Supporting Our Troops: We're Behind Them No Matter What

The United States military is the strongest and most disciplined military in the world. The troops in the U.S. military have fought and died for many of the freedoms that we enjoy today. Without our troops we would not have independence at all, because they rose up against the tyrannical reign of the British government to fight for our freedom.

As the United States became a super power the U.S. military has also waged many wars in defense of our nation as well as other nations that could not defend themselves. I do not believe that war should be glorified, but I do believe that sometimes war is necessary. Also since our country is the most powerful country in the world, I believe that we should look out for the "little guy", and defend smaller nations that can not adequately defend themselves. No matter if you believe in a war or not you should always support the troops that are fighting in the war for us.

Some wars that America has fought in have not been very popular wars, but we should never lose sight of our troops that are fighting in that war. Vietnam was one of the bloodiest wars that we have ever been apart of. Also it was a very unpopular war in the U.S., with millions of people protesting daily. The wonderful thing about America is that we have the freedom to protest a war. However we must not forget the troops that are fighting in that war.

One thing in our history that I am very ashamed of is the fact that when the troops from Vietnam returned to America people did not show their appreciation. In fact many people actually taunted the troops and made them feel bad for fighting in the war. We should not have done this, because the troops did not have a choice whether to fight in the war or not. Many of the troops were drafted and if they did not fight they would have been put in jail. We should have given the soldiers a parade and cheered for them when they returned.

We are currently in a very unpopular war in Iraq. At the beginning of this war, the American people were behind the war, because we thought it was a good start in the war on terrorism. However the usefulness of this war has far been surpassed by the amount of American lives that have been lost. Many people in America believe that we should end this war and bring our troops back, because we are never going to be able to gain a complete win. I am actually starting to believe that we should bring our soldiers back now as well. However no matter what happens with this war or the decisions our government makes, we need to make sure that we show our troops the support that they deserve while they are fighting and when they return.



(sources from Internet)

Many different video web sites are popping up all over the internet, especially after the success of http://YouTube.com. Why didn't I think of the concept of putting up a web site where people can post their own videos? This type of web site is such an easy idea, but many people overlooked the popularity that such a web site could bring. However now that Google bought http://YouTube.com for 1.65 billion dollars in stocks, everyone is trying their hand at cashing in on this huge market. Most of these web sites are trying to cash in by posting videos that are funny, or spoofs on everyday activities. I think some of the funniest videos on the internet today are videos about President Bush. These videos range from actual film footage, to footage that has been modified, to spoofs that poke fun at President Bush.

The actual film footage of President Bush is hilarious, because we all know that he is not one of the best public speakers around. He is always saying the wrong thing, or getting his words twisted in a way that he did not intend. One of my favorite videos of this type of footage is when President Bush says something like, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, I never get fooled again. I have also seen other footage of President Bush that was modified in a way to make him seem even funnier than he already was. When I think of these types of videos one comes to mind first, the video that slows down President Bush's speech so that it sounds like he is drunk. This video is hilarious and has made many appearances on different late night talk shows. The final types of video are spoofs that poke fun at President Bush. An example of this type of video I have seen is one that has a look-alike comedian standing on stage doing his own rendition of President Bush's State of the Union Address. This is probably my favorite video, because the comedian is making up new words, forgetting what he was talking about, and other common things that President Bush has been known to do. If you have a little free time and you want to get a good laugh, then just search for President Bush videos online and you will have a wonderful time.

(sources from Internet)

Campaign signs may not look much but they are often the most effective area of your political campaign. The visibility of your campaign signs gives you exposure like no other media can; taking you into homes you would not get into otherwise. The important question though is how to create winning signs.

Quantity vs. Quality

There are plastic signs, and then there are paper signs, and plastic coated paper signs. Paper signs are cheaper and yet they are also easily ruined by rain or bad weather, so are they worth the funds you spend on them? Plan with your weather conditions in mind; you can use plastic coated paper signs, those are easily readable and stand the test of weather better, but then again, plastic signs can work for you too. They are relatively expensive and they can get hard to read after being exposed to bad weather but if you are ordering in a large quantity, plastic campaign signs can do the job. For once, quantity wins over quality; give yourself as much exposure as you can manage.

What makes the Cut?

A lot can be said on a campaign sign, and why not is what most people ask; there is space on it! Before you decide what you want on the sign, work out the basics of visual effect and retention of the message.

