11/27/14

China Strengthening Claim To South China Sea Oil And Gas

Not gone and not forgotten, China is ready to solidify its claim to the South China Sea (SCS). Recent satellite imagery confirms China is conducting significant land reclamation operations in the Spratly Islands in the SCS. The SCS is an important fishing ground and is believed to hold large amounts of oil and gas. Undermining the United States’ influence in the region, China intends to play the shepherd in one of the world’s busiest trade routes.

The Spratly Islands along with the Paracel Islands and several maritime boundaries in the SCS have been hotly disputed for several centuries. The conflict includes Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam and has predominantly centered on historical and cultural claims. Though offering very little in the way of land or resources, the islands serve as a tangible marker. As such, parties to the conflict have been quick to occupy them.

China’s most recent undertaking in the Spratly island chain is not their first – the last 18 months have already seen three reclamation projects. However, at more than 3,000 meters and counting Fiery Cross Reef is their grandest venture yet and appears destined to house an airstrip and harbor, both capable of supporting military hardware. The Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam already operate airstrips in the Spratlys, but can only support smaller, prop-based aircraft.

As it pursues expansion, China has been hesitant to engage in multilateral negotiations and meaningful dialogue on the SCS was relegated to the sidelines at the recent APEC and ASEAN summits. Instead, China – demanding an in-house solution to the convoluted matter – is content to flex its superior political and military might to limited opposition. Reluctant to step on any toes and with its feet in multiple courts, the United States is short on political recourse, and that’s how China likes it.

Though China’s aims are long-term, control of the Spratlies and Paracels is not subsidiary to any prize that may lie beneath. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “Asian security concept” calls for Asian solutions to Asian problems and seeks to limit Western influence in such “domestic” affairs. Unchecked dominance in the SCS, whether through direct force or intimidation, would be a remarkable victory in this regard.

And to the victor go the spoils, which in this case are still pretty unclear, a side effect of the conflict itself. The Energy Information Administration estimates the SCS holds approximately 11 billion barrels (bbl) of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. That estimate jumps to as much as 22 bbl of oil and 290 Tcf of natural gas according to a U.S. Geological Survey study. Chinese National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) is perhaps the most optimistic and estimates undiscovered resources of oil and gas in the SCS total 125 bbl and 500 Tcf respectively.

To date, the SCS nations have been relatively successful drilling in their near-offshore waters. Malaysia and Thailand for example, have created Joint Development Agreements to expedite production without addressing territorial disputes. For its part, China has largely played the provocateur. In 2011 and 2012, China offered a slew of oil and gas blocks to foreign bidders; the blocks – in contested waters – received no bids. More recently in May, China stationed its new deepwater drilling rig within Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone setting off a series of violent protests in Vietnam.

Disregarding today’s low commodity prices, the SCS is a tough sell for Western majors unwilling to take sides. Shell and ExxonMobil have been the most active in conflict-free waters and any multilateral resolution favors their size and deepwater drilling experience.

Despite the uncertainty of the resources below the surface, there is quantifiable wealth above. Approximately 14 million barrels of crude oil and over half of the global LNG trade pass through the SCS daily. In all, $5.3 trillion in total trade moves annually through the SCS. With an aim to control no less than 80 percent of the sea, China may soon be able to impose its will on global trade patterns.

Source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/China-Strengthening-Claim-To-South-China-Sea-Oil-And-Gas.html

By Colin Chilcoat of Oilprice.com

11/27/14

Patriots in DC post emotional Thanksgiving video on why they stand against illegal immigration

By: Renee Nal
New Zeal

Manny Vega and Blaine Cooper via Facebook [screenshot]

Patriots have been maintaining a vigil in Washington D.C. in response to President Obama’s executive order on illegal immigration, an unconstitutional and unprecedented act that will result in a surge of illegal aliens at the Mexico-America border, as reported at Broadside News.

The group 2 Million Bikers to DC (2MB2DC) has been updating their followers on the progress of Blaine and Manny, who have been joined by the Liberty Belles of America and others.

On Thanksgiving, Blaine Cooper posted an emotional video on Facebook, explaining why patriots have left their families to take a stand against President Obama along with Manny E. Vega, a Marine Corps veteran who served three combat tours in Iraq.

Post by Blaine Cooper.

On Thanksgiving day, Manny posted the following on Facebook:

Good afternoon folks, I hope you are enjoying your day with family. We will be going to volunteer at a kitchen here in Washington. We will be out here again in the morning. I truly hope that more fellow patriots come out in the coming days. Only six in front of the White House. Thank you for your support.

