I for one would like to know why our President cannot commit to sending the troops we need to win the war in Afghanistan. This shouldn’t be a subject up for debate – it doesn’t take a whole lot of intelligence to figure out that this is not a war we should just walk away from. We are seeing a lack of courage in Washington that is frightening! What happened to the politicians we used to be able to trust with our National Security? What happened to the Ronald Regan’s of our country?? Have we no one left that will stand up to the evils outside our borders and call them out for the cowards that they are? It is cowardice and fear on the part of our leaders that will lose us this war and empower the enemy.
They tell us that they don't want to risk any more American lives; but what they forget is that no significant battle against evil and tyranny was ever won without significant sacrifice (from soldiers and civilians alike). Our soldiers and their families know this, and are willing to take the risk to retain the freedoms we all enjoy for their children, and their children’s children. What would have happened to us if George Washington, after the terrible winter at Valley Forge, had told our forefathers that he was concerned the sacrifice might be too great and that they ought to consider pulling out? Where would we be? Imagine that for a moment…
Also consider where we might be without the aid from France during this same war. Europe now, is falling on its knees, backing away from our current conflict at an alarming rate. The leaders of today around the world have become cowards to the will of the minority, choosing temporary reprieve over future security.
The terrorists aren’t going anywhere. Are there those among us that actually believe that America herself is too great to fall? Do they believe that we can walk away from Afghanistan because we have the FBI and the CIA to make sure 9/11 doesn’t happen again? THEY ARE WRONG! Walking away sends the message that we can be defeated. We can rest assured that by walking away we ensure another 9/11. Al Qaeda will not be content with their win or our shame. They will not even be content with the entire non-Muslim world’s fear of them. They want our destruction, our complete annihilation. They feel the same way towards us as Iran does toward Israel. Compliance to demands would not be enough. They will not be satisfied until we are gone. We have to make a decision and make it now. Waiting will only cost more lives. While leaders in Washington take polls to decide what they should do, our young men and women are dying simply from lack of support.
One more thing to consider – women and children (‘civilians’) have always played a significant role in conflict and have often given their lives as well in defense of their families, their freedoms, and their lands. Horrifically, Al Qaeda is intentionally using their women and children as shields, but we cannot change that. We cannot change the horrific nature of the war games they choose to play. They won’t stop doing that because we’ve asked them to play fair in the sandbox - they are cowards. They know that it pains us to hurt the innocent and they use our compassion against us. They will not stop doing this because it works. We cannot save these women and children, but we can exact swift and just vengeance upon the heads of their murderers and end this conflict swiftly – thereby saving as many lives as we can.
Mr. President, stand up for our future and finish this war!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Idiots Guide to Paying Taxes
This little story about beer drinkers explains a lot about taxes -
(by David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.Professor of Economics, University of Georgia)
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers, he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share'? They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before and the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. 'I only got a dollar out of the $20', declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got $10!' 'Yeah, that's right', exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I'. 'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!' 'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
(by David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.Professor of Economics, University of Georgia)
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers, he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share'? They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before and the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. 'I only got a dollar out of the $20', declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got $10!' 'Yeah, that's right', exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I'. 'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!' 'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
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