Colors Matter

Decide the colors of your political campaign sign with care. You may love white but will it work? Consider it a bad option in winter; would it stand out against the natural background with snow around? Surely not. Contrasting colors work very well but be sure to not mix your color with your opponent's; if your campaign signs look the same it is bound to confuse voters.

Oh I look great!

There is something about photographs that makes people associate with you, they know you by face and a good image can really boost your campaign. But then again, if you have your picture on your campaign banner it is more likely to distract the voters from reading your name, or checking your election icon. They do not have photographs on the ballot paper, unfortunately, will your voter remember the name of the great looking guy on the banner?

Everyone Knows the Name

That's exactly the point. You want your campaign sign to get your voters to know you. Make yourself a household name people will recognize. Most people miss the trick with the names. It is vital that you promote it well and make sure you distinguish yourself from your opponents. Make your surname stands out and keep it bigger than the first name, or put it in block letters or in bold�you get the picture.

Political Party Affiliations

Your affiliations matter, they tell people of your ideals and as such, when the election is about jurisdictions where political affiliations matter, it is good to mention what party you are from. It is also important to know when not to mention political affiliations though. That would be when you know your party is not popular in an area, when it can work against you, yes, overlooking to mention the simple things can help.

Slogans

Have you tried reading roadside signs while driving by? It is hazardous to try and it is probably a useless exercise you should not indulge in. The shorter you keep your campaign sign the better it would be. Make sure to get your identity across, political slogans and such can be restricted to places where you know people will stop and have time to read more. Strategic locations such as around schools where parents come to pick up children etc. work well.

Your Constituency

People can get to know you through your name and that you are running in the elections, but make sure to tell them what you are running for. Mention if you are running for the local town council or the mayor's position or even congress but be brief, people do not want to know if it is the 20th council or the 205th, just guide the vote in.

Use Icons

It is the information age after all, use icons instead of slogans, and why not? People do recognize the major political parties with their icons, and they are those who have spent millions on campaigning so they use the most effective and time tested methods, watch and learn!

Your political campaign signs are a way of presenting your candidature to the voters, you can present it within the laws or you can push them too, but remember that a politician who does not show respect for the law can easily lose respect of the voter too. Stay within legal limits; do not forget to include the disclaimer printed on your campaign signs as to who paid for them. And finally, make the posting of your signs a public relations campaign. The more people you convert during this stage the more votes you are likely to land.

(sources from Internet)

Democrats Will Not Win House, Republicans Will Lose It

Tomorrow is Election Day in the United States. Every member of the House of Representatives is up for re-election, and one third of the United States Senate. It is difficult living in the greatest democracy in 12,000 years of civilization, and not after a while grow use to the freedoms that our ancestors gave their lives for.

The Constitution and Declaration of Independence could only have been created by a specific generation in the 18th century, the time known historically as the "Age of Reason". These men, and they were men, knew more about the history of ancient Rome and Greece than we do. They had studied and read Plato, and Aristotle. They met in groups and talked and educated one another.

I dare say that today in a country of 300,000,000 Americans, we could not replicate the brilliance of the individuals, and their youth that met long ago and formed our government. It is truly one of the miracles of history, and this grand experiment has evolved and lasted for more than 200 years. It has survived the Civil War, a conflagration that consumed more lives than all other wars combined that the United States has been in since. We survived the Great Depression, thanks to the leadership of Franklin Roosevelt. Viet Nam and Watergate ripped the social fabric of this country apart, and we survived it.

Now tomorrow November 7, 2006 is our first opportunity to pass judgment as voters on the Republican's handling of the Iraq war, and indirectly terrorism. President Bush is not up for election, and this means that people must vote indirectly on his policies. This vote will be communicated through the House of Representatives. I believe that people will not be voting for the Democrats tomorrow. I believe they will be voting AGAINST Republicans.

The momentum or perhaps anger against the President's policies is so strong that the House of Representatives will switch hands, and with it will go the power to slow down the President's momentum, and perhaps reverse many of his policies. Of course, we have the benefit of hindsight in looking at how our country has been guided over the last several years, but let's revisit some of what has gone on, and decide the merits of the President's actions.