Americans are overwhelmingly against illegal immigration, and the Republican establishment is not representing the people. So what can you do?

Follow 2MBTDC on Facebook for updates.
Blaine Cooper, Manny E. Vega and others are currently in Washington. If you can get there, go to support legal immigration and demand enforcement of the immigration laws that are currently in place.
On December 3, Michele Bachmann is “organizing a rally…at high noon on the western steps of the capitol in Washington, D.C. to fight back against the president.” On December 10, at least 200 sheriffs are planning to also gather in Washington to protest Obama’s Executive Order.
If it is not possible to travel to D.C., one can donate to those who have dropped everything to protest in Washington.

In addition to the above steps, Bachmann has requested that Americans call their representatives. A list of Senators with their telephone numbers can be found here.

Manny Vega stands for freedom in Washington

11/27/14

The Ferguson Disaster: The Wreckage of Obama & Marx

The Right Planet
By: Lee Stranahan
Rebel Pundit

(Photo credit: Gateway Pundit)

As the smoke clears and the ashes cool in Ferguson, it’s important to remember that the catastrophe there wasn’t a spontaneous protest in response to a Grand Jury’s decision.

Ferguson shows the destructive consequences of Marxist ideological theory and its application in practice.

Let’s examine those ideas that drove the devastation and how those ideas were implemented in Ferguson. In this article, I’ll discuss the central idea that’s behind the rise of the unrest in Ferguson: Marx’s view of the world as a struggle between the oppressor and the oppressed. In an upcoming article, I’ll look at the very specific ways that that ideology was implemented by the Obama administration in Ferguson .

What Is Oppressor-Oppressed?

The oppressor-oppressed distinction that lies at the heart of Ferguson is a very simple idea that’s only actually a couple of hundred years old.

The idea was first introduced by the philosopher G.W.F. Hegel but really began to sweep through modern political thought with the publication of the Communist Manifesto in 1848. Karl Marx introduces the oppressor-oppressed concept immediately in Chapter I:

The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.

Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another…

If ideas spread like viruses, the oppressor-oppressed distinction is the Ebola of political theories…except it’s been much deadlier. The oppressor-oppressed distinction became the lens that neo-liberal thinking would come to see the entire world through.

Marxism may have failed politically in nation after nation but it lives today though cultural influence in the arts and education. The 1960s radicals revived the oppressor-oppressed concept as they took to the streets and hijacked the civil rights movement. Once you start listening for the various ways oppressor-oppressed is presented, you hear it every day almost anyplace where politics are being discussed, from shouts of white male privilege to college programs teaching ‘anti-oppression training to the way businessmen are presented in TV, movies or on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

Understanding how this theory is playing out in Ferguson is important because it’s actually a key component in the broader issue of racial politics today. I believe that the oppressor-oppressed mindset creates the “perpetual victimhood” mentality that many conservatives notice in liberals.

Understanding oppressor-oppressed also helps explain why an Islamic “civil rights” group like CAIR is involved in Ferguson. The entire Israeli-Palestinian conflict is most often seen by the Palestinian activists and their neo-liberal allies as an example of oppressor-oppressed. As Hillary Clinton said as Secretary of State:

So, yes, there is more that the Israelis need to do to really demonstrate that they do understand the pain of an oppressed people …

Oppressor-oppressed Brainwashing In Ferguson

Claiming that the oppressor-oppressed concept is one of the driving forces in Ferguson obviously doesn’t mean that the protestors on the ground in Ferguson are actively thinking about Hegel and Marx. Most of the protesters aren’t intellectuals or revolutionaries and certainly there are many protestors who are simply fed up with what they see as unfair treatment by the police.

Modern neo-liberals intentionally use protests as a way of both creating shock troops for violent direct actions and also indoctrinating those protestors to see themselves and their struggle as part of the grand sweep of Marxist oppressor-oppressed battles.

So while most of the protestors may not be thinking about the Michael Brown shooting in Marxist terms, the people pushing things behind the scenes certainly do.

One of the pushers has been Lisa Fithian, an experienced white anarchist neo-liberal organizer who has been doing protestor training in Ferguson. Fithian is a longtime, experienced street organizer that was featured in the film Occupy Unmasked for her role as “Professor Occupy,” as she was called by Mother Jones. She’s a professional demonstrator who’s worked for the labor unions in places like Michigan and Illinois.

