Or a better title may be “All Hail Richard Nixon.” In the heat of the Cold War when social unrest was sweeping our nation, many groups with communist sympathies making their own contributions, President Nixon made his historic trip to China. Doors opened that remain open today. Under the justification of increasing the living standards of the Chinese people, helping more than those being persecuted, suppressed and murdered under a totalitarian communist state, the communist regime was propped up and the dynamics of trade and open markets began to work their magic.
Yet the oppression of the Chinese people continues and the communist regime stands defiant to any who cast judgment or not fall in line with its internal policy and world view. There is no freedom of religion or press and nations protesting their human rights record, or meeting with the Dalai Lama, are retaliated against. They continue to expand their military and sing the praises of their unique communist system with its ideology of world domination.
Tiamen Square looked to be the turning point the free world was looking for. The communist regime’s brutal crackdown and no sign of a continuing student movement deflated the hopes of many. Most all the students involved who didn’t escape from China were imprisoned and eventually murdered for their involvement. With its control of the media did many in China even understand what was going on?
As the U.S. is targeted as a greenhouse gas monster, China pollutes without compare. As the media rips our administration for supposed torture, China’s communist regime brutally suppresses its own people. As a certain political party is found flooded with money from China, and our military secrets are being handed over, another is accused of being in the pocket of big oil and Haliburton. All while the Chinese plan to drill off the Florida coast. One would think the prosperity brought to China through open markets would discourage socialism in our own nation. Yet there are those who fight for socialized medicine in the shadow of dismal failures in other free nations such as Britain and Canada.
So why would I praise Richard Nixon? The signs, at least outside the walls of Beijing, of the end for the communist regime are visible for those who chose to see. The Chinese government’s obsession with guaranteeing its people are fed, to deter unrest, is failing to assuage the growing desires of the people. Corruption and abuse of power are rampant. The mass pollution and its effects on the health of the Chinese people are becoming a worldwide media issue and a growing internal complaint. Product quality of Chinese products is criticized though out the world. Demands for electricity look to grow beyond capacity. And now the nation is suffering shortages in diesel and gasoline to fuel its massive growth.
Two significant future events could push the Chinese government to take the path of the former Soviet Union. First is the 2008 Olympic Games. The Cold War practice of Olympic boycotts would be the safest path to tell the Chinese people the rest of the world stands against the tyranny suffered by many. Attending and participating in acts of civil disobedience by athletes and the media much more effective though dangerous.
Bringing in Bibles, only to be confiscated at customs, would be the least one could do. Athletes giving words of support for Tibet, media commenting on human rights abuses in China, and chants for freedom by groups of nationals from participating countries, acts of true bravery. It would be difficult for the Chinese media to ignore the activities. To hide the news from the Chinese people after the massive emphasis the communist regime has put on the Olympics. Or take pride in medals won if the communist regime were to disqualify participation of athletes for subversive political activities.
Undoubtedly many would be denied participation in their events, arrested and kicked out of the country. Some would also be killed. Made an example of. If not foreign nationals, though some would be held in prison beyond the Olympics, Chinese citizens would be found to accuse of collaboration and subsequently murdered. Why? Because that is how evil dictators believe the world works. That fear and physical domination of others is the law of the universe. And it is part of the communist ideology.
Is it too much to ask of the athlete, journalist and common man to be a patriot and/or martyr for the Chinese people? Perhaps, but failing to recognize the confluence of events and the opportunity to end the threat of war with atheistic communism and bring freedom to the Chinese people is, maybe the best descriptive being, a mortal sin. The time is right to bring reform, which was all the murdered students in Tiamen Square were asking for.
The second event is the race for a lunar base. In our own civil war the race for an ironclad was considered pivotal. R. J. Mitchell, the developer of the Supermarine Spitfire, worked ceaselessly, and in poor health, to develop the aircraft that was credited in turning the tide in the Battle of Britain. The race for the nuclear bomb most likely decided the victor in WW II. In the Cold War space race, and arms race, the United States overcame the Soviet’s apparent superiority. So goes the battle between good and evil.
