The Leading Cause of Poverty Today? The Abandonment of Freedom!

We continuously hear over and over again that the leading cause of poverty in America today is a lack of regulations, inadequate taxation, underfunded budgets, "privatized" health care, and the free market system itself. Capitalism is blamed for the over-concentration of power and wealth into hands that belong to the richest of the rich. All of our troubles are claimed to have been caused by the system that brought us more freedom and prosperity than any other nation on earth. My friends, the leading cause of poverty in America today is not capitalism - it is our departure from that system and our inability to preserve the principles upon which our nation was founded.

At the root of the problem is the central banking system that we adopted in 1913 under President Theodore Roosevelt and then advanced further under President Woodrow Wilson. Both of these men were power-hungry globalists whose policies triggered a "need" for an elastic currency. When government bureaucrats propose budgets that are too expensive, taxes that are too high, or regulations that are too burdensome, the Federal Reserve is given the encouragement to expand credit and print money endlessly without a care in the world that the creation of the money itself is entirely artificial. It is created out of thin air.

Before the Federal Reserve, the government had to spend within its means. However, if we continue with a centralized monetary policy, the government will continue to spend and expand without limit. Poverty becomes a very difficult issue to deal with. Politicians, in turn, propose massive taxpayer-funded welfare programs that only drive up inflation, which is not only an increase in the money supply, but also a way of taxing the poor more than any legislative tax could do. When an inflationary policy is endlessly continued in infinite cycles, prices rise, wages go down, and it becomes more expensive for employers to hire people. The dollar is depreciated, and we get less bang for our buck. Poverty programs only make poverty worse.

Never has America been more riddled with useless wars and foreign entanglements than in the past several decades. If it wasn't for the Federal Reserve, the government would not be able to declare wars on other nations without a care in the world what it would do to our national debt and the economic well-being of our citizens. Recently, President Obama confirmed a troop surge of 30,000 men and women into Afghanistan. It's as if he is taking a page right out of the Bush playbook. This was the man who was supposed to be anti-war, the man who everyone thought believed in peace and nonaggression. His supporters continue to make excuses for him, but there is no excuse for sending tens of thousands of troops into a country that should have been left by Americans a long time ago. If you are anti-war, there is no excuse for the actions that were taken by President Obama, so stop making excuses for him. Does anyone else regret that we did not elect Congressman Ron Paul for president?

These wars pose a threat to our security, our economic well-being, and our civil liberties. It gives the totalitarian dictators in Washington the ability to take away our right to privacy and free speech in the name of what they determine is our "national security." When you give up liberty for security, you lose both. The real threat to our security today is the imperialistic power structure that consists of the U.S. government, the corporations preferred by bureaucrats, and the dictatorial Federal Reserve that controls almost every aspect of our economy. We are sinking deeper and deeper into the realms of fascism, and that is not something our Founding Fathers would have been proud of. We must do everything we can to fight for our lives and for our freedoms. We need to return to limited government, low budgets, low taxes, a noninterventionist foreign policy, and sound money.

The cause of all of our troubles, including poverty as we've never seen it before, is the inability to preserve the foundation upon which our great and prosperous nation was founded.

The Problem With the Welfare State

Pardon me, but I need to vent my anger about the current culture of entitlements that has been arising in our youth and our adults. It seems that, nowadays, people are asking for more government programs and benefits than ever before. These welfare queens seem to think that, since they are citizens, they should be entitled to free health care, free education, free housing, free energy, free transportation, free TV, free internet, and even free cash. Why have we allowed ourselves to create an atmosphere in which everything we have been taught to work for in the past is now being considered a "basic public necessity?" We need to set our priorities straight or we'll grow into a nation of government-run people.

The government can give you what you think you deserve, but not without stealing from somebody else. Maybe you think it's okay that they take from the "rich" guy to take care of you, but the government is stealing from your pockets as well. It's called redistribution of wealth, and it's a socialist principle that does not work in our society. If anything, it increases the size and role of government at rates unforeseeable by our Founding Fathers. It makes people into slaves and servants rather than individuals and masters of their own lives. When the people become dependent on the government, the government can convince people into believing that it is trustworthy enough to expand in size and power.

You may think that the expansion of government is not such a bad thing. In fact, you may like it because you get more "free" stuff, and you feel more secure with a bureaucratic elite than with the forces of the free market. However, what you get is something worse than you could ever imagine: the government starts telling you what you can and can't do with your own life. Maybe it tells you that you're not allowed to drive a certain car or own a certain gun or marry a certain person. Maybe it tells you that you're not allowed to eat a certain food or set up your own business or sign up with a certain insurance company. Maybe it will even start dictating how much you can earn, how much medical care you can get, and what kind of lifestyle that you're allowed to pursue. It already happens in Canada and Britain.