Where Fithian goes, chaos follows so it’s not at all shocking that Fithian has trained over 600 ‘activists’ in Ferguson. Her trainings are a combination of how to cause maximum trouble for the police while staying just within the bounds of the law and the underlying theory of why the demonstrators are fighting the oppressor. By defining the authorities as the oppressor she gives the oppressed the moral go-ahead to fight them by any means necessary.

The Dow Jones: Beautiful Tree in the Desert

By: Wim Grommen

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) Index is the only stock market index that covers both the second and the third industrial revolution. Calculating share indexes such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and showing this index in a historical graph is a useful way to show which phase the industrial revolution is in. Changes in the DJIA shares basket, changes in the formula and stock splits during the take-off phase and acceleration phase of industrial revolutions are perfect transition-indicators. The similarities of these indicators during the last two revolutions are fascinating, but also a reason for concern. In fact the graph of the DJIA is a classic example of fictional truth, a fata morgana.

Transitions

Every production phase, civilization or other human invention goes through a so called transformation process. Transitions are social transformation processes that cover at least one generation. In this article I will use one such transition to demonstrate the position of our present civilization and its possible effect on stock exchange rates.

A transition has the following characteristics:

it involves a structural change of civilization or a complex subsystem of our civilization
it shows technological, economical, ecological, socio cultural and institutional changes at different levels that influence and enhance each other
it is the result of slow changes (changes in supplies) and fast dynamics (flows)

A transition process is not fixed from the start because during the transition processes will adapt to the new situation. A transition is not dogmatic.

Four transition phases

In general transitions can be seen to go through the S curve and we can distinguish four phases (see fig. 1):

a pre development phase of a dynamic balance in which the present status does not visibly change
a take off phase in which the process of change starts because of changes in the system
an acceleration phase in which visible structural changes take place through an accumulation of socio cultural, economical, ecological and institutional changes influencing each other; in this phase we see collective learning processes, diffusion and processes of embedding
a stabilization phase in which the speed of sociological change slows down and a new dynamic balance is achieved through learning

A product life cycle also goes through an S curve. In that case there is a fifth phase:

the degeneration phase in which cost rises because of over capacity and the producer will finally withdraw from the market.

Figure 1. The S curve of a transition

Four phases in a transition best visualized by means of an S curve:

Pre-development, Take-off, Acceleration, Stabilization.

When we look back into the past we see three transitions, also called industrial revolutions, taking place with far-reaching effect :
1. The first industrial revolution (1780 until circa 1850); the steam engine
2. The second industrial revolution (1870 until circa 1930); electricity, oil and the car
3. The third industrial revolution (1950 until ….); computer and microprocessor

Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) index is the oldest shares index in the United States. A select group of journalists of The Wall Street Journal decide which companies are included in the most influential stock exchange index in the world. Unlike most other indices the Dow is a price average index. This means that shares with a high price have a great influence on the movements of the index. Calculating stock index values such as the Dow and presenting the index in a historical graphs is a perfect way of indicating which phase an industrial revolution is in.

The Dow was first published in 1896. The index was calculated by dividing the sum of the shares by 12:

Dow-index_1896 = (x1 + x2+ ……….+x12) / 12

After a period of 25 years the value of the original set of 12 apples is compared to the value of a set of 30 pears. In 1929 only 2 of the original 12 companies of the Dow were still present.

The most remarkable characteristic is of course the constantly changing set of shares. Generally speaking, the companies that are removed from the set are in a stabilization or degeneration phase. Companies in a take off phase or acceleration phase are added to the set. This greatly increases the chance that the index will rise rather than go down. This is obvious, especially when this is done during the acceleration phase of a transition. In 1916 the Dow was extended to 20 companies; 4 companies were taken out and 12 were added.

Dow-index_1916 = (x1 + x2+ ……….+x20) / 20

This way of calculating the index actually creates a kind of pyramid scheme. All goes well as long as companies are added that are in their take off phase or acceleration phase. At the end of a transition there will be fewer companies in those phases.

The shares of a number of companies were split during the years and for those shares a factor was added to the calculation. The formula is as follows (American Can is multiplied by 6, General Electric by 4).

Dow-index_1927 = (6.x1 + 4.x2+ ……….+x20) / 20

Things take a bizarre turn with the changes to the Dow Jones of 1 October 1928.

On 1 October 1928 the Dow Jones is enlarged to 30 shares.

Because all calculations are done by hand, the calculation formula of the index is simplified. The Dow Divisor is introduced. The index is calculated by dividing the sum of the share values using the Dow Divisor.

Because the value on 1 October 1928 must remain the same, the Dow Divisor is set at 16.67. The index graphs of before and after 1 October be a continuous line.

