing even better. We high five that a glorious success. We honor it more than Bill Gates. Why? This is America, that’s why. We adore the independent accomplishment of folks. We handicap success. A guy has a lot of money, “what did he start with?” A guy works in a factory? “Do you know where he came from? Amazing he’s doing that!” See? We handicap, like in golf (which I rarely play), our judgment of success. We apply a relative analysis of success. It is about accomplishment, not status. It’s not what you have. It’s what you’ve accomplished. This is America.

Why? Because of freedom. In our country we have the freedom to succeed and the corresponding freedom to fail. This is what allows us, and more importantly inspires us, as Americans, to work hard and maybe even prosper; likely prosper if we are allowed to be free.

So what is the point here you ask. Here it is. Our country, our America, is spiraling into a degenerate quagmire of irresponsibility and dependence. That sums it up, but I’ll expand. Our government is growing. At a terrifying rate, personal responsibility is being neutered, both by influence and government control. Some things the government tells us aren’t our fault. That’s the influence. Some things, government is telling us isn’t our choice, i.e. health care; that’s the government control.

I miss my America. I miss a country where one could fail and there would be hardship rather than bail outs and finger pointing. I personally went through some of that failure, and I will tell you, it was good for me. It educated me. It hardened me. It made me stronger. I wouldn’t be where I am if not for hardship. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am thankful that life imposed upon me consequences that taught me, taught me well, and made me better.

And now, our government is sending bad messages, doing bad things to folks, bad things. Our government is behaving like a parent who spoils their children, and that never works out well. And they are doing so, being the bad parent, by punishing the good children. Our government, through taxation and redistributive wealth policies, is penalizing triumph and subsidizing failure. That never works. And I ask myself why they are doing so? Why can’t they let America be American? I am not for letting folks starve or be denied urgent care in any way. That would be insulting to my personal humanity. But I am also not for enabling. I am not for finger pointing. I am not for someone who blew off school, smoked, gained too much weight, whatever, being enabled. I believe if that person had consequences to their choices, they would improve. I believe in the individual, even the crack addict on the street. If somebody pointed the finger at a successful individual and said, “he used to be a crack addict,” I would think, “only in America.” See my point.

Do you not see what is going on here? Do you not see that the government is taking away all the ingredients, mainly the consequences of bad choices, that inspire a person to improve? To endorse the current trend of America you must, by the logical theory of transference, endorse enabling bad habits in children and rationalizing bad behavior by not imposing responsibility on the bad child but blaming some other circumstance. Everybody knows that doesn’t work. But why then do folks think that policies that would never work in a family setting will work in a nation setting? I don’t know the answer to this, other than one possibility. Our freedom, which is so great, led to such wealth, such prosperity that we got metaphorically drunk on prosperity and much like the rich family who spoils their children, we are now doing so to ourselves. We are saying, “not your fault.” We are saying, “don’t be responsible.” We are saying, “We’ll take care of you, you’re not capable.” (That last one was demeaning to those struggling but indeed we are saying it.)

We as the rich parents, America, who think we can fix things with arcane rule changes that contradict the very principles that made us rich need to step back and re-evaluate our status and our plans. We need to go back to our principles and discipline our nation accordingly. It’s cheaper and it’s right. And it’s American. History will prove this entirely true. I assure you. I’ll bet my eyes on it.

That’s my Reetzality for the day.

Thanks for the read.

Brett Reetz

As Obama’ policies cascade in popularity, as national debt sky rockets, as government take overs loom over our health care and industry, the Republicans remain effectively silent on the sidelines. The American populous is sick and tired of Washington, pick a party, but right now the angst is directed at Obama’s policies. What do the Republicans do? Not much in my opinion. They offer up objections to the massive spending while they place their own earmarks in the Omnibus spending bill. They have a vacancy sign in their policy hotel. They don’t even have a leader. Let’s face it, the Republican party has lost its way. It has strayed from the conservative and libertarian principles that made this country great. The Republican party appears to be constructing a 2010 campaign platform that goes something like this; “We don’t suck as bad as the democrats,” or maybe like this; “We are drunken sailors when it comes to spending but not as drunk as the democrats,” or maybe an honest slogan like “It’s our turn to be in charge of ruining the country.” Who knows? If the country is to be saved, the Republicans have to undergo a redemption, more of redemption than even Glenn Beck went through. Here’s what they need to do, and this agenda is not prioritized:

1. Put a flat tax in their platform.

2. Put a balanced budget amendment in their agenda with a war exception clause. Don’t worry Washington, we’re Americans. We can and will survive without you and your pork and your wet teat.