When you ask the government for more and more "free" services, you're asking for it to grow in size, power, and tyranny.  At the rate we're going, we'll no longer be individual citizens with the right to live life the way we see fit. We'll be a truly powerless people, owned and managed by the dictatorial U.S.S.A. Have we learned nothing from the nursery rhymes that we all knew and loved as kids?

Rock-a-bye baby in the tree top

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock

When the branch breaks, the cradle will fall

And down will come baby, cradle and all 

You see, my friends, we're the babies being cradled by that branch, which is - you guessed it - the U.S. government. We are becoming increasingly dependent on that branch to live our lives. That branch will grow stronger and stronger, but the wind will grow stronger and stronger as well. No matter how strong that branch gets, the winds of deficit, taxation, warfare, inflation, dollar depreciation, burden, wickedness, totalitarianism, and evil will grow stronger right along with it. Eventually, the wind will grow so strong, that the branch will break, and the system will collapse upon itself. The government will fail its people, and the people won't know what to do because they haven't learned how to take care of themselves. The branch will break, and the people will fall.

It's never too late for preservation or restoration or a Second American Revolution. Thomas Jefferson once said that the blood of patriots and tyrants must once again be shed one day in order to restore the tree of liberty that has been planted in our great and prosperous nation. We need to stop letting ourselves become servants of an all-powerful master that promises to take care of us until death do us part. Instead, we must release our individual strength and tell the government that we serve ourselves and whoever we want to serve. We are the masters of our lives and of the government. They don't own us. They can't tell us what to do. They can't push us around anymore!

We are a strong and courageous people. We will rise again to relinquish the demonic forces that have infiltrated this all-mighty power structure that we call "leadership." We must not let them grow so large that they will bury us all. Protect your right to keep and bear arms. Protect your right to make your own choices regarding your life, liberty, and property. Protect your right to pursue happiness as you see fit. It's your life, and the government can't tell you what to do.

We're not going to take it anymore. Not in America. After all, we know better than to give up our freedoms in the name of some Progressive utopia where an elite group of aristocrats makes the decisions for us. Don't let them ever take away your liberty. It is more precious than any one of us take for granted.

Freedom is a treasure that must always be preserved.

Are Conservatives Racist?

While conservatives have names like socialist, commie, pinko, hippy, tree-hugger, econazi, and beatnik for liberals, liberals have their own share of stereotypical names for conservatives, including fascist, capitalist pig, redneck, hillbilly, and Bible-thumper. Increasingly, though, I've seen the term "racist" pop up more and more each and everyday. When President Barack Obama came into office, the term was flung around endlessly. It reminds me of how conservatives often called liberals "sexist" for things they said about Sarah Palin during the election.

In fact, conservatives are being accused of being KKK sympathizers and members of the Klan. Some people might even call us the "RepubliKlan." A lot of liberals don't endorse this kind of name-calling at all, but the accusation that we're racist is starting to come from prominent celebrities.

Not only does Garofalo accuse us of being racist rednecks, but she also accuses us of being cerebrally-challenged anti-intellectuals. On top of that, she accuses conservative women and minorities of suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. I guess that means I suffer from Triple Stockholm Syndrome then, being a girl, a Native American, and a lesbian. Boy, do I hate myself!

If she actually took a step outside of her Hollywood bubble, she would realize that the tea party protesters aren't such bad people. In fact, there are hardly any sentiments against race expressed at the tea parties. I will admit that some conservatives are racist, but there are just as many liberal racists as there are conservative ones. Racists come in all colors, nationalities, backgrounds, and political affiliations.

These people are just making a case against an out-of-control government that is spending away the futures of their kin, taking away their Constitutional liberties, and destroying the value of the dollar at a rapidly growing pace. These tea parties are making a case not only against so-called liberal Congressional leaders, but also against so-called conservative Congressional leaders.

This isn't just about Obama. It's about the entire establishment.

Did it ever occur to these people calling us racist that perhaps it's the fact that President Obama is one of the most radically pro-government, pro-tax, pro-abortion, pro-socialist presidents ever that has people flocking to tea party protests? We disagree with his political policies more than any other president before him. There are bloggers like me who write entire articles supported with facts and opinions that have nothing to do with race.

I have friends from across the political spectrum, so I'm not saying that all liberals are quick to draw the race card. I would like to bring up the fact, again, that conservatives played the sex card during the election. It's just that I've recently noticed this growing trend of accusations that we are bigots and racists and Klan members. I know liberals have damn well been accused of that, too, because of the history of the Democratic Party, but it seems that the race card is being played more and more everyday now that we have a black president.

We even have former presidents accusing us of racism. Jimmy Carter had this to say:

Even if you do approve of Carter, you have to admit that this was not one his best moments. His argument had little basis in reality. If he had said, "Some of the opposition is because the president is black, but most of it is not," that would have been acceptable, but he stated that the basis of the opposition was race-based.

