Raising concern in Western quarters, Libya’s interim leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil has declared that ‘Islamic Sharia law would be the basic source of legislation’ in the new Libya. As the National Transitional Council begins to form a new government from the ashes of the Qaddafi dictatorship, it remains to be seen whether Libyans will truly embrace an economic system and a democratic society that promote equality and freedom, in particular, freedom from fear of barbaric punishments like limb amputation and stoning of women. Replacing one form of terror with another would undermine any advances made thus far by the ‘freedom fighters’ in Libya.
Seize the Moment
We applaud those Libyans who’ve made great sacrifices in their own personal lives to depose a tyrannical dictator and we encourage them to continue their struggle to throw off oppression and reject radical leaders who will now try to steer them off course. With a rich culture, an educated population and a country blessed with natural resources, Libya is in a good position to set a shining example for other oppressed people throughout the Arab World. By establishing a free, secular, democratic republic they would not only build a better life for themselves, but might also encourage their neighbors to follow suit. Let us not forget that Tunisia to the west and Egypt to the east are now at the same busy crossroads.
The Road Less Traveled
The choice, then, is clear for the Libyan people. They can either join the world of freedom loving people or return to the tyranny of the dark ages. Unfortunately, either course will require more sacrifice and more suffering. Returning to the dark ages will insure that the suffering is indefinite. Taking the path toward freedom will offer a better life for future generations well into the 21st Century. Our hopes and prayers are with the majority of Libyan people who, just like the rest of us, want only to live in peace, practice their faith, raise their families and pursue happiness. So, keep your eyes on the prize and choose your leaders carefully!
Earlier this week a small crowd of about 150 demonstrators, representing a microcosm of the now global Occupy Wall Street protestors, gathered outside the Bank of America and occupied the four corners of a nearby intersection in a small California town. Unlike their New York counterparts the participants were relatively peaceful, clean, and for the most part respectful. Police presence remained mostly out of sight and banks and businesses felt comfortable enough to remain open. It was an eclectic (see WOW) collection of ‘ne’er do wells’ consisting of aging hippies and some younger wannabes, a few senior citizens who had probably lost their retirement savings, a flamboyant doctor wearing his white coat, the inevitable union rabble rousers, a few young folks who didn’t have any other parties to go to and the usual assortment of losers and misfits that always migrate to these gatherings.
Occupy Wall Street Protestors at Bank of America
A Tea Party Infiltrator
Sprinkled in among the revelers were a few obvious imposters like myself who definitely did not look like they belonged, but were there simply to try to engage the demonstrators in a civil dialogue. I approached a number of them with the declaration, “Well, I guess you won’t be voting for Obama this time around!”, just to get their reaction. Interestingly, most were eager to respond to my questions and after a lively discussion we usually closed the conversation on a positive note. The one notable exception was a hirsute man with wild eyes who wanted to know “what the f— I was smoking?” when I suggested that a new president might be a good place to start. I guess the elitist, Ha’vad educated, millionaire, lawyer occupying the White House has been granted a waiver.
Occupy Wall Street Protestors in Front of Bank of America
Misplaced Blame
It quickly became clear that none of the folks I spoke with were ready to abandon ‘The Anointed One’ any time soon and that they were still clinging to the ‘blame Bush’ dogma, never mind that liberal Democrats have been in control since the Congressional elections of 2006. And never mind that Wall Street fell head over heels for Obama in 2008 along with many of the wealthy CEOs this bunch now supposedly decries…Warren Buffett, George Soros, and Michael Bloomberg come to mind. And there was not one placard complaining about the most egregious offenders of all, lawyers, who make $400 and hour!
Misplaced Blame
Socialism Was the Common Thread
Each person I spoke with seemed to have a different grievance, but they all had the common theme of anger and resentment towards those who had become successful by living the American Dream. When questioned, most readily…no proudly admitted that they were socialists. This was easily confirmed by a quick scan of their placards demanding more free goodies and other entitlements, including forgiveness of student loans, womb to tomb coddling, early retirement and a guaranteed dream job of their choosing if they chose to work at all. One woman thought all of this should be paid for by higher property taxes! She obviously didn’t own any property in California.
