Final entry for One World course

The most valuable thing I can take from this course would have to be the different views and religious beliefs of many countries. Since I am on a personal, spiritual journey to find the one true religion, I found it especially helpful to learn about all the different ones a person may choose from, from so many different parts of the world. When I signed up for this course, I wanted to learn about this topic the most but I also knew I would be interested in learning about the subjects of agriculture, diversity and politics in different parts of the world. I have to say that I did, in fact, learn everything I expected to learn and I have no doubt what I’ve learned will stick indefinitely.

I can’t honestly say I’d change anything about this course. I think it was challenging enough for me but I don’t think it was so hard that I couldn’t comfortably take care of other important things in my life. I wouldn’t say there were any surprises but I was pleased with the many different debates and discussions we had throughout the course. 

The Wealthiest One Percent

Recently, in what was compared to a scene right out of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, the owner of a coal mine announced that he’s tired of having to put up with the government’s impossible demands and insatiable regulations. He says he’s giving up despite all the desperate job seekers who just want to feed their families and pay their mortgages. You can see the story here:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/right-out-of-atlas-shrugged-hear-an-exasperated-alabama-businessman-tell-the-feds-im-just-quitting/

I don’t know about you but I am sick and tired of hearing about this nonsense. I am sick and tired of hearing the “unfortunate victims” of this country whine and cry about the ‘Wealthiest One Percent’ and I am completely fed up with left-wingers proclaiming that capitalism is evil.

There is a reason why the wealthiest citizens of American are well off. They may have inherited the money from a family member that amassed that wealth and they stay wealthy because they continue to invest their money wisely to get a good return. They may have gone to college and gotten a good education thus landing them a fantastic paying job. Or, they started with nothing and became entrepreneurs; taking risks, working their butts off, and making sacrifices. There is one common theme among most of these people: they sacrifice and work hard (or at least did at one point) and chances are they provide jobs for other people. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to retire, kick back, and enjoy the fruits of their labor? And why shouldn’t their spouses and children?  

However, it seems to me that the people who whine about wealthy people only see this elite class in stereotypes. For example, they envision celebrities or the wives of wealthy men walking around on Rodeo Drive buying expensive crap like $2500 pairs of shoes and $4500 purses. Or they imagine rich, greedy corporate executive in expensive suits with slicked-back hair that drive around in Jaguars and Mercedes.  Even though there are people like that out there, the whiners don’t stop to consider that people like that make up the minority of this country’s wealthy citizens. The majority of them get paid for their talents or the sacrifices they’ve made of their time and resources. So why are so many Americans trying to demonize them? Our Constitution makes it clear that, as long as we don’t deny others the same right, we are free to seek Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness as we see fit. What right does the government have to tax these people to death and overburden them by restrictions and regulations? Why are they being forced to pay much more than their fair share?

Now that I’ve discussed the wealthier class, I want to talk about the poorer classes. I’m not saying that all poor people are like this but from my experience (as a citizen and a person who runs a business), the ones who are complaining about this ‘one percent’ are lazy and refuse to take personal responsibility. These people have no initiative, they make excuses for their behavior, and they have little to no integrity. And I blame the government for breeding this entitlement mentality among them. Because of this, so many people have become dependent on the government to do everything for them. They have even found ways to manipulate the system. Of course, there are exceptions but I have yet to experience one personally.

The poor people of this country have role models like celebrity ODB (Old Dirty Bastard) who, in 1995, was still receiving food stamps and was shown driving to a check cashing establishment in a limousine with his family to cash his welfare check. In the video, he mocks our country by boasting that even though he’s a celebrity who has found success, he is still getting ‘free’ money from the government. By making this video, he is encouraging others to do the same. You can see the video here:

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=old+dirty+bastard+picking+up+welfare+check&view=detail&mid=B4AA091159D4B65FB602B4AA091159D4B65FB602&first=0&FORM=LKVR

What kind of society have we become that not only allows this to happen but finds it amusing? There are people in the video that make comments that what he’s done is not illegal and they agree that he should “get that money.”

You have to wonder what’s going on. Why is government trying so hard to push business owners out of business? Why is government increasingly making our country less attractive to entrepreneurs? Why do we have so many FEMA camps in our country? Why are our rights and freedoms being eroded at such an alarming rate? What is the real purpose behind the Patriot Act? Why is the military currently in training for Martial Law? Why is government spending so out of control? Why are there so many social programs that give away ‘free’ money and why is the current Administration getting away with legally bribing Americans to vote for their policies and support their endeavors in the form of stimulus payments? And what is with celebrities and politicians that back up this nonsense? Most of them are what is considered ‘filthy rich’ so why are they in favor of redistribution of wealth and social programs while they dodge the IRS and their obligations to the poorer class? It makes you suspicious when you take all these things into consideration and combine them with Obama’s continuous claims that the economy has improved during his Administration.