3. Outlaw, within the party, earmarks. If an earmark is worthy of federal attention, let it stand on its own, in its own bill. Period.

4. Put a term limit bill in the platform. They can grandfather themselves in so the next generation of scoundrels is only afforded a fixed amount of time to scar the country.

5. Re-invent the Department of Energy to do what its supposed to do; Get us to energy independence. Thus, build nuclear reactors, drill for oil and gas on our land, and offer tax incentives, not corporate welfare, for alternative fuel innovation.

6. Fix health care by allowing inter state competition between health insurers, tort reform, and allowing nurses and physicians assistance to provide more care. Institute policies that put health care responsibility, even for seniors, back on the backs of the people and not the government. Terminate the prescription drug plan for seniors. It’s not fair. We can’t afford it. It’s generational theft.

7. Secure the borders and deport illegal aliens.

8. Eliminate the depreciation schedules and allow business to immediately expense capital investments. Eliminate corporate taxes and treat all corporations as a sub-chapter S corporation. Thus, only individuals are taxed.

9. Put a National Right to Work Bill in the platform. Unions need to be put in check. Don’t believe me, look at the industries and geographical areas that are clothed in the union cloak. They are way bad off, because of the unions.

10. Put a line item veto bill in the platform.

11. Shut the lobbyists and special interests down by taking the money out of the equation. You want to persuade a congressman, use your ideas and not your wallet.

12. Require drug testing for recipients of welfare, food stamps, and disability.

13. Vow to shrink and simplify government, another way put, (strange phrase “another way put”) get out of our lives.

14. Stop the Cap and Trade non-sense. Global warming, climate change, call it whatever marketing term you want, don’t put an albatross around our country’s neck in the name of the green movement.

15. Clean up our rivers. Just about everybody lives near a river and most of our rivers are toxic. Folks will like cleaner rivers. It hits close to home. A clean river is a good thing. Folks can go fishing, rafting, canoeing, swimming, all kinds of things. As the late Mayor Daley said, his most intelligent statement ever, “What da’ heck could be better den a fish.”

16. No bail outs. Period. You win, you win. You lose, you lose. And I mean YOU!

If the Republican party does this, they will rule, not by power or need or fraud, but by principles. And they need to do this too; kick out the Olympia Snows and other Rinos (Republicans in name only) from the party. Better to die with your principles than to die a slow death without them. But don’t worry Mr. Michael Steele, if you take my advice your party won’t die, it will triumph. This is your time, the time to do the right thing. Don’t fail yourself. Of course, I might just be a naive idealistic who believes in doing the right thing and is ignorant to the absolute reality of government’s inherent evil. I hope not. Still, in deference to my gut feeling of government and maybe my ignorance, I still don’t let politicians on my boat.

I will tell you this Republicans. If you run on the “We suck less” platform, you will be equally culpable of ruining the greatest thing a people have ever created, America. What’s the saying? Here it is: Screw me once. Shame on you. Screw me twice. Shame on me. The people of America are sick of being ashamed by our government and its politicians.

That’s my Reetzality for the Day.

Thanks for the read.

Brett Reetz

As I study the “change” President Obama is pushing for our nation, as I fear for our future, I checked out the difference between Barack Obama and Thomas Jefferson. Here’s my comparison. I tried to use quotes to make my point. Here I go:

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government.
Thomas Jefferson

I think when you spread the wealth around it’s good for everybody.
Barack Obama

Thomas Jefferson was against wealth redistribution, Obama is for it. That’s a big fundamental difference between the two guys.

I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.
Thomas Jefferson

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson

If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and to promote their common welfare – all else is lost.
Barack Obama

Thomas Jefferson understood the danger of the nanny state. Obama embraces it. Another big difference.

Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto.
Thomas Jefferson

Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none.
Thomas Jefferson

Peace and abstinence from European interferences are our objects, and so will continue while the present order of things in America remain uninterrupted.
Thomas Jefferson

People of Berlin – people of the world – this is our moment. This is our time.
Barack Obama

Instead of having a set of policies that are equipping people for the globalization of the economy, we have policies that are accelerating the most destructive trends of the global economy. Barack Obama.

Thomas Jefferson was for American independence, Obama favors, how did he put it, “a set of policies that are equipping people for the globalization of the economy.” He seeks a world unity rather than national independence. Just check out “Cap and Trade” and his speeches on financial reform if you don’t believe me. Another big difference between these two guys.

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
Thomas Jefferson

Never spend your money before you have earned it.
Thomas Jefferson

It’s not the debt that’s most troubling. The bulk of the debt is a direct result of the President’s tax cuts, 47.4% of which went to the top 5% income bracket. Barack Obama.

Thomas Jefferson feared big government and debt, Obama likes it. He’s spending us into bankruptcy and he may already have done so. Another big difference.

Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.
Thomas Jefferson

That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves.
Thomas Jefferson

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson

O.K. This one doesn’t need an Obama quote. He doesn’t govern the least, he governs the most, inserting government into the auto industry, financial industry, energy industry, health care industry, and more, beyond any level ever experienced. Apparently he doesn’t agree with Thomas Jefferson on the role of government. That’s worrisome.

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
Thomas Jefferson

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

“Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress.’’ Barack Obama.

“…the passage of legal protection for the gun industry would mark an enormous setback for gun control advocates and for leaders of cities such as Chicago, who have filed suit against gun dealers and manufacturers.” Barack Obama.

Evidently, Obama doesn’t agree with Thomas Jefferson on this one either.

Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence.
Thomas Jefferson

This sort of sums up our Obama Future. Power has been consolidated, corruption in Washington is rampant despite the promise of “change.”

To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thomas Jefferson

O.K. Obama has the National Endowment of the Arts using federal tax dollars to fund art supporting his agenda. ACORN uses federal funds to promote his policies. He’s violating Thomas Jefferson’s warnings. Of course he is.

It is clear that Thomas Jefferson, one of our “so-called” (Obama’s words) founding fathers, had a drastically different view on our nation than Barack Obama. The difference is so drastic that there is little if any middle ground. So pick sides folks. I pick Thomas Jefferson. Of course I do.

That’s my Reetzality for the Day.

Thanks for the read.

Brett Reetz

As I evaluate the destruction of our nation, it is clear that States’ Rights might be our salvation. State’s rights are vested in the Tenth Amendment; Here’s a brief history and analysis of the current tenor of States’ Rights. This history will give you readers the knowledge necessary to follow the significance and importance of States’ Rights:

According to Resistnet.com more and more states are finding that their Constitutional Rights are being challenged by the Obama administration and are taking steps to counteract it.

Already, 9 states: Washington, New Hampshire, Arizona, Montana, Michigan,
Missouri, Oklahoma, California, and Georgia have all introduced bills and resolutions declaring sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment. 12 others: Colorado, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Alaska, Kansas, Alabama, Nevada, Maine, and Illinois are considering such measures. Of course, the citizens of each state would have to ratify the bill, just as they would have to vote to join the Union.

Several examples of the reasoning are that Christians might be considered guilty of “hate crimes” when talking about homosexuality, or the Muslim jihadist. For example, Geert Wilders, parliamentarian, is being prosecuted for “hate speech” in the Netherlands for his film “Fitna”, which exposes the Islamic mentality. Others fear that their 2nd Amendment rights will be taken away. Others may object to their tax money being used to fund abortions. Some may be medical personnel who would be forced to perform abortions under the new law, and, who may object to abortions.

In fact, the Founding Fathers included the 9th and 10th amendments to give relief to the people from an excessively over-bearing, or dictatorial government. I believe some some of the States are considering seceding because of the trillion dollar “Generational Theft Act” which is presently being debated in the Senate. As someone calculated, if one were to spend a million dollars a day from the time of Jesus’ Nativity, it would add up to a trillion dollars. So this porky package that includes, doggy playgrounds, a butterfly and turtle park and so much other pork spending is nothing more that #44’s payback to his campaign supporters.