Dow-index_okt_1928 = (x1 + x2+ ……….+x30) / 16.67

On 1 October 1928 the value of the Dow is 239, so the sum of the shares is 3984 dollars. From that moment on an increase (or decrease) of the set of shares results in almost twice as many (or fewer) index points. In the old formula the sum would have been divided by 30.

With every change in the set of shares used to calculate the Dow, the value of the Dow Divisor also changes. This is done because the index which is the result of two different sets of shares at the moment the set is changed must be the same for both sets at that point in time. The same thing happens when shares are split. In the fall of 1928 and spring of 1929 8 shares are split decreasing the Dow Divisor to 10.47.

Dow-index_sept_1929 = (x1 + x2+ ……….+x30) / 10.47

From that moment on a an increase (or decrease) of the set of shares results in almost three times as many (or fewer) index points as a year before. In the old formula the sum would have been divided by 30. The Dow’s highest point is on 3 September 1929 at 381 points.

So the extreme increase followed by an extreme decrease of the Dow in the period 1920 – 1932 was primarily caused by changes to the formula, the constant changes to the set of shares during the acceleration phase of the second industrial revolution and splitting of s`hares during this period. Because of these changes in the Dow investors were wrong footed. The companies whose shares constituted the Dow index at that time also continued into the stabilization and degeneration phase.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average: Beautiful Tree in the Desert

In many graphs the y-axis is a fixed unit, such as kg, meter, liter or euro. In the graphs showing the stock exchange values, this also seems to be the case because the unit shows a number of points. However, this is far from true! An index point is not a fixed unit in time and does not have any historical significance. An index is calculated on the basis of a set of shares. Every index has its own formula and the formula gives the number of points of the index. Unfortunately many people attach a lot of value to these graphs which are, however, very deceptive.

An index is calculated on the basis of a set of shares. Every index has its own formula and the formula results in the number of points of the index. However, this set of shares changes regularly. For a new period the value is based on a different set of shares. It is very strange that these different sets of shares are represented as the same unit. In less than ten years twelve of the thirty companies (i.e. 40%) in the Dow Jones were replaced. Over a period of sixteen years, twenty companies were replaced, a figure of 67%. This meant that over a very short period we were left comparing a basket of today’s apples with a basket of yesterday’s pears.

Even more disturbing is the fact that with every change in the set of shares used to calculate the number of points, the formula also changes. This is done because the index, which is the result of two different sets of shares at the moment the set is changed, must be the same for both sets at that point in time. The index graphs must be continuous lines. For example, the Dow Jones is calculated by adding the shares and dividing the result by a number. Because of changes in the set of shares and the splitting of shares the divider changes continuously. At the moment the divider is 0.15571590501117 but in 1985 this number was higher than 1. An index point in two periods of time is therefore calculated in different ways:

Dow1985 = (x1 + x2 +..+x30) / 1

Dow2014 = (x1 + x2 +.. + x30) / 0.15571590501117

In the 1990s many shares were split. To make sure the result of the calculation remained the same both the number of shares and the divider changed. An increase in share value of 1 dollar of the set of shares in 2014 results is 6.4 times more points than in 1985. The fact that in the 1990s many shares were split is probably the cause of the exponential growth of the Dow Jones index. At the moment the Dow is at 16,437 points. If we used the 1985 formula it would be at 2,559 points.

The most remarkable characteristic is of course the constantly changing set of shares. Generally speaking, the companies that are removed from the set are in a stabilization or degeneration phase. Companies in a take off phase or acceleration phase are added to the set. This greatly increases the chance that the index will rise rather than go down. This is obvious, especially when this is done during the acceleration phase of a transition. From 1980 onward 7 ICT companies (3M, AT&T, Cisco, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft), the engines of the latest revolution and 5 financial institutions, which always play an important role in every transition, were added to the Dow Jones.

Table 1. Changes in the Dow, stock splits and the value of the Dow Divisor after the market crash of 1929

Dow Jones Industrial Average

Figure 2 Exchange rates of Dow Jones during the latest two industrial revolutions. During the last few years the rate increases have accelerated enormously.