Speaking of these stimulus payments, this is often referred to as ‘Obama money’ and I was startled to discover that there are actually American citizens that don’t know where this money comes from. Watch the following video and you’ll see what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOZ-Etb0k0Q

This next video is further proof that the entitlement mentality is alive and well and that some Americans expect the government to pick up their tab:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI&feature=related

But what about single mothers you ask? What about the disadvantaged? What about the elderly? Look, I’m against government intervention and social problems; not the idea that single mothers, disadvantaged, the elderly, etc. should get some assistance. But the assistance should not come from Big Brother. It should come from families, communities, churches, volunteering, and charitable giving.

What is FEMA up to?

What is FEMA up to?

This is a subject that I feel needs to be brought up. I first heard about FEMA’s recent activities almost two years ago from a friend. There are so many people that have not heard about this and I think it’s important to spread awareness about it. After my friend and I talked, he had me watch the following video:

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fema+camps&mid=237F2831C0DBC62F771D237F2831C0DBC62F771D&view=detail&FORM=VIRE5

The first subject the woman brings up is the FEMA coffins. She says they have been mass produced by the government and that they are big enough for more than one body. This is what they look like:

The weirdest thing about them is that they are more like liners which are usually used to line coffins of the deceased who have died from some kind of communicable illness. She expresses her concern on what they are made for, and eerily, who they are made for.

Some of the possibilities include that they are made for people who might be uprising against the government sometime in the future because of the massive loss of freedoms, loss of jobs, and possibly the loss of personal property (like real estate and guns). Some evidence she has given to support her theory is that the Swine Flu didn’t show up until people all over the world started rebelling. She asks the question of how the government knew in advance that the Swine Flu would happen; the “pandemic” started after production of the coffins had begun.

Then she talks about FEMA camps. She says they look more like concentration camps and I think she’s right. This is what one looks like:

They do look an awfully lot like a prison (complete with barbed wire); that is, they look like they are meant to keep people inside. If you Google FEMA camps, this is what you might see:

Apparently, there are more than 600 of these camps in the US.

Before we go any further, let’s talk about what FEMA is. FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency and you may have heard about them after Hurricane Katrina; they are the agency that stepped in and gave supplies and housing to many of the “victims” of the natural disaster. FEMA refers to the internment camps as the REX 84 Program and according to them; they’re designed to assist the government if martial law is ever declared. If you don’t know what martial law is, it pretty much means that if a national emergency is declared, all personal rights and freedoms cease; the military can maintain order among civilians by using any methods necessary. The woman in the video asks why and when will the need to inter so many people occur? What are the events that could happen to cause such an uprising among the citizens of this nation against the government? These are really important questions and I want to explore some of the theories swirling around out there.

But first, there are a few more things she discusses in her video: the FEMA trains and buses. She shows a little mini video of a train and she says that there are several of these tracks that lead directly into the FEMA camps. She points out that the trains have huge rooms with ventilation on top and she chillingly compares them to the Auschwitz trains. In the picture, it appears that where there would usually be cars, instead there are what look like little trailer homes:

She also talks about the FEMA buses that look “like a refrigerator” and she wonders what this bus is going to be for:

Next, she says that the military is currently in the training process for martial law and at this point, she draws attention to the FEMA trucks. She describes them as looking very aggressive and says that they are “bullet-proof with machine guns coming out of their roofs that are behind bulletproof shields.” She believes these vehicles look like they are designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible. This is just one design of many:

Aside from the theory that Americans will rise up against the government, some people believe the FEMA camps were set up because total chaos may ensue on the day of December 21, 2012. Even if nothing cosmic or supernatural happens on that day, people might start getting out of hand because they believe the end of the world is near. In this case, FEMA may have set up these camps to protect me and you from people who might want to harm us in the event the 2012 date becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Another theory is a religious one; that in the end times (The Tribulation), people will be forced to take the mark of the beast. If they do not, they may be either killed or placed in one of these internment camps.

Some believe that a secret society (like the Bilderberg group) is working with Halliburton (the builders of the camps) to make prisons for people that want to expose them and try to stop them from taking over the world. Some believe that to achieve this, they could find reasons to detain wealthier people and then declare control of their assets. If they had most of the money and property in the US, the people of the world would be much easier to control.

Another thing worth paying attention to is the woman’s background in the video. It is obviously some kind of screen she’s using to disguise her location. She also doesn’t give her real name or the name of any organization she’s with. My thoughts on this are that she must truly believe in what she’s saying and that she’s possibly afraid for her life.

