Political Thoughts

[bibleverse2]

The U.S. needs to protect the civilians in Idlib province, Syria.

For Russia and Syria have begun bombings there, in Khan Sheikhoun, purposely targeting and murdering civilian men, women, and children, just as Russia and Syria purposely bombed massive numbers of civilians in eastern Aleppo and Eastern Ghouta in order to restore Assad's tyrannical rule over these areas.

Thank God that the U.S. is keeping troops in northeastern Syria in order to protect the Kurds there from annihilation by Russian and Syrian airstrikes, not to mention Turkish attacks.

But the U.S. and the rest of the West must extend their protections to Idlib, or else some 200,000 innocent civilian men, women, and children could be murdered there by Russian and Syrian airstrikes. The butchers are back in action.

Ecclesiastes 4:1 ¶So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

*******

Elsewhere, the resignation of the moderate Javad Zarif as the foreign minister of Iran is a serious problem, not only for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's moderate government, but for peace itself in the Middle East. For if the hardliners in Iran take over the government, this could further the march toward war with the U.S., if only via Iraqi U.S. surrogates after a Baathist coup d'etat in Iraq.

*******

Also, in the U.S., there must be a limit placed on public employee pensions. For they are now bankrupting city and state governments, which cannot simply continue to raise taxes endlessly to pay for exorbitant pensions. Cap them at $50,000 per year, even retroactively. If public employees want more in retirement, then they can save the money themselves from their already-generous salaries.

Give the taxpayers a break. How many of them have any retirement pension besides social security?

Public employee unions pay off politicians during elections via large campaign donations, and then the elected politicians return the favor by raising taxes to pay for the public pensions.

This graft must stop.

 

[bibleverse2]

Someone might ask: "But what about courts ruling that public pension contracts cannot be abrogated?"

Those rulings are mistaken, for they ignore the more fundamental social contract as put forth by Locke, and which forms the basis for the U.S. Constitution: that the most basic contract is between the People and their government.

That is, the purpose of the government is to protect the property of the People. The original version of the Declaration of Independence even had the phrase: "Life, Liberty, and Property" instead of the later phrase: "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness". For the People having control over their Property, just as over their Liberty and Life, is a necessary aspect of their Happiness.

The purpose of government is not to rob the People of their Property through ever-increasing taxes in order to pay the ever-increasing, exorbitant pensions of government employees.

For that turns the social contract on its head, placing the interest of the government over the interest of the People.

And this brings to mind China, where the interests of the government, as in the Chinese Communist Party (i.e. its members, its employees), are placed above the interests of the Chinese People.

It is tyranny.

It is also the basis for the current conflict between China and the U.S. with regard to trade.

For the Chinese Communist Party knows that it cannot abandon its current control of the Chinese economy, which control is maintained through continual subsidies to huge state-owned corporations, and through draconian restrictions on foreign investment and business operations in China.

And so the U.S. demand for fundamental changes to Chinese trade and business practices can never occur while the Chinese Communist Party remains in power.

It is up to the Chinese People to overthrow the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party, just as it is up to the American People to overthrow, via elections, the tyranny of the current American policy with regard to endlessly-rising taxes to pay for exorbitant public employee pensions.

-

Someone might ask: "But how can U.S. elections overturn U.S. judicial rulings?"

By putting Presidents and Senators in power who can appoint and confirm People-friendly Justices to the Supreme Court, instead of Justices compliant to government interests.

 

[bibleverse2]

Russia has made a mistake by sending troops to Venezuela.

It goes against the Monroe Doctrine, especially against its second point.

The Monroe Doctrine was invoked in the Venezuela Boundary Dispute in 1895.

Also, the U.S. has saved Latin countries from tyranny even in modern times, such as in Grenada and Panama.

Venezuela's neighbors don't want the U.S. to return to gunboat diplomacy, but do they want Russia taking over Venezuela, like it took over Crimea?

Of course not.

They need to back a major military intervention by the U.S. to save Venezuela from Russia.

The U.S. needs to send three carrier strike groups to the coast of Venezuela, one off of Pto Fijo, one off of Caracas, and one off of Carúpano.

The U.S. then needs to announce to the Venezuelan military and militias that they must hand over Maduro and his Cuban controllers, and lay down their arms.

