The Apology Tour

Obama has been on a whirlwind tour apologizing for all the bad things that America has done, blaming America for the major woes of the world, and generally embarrassing the entire nation. He has been cozying up to the worst of the world's dictators like the marginalized geek-boy who finally gets to hang out with the cool kids.

His desire to be liked by our actual or potential enemies displays a weakness in the leader of the major world power. He bows to the King of Saudi Arabia. He gets chummy with Uggo Chavez of Venezuela, even helps hims promote his trashy book. Everywhere he goes, he disgraces the USA.

Does he really have the right to apologize for all of us? He isn't apologizing for anything he's done. Besides spending the nation into debtor's prison, he really hasn't done anything on the world scene. He is not apologizing for himself. He is accusing the rest of the nation before the whole world. He is setting himself up on the international scene to blame the previous Bush administration, the opposition, the people "clinging to their guns and religion," in case there are any international problems. That way, all the tin-pot dictators around the world will still be his friends.

Are you embarrassed enough yet?

Rise Above the Ruin

I realize my last post "The Dying Wolf Age" was rather bleak, so I thought I would post some words of encouragement. The tactic for surviving the end of the Wolf Age is to rise above the ruin. How do you do this?

A number of techniques and programs have been out in the public eye in the wake of the current economic uproar and moral degeneration. The book Survivor's Club describes how the attitude and skills of certain individuals make them more likely to survive in perilous situations. The 912 Project is a program started to help people keep their values straight and remember what is important in life.

Here's a quick rundown of some techniques to rise above the ruin.

1. Know what you believe. Case studies of people who survive stressful situations are those who have a defined set of values and principles and hold onto those values and principles.
   
2. Prepare for the worst case. People who are willing to think the unthinkable will survive when the unthinkable happens. These are the people who have an exit strategy, a "Plan B, and even a "Plan C." They have emergency supplies and contingency plans worked into their life
   
3. Separate yourself from the dying system. As the world descends into insanity, you need to find a place of sanity. Don't build you life around this house of cards. Learn to do without the things. Disconnect from the popular culture. Don't obssess about America's Top Model. Learn how to be independently competent. How to start a campfire, use tools, build things, repair things. Learn to find pleasure in simple things, a woodland path, your family, your friends.
   

The Dying Wolf Age

Time winds down to August 15, 2011 and the dying wolf ends its 6480-year reign. The symptoms of this age are becoming more evident. The wolf age is characterized by lawlessness, disorder and hunger.

Lawlessness: Our system of justice is turned upside-down. Police officers are jailed for simply doing their job, as in the case of Campion and Ramos. Criminals guilty of the most heinous and perverted crimes are set free or given a slap on the wrist. Crimes committed by those holding the highest offices in the land are not even prosecuted.

Disorder: Borders are thrown open to potential enemies. Monetary systems are collapsing. Families bonds are dissolved. Private property is seized or controlled by draconian laws. The outrages to good and decent society are increasing exponentially. Right and wrong, good and evil are being confused in the minds of the people.

Hunger: The entire world is focused on appetite, lust, and acquisition, turning on each other in rage and desperation. As they attempt to loot the treasury, the Obama administration expresses outrage to find that George Bush already cleaned them out: Their is no honor among thieves. Everyone is scrambling to get their share of the loot. Even in everyday society, civil behavior is degenerating as the panic and desperation increases. Even the normal mode of feeding the appetites and lusts does not satisfy. Nothing but hunger remains. All sense of honor is gone. All high principles are forgotten. All reason and wisdom are cast to the wayside.

But the cycle will turn around again. The Axe Age will come and the axe will fall on those who deny justice, reason, and order. Then it will be the time for the hard-working people of decency, honor reason, wisdom, and courage.

The Garry Owen

I used the Ringdroid application on my G1 phone to create a ringtone of the Garry Owen March, the cavalry song. Some people remark about my odd ringtone, and here is my explanation:
My ancestors were pioneers in Oregon Territory, and settled in the Palouse region (famed for the Appaloosa horse). Every now and then the native Americans of the area would go on the warpath, so everyone would have to go down to Fort Wallula (orignally Fort Nez Perce) to hide out until it was over. My great-grandfather got his house burned down three times by the natives.
When the cavalry reinforcements arrived to drive off the natives, the pioneers knew they could go home. The tune of the Garry Owen carried on the wind was always a message of joy for the pioneers, so I keep it on my mobile phone today, in honor of my ancestors.

The Empty Economy

I noticed this week while driving to work how much less traffic there is during the rush hours. I drive against the grain, so I'm used to seeing the opposite lane of traffic on I-405 thoroughly choked. This week the traffic heading into Seattle and Bellevue was fairly thin compared to usual. The only place it started backing up was around Kirkland where there is always a "Kirkland Crawl." When leaving work, the traffic was almost non-existent on the road. The opposite lane, usually choked up, was moving at a normal pace, even near Bellevue.

I thought this might just be my own impression, so I asked around. Others I work with have noticed the same lack of traffic on the road. Is this an indication of the lack of employment? Or is it that people are trying to save money on gas? Maybe it's a combination of both. We now are free from the usual rush-hour car-pocalypse, but it may be a warning of a larger apocalypse...

Going Galt

As the "soak the rich" policies roll out of Washington, DC, there is a growing trend among professionals, entrepeneurs and investors in the above $250,000 tax bracket. The phenomena is called "going Galt." It is a reaction among these economic heavy-hitters, who are burdened with confiscatory taxes and a growing number of government regulations which run counter to productivity. They are simply dropping out of the race. Investors are selling off their stocks; professionals are taking in less work or retiring early. Business owners are selling off their businesses.

The term "going Galt" is from a novel by the Objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand titled Atlas Shrugged. The protagonist John Galt took all the most productive people in the country to a community called "Galt's Gulch" where they started their own separate economy, free from the oppressive government regulations and taxes. Without these "producers" in society, the entire economic system collapsed.

I had read Atlas Shrugged several yeas ago, and saw in its pages the seeds of what has now come to full stinking flower in our economy. This novel is now becoming a reality in America, which is why this classic is rapidly rising on the bestseller lists. Read this book if you dare to see what happens next...