There are several very good resources you can look at if you are interested in this matter. The following video is one of the best ones I’ve ever found and it stars Jesse Ventura:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqcRRtHNooo

What do you think?

Glenn Beck

I am a subscriber to Glenn Beck’s website as well as his new network: GBTV. I discovered him on Fox News over a year ago and he has done a fantastic job exposing corrupt politicians and other powerful people in Washington and he is best known for raising awareness among the American people about what’s really going on in our country. I’ve read (and own) all of his books and I often quote him on my FaceBook wall. Of course, this has resulted in many spirited and interesting debates.

It may just be that I am biased towards Glenn because I share his political views but I have noticed that among his detractors, the only real complaints I have heard is that he’s loud, opinionated, conservative, and that he spews ‘vitriol and hyperbole.’ Really? My question is this: when did these things become a crime? And why do they warrant other claims that Glenn is a bigot, a racist, and that he’s hostile? What proof do they have? I can honestly say that after watching many hours of his show and reading all of his books, I have never once seen anything in them that would suggest he is any of these things with the exception that he is loud, opinionated, and conservative. What television personality isn’t two out of three of these things? That’s his job!

Recently, I became incensed when I read what Dr. Malik Zulu Shabazz, the chairman of the New Black Panther party had to say about Glenn Beck and his new network. He claims that Glenn’s uses fear mongering to sway his audience and even accused him of being a “false prophet.”

You can see the video here: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/america-is-racist-hostile-desperate-new-black-panther-leader-russia-today-go-off-about-what-a-fear-mongering-white-supremacist-false-profit-glenn-beck-will-be-without-fox-and-then-beg-him-for-a/

But the nonsense doesn’t stop there. I stumbled across this lovely little gem today:  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/egyptian-party-leader-claims-holocaust-is-a-lie-911-was-made-in-the-u-s-a/

Apparently, Ahmed Ezz El-Arab, the vice chairman of Egypt’s Wafd Party said he truly doesn’t believe the Holocaust really happened and that the U.S. Government was behind 9/11. In addition, he said, “American soldiers with double Israeli nationality and Jewish religion ‘stole Jewish antiquities from the Babylonian exile period and had them reburied in Jerusalem to cement the Jewish historical claim on the city’.” What does this have to do with Glenn? He has been warning us for some time now that we should pay attention to the Muslim Brotherhood because they are dangerous to us. In my opinion, putting the spotlight on foolish commentators like El-Arab and on a group of people who may be worth watching carefully hardly qualifies as racism.  

Immigration and family roots

I found migration to be a very interesting topic. There has certainly been a lot of that not just in my own life but in the lives of my ancestors. I know this because I was given a pile of paperwork and a pedigree chart about six years ago by the family record keeper. As I discussed in one of my recent discussion board posts, I have moved around a lot for many different reasons. When I was a child, my parents were in the military and we moved around several times when they got stationed at a new base. When I became an adult, I was also in the military and then after I separated from the military, I married a man who was in the military. And then my final move was by choice; I was finally ready to settle down and stay in one place.

However, this post isn’t about me. It’s about my ancestors. It’s funny that Pat put up a post about tracing family roots. I just recently went to Salt Lake City on vacation and we visited the temple square visitor’s center. If you’ve ever been there, you’d know that it’s a fabulous place. Inside this visitor’s center, I found an area specifically dedicated to genealogy as Mormons are very into tracing family roots. As they walked me through the basics on how to get started, I remembered that pile of paperwork that was given to me six years ago. I realized that I should probably get started right away on a family tree and when I got home, I got out all my paperwork and tried to get organized. However, when I realized how much work it was going to be, I put it aside again. As soon as I finish this class, I will have a six week break between graduation and the beginning of my Master’s program so I will start working on it then. I’m so excited!

It all started in September 2005 when my maternal grandfather died in Texas. At the wake, I met so many family members I didn’t even know I had. There was this one very old person I got to talking to and it turns out, he is my great uncle. He said that his life’s work was our family’s genealogy but he was sad because none of the young folk seemed interested in taking over for him. They were all busy with their lives and had other hobbies. He was afraid he would pass on and no one would care about our family tree. I was immediately interested and when I told him so, he told me he would bring me everything he had. At the funeral, he brought me so much stuff that I had to mail most of it back to myself. We kept in contact via email and I promised I would work on it as soon as I had the time but somehow I wound up getting too busy and forgot all about it. I feel that it is my duty not only to this man but to my family to keep these records and continue to work on my family tree so I can pass this along to my children and their children. And now, thanks to the LDS church, I have more resources at my fingertips than I know what to do with.