Maybe it's just hard for some Progressives to grasp why some people would not support policies that seem humanitarian at the surface, so they jump to the conclusion that, "Hey, the only way they could oppose such a charming, eloquent, good-looking, black man is if they were racist."

A few positions that make people think we're racist:

Most conservatives oppose race-based Affirmative Action. We understand the basis behind it: Minorities and women faced oppression in the past, and some people think they might need policies that level out the playing field. However, those of us who oppose Affirmative Action in one way or another believe that giving an unfair advantage to any group, whether it be a majority or a minority, is unjustified. True equality means equal opportunity, and people should be hired and accepted into institutions based on qualifications, not upon immutable differences.

Most conservatives do not believe in slavery reparations. People are often clouded with the guilt of their ancestors and want to make it up to those whose ancestors were slaves. However, those of us who oppose slavery reparations want to make it up to minorities by leaving the past behind and appreciate them for their gifts and not their skin color. As a Native American, I would rather be acknowledged for my character than be pitied by society.

Most conservatives oppose hate crimes legislation. This type of thing is a very controversial type of legislation to oppose. Since it seems like something that should be a given in our society, people will wonder why anyone would oppose it. The answer is simple: Those of us who oppose hate crimes legislation believe in equal protection, not special protection. Everyone should be protected equally, regardless of immutable differences. Someone who kills a white man for not getting drugs in on time should receive the same sentence as someone who kills a black man for being black. Of course, we'd factor in how much the victim suffered and whatnot, but equal crimes deserve equal prosecution. Hate crimes legislation is supposed to promote equality, but it does not truly achieve this. The alternative solution is the true promotion of equality.

Most conservatives advocate limited federal welfare. A significant amount of the poor are minorities, and I know this because of my own relatives in the reservation. Those who are strong supporters of federal welfare wonder why people would not want to financially aid the poor, but those of us who advocate limited federal welfare have legitimate concerns. These are not limited to economic concerns - we are also concerned about society and the well-being of the poor. We believe that forcefully taking from one person to give to another is an act of aggression that promotes hostility. It also lowers income levels across the board, making the poor poorer because of the limited job opportunities. What we want to do is promote welfare through private charity and voluntary public donations. There are two social concerns that need to be addressed: If you allow people to give out of generosity and kindness, then they will be more giving, less hostile, and more respectful to humanity. Even if they do end up buying material goods for themselves instead of aiding the less fortunate, it will benefit the economy, which will make our country wealthier. Logic and history indicates that the poor do better in a wealthy society. When you force people to give, it is no longer generosity or kindness that gives - it's merely force. We also happen to believe in an old Chinese proverb that says, "If you give a man a fish, you can feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you can feed him for a lifetime." What we want to do is motivate people to work so that we won't have to forcefully take from anyone else.

As you can see, those are some of many reasons people think we're racist. People also stereotype based on small groups of people that are actually racist, such as conservative KKK members. However, one must also note that there are liberal KKK members as well. As pointed out earlier, racists come in all shapes and sizes. In this video, these people obviously took a few stereotypes and misinterpretations, and made a generalization about it:

Not only did they make some pretty broad generalizations about conservatives, but they also come to the conclusion that the very idea of conservatism is racist in and of itself. I, as a conservative, do seek change, but the change I seek is a change in Washington, not in the fundamental principles upon which America was founded upon. I want our government to revert back to policies that worked and not ignore our social and economic freedoms that were guaranteed by our Founders. That is the kind of change I seek.

Must we really resort to the lowest common denominator in order to promote our political ideals? Liberals and conservatives are both guilty of doing so. We forget that maybe we just have differing viewpoints that we need to educate ourselves on. We get so lost in our political disagreements that we forget that we are all human.

And we're not victims either.

I am proud to be who I am. I may be a mildly autistic Native American lesbian girl, but that does not make me a victim. I am sick and tired of being pitied for who I am. I am a survivor who takes responsibility for her own actions, and I am not going to let people tell me that I need to change my lifestyle or beliefs because of that. Some people think it's pretty sick that I'm on the far-right, but I stand by my beliefs, and I am not ashamed of them.

Is it so wrong to disagree with a president that is amazingly well-known and well-liked the world over? Some of us just don't see things the way the rest of the world does, and that's okay because our political differences are only one part of us. Instead of judging each other based on stereotypes and generalizations, we should educate ourselves to learn the true meaning behind opposing beliefs.

I admire liberals who defend conservatives from accusations of racism and bigotry because of misinterpreted political positions, words, and ideas. I admire conservatives who do the very same for liberals whose ideas are wildly twisted out of proportion.

If we step out of our own political bubble once and awhile, we can learn to understand why people think and feel the way that they do. Even if we disagree with them, we can at least try to understand where they're coming from. Political discussions are constructive and educational if done so in a civil manner, and we all need to do a better job of that.

With that, I would like to wish you all a fabulous day. God bless you, and God bless America.