The Fall of The West

I believe that we are very close to the end of the West's domination in the world and if you pay attention you'll see that the balance of power is shifting back to Europe. In many ways The West has already lost influence on the world stage and I think in the next 10 years it will be relegated to Third World Status. Why do I say this? Let's look at some examples.

First, let's look at the monetary system in place and where the power lies. The Dollar is shrinking daily and it has almost become extinct. That little piece of paper with George's picture on it is actually worth about 50-60 cents at this moment in time. The Euro however is stronger than it has ever been and many countries in the world are now demanding Euros instead of Dollars for payment of goods. This is a harbinger of things to come and none of it is good.

Second, let's take a look at the economy. The American economy is by far the strongest in The West but it's not necessarily the strongest in the world anymore. Now that Europe has consolidated into the European Union they have the ability to produce more and sell more and so common sense says that they will have a very powerful economy. The US is still #1 in the world but the indicators show a slow, steady decline. The "Credit Crunch", the housing crisis, the increase in fuel and energy costs and the increase in goods imported and jobs outsourced all spell disaster for the near term and there will be some who will never recover.

Third, let's take a look at the immigration policies and border security. On one hand I can say that the immigration policies are stupid and on the other hand that border security does not exist. Unfortunately, this whole mess has become a political issue and as with most things that politicians touch, it has become a complete mess. There are people that are gaining citizenship in this country BEFORE those that have been here working for it for 10 years of more. That's just plain stupid. In addition to this there some idiots in Congress that think it would be a great idea to offer free education, health care and Social Security benefits to those that aren't even here legally. Are you kidding me? If you wanted to come up with a plan to bankrupt a country I can't think of a better way than that. Then there is the border security. There is none. It's a joke. There aren't enough Border Patrol Officers to patrol the border and the so-called "border security fence" that is supposed to be built is not even close to being half-way done. We aren't serious about border security in America but we like to talk about it. We won't become serious until there is a mushroom cloud above one of our cities. How many will need to perish before we take it seriously?

So taken in it's entirety these are the proper ingredients in a "Recipe for Disaster"! I believe that America has seen it's finest days and we are now on our way to the dustbin of history. Sadly, it won't come from outside of our borders but from within. We are legislating our way straight toward the gates of Hell and the slope is getting more and more slippery every year. Do we have 5 years, 10 years, 20 years left? No one really knows. One thing is for sure though...we are heading downhill now and we are picking up speed as we go.

A Glimpse

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in ourselves and our lives that we forget to just be thankful for what we have. It's easy in this day and age to get caught up in politics or "global warming" or the high gas prices and the list goes on but when we stop and think about it, for most of us anyway, life is very good. Now don't get me wrong it can always get better. Am I making the money that I want to make right now? No. Am I satisfied with my life's achievements so far? Somewhat. But I may never reach those particular goals and I can't spend my entire life waiting to get to that point before enjoying what I have now. Sometimes we get a glimpse of how good our lives are when we least expect it and that's what I want to talk about today.

This last Sunday was Mother's Day. That day when we honor our beloved mom's for everything they do and have done for us in our lives. My family and I spent a quiet day at our home and just relaxed. My wife got up early and as is her routine made her coffee and read the newspaper out back and listened to the wind in the palm trees. (She loves that sound). It was a beautiful Florida day and the temperature while in the 80's was offset by the wind. All in all it was great weather. I joined her a short time later and also enjoyed a cup of coffee. We both just sat there in silence and took in the day. It was wonderful.

About 3-4 hours later my mom and dad arrived. My wife and I floated in the pool while my mom took a nap and my dad read his new book. A little while later we enjoyed some snacks of fresh fruit and cheese and crackers and some artichoke dip. Afterwards, we enjoyed some more time in the pool and once again just took in the day. Eventually it came time to eat dinner and because it was Mother's Day my dad and I would cook the meal and my two teen aged daughters would lend a hand. We put the steaks on the grill and then made the rice and broccoli while my daughters assembled the salad. All the while the "moms" relaxed outside. The time came for us to eat and after blessing the food we partook of the meal and had relaxing, interesting conversation. After the meal my dad, my daughters and I began the cleanup and I took dish washing duty while the girls cleaned off the table and helped to dry and put away the dishes and the pots and pans.

At one point my dad moved over to the piano and started to play. He used to tune pianos so he has and incredible ear for music. He can just sit down and without knowing the song start to play it from ear without sheet music. I guess it was about this time that it struck me. With my dad filling the house with music, my daughters engaged in playful banter with one another while drying the dishes and me with my hands in the sink cleaning that I had a brief moment of clarity. I don't know why it hit me as hard as it did but ever since it happened I knew I would write about it. I realized in that moment that my life, while not perfect, is very good. I realized that although there were a hundred different places I could be in this world had I chosen different paths, at this moment in time there was nowhere else in the entire world that I would rather be and I thanked God for that moment. For that glimpse....of happiness.

A House Divided

Don't look now but there is a major earthquake coming and it will take place right here in America. Am I talking about a seismic shift of land masses that will cause major destruction? No. This will be similar but it will take place in the world of Presidential Politics. You see the earthquake that's coming is the split within the Democratic Party. The cracks are visible now but the fissures are beginning to widen and once Obama gets the party nomination those cracks will explode. This fight between Obama and Clinton has become so nasty that the sides have become absolutely polarized. In other words Clinton's supporters don't like Obama's and the feeling is mutual. What I find interesting is the fact that the whole race is starting to divide along racial lines. But wait a minute, isn't this the Democratic Party? Aren't they the ones that preach that they are the MOST INCLUSIVE political party out there? Certainly they wouldn't let the race for their Nominee become a race about....RACE...would they? Take a closer look at the exit polls and the demographic analysis from the primaries. Clinton gains most of her support from the elderly, women and from WHITE people. Obama virtually has a lock on the African-American voting bloc and he also pulls the youth/college age kids as well. I think that this fight will go on for a few more weeks before someone is actually NAMED the nominee but look for the support for that person to fall away in the General Election in the Fall. In poll after poll Clinton supporters have vowed they would not vote for Obama and vice-versa. Simmering below the surface is an outright distrust and hatred for the other side and they are so polarized now that I cannot see them coming together in time to challenge McCain. The MOST interesting part to me though is the fact that despite all of the so-called inclusion that the Democratic Party claims exists within their party the reality is they are split along RACIAL lines.