Protestors Don’t Want to Pay Back Student Loans
A Voice of Reason Reaches Out to the Clueless
I was drawn to one street corner where a clean cut young man was surrounded by a crowd of these placard waving liberals. Displaying an amazing amount of equanimity and speaking with complete confidence he calmly asked the group a series of questions which seemed to completely baffle them. Most admitted that they did not know that the top 1% of wage earners pay nearly 38% of the federal income taxes collected in this country and that the bottom 47% don’t pay any federal income taxes at all. A few admitted that they had heard this, but insisted that one should not trust such statistics. They seemed confused when the young man pointed out that corporations, not poor people, create the jobs in this country. They also looked surprised to hear that we are the corporations…the nearly 55% of us who invest in the stock market and therefore own the corporations. This may have been the first time some of these folks had ever heard a voice of reason.
Protestors Want the Rich to Buy Them More Goodies
Is Anarchy on the Horizon?
It was a very instructive experience for me to attend this ‘happening’ and it reinforced much of what I already knew. It confirmed for me that there are socialists in the United States who are firmly committed to bringing down capitalism and diminishing the exceptionalism of our great country. It also confirmed that there are a lot of resentful, lazy bums who go along with these radicals in hopes of getting taken care of so they won’t have to work. Finally, it became obvious that Barack Obama’s program of class warfare has successfully incited these folks to near anarchy. What a shame that they are unable to see that he is the one responsible for much of what they complain about. One need only look at the violent demonstrations currently taking place in several European capitals, where socialism has failed, to see where all this is headed.
Johnny Wright died at his home in Nashville on September 27 at the age of 97. Wright was a country music fixture for the better part of the 20th century and had a number of hit records, including ‘Ashes of Love’, while performing as half of the singing duo, Johnnie and Jack. After his singing partner and brother-in law Jack Anglin was killed in an automobile accident in 1963, Wright had a solo hit with ‘Hello Vietnam’ and later he changed the spelling of his name to ‘Johnny’.
Married to Kitty Wells
Johnny Wright had been married to country music legend Kitty Wells for nearly 74 years at the time of his death and had devoted much of his own career to promoting hers. Kitty Wells is best known for her mega hit, ‘It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels’, recorded in 1952. At the age of 92 Kitty Wells is still known as the undisputed Queen of Country Music. Johnny Wright was one of the few remaining pioneers of country music and many see his passing as the end of an era.
Check Out Our Article on The Living Legends of the Golden Age of Country Music
According to the lead article in this week’s edition of Bloomberg Businessweek it is! In a well written, thought provoking essay, Peter Coy writes, “…the gloomy, combative philosopher seems to find adherents in each new generation of tyrants and dreamers. You might even say the Bearded One has rarely looked better.” Coy goes on to say that “…Marx’s thought is worth studying, grappling with, and possibly even applying to our current challenges.” He then proceeds to chronicle a litany of present day notables who are giving Karl Marx a second look, never mind the failures of his original followers, who Coy aptly describes as “…some of the 20th century’s worst mass murderers…”.
An Incomplete List
Conspicuously absent from Coy’s list of modern day admirers of Marx is the President of the United States, Barack Obama, the veritable poster child of Marxism in the 21st Century. But then Coy’s publisher, Michael Bloomberg, would not abide such an assertion in his left of center journal any more than he could tolerate a balanced discussion of the destructive path down which Mr. Obama’s radical left wing economic policies have taken us. As Mayor of New York City, Mr. Bloomberg is one of the country’s wealthiest liberal businessmen, an oxymoron (see WOW) if ever there was one. How could a businessman be liberal you rightfully ask? In Bloomberg’s case, some have suggested that he is a victim of ‘liberal guilt disorder’ along with other left wing businessmen, Warren Buffett and George Soros, all Obama stalwarts who seem to feel uncomfortable with how they made their billions.
Marx and Marxism…Gratefully Dead
There is good reason why most Americans who own or manage a business, whether large or small, are conservative. It is because they have worked hard all their lives for whatever success they have achieved and they sincerely want others to have the same opportunities they’ve had. This is possible only in an economic system that embraces free enterprise, small government, private ownership, the profit motive and self determination…all principles which Marxism eschews. It is these very businessmen and women who hire employees, kindle innovation and actually produce things…and in so doing, are the driving force behind our economy. You will not find them on Mr. Coy’s list either. It is a sure bet that they will not be reconsidering Marxism any time soon. After all, they are the living proof that capitalism is the best economic system, because it does the most good for the most people.