If they do not, the U.S. will begin cruise missile attacks against the arsenals and barracks of the Venezuelan military and militias, which can be evacuated into open fields ahead of time.

If the target locations are instead filled with human shields, the U.S. can begin amphibious landings to establish beachheads for its troops, which can then move south and begin taking control of northern Venezuela, after imposing a no-fly zone over all of the country.

Then Guaido can begin setting up democratic elections, and the U.S. can bring in sorely needed supplies for the people.

 

[quip]

The purpose of government is not to rob the People of their Property through ever-increasing taxes in order to pay the ever-increasing, exorbitant pensions of government employees.

For that turns the social contract on its head, placing the interest of the government over the interest of the People.

Are not the government pension holders part of "The People"... likewise entitled to Life, Liberty and happiness pursuits?

 

[jgarden]

..... Also, in the U.S., there must be a limit placed on public employee pensions. For they are now bankrupting city and state governments, which cannot simply continue to raise taxes endlessly to pay for exorbitant pensions. Cap them at $50,000 per year, even retroactively. If public employees want more in retirement, then they can save the money themselves from their already-generous salaries.

Give the taxpayers a break. How many of them have any retirement pension besides social security?

Public employee unions pay off politicians during elections via large campaign donations, and then the elected politicians return the favor by raising taxes to pay for the public pensions.

This graft must stop.

Pensions are not something that employers in the private and public sectors provide willingly out of the goodness of their hearts - they are the subject of hard negotiations based on the assumption that both sides will honor the terms of the "contract!"

Pensions are nothing more than "deferred income" - if employers don't want participate in pension plans, then they must provide their workers with those funds upfront!

The underlying problem is that both governments and companies who are responsible for the management of these plans on the behalf of their employees, often divert the yearly contributions for other purposes, leading to pensions becoming insolvent

 

[bibleverse2]

Some thoughts re: the world's housing shortage problem.

It could be solved rather quickly if governments would simply get out of the way.

Remove zoning regulations and exorbitant taxes and fees on developers, and they will build densely-packed, high-rise apartment buildings containing hundreds and thousands of not-large apartments. That is, housing shortages will not be solved with merely 2 or 3 story apartment buildings, but with 20 to 30 story buildings. Think Hong Kong's density and heights.

Also, as the supply of apartments increases in any city, rents will naturally decrease, or stop rising, based on the law of supply and demand. Think Tokyo's rents.

But leftist governments turn this on its head.

They say that they must totally control zoning in order to prevent sprawl, and control rents to prevent gouging.

But what good is preventing sprawl when people have nowhere to live?

And what good is controlling rents when all this does is drive developers and investors away?

Let the free market work for free people, giving them decent, affordable places to live based on the inexorable laws of basic economics.

Also, when governments intervene and try to build "public housing", the resulting high-rises become decrepit and filled with drugs and crime. For government employees will never care for a publicly-owned apartment building like a private owner will care for a privately-owned building. And giving publicly-owned apartments away for free removes the incentive for their inhabitants to stay drug-free and crime-free so that they can keep jobs in order to pay their rents and utilities.

Leftists always forget incentive.

Leftist-government ownership and control always destroys incentive. It eventually turns even entire nations into crime-filled, economic wastelands, à la Venezuela.

 

[TrumpTrainCA]

Are not the government pension holders part of "The People"... likewise entitled to Life, Liberty and happiness pursuits?

That is a pathetic ridiculous response.

 

[quip]

That is a pathetic ridiculous response.

Looks like I made a new ToL friend! :wave2:

 

[bibleverse2]

Some thoughts re: geopolitics.

Russia is now on the move, and the U.S. is doing nothing.

Russia is sending troops to Venezuela, and soon will be given permission to build a huge naval base there.

Also, Russia is spurring on the general-ruler of eastern Libya to take over western Libya. He will then give Russia permission to build a huge naval base there.

Also, look for Russia to move next upon Malaysia, buying key politicians there with huge bribes so that Russia will be given permission to build a huge naval base in the Borneo part of Malaysia.

Look on a world map.

Russia will then have established power bases in three strategic locations across the globe.

All while the U.S. sleeps within its news-cycle delirium.