Double manipulation

On September 23 2013, the Dow got the biggest facelift since 2004 in one fell swoop with the removal of 3 company constituents:

Hewlett- Packard Co. (+21.5% ytd), Bank of America Inc. (+52.0% ytd) and Alcoa Inc. (-1.8% ytd)

And the addition of: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (+25 ytd), Nike Inc. (+27% ytd) and Visa Inc. (+18% ytd)

What is even more striking is that the three companies removed from the index have a low share price (HP is trading at an approximate price of $22, BoA at $14 and Alcoa at $8 for a sum total of $44) while the three stocks added have a high market price (Goldman Sachs at $164, Nike at $67 and Visa at $184 for a sum total of $415). Of course there is the Dow Divisor which supposedly ensures that the value of the Dow Jones with the new shares is the same as the value of the Dow Jones with the old shares but this effect is only short-term as, in the long-term, the profits of the higher priced stocks will be greater/stronger than those of the weaker stocks that they replaced.

The Dow 30 is calculated by dividing the sum of the 30 constituents’ shares by the Dow Divisor. On September 10, the Dow Jones ended at 15,191 points. The Dow Divisor currently has a value of 0.130216081. This means that the current total of 30 shares is worth $1,978 (15,191 x 0.130216081=$1,978).

HP is trading at an approximate price of $22, BoA at $14 and Alcoa at $8 (sum total of $44). These shares will be replaced by Goldman Sachs at $164, Nike at $67 and Visa at $184 (sum total of $415) which is 9.4 times more. This means that the new sum of the 30 stocks have a value of $2,349 (1978 – 44 + 415) and, therefore we expect that the Dow Divisor will be adjusted from 0.130216081 to 0.154631 to get back to the original 15,191 index points (15,191 x 0.154631 = $2,349).

Given the above, had the three old shares increased by 10% each in price in the past the Dow 30 would have increased by 33.8 points in total (10% x 44 divided by 0.130216081 = 33.79 points) assuming there was no change in the price of the other 27 stocks.

As of September 23rd, however, a corresponding 10% increase in the price of each of the new shares would contribute 268.4 points to the rise of the Dow 30 (10% x 415 divided by 0.154631 = 268.38) or 7.94 times more points.

The influence of the 3 losers was: $44 of $1978. This is 2.2% of the Dow Jones Index. The influence of the 3 winners becomes: $415 of $2,349. This is 17.67% of the Dow Jones Index. This stinks pretty much of manipulation, even double manipulation!

Overview from 1997 : 20 winners in – 20 losers out, a figure of 67%

September 23, 2013: Hewlett – Packard Co., Bank of America Inc. and Alcoa Inc. replaced Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Nike Inc. and Visa Inc. Alcoa has dropped from $40 in 2007 to $8.08. Hewlett- Packard Co. has dropped from $50 in 2010 to $22.36. Bank of America has dropped from $50 in 2007 to $14.48. But Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Nike Inc. and Visa Inc. have risen 25%, 27% and 18% respectively in 2013.

September 20, 2012: UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) replaces Kraft Foods Inc. Kraft Foods Inc. was split into two companies and was therefore deemed less representative so no longer suitable for the Dow. The share value of UnitedHealth Group Inc. had risen for two years before inclusion in the Dow by 53%.

June 8, 2009: Cisco and Travelers replaced Citigroup and General Motors.  Citigroup and General Motors have received billions of dollars of U.S. government money to survive and were not representative of the Do.

September 22, 2008: Kraft Foods Inc. replaced American International Group.  American International Group was replaced after the decision of the government to take a 79.9% stake in the insurance giant. AIG was narrowly saved from destruction by an emergency loan from the Fed.

February 19, 2008: Bank of America Corp. and Chevron Corp. replaced Altria Group Inc. and Honeywell International. Altria was split into two companies and was deemed no longer suitable for the Dow.  Honeywell was removed from the Dow because the role of industrial companies in the U.S. stock market in the recent years had declined and Honeywell had the smallest sales and profits among the participants in the Dow.

April 8, 2004: Verizon Communications Inc., American International Group Inc. and Pfizer Inc. replace AT & T Corp., Eastman Kodak Co. and International Paper. AIG shares had increased over 387% in the previous decade and Pfizer had an increase of more than 675& behind it. Shares of AT & T and Kodak, on the other hand, had decreases of more than 40% in the past decade and were therefore removed from the Dow.

November 1, 1999: Microsoft Corporation, Intel Corporation, SBC Communications and Home Depot Incorporated replaced Chevron Corporation, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Union Carbide Corporation and Sears Roebuck.

March 17, 1997: Travelers Group, Hewlett-Packard Company, Johnson & Johnson and Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated replaced Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Texaco Incorporated, Bethlehem Steel Corporation and Woolworth Corporation.