China would fail to fulfill the goals of its communist ideology in a long protracted war, being unable to meet its needs on the home front. Reference to ‘The Art or War’ and observing their endless quest for nuclear weapons technology or any technology with military applications suggests it is their least desirable path. China launched its lunar orbiter to study the moon in detail as part of its staged goals for creating a lunar base, or ‘checkmate’.
The United States is working on the international space station. The only thing international about a Chinese lunar base under a communist regime is their quest for world domination. The ability to control space, destroying satellites at will and capability to target any opposing force, military or otherwise, is an imperative in their wold view.
The race for lunar supremacy is critical. The United States must win. Being first far preferable to taking extreme action to hinder a communist regime’s attempts. More preferable yet, is to take advantage of the results of the process started by Richard Nixon some thirty years ago and working to loose control of the communist party over the people of China. The 2008 Olympic Games are a pivotal point, not only for China, for the future of the free world.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Friday, November 09, 2007
What's Wrong with this Picture?
Pat Robertson recently endorsed Rudy Giuliani. ? I've read the Bible quite a bit. From cover to cover several times over. Looking to the history of Israel, which I know interests Pat Robertson, I see only one perspective of what brings blessing or curses to a nation. That is the moral standards of its people, most notably the ruler.
Robertson as a religious leader has sold his soul to politics. Admittedly the abortion issue is mute considering Giuliani's promise to appoint constructionist judges. But the idea that a supposed Evangelical Christian leader would support someone who believes in government sanctioned homosexual unions and has a personal life far from the standards the Bible promotes for leadership is akin to other churches that have fallen to the wayside under the same agenda.
Islamo-fascists? OK. The endorsement of Giuliani on this single issue suggests that Robertson believes waging war is the only way to deal with terrorists. Hello crusades. While the fight may be necessary does not a true Christian vision imply something deeper? Was the lack of terrorists attacks after 9/11 under the Bush administration the result of intelligence expertise or, as the Bible suggests, the result of a leader who humbles himself before God? Under that logic, which I presume Robertson would share, a Giuliani Presidency may open the door to more attacks. I'm sure he will do an excellent job fighting back.
If Giuliani is the Republican choice in 2008 I myself would vote for him. He has shown himself a capable public servant with the necessary experience. I cannot speak to his personal relationship with God and he may accommodate the conservative support that would give him the Presidency by not pursuing his liberal social ideology. But what Robertson has done as a minister looks to be aimed at impeding the campaigns of those whom he will not support because of their religion.
The role of religious leaders in politics is not to qualify, or disqualify, a candidate based on his religion. It is to call on our leaders and the public in general to live good and upright lives that God can bless our nation. Lives that are promoted by all religions and people of conscience.
That would strongly suggest Governor Huckabee or Mitt Romney as a logical choice for Robertson's endorsement. Perhaps he couldn't stomach the idea of open borders under Governor Huckabee letting all those Catholics into the country or the fact that Mitt Romney is a Mormon. Only Pat Robertson can answer that. The reality is he didn't have to endorse anyone. I wasn't waiting for one.
Robertson as a religious leader has sold his soul to politics. Admittedly the abortion issue is mute considering Giuliani's promise to appoint constructionist judges. But the idea that a supposed Evangelical Christian leader would support someone who believes in government sanctioned homosexual unions and has a personal life far from the standards the Bible promotes for leadership is akin to other churches that have fallen to the wayside under the same agenda.
Islamo-fascists? OK. The endorsement of Giuliani on this single issue suggests that Robertson believes waging war is the only way to deal with terrorists. Hello crusades. While the fight may be necessary does not a true Christian vision imply something deeper? Was the lack of terrorists attacks after 9/11 under the Bush administration the result of intelligence expertise or, as the Bible suggests, the result of a leader who humbles himself before God? Under that logic, which I presume Robertson would share, a Giuliani Presidency may open the door to more attacks. I'm sure he will do an excellent job fighting back.