From another perspective it is part of the Cloward-Piven Manufactured Crisis Strategy which was theorized by the Columbia University Professors Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven, to transform Democratic Capitalism into Socialism via “community organizers”. Obama was trained at Saul Alinsky’s Industrial Areas Foundation, so he may have learned of this Strategy during his years at Columbia. There are now around 40 lawsuits challenging his eligibility to be POTUSA, and, so far, no court has granted “standing”. So, if the people do not have “standing” to question who is their President, then who does?

The Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, 1791, and restates the Constitution’s principle of Federalism by providing that powers not granted to the national government nor prohibited to the states are reserved to the states and to the people. It is based on an earlier provision of the Articles of Confederation: “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.’ The 10th Amendment does not empower Congress to wage war upon those states that secede. Even though that is exactly what happened in 1860, as Jefferson Davis said “A question settled by force of arms remains forever unsettled.”

Get ready folks, States’ Rights are about to take center stage in the debate over our future.

That’s my Reetzality for the Day.

Brett Reetz

Note: This blog was largely taken from the net. I did not write the details of this blog. Honesty baby!

Thomas Jefferson, one of our premier founding fathers, would have utter contempt for Obama. Why? Obama stands in direct contradiction to Thomas Jefferson’s principles. Here are a few of Thomas Jefferson’s beliefs: “The government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves.” Thomas Jefferson. In contrast, Obama wants to greatly expand regulation of wall street, banks, health care, income, carbon emissions, agriculture, the list goes on. He and Thomas Jefferson disagree on the basic role of government. Next Thomas Jefferson belief: “The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” In direct conflict with this principle, Obama wants to redistribute wealth, raise taxes, and even cap income. He used the term “redistribute” while campaigning. He and Thomas Jefferson disagree on the principle that what you earn is yours and not for the taking by government. Another Jefferson quote: “Peace and abstinence from European interferences are our objects, and so will continue while the present order of things in America remain uninterrupted.” Obama, in his apology tour, has made a marriage proposal to Europe, replete with gift offerings of socialized medicine, wealth redistribution, apologies, and deference to their politics. Again, in direct conflict with Jeffersonian principles. Want another Jeffersonian Principle: “It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.” Obama’s budget, and a load of previous leaders, have absolutely burdened our future generations with our debt. Nobody has done it so much as Obama. Another Jeffersonian principle: “My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.” Again, our man Obama disagrees. Obama is expanding the government like a hot air balloon.

To further expose Obama as an anti-American, anti-Jeffersonian, here are more Thomas Jefferson quotes:

“Never spend money before you have earned it.” Thomas Jefferson.

“I own that I am not a friend of a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.” Thomas Jefferson.

“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of people under the pretense of taking care of them.” Thomas Jefferson.

“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.” Thomas Jefferson.

“Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories.” Thomas Jefferson.

“Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operation, perverted into tyranny.” Thomas Jefferson.

“A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned-this is the sum of good government.” Thomas Jefferson.

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” Thomas Jefferson.

“Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto.” Thomas Jefferson.

“Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.” Thomas Jefferson.

“We may consider each generation as a distinct nation, with a right, by the will of its majority, to bind themselves, but none to bind the succeeding generation, more than the inhabitants of another country.” Thomas Jefferson.

These are the principles of Thomas Jefferson, a founder of the greatest most noble nation to ever exist. Our current president fundamentally opposes these so very American principles. Don’t worry? I think not. It is time to worry. Obama gives us sound bites on an almost daily basis to confirm his contempt for that which made us great, for our very core, our nation’s soul.

Here’s another fitting quote of Thomas Jefferson: “Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.” This quote fits Obama perfectly. He is rotten to the core, smoothly packaged, but rotten all the same. Look to his positions, his votes, his friends, his mentors, his words, and now you can look to Thomas Jefferson as well. Thomas Jefferson said this too: “Power is not alluring to pure minds.” He said this too: “Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence.”

God Bless America and be confident that Obama will fail. He is nothing compared to our god given rights, our principles, our very souls; nothing at all.

That’s my Reetzality for the Day.

Brett Reetz