Real truth and fictional truth

Is the number of points that the Dow Jones now gives us a truth or a fictional truth?  If a fictional truth then the number of points now says absolutely nothing about the state that the economy or society is in when compared to the past. In that case a better guide would be to look at the number of people in society that use food stamps today – That is the real truth

A fata morgana is an optical phenomenon, and so is the graph of the The Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Wim Grommen

Mr. Grommen was a teacher in mathematics and physics for eight years at secondary schools. The last twenty years he trained programmers in Oracle-software. The last 16 years he studied transitions, social transformation processes, the S-curve and transitions in relation to market indices. Articles about these topics have been published in various magazines / sites in The Netherlands and Belgium.

11/27/14

Mo. Lt. Governor On Outbreak Of Violence In Ferguson

Hat Tip: BB

Confirmed: Valerie Jarrett Keeping In Touch With Gov. Nixon During Ferguson Fiasco

Ferguson thugs beat, carjack elderly white man on oxygen

Communist, Palestinian Groups Join Ferguson Protesters In Oregon

Michael Brown’s Mom Is A Ridiculous Blame Shifting Rabble Rouser

11/27/14

Seriously? You Expect Me to be Thankful for This?

By: PolitiJim
Gulag Bound

PolitiJim’s Rants for Reasonable People

Obama-Garden-Delights-Scandals_thumb
As I write this, I’m unable to be with my family today, have numerous personal struggles, and have friends who are struggling to eat – much less walk in the fullness of their calling and careers.

On the national front, we see not only record poverty and unemployment, but – perhaps far worse – a poverty of character and moral compass that we as a nation used to be able to fall back on in crisis’s of past. A majority in our nation are enslaved by ignorance through a lying media and they continue to empower mostly spineless, weak and/or corrupt narcissists to spend our money and enslave all of us even further in more ways than we can imagine. Communist owned Hong Kong is more economically free and former Soviet satellite Estonia may actually be a more free democracy than ours.

Seriously? You expect me to thankful for this?

To the atheist or agnostic, (or self-absorbed) all that I can offer is that thankfulness is a key ingredient to happiness. Researchers have proven that gratitude improves emotional and physical health, and it can strengthen relationships and communities. Of course this required the subjects to FOCUS on what they grateful for as opposed to bitching and moaning about every problem they faced. And if you believe that there is no purpose to your life other than a your carbon dioxide enrichment of our atmosphere – good luck with that.

However, the unfortunate thing is that without the acknowledgement of a Designer of your life you are akin to the kid who can only lick the cake batter spatula (after all your siblings and the family dog) as compared to feasting on the double fudge chocolate confection of REAL thankfulness to God that we Christians have. Or are supposed to have despite crap hurricane that seems to never stop.

And for those that don’t just suspect or mentally suppose the existence of a Higher Power, but truly LEAN ON and TRUST Him, there is a much richer understanding and power available to you.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

Interestingly enough, the Apostle Paul wrote this amidst similar political upheaval. Despite enormous paganism and the worship of thousands of Gods throughout the land, Christians were – at best – thought of as annoying cult of weirdo’s (not that much different from today, right?) and – at worst – were targeted for death by Jews who felt they were a threat to Judaism. Remember Paul himself had been a Christian killer not too long before this. And Rome’s new emperor, Claudius, had just succeeded Caligula who was assassinated by Senators and his own Praetorian Guard. You think Obama’s bad? Here is the Wikipedia short description of Caligula:

An insane emperor who was self-absorbed, angry, killed on a whim, and indulged in too much spending and sex. He is accused of sleeping with other men’s wives and bragging about it, killing for mere amusement, deliberately wasting money on his bridge, causing starvation, and wanting a statue of himself erected in the Temple of Jerusalem for his worship. Once, at some games at which he was presiding, he ordered his guards to throw an entire section of the crowd into the arena during intermission to be eaten by animals because there were no criminals to be prosecuted and he was bored.

The point is, the “will of God” of being thankful for those of us who believe in God isn’t subject to the success of our political freedom or prospects. Which is very hard sometimes for us to grasp.

When I first heard this scripture in my 20’s after becoming a Christian, I thought, “So should I be thankful if I get in a car accident and loose my arm?”

Many well intentioned Christian denominations have made it even harder by a false teaching that God inflicts us with these problems to make us stronger or to teach us “character.”

Funny, I can’t remember a single incident where a paralytic approached Jesus to be healed and Christ said, “You haven’t learned humility quite well enough yet. Come back in two years after you’re really grateful that you’re even alive.”