If Giuliani is the Republican choice in 2008 I myself would vote for him. He has shown himself a capable public servant with the necessary experience. I cannot speak to his personal relationship with God and he may accommodate the conservative support that would give him the Presidency by not pursuing his liberal social ideology. But what Robertson has done as a minister looks to be aimed at impeding the campaigns of those whom he will not support because of their religion.
The role of religious leaders in politics is not to qualify, or disqualify, a candidate based on his religion. It is to call on our leaders and the public in general to live good and upright lives that God can bless our nation. Lives that are promoted by all religions and people of conscience.
That would strongly suggest Governor Huckabee or Mitt Romney as a logical choice for Robertson's endorsement. Perhaps he couldn't stomach the idea of open borders under Governor Huckabee letting all those Catholics into the country or the fact that Mitt Romney is a Mormon. Only Pat Robertson can answer that. The reality is he didn't have to endorse anyone. I wasn't waiting for one.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
There is Nothing New under the Sun
Mitt Romney’s Faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) is a dark cloud not over Romney as a candidate but our nation. Some argue he must address the issue, as did John F. Kennedy with his Catholicism. Let us be honest. We can reflect on how civil the media was in the past, not taking apart the personal lives of public figures in tabloid fashion, but did anyone really believe J.F.K. had any interest in anything the Pope said?
There is no reason to believe that Mitt Romney is not in good standing with his faith. A Newsweek poll suggests that 28% of the public refuse to vote for Romney based on his religion. To the point many consider the Mormons a cult. Christianity itself was considered a cult at its formation. Romans believed they sacrificed children and practiced cannibalism. God sacrificing His own son and the eating of the body and blood of Christ telling them all they needed to know. It is the same in depth analysis groups labeled as cults receive today.
As one local radio talk show host observed the derision strikes strongest against any group with a nontraditional view of Christ or one that relies on additional scripture, as does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Many apparently irreconcilable views of Christ existed among early Christians. The major division was between Christ as God or a man unlike us all. At the Council of Nicea the issue was resolved by labeling those who believed Christ’s beginning being His birth on earth as a man as heretics. Later advancing to putting heretics to death. The crusades in which it was ones Christian duty to destroy the infidel were followed by a series of Inquisitions for which Pope JohnPaul II apologized in 2000. Amidst this struggle for a correct faith came the Reformation and the Thirty Years War (or wars), a religious conflict that devastated the populations of Europe, leaving the victors, or those most efficient at destroying their opposition, to divide the spoils in the Treaty of Westphalia of 1648. By these standards of faith we should all convert to Islam, and most would have had the Moorish invasions of the past succeeded.
All good men, such as JohnPaul II, recognize that such struggles are not part of the true Christian vision but have we learned from the past? Unlike Europe the United States was founded under very different processes. We honor the Pilgrims, who landed in present day Massachusetts, on Thanksgiving Day to acknowledge the religious roots of our nation. Many also came for opportunistic reasons as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. In fact the Pilgrims and others were religious outcasts themselves, many having previously fled to Holland to escape religious and the corresponding financial oppression. They came to the New World to freely practice their faith. In the War for Independence they revolted not on religious grounds but in response to an unjust judiciary and suppressive taxation, being denied a voice in either. The history of the Mormons parallels that of the pioneers of this New World. They faced extreme persecution and fled to a new land for religious freedom under the threat of death.
To say the United States is founded on Christian principles is incorrect if you regard Christianity as Puritan, Protestant, Catholic, or Evangelical but not if you consider Christianity as a culture such as Hindu, Buddhist or Confucian. The diverse and often divided Christian communities came together under a common vision that went beyond denomination but which was purely Christ centered. Strong morals and ethics that nearly all religions unanimously agree on being prominent unlike the relativism some teach today. What is not part of this Christian culture envisioned by our founding fathers is the qualification for basic human rights or involvement in the federal government being based on ones religion.