IRAQ
We know now that the basis for the war was without merit. The underlying assumptions that Saddam was manufacturing Weapons of Mass Destruction, and perhaps would have used them to create great calamity for others was FALSE. Nevertheless we must now deal with the aftermath of the invasion. Iraq can not turn out well for us at this point. Regardless of what happens from this day forward, it will not be a friendly end for our involvement, just as Viet Nam did not end well. When you open Pandora's Box, you do not know what will come out. Politically Pandora's box is the equivalent of the "Law of unintended consequences." We are paying a price for opening the box, America with its treasure, and energy, and more importantly our soldiers with their lives, and limbs.

We did not arm our soldiers well, many pay for their own body armor, and are cannibalizing steel off of other vehicles to reinforce the steel of the vehicles they drive. This happens in a country as rich as ours. The President wages war but sought no sacrifice from the American people. Instead he expands the National Debt to finance the war, and puts the burden on our unborn children to pay for. Simultaneously he created tax cuts for the Rich, which I approve of, but not in a time of deficit. You don't borrow money from Japan, China, and the Europeans, and then give it to the rich via tax cuts, once again leaving the burden to the young in this country. That's just plain WRONG.

Eavesdropping and the Bill of Rights

The President chose to circumvent the Constitution and the Bill of Rights by having the National Security Agency (NSA) create a huge funnel whereby conversations of ordinary citizens in the United States were monitored in the name of Anti Terrorism. Thirty year employees of the NSA reeked in horror at the notion. Every bone in their bodies told them it was wrong. All the President had to do was appoint Federal Judges to the NSA to approve and monitor the program. There are similar judges who sit in the FBI offices full time for over a decade now who routinely approve Federal wiretap orders.

The President has put himself above the law in this case. He knew he was secure with a Republican majority in both houses of Congress who would protect him in ways that Richard Nixon was not protected. Nixon would never have been driven from office if he had posssessed a Republican majority.

What about Congress itself?

I have been a student of Congress since Lyndon Johnson was President in 1963. For many decades I actively worked to create a Republican majority in both branches of the Congress. My background includes being a Barry Goldwater Republican. I have seen the filthy, back room, money changing aspects of politics all my life, and it has been on both sides of the aisles. What I see now that is unique is in your face corruption. The waste use to amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.

The waste is now billions of dollars, even tens of billions of dollars. There was a time as they say when the MERE APPEARANCE of IMPROPRIETY would be enough to drive an elected official from office. Now the appearance doesn't mean anything anymore. You have Senators and Congressmen on both sides flying around in private corporate aircraft. As a result they have debts to the owners of those planes that must be paid for with favorable votes on bills. These bills cost the American taxpayer billions of extra, and unnecessary dollars.

An example is the Drug Bill for Senior Citizens where by the law specifically states that the federal government can not enter into negotiations with the drug companies to demand, and FORCE lower prices. Wow, you talk about giving away $25 to $50 billion extra dollars per year. Frankly, I don't think the Republican members of Congress got enough from these drug companies. The drug companies gave the Republicans $12 million in contributions, and got back tens of billions in the laws that were passed. If you are going to be corrupt, you ought to get paid more than that.

I believe that Tuesday, Election Day there will be a momentum tide that will sweep out the Republican majority in the House, and come close to taking the Senate. With this act, the American people will put the Congress and the President on notice that these types of actions will not stand. We may go back to gridlock, but for this writer, gridlock is a pleasure compared to our experiences of the last few years.

Goodbye and Good Luck

Richard Stoyeck

(sources from Internet)

American Presidential Campaigns: The Need For A New Vision

The current article is the first part of a series on America's spiritual history and soul-identity. A subject like "America's Presidential Campaigns" that is so 'of the world' might be construed as relating only to political life, but that would be incorrect. What relates to consciousness is part of our spiritual life, as is what relates to the operation of light and darkness, and what relates to the vision we hold for the future.
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In every area in which consciousness exists, the possibility is also present to make choices that are more or less moral concerning thought and behavior, and to bring every aspect of one's thinking into the highest light. In relation to the national political scene, there is much unconsciousness that operates on all levels, and much manipulation that takes place by those who have a vested interest in shaping a particular outcome or in presenting things in a particular way. This is the domain in which darkness has a chance to influence outcomes. It is the area of vulnerability produced by the fact that people are asleep or unaware in relation to what is going on so that the shaping of opinion is done silently, covertly, and is not perceived by most or not until much later on. One of the arenas in which this shaping of consciousness takes place is within American presidential campaigns.