No! Instead Jesus healed everyone who came to Him. And He went further telling us to ask anything we wanted from Him. And He reasoned that God gives good things, not evil things when we ask:

…what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 7:9-11

It is difficult for even Christians to fathom (let alone non-believers), but God is “Love” as the Bible states, and He is also an uncompromising Judge for perfection in thought as well as actions. But as the reference from Matthew explains – we are to identify with God as “Daddy” first and foremost above His identity as the Supreme Ruler of the Universe who could snuff out our life with a mere thought.

This shouldn’t be so foreign to us. We all carry multiple labels and perceptions that differ from our family, our friends and those that work with us. The child of a special operations Army Ranger runs to his father, even if there was a rifle in his hand, because that child knows that their relationship is in the bounds of “Daddy” and not “Sniper.” That child doesn’t give a second thought to a misuse of his daddy’s power or intention against those who are enemies. And it doesn’t make his father any less of a badass to Islamic terrorists who desire to do unspeakable things to that soldier’s son. (Just like the devil by the way.)

Go look it up. Jesus always called God “Abba” (which means “Daddy”) except for the one instance where He took upon Himself all of our sin and condemnation and judgment on the cross.

Yes, there will be a day of judgment. But Jesus hasn’t come back to do that yet.

And when we truly know God as Jesus did, (as Daddy) not only do we gain the gift acceptance, love and approval (bought for us by the perfection and blood of His only truly “genetic” Son Jesus), we also now place ourselves in a position to receive from God what we ask and what we need. Talk about a reason for being thankful!

(Did you get that? Not only does the most powerful Being in the Universe see you like His perfect Son with no sin, you can ask him for stuff and He’ll hear you!)

Doesn’t the scripture tell us in one town, Jesus could not heal many because they simply couldn’t believe that He could or would? Didn’t the “good” son in the parable of the prodigal never get a pig roast and party from the father simply because he never asked – or thought he could?

Believing that God is good empowers you to receive from Him!

The first thing we should be grateful for is that God loves us each, individually as beloved children – regardless of how “good” we are since it is the blood of His Son that makes us righteous in the Father’s eyes.

And the second thing we should be grateful is that God is willing to change our economy, our political and tax enslavement for us and our children. He said to ask him for “good things.” Asking for a rebirth of financial and political freedom qualifies, just as it did for His people enslaved in Egypt.

But it requires faith. And here is the secret: thankfulness that God will grant us what we ask. (Because we know it is already granted to us by our Father – even before we ask for it!)

When talking about Wisdom, James says:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:5 NKJV

The disciples were shocked when Jesus merely spoke death to a fig tree and a day later it shriveled up. He explained:

And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly].

Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

Mark 11:22-25 AMP

Notice Jesus said “granted” as in past tense. So our prayers for ourselves and our country should be in the expectantly that He is not done with us yet (as George Washington foresaw) and that He wants us to prosper as a Godly nation again.

If we ever needed anything lifted from the “dead” the state of our nation is it. How did Jesus raise Lazarus? He thanked God that he would do so.

And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

Yes, I know You always hear and listen to Me, but I have said this on account of and for the benefit of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You did send Me [that You have made Me Your Messenger].

When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out!

And out walked the man who had been dead, his hands and feet wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] napkin bound around his face. Jesus said to them, Free him of the burial wrappings and let him go.

John 11:41-44 AMP

Do we really think that complaining to each other – or God – about how bad Obama, the abortionists, the big bank cronies or race baiters are will change a single one of them? We are fools if we think so because NO WHERE did Jesus or the disciples say, “If thou bitchest loud enough I will reenact the face melting scene of Raiders of the Lost of Ark upon those that violate the Constitution and blaspheme My Name.”

Even the Old Testament – which required “works” instead of faith (as is to those of us under the New Testament privilege of Jesus’ blood) said:

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

The word “seek” (baqash) carries with it a demand, to require something. In this case it is to get God’s attention. IF you know Your Daddy is predisposed to your wellbeing and requests, especially those that are His Will, we now pray (as we read earlier) expecting that we already have it. The Apostle John put it this way:

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)

So what we are thanking God for is not just the amazing grace and mercy He has shown us in not already allowing America to turn into Islamabad, but in expectation that He loves us, He has a covenant with us as a country, and that our belief in His Goodness and in His Promise will be seen to glorify Him.

It’s not in our control but His. But our faith that He will intervene essentially is “Thanksgiving in advance” for what we ask.

So yeah. Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you Lord that You are merciful and gracious to us individually, and as a country.

Thank you that you do still have a mighty work for America in demonstrating true freedom with Your righteousness to the world, and positioning us again to be a force for good.

