"A Prince, therefore, must have no other object or thought, or take up anything as his profession, except war and its rules and discipline, for that is the only art that befits one who commands."~Machiavelli

I understand that more times often than not many people should take some stories more seriously than others because of what they intend and what they imply in their context. And, to some degree some stories and scandals that come out are specifically for the intentions of harming another politician, or is engendered in the name of the political campaigning.

This is not per se to offer discourse on anything too deep, but there are some observations here regarding the Conservative ideology from a traditional standpoint, and how in many instances it has worked to undermine efforts on a "global war on terror". There is also an argument here towards exactly why support for President Bush has gone by the wayside in the past couple of years.

What the War on Terror is: The War on Terror, if one really looks at it, is not based in military actions in the consideration of the root of its cause. Elements such as enforcement, and military actions are a major factor, but the largest underpinning of the effort lies in a propaganda war. In terms of the Conservative movement, they have been effective at prodding people here at home...yet, to a large degree, it is these very same tactics that have worked to undermine the effort on a whole over the long run. Conservative propaganda works by uniting people against a common enemy...but, this enemy in terms of the propaganda is not the terorists....but instead, the main adversary of conservative propaganda is "the liberals", or in other words, other Americans. A contributing factor to creating a divided populace after 9/11, the rift only got wider once Iraq was invaded.

As someone who spends enough time in Iraq, to really care about what happens to this conflict, lately I've gotten really disgusted with all of the political points people are trying to score by "rethinking" policies, offering up more troops, less troops, containing the violence, etc. Today's blurb was all about Charlie Rangel who wants to impose a draft; yesterday it was about McCain who wants to send 50,000 more troops over to the country. Then, there's others waiting for former Secretary of Defense James Baker's report, and while we're waiting, General Pace is coming up with own report. All of this is after a congressional panel dragged General Abizaid out to score yet more political points.

The reaon why so many people starve is because they take so much in tax-grain. Therefore they starve. ~Lao Tzu

You know, I've posted on many different topics over the past weeks. This would include illegal immigration, NAFTA, North Korea, Iraq, Iran, the War on Terror, the Bolivarian Revolution.

The world does seem like a crazy place, does it not?

In any case, I've given some long thought on how to offset the energy costs in this country, how to wrest some control back from the OPEC cartels, and in turn how to raise the standard of living for all peoples on the planet over the issue of energy. Granted, I am a layman. I am no expert on these matters, but before you dismiss this blog completely, hear me out because I am of the impression that what I have to say is very important.

“What is firmly set up can’t be pulled down; what is firmly embraced cannot slip free. And your sons and grandsons, as a result, will sacrifice without end.” ~Lao Tzu

We, as Americans, are falling behind.

When I read the news, I often heard the wails and moans over the education system as it exists in this nation. And, would it be an unfair perception to state that neither side is very happy with education as it stands? How often do we hear about engineering jobs leaving for China; doctors educated not here in the United States, but in far-off nations such as India. While other nations prepare their children for the future, we fumble over the debate of “how to fix it”. One side argues for what could possibly contribute to a laissez-faire culture in the 21st Century with the argument that public education should be abolished; there is also the argument that the education system has become something akin to flushing money down the metaphorical toilet in terms of tax dollars. The other side argues about the need to compete with these rising nations by finding ways to get more young Americans into college so that our nation will be on equal footing with other countries which will be our direct competitors in the not-so-distant future.

It’s simply because you do not oppress them,
that they therefore will not be fed up. ~Lao Tzu

Well, after joining this group, I have to say that I am surprised by the comments, and feel encouraged by the genuine discourse in this group. The one thing that I hope that is brought to the table is the notion that the intention is a debate which implies the security and the prosperity of the United States in the 21st Century.

Needless to say, however, is that I should have not been surprised that when joining this group, I would find myself yet again embroiled in partisan debates. But, I should have expected this especially in light of how Mr. Clark spends long hours on the road stumping for Democrats so that they in turn can go to Washington and help shape policies for this country as a whole.

Disaster is that on which good fortune depends. Good fortune is that in which disater's concealed. ~Lao Tzu

I have to admit it. I'm a very simple man when it comes to finances. I don't have any outstanding loans, and I try to save money at every possible opportunity because eventually I do want to retire, or more realistically, change careers eventually which would imply going back to college in order to get a degree. (I'm still kind of up in the air about that one, though. For those who know me....any suggestions?)

*cough*

Well, before considering the investment, I decided to put on my limited thinking cap and review the market so I could get an idea of what might be something worthwhile to look into. So, I bought the Wall Street Journal, and yes, I even watched CNBC, but nothing was really registering.

Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance. ~Sun Tzu

Have you ever been blindsided? If youve been in a car accident, you know what I am talking about. Youre driving along in your car, and then suddenly *BAM*, your skull is jarred as a tremendous force hits your vehicle. Its a very unsettling feeling, and its not something that you forget for a while.

Well, this is how I feel today.

I have come to the conclusion that our news sources have sold their filthy, dirty souls to the east lock, stock and barrel. There are major events happening in the world that they are not talking about. I didnt learn about the Shanghai Cooperation Agency from FOX news, or CNN, or MSNBC, or even CNBC. Nope. Heck, there wasnt even a peep about this on the Drudge Report. And, I doubt our government is going to be very anxious to talk about this organization either.

Weapons are the bearers of bad news; all people should detest them. ~Lao Tzu

I once heard in a movie the quote "This is Africa. No one cares what goes on here". For the most part? This is true. Africa is a strange and difficult land that bears the marks of colonialism combined with uneven economics mixed in a pot of instability and endless violence.

But, I am not writing this blog to wax on about Africa. My subject for the day is Darfur, a region that is important to a lot of people not only in the United States, but the world at large.

What should be known about Darfur? Well, since 2003, over 400,000 people have been brutally murdered by armed militias that many suspect are backed by the Sudanese government. At a rate of 5,000 deaths a day, the atrocities are a gross reminder of the ugly side of humanity, and how cheap life is in the Dark Continent. In fact, many experts argue that if the violence continues unchecked, it could feasibly spill into nearby nations causing further political instability.(1)

We touch it but do not hold it; we name this "the level and smooth".~Lao Tzu

On my way home the other day, I was flipping through the radio stations looking for something different when I ran across this talk radio host named Michael Savage. The first thing I noticed about him was this anger towards the loss of America, and how our borders were compromised, our language was under threat, our culture is under attack, and that our heritage itself was under threat. Sighing, I can only take so much rage in the afternoon (as I am already in a bad mood when dealing with heavy traffic), so I turned him off, gave up on the radio, and headed for home.