Mitt Romney embodies such moral and ethical ideals. He also worked hard in his political career to keep true to his own faith but never forgetting that he had a duty to his constituents to represent their political opinions. Some may call his becoming Governor of Massachusetts political genius to overcome the obvious religious bigotry he must endure, others the promotion of a hidden agenda which seems to be the essence of all those labeled as part of a cult.
I am not a Mormon and myself find their beliefs unattractive and even strange but they are good upright citizens who contribute greatly to our society. They are not alone as targets of fear and hate. Many with wholesome upright beliefs who practice product lives for the larger society face even greater obstacles than current day Mormons who have met with great success in witnessing efforts over the last 100 years.
Oh, am I out of line? Fear? Hate? It’s not like we are massacring religious believers. ? So what about Waco? You are free to believe it was suicide or unintentional but what about the mass destruction of evidence after the fact that no one denies? Were not the rights of those who died and the survivors completely disregarded? And was anyone punished for the debacle and the obstruction of justice?
Many in society labeled a cult can attest to the dark reality in this nation. Books or magazines are burned. Can anyone honestly say they believe no copies of ‘The Book of Mormon’ were burned this year? Businesses or positions are targeted resulting in great financial hardship. A rumor use to circulate in the past that Reverend Moon bought Entemann’s Bakery. It wasn’t started to promote sales. (Reverend Moon never bought Entemann’s. He bought UPI.) The further stereotype for those in a cult is they are weak minded or have psychological problems many having been kidnapped by family members under the guise of being mentally incompetent. Whether it is the Pentecostals (Holy Rollers) or Jehovah’s Witness the experiences are not new or uncommon.
Does his religious background make Mitt Romney the best candidate for the Republican Party? It certainly puts him in a position to understand what this country represents, despite its faults, and the value of our Constitution. His personal morals and ethics are as good as you can get and he has shown himself extremely capable as Governor and in saving the Salt Lake City Olympics. There is absolutely no reason outside of outright religious bigotry that he would not be an exceptional choice.
Many argue Mitt Romney must address the controversy over his faith. I say he already has through his record as Governor. Religious people tend not to only turn the other cheek but treat their enemies with charity. It is not Mitt Romney who should be speaking out against those who would seek to disqualify him because of his faith. It is the job of our pundits, journalists, and people of a true faith to stand together against an obvious evil rather than side with or sit back and watch those whose tactics more resemble those of a stalker unjustly malign a man’s life. You cannot protect our inalienable rights by not protecting them for all. Yet most all standby and do nothing though knowledgeable of obvious bigotry and discrimination, fearing the fire.
Happy All Saints Day!
There is no reason to believe that Mitt Romney is not in good standing with his faith. A Newsweek poll suggests that 28% of the public refuse to vote for Romney based on his religion. To the point many consider the Mormons a cult. Christianity itself was considered a cult at its formation. Romans believed they sacrificed children and practiced cannibalism. God sacrificing His own son and the eating of the body and blood of Christ telling them all they needed to know. It is the same in depth analysis groups labeled as cults receive today.
As one local radio talk show host observed the derision strikes strongest against any group with a nontraditional view of Christ or one that relies on additional scripture, as does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Many apparently irreconcilable views of Christ existed among early Christians. The major division was between Christ as God or a man unlike us all. At the Council of Nicea the issue was resolved by labeling those who believed Christ’s beginning being His birth on earth as a man as heretics. Later advancing to putting heretics to death. The crusades in which it was ones Christian duty to destroy the infidel were followed by a series of Inquisitions for which Pope JohnPaul II apologized in 2000. Amidst this struggle for a correct faith came the Reformation and the Thirty Years War (or wars), a religious conflict that devastated the populations of Europe, leaving the victors, or those most efficient at destroying their opposition, to divide the spoils in the Treaty of Westphalia of 1648. By these standards of faith we should all convert to Islam, and most would have had the Moorish invasions of the past succeeded.
