Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The Death of Money-a book report

(The coming collapse of the Internal Monetary System) By; James Rickards This is a disturbing book that describes all of the many issues of concern relating to fiscal sanity. The Federal Reserve has just finished printing over $3.2 trillion dollars out of thin air, which has the effect of lowering the value of each dollar in circulation. They did this to try to keep us out of deflation. In Europe the Euro has been propped up to cover the losses due to countries not adhering to their pledges to stabilize their economies. . China has over $3 trillion of investments denominated in U.S. dollars and every 10% devaluation in the dollar engineered by the Fed represents a $300 billion real wealth transfer from China to the U.S. Is it any wonder China is reducing these dollars by investing in natural resources around the world and purchasing gold? Counties like China, Russia and in the Middle East resent that the dollar is the predominate currency for world trade, He reports that India is a major importer of Iranian oil and does so by swapping for gold. If our government doesn’t start to take concrete steps to stabilize, the end draws near. With $18 Trillion in debt and climbing rapidly there can be no other outcome. He predicts that the China miracle is nearing its end and that as growth rates slow down together with anemic growth in America, Japan and Europe depression must be the result similar to the 1930’s. The stock market is poised for a crash worse than 2000 or 2008. He suggests that economic stimulus would help pull us out of the spiral we are in. With interest rates at an all-time low this would be the right time to spend on projects that would be profitable. He uses Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway system as an example of a project that was beneficial as the cost to construct and maintain reaped benefits for the private sector far exceeding cost. He compares that negatively to the Obama stimulus plan which only aided local payrolls for union employees and funding inefficient, non-productive nonscalable technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars. This did not stand up to his test on whether the investment added to costs without benefits realized that assured the investment paid dividends. He makes the point that when Clinton allowed Glass-Steagall to be repealed; the banks were allowed to act like hedge funds which opened the door to massive hidden leverage. As a result the 2008 crash occurred. He also points out that new jobs being created are, for the most part, low paying. 50% in the first half of 2013 were part time. Good paying jobs are near non-existent. By late 2013 over 50 million citizens were on food stamps with over 26 million unemployed, underemployed or discouraged from looking for jobs. An important statement made which has been my belief for a long time is that by deliberately keeping interest rates at zero there is in effect a transfer annually from average Americans to the banks of $400 Billion. An annualized rate of just 2% would reverse the process. Part of the Fed’s design is to penalize savers and discourage them from leaving money in a bank, and to encourage them to invest in risky assets, such as stocks and real estate, to prop up collateral values in those markets. Without this, in my opinion, the stock market would not be sky high as it is today. Again, in my opinion the day of reckoning is near, keep tuned. In his concluding chapter he predicts that when the panic starts that savings in the form of bank deposits, insurance policies, annuities and retirement benefits will be largely wiped out. Gold will rise in value to $9,000/ounce. Social unrest will be dealt with by extreme measures using SWAT teams, drones, armored personnel carriers digital surveillance, tear gas, flash hang grenades and high-tech battering rams. This sounds pretty grim to me. He reminds us that the government confiscated gold from citizens in 1933 and could do so again. Seven signs to look for are; 1-A rapid rise in the value of gold. 2-Rapid purchase of gold by China. 3-IMF reforms which devalues the portion of SDRs of U.S. dollars. 4-Defeat of efforts by U.S. regulators to limit the size of big banks. 5-Rapid fluctuations of the Dow Jones Index. 6-A sustained reduction in U.S. or Japanese asset purchases, giving deflation a second wind. 7-The financial disintegration in China as a wealth-management-product Ponzi scheme collapses. His final recommendation for us is to diversify into a portfolio of 20% gold, 20% land, 10% fine art, 20% alternative funds and 30% cash. Who among you would do this? At any rate, you have now been warned. I highly recommend reading this book. It is extremely well written and researched. Jack B. Walters December 10, 2014

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Common Genius-a book report

Guts, Grit & Common Sense How ordinary people create prosperous societies and how intellectuals make them collapse By Bill Greene This is another powerful book that rips apart history and re-writes from the basis of ordinary people. I came to possess it as a gift from some unknown person. It arrived in the mail from Amazon one day. I never received a bill nor was I able to learn who sent it to me. I would like to think it was from a friend who knew of my writings and wanted to share. The author explores history from long ago and points out how real progress was realized in isolated places where the people were not constrained by harsh government. The real meat is about the rise of America and the stagnant growth in Europe during the same time period. The people leaving Europe found a new land without rules or regulations restricting them from making lives for themselves. After the Revolution freeing America from England and the establishment of the Constitution and in particular the Bill of Rights for the next two hundred plus years America left the old world far behind. All sorts of new ideas generated new opportunities .There were of course difficulties to overcome such as the robber barons in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Teddy did his best to curb them. They exploited labor as much as they could while reaping great fortunes for themselves, not unlike what we are experiencing today. His main theme is that ordinary people left to their own devices can work miracles but when suppressed and controlled they atrophy. He points out how easy it is for people to come under the spell of leaders like Hitler, Stalin, Mao and others who collectively murdered over 100,000,000 people on their way to creating their empires. Eliminating peaceful religion is a necessity. A people without a moral compass are easily swayed. I am, of course, not including Islam as a peaceful religion. He stresses that the growing moral uncertainty, the blurring of right and wrong, and a loss of confidence in the principles that made America the most free and prosperous nation in the world is why we are floundering today with many factions warring with each other and no common ground. There is a vast amount of insight and information to be gained by reading. It will not be easy so be prepared. Jack B. Walters November 8, 2014

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Pump- a documentary film

This is another eye opening documentary. It should be seen by all Americans or at the very least all politicians. It was shown in the main theatre of the Loft. There were five people in total who attended. I actually made a new friend with a man from Iowa. We had much in common. The following will be my recollection of what I saw. Whether the facts presented are totally true I have not attempted to verify so if you disagree then we can discuss. It begins with the dismantling of the streetcar system which was in every major city. The cars were systematically purchased and destroyed being replaced with buses. Vehicles were originally powered by alcohol. The assertion is made that prohibition legislation was not only to curb drinking but also prohibited its use in vehicles as well. All motorized vehicles changed to gasoline. I want to add here that General Motors in the 60’s produced hundreds of electric cars which were leased in California. The leases were cancelled and all the cars were crushed. The general theory is that industry has conspired against any idea that would decrease dependency on gasoline made from oil. California was making strides introducing vehicles running on methane. They were forced to modify with a mixture that was proven to include chemicals which could cause cancer and the program was stopped. They mention that Brazil years ago converted to a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. The country is completely solvent; the middle class has increased in numbers and other good things. They interviewed Mr. Tesla who was optimistic about the future of electric cars and the increasing mileage that research will provide over the next decade or so. They showed the multiple sources that could be converted to ethanol including waste, wood, and vegetation of every kind and that cars from 1993 on could be converted to 85 with a simple software change which the auto manufacturers have not seen fit to do. Should you adjust your car and use 85 they will void your warranty. Further leased stations are not allowed to add 85 by the owners. Legislation has been proposed repeatedly for over a decade and has never gotten out of committee, they claim as a direct result of enormous campaign contributions. It is not hard for me to accept that idea. There was more but I will end now. Jack B. Walters November 6, 2014

Monday, October 20, 2014

The Author of Dog Whisper Politics responded to my book report

Hi John, Ian Haney Lopez here. I'd like to ask that you resubmit your evaluation, but using quotes from the book this time to substantiate your claims. For instance, at the outset you write: "No matter what the issue is, the blame is placed squarely on the backs of everyone in America who was born white. No exceptions. Whether you are a good person or a bad person, a Democrat or Republican, a conservative or liberal, a religious person or atheist, nothing you can do can keep you from being racist." That couldn't be further from what I actually wrote. If you disagree, please provides quotes (and page numbers) to support your claims. All the best, Ian Dear Ian, You will note I address you by your first name not with your title. I want this to be between you and me on an equal basis. I will not retract my previous book report. I have re-read it and continue to believe it is what I gleaned from reading. You state that my opening comments could not be further from the truth. I am amazed that you should say this. From cover to cover you point out over and over how white people discriminate against black people. You return again and again to the past continuing to emphasis the racism of people like Wallace. In my response I agreed with you on that. You have forced me to take the time to skim thru your book. You insist I retract or prove you wrote the words that state all whites are racist. Page 36-First, it suggests that many and possibly most whites accept the connection between minorities and crime… Page 56-…Carter’s racial pandering… seemed to cement the logic of racial pandering. Your conviction is that whites as a block vote against the interests of black people. Page 71- These white Democratic defectors express a profound distaste for blacks… Page 77,78,79-“ Is your baby racist” The question blared from the cover of Newsweek Magazine- It describes the attitudes of very young children and their attitude towards people of color even when the parents do their best to reject racism. You can say these were not your words but they were presented in your book. This was where I concluded that being born white meant you were racist. Page 117- Here you state that after 9/11 whites had people who looked Arabic as their newest adversaries of color. Looking at the world today how can you close your eyes to the chaos all over the world perpetrated by those who adhere to Islam? Color has nothing to do about it. Page 136-…for the proof of white responsibility for racial oppression was everywhere in society. Again someone else’s words but printed in your book. Page 141- Today, the practice of putting forward nonwhite faces has penetrated GOP politics. Herman Caine is one example… I supported him. He could have been a great President for all Americans. You make him sound like Uncle Tom. I currently have a Ben Carson bumper sticker on my car. He would be a great President also. Page 150- Here you rage about the backlash when Obama became President. For your information I voted for him in 2008. I couldn’t stomach McCain/Palin. I didn’t in 2012 as I disagreed with the policies he was advancing which were diametrically opposed to what he said he would do four years earlier. The blacks continued voting as a block no matter what. That epitomizes racism for me. Page 152-Here you list the hatreds of those who are part of the Tea Party movement. This was a vicious unwarranted attack in my opinion. Page 167-Among minorities, 93% of blacks, 71% of Latinos and 73% of Asians voted against Romney…Sounds racist to me. Page 181- It seems that race agitates most whites at the unconscious level… Page 183- The whole page refers to an experiment done by a teacher. She divided the class according to eye color discriminating first against one group and then reversing with bad results. This proved your premise of all whites being racist from a young age. Page 187-Here you mention the removal of Japanese Americans to camps as racist. You had to be alive to understand how the attack on Pearl Harbor affected all Americans. Page 189- In its entirety you mention many issues of concern today and cast them all in racist terms. The entire premise of your book was that all whites are racist, page after page that is your message. To say that wasn’t your intent is mind boggling. Jack B. Walters October 19, 2014

Monday, October 13, 2014

Khartoum-a movie

For relaxation I was channel hopping last Friday evening and I happened to catch a very well done movie from 1966 starring Charlton Heston and Lawrence Olivier. Heston played the part of General Gordon and Olivier the Muslim Arab leader who declared he was the long sought Mahdi. In the Koran the Mahdi is to emerge in the last days and lead the Muslim people to overwhelm the Earth and establish an Islamic World Order. In order to accomplish this mission Khartoum is to be the first to fall followed by other Capitals in the Arab world and then beyond. It was just a movie but it brought to my mind that those who continue to claim that Islam is a religion of peace are just not willing to accept the fact that this has been the goal for 1,300 years and will continue to be the goal until eventually accomplished or defeated. The Ottoman Empire nearly succeeded. We have been continually deceived by our Presidents and other world leaders for decades now to where most don’t understand. In a class I attended last week the topic was Israel. At one point a classmate asked the question why we should care about Israel. In other words what was important enough that America should continue to provide aid as we have since its inception in 1948? I immediately blurted out “How could we not after six million were put to death in WWII”. As I was leaving two friends stopped me and expressed their concern about Israel continuing to build housing for Jews in Jerusalem and other places. The implication being that if they would only stop and negotiate with Hamas and give back territory won in war, that peace would finally come to this part of the world. No doubt it will be peaceful enough when the Jewish people are exterminated which surely will be the result. This was my answer. Both President G.H. and George Bush have been closely allied with Muslims. The attraction was oil. After 9/11 George went on television to declare that Islam was a peaceful religion. All airfare was grounded except for the planes required to escort the many Bin Laden family members out of our country. No one in the press seriously questioned this fact. Obama also has spoken repeatedly that Islam is peaceful as has David Cameron, the Prime Minister of England. We continually provide armaments of every kind to the Arab nations and refer to them as allies. I find this tragic. Not only have we exhausted ourselves with blood and treasure but we continually provide Aircraft Carriers and other forces to keep the Sea Lanes open without compensation or even thanks. It is expected and demanded. We meekly do their bidding. The only reason countries like Saudi Arabia are included as allies in the fight against IS is because they know that their kingdoms will collapse when IS reaches their borders. After a few sorties on the first day have any of you heard that the Saudis are continuing aircraft missions? I haven’t. As to the fanfare about the devastating strikes the first day now we learn that those buildings were deserted. IS had plenty of warning that an attack was imminent. The strikes against IS are ineffective. They haven’t slowed down IS’s advance towards Baghdad and of course the Kurds are about to lose Kobani, a major city being overwhelmed by superior weaponry and forces. Turkey “our ally” has tanks lined up on the border within sight of the fighting but refuses to get involved unless we make the major focus fighting Assad. Kurds living in Turkey have taken to the streets in protest. Over 20 have been killed so far. Turkey refuses to allow Kurds to cross the border to fight alongside others of their faith but for months now Turkey has allowed recruits from all over the world to cross the border with Syria to join with IS. What a great friend we have. Oh, in today’s Star, is an article that they have given permission for America to fly out of an airbase. I guess they think it is OK as long as Americans are taking the risk. With leaders like Obama and Cameron we can expect no real progress. They will only pretend to be serious all the while Americans are being put in harm’s way. It is so tragic. I have written many times before on this subject. We must become energy independent and stop feeding the OPEC countries who think we are a decadent society and spend those funds trying to foment hatred against us and other Western nations. I seem to be talking out of both sides. I want out of this part of the world. I want to stop proving funds to them while at the same time I can’t stand to see people slaughtered as IS is doing to all who they believe are non-believers. I also believe we must continue to support Israel, settlements or not. When Israel falls the West will not be far behind. So there you have it. What do you think? Jack B. Walters October 13, 2014

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Leon Panetta's new book

He has been on numerous programs promoting his new book "Worthy Fights". I have not read nor do I think I will bother. I am offended by his assertion that the war against ISIS type enemies will continue for another 30 years. We have already been there for 12 years expending thousands of our soldiers’ lives either dead or wounded plus over a trillion dollars. This cannot continue without the ruination of our country. In a previous e-mail I sent out under the heading “Playing at War" I proposed using our military for maximum effect including carpet bombing of concentrations of ISIS fighters. The weapon of choice would be the B-52. No plane we possess can do the harm that this plane can. We must hit them hard quickly not piecemeal as we have been doing. Our efforts to date have not slowed the advance. Have you heard that plane loads of Iraqi soldiers have been sent north to fight side by side with the Kurds? I thought so, I haven't either. The Turks are just sitting there watching without becoming actively involved. Panetta wants American ground troops on the ground. Should we do that there will be many videos produced of those captured having their heads chopped off. I say no. It is bad enough to have our airmen in harm’s way but adding ground troops is insanity. Bomb ISIS without regard to civilian casualties, hit them with maximum destruction and then hope and expect the locals to clean up the mess and return that part of the world to normal living, whatever that may be and get out as fast as we can. Jack Walters October 8, 2014

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Dog Whistle Politics- a book report

By; Ian Haney Lopez (How coded racial appeals have reinvented racism and wrecked the middle class) A short report If you were born white you are racist. A full report I never asked why, but this book was recommended by a friend as something I should read. I hope it wasn’t because of my writings and the e-mails I choose to forward. Whatever that answer might be I will state at the outset that I cannot ever remember reading a serious book which I disliked so intently. As I usually do after purchasing a book from Amazon I will send them a copy to be placed with others who have read and reviewed. I intend to give it a one star rating which is the lowest possible, not because of the author’s ability to communicate, but because of the content. He looks at everything from the standpoint of race. No matter what the issue is, the blame is placed squarely on the backs of everyone in America who was born white. No exceptions. Whether you are a good person or a bad person, a Democrat or Republican, a conservative or liberal, a religious person or atheist, nothing you can do can keep you from being racist. In his concluding chapter he states quite plainly that the Republican Party is racist and while in the book he also attacks the Democratic Party, particularly when Bill Clinton was President, he concludes that the Democratic Party should be the party of choice for all those who oppose racism. He states that accusing Republicans of racism should be the weapon of choice and while many people of both parties have the opinion that we have passed the era of the 60’s and before, he firmly states this is not the case. He attempts to prove his theory by reviewing tactics starting with George Wallace. There can be no doubt about that. “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” He shows examples from many campaigns. Bush clobbered Dukakis with his Willy Horton add. Dukakis had been Governor when Horton was released from prison only to rape a white woman, because of that the polls showed an instant drop in support for Dukakis and is credited with the victory for Bush. He accuses Clinton because of legislation passed to place restrictions as being required in order to receive welfare checks. While many people of all races receive welfare checks, his theory is that white voters placed a race identity, as lazy blacks living off the backs of hard working white people, his words not mine. No doubt much of what he states has validity but to accuse an entire race for keeping black people down in today’s world, just does not compute, at least for me. You can always read the book for yourself if interested. On page 39 he tells a story about how the 13th Amendment was made useless in the South because of its wording. It banned slavery but the last sentence read “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted…” I never had any idea that the South for eighty years used this as a way to enslave blacks. It was only ended during WWII when enemy propaganda pointed out the fact and accused America of doing the same to Negros as Germany was doing to Jews. The South found them guilty of trumped up charges and then sold their labor to mines and other dangerous work places with no regard to their wellbeing. At least when they were slaves the owners had an investment to protect but whether a convict grew sick or died, it was of no concern; they could just get more as needed. To think that this continued for so long without being challenged is a blight on our history. I have done a lot of heavy thinking about the contents of this book. There can be no denying that those of the white race have held a superior position to all people of color whether black, brown, red or yellow. This country was colonized by the English, French and Dutch at the beginning. Later other peoples arrived from Germany, Italy, Ireland and later Eastern Europeans. These later groups were discriminated against as being inferior. No nation’s people were whiter than the Irish. They were treated shamefully. My point being that it was not color but more a sense of trying to maintain a superior standing over the newcomers and being threatened as they usually would agree to work for less pay. That was also true for Orientals and Mexicans. I sincerely believe this is just a fact of human nature and has nothing to do with race. We each in turn try to defend our territory and family units from any threat. The author states that concerns about illegal immigration and members of the Muslim faith are racial. I think otherwise. Illegals take jobs from citizens. Just read Kathleen Schwartzman’s book entitled “The Chicken Trail” to get a firsthand look. The owners of chicken processing plants in the South replaced blacks with illegal immigrants from Mexico by various methods. The blacks were trying to improve working conditions. The illegals did what they were told without complaining. As to the Muslims, how could this be racist? Muslims are not just Arabic. They are Persian’s from Iran and have been growing leaps and bounds with conversions of people of every color. People like me who rail against Islam, do it because of the obvious threat to world peace as militant Islam grows all over the world. This has nothing to do with race. This author is a Professor at Berkley, California. The thought of him on a daily basis teaching hatred to young minds is appalling to me. He is, of course, not the only one. Indoctrination is an ongoing process and I am sure has planted these type ideas firmly in the minds of our young people, for whom we sacrifice greatly, so they can acquire an education. By stirring the fires of hatred between races only bad results can be achieved. You cannot elevate one class of people by bringing down another class. We must, to be successful be blind to color as we were pleaded to by Martin Luther King Jr. to judge people by the content of their character not skin color. Lastly I have a message for black Americans. First quit calling yourselves African-Americans. Until we all consider ourselves American we can accomplish nothing of value. Second talk clear English. Think how much white America enjoyed watching the antics of the Huckstable family on television. A black family that sounded normal to us. Politicians like Herman Caine, Ben Carson and actors like Morgan Freeman. They are black but have learned to speak properly. I have two friends at the church I attend who are held in very high esteem. They couldn’t be blacker if they wanted to be but they speak clearly and do not act inferior. They are both strong and articulate. Those who slur their speech and use the f- word every sentence do nothing but harm relationships with other races. Siring children without being an active parent does nothing to elevate our regard. Not trying to better their lives but living off the system as so many do causes resentment. I will catch h—for saying this but we cannot move forward if we are not willing to call a spade a spade, can we? What I am saying is, there will not be resistance for those who are actively pursuing the American dream. Go for it like everyone else has to. Forget the blame game. Let’s all move forward as Americans. Jack B. Walters October 5, 2014

Friday, September 26, 2014

Playing at War

Once again Americans are being duped by our leaders. They send million dollar missiles to partially destroy oil refineries so that they can be restarted at some later time assuming friendly people take possession. How long do you think it will take for the terrorists to re-start? In a real war you put aside all considerations about civilian casualties and carpet bomb areas where these thugs are located. The B-52 would be my weapon of choice. We also send million dollar missiles to blow up one of our old Humvees that was abandoned by the Iraqi Army at the first opportunity. I don’t know how the press is able to show videos of columns of vehicles heading down the road to capture another town but there they are. I would pummel them with the Gatling guns of our superb A-10 fighter bombers. You know the one they want to discard on the rubble heap of history. Like in WWII strafe the columns and send them to their God. No plane can do it better at minimal cost. Just food for thought. Jack B. Walters September 26, 2014

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Death of a King- a book report

By; Tavis Smiley (The real story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Final Year) The story of his final year on earth is very sad. Here was a man who dedicated his life to improve the conditions for, not only black people but other minorities as well. He had endured many trials along the way including near death experiences, beatings, stoning, imprisonment and deprivation. As a result, together with President Lyndon Johnson he saw monumental legislation passed including the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. With these two pieces of legislation the groundwork was established to allow Negroes (as they were referred to at that time) to be allowed entrance into schools, restaurants, hotels and employment where before local laws had forced them to accept segregated facilities. It is difficult to believe that this was the country they were living in during the 60’s. That is not to say that all is well and good today. The rage demonstrated recently in Ferguson, Mo. shows that equality still eludes them regardless of legislation passed. This book starts on April 4, 1967. He delivers an impassioned address condemning the Vietnam War and in so doing incurs the wrath of L.B.J. Where before they had been partners, now they were antagonists. It doesn’t clearly state if L.B.J. turned J. Edgar Hoover loose on him but at about this time Hoover had King under constant surveillance including phone taps and later actually committing acts of sabotage to destroy King’s ability to accomplish his objectives. His staff, of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, were opposed to him departing from racism to ending the war. They believed it would weaken their progress and alienate the President. They were right but King would not be persuaded. He thought of the Vietnamese as other minorities being killed as being symbolic of America’s continuing to be driven by the white culture which placed all others of color in an inferior position. This is a statement that in my opinion cannot be denied. All through his last year King is increasing left with diminished support for his non-violent crusade. Militant leaders like Jesse Jackson and Adam Clayton Powell wanted to force the issue. As a result riots broke out in a number of cities that summer resulting in death and destruction, everything King had tried to not let happen. Everywhere King went he was heckled and derided as a failure. I found that to be tragic. In my own book entitled “The Last Angry Man” in the article entitled “What If-A Look At History As It Might Have Been” dated March 2003, I wrote “Another man of peace, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. He was making great strides in closing the gap between the races with his policy of non-violence. After his death radical, hate filled black leaders filled the void, and we are as a result fearfully divided today”. He was in constant motion the entire year flying here and there to give speeches. His current goal was to have thousands of poor people of any color descend on Washington in the spring to petition Congress to alleviate the suffering of poor people. He was diverted many times to visit Memphis in support of the striking sanitation workers who were on strike for better wages and benefits which the City leaders were not willing to grant. On his final visit he was struck down by an assassin’s bullet while leaning over the balcony of his room talking to Jackson and others. His last words were “Make sure they play Precious Lord, Take My Hand in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty”. Then the shot rings out. The date was April 4, 1968. His speech the previous night was the most memorable, in my opinion. He ended by saying, “Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I have been to the mountaintop, and I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I am not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people, will get to the promised land! And I am so happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!” What more can be said. Jack B. Walters September 27, 2014

Friday, September 12, 2014

What Money Can't Buy- a book report

The Moral Limits of markets By; Michael J. Sandel This was recommended to me by a friend. When he mentioned the title to me I asked why he thought I should read it, thinking he was stating that I am extravagant in my spending habits. Nothing could be further from the truth. He assured me that was not why he felt it was important. I finished it this morning and while still fresh I will try to explain the contents. It was demoralizing for me to realize how far down the path of commercializing everything has gone. It is not that I don’t already know or for that matter you as well. We see it all around. In movie theatres we see endless commercials as we wait for the movie to start and at the designated time we must first watch 15 minutes of coming attractions. We try to arrive just before the movie but that is hard to do. Watching programs on television includes endless breaks of five minutes or more which ruins the story flow. The same is true for sporting events. The flow of the game is stopped periodically to accommodate commercials. The sweaty players are left to wait and the fans forced to sit and wait just when an action might have happened. It is to the point where I am close to dropping all interest in sports. I can tell you this, when college players are paid salaries there will be no more tickets purchased by me. City buses are painted completely with advertisements. Waiting areas are covered also; our children are forced to see ads prominently placed throughout schools. Our sports arenas are renamed from tradition to corporate. Sometimes schools named for Presidents or Governors are renamed. Once ball players were happy to sign autographs, now they charge exorbitant prices. Who can blame them when professionals are determined to profit at their expense? People place advertisements on their foreheads or other places. These people are usually those who are in dire financial straits. They also are willing to sell body parts i.e. kidneys, blood, etc. There is a multi-billion dollar industry in America betting on the death of celebrities, politicians, and other famous people. They will pay a sick person half the value of their insurance policy by being named the beneficiary. This has progressed to healthy people. The original purpose of life insurance was to protect your family should the bread earner die. 40% of these policies are abandoned when no longer necessary. Now these are being purchased by Corporations who will then keep paying the premiums until eventually you die. The increased cost to insurance companies is forcing them to increase payments. The worst in my opinion are companies like Wal-Mart who will take out a $300,000 policy on the life of all of their employees, without the permission or knowledge of those persons. Then at death the company not the family cashes in. One example was a store clerk murdered in a robbery. The family received nothing. Why our Federal and State governments allow this to occur is beyond my comprehension. To me it is evil. I have always referred to Wal-Mart as an evil company. This is another reason to support my position. They should sell goods not profit from the death of an employee. Nothing is sacred. Doesn’t it diminish the experience for you when the announcers of a sporting event keep referring to the Corporation during their spiel of the game? It does me. We WWII types still alive keep remembering the simple days and hate what has become the new norm. Laugh if you will and point out the good things, but this book shows how we have lost the basic goodness of almost everything by putting a price on it. Read the book, if you have the stomach for it. Jack B. Walters September 12, 2014

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Letter to the editor

Another example of our Federal Government not correcting abuses In today’s addition of the Arizona Daily Star was a Los Angeles Times article entitled “Unemployable senior vets get most of benefit”. As long ago as 1934 the VA created an unemployment benefit. This was before Social Security even existed. No doubt there was a need then but to allow this to continue 80 years later without revising is beyond belief. Currently it is costing us $4 Billion/ year giving these funds to those deemed unemployable including veterans over the age of 90. 56% goes to those over 65 and 11% to those over 80. How difficult would it be to lower the age to 50 or thereabouts or eliminate altogether. What hope do we have of ever getting out of debt with the many giveaway programs like this on the books? Jack B. Walters September 11, 2014

Monday, September 8, 2014

13 Hours-Benghazi

We just finished watching this special report on Fox News. If you haven't you should. It is an interview with three survivors of that attack on our compound and later the CIA complex. At the end they were asked about the politics of it. They refused to comment. They were only willing to tell their personal story. Incredible courage in facing many combatants with their few number. The key things I got out of it were; 1- As soon as they heard gunfire they wanted to drive to the compound but were told not to three times over a period of 25 minutes. In their opinion had they not been delayed they might have reached there in time to save the Ambassador. Whether that stand down order was local or from a higher authority was not revealed to us. 2- In the days and weeks following the attack we were told repeatedly that aircraft could not get there in time to help. These men refute that. A gunship could have done considerable damage to the terrorists. A simple fly over by a jet might have persuaded them to retreat. Rescue teams could have been dispatched and arrived in time to at least aid in the defense of the complex. OK, you might say, how could the Administration know it would last that long. My response is so what. Send help as soon as possible and if too late for the battle, at least help in the aftermath. I, for one, will never forgive Barack and Hillary for not making the attempt to rescue and then covering it all up by begging forgiveness from the Arab world for a video. Some of you think this is just political rhetoric to attack Obama. You are no doubt correct but some of us want the truth because we think it is important. Covering up a debacle like this is unacceptable to me. Jack

Friday, September 5, 2014

Barack (no strategy) Obama

How is this for a novel idea? Send a squadron of B-52s loaded with 1,000 lb. bombs and carpet bomb the airfield in Syria that was taken over by ISIS several weeks ago. They have oil fields, money stolen from banks in Mosul and other conquered cities as well as ransom payments. Do we have to allow them an Air Force as well? I am sure they are busy recruiting Jihad pilots to fly the captured aircraft. I am just sharing a thought that seems to have escaped our illustrious leaders. Jack B. Walters September 12, 2014

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Our Derelict President

It is no accident that President Obama takes action or inaction as our commander-in chief as I will list below. He knows what he is doing. Boots on the ground- He added troops to Afghanistan and then has delayed removing them. Do you really believe that Afghanistan will not be a repeat of Iraq where untold billions of military equipment has fallen into the hands of Islamic militants dedicated to the destruction of Israel and America. I voted for him the first time believing his speeches that he would extricate us from ground fighting. He didn’t get my vote the next time as I was one of the minorities who realized he had lied to Americans. He encouraged the removal of Mubarak of Egypt who had kept the Brotherhood in check. He then applauded Morsi and provided F-16’s and Abram tanks. Morsi betrayed the people by dissolving the government and creating a new Islamic Constitution. Morsi also referred to Israelis as apes and pigs. Then Obama was angered when the military took control after the people had rebelled, in effect he took the side of the brotherhood. He attacked Libya and its leader Khadafy for humanitarian reasons. Khadafy kept the brotherhood in check. Obama led the air war that destroyed Khadafy’s military forces. Khadafy was brutally murdered and the country is in chaos today as the brotherhood fights to control the country. He is doing nothing here including defending our Embassy in Benghazi when it was overrun by Islamic terrorists and now we have even abandoned our Embassy in Tripoli. Secretary Kerry flies around the world condemning one nation after the other when the Muslim population is threatened by exasperated citizens. I am referring to Nigeria, India and Myanmar. The newly elected Prime Minister of India Morsi was once in charge of a province that rose up against Muslims who had murdered Hindus. Kerry advised we were watching him. The one country I have not heard mentioned is China with their handling of the Muslims in the Northwest section of China. They are the Uyghur’s. Perhaps he is afraid to draw their wrath? When the radical Islamic group called ISIS rose up in Iraq and made astonishing gains overnight including conquering a city of two million people, Mosel, my first reaction was to stay out of the conflict. I considered it just another of the ongoing hatred battles between Sunni and Shia Muslims. I was wrong. This is far more serious as we are realizing now that they have expelled all persons from Mosel who are not of the Islamic faith. Thousands were stranded on a mountain top with their lives threatened. Finally Obama authorized air strikes but in my opinion not enough to severely hamper these thugs. He has a news conference and then returns to the golf course. I have heard commentators state that elected officials deserve vacations. President Eisenhower played golf but our military was not involved in combat during the entire eight years he was in office. The American tax payers have spent over a billion providing entertaining trips for Obama and his family all the while our country and the world needs a strong hand on the tiller. Where, oh where, is Teddy when we need him? Iran has advised that the agreement extension that is scheduled to expire in November will have to be extended. This is the easing of sanctions in exchange for Iran stopping their enrichment program. Obama will acquiesce all the while they are developing faster methods to enrich Uranium. He will not attack. Iran will have the weapons they seek. When this is accomplished the entire Middle East will face the most dangerous time ever. An Iran with these weapons will be in the position to easily destroy Israel and then threaten America and Europe. Of course Israel will retaliate but their homeland will be gone. What a tragedy if this comes to pass. For your information I have been thinking about writing this article for over a month now. I look at it, change something and add other thoughts. I could go on and on but my purpose is simply to ask you, the reader, to consider what is happening and make your voices heard. To wrap this up I am ending by adding the comment from Obama today that he does not have a strategy developed to deal with ISIS in Syria. On the same news cast was a video of 50 Arab men in underwear being led into a field and executed. No strategy!!!How could this be? We are adrift in a violent storm with no Captain at the helm to guide us through. By the way it was also reported that Obama was heading out for two fund raisers tomorrow. Half of you receiving this still support Obama. You are intelligent and have led successful lives and supported your families. How can you not see the danger we face with Obama as President? Jack B. Walters August 28, 2014

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

How Civilizations Die-a book report

How Civilizations Die (And why Islam is dying too) By; David P. Goldman I have been communicating with a man in his 90’s for a number of years. He lives in Dodge City, Kansas. We have never met. Years ago he discovered my books and purchased several from me. We tend to agree on many national issues of concern. He discovered this book and ordered it for me at a cost of over $30 counting postage. I wrote my gratitude. Now I am attempting to write a review. This is a fascinating book. He goes back to the beginning of time, or so it seems, to make his point which is that civilizations die when they lose the desire to procreate, bring children into the world in numbers sufficient to assure the continuation of that particular group, race or culture. The figure experts agree on is 2.1 children per family to maintain that culture. A large portion of the book was devoted to the past. Since my interests are more in line with current events I will not take your time by retelling his account other than to state that he strongly emphasizes that those who are religious are more likely to have larger families. Christianity in all its forms and denominations has been the major factor. Of course, Islam with all of its tenets has also been prolific over the centuries since its inception. What a tragedy that thru all these Centuries religion has been the driving force creating deaths of countless millions in the name of Christ. How could his teachings be so distorted to convince that killing those of a different persuasion is doing God’s work on Earth? Today except for Ireland, killing Christians by other Christians is no longer practiced; today it is the Muslim belief system not only against Christians and Jews but also different Muslim Sects. When a civilization thinks more about their own welfare they reduce the number of children to spend whatever resources they have for their own benefit. In olden times children were required to work the farms. When they moved to cities the children now became a cost rather than a benefit, as far as contributing resources to support the family. In today’s America it has been projected that each urban child costs over $250,000 until the age of 18, projected to increase soon to over $300,000. Add college costs to that and you can see the advantage of having fewer children. Think of the great cars you can drive, the improved life styles, etc. I wonder if the drive in America to legalize same sex marriage might be driven, in part, by this fact. I had a hard time agreeing with his premise that the Muslim population was also shrinking. I went to the Internet for information. You could do the same. Two, in particular were well done. “The Future of the Global Muslim Population” a PEW Research publication and “Is the Muslim population Shrinking” an Ibu Zura publication called a Christian- Muslim Dialogue. It appears that for a number of reasons the rate of growth is decreasing. That is different from decreasing in absolute numbers today. They will not peak until 2030 after which it is projected to start a downward spiral. It was interesting to me that IRAN is the one Muslim country already in decline. In Europe it is projected that 10% of those countries will be Muslim. In America it they will double to about the same number as our Jewish citizens. The 30 years’ war in Europe which killed millions was predominantly religious, Catholic vs Protestant. Europeans have lost that religious fervor which explains the declining population. America and Israel on the other hand are still increasing. In America he credits the Evangelical churches and the influx of immigrants from South and Central America who are predominately Catholic. In Israel it is the Orthodox Jews who have large families. He concludes in the end these two countries will continue to exist while the others fade away. One factor in the projected decline is because more women are being allowed education. Iran’s women under the Shah were allowed to go to school which explains how this happened. Of more importance than all of the above was the condemnation of President Obama and his policies. The author also comments on the deficiencies if George Bush. These comments are contained in Part Three. I will only mention the key points; Bush- Freedom Agenda. He believed that people everywhere would emulate America; instead all elections have brought radicals into power in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Iran. Obama- He told the United Nations in September 2009 “No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation”. What he was saying was the self-liquidation of American influence- an unprecedented astonishing position for an American leader. Then he staged a quarrel with Israel about settlements, demanded they give up their nuclear weapons, withdraw from the West Bank and return to the borders that existed before the 1967 war. He has shown his disdain for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel since taking office. The only reason America still provides aid is because of the total commitment of Congress, both parties. Obama’s policies appear to be encouraging some of America’s worst enemies. Governments have changed from secular to Islamic. President Obama may well be the anti-Truman. Obama by contrast identifies deeply with Islam. He appears ready to gamble in supporting hostile regimes. It may be the most detrimental foreign policy decision taken by an American president in living memory. The president has conceded on television that his policy may fail to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. A disaster of this magnitude should inspire a reconsideration of first principles. He concludes by stating five principles America should follow; 1-Cut our losses in nation building in the Middle East. 2-Do not allow rogue nations to threaten our security. 3-Deploy ground personnel to neutralize threats through limited intervention. 4-Improve our alliance with India to counter the threat from China. 5- Engage China constructively aiming at a rivalry without hostility. Finally he concludes that America needs to rediscover its own exceptionalism. America is the exemplar and model for what a good country should be. I encourage all to read this book and contemplate its message. Jack B. Walters August 27, 2014

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooreesi

I’m Ashamed I am ashamed for Americans. I checked this morning and found a grand total of 134,603 Americans have signed the petition demanding the release of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooreesi from prison in Mexico Our elected officials are all enjoying their month long vacation playing golf, etc. all the while this Marine languishes in prison. I am convinced this is a deliberate action by Mexico to put pressure on us for who knows what purpose. It was an open and shut case that should have been resolved in days not months. I am angry enough to suggest a military raid on that prison to rescue him. No man left behind. I guess that only applies to traitors and deserters. I am ashamed for my countrymen and women. When the WWII generation passes into history what will be left in America to cherish. Jack B. Walters August 23, 2014

Monday, August 18, 2014

Ferguson, Missouri

I have hesitated in writing about this tragic happening in Missouri. Six shots would appear excessive, but Brown was a large man even though young. At least they were frontal wounds not back as previously reported. I don’t believe his friend’s testimony that Brown was holding his hands up. He was after all an accomplice in a robbery just minutes before. Bullet wounds to the top of his head would not be possible were his hands over his head. None of us have the knowledge of the conditions between the police force and the citizens in Ferguson. Perhaps there has been rage building for some time. I am sure this will come to light before this is all over. Having said that, I still cannot condone the continuing demonstrations occurring daily and ending every night in looting and other acts of violence. This is Watts all over again. All the usual vultures are in town including Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. I shouldn’t exclude the Black Panthers. Certainly their only purpose is to calm things down. What I really resent is the comments from Obama and Attorney General Holder. They sent 40 FBI agents to interview residents. At every opportunity these two band together whenever a black is involved. I ask a simple question, “If the victim was white would they be involved”. Jack B. Walters August 18, 2014

Thursday, August 7, 2014

A Time to Attack by; Matthew Kroenig

The Looming Iranian Nuclear Threat This is a new book published in 2014 and is totally up to date on the ongoing situation between the United States and Iran. As you may be aware Iran has suffered greatly by sanctions imposed by many major countries led by the U.S. A little history will be helpful at this point. The issue of Iran having nuclear armament has been in the forefront for decades. There has been a worldwide effort to prevent other countries from joining with those who already possess them. On December 8, 1953 President Eisenhower announced a new program for nations who did not possess nuclear technology. It was called “Atoms for Peace”. It was believed that nuclear power used to produce electricity would be a boon to the world. The success of that idea has not yet been realized as hoped for many reasons. That is a subject for another time. Iran was one country enthusiastic to partake and did. They were considered an ally at that time. On July1, 1968 Iran signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Things changed for the worse after the 1979 revolution which toppled the Shaw and put in place a Shia Muslim government which adhered to strict religious doctrines. President George W. Bush didn’t help much when in his 2002 State of the Union address to Congress he stated that IRAN was a part of the Axis of Evil along with N. Korea and IRAQ. N. Korea immediately threw out the International inspectors and IRAQ was conquered shortly thereafter. The Iranian leaders recognized that once nuclear weapons are attained that a new relationship is established, it is no wonder that IRAN tried its best to reach that goal. Under the auspices of the United Nations a group was formed in 2006 called P5+1. It consisted of the five nuclear powers i.e.: United States, Russia, England, France and China plus Germany. Their goal was to keep IRAN from attaining nuclear weapons. Over the years to follow proposals were presented and rejected. Finally in 2010 the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted to demand a halt to all enrichment activity and levied severe economic sanctions. The sanctions created havoc with their economy with IRAN finally came to an interim understanding. At the beginning of 2014 a six month agreement was agreed to. Sanctions were reduced, inspectors were allowed access to their facilities and they pledged to stop the enrichment process. At the six month date it was agreed to extend for another six months. This brings us to decision time. After providing all options the author takes the unequivocal stance that time is up. With Iran so close they could achieve their goal within two or three months and after that a whole new situation would come about dangerous to the entire world. His recommendation is for a limited strike only targeting the nuclear facilities. This would require the 30,000 pound bomb developed for this purpose. With some sections buried 295ft. underground it would take two or three accurate placements to destroy. Should IRAN retaliate then our response should be determined by the extent of that response. If necessary then their entire military force could be destroyed. There should be no repeat of boots on the ground. The Navy and Air Force could do the job. As in the IRAQ war we would try to keep Israel from participating and drawing fire on that country. It should be understood that should we not do the job in time that Israel will do whatever they can to retard if not stop the progress. After reading and thinking about current events I would like to add my thoughts. IRAN is the major supplier of rockets not only to Hamas but also Hezbollah. They also supply other arms as well as fighters to assist terrorist groups. I have read there are over 10,000 rockets in Southern Lebanon and Hamas still has 6,000. What if the current conflict between Israel and Hamas is just a distraction to keep everyone occupied on this rather than IRAN obtaining the bomb? I am sure that if Israel goes it alone to retard the development of the bomb that all of these rockets will rain on Israel together with longer range missiles that IRAN possesses. This could be tragic to the people living in Israel which includes one and one half million Muslims. The clock is ticking. Quite frankly I don’t have faith that our current President will act in time. What do you think? I found this book at the Public Library. I urge you to read. Jack B. Walters August 7, 2014

Friday, July 25, 2014

Russia is Guilty

Are there no leaders anywhere in the world today other than Netanyahu? I listened to a leader from Holland. He said they would not stop until they find the perpetrator responsible for downing the airliner. How sad. Who cares which person pushed the button? The only one responsible is Putin. Hello, how complicated is that. From the beginning of the Crimea takeover and the unrest in Eastern Ukraine the rebels have been supported by soldiers and weapons from Russia. This is not rocket science as the old expression states. What was supposedly an uprising by former Russians living in the Ukraine has now become warfare with sophisticated weapons that could only have been provided by Russia. It was reported that the two Ukrainian fighter planes shot down this week were from missile systems located in Russia. Do I propose military action? The answer is no, but economic sanctions to the fullest extent possible should be applied by all NATO nations. What has been done so far has been woefully insufficient. I fully understand that there are consequences both ways but this outrageous conduct cannot be allowed to continue. You would think Europe would demand censoring Russia. Perhaps the citizens are but certainly their leaders aren’t. France continues to build navy ships for Russia. As far as I can ascertain America has continued with business as usual including the production of helicopters for Afghanistan by order of the Pentagon. Israel needs more Iron Dome interceptors. We are supporting Hamas by shutting down flights to Tel Aviv, our Southern border is chaotic, and Congress is dawdling, as they prepare for their much needed vacation the entire month of August. With an attitude of self-interest like that we could never have defeated Germany and Japan in WWII. How much lower can our government leaders take us? Jack B. Walters July 25, 2014

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Aircraft Carriers

In the July edition of Time Magazine there was an excellent article about aircraft carriers. There is no doubt that they have been the mainspring of our military since the Second World War. However those days are rapidly coming to an end as more sophisticated missile systems are developed. The article specifically comments on a Chinese weapon system called DF-21D which is truck mounted with a range of 1,000 miles. The maximum range of aircraft is 700 miles which could force our carriers to stay out of range. As time goes on I have no doubt ranges will increase adding to the danger. Not that anyone cares, but I have felt for some time now that the days of the large carrier are ending. Obviously those in authority both military and Congress believe otherwise. Just in the past two years two carriers Ronald Reagan and George Bush have been completed and added to our naval forces. Their cost was about $5 billion each. The crew sizes exceed 5,000. Guess what, there are two ever larger carriers under construction today with a cost estimate of $13.5 billion each. They are the new Gerald R. Ford class which is twice as large. I can’t even imagine the crew required. What a high expenditure on ships growing increasingly vulnerable, again in my uninformed opinion. There was a comment from a retired Navy Captain that compared the Carrier club to the old Battleship Club. “It’s a huge, entrenched interest group-and not just inside the Navy but industry and Congress as well. This is just another example of outrageous expenditures by a country already over $17 trillion in debt and drowning further every day. Jack B. Walters July 24, 2014

Border by; Leon C. Metz- a book report

This book was recommended to me by a close friend who knows of my continuing concern about border issues. This is an outstanding compilation of facts, people and the continuing struggle at the border since the beginning of both countries existence. The author presents many names and provides great detail of events. For me I have to slide over to get the gist of what happened without attempting to know the names of people involved. For anyone with the desire to have a better understanding I highly recommend reading. He does not provide only from the perspective of America but also Mexico. Beginning with America’s war of conquest we took large amounts of land that had been theirs. Desperately poor we were able to purchase the Gadsden strip for a paltry sum in order to provide easier rail service to the coast. I would be writing in Mexico if that had not occurred since Tucson was included. We have taken advantage of their cheap labor when needed and discarded when not. Poor living conditions where prevalent in the early years. Mexican leaders on the other hand have not done their job in proving working conditions and wages forcing the poor to take extraordinary risks to enter America in search of opportunity when none exists in their home country. He doesn’t mention the effect of NAFTA but I will. With tariffs reduced to zero the poor farmers could no longer make income sufficient to support their families, which was the major impulse for the surge beginning in the 90’s. The border throughout our history has been a scene of conflict from marauding Indians to banditos. Water concerns and pollution were constant problems to be resolved. Some were accomplished but much more needs to be done. He did mention many times that employer sanctions if ever put into effect would end illegal immigration in a heartbeat. Although legislation was enacted in the 80’s it has been riddled with loopholes and not effective. Our insatiable need for drugs has made drug running a major operation which the Border Patrol has not been able to stop nor is there any hope that they will. Only reducing the demand or legalization will stop this scourge. I learned a lot by reading, you will also. Jack B. Walters July 24, 2014

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Military Appropriation Bill

Congressman Ron Barber, June 25, 2014 John Garamendi and Coleen Hanabusa introduced an amendment to the military appropriations bill that was approved overwhelmingly by members of both parties on June 20, 2014. I hope you voted with the majority. I read that it was a voice count so I am not sure if you approved. It states that the president is prohibited from sustained military action in Iraq without the approval of Congress. It is about time for Congress to take their Constitutional responsibility back. No war has been approved by Congress since 1941. To take sides between Sunni and Shia is insane. That is a no win situation. Their dispute has been going on for 1,400 years, with no sign of reason. No more American blood or treasure for this lost cause. Let them sort out their own problems. With us in the middle we only divert attention to hating America. They have all the hatred they need without us. I urge you to contact our two Senators and request they also support this amendment and stop the lunacy of our trying to impose our culture on these people. What they do or how they want to live is their concern not ours. Quit fooling around with energy. I know with a full court press America could be independent of their oil within a few years. All you have to do is let it happen. Sincerely yours, Jack B. Walters

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

One Nation by; Ben Carson, MD

(What we can all do to save America’s future) A short while ago I wrote a review of a great book entitled “Who Stole the American Dream” by Hedrick Smith. In it I stated that the book contained all the information elected officials needed to restore our nation to its former greatness. I stand by that report. This one by Dr. Carson is different. He doesn’t explore as the other did the varied issues. This one is more about calling us all together to join in the battle to restore our nation. I found it to be inspirational and worthy of reading by anyone interested in getting involved. The Preface is the speech he delivered during the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast. By dumb luck I happened to hear it at the time it was given. I was struck by the power of his words and the courage to say them. President Obama was sitting at the head table with the Doctor. Parts of the comments were a condemnation of the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care). It was obvious that the President did not enjoy the speech. Dr. Carson grew up in Detroit. He credits the determination of his mother in keeping him from a life of crime. She only had a third grade education. She made him and his brother read two books a week and report. The good Doctor didn’t realize that she couldn’t read. Nonetheless over time he realized how important reading was and became determined to aspire for a better life. He became an accomplished physician. This book urges all of us to reclaim our country with its former ideals before it is lost forever, doomed as so many others in history. He shows how. All that is needed is for Americans to care enough to band together in common cause. From my perspective, while I agree with him totally, I have little faith it will happen. Ben Carson is black. He is also Republican. There is a good possibility he might become the candidate for President. Do you remember the support Herman Cain received a few years ago? He was also black. Republicans are not racist as declared by the Democratic Party. They are opposed to most of our current President’s policies, nothing to do with race. It would be great to have a black man with Ben Carson’s credentials to be the candidate. I would be happy to cast my ballot for a man with the moral stature that he has. Read the book and see what you think. Jack B. Walters June 11, 2014

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Marine Andrew Tahmooreski in a Mexican Prison

If you go to the Internet you will find all the information you need to take action. This Marine who served tours in Afghanistan took a wrong turn at the border of Mexico and was imprisoned April 1, 2014. There is a petition you can sign to Obama. There are over 100,000 signatures so far requesting him to take action to have Andrew returned. I added my name. I have e-mailed both Senators and my Congressman and this morning called the three offices asking for their effort to resolve. I am requesting that you add your voice as well. Obama just released five terrorist leaders for a soldier in Afghanistan. Why is it so hard for him to do the same to release this veteran who has served his country well? The only way he will be released is if Americans demand it. Please add your voice. I find it humiliating that Mexico can do this to one of our own.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

One World by; Wendell Willkie

This book was written in 1943. For the most part it chronicles his around the world airplane visit to many allied nations in 1942. After losing the election for president to F.D.R. in 1940, he allied himself to the president and provided valuable assistance anyway he could. This goodwill tour and inspection was part of that endeavor. The most important issues he discovered were; the good will people of every nation had toward America and their collective hope for their own destiny as free nations after the conclusion of the war. Many, at the time were still part of the colonial system of England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium and Germany. In Egypt he landed in Cairo and visited the battlefield of El Alamein with General Montgomery just after his victory over General Rommel. Then on to Iraq, Iran, Russia, Siberia, and China where he met with leaders; Stalin, Chiang Kai-shek, General Chennault and other prominent leaders but he also met, whenever possible with soldiers, workers, farmers and other common people so he could better understand the totality of support. When he returned he felt compelled to publish this book to alert Americans. He was concerned that after our victory, which he had no doubt would occur, that America doesn’t then lose the peace as we did after WWI. He details the mistakes made by President Wilson and the Congress, which resulted in the failure of “The League of Nations”. I want to confine my comments to the aspirations he expressed in the final chapters. He was concerned that countries like England would reclaim their former colonies and rule as they had before. After the signing of the Atlantic Charter, Churchill said, “… the authors had in mind primarily the restoration of the sovereignty, self-government and the national life of the states and nations of Europe now under the Nazi yoke; and that the provisions of the Charter did not qualify in any way the various statements of policy which have been made from time to time about the development of constitutional government in India, Burma, or other parts of the British Empire.” At a later time Churchill stated “We mean to hold our own. I did not become His Majesty’s first minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire.” This was not the position of President Roosevelt. As the war continued more people including the British realized that colonies would not continue and that steps would need to be taken to prepare these countries to be able to govern themselves. Sadly to say even in 1942 France was assured that they would continue to govern Indi-China. We all know how that turned out ending with America at war in Vietnam. He was a strong advocate that an organization of United Nations be established so peoples all over the world could have a forum to resolve issues between nations. He hoped that the small European countries could be re-created as political entities but not militarily nor economic. He foresaw something like the European Union as it exists today. As an aside, the union is at a critical stage today and may fall apart if dramatic action is not taken to maintain. Willkie was honest and brave enough to point out that in America black people were not receiving equal status and that we must resolve this issue. The people of the world are of many colors and race. They will not accept second hand status. He insisted that the success of the American experiment was due to the blending of races, colors and religions and melding them together. The last hurdle would be the total inclusion of the black Americans. His final paragraph says it all, “Our allies in the East know that we intend to pour out our resources in this war. But they expect us now-not after the war- to use the enormous power of our giving to promote liberty and justice. Other peoples, not yet fighting, are waiting no less eagerly for us to accept the most challenging opportunity of all history- the chance to help create a new society in which men and women the world around can live and grow invigorated by independence and freedom.” I want to conclude with the following comments. Willkie ran again in 1944 for President but lost out to Thomas Dewey. He never would have lived until Election Day. He died of a sudden heart attack on October 8, 1944. Eleanor Roosevelt wrote a weekly column in those days called “My Day”. Her column printed October 12, 1944 was a tribute to Willkie. OCTOBER 12, 1944 WASHINGTON, Wednesday—Yesterday afternoon I represented my husband at Wendell Willkie's funeral. Only twice did I ever have the opportunity of meeting Mr. Willkie personally, and I never had an opportunity to talk with him. Yet no one who has watched his political career during the past few years could have failed to recognize the growth of the man and his great leadership qualities. The loss of a man of courage is deeply felt at all times by any American citizen as a loss to the country, but especially at the present time it affects each one of us to know that such potentialities for good leadership have been removed from this troubled world. It leaves us all poorer; for men of honest convictions, though they may differ, are bound to make a contribution to the thinking of the world. I never saw a church with so many flowers, which spoke of the love that people felt for this man. I know that among the friends who knew him well there was the deepest sense of personal loss, as well as of public loss. Mr. Willkie's son, who is on the high seas and will never see his father again, has nevertheless something bequeathed to him which will be very precious as the years go on. The gift of making friends, and of binding his followers close, is a thing one's children are always grateful for, for it means much to them throughout their lives. To Mrs. Willkie and all the family, the heart of this whole nation goes out in sympathy. Mr. Willkie placed great emphasis on the need we have in this country to be just to all of our citizens, because without equality there can be no democracy. His outspoken opinions on race relations were among his great contributions to the thinking of the world. I thought of that last night when I attended a "register and vote" rally in Harlem. In that great crowd of people, when his name was mentioned, it was quite evident that he was held in great respect and affection. I came down on the night train, and this morning had a very large gathering at my press conference, which I think was largely because it happened to be on my birthday. Everyone wanted to see if, having lived 60 years, a very sudden change had taken place overnight in my appearance! Jack B. Walters May 31, 2014

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Five Days in London-May 1940 by. John Lucas

I am 85 and still remember those critical years when the fate of the World was in danger of becoming a Nazified World with all the evil that portended. I was alerted to this book by a friend who understands my great interest in history. It was published in 1999.The idea of this book was to go behind the scenes and inform us how difficult it was for Winston Churchill to convince his war cabinet and the English people that it was imperative that England not capitulate to Hitler but to fight on when it seemed a hopeless effort considering the overwhelming superiority of the German war machine. Had he not prevailed, the course of history would have been altered considerably. The author makes the claim that we should all be grateful for the over 50 years he gave us to try to improve the lot of people all over the world. When I finished reading I went to You Tube and there I found two 1 ½ hr. videos of the Battle of Britain Part I and part II. The first covers the same time period of May and June 1940. The second, the remainder of the year during which the air battle over England and the submarine campaign was occurring. I recommend taking the time particularly for those too young to remember. Jack B. Walters May 15, 2014.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Who Stole the American Dream? by Hedrick Smith

Those of you have been following my writings for the past 11years know that my overriding concern has been the loss of good paying manufacturing and service jobs since the end of what I referred to as “The Golden Age of America” which was the 30 plus years after WWII. The demise started with the rise of OPEC with that group raising the cost of oil 10 fold, this plunged the entire mature countries into chaos but more importantly the challenge written by Louis Powell in 1971 which galvanized Corporations to descend on Washington with money and lobbyists. They have been eminently successful. In addition to writing I have also read extensively many books pointing out the great changes that have resulted in the loss of many millions of jobs which started going to Mexico but then to China, the rest of the Far East and India. Other nations have also benefited. I have heard many responses from knowledgeable people that the wage gap was the answer and that the loss was inevitable and non-reversible. They are wrong. I might add that they are the ones who flock to Wal-Mart and reap the benefit of low cost not caring a whit about the loss to Americans who want to be able to earn sufficient to adequately support their families. This book exposes those foreign countries that take advantage of our weak leaders in Congress by providing all sorts of benefits including building factories, providing low cost energy as well as allowing their own people to be exploited with unsafe working conditions and few benefits. More importantly the Chinese government undervalues the value of their dollar called “Yuan” which makes all other countries exports more expensive and China’s exports cheaper. This is in direct violation of the World Trade Association agreement they signed when they were allowed to join which was to allow their currency to float on the world market. The book is easy to read, not pontificating like some. Taken a Chapter at a time you will learn all you need to know to become part of the solution and not just the victims we all are today. I have provided a few of his statements below; Lee Scott, the President of Wal-Mart was paid $17.5 million in 2005. That was 900 times the average wage of the employees. Fifty- nine thousand factories were closed in the last decade and manufacturing employment was reduced from 17.1 million to 11.8 million from 2001 to 2011. Corporate America is hoarding $1.9 trillion in cash and expanding its overseas operations. In 2008 American households lost $11.1 trillion of their wealth. The personal debt of American consumers went from several hundred billion dollars in 1959 to $12.2 trillion in 2011. The top 1% made $1.35 trillion in 2007. They reaped 93. 5% of the total gains for the country. Alan Greenspan endorsed President Reagan’s deregulation programs and further encouraged home owners to withdraw equity from their homes to stimulate the economy and he believed the banks would self-regulate. He was wrong on all counts. Wal-Mart pressured Rubbermaid to shift operations to China. They did this to many other companies as well. I won’t enter a doorway of a Wal-Mart store. At Long Beach Harbor we bring in $36 billion of manufactured goods from China every year and ship out $3 billion in raw materials for the most part, just like a third world country. Cooper Tire invested $70 million in production facilities in China with the understanding that everything produced was to be shipped to the United States and Europe. This is the company that offered me a job in 1981. 3.9 million jobs in finance, IT, human resources and business support were sent to India from 2000 to 2010. It is estimated that one-quarter of all jobs in the U.S .are vulnerable to be off-shored. George Bush’s wars cost trillions and required a defense budget of $200 billion more than the height of the Cold War. I listed the above to whet your appetite. Trust me there is much more to get your attention. As an addendum to this report I will provide a list of other excellent books on this subject for recommended reading. This new book however is the best of them all. I find that I am in total agreement with his research and conclusions. In his chapter ‘Reclaiming the Dream”, he provides a blueprint on what steps must be taken; 1-Infrastructure Jobs to Compete Better 2-Push Innovation, Science, and High-Tech Research 3-Generate a Manufacturing Renaissance 4-Make the U.S. Tax Code Fairer 5-Fix the Corporate Tax Code to Promote Creation at Home 6-Push China to Live up to Fair Trade to Generate Four Million Jobs in the United States 7-Save on War and Weapons 8-Fix Housing and Protect the Safety Net Finally and most importantly he tells us that to reclaim our Democracy we must become involved not just by voting since with the huge sums being given by Corporations, no matter who we vote for the dream will not be restored. We must join together, become activists. He points out where demonstrations by citizens have proven successful throughout the world including America in the 60’s. One request I have is for you to check out Senator Bernie Sanders Constitutional Amendment Proposal Called “The Saving American Democracy Amendment”. You can find his 12 minute speech to the Senate on U-tube or Google. Also by typing in Hedrick Smith you can listen to a 90 minute speech he gave based on this book. Well worth your time. Addendum Recommended reading; The Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson American Empire by Andrew Bacevich After the Empire by Emmanuel Todd The General’s War by Michael R. Gordon The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman Take This Job and Ship it by Senator Byron L. Dorgan The New American Story by Bill Bradley Where Have All the Leaders Gone? by Lee Iacocca The Assault on Reason by Al Gore The Long Road Home by Martha Raddatz Brothers by David Talbot The Idea that is America by Anne-Marie Slaughter Failed States by Noam Chomsky Her Way by Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama The Energy Non-Crisis by Lindsey Williams Free Lunch by David Cay Johnson Perfectly Legal by David Cay Johnson Bad Money, Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism by Kevin Phillips The Post Corporate World by David C. Korten When Corporations Rule the World by David C. Korten America and the World by David Ignatius Soil Not Oil by Vandana Shiva Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin Screwed by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann The Post –American World by Fareed Zakaria The Party is Over by Mike Lofgen The Fine Print by David Cay Johnson 1% Twilight of the Elites by Christopher Hayes The Chicken Trail by Kathleen C. Schwartzman The reasons I listed the above are to make the point that many knowledable writers have attempted in recent years to inform Americans of the decline in our opportunities to improve our lives. Certainly elected officials must have had the same opportunity to become informed as did I. You also had the opportunity as you all received free copies of my “Last Angry Man” books. All of the above were reviewed by me in those books. So it is not lack of knowledge that keeps positive change from happening, it is lethargy and an attitude of “why fight city hall” that has kept Americans silent. Only all of us committing ourselves can bring about the change that is required if this great experiment in Democracy is not to end in total failure. Jack B. Walters May 10, 2014

Monday, May 5, 2014

Letter to the editor

Should Congress Raise the Minimum Wage? Your editorial page today was filled with commentary by “experts’ both pro and con on this argument. Both sides wrote as is the United States were an entity all to itself and could by edict raise wages without any consideration as to what that would do in our competitiveness with other countries in the world. In “Who Stole the American Dream” by Hedrick Smith is a sentence “In the last 20 years 3.5 million jobs have been wiped out by offshoring work and by Chinese imports”. Not only labor intensive work but now whole new technologies including research and development are being exported. G.E. sent their entire X-Ray process to China and General Motors has invested billions. What Congress should do is improve conditions for manufacturing in America by Americans who are not afraid to work for a living. Lowering the Corporate tax would be a great place to start.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Letter to the editor

Contact your Congressional Representatives In Saturday’s Star under world issues was a short article about a woman in Saudi Arabia who received 150 lashes for driving a car and resisting arrest. Those of you who saw the movie “12 Years a Slave” witnessed the brutal whipping of a young black girl for a minor offense. If you did, you were horrified and appalled that such inhumanity existed back then. This news article reaffirms that atrocities are still occurring in the Muslim world today. Our leaders choose to ignore these happenings as our thirst for their oil resources continues unabated. We spend billions annually maintaining our fleets in the area to assure the free flow of oil without compensation. Only an aroused citizenry can bring this to the table to be ended. There are many options that can be used to get their attention. I particularly ask American women to speak out and demand these ancient barbaric practices be stopped.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Federal Highway Trust Fund Update

There is an excellent article in the April 2014 edition of the Economist Magazine. The title is “Highways to Hell”. I couldn’t express it better. The part that interested me the most was the following statement; “The HTF spends $45 billion a year and is funded by a tax of 18. 4 cents on each gallon of petrol. But revenues are declining; the young drive a bit less and cars burn fuel more efficