We Need a Confessing Movement...

"We need a movement that transcends the old-school protests organized by us (the good guys) to target them (the bad guys) to recognize that we are all accomplices in the creation and perpetuation, of the systems that are killing us and our planet."

The complete thought provoking article HERE!

Quote of the day...

"If you want to lose motivation

watch CNN and FOX all day."

- Dave Ramsey

Just sayin'...

Quote of the day...

Do not pray for easy lives.

Pray to be stronger men.

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers.

Pray for powers equal to your tasks.

Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle,

but you shall be a miracle.

-Phillips Brooks

OCCUPY: My Thoughts

(Photo from CNBC)

There is a reason I don't pay too much attention to the media, that's because I believe they have an agenda and secondly I have enough worries and distractions in my life as it is.  While I haven't been following this "OCCUPY" movement, one can't help but take notice.  Shoot, there is even a small band of protesters here in Colorado Springs at Acacia Park who are lobbying to be allowed to stay for a full year. Then just "up the road" there's OCCUPY Denver who's making national news with the confrontations with Police and subsequent arrests.

I don't altogether understand the reasoning behind this uprising, but the little I do know allows me to realize that I don't agree.  I'm not a communist, at least not in the current understanding of the word (Biblical "communism" is an a completely different topic).  I don't think that wealthy people are evil.  I think that large corporations have worker rights and wages problems just like small companies do.  I am at odds with class systems such as the caste-system, but here if you want to work hard and be successful I don't think that anyone should hold you back; after all the Bible condemns lazy/ slothful people and says that you shouldn't eat if you don't work.

With all that in mind I'm beginning to consider their movement.  Possibly as a result of a mocking/ hypocritical sound-byte from an annoying and bitter conservative talk radio personality, Laura Ingraham.  She was upset about OCCUPY being allowed to stay in "Freedom Park" in DC, and she hopes there is a long bitter winter.

As I've already spelled out, I'm not in agreement with what they're touting.  But what about these considerations?:

• Americans have been given the freedom to express their opinions whether they are valid or not.  Or whether we agree with them or not.  That is the beauty of America and the beauty of the 1st Amendment.
• @Laura Ingraham: Shouldn't "Freedom Park" be a place where freedom of expression and the right to assemble be allowed/ honored/ protected???
• If these OCCUPY people quit their jobs and lose their homes and whatnot as a result - that's on them and maybe they'll see the folly of their ways.  

Here was/ is the ultimate question for me right now, one that I haven't yet answered, even internally:

What would fire me up enough to take to the streets to protest?

Discuss...

I posted this awhile back on FB and it led to spirited/ heated debate.

Let's see the outcome here (even with fewer readers).

I 

The U.S. Government's definition of "terrorism":

"The calculated use of violence (or the treat of violence) against civilians

in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature;

this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear."

Herman Cain's 9-9-9 Tax Plan...

The other day I "happened" to be listening to the Dave Ramsey Show when he had a surprise guest,  Mr. Herman Cain a Presidential hopeful.  Mr. Cain started to talk about his 9-9-9 tax proposal.  Which to simplify it: calls for abolishing the tax code and replacing it with a 9% tax on corporate profits and personal income and a 9% sales tax.  To me the "flat tax" has always seemed to be the most equitable, so this idea really perked my interest (regardless of Mr. Cain's party affiliation and ideas (which I don't know anything about) ).  So I decided to ask my father in law about it.  He is a Financial Officer for a huge non-profit, an accounting professor and has his PhD in accounting.  I figured he would be a wise source of information or at least an opinion. 

Here's his feedback on the 9-9-9 plan:

"I just read about the 3 9s this last weekend.  1-9% flat rate personal income tax with no deductions except for charity; 1-9% flat rate tax on business profit; and 1 new 9% national sales tax.

Cain's rates are simple but seductively low.  The current income tax was introduced tin 1913 with a top rate of 7% amid promises that it would never exceed 10%.  By 1918 the top rate was 77%.

European nations adopted national sales and value-added taxes on top of their income taxes in the 1960s that has coincided with the rise of the entitlement state and slower economic growth.  Here again, the rates started at less than 10% and are now nearly 20%.  A 9% sales tax rate combined with state/local levies means a tax of 17% or greater in many places. 

Cain's theory is that current prices have current taxes embedded in them and that the "bad" taxes will be ripped out of prices and the "good" sales tax be put back in.  Good luck on that theory!  It is not, as argued, a replacement tax but an add-on tax.  This type of tax is regressive since it imposes more of a burden on low-income taxpayers who must spend larger proportions of their incomes on essential purchases. 

No more payroll and estate taxes or capital gains or dividends being taxed.  So, simplicity and a sharp reduction in marginal tax rates form 35% to 9% for businesses and top-earning individuals.  Cain's plan would in effect convert the federal tax system into a de facto consumption tax.  So, in my opinion, the one's who can afford consumption is the wealthy not the poor/middle class as these rates are not progressive to income. 

In summary, you would replace a tax system that is known and should be reformed than introducing another system totally unknown.  Much would have to be known to make it fair; e.g. the amount of personal exemptions that would allow many low and middle income taxpayers to pay no tax."   

Quote of the day...

"Do not go where the path may lead;

go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Political post of the day...

Me. Challenging your thoughts on American occupying forces,

(i.e. the American Military)

* Disclaimer: I'm not endorsing Ron Paul.  It's just a challenging video. 

Lyrics of the day...

"How can you stand next to

the truth and not see it?"

-U2

Truly ROTTEN Tomatoes...

For awhile now RottenTomatoes.com has been my goto place to see how movies are faring in the box-office and in public opinion.  With their rating of the new film Courageous, (by the Fireproof folks) I can see that they are anything but unbiased and reliable.


According to RottenTomatoes.com they've given the film a 31% approval rating, with the following summary: "While the filmmaking is fairly competent, Courageous is overall worthless to anybody who doesn't subscribe to its dogmatic agenda."


Where did this 31% rating come from???  16 professional reviewers


Where as 93% of 6,267 ordinary people enjoyed the film...  Hmm, seems like there's a disparity.