Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today we remember America's 20th century martyr Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  He is the one that lead the successful movement that enshrined the idea that despite your skin color we are all equal with respect to our natural God given rights.   This man preached love and succeeded with a message of nonviolence.  Let us remember this American hero and what he died for.

God Bless Dr. King and Thank You.

Quote: Don't Cry because it's over. Smile because it happened

 Don't Cry because it's over. Smile because it happened, by Dr. Seuss.  This quote is fairly simple, but packed full of meaning.  Basically, we are sad when things come to an end.  We fret about it, from simple things like a day with family, to the end of a marriage.  However, we should smile instead of cry.  We smile because the memories formed, the lessons learned and the happiness brought are more important than not experiencing the moment, or the time of your life.  Every moment matters and that makes life worth smiling about.

Final Thought:  I reflect on life a lot.  I want to see if I made mistakes (which I know I have done on occasion).  However, I find that wherever there is a mistake I made, a sorrow I experienced, I cannot find that I regret any of it.  In fact I smile because I avoid making that mistake once again.  I smile for the lessons learned and how ultimately my life is happier by having made those mistakes and experienced those sorrows.  It is then I reflect on all the happy memories I have experienced and know that life no matter how hard, how much we may have terrible luck can and is worth living.  So remember to smile always, for deep inside you there's happiness.

Republican Response to President Obama

It has kind of become tradition where the opposing party puts up someone to do an opposing speech to follow a President's State of the Union address.  In this case it is Republican Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina.  Here is a rundown of what she said.

Starting off, she says basically that President Obama did not do as well as President as he claimed he did.  She cited the 18 trillion dollars in debt, shortages of doctors and that ISIS/ISIL and similar are a major threat implying that Obama is simply playing such threats down.  I tend to agree on these issues because the debt is so high that it can actually cause an economic collapse, and the issues with doctor shortages and other problems in the health industry are due partially as a result of Obama Care (the affordable care act).  Of course if you are a regular reader, you know already what I think of ISIS/ISIL.  Haley also addressed success made in her State and the tragedy and people's reactions to the Charleston Church shootings

In the next part, Governor Haley says Republicans are partially to blame for all the problems the government has caused.  Also she stated that she and fellow republicans know that the people are frustrated with government, its broken promises and the country's direction.

Next she addressed the immigration issue and the refugee issue at the same time.  She said that the country must not shut its doors, but it cannot accept refugees from Syria (due to the security concerns).  She did say that illegal immigration must cease and that legal immigration must take place without discrimination on religion.  Basically, if you want a person from Syria, then they have to become an official U.S. citizen and go through the normal process (at least that is what I got out of it).

Finally she said that with the coming elections Republicans will address a number of issues.  Those issues are lowering taxes, deregulation and tackling the debt all to improve the economy.  There will be education reform that will eschew the government and its interference and instead be built around parents, students and teachers.  Our military will be strengthened, Obama Care will end and the separation of powers as outlined by the Constitution will be respected (i.e. the use of executive orders by the President, potentially overreach by government agencies and possibly the legislating from the bench by the Supreme Court).  Finally, both the second amendment (right to bear arms) and the 10th (State's rights) will also be honored.

Final thought:  That is the speech in a nutshell.  If you are a Republican, or Conservative, then you really liked the speech (especially as Haley is a contender for the Republican vice Presidential spot).  For me as a libertarian though, the good part was the State's rights, 2nd amendment stuff and the part on restoring the separation of powers in government.  Everything else I just thought to myself, ok, how are the Republicans going to do any of this with a guy like Donald Trump if he gets the nomination.  As a matter of fact how will they get any of this accomplished period?  But that is me as a libertarian speaking.  Anyway, it was an ok speech that is suitable for an election year, I just hope that if the Republicans win, they can keep the promises they made here.

State of the Union Reaction

Last night I watched the State of the Union, President Obama's final address to Congress and the nation (at least as far as we know).  Let us break down what Obama wanted to say and do.  