Learning Journal Step 2

After reading each learning objective and considering them briefly one at a time, I have to say, this definitely looks like a valuable and interesting class; one from which I know I can learn a lot. I chose this class because I have always been interested in history, geography, and different cultures throughout the world. However, I haven’t had the chance to study these subjects as thoroughly as I would have liked; rather, I’ve been more concerned with what’s been going on locally and nationally.  

I believe I can bring strengths to the areas of politics/class warfare, geographic locations, and explaining how work creates personal and social identity. I have enjoyed politics since I took my first college-level political course and because I enjoyed it so much, I’ve read several books on the subject. I have also stayed very actively involved with my local political community. I write my congressmen often and for fun, I am usually involved in some kind of political debate on Facebook. I took several more college-level political courses and I absolutely loved the Kirkpatrick Series that I took at Bellevue University! I am great at finding geographic locations because when I was in grade school, I won a competition for world geography. To prepare, I had to memorize all the capitals of the 50 United States as well as all the capitals of every country in the world! Obviously, I had to be able to locate where each country was located on a map and I have retained probably about 80% of everything I learned during that competition. I also can very much relate to how work can create a person’s personal and social identity because I have been an adult since I was fifteen years old. I became pregnant at that age and as a result, I was booted out of my mother’s home. Shortly after I turned sixteen, I was legally emancipated and I married my daughter’s biological father. At that tender age, we were both employed full-time, we were successfully maintaining a decent home, and we were both continuing our education. We refused to accept any help from the many social programs that offered a safety net and we both quickly learned that only hard work can give us the lifestyle and security we craved for ourselves and for our daughter. As you probably have already figured out about me from my week one discussion board postings, I believe in hard work and personal responsibility and in my opinion, it is the only way to become the person you want to be both personally and socially. These are the things I have taught my daughter and at age fourteen, she is extremely bright, well-educated, and responsible; she truly does live up to her potential.

The areas that are new and unfamiliar to me include those of religion, cultural displacement, and how the growth of population effects the world. Growing up, I was raised Southern Baptist and even though I was baptized at age eight, I never really understood what was going on. It wasn’t until I was nineteen that I started to study the Bible and the Christian faith through the Pentecostal church. That may not have been the best way to start because I decided that religion wasn’t for me; the Pentecostals scared the hell out of me with their impossible standards and “speaking in tongues” thing. Then, I started college and learned about mythology and other world religions. This answered several questions for me and gave me the ammo I needed when I got into debates about why I refused to adopt any form of religion. For the longest time, I referred to myself as an Atheist and scoffed at the ideas presented by anyone of faith. And then I met my current husband who is a Mormon. He turned my world and belief systems upside down and I began to realize that his arguments were making sense. All I’ve ever heard about Mormons is that they are freaks, they have more than one wife, and they have, on average, about 5-10 kids. However, although he has never pushed his religion on me, lately, I’ve been taking a serious look at the church because they have managed to get my attention. We’ll have to see how that goes. I can’t say I truly understand what it’s like to experience cultural displacement due to the fact that, with the exception of my brief stay in Saudi Arabia when I was active duty military (I didn’t leave the base because I refused to wear one of those hijabs and I wouldn’t walk six feet behind the men), I’ve never lived abroad. I have visited Canada and Mexico on vacation but I didn’t really experience much culture shock at the time. Like most people, I have the desire to travel to other countries around the world but I can’t honestly say I want to live anywhere but Omaha, Nebraska. As far as the effects of population growth on the world, I can’t say I’ve studied much on that subject. It should be quite interesting and eye-opening for me.  

I believe this class will be better with me in it because I love a good debate! I’ll be the first one to say I disagree with you and I will thoroughly explain why, I can accept criticism well, and I enjoy encouraging others to reach their true potential. I think this is a reflection of what I do for a living. I am constantly playing referee with my employees, I receive a lot of criticism from corporate and upper management in the form of strict inspections and secret shopper programs, and I have built myself an amazing team since taking over this store. I see failing and constant learning as a necessary part of life and I understand the concept of becoming great at what you do now so you can move to the next level (like a video game).

I can’t say I’m concerned about this class because I have committed myself whole-heartedly to learning from it and from all the people who are involved. Because I have failed so many times in my life, I know how to look for life-lessons in everything, even bad situations. As far as worldly concerns, I admit I’m a bit fearful about the future of our country. The future of the entire world is directly affected by ours and in our lifetime, we could experience an end to the life we have grown accustomed to and we may need to adjust to these changes both personally and economically. In fact, we already have; the last two and half years are evidence of that.

This is my first blog

Howdy ya'll

Since we'll be spending some time blogging here, I thought I'd look around and get familiar with the site.

See you around!

JJ