Hello all,
If you believe some folks, the end of days is indeed near; think about it, earthquakes occurring all throughout the ring of fire, the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, massive flooding in Brazil. We have radiation fears as a result of the nuclear crisis in Japan, unrest and protests throughout the Middle East. Killings and slaughters throughout the world and just yesterday, France took military action in Libya before Britain and the U.S. Did you ever imagine that France would take the lead in any military action before us? Well I could write a newsletter about any of these topics by themselves but I will just stick to what’s going on here on the home front.
I actually should say what’s not going on here. Government spending is still out of control. Congress approved and the President signed another emergency spending bill to keep the government running for another 3 weeks. I’m starting to think that perhaps, on the surface, that the government should just shut down. Kudos to the 54 Republicans who voted not to continue with the band-aid budget. The way it’s looking, nothing will get done anyway. I’ll be damned, same crap different day. Republicans are trying to find the one person to challenge President Obama in 2012. More Senate and Congressional seats will also be up for grabs. Both political parties are gearing up. This is being set up for each party to stick to their guns, tout their accomplishments over the other party. Point out why their views are better than the other. While all of this is going on, we little people get the short end of the stick. Neither side wants to appear weak so compromise is out the door. Partisan politics at its best.
Vice President Joe Biden, speaking at a fundraiser in Philadelphia Friday, compared Republicans in congress to people who excuse rapists by blaming their victims. The Vice President, known for speaking his mind and at times putting his foot in his mouth, said “Republicans who want to cut spending while at the same time cutting taxes for the wealthy are similar to rape apologists.” “It’s amazing how these Republicans, whose philosophy threw us into this god-awful hole we’re in, gave us this tremendous deficit we’ve inherited. That they’re now using the very economic conditions they have created, to blame the victim, whether it’s organized labor or ordinary middle class working men and women, it’s bizarre”. You guys know what, this man actually said this; you can’t make this crap up. Inflammatory remarks like this would not encourage me to make compromises either. However, weather you or I like it or not, compromise will have to play a role if we are to get out of this financial mess.
Some folks believe the end of days is upon us. I believe the end of our country, our freedom, may indeed be upon us if our elected officials can’t get their crap together. We the American people demand it. Stop the spending, cut the deficit, and stop the political tango. Put your political ambitions and egos aside and do what the people who put you in these positions demand of you. If this happens, then perhaps we do have a future.
On a side note, everyone please say a prayer for those folks in Japan. We are all human beings and compassion is something they will need for a long time. If you’re not the religious type, a donation to a charity is something I’m sure they will be grateful for.
Join us on our website www.thepoepleofliberty.com, with links to all book reviews, and a new Islamo-Fascism section, speak up on the blogs and discussion boards, there’s also good information available for you to read.
Until next time,
Rodney.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Drives One Crazy
Hey Folks,
Well I don’t know about you but does the World seem to be burning out of control or what? I mean really. Look at the turmoil in the Middle East, the price of oil, Union protests, and the GAO discovering nearly $200 billion in waste from redundant agencies; however, our President is squabbling over $40 - $60 billion over ten years. Seriously, how are we supposed to get through all this with all the bureaucratic B.S. that is floating around? Why is the focus of the “Main Stream Media” on Charlie Sheen and the NFL player’s possibly striking instead of asking the important questions that need to be asked? Drives one crazy sometimes (and if I’m there, let me know).
Ahmandinejad of Iran has stated that the 12th Imam is alive and well and he believes he must hasten the chaos that will bring him forth; the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt believes that the last Mahdi is alive and well and that the new Caliphate is near and here in America, Louis Farrakhan is echoing the same rhetoric. This is what many Muslims in that area of the World believe. The threats from the leaders are real. Iran has been at war with us since 1979 and has been fighting a proxy war with us through Hezbollah in Lebanon and IED’s in Iraq but, we turn a blind eye when the people of that country want to overthrow their Theocracy for Democracy. Then you look at Egypt, the overthrow of a Tyrant is always a good thing, right? If a vacuum occurs the most organized usually fill the void and unfortunately that would be the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and many of the other places that are on fire right now. So why do we sit by and pretend none of this is happening? Is it because it is an uncomfortable place? I bet being a Jew in Germany was pretty uncomfortable in the 1930’s and 40’s. Do any of you recall the poem by Pastor Martin Niemoller:
• "In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."
How many of you know that the Mufti (Islamic leader), Hajj Amin al-Husseini, of Jerusalem in WW II sided with Hitler and actually gave him an SS division of Muslim soldiers. Here is one of his speeches:
• “According to the Muslim religion, the defense of your life is a duty which can only be fulfilled by annihilating the Jews. This is your best opportunity to get rid of this dirty race, which has usurped your rights and brought misfortune and destruction on your countries. Kill the Jews, burn their property, destroy their stores, annihilate these base supporters of British imperialism. Your sole hope of salvation lies in annihilating the Jews before they annihilate you.”
These sentiments exist there still today.
Anyone notice the price of gas lately? How couldn’t you? What happened to that campaign a few years back “Drill here, Drill Now”? If our Political Elite were as smart as they want us to think they are, had we drilled here back then we wouldn’t be in as much trouble as we are now. So now we are stuck with our economy in the hands of those who hate us. Think about it, if the rest of the oil producing Nations of the Middle East explode as Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, and the like, our fuel prices could literally double in less than 24 hours. The prices of all our goods will raise accordingly due to transportation costs. This makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, how about you? I am so glad that President Obama is “the most intellectual President we’ve had” because I would hate to see what would happen without…oh wait, yeah I would like to see what would happen without him in office.