Thank you for exposing and removing the pernicious political playmakers who have been subversively undermining our Constitution, our banking system, our economy and our culture and please Lord release Your Holy Spirit across this nation and give us pride once again in a nation under God and indivisible for You.

Amen.

Jesus gave thanks before He multiplied the loaves and fishes for the 5,000.

Second and third images added by Gulag Bound; sources unknown.

11/27/14

Jerusalem and God save the Queen – Last night of the Proms 2012

11/27/14

WINSTON CHURCHILL Speech To Americans on Thanksgiving Day 23rd Nov 1944

From our British friends (yes, we still have some):

11/27/14

It’s a day of Thanksgiving – Not Turkey Day

By: T F Stern
T F Stern’s Rantings

Folks calling Thanksgiving Day, ‘Turkey Day’ grinds on me. I know they don’t mean any harm by it, toasting their glasses while enjoying a fine meal prepared with all the trimmings prior to watching football on the HD television screen that covers an entire wall in the den.

In spite of colorful band uniforms, clowns, entertainers and all that is involved with a parade marching down Main Street, we aren’t paying homage to a major department store chain for having great products to purchase as we enter the “holiday season”. Some of you are looking at the clock anticipating your favorite department store that has promised it will open at 6pm on Thanksgiving Day so shoppers will have a jump start on Black Friday sales items.

Is it just me or isn’t that about the same as leaving church before the closing prayer so as to be home in time to watch the opening kick off?

Thanksgiving Day is much more than a feast, more than getting together with family and friends. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day we acknowledge all the tender mercies and blessing which our Creator has provided. Think of Thanksgiving Day as the 53^rd Sunday of the year, a bonus day to thank the Lord for any and all blessings.

America was founded by deeply spiritual individuals who based everything, including the formation of government on the Bible. Everything we have is a direct result of Providence, the Hand of the Lord assisting the Pilgrims, early colonists and those who stood up to the King and declared our independence. A careful study of America’s Revolutionary War victories point to many instances of divine intervention, nothing short of miracles as a rag-tag army, much of which was composed of farmers and shop keepers, defeated the most powerful military force in the world.

America was founded on Christian principles and divine intervention played a major role in our separation from Great Britain and the King; but this is no longer taught in our public schools, Atheists and communist sympathizers find these historical facts annoying.

Our children and grandchildren now are taught that George Washington was a terrible military leader who was just very lucky; nothing about his being protected by the Lord so that he might lead a fledgling nation. Teachers can’t mention anything about God being at the foundations of our great country because of the Supreme Court’s ruling on separation of church and state. Never mind that no such clause is found in our constitution; the Supreme Court said it’s hidden in an umbrella somewhere, so it must be.

Some of us were taught that the first Thanksgiving was started by Pilgrims to thank native Indians for showing them how to plant corn, how to fish and to survive the rugged environment. Sounds nice, even logical; but it would be wrong. The Pilgrims understood that their lives were in the hands of the Lord and that each day was a gift regardless of the challenges placed before them.

I recently read where second grade children at a school in Fairfield, Connecticut are taught that individual rights come from government. That’s news to me; all this time I was under the impression that inalienable rights are a gift from God, the Eternal Father, our Creator and Lord.

Public schools are indoctrinating our children in this matter; and, with little help from parents to correct these fallacies, it’s only a matter of time, perhaps only one generation before the lies become accepted. Once these lies have been advanced and accepted, individual God given rights will become only a memory, a vague memory. Government entitlements, permissions, permits and preferences are a poor substitute; but the rest of the world seems to think they’re okay so what’s the big deal…

If the State succeeds in their goal of replacing God, declaring the State as a suitable replacement, America becomes a mere footnote in future history books, a failed Great Experiment in self governance. Obama’s posturing and apologies to the world will come home to roost; isn’t that what he wants? After all, America really wasn’t exceptional, no better than any other nation, we were just lucky and our luck ran out.

As you sit down with family and friends to celebrate on this Day of Thanksgiving, take a few minutes to count your blessings, blessings the Lord has provided. Enjoy your turkey dinner; but praise God and thank Him for the roof over your head, for family and friends in this nation that was designed and prospered by heaven above; and give thanks and credit where credit is due.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

11/27/14

The Hamilton Thanksgiving of 2014

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It is a sitcom around here today and I cannot even begin to describe it. Great food and comedy galore. 😉

Think this:

While imagining this:

And you begin to understand grasshopper.

Seriously though, we are thankful for so many things, not the least of which are the last elections and the coming one in 2016. We can’t wait for that one, trust me. Check out this fantastic Thanksgiving NFL Ad that Warns of a Rogue President: