Deconstructing America

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals By John W. Rittinghouse, Ph.D., CISM, CRISC

The very first time I was old enough to vote, I voted for Jimmy Carter for President. I really did! I was in the Army and it was right after the end of the Vietnam War and I had just returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina from a tour of duty in Southeast Asia. At that time, I felt like Carter would make a change that would be positive for America. He had promised America that he would provide a new path - a new way forward for America.

Hope and change! Political keywords that I fell for then and now, by God, it seems like were falling for it again. Now, after learning the hard lesson with Carter, I consider myself more conservative than liberal. I used to call myself a Republican, but they've gone over the edge on so many issues that really don't amount to a rats ass to me that I feel like they've strayed from what most of America really wants. I believe in fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets. I am not a religious fanatic. I am not opposed to a woman's right to choose but feel like I lean more towards pro-life. I do not believe anyone except the mother in question should make the choice. It's easy to spout pedantic bullshit until you have to actually live in the shoes of the person you're judging.

I admit that in the last several elections I have voted Republican. However, I do not believe it was because I am a party centric voter but because the Republicans better expressed what I expect from our government. I think most of America is looking for responsibility in the management of our tax dollars and look

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

to our politicians to make our system of government work rather than become fixated on party sides and spouting party demagoguery. I'm sick of the Democrats and I am sick of the Republicans. When the Tea Party popped up, I felt like it was a better alternative than what was available on either side of the Republican / Democrat party lines.

Nothing is perfect in this world but, being pragmatic, most sensible Americans make compromises every day to make it work for them. However, that does not seem to be the case for Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner or any of the other 532 sons of bitches in Washington. I have no respect for any of them because all I hear from them are sound bites and snippets that they believe I want to hear. I cannot remember the last time I saw any politician in an interview actually answer a question without spouting off some damn sound bite. I'm sick of hearing carefully crafted sound bites that should sway my opinion one way or the other.

Do they really think that we Americans are that stupid? Hell, I am still waiting for my own Congressman, the Hon. Rep. Michael McCaul to grant me an appointment after 18+ months and several phone calls. Like that will ever happen! Why the hell would he want to hear from someone who voted for him? Silly me. Well, fool me once

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

I decided to tackle this project because I believe in our Constitution. I served in our military for over 20 years and retired honorably, believing that the people we elected were just as honorable and believed in it as much as I did. Looking back, I see how nave I was in thinking that way. But, you have to understand my position. I went into the Army when I was 17 years old and stayed in the military until I retired at the age of 38. Almost all of my adult life had been in an environment where it didn't matter if you were a Republican or a Democrat. It only mattered that you follow your orders and do the right thing for your unit, your country, and yourself.

I admit, I did not vote for Barack Obama in the last election. I firmly believe I would never vote for him knowing what I know now and I am glad that I did not vote for him then. Never, in my 56 years, has there been so much controversy around the United States President. Controversy from being eligible to hold the office as a natural born citizen or from questions related to his actually acting in the best interests of the United States government. I think that the most humiliating time for me suffering under his administration was when he made his apology tour. Going to other leaders of the world and apologizing for America was the worst possible thing any man could ever do while holding the office of the President of the United States of America. To make matters even worse, the singular act of contrition, an American President bowing to a foreign king, humiliated all of us. By bending over to show greater
respect to Islam, the U.S. president belittled the power and independence of

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

the Washington Times said in an editorialii. For those things alone, the man should have been kicked out of office.
the United States,

Of course, with a Democrat-controlled House and Senate, he had free reign to do many things that would've made our country stronger, better and greater than it already is but he chose not to do anything except ram an unwanted healthcare agenda and several do-nothing stimulus bills through Congress and make it the law of the land and claim victory for his achievements. I can only pray that it all gets repealed as soon as he leaves office. It is strange that in a Congress with two parties, only one party voted completely, to a member, not to push that health care law through.

That is not democracy and they all should be ashamed of the way in which they "got their job done". Now, to the Hon. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, since we the people read the damn bill, we the people know what is in the bill, and we the people hate the damn bill. There are parts of it that are good, to be sure. But most of it is crap, forced upon the public and it will further burden America. Oh, I almost forgot we need to blame Bush for that also! Give me a break! I fail therefore my predecessor is to blame only works in the DC mindset. In America, you fail because you suck at what you are doing. Congress, you have clearly failed with a less than 10% approval rating.

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

Osama bin Laden is dead, killed during the Obama administrations reign, mostly because President George Bush had the determination and perseverance to endure all the criticism of the opposing party and continue his struggle in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is fact that President Obama was on the watch that saw Osama deadhe succeeded because he was smart enough to let those actions that President Bush started continue. There is some scuttlebutt around that Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton should have more credit for the approval of the action after Obamas team had quashed the idea, but I simply do not know if it is true or not. The real heroes that deserve the credit for taking out Osama bin Laden are the members of Seal Team 6 and their Commander.

Dont get me wrong there are some good things Obama has done in his administration. I am sure date nights on the public dime is easily explained away along with many vacations taken while our nation teeters on a disastrous precipice. I decided to write this short article to try and put some perspective on some of the actions that this president has taken and why it is has rocked America back on her heels and literally made her weaker than at any point in modern history.

It is laughable that he can go out and talk about fairness while he is dividing our nation into a class warfare state where those

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

that feel they are entitled have come to demand that those who have earned give to those who have not earned. I cannot believe that the general populace is so dumb that they do not understand the distinction between income tax and investment income. To make the comparison on the amount of taxes paid for those that do not work but live on their investments to those that do work and pay tax on their income is just wrong.

Let me explain why. First of all, for most Americans who live on investment income, they have already paid tax on that money. Now, they are paying a lower tax rate on the money that their invested money earns, called a Capital Gains Tax. For those who work and receive a paycheck for that work, they pay an Income Tax which is taxed at a different rate because that money they have earned has never been taxed before. Fair share my ass! Fair for who? The Iranians? The North Koreans? George Soros?

Has there ever been another president in history that has had so much controversy raised about his eligibility to hold the office? For example, just this month, on January 11, 2011, the website http://military.com published an article by the Agence FrancePresse that referred to the citizenship status of the President of the United Statesiii. In this article, it stated that The U.S. Supreme
Court refused Monday to take up the question of President Obama's citizenship, which a core group of skeptics continues to challenge despite presentation of his U.S. birth certificate. The high court, without comment, rejected the request by Orly Taitz, a California lawyer who has emerged as a leader of the "birther" movement of mainly rightwing protesters who

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

question where Obama was born. She had asked the court to annul a federal judge's $20,000 penalty for filing a "frivolous lawsuit" by her client, a U.S. Soldier who refused to deploy to Iraq because she viewed the commander in chief as illegitimate. The U.S. Constitution allows only "natural born" Americans to be elected to the presidency. Obama was born on Aug. 4, 1961, in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

While this lawsuit was dismissed as frivolous, it makes one think about why a purported 36% of the American populaceiv still believe the President of the United States is not truly a naturalborn American citizen. This birther controversy, as it has become known, continues to this day. There are urban legends and opposing views that further propagate the question of the citizenship status of the American President.

My question is simple - "How could someone be elevated to the highest office in America without readily being able to show and prove beyond any shadow of doubt their eligibility for such an exalted office?" We can only speculate on the truth since three years have passed since this man took the office of the President of the United States. Whether the rumors are true or not is really a moot point at this stage of the game. What this really comes down to is an issue of vetting out the candidates much sooner in the process. As I remember it, Obama was swept into power on a whirlwind of promises for hope and change.

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

Well, we got hope and change all right. We can only hope it gets better in the next four years because the change we have endured has pretty much banished all hope of enduring another four years with this president. It simply has to change. If it does not, we are destined to repeat the fate of the Romans. It has been said that no democracy has ever survived more than 400 years. In the mid-18th-century, someone pointed out that democracy fails when the majority believes the minority should support them. This is being demonstrated by the 99% in the Occupy protests that no one really understands. People are orchestrating demonstrations against successful, wealthy people demanding a fair share when, in reality, those orchestrating the demonstrations are being funded and backed by an organization with far more sinister goals.

George Soros recently said The system we have now has actually broken down, only we havent quite recognized it and so you need to create a new one and this is the time to do it, in an interview with the Financial Timesv. In an interview with Der Spiegel, Soros said European-style socialism is exactly what we need now. I am against market fundamentalism. I think this propaganda that government involvement is always bad has been very successful but also very harmful to our society. Soros has made it clear that he supports the creation of a new world order and that Communist China should be at the very top of itvi.

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

Soros initially founded INET, the Institute for New Economic Thinking. INET pledged $50 million for a new Bretton Woods conference, like the one that established the international financial architecture after World War II. Soros claims it is needed to establish new international rulesreconstitute the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and to reform the currency system. Soros argues that it could and should be revamped so that American leadership would be re-established in a more acceptable formvii.

I really dont care what George Soros thinks or how much money he has to throw towards liberal agendas. To me it is simple. Follow the United States Constitution! You know, that old piece of paper forged from the blood of patriots in order to protect our liberties and freedom. It seems to have some footprints on it from being trampled on during the past several years and needs to be (re)read by many in Washington DC. Its meaning appears to be lost on those we put in the positions of power in Congress and the Supreme Court. It is used as a tool of convenience when it works for one side or the other. Perhaps recalling the thoughts penned by Thomas Jefferson on September 16, 1787 where he espoused his notion of the principles of good government may help. In that letter, which was written on the very day before the delegates to the convention in Philadelphia would endorse the Constitution of the United States of America, Jefferson stated the following: You ask me in your letter, what ameliorations I think necessary in our Federal Constitution. It is now too late to answer the

The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

questions, and it would always have been presumptuous in me to have done it. Your own ideas and those of the great characters who were to be concerned with you in these discussions will give the law, as they ought to do, to us. My own general idea was that the States should severally preserve their sovereignty in whatever concerns themselves alone, and that whatever may concern another State or any foreign nation should be made a part of the Federal sovereignty; that the exercise of the Federal sovereignty should be divided among three several bodies, Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary, as the State Sovereignties are; and that some peaceable means should be contrived for the Federal head to force compliance on the part of the States.

State sovereignty? What have the governors of our nation been complaining about with the Obama administration? Oh, yes! Stop interfering with the affairs of our states and protect our borders, as demanded by the Constitution. In Arizona, Texas, Alabama and many other states, the question we ask is: Why is this so difficult for Obama to understand?

Does the Constitution outline the Federal Governments role and provide for state sovereignty? Well, in fact, it does. In Article I, Section 8, Subsection 1 it states The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties,

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Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; and in Article 4, Section 4, it states that The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

It seems to me that the bigger problem is that of education of our citizenry on what is expected from our government. More than half of America (those not paying any taxes) believe they are entitled to receive benefits from Uncle Sam via those that do pay taxes! In our Bill of Rights, nowhere can I find reference to doling out checks for those who would not work for entitlements. No where does it say the government will ensure each American citizen has health care. While that is a lofty and desirable goal to achieve, forcing it to be paid for by Americans that work solely to benefit those that do not work is not the right solution.

Freedom and opportunity are what make America great. It is not our ability to be charitable or to be compelled to spread wealth around (as many would have it) that makes America great. That comes from the freedom to choose to help out or not. Our personal liberty and the freedom to decide those things for ourselves is what the Constitution and Bill of Rights are all about. That is why so many people try to sneak into our

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The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

country! They do it for the opportunity to make more of their lives and have a better chance for their children. They want to escape from a situation deemed worse by drug cartels, poverty, and myriad other woes to the safety and stability America provides. The problem with this situation is that we do not have a cogent means of helping them immigrate without breaking laws and getting deported. I am 100% for allowing immigrants into our country. My own wife came from Asia to America. As a military wife, she studied for and obtained her citizenship all the while holding a green card. She waited on permission to enter the US for months after her application was submitted before she could come to this country. After she got here, she had to fill out a card every year informing the government of her current address until she became a naturalized citizen.

What we need is a clear path to being an American citizen for those that wish to be here. For those here illegally, there is no easy answer. Well, maybe it is not as difficult as it would appear. If you have ever been a violent criminal while staying in our country, say goodbye. You do not deserve to be here and we do not want you. However, if you are like the majority, here looking for an honest days pay for an honest days labor, we need to provide a means of allowing you to stay. That does not mean that you can stay on public assistance and get free benefits from the states you choose to live in. It means you support yourself, speak, read and write English, pay your own way and agree that you and all of your dependents will be deported if you try to get public assistance before becoming a

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The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

citizen. You cannot vote and you cannot expect anything other than protection provided for any other legal immigrant. We will allow your kids to go to school but no free lunches or special programs for them. If you have not obtained U.S. citizenship within a 10 year time frame, say goodbye. Thanks for visiting. You may re-apply at the U.S. Consulate in your home country. There may be special circumstances for some, such as being here for 25 years or more, and we should allow them to fasttrack to citizenship. They would have five years to obtain citizenship or say goodbye. After all, they have been here long enough to learn English, understand our American ways, and pass a citizenship test. Immigrants who come here and want to wave a Mexican flag and celebrate non-U.S. holidays are free to do so under our laws and rules. Just be sure you are here legally as stated above. Otherwise, there should be very little tolerance for allowing you and your dependents to stay. Sound too harsh? Fine, then go back to your country where you think it may be better than here and wave your flag.

If you feel as I do about the direction America has taken, please circulate this to as many readers as you can. The more people gravitate to the idea of righting the ship and getting America back on course, the better our chance of making change for the good in America. I am but a single vote and already know who I will not be voting for in the 2012 election.

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The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals

Lets work together to try and get the right people in office you know, those that hold the United States Constitution as the supreme law of the land and want to have a sound fiscal policy and balanced budget. Lets quash those Americans who are trying to create discontent and upset the long-standing American ideals of family, God and Country. Join US!

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Endnotes
ii

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-stateunion-address?category=29 ii http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/10/obamas-apparent-bowsaudi-king-outrages-conservatives iii http://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obamacitizenship-case.html iv http://www.military.com/news/article/high-court-denies-obamacitizenship-case.html v Matthew Vadum, Communism-Loving George Soros Wants To Kill Capitalism, posted 3/28/2011 on http://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/03/28/communism-loving-georgesoros-wants-to-kill-capitalism/ vi Ibid. vii http://thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-americamainmenu-36/6895-funding-of-bretton-woods-ii-by-george-soros-exposed

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The Obama Years that Define the Decline of American Ideals