Sunday, April 30, 2006
WILL YOU BE AROUND FOR THE SHOW?
"May 7, 2009, will surely go down in history alongside September 11, 2001. '5/7,' as it inevitably became known, saw massive suicide bombings in Tel Aviv, London, and New York, as well as simultaneous attacks on the remaining Western troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Total casualties were estimated at around 10,000 dead and many more wounded. The attacks, which included the explosion of a so-called dirty bomb in London, were orchestrated by a Tehran-based organization for 'martyrdom-seeking operations' established in 2004. '5/7' was the Islamic Republic of Iran's response to the bombing of its nuclear facilities, which President Hillary Clinton had ordered in March 2009."
--------------------------Timothy Garton Ash's near-future scenario.
EPILOGUE
"The true patriot does not love his government. The true patriot loves his country and watches his government" ---------Darryl Eberhart, Tackling the Tough Topics.
Steve
This article may be reproduced WITHOUT CHANGE and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes. ourfutureworld.blogspot.com
"May 7, 2009, will surely go down in history alongside September 11, 2001. '5/7,' as it inevitably became known, saw massive suicide bombings in Tel Aviv, London, and New York, as well as simultaneous attacks on the remaining Western troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Total casualties were estimated at around 10,000 dead and many more wounded. The attacks, which included the explosion of a so-called dirty bomb in London, were orchestrated by a Tehran-based organization for 'martyrdom-seeking operations' established in 2004. '5/7' was the Islamic Republic of Iran's response to the bombing of its nuclear facilities, which President Hillary Clinton had ordered in March 2009."
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom..... All these are the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:6,7a,8.
"The true patriot does not love his government. The true patriot loves his country and watches his government" ---------Darryl Eberhart, Tackling the Tough Topics.
Steve
This article may be reproduced WITHOUT CHANGE and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes. ourfutureworld.blogspot.com
Saturday, April 22, 2006
SHOW ME THE MONEY, honey. May I have a piece of your pie?
To get specifics click the above link and note that even if a congressman goes to prison, he still qualifies for the congressional pension.
The Future World plan to level the playing field.
Every congressman and senator only gets elected ONE TERM for life. Every legislator will be paid exactly the same salary since no one is in office more than 4 years. The only income allowed is the public salary paid at $80K/ year. NO campaign contributions of any kind will be tolerated or the politician gets an automatic sentence of at least 1 year in a jail cell. There will be NO federal pension, only social security and 401K plans. There will be NO health care plan except the standard Medicare coverage upon retiring from office. Anyone leaving office is not allowed to lobby an incumbent congressman or senator FOR LIFE.
Now, let's see if they would still spend our money the same way!
Steve
This article may be reproduced WITHOUT CHANGE and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes. ourfutureworld.blogspot.com
WASHINGTON - Members of Congress occasionally lose elections, but they never lose retirement and health benefits that most Americans can only envy.
Lawmakers also have the peace of mind of knowing their federally backed plan will be there when they retire.
"I don't think that many people in Congress would be quite so indifferent to the demise of the defined-benefit plan if they didn't have such a robust plan themselves," said James Klein, president of the American Benefits Council, which represents companies with pension plans.
Congressional pensions tend to be far more generous than those offered in the private sector. Benefits start earlier and unlike most private pension plans promising a fixed monthly payment based on years worked, congressional pensions pay income with annual cost-of-living increases. They also accrue a third faster than the average plan offered by private companies.
Cost-of-living adjustments, a shield against inflation, "haven't been slightly common since the 1980s" in the private sector, said John Ehrhardt, an expert in corporate retirement programs at the Seattle-based consulting and actuarial firm Milliman. He said COLAs could add 25 percent to the value of a congressional plan over its lifetime.
Any member of Congress with five years of service is eligible for full benefits at 62. Those with 20 years in office can get full benefits at 50, younger than most workers.
To get specifics click the above link and note that even if a congressman goes to prison, he still qualifies for the congressional pension.
Every congressman and senator only gets elected ONE TERM for life. Every legislator will be paid exactly the same salary since no one is in office more than 4 years. The only income allowed is the public salary paid at $80K/ year. NO campaign contributions of any kind will be tolerated or the politician gets an automatic sentence of at least 1 year in a jail cell. There will be NO federal pension, only social security and 401K plans. There will be NO health care plan except the standard Medicare coverage upon retiring from office. Anyone leaving office is not allowed to lobby an incumbent congressman or senator FOR LIFE.
Now, let's see if they would still spend our money the same way!
Steve
This article may be reproduced WITHOUT CHANGE and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes. ourfutureworld.blogspot.com
Thursday, April 13, 2006
You see a world full of beauty, a world full of wonder.
Let us revel for a moment in God's creation.
You brighten my day.
When I am weary, You give me cheer.
You take my anxiety and melt it away.
the future is uncertain,
but all along your steady hand guides me
and leads me down the path to still waters.
and lighting flashes about me,
I know it is He, who looks upon the earth,
He speaks and the mountains tremble.
To Him will I give glory, honor and praise.
I cried out to the Lord and He delivered me.
He placed his angels in charge over me.
All you have is now. This precious moment. Tomorrow is no guarantee.
You may have wandered away from Him. But follow your heart and He will find you. He will call you by name.
Read Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8. Romans 10: 8-10, and verse 13, Romans 12:1-2, John 3:16.
Christ died for you. He gave his life's blood that you may live eternally. He paid the price even though we do not deserve it. Without that shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Without that shedding of blood there is eternal separation. There is damnation. Will you accept that free gift of love right now and pledge your life to Him before the opportunity forever slips away? If you have made that decision then the angels in heaven are rejoicing and your soul will forever be secure.
We remember His victory over death, and celebrate with Him in His glorious resurrection this Easter. "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I Corinthians 15:54b,55,57 KJV.
May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and preserve you in this precious moment of your life.
Steve
This article may be reproduced WITHOUT CHANGE and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes. ourfutureworld.blogspot.com
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
FOOD FOR CONTEMPLATION
"If fascism has to pose as nationalism it needs an external enemy as much as an internal one. It needs a permanent external enemy even as it fights its own people, if only to distract from its divisive politics. It is not possible that rhetoric against a section of its own people will succeed all the time; and it does not happen that its own people will acquiesce in fighting their own unfortunate countrymen, however much the fascists may make them sound like traitors or perpetrators of injustice against their own mass base."
-Nalina Taneja
"In Germany they first came 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."
-Pastor Martin Niemoller(1)
Will Christians be the next scapegoat?
Remember our Lord's advice:
Steve
This article may be reproduced WITHOUT CHANGE and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes. ourfutureworld.blogspot.com
END NOTES
(1)German Protestant minister, Leader of the church's opposition to Hitler, Nazi concentration camp intern, 1937-45.
"If fascism has to pose as nationalism it needs an external enemy as much as an internal one. It needs a permanent external enemy even as it fights its own people, if only to distract from its divisive politics. It is not possible that rhetoric against a section of its own people will succeed all the time; and it does not happen that its own people will acquiesce in fighting their own unfortunate countrymen, however much the fascists may make them sound like traitors or perpetrators of injustice against their own mass base."
-Nalina Taneja
"In Germany they first came 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."
-Pastor Martin Niemoller(1)
Remember our Lord's advice:
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. Matthew 10:16-19 KJV.
Steve
This article may be reproduced WITHOUT CHANGE and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes. ourfutureworld.blogspot.com
(1)German Protestant minister, Leader of the church's opposition to Hitler, Nazi concentration camp intern, 1937-45.