The world will then return back to being multi-polar, like in the 1950s, with the U.S. not being the world's only superpower.

At least in the 1950s and afterward, the U.S. tried, and often succeeded, in containing Russian expansion, the expansion of tyranny.

But now the U.S. is letting Russia get away with almost anything that it wants. (Nicaragua and Cuba come to mind. They need to be rolled back from being ultimately controlled by Russian intelligence agents.)

It could be no coincidence that Russia recently sent even military troops to Venezuela, right after the Mueller report found no collusion.

For now the U.S. administration can claim that its failure to counter Russia is not because of collusion (possibly based on compromat), but simply because the U.S. administration is putting America First by not getting involved in any more foreign engagements.

But letting Russia run wild does not put America First. It puts Russia First in the expansion of its power across the globe.

The U.S. is even now removing its troops from Libya, so that Russia can take more control there.

How sad.

Reagan is turning in his grave.

 

[Aimiel]

Libya may soon have a democracy.

 

[bibleverse2]

Some thoughts re: education.

Public school teachers should be ashamed when they agitate against charter schools and public vouchers, for these are designed to help children get a decent education, while teachers' unions are not. They are designed to protect teachers, no matter how dismal their results, and no matter how exorbitant their pensions and health care plans become.

But we need to put the children first. Always.

Teachers' unions claim that charter schools harm public school children by robbing them of financial resources that would otherwise be given to public schools. But this is not the case. For public vouchers for charter school students can be worth less money than the money given to public schools per student. That is, even with charter schools, public schools can still receive the same money per student that they would receive without charter schools.

Also, teachers' unions are always saying that class sizes need to be reduced. So why complain when some public school students are able to go to charter schools, especially when this results in the students having higher standardized test scores?

Also, Newark, for example, proves that no matter how much money public schools are given per student in large cities, their results are still dismal compared with charter schools' cost per student. This is because extra money given to public schools in large cities always ends up being sent down the black hole of new and endless layers of public school "administration" bureaucracies, and into exorbitant teachers' salaries, health benefits, and pensions, which in no way increase actual learning by students. But charter schools are businesses which have to either produce results or go bankrupt. So they keep their administrative costs as low as possible, and instead put their public voucher money toward actually increasing the standardized test scores of their students. And if a charter school teacher's students have unacceptably low scores, that teacher is simply fired and replaced by another teacher who hopefully has the skills to do a better job.

The argument of public school administrators and teachers that they somehow have a "right" to educate publicly-funded students brings to mind the arguments of pro-abortionists who claim that pregnant women have the "right" to "control their own bodies". But fetuses within women's bodies are not their own bodies, but those of distinct persons, who have the right to life. These fetal persons must no more be murdered by their mothers than, for example, 5-year-old children within their mothers' tight embrace must not be murdered by their mothers.

But now leftists are claiming that even newborn children can be murdered by their mothers, giving mothers the power to kill even their children who are outside of their bodies.

How horrific.

Just as all children, born or unborn, have the right to life, so all school-age children have the right to a decent education. But public school children are sent into the embrace of schoolteachers regardless of their ability to actually teach them, so that the students' education can end up being aborted/murdered, and all because of a leftist infatuation with teachers' unions.

But why do leftist politicians continue to support failing public schools when charter schools do a better job?

Because of money.

That is, teachers' unions give massive donations to leftist politicians' election campaigns. And these politicians, once elected, then return the favor (the bribe) by scotching any public policies that would support charter schools with public vouchers.

This graft must end.

For the sake of the children.

Also, leftist politicians probably hate charter schools because many of them do not teach "political correctness", like most public schools do. Leftist politicians want all public school students indoctrinated into leftist ideas (like how even college-age students are now indoctrinated in almost all universities, whether public or private). The beauty of primary and secondary charter schools and vouchers is that not-rich parents can afford to send their children to accredited private schools which not only will give their children a decent education academically, but will also leave their children un-brainwashed by leftist propaganda.

Can we somehow develop "charter school" universities which will do the same?

Also, it is curious that those leftist politicians who cry out the most against charter schools and public vouchers almost always send their own children to private schools, because they can afford to.

Yet they would deny other parents the same right, simply because those parents are too poor to afford a private school without public assistance.

 

[bibleverse2]

Some thoughts re: transgenderism.

In reality, there is no such thing as transgenderism, just as there is no such thing as transracialism.

As an example, imagine that a white man walks into an all-black, inner-city neighborhood, and is surrounded by some black men.

"What are you doing here, cracker?"

"I'm not a cracker. I'm a proud black man."

"No, you aren't. Look at your face. You're a white man."

"My face doesn't matter. What matters is I identify as black. So I am black."

"No, you aren't. But you are crazy. Now get out of here and leave us alone. You're scaring the children with your crazy talk."

And the man could then be escorted out of the neighborhood and told never to return.

Now imagine a different example, where a man walks naked into a girls' locker room filled with girls. They all start screaming when they see him.

"Don't scream. I'm a girl too."

"No, you aren't! Look at your... your thing. You're a man!"

"My thing doesn't matter. What matters is I identify as a girl. So I am a girl."

"Help! Help! A crazy man is here!"

The girls' coach could then rush in.

"You need to get out of here."

"But I identify as a girl."

"Sorry, mate. God has identified you as a man. Also, the police are on their way."

The man could then be arrested and thrown into jail, or into an insane asylum.

--

Someone might ask: "But what about the man's feelings that he is a girl?"

They are a neurotic fantasy, just as it would be a neurotic fantasy for a white man to say that he is a black man. It is absurd on its face.

Also, transgenderism is a type of homosexuality: wanting to have sex with the same gender that you are, but pretending that you are of the opposite gender.

Because homosexuality is a sin (Romans 1:26-27), transgenderism is a sin.

Also, it is curious that homosexuals sometimes claim that what they do sexually is okay because it is genetic, while transgender people (who are also homosexual) claim that genetics is completely irrelevant, and even totally-counter, to their real identity. So which claim is right? Of course, the answer is that neither claim has any rational basis.

Also, it is curious that "political correctness" loves to shame people for "cultural appropriation", such as for simply wearing a sombrero at a Halloween party, while "political correctness" allows complete "gender appropriation". That is, someone who is not a genetic Mexican cannot wear a sombrero even one time, but someone who is not a genetic woman can wear dresses every day for the rest of his life.

Why this contradiction?

Also, with regard to gender appropriation, transgender women are now taking over women's sports, stealing all of the wins and world records, so that genetic males will eventually shut genetic women completely out of ever enjoying a victory within their own sports programs.

How sad. When will "political correctness" ever wake up to the damage it is causing?

--

Someone might ask: "What about transgenderism and diversity?"

God loves diversity, which is proven by all of the different colors, heights, weights, and personalities of the people whom He has created. But diversity does not mean that a man is actually a woman just because he feels like one. He is still a man. But there can be diversity within maleness, ranging from the ultra-macho male to the ultra-effeminate male. The latter can still identify as male, for he can simply be one type of male within a diverse range. It is absurd for transgenderism to claim to be for "diversity" while it railroads people into sexual stereotypes.

Also, transgenderism is now even mutilating people by cutting off their breasts and penises, claiming that they are fixing wrong bodies, instead of trying to fix wrong minds.

 

[Truster]

Many people identify as having been reborn when they haven't. This seems to be acceptable behaviour in most families and denominations. Transconversion syndrome.

 

[bibleverse2]

Many people identify as having been reborn when they haven't. This seems to be acceptable behaviour in most families and denominations. Transconversion syndrome.

Do you mean that there are fake Christians? If so, on what basis do you tell a fake one from a real one?

Also, do you mean that there can be no fake transgenders? If so, what do you base your belief in transgenderism on?

All transgenders can know that they are mistaken by looking at their bodies, which they simply need to accept. Transgenderism is a neurosis, like anorexia, where people cannot accept that their bodies are not thin, and so they starve themselves to try to change their bodies. They simply need to accept their bodies as they are.

Regarding whether or not someone is a true Christian, all he needs to do to become one is believe the Word of God, the Holy Bible, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and the human/divine Son of God (John 20:31, John 3:36; 1 John 2:23) and that He suffered and died on the Cross for our sins and rose physically from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Luke 24:39,46-47, Matthew 20:19, Matthew 26:28).