What the President called for was to cure cancer appointing Vice President Biden to the head of that effort.  This is something nice, even if I as a libertarian think the private sector should be the mover and shaker in this effort.  I can't really get made at wanting to cure cancer.   Likewise President Obama wants to put us on track to defeat HIV/Aids and the eradication of Malaria.  On the side, President Obama said it should be the U.S. leading the way on these and also on Energy reform which I agree with (go patriotism).  He also mentioned that Oil and Gas prices should reflect the cost of their impact on society (climate change), thus this may be lingo for cap and trade which I do not agree with.

President Obama wants to make it easier to vote and to make the nation less partisan.  As such he asked for bipartisan committees to be made to draw up congressional districts.  This is currently being done in a couple of States including California as it is realized that the redistricting process can increase the political divide.  Likewise President Obama will be doing a speaking tour to encourage States to alter their rules to increase access and modernize our voting system.  This effort is basically going to be a speaking tour as States handle these issues. (While talking about this issue, President Obama was humble and sincere).

He also talked about modernizing welfare.  In this case he wants unemployment to include job training, to have wage insurance so that even between jobs people can pay their bills, and even if going from job to job to be able to save for retirement.  The President also wishes to "strengthen" Social Security and Medicare.  How all this will be done is not defined.  

Additionally President Obama wants Pre-K to be instituted throughout the country as a means of giving children a head start on their education (also it allows parents to go to work while the kids are away as well).  Obama wants hands on computer science and math classes as well for computers are an integral to the future of business.  Finally with regard to education, Obama wants the two years of community college to be free.

Obama also talked foreign policy.  He said in many words that his methods to fighting ISIS/ISIL were correct and that it was the best way to avoid a quagmire.  Likewise he says that the coalition he formed is working to fight ISIS/ISIL.  Whether you believe him on this or not is up to you especially with nearly a quarter of a million people dead and many more displaced.  Obama also said that ISIS/ISIL are killers and fanatics, but not Muslim (at least not the Muslim he knows) and said that if Congress wants him to do different and send troops then they should vote to declare war.

Finally, President Obama wants to aid the economy by cutting regulations, and ease rules for startups.  He also said that good corporations with good business practices should be rewarded and thus their stock holders in those good companies would be rewarded as well.  What this means exactly is not clear, and it could mean anything from tax breaks to economic rewards and contracts.

Final thought:  The rest of the speech was the President saying how successful he was.  Though by rest I mean maybe 20 out of the 70 or so minutes he spoke.  Overall he said some nice things with respect to aiding small businesses and helping America's job seekers (hopefully it is done in a streamlined and inexpensive way).  I disagree on ISIS/ISIL as we will at this point in time have to send troops and expect that war to expand if we expect it to end.  With respect to the free stuff, I say "with what money" though money did not stop big government before.  I truthfully want details on some of the smaller stuff mentioned as he said he wants to address legal and illegal drug use, immigration, and criminal justice and gun issues. 

 I can never give a speech like this a ten out of ten for ideological reasons, but as basically a farewell speech to the nation on what President Obama wants to address in his last year, I think he made his point that he got a lot of what he wanted to accomplish (he mentioned killing Osama Bin Laden once) and basically said now if you want more of me, then go out and vote this coming election with the possible undertone that if Hillary or Sanders does not win, you'll probably get Trump.  This is what I got out of it and I hope you enjoyed my little summary and opinion points.  Tomorrow we will have the summary of the Republicans reaction to Obama's State of the Union speech.

ISIS Video and its implications

Recently on the news you probably saw a video with ISIS members showing how they made a battery to power missiles that were traditionally used on aircraft.  Additionally, it also showed how they were turning a car into a remote control bomb.  Obviously this shows that ISIS/ISIL is growing in strength and ability, but it also shows something else.  It shows that the poor alone are not the only ones to join ISIS.  Instead, as many have suspected in the intelligence community and military analysts on the news have said, that ISIS/ISIL and other islamic groups that resort to terrorism are made up of ideological individuals and not people driven by money.  These people want to usher in the end times and intelligent and well educated individuals like the doctor in England, and the boston bombers here in the U.S. have been ensnared by a radical ideology existing within Islam.

Final Thought:  This is going to continue.  We have to tackle the issue of radical islam soon or else it will continue to take innocent Muslims and convince them to turn to hatred and darkness like a disease.  All must stand and come together to say enough is enough, and crush the ISIS/ISIL threat before they can corrupt anyone else.

Bernie Sanders, Global Warming and ISIS

Ok, my opinion and mine alone, but Mr. Sanders is not thinking straight.  He believes that global warming is causing terrorism.  His reasoning is simple.  Global warming cause’s depletion of crops and other natural resources, and that leads to poverty.  That poverty makes for a prime recruiting tool for the members of terror groups to recruit from.  Problem, it is not about the money.  Radical ideological Muslims are the issue, not money.  Sure money helps, but it does not make anyone want to blow themselves up and become a mass murderer.  You need an ideology to back it up.  Also, even if Bernie was right and that issues with farming and natural resources were the problem, global warming only affects crops and food, not mining and factories.  Mining for oil does not suffer from global warming, and thus continues to profit off of.  Trading goods and construction is also unaffected as well.  So it clearly does not make sense when there are other jobs to be had.  We could argue a lack of jobs, but the Middle East is sorely lacking in many ways with respect to livable spaces due to desert and water access.  Their living conditions basically limit their livelihoods.  So even without the global warming attachment, the Middle East will still have problems with job access.  Oh wait, there are jobs, as we are paying millions in taxpayer dollars to teach them to be veterinarians, doctors, mechanical engineers and so on.  Also, they are rebuilding from war and thus there is numerous construction jobs, and even jobs in a depleted military and police force.  Long story short, Mr. Sanders has no clue about the region.

Final Thought:  Bernie Sanders is not meant to win the upcoming election.  He is simply a fall guy to make Hillary Clinton look good.  Sure he talks all nice about equality and getting back at the wealthy, but they are not the issues at hand.  It is job access, and getting the government off our backs.  Poll after poll that I have heard on the news says that the number two problem America faces is the government itself, and this is right after the economy and/or terrorism.  While Sanders means well, and will tax us up to our eyeballs to accomplish his promises (he did say that everyone's taxes would go up), he is not capable of being America's President in my opinion.

Issue 737 Church of atheism: Deities January 8, 2016

Yes, deities (aka gods) are also affected by atheism.  So what do atheists have to do with them anyway?  Read on to find out.

Deities and atheism:  There is apparently few ways to look at deities of the past through the lens of atheism.  The first is simply as tall tales/fairy tales.  In this instance, the stories become just that, stories that may impart lessons and morality, or simply act as entertainment.  Another was that these deities were once simply real people with real accomplishments whose successes were elevated overtime and elevated to a god like status.  The best example is in Buddhism with the Buddha who was a man that was elevated to a god.  And finally, the other method of view is that these deities were either super humans or aliens and that the primitive peoples of earth worshipped them as gods.  No, I am not kidding as Adolf Hitler and his staff believed the ancient pagan gods were supermen and that the Aryans were their descendants whose abilities and powers were corrupted over time by impure blood.  Needless to say, Hitler took this to the extreme and also believed in the occult.  If there are other views on who and what these deities are I do not know.  If you believe in God, then you could even say that they were fallen angels that tried to rebel and become gods of their own.  In the end we all end up believing in whatever we want and atheists can qualify whether any of them existed or not in any way they wish.  

Conclusion:  The first and second seem like the most likely scenario with respect to these deities and why they exist (my opinion if I was thinking from an atheist's perspective).  Reason being is that the ancient us made people and their accomplishments into legends and then added fake characters and made them just as great or greater for their heroes/gods to overcome.  In the end we have the gods of Japan, Olympus and the north and more.  Of course it would be really crazy if there really were super beings/aliens, but we leave all these possibilities to theory.