All good men, such as JohnPaul II, recognize that such struggles are not part of the true Christian vision but have we learned from the past? Unlike Europe the United States was founded under very different processes. We honor the Pilgrims, who landed in present day Massachusetts, on Thanksgiving Day to acknowledge the religious roots of our nation. Many also came for opportunistic reasons as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. In fact the Pilgrims and others were religious outcasts themselves, many having previously fled to Holland to escape religious and the corresponding financial oppression. They came to the New World to freely practice their faith. In the War for Independence they revolted not on religious grounds but in response to an unjust judiciary and suppressive taxation, being denied a voice in either. The history of the Mormons parallels that of the pioneers of this New World. They faced extreme persecution and fled to a new land for religious freedom under the threat of death.
To say the United States is founded on Christian principles is incorrect if you regard Christianity as Puritan, Protestant, Catholic, or Evangelical but not if you consider Christianity as a culture such as Hindu, Buddhist or Confucian. The diverse and often divided Christian communities came together under a common vision that went beyond denomination but which was purely Christ centered. Strong morals and ethics that nearly all religions unanimously agree on being prominent unlike the relativism some teach today. What is not part of this Christian culture envisioned by our founding fathers is the qualification for basic human rights or involvement in the federal government being based on ones religion.
Mitt Romney embodies such moral and ethical ideals. He also worked hard in his political career to keep true to his own faith but never forgetting that he had a duty to his constituents to represent their political opinions. Some may call his becoming Governor of Massachusetts political genius to overcome the obvious religious bigotry he must endure, others the promotion of a hidden agenda which seems to be the essence of all those labeled as part of a cult.
I am not a Mormon and myself find their beliefs unattractive and even strange but they are good upright citizens who contribute greatly to our society. They are not alone as targets of fear and hate. Many with wholesome upright beliefs who practice product lives for the larger society face even greater obstacles than current day Mormons who have met with great success in witnessing efforts over the last 100 years.
Oh, am I out of line? Fear? Hate? It’s not like we are massacring religious believers. ? So what about Waco? You are free to believe it was suicide or unintentional but what about the mass destruction of evidence after the fact that no one denies? Were not the rights of those who died and the survivors completely disregarded? And was anyone punished for the debacle and the obstruction of justice?
Many in society labeled a cult can attest to the dark reality in this nation. Books or magazines are burned. Can anyone honestly say they believe no copies of ‘The Book of Mormon’ were burned this year? Businesses or positions are targeted resulting in great financial hardship. A rumor use to circulate in the past that Reverend Moon bought Entemann’s Bakery. It wasn’t started to promote sales. (Reverend Moon never bought Entemann’s. He bought UPI.) The further stereotype for those in a cult is they are weak minded or have psychological problems many having been kidnapped by family members under the guise of being mentally incompetent. Whether it is the Pentecostals (Holy Rollers) or Jehovah’s Witness the experiences are not new or uncommon.
Does his religious background make Mitt Romney the best candidate for the Republican Party? It certainly puts him in a position to understand what this country represents, despite its faults, and the value of our Constitution. His personal morals and ethics are as good as you can get and he has shown himself extremely capable as Governor and in saving the Salt Lake City Olympics. There is absolutely no reason outside of outright religious bigotry that he would not be an exceptional choice.
Many argue Mitt Romney must address the controversy over his faith. I say he already has through his record as Governor. Religious people tend not to only turn the other cheek but treat their enemies with charity. It is not Mitt Romney who should be speaking out against those who would seek to disqualify him because of his faith. It is the job of our pundits, journalists, and people of a true faith to stand together against an obvious evil rather than side with or sit back and watch those whose tactics more resemble those of a stalker unjustly malign a man’s life. You cannot protect our inalienable rights by not protecting them for all. Yet most all standby and do nothing though knowledgeable of obvious bigotry and discrimination, fearing the fire.
Happy All Saints Day!
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