We are born again by believing the Word of God, the Holy Bible (1 Peter 1:23). And it says that homosexuality (and so transgenderism) is a sin (Romans 1:26-27).

 

[Truster]

Do you mean that there are fake Christians? If so, on what basis do you tell a fake one from a real one?

Also, do you mean that there can be no fake transgenders? If so, what do you base your belief in transgenderism on?

All transgenders can know that they are mistaken by looking at their bodies, which they simply need to accept. Transgenderism is a neurosis, like anorexia, where people cannot accept that their bodies are not thin, and so they starve themselves to try to change their bodies. They simply need to accept their bodies as they are.

Regarding whether or not someone is a true Christian, all he needs to do to become one is believe the Word of God, the Holy Bible, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and the human/divine Son of God (John 20:31, John 3:36; 1 John 2:23) and that He suffered and died on the Cross for our sins and rose physically from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Luke 24:39,46-47, Matthew 20:19, Matthew 26:28).

We are born again by believing the Word of God, the Holy Bible (1 Peter 1:23). And it says that homosexuality (and so transgenderism) is a sin (Romans 1:26-27)

All transgender people are living a lie.

A transconversionist is easily recognisable by their denial of truth and their complete lack of understanding when confronted with truth. Just like you.

 

[bibleverse2]

All transgender people are living a lie.

That's right. They simply need to accept the gender of their bodies.

It's curious that psychiatry used to be about the "adjustment" of people's minds to outer realities.

Now it's supporting the opposite.

A transconversionist is easily recognisable by their denial of truth and their complete lack of understanding when confronted with truth.

If by transconversionist you mean a false Christian, that's right.

For in order to be a true Christian, one must accept all of the truth of God's Word the Holy Bible.

As Jesus said:

John 8:31 . . . If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed . . .

2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 4:1 ¶I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 

[Truster]

That's right. They simply need to accept the gender of their bodies.

It's curious that psychiatry used to be about the "adjustment" of people's minds to outer realities.

Now it's supporting the opposite.



If by transconversionist you mean a false Christian, that's right.

For in order to be a true Christian, one must accept all of the truth of God's Word the Holy Bible.

As Jesus said:

John 8:31 . . . If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed . . .

2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 4:1 ¶I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

It's not a command it's a statement of fact. Those that have been converted will find themselves trusting.

 

[bibleverse2]

Those that have been converted will find themselves trusting.

Amen.

And not in themselves. For:

Proverbs 28:26 ¶He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Luke 18:9 ¶And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others . . .

Instead, the converted trust in Jesus:

Ephesians 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Nonetheless, Jesus Christ does not take away the free will of the converted, turning them into robots, or into macabre flesh puppets, mere marionettes whom He forces to dance across the stage as He pulls on their strings. Instead, He leaves them as His real children with free will. And so they have to choose each and every day to deny themselves, to take up their crosses, and to follow Jesus Christ to the end (Luke 9:23, Matthew 24:13). And there is no assurance that they will choose to do that (Matthew 25:26,30, Luke 12:45-46, Luke 8:13), because of free will.

 

[Truster]

Amen.

And not in themselves. For:

Proverbs 28:26 ¶He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Luke 18:9 ¶And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others . . .

Instead, the converted trust in Jesus:

Ephesians 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Nonetheless, Jesus Christ does not take away the free will of the converted, turning them into robots, or into macabre flesh puppets, mere marionettes whom He forces to dance across the stage as He pulls on their strings. Instead, He leaves them as His real children with free will. And so they have to choose each and every day to deny themselves, to take up their crosses, and to follow Jesus Christ to the end (Luke 9:23, Matthew 24:13). And there is no assurance that they will choose to do that (Matthew 25:26,30, Luke 12:45-46, Luke 8:13), because of free will.

No man has ever possessed free-will. Only the Almighty has free-will because only He has the power to bring His will into being.

"let there be Light and Light became" and so on.

 

[Truster]

No man has ever possessed free-will. Only the Almighty has free-will because only He has the power to bring His will into being.

"let there be Light and Light became" and so on.

As of April 2019 there are 7.7 billion souls on earth. If each and every one of those souls were making and bringing about free-will choices the ensuing confusion would be akin to madness.
One Eternal and Almighty will determining each and every step of man ensures His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.