More than a year before a presidential election, candidates begin to step into place to position themselves for the available political and financial support that is necessary in order to run a national campaign. Generally, they have begun this process long before this. It used to be that presidential campaigns were much shorter. However, over time, the influence of media has created a watchfulness and anticipation in relation to potential candidates that extends longer and longer into pre-campaign planning. This watchfulness has contributed greatly to the success or failure of candidates, especially in states where they are not well-known and where extensive media coverage is needed, as well as personal appearance, so that former 'unknowns' can become someone familiar.

Within presidential campaigns, the role of media has become as important as the content of a candidate's message � a message which may come to affect the lives of an entire nation. In any campaign, there is the content of a candidate's message, and there is the shape of that message. More and more in recent years, the shaping of a message has been handled by media experts who offer a package that includes forming, shaping, promoting, and assessing the impact of any message. This is a process that is costly, but perceived as necessary in order to create a sense within the public of being able to selectively choose between rivals in an electoral race.

There was a time in which content was given more weight than appearance, when debates actually took place, with those listening paying close attention to the positions being advocated and the principles behind them. This is in contrast to the focus, today, which is often on the way in which things are said, or the personal quality of charm or likeability that a candidate possesses. Aspects of personality and character have always been part of an electoral process, but they did not form the center. Today, they are at the center. And because they are at the center, a candidate in a presidential election must be presented to the public in as appealing a way as a movie star. The effect of every image-variable needs to be considered so that the public can receive the desired impression. This shift in focus is due to several factors � the first, and perhaps most important, being the complexity and multi-layered nature of most national issues today which do not allow for a clear-cut presentation of positions or approaches to problem solving; the second, the technological advances that have made media instantly accessible across the country so that literally nothing that a candidate does goes unnoticed.

All of the involvement of media with national campaigns involves a high cost to candidates. But the burgeoning cost is not only related to this. It is also related to the need that candidates have to travel across the country and back many, many times, hosting events and attending others in order to interact with the public, especially in key electoral states. This grueling process of meeting all who are essential to meet at local and state levels requires a great deal of stamina on a candidate's part. It also requires a great deal of money. And, in the competitive arena in which politics and personality have merged, if a rival candidate has become visible in states 1, 2, 3, and 4, then it is incumbent upon his competitors to also create a similar kind of visibility. In this way, more and more is being asked of candidates in terms of making personal appearances, because the standard for what is possible during an election campaign has been raised in order to create greater positive publicity for those who choose to run.

Let us not forget that there is another way that one could conceive of and run a national campaign. It is the way of integrity and of focus. It relies on communicating more about issues and less about personalities, and it also involves reducing media's role in campaigns and therefore the amount of campaign spending. Such a campaign could take place in a much shorter space of time with far less cost to all concerned. Instead of taking years, it could be undertaken within one year, with primaries, whose dates are variable, more closely spaced together (See note). These changes would not allow each candidate to do all that is presently being done with respect to creating a public image. Instead, there would need to be more content-focused debates between candidates, and the public would need to reflect more, employing both reason and intuition, and to rely on appearance less, in order to be responsive to such discussions. Furthermore, if the stature of the presidency remained one of honor, leadership, and accountability � more in line with those who act on behalf of their constituency rather than as a separate entity, then both the glamour and the risk involved in electing a President could be less.

Becoming aware and using one's vote wisely is the responsibility of democracy and part of what it means to be a citizen. Were campaigns shorter and more focused, less reliant on celebrity and more on content, we would see a different kind of democracy in action when it came time to elect a new president. And because the cost of running such a campaign would be less, many more qualified people would be able to enter the public arena with their own ideas and visions for the future, enabling this country to more truly become a representative democracy, in keeping with its historical, constitutional, and spiritual foundation.
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Note: In relation to presidential primaries, dates are established by each state and are subject to change. Currently, primaries take place between Jan. and May of the election year.

"Establishing the date for a Presidential primary, and determining the type of Presidential primary held, varies from state to state. This is due to differences in state statutes, party constitutions, party rules and regulations, party by-laws, and delegate selection plans. In some states, a caucus and/or convention may be held instead of a Presidential primary election. Other states may use a combination of both caucuses and primaries for delegate selection."

From: "2000 Presidential Primary Dates" � Federal Election Commission

(sources from Internet)