Now, what I am about to tell you may shock some of you, but I used to be a Senior Shop Steward for the International Association of Machinists and Aeronautical Workers back in the 80’s and was a member in good standing for 13 years. I worked for Lockheed Martin and I was paid very, very well for the work I did and the benefits were out of this world. You don’t think a hammer actually cost Lockheed $500 do you? Most of those costs went to pay for my salary and benefits as well as my co-workers. Did we deserve it? Well that is a matter of perspective I suppose because we sure thought we did. How did I feel about being part of a Union back then? I thought it was great, I mean look how much I was getting paid for what little work… I mean all the hard work I did. What I knew about Unions back then was that they helped keep workers safe and got them good pay for hard work, or at least that was when Unions started. Now when I was a Senior Steward I noticed a lot of things that didn’t sit too well with me. My Job was to go to my manager and lodge complaints that my Union brothers and sisters had with the way things were going. If the manager and I couldn’t come to an agreement it would progress to the next step and the Union would send in a Business Agent to assist me in the negotiations. I fought for some pretty good causes such as people working too much overtime and not being compensated correctly according to our contract and such but I also had to fight for people who didn’t pull their weight or do their job and it seemed to me that the Union fought harder to keep those that shouldn’t be there than for those who did the job regardless of what was going on in the Union. I finally got fed up with the Union when I saw what our Union dues were paying for, Democratic Party fundraisers and candidates, big parties, and a Race Car! I tried to quit the Union but was told I would have to find another job because the contract stated that I had to be a member if I wanted to work there, it was a “closed shop”. I quit my Stewardship and became somewhat of an enemy to the IAMAW when I began looking at it from a taxpayer point of view rather than a Defense Contractor employee. I realized as a taxpayer that Unions were the reason we couldn’t compete with the Japanese (and now Chinese) manufacturers especially their auto companies. I came to the conclusion that Unions only really help those that cannot get a good job on their own merit, are too lazy to find a job they like, or refuse to better themselves to get a job that pays what they want. Now many people belong to Unions who do not fall into those categories due to “closed shops” or whatever, but I believe the basic necessity of Unions is a thing of the past and similar to Social Security, it is one big Ponsi Scheme that is bankrupting our country and our kids’ future.
So, how many of you heard about the GAO finding between $100 billion and $200 billion in overlapping and duplicate spending each year of your tax dollars? This waste should infuriate most of you but I know, “We have other things to think about”, or “what can we do anyway”. We can let those who think that more government is the answer know that it most assuredly is not. Our fight is large and it is going to take us getting involved it to save our Nation or we can sit back and see what happens, right?
Our “4th branch of government” (the Media) is either broken or conspiring against us because they would rather you worry about Charlie Sheen or a NFL players strike instead of the stuff that is going to have an effect on each one of us very soon. What has become our idea of success, wealth? Now don’t get me wrong, if you were to offer me $1 million dollars in exchange for nothing I would probably take it, but I wouldn’t consider myself successful. I tend to believe that the most successful people are those that are happy with who, what, and where they are. Statistics have shown that too many lottery winners aren’t any happier after winning than they were before, but like the Unions, Socialists, Progressives, Liberals, wealthy sports stars and entertainers, they believe money is the answer instead of “the root of all evil”. Which leads me to this question: What happens to a society that reveres its entertainers more than those that keep them safe? Remember the Coliseum of Rome.
Mike
P.S. I have been slowly revamping our website www.ThePeopleofLiberty.com and as of right now you can go to the book review, click on a title and it should take you to that title on Amazon. Keep checking back to see what else we may offer.
Well I don’t know about you but does the World seem to be burning out of control or what? I mean really. Look at the turmoil in the Middle East, the price of oil, Union protests, and the GAO discovering nearly $200 billion in waste from redundant agencies; however, our President is squabbling over $40 - $60 billion over ten years. Seriously, how are we supposed to get through all this with all the bureaucratic B.S. that is floating around? Why is the focus of the “Main Stream Media” on Charlie Sheen and the NFL player’s possibly striking instead of asking the important questions that need to be asked? Drives one crazy sometimes (and if I’m there, let me know).
Ahmandinejad of Iran has stated that the 12th Imam is alive and well and he believes he must hasten the chaos that will bring him forth; the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt believes that the last Mahdi is alive and well and that the new Caliphate is near and here in America, Louis Farrakhan is echoing the same rhetoric. This is what many Muslims in that area of the World believe. The threats from the leaders are real. Iran has been at war with us since 1979 and has been fighting a proxy war with us through Hezbollah in Lebanon and IED’s in Iraq but, we turn a blind eye when the people of that country want to overthrow their Theocracy for Democracy. Then you look at Egypt, the overthrow of a Tyrant is always a good thing, right? If a vacuum occurs the most organized usually fill the void and unfortunately that would be the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and many of the other places that are on fire right now. So why do we sit by and pretend none of this is happening? Is it because it is an uncomfortable place? I bet being a Jew in Germany was pretty uncomfortable in the 1930’s and 40’s. Do any of you recall the poem by Pastor Martin Niemoller:
• "In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."
How many of you know that the Mufti (Islamic leader), Hajj Amin al-Husseini, of Jerusalem in WW II sided with Hitler and actually gave him an SS division of Muslim soldiers. Here is one of his speeches:
• “According to the Muslim religion, the defense of your life is a duty which can only be fulfilled by annihilating the Jews. This is your best opportunity to get rid of this dirty race, which has usurped your rights and brought misfortune and destruction on your countries. Kill the Jews, burn their property, destroy their stores, annihilate these base supporters of British imperialism. Your sole hope of salvation lies in annihilating the Jews before they annihilate you.”
These sentiments exist there still today.
Anyone notice the price of gas lately? How couldn’t you? What happened to that campaign a few years back “Drill here, Drill Now”? If our Political Elite were as smart as they want us to think they are, had we drilled here back then we wouldn’t be in as much trouble as we are now. So now we are stuck with our economy in the hands of those who hate us. Think about it, if the rest of the oil producing Nations of the Middle East explode as Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, and the like, our fuel prices could literally double in less than 24 hours. The prices of all our goods will raise accordingly due to transportation costs. This makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, how about you? I am so glad that President Obama is “the most intellectual President we’ve had” because I would hate to see what would happen without…oh wait, yeah I would like to see what would happen without him in office.
Now, what I am about to tell you may shock some of you, but I used to be a Senior Shop Steward for the International Association of Machinists and Aeronautical Workers back in the 80’s and was a member in good standing for 13 years. I worked for Lockheed Martin and I was paid very, very well for the work I did and the benefits were out of this world. You don’t think a hammer actually cost Lockheed $500 do you? Most of those costs went to pay for my salary and benefits as well as my co-workers. Did we deserve it? Well that is a matter of perspective I suppose because we sure thought we did. How did I feel about being part of a Union back then? I thought it was great, I mean look how much I was getting paid for what little work… I mean all the hard work I did. What I knew about Unions back then was that they helped keep workers safe and got them good pay for hard work, or at least that was when Unions started. Now when I was a Senior Steward I noticed a lot of things that didn’t sit too well with me. My Job was to go to my manager and lodge complaints that my Union brothers and sisters had with the way things were going. If the manager and I couldn’t come to an agreement it would progress to the next step and the Union would send in a Business Agent to assist me in the negotiations. I fought for some pretty good causes such as people working too much overtime and not being compensated correctly according to our contract and such but I also had to fight for people who didn’t pull their weight or do their job and it seemed to me that the Union fought harder to keep those that shouldn’t be there than for those who did the job regardless of what was going on in the Union. I finally got fed up with the Union when I saw what our Union dues were paying for, Democratic Party fundraisers and candidates, big parties, and a Race Car! I tried to quit the Union but was told I would have to find another job because the contract stated that I had to be a member if I wanted to work there, it was a “closed shop”. I quit my Stewardship and became somewhat of an enemy to the IAMAW when I began looking at it from a taxpayer point of view rather than a Defense Contractor employee. I realized as a taxpayer that Unions were the reason we couldn’t compete with the Japanese (and now Chinese) manufacturers especially their auto companies. I came to the conclusion that Unions only really help those that cannot get a good job on their own merit, are too lazy to find a job they like, or refuse to better themselves to get a job that pays what they want. Now many people belong to Unions who do not fall into those categories due to “closed shops” or whatever, but I believe the basic necessity of Unions is a thing of the past and similar to Social Security, it is one big Ponsi Scheme that is bankrupting our country and our kids’ future.
So, how many of you heard about the GAO finding between $100 billion and $200 billion in overlapping and duplicate spending each year of your tax dollars? This waste should infuriate most of you but I know, “We have other things to think about”, or “what can we do anyway”. We can let those who think that more government is the answer know that it most assuredly is not. Our fight is large and it is going to take us getting involved it to save our Nation or we can sit back and see what happens, right?
Our “4th branch of government” (the Media) is either broken or conspiring against us because they would rather you worry about Charlie Sheen or a NFL players strike instead of the stuff that is going to have an effect on each one of us very soon. What has become our idea of success, wealth? Now don’t get me wrong, if you were to offer me $1 million dollars in exchange for nothing I would probably take it, but I wouldn’t consider myself successful. I tend to believe that the most successful people are those that are happy with who, what, and where they are. Statistics have shown that too many lottery winners aren’t any happier after winning than they were before, but like the Unions, Socialists, Progressives, Liberals, wealthy sports stars and entertainers, they believe money is the answer instead of “the root of all evil”. Which leads me to this question: What happens to a society that reveres its entertainers more than those that keep them safe? Remember the Coliseum of Rome.
Mike
P.S. I have been slowly revamping our website www.ThePeopleofLiberty.com and as of right now you can go to the book review, click on a title and it should take you to that title on Amazon. Keep checking back to see what else we may offer.
Budget Fiasco
“A budget on cruise control won’t cut spending” – Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell R-K.Y
Hello all,
The budget fiasco has begun. President Obama unveiled his $3.7 trillion dollar fiscal budget for 2012 this past week. As expected, the next day, the House GOP unveiled their version of the budget with much greater cuts. Senate Democrats were also supposed to release their version of a budget but instead, they are expected to embrace a deficit reduction component of the President’s budget plan. For us lowly citizens, this means our message has thus far gone unheard. As to not bore the crap out of you with numbers, charts, diagrams or power points presentations, let’s take a quick look at the two budgets.
Senate Democrats will endorse the Presidents five year domestic discretionary spending freeze that the White House estimates will save $400 billion over 10 years. Now, this spending freeze only accounts for about one-sixth of the federal budget. Defense spending, Foreign Aid and Homeland Security would be exempt. Also, entlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid would be exempt. This proposal however, is just a drop in the bucket. Considering that this year alone, emergency spending to combat the recession, combined with a drop in tax revenues, will produce a budget deficit of $1.35 trillion dollars, according to Congressional Budget Office numbers. Hence, Mitch McConnell’s quote at the beginning of the newsletter. A spending freeze will NOT cut the budget deficit.
The GOP bill covers spending for the fiscal year that end Sept.30. It would cut $61 billion dollars from 2010 levels and about $100 billion dollars from the amount President Obama requested for this year. This legislation would affect domestic programs ranging from education and science to agriculture and parks. And it marks the first significant attacks on federal deficit by Republicans elected last fall with the support of Tea Party activists. Congressional Democrats slammed the GOP proposal as too drastic. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) House Democratic Leader says, “this legislation will destroy American jobs while harming middle-class families, young adults, seniors and yes, Veterans”.
I say, all programs must be on the table to possibly be cut in some percentage, including Defense spending. The following is an example of wasteful spending within the Defense Dept. This story is about the U.S Navy’s landing craft air cushion (LCAC). At $ 50 million dollars a copy. This air cushion vehicle is barely a decimal point in the Pentagon’s budget. The LCAC is used to transport Marines and equipment from ship to shore. The LCAC has been around for over 25 years and when it came down to buy new ones, the Chief of Naval Operations set out to cut away some of the red tape that ensnarls almost every new program. There is an incomprehensible chart of the pentagon’s outline of all the steps any new program must go through before it begins production. What this translates to is that it guarantees that any new weapon or vehicle will take longer and cost more than it should. In the case of the LCAC, the red tape would require an additional 3 years and $100 million dollars. Now this is the kicker, the new LCAC is basically the same one the Navy has been using for 25 years. Yet, the rules say it has to go through testing as if it were the first of it’s kind. The only thing that has changed is some of the components such as one-piece component to the deflector on the rear propellers or a single curtain on the bottom of the craft. This is an example of the red tape B.S. that needs to be either streamlined or cut.
Folks, I don’t have all the answers to solve this budget crap. I do feel that unfortunately, we must also look at cutting some of these entitlement programs (i.e. Medicare, Medicaid) I do know that this is a tough situation and that there may be some of you who are strongly against this. I don’t think that we can begin to seriously cut the deficit without taking a hard look at cutting some of Medicare & Medicaid. Congress must put everything on the table and go through it with a fine tooth comb to find the cuts, not spending freezes, necessary to start trimming the budget. This is my opinion, what’s yours?
Join us on our website www.thepoepleofliberty.com and speak up on the blogs and discussion bards.
Until next time,
Rodney.
Hello all,
The budget fiasco has begun. President Obama unveiled his $3.7 trillion dollar fiscal budget for 2012 this past week. As expected, the next day, the House GOP unveiled their version of the budget with much greater cuts. Senate Democrats were also supposed to release their version of a budget but instead, they are expected to embrace a deficit reduction component of the President’s budget plan. For us lowly citizens, this means our message has thus far gone unheard. As to not bore the crap out of you with numbers, charts, diagrams or power points presentations, let’s take a quick look at the two budgets.
Senate Democrats will endorse the Presidents five year domestic discretionary spending freeze that the White House estimates will save $400 billion over 10 years. Now, this spending freeze only accounts for about one-sixth of the federal budget. Defense spending, Foreign Aid and Homeland Security would be exempt. Also, entlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid would be exempt. This proposal however, is just a drop in the bucket. Considering that this year alone, emergency spending to combat the recession, combined with a drop in tax revenues, will produce a budget deficit of $1.35 trillion dollars, according to Congressional Budget Office numbers. Hence, Mitch McConnell’s quote at the beginning of the newsletter. A spending freeze will NOT cut the budget deficit.
The GOP bill covers spending for the fiscal year that end Sept.30. It would cut $61 billion dollars from 2010 levels and about $100 billion dollars from the amount President Obama requested for this year. This legislation would affect domestic programs ranging from education and science to agriculture and parks. And it marks the first significant attacks on federal deficit by Republicans elected last fall with the support of Tea Party activists. Congressional Democrats slammed the GOP proposal as too drastic. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) House Democratic Leader says, “this legislation will destroy American jobs while harming middle-class families, young adults, seniors and yes, Veterans”.
I say, all programs must be on the table to possibly be cut in some percentage, including Defense spending. The following is an example of wasteful spending within the Defense Dept. This story is about the U.S Navy’s landing craft air cushion (LCAC). At $ 50 million dollars a copy. This air cushion vehicle is barely a decimal point in the Pentagon’s budget. The LCAC is used to transport Marines and equipment from ship to shore. The LCAC has been around for over 25 years and when it came down to buy new ones, the Chief of Naval Operations set out to cut away some of the red tape that ensnarls almost every new program. There is an incomprehensible chart of the pentagon’s outline of all the steps any new program must go through before it begins production. What this translates to is that it guarantees that any new weapon or vehicle will take longer and cost more than it should. In the case of the LCAC, the red tape would require an additional 3 years and $100 million dollars. Now this is the kicker, the new LCAC is basically the same one the Navy has been using for 25 years. Yet, the rules say it has to go through testing as if it were the first of it’s kind. The only thing that has changed is some of the components such as one-piece component to the deflector on the rear propellers or a single curtain on the bottom of the craft. This is an example of the red tape B.S. that needs to be either streamlined or cut.
Folks, I don’t have all the answers to solve this budget crap. I do feel that unfortunately, we must also look at cutting some of these entitlement programs (i.e. Medicare, Medicaid) I do know that this is a tough situation and that there may be some of you who are strongly against this. I don’t think that we can begin to seriously cut the deficit without taking a hard look at cutting some of Medicare & Medicaid. Congress must put everything on the table and go through it with a fine tooth comb to find the cuts, not spending freezes, necessary to start trimming the budget. This is my opinion, what’s yours?
Join us on our website www.thepoepleofliberty.com and speak up on the blogs and discussion bards.
Until next time,
Rodney.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Insurrections, Fuzzy Math, and Who You Know
Insurrections, Fuzzy Math, and Who You Know
Hey Folks,
Well, there has been a lot happening since our last newsletter; another State of Dis-Union Address, the Insurrections in the Middle East, more fuzzy math on jobs from our “most intellectual” President and his administration, and more cronyism from ole B.O. Now I know there is more going on but to make sure I do not send out a novel I will stick to these issues. As a matter of fact, in regards to the first item, the State of Dis-Union address, I don’t think I need to expand too much, more spending re-packaged as “investments”, really focusing on “Jobs” (no, really, for real this time), and more transparency (no, really, for real this time), is it just me or does this speech sound just like his last State of Dis-Union, only with catchier lingo? Anyhow, I will move on to the other issues.
The insurrections in the Middle East are a combination of a lot of issues with many different players vying for control, there are no simple solutions however, had we stuck to the ideas of our founders we most likely wouldn’t be as eyeball deep in it as we are.
“Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
“Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
“'Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent Alliances, with any portion of the foreign world.” ~ George Washington
“Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, (I conjure you to believe me fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake; since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of Republican Government.” ~ George Washington
Unfortunately we did not adhere to the precepts of our Founders and here we are. Now, I certainly am glad that I am not the President because this mess is so difficult. Think about it, in Egypt Mubarak is stating that the rebellion is a U.S. plot to overthrow his government (the U.K. Telegraph picked up on this here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/8289686/Egypt-protests-Americas-secret-backing-for-rebel-leaders-behind-uprising.html ) and the protesters are angry with the U.S. for supporting Mubarak for over 30 years with hundreds of billions of dollars and military equipment. The Muslim Brotherhood, not wanting a crisis to go to waste (sounds eerily familiar doesn’t it), has tried to co-opt the anger of the protesters and position themselves for a role in any new government that may form. Also not wanting a crisis to go to waste, Mohamed El Baradei returned to Egypt to throw his hat into the new government ring also. Now you may or may not remember, El Baradei was the U.N. weapons inspector who said that Iran’s nuclear program was only for peaceful purposes. So basically the U.S. is not going to be looked at favorably whatever outcome occurs in Egypt. But Egypt is not the only nation in which the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists are looking to become a part of (if not take over completely), there are also Lebanon, Yemen, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Turkey, and I am sure there shall be more. You see this is part of the Islamist mind set, all these countries were part of the Islamic Empire during the height of the last Caliphate, The Ottoman Empire, which was partitioned after the Treaty of Sevres in 1920. The Islamists believe this land still belongs to Islam. Prior to that, Islam had conquered from France to as far as Indonesia; many Muslims believe it’s all theirs to this day. Pretty deep problem when you won’t even acknowledge it exists. These are very interesting times for those of you who are students of prophecy (Christian, Jewish, and Islamic) and for those of you who are not, well, probably still interesting.
Hey, did you hear? Unemployment is at 9.0%, down 0.4% after adding just 36,000 jobs…huh? Wait, I thought we needed around 148,000 just to keep pace with the population growth. Confused? Good, you’re supposed to be. You see it all comes down to the political games played by the politicians to make you feel good, “if we only use a certain survey and not another” or “if we look only at one part and not the other we will have the numbers we need”. One reason that the unemployment numbers fell is that the labor force has dropped to a 26 year low from 83.9 million to 86.2 million, which is 2.2 million people who have taken themselves out of the labor force in only 1 year. These people fall off of the Bureau of Labor and Statistics records because they are no longer looking for jobs. It would be nice to know what the truth is for a change but, what can you expect from people obsessed with power worried about losing it?
Speaking of jobs, did you hear, El Presidente created a new “Jobs and Competitiveness” board. The guy he picked to head this board up has created lots of jobs (3/4’s of them overseas), and has done business all over the world (including Iran during sanctions against doing such), the President even thought so highly of this guy that he gave him $24.9 million in stimulus grants (secretly of course. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-administration-gave-general-electr ) after this guys company paid $23.5 million to settle allegations of bribery for contracts under the U.N. / Iraqi Oil for Food Program between 2000 and 2003 ( http://www.floridapoliticalpress.com/2010/07/27/ge-pays-23m-after-iraq-probe/ ). Last month the Obama EPA began enforcing new rules concerning expansion of new power plants and greenhouse gasses, funny thing though; this guys company is exempt from these regulations (http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/02/obama-issues-global-warming-rules-january-gives-ge-exemption-febr ). Now this guy has done a lot for the Democrats and the President himself by donating millions of dollars to the party and lots of airtime on his television networks, supporting the President’s policies on channel after channel and attacking anyone who opposes his benefactor. This man is none other than G.E. / NBC’s Jeffery Immelt. I guess it really is about who you know.
Folks, there is a lot going on out there and I wish I could keep you up on all of it. Many of you have called me out on not getting our website up to date and not expanding our Islamo-Fascism area like I said I would. I have been busy trying to take care of my son but I will try to make a bit more time to catch up. I want all of you to be informed and continue to come back to our website for valuable information. If you have suggestions let us know. Until then, keep checking out www.ThePeopleofLiberty.com for more information.
Mike
Hey Folks,
Well, there has been a lot happening since our last newsletter; another State of Dis-Union Address, the Insurrections in the Middle East, more fuzzy math on jobs from our “most intellectual” President and his administration, and more cronyism from ole B.O. Now I know there is more going on but to make sure I do not send out a novel I will stick to these issues. As a matter of fact, in regards to the first item, the State of Dis-Union address, I don’t think I need to expand too much, more spending re-packaged as “investments”, really focusing on “Jobs” (no, really, for real this time), and more transparency (no, really, for real this time), is it just me or does this speech sound just like his last State of Dis-Union, only with catchier lingo? Anyhow, I will move on to the other issues.
The insurrections in the Middle East are a combination of a lot of issues with many different players vying for control, there are no simple solutions however, had we stuck to the ideas of our founders we most likely wouldn’t be as eyeball deep in it as we are.
“Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
“Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
“'Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent Alliances, with any portion of the foreign world.” ~ George Washington
“Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, (I conjure you to believe me fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake; since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of Republican Government.” ~ George Washington
Unfortunately we did not adhere to the precepts of our Founders and here we are. Now, I certainly am glad that I am not the President because this mess is so difficult. Think about it, in Egypt Mubarak is stating that the rebellion is a U.S. plot to overthrow his government (the U.K. Telegraph picked up on this here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/8289686/Egypt-protests-Americas-secret-backing-for-rebel-leaders-behind-uprising.html ) and the protesters are angry with the U.S. for supporting Mubarak for over 30 years with hundreds of billions of dollars and military equipment. The Muslim Brotherhood, not wanting a crisis to go to waste (sounds eerily familiar doesn’t it), has tried to co-opt the anger of the protesters and position themselves for a role in any new government that may form. Also not wanting a crisis to go to waste, Mohamed El Baradei returned to Egypt to throw his hat into the new government ring also. Now you may or may not remember, El Baradei was the U.N. weapons inspector who said that Iran’s nuclear program was only for peaceful purposes. So basically the U.S. is not going to be looked at favorably whatever outcome occurs in Egypt. But Egypt is not the only nation in which the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists are looking to become a part of (if not take over completely), there are also Lebanon, Yemen, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Turkey, and I am sure there shall be more. You see this is part of the Islamist mind set, all these countries were part of the Islamic Empire during the height of the last Caliphate, The Ottoman Empire, which was partitioned after the Treaty of Sevres in 1920. The Islamists believe this land still belongs to Islam. Prior to that, Islam had conquered from France to as far as Indonesia; many Muslims believe it’s all theirs to this day. Pretty deep problem when you won’t even acknowledge it exists. These are very interesting times for those of you who are students of prophecy (Christian, Jewish, and Islamic) and for those of you who are not, well, probably still interesting.
Hey, did you hear? Unemployment is at 9.0%, down 0.4% after adding just 36,000 jobs…huh? Wait, I thought we needed around 148,000 just to keep pace with the population growth. Confused? Good, you’re supposed to be. You see it all comes down to the political games played by the politicians to make you feel good, “if we only use a certain survey and not another” or “if we look only at one part and not the other we will have the numbers we need”. One reason that the unemployment numbers fell is that the labor force has dropped to a 26 year low from 83.9 million to 86.2 million, which is 2.2 million people who have taken themselves out of the labor force in only 1 year. These people fall off of the Bureau of Labor and Statistics records because they are no longer looking for jobs. It would be nice to know what the truth is for a change but, what can you expect from people obsessed with power worried about losing it?
Speaking of jobs, did you hear, El Presidente created a new “Jobs and Competitiveness” board. The guy he picked to head this board up has created lots of jobs (3/4’s of them overseas), and has done business all over the world (including Iran during sanctions against doing such), the President even thought so highly of this guy that he gave him $24.9 million in stimulus grants (secretly of course. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-administration-gave-general-electr ) after this guys company paid $23.5 million to settle allegations of bribery for contracts under the U.N. / Iraqi Oil for Food Program between 2000 and 2003 ( http://www.floridapoliticalpress.com/2010/07/27/ge-pays-23m-after-iraq-probe/ ). Last month the Obama EPA began enforcing new rules concerning expansion of new power plants and greenhouse gasses, funny thing though; this guys company is exempt from these regulations (http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/02/obama-issues-global-warming-rules-january-gives-ge-exemption-febr ). Now this guy has done a lot for the Democrats and the President himself by donating millions of dollars to the party and lots of airtime on his television networks, supporting the President’s policies on channel after channel and attacking anyone who opposes his benefactor. This man is none other than G.E. / NBC’s Jeffery Immelt. I guess it really is about who you know.
Folks, there is a lot going on out there and I wish I could keep you up on all of it. Many of you have called me out on not getting our website up to date and not expanding our Islamo-Fascism area like I said I would. I have been busy trying to take care of my son but I will try to make a bit more time to catch up. I want all of you to be informed and continue to come back to our website for valuable information. If you have suggestions let us know. Until then, keep checking out www.ThePeopleofLiberty.com for more information.
Mike
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Round 2
What’s up everyone?
I hope all of you had a wonderful and safe holiday season. The newly elected Congress members have been sworn in and are now at work. They have succeeded by repealing ObamaCare in the House. Now, I’ve heard some of the TV/ radio pundits say that this step was only a symbolic one because the Republicans don’t have the votes in the senate to repeal ObamaCare there. President Obama has said that if it were to pass through the senate, he would veto the bill. I think the decision by House Republicans to raise and debate the issue is a crucial one. As happened last year, ObamaCare will ignite a national controversy. But are conservatives ready and prepared to win the debate?
I view this upcoming battle as a three round boxing match. This will be a drawn out, nasty battle. House Republicans, conservatives, and tea party folks all must be ready to stand our ground! Democrats will not lose this round without a fight. Now, I’ve heard some of the procedural maneuvers Republicans will possibly use in the Senate. Republicans will likely force procedural votes that serve as a proxy of sorts to get the Democrats in the senate on record. Because any vote that would ultimately lead to repeal would require 60 or 67 votes, no GOP led efforts would actually pass the Senate. Republicans say they will happily take the consolation prize that comes with an official roll call vote: the ability to force Senate Democrats who are up for re election to vote again in support of a health care measure that remains unpopular in their home states. This could be a good move. I don’t recall any Congressional /Senate candidates who ran in this past election, putting out there that they voted for and supported ObamaCare. I recall most not even mentioning it, even when called on it. By putting them on record, it may sway enough Democrats to back down and vote with Republicans to repeal. Remember, when faced with being ousted from office, politicians will do what they have to do to survive.
Another way of going about this is to just hit them with the truth. To tell the American people exactly what ObamaCare will cost them. Republicans need to remind America that the huge increases they are now paying in their health insurance are concrete evidence of the impact of the mandates in ObamaCare. They need to point out that the $500 billion in Medicare cuts are coming and that, already, reductions in Physician fees are driving thousands of doctors to close their doors to Medicare patients. Republicans need to explain that ObamaCare creates an entirely new entitlement and swells the deficit. I don’t think most voters buy the argument that ObamaCare will cut the deficit. The larger point is that the new Republican House gives conservatives a chance to re-ignite the battles they lost in Congress in 2009 and 2010. At each turn they need to re-fight the battle for public opinion and carry it each time. Republicans probably won’t get repeal in the Senate, but they will be able to de-fund the program. They can block the IRS from enforcing the individual and employer mandates and they can stop Health and Human Services from slicing $500 billion from Medicare.
Round 2 of this fight is upon us. It will be a long fight but conservatives will need to stand their ground in the face of the hue and cry that they are being irresponsible and holding the nation hostage. Folks, also remember we must watch that other hand. We must not get so narrowly focused that we forget to watch the back door. This will be hard work but the payoff is a brighter future for all. Check out our website www.peopleofliberty.com read and or join in our blogs. Also there are all sorts of good articles to read and educate us.
I’ll leave you all with this question; do you think that being a hypocrite is part of the political DNA?
-Until next time, Rodney
I hope all of you had a wonderful and safe holiday season. The newly elected Congress members have been sworn in and are now at work. They have succeeded by repealing ObamaCare in the House. Now, I’ve heard some of the TV/ radio pundits say that this step was only a symbolic one because the Republicans don’t have the votes in the senate to repeal ObamaCare there. President Obama has said that if it were to pass through the senate, he would veto the bill. I think the decision by House Republicans to raise and debate the issue is a crucial one. As happened last year, ObamaCare will ignite a national controversy. But are conservatives ready and prepared to win the debate?
I view this upcoming battle as a three round boxing match. This will be a drawn out, nasty battle. House Republicans, conservatives, and tea party folks all must be ready to stand our ground! Democrats will not lose this round without a fight. Now, I’ve heard some of the procedural maneuvers Republicans will possibly use in the Senate. Republicans will likely force procedural votes that serve as a proxy of sorts to get the Democrats in the senate on record. Because any vote that would ultimately lead to repeal would require 60 or 67 votes, no GOP led efforts would actually pass the Senate. Republicans say they will happily take the consolation prize that comes with an official roll call vote: the ability to force Senate Democrats who are up for re election to vote again in support of a health care measure that remains unpopular in their home states. This could be a good move. I don’t recall any Congressional /Senate candidates who ran in this past election, putting out there that they voted for and supported ObamaCare. I recall most not even mentioning it, even when called on it. By putting them on record, it may sway enough Democrats to back down and vote with Republicans to repeal. Remember, when faced with being ousted from office, politicians will do what they have to do to survive.
Another way of going about this is to just hit them with the truth. To tell the American people exactly what ObamaCare will cost them. Republicans need to remind America that the huge increases they are now paying in their health insurance are concrete evidence of the impact of the mandates in ObamaCare. They need to point out that the $500 billion in Medicare cuts are coming and that, already, reductions in Physician fees are driving thousands of doctors to close their doors to Medicare patients. Republicans need to explain that ObamaCare creates an entirely new entitlement and swells the deficit. I don’t think most voters buy the argument that ObamaCare will cut the deficit. The larger point is that the new Republican House gives conservatives a chance to re-ignite the battles they lost in Congress in 2009 and 2010. At each turn they need to re-fight the battle for public opinion and carry it each time. Republicans probably won’t get repeal in the Senate, but they will be able to de-fund the program. They can block the IRS from enforcing the individual and employer mandates and they can stop Health and Human Services from slicing $500 billion from Medicare.
Round 2 of this fight is upon us. It will be a long fight but conservatives will need to stand their ground in the face of the hue and cry that they are being irresponsible and holding the nation hostage. Folks, also remember we must watch that other hand. We must not get so narrowly focused that we forget to watch the back door. This will be hard work but the payoff is a brighter future for all. Check out our website www.peopleofliberty.com read and or join in our blogs. Also there are all sorts of good articles to read and educate us.
I’ll leave you all with this question; do you think that being a hypocrite is part of the political DNA?
-Until next time, Rodney
Friday, January 7, 2011
That Shining City on a Hill
Happy New Year Folks,
I hope that all of you had a terrific holiday and that the New Year will bring you many blessings. Now I know a lot of you are excited about the new Congress being run by the Republicans and can’t wait for them to reverse a lot of the damage caused by the previous Congress but, I warn you to be very vigilant. As Rodney and I have said in the past “watch what the other hand is doing.”
Now I am going to get into the “uncomfortable” place for many of us (including myself) and that is the responsibility that we have so long forgotten about, defending the Constitution.
“We the People” are the protectors of our Republic; “We the People” are the ones who shouldn’t have let things get so out of hand; “We the People” are actually responsible for where we are. Now, I am as guilty as the next guy when it comes to being easily distracted from this sacred duty to defend our Constitution. I mean think about it, what is it that you devote your attention to? We put our National responsibility on the back burner and occupy our free time with other, more entertaining things like sports (guilty), American Idol (not guilty), good times with friends (guilty), going to the movies (guilty), or amusement parks (guilty). Ask yourselves this, prior to getting upset with the current situation, how many times did you contact a politician to let them know how you felt? How many times did you debate others about the Constitutionality of a law? Heck, how many of you knew so much about our history?
I remember as a Boy Scout (yes, I was a Boy Scout) taking an oath “to do my duty to God and my country”, and again in the military taking an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…So help me God”, have I lived up to either oath? Sadly, I have not.
What happened to me happens to most of us, life. But what is life (I know, deep question)? Do you think you have a reason for being here (deeper question)? Is it what you are doing now or is it something bigger? I’m sorry to get so deep here but think about it, if we don’t pay attention to where our country is headed, and if we continue to let the politicians run the country the way they have over the last 100 years where will we be next? We must be vigilant and educated or things will not change.
Ronald Reagan often stated that America was a shining city upon a hill and that we were the last great hope of freedom loving people the world over. Now, with that in mind, what would the world be like were we to give up the fight, to just sit back and be entertained by our distractions? We are more than half way there now! If we don’t wake up and wake up others the “Last Great Hope” may well be gone.
“Let us resolve tonight that young Americans will always ... find there a city of hope in a country that is free.... And let us resolve they will say of our day and our generation, we did keep the faith with our God, that we did act worthy of ourselves, that we did protect and pass on lovingly that shining city on a hill." — Ronald Reagan
Until Next Time,
Mike
I hope that all of you had a terrific holiday and that the New Year will bring you many blessings. Now I know a lot of you are excited about the new Congress being run by the Republicans and can’t wait for them to reverse a lot of the damage caused by the previous Congress but, I warn you to be very vigilant. As Rodney and I have said in the past “watch what the other hand is doing.”
Now I am going to get into the “uncomfortable” place for many of us (including myself) and that is the responsibility that we have so long forgotten about, defending the Constitution.
“We the People” are the protectors of our Republic; “We the People” are the ones who shouldn’t have let things get so out of hand; “We the People” are actually responsible for where we are. Now, I am as guilty as the next guy when it comes to being easily distracted from this sacred duty to defend our Constitution. I mean think about it, what is it that you devote your attention to? We put our National responsibility on the back burner and occupy our free time with other, more entertaining things like sports (guilty), American Idol (not guilty), good times with friends (guilty), going to the movies (guilty), or amusement parks (guilty). Ask yourselves this, prior to getting upset with the current situation, how many times did you contact a politician to let them know how you felt? How many times did you debate others about the Constitutionality of a law? Heck, how many of you knew so much about our history?
I remember as a Boy Scout (yes, I was a Boy Scout) taking an oath “to do my duty to God and my country”, and again in the military taking an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…So help me God”, have I lived up to either oath? Sadly, I have not.
What happened to me happens to most of us, life. But what is life (I know, deep question)? Do you think you have a reason for being here (deeper question)? Is it what you are doing now or is it something bigger? I’m sorry to get so deep here but think about it, if we don’t pay attention to where our country is headed, and if we continue to let the politicians run the country the way they have over the last 100 years where will we be next? We must be vigilant and educated or things will not change.
Ronald Reagan often stated that America was a shining city upon a hill and that we were the last great hope of freedom loving people the world over. Now, with that in mind, what would the world be like were we to give up the fight, to just sit back and be entertained by our distractions? We are more than half way there now! If we don’t wake up and wake up others the “Last Great Hope” may well be gone.
“Let us resolve tonight that young Americans will always ... find there a city of hope in a country that is free.... And let us resolve they will say of our day and our generation, we did keep the faith with our God, that we did act worthy of ourselves, that we did protect and pass on lovingly that shining city on a hill." — Ronald Reagan
Until Next Time,
Mike
Sunday, December 12, 2010
VAT The Heck?
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with love, gratefulness and of course food. My family had dinner early, so around 5pm, after watching football most of the day, I sat down with a slice of pumpkin pie and watched the evening news. I then heard something that made me bite my tongue; Looks like the administration is once again looking at creating a National sales tax. Damn, I knew it! I thought this crap went away a few years ago, soon after President Obama took office, but no, here we go again.
Folks, a couple of years back this national sales tax was and still is known as the value added tax, or, V.A.T. what is V.A.T? Here is one definition:
A V.A.T is a national sales tax that would be collected by retailers. But it can also be imposed on products as they make their way through the manufacturing process. That is, manufactures, producers and business that add value to the product as well as by the consumer pay the tax for a single product.
The administration dangles the carrot to the American people by saying the V.A.T will eliminate the income tax. Hell, on the surface it sounds good. No more income tax, sign me up! Remember people, the devil’s in the details. President Obama is vetting a V.A.T to extract more wealth from the private sector to sustain this insatiable hunger for more government spending. Earlier this year, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke commenced a vetting strategy to convince Americans that they may have to choose between higher taxes or massive cuts to Government programs such as social security, Medicare, Education and Defense. This is essentially fear mongering, and a false choice. The Government needs to reform entitlement programs, needs to root out waste, fraud and abuse.
The reason why elites in Washington look at a V.A.T before increasing income taxes is because not enough of the population even pays income taxes, to make it worthwhile for the Government to use the income tax structure to balance the budget. According to the tax policy center, only about 47% of Americans will pay no federal income taxes at all. Meanwhile the Government can extract the most amount of your wealth, from a national sales tax. Think about this, 47% of Americans will pay no income tax. 100% of Americans will buy many things throughout the year. Let’s say the V.A.T is 20% (by the way, this is on top of all the other State, local taxes you already pay) that’s a 20% V.A.T on consumers of anything you buy. After speaking with some folks about this, here are some of the pros and cons:
Pro- It would eliminate the income tax. All taxes would be collected by retail businesses as they sell goods and service
Con- Income taxes are evil, however I don’t want to be taxed to death every time I buy something at the store or buy a gift for a friend
Pro- It would tax all citizens at the same rate so that only those who spent more would pay more taxes
Con- A V.A.T is essentially a tax on consumption. Since low income families spend almost every penny they earn on subsistence items, they would pay a higher percent of their earnings in taxes.
To me, I say no way. A national sales tax would be the end of economic freedom as we know it, because the federal government would then have the power to tax all aspects of our lives. Until Washington can restrain spending, we should not entrust it with the power to create a brand new tax.
My question for you, is the national sales tax the fairest plan? What do you think of a V.A.T being imposed on consumer goods?
Join us on our website www.thepeopleofliberty.com
-Until next time, Rodney
Folks, a couple of years back this national sales tax was and still is known as the value added tax, or, V.A.T. what is V.A.T? Here is one definition:
A V.A.T is a national sales tax that would be collected by retailers. But it can also be imposed on products as they make their way through the manufacturing process. That is, manufactures, producers and business that add value to the product as well as by the consumer pay the tax for a single product.
The administration dangles the carrot to the American people by saying the V.A.T will eliminate the income tax. Hell, on the surface it sounds good. No more income tax, sign me up! Remember people, the devil’s in the details. President Obama is vetting a V.A.T to extract more wealth from the private sector to sustain this insatiable hunger for more government spending. Earlier this year, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke commenced a vetting strategy to convince Americans that they may have to choose between higher taxes or massive cuts to Government programs such as social security, Medicare, Education and Defense. This is essentially fear mongering, and a false choice. The Government needs to reform entitlement programs, needs to root out waste, fraud and abuse.
The reason why elites in Washington look at a V.A.T before increasing income taxes is because not enough of the population even pays income taxes, to make it worthwhile for the Government to use the income tax structure to balance the budget. According to the tax policy center, only about 47% of Americans will pay no federal income taxes at all. Meanwhile the Government can extract the most amount of your wealth, from a national sales tax. Think about this, 47% of Americans will pay no income tax. 100% of Americans will buy many things throughout the year. Let’s say the V.A.T is 20% (by the way, this is on top of all the other State, local taxes you already pay) that’s a 20% V.A.T on consumers of anything you buy. After speaking with some folks about this, here are some of the pros and cons:
Pro- It would eliminate the income tax. All taxes would be collected by retail businesses as they sell goods and service
Con- Income taxes are evil, however I don’t want to be taxed to death every time I buy something at the store or buy a gift for a friend
Pro- It would tax all citizens at the same rate so that only those who spent more would pay more taxes
Con- A V.A.T is essentially a tax on consumption. Since low income families spend almost every penny they earn on subsistence items, they would pay a higher percent of their earnings in taxes.
To me, I say no way. A national sales tax would be the end of economic freedom as we know it, because the federal government would then have the power to tax all aspects of our lives. Until Washington can restrain spending, we should not entrust it with the power to create a brand new tax.
My question for you, is the national sales tax the fairest plan? What do you think of a V.A.T being imposed on consumer goods?
Join us on our website www.thepeopleofliberty.com
-Until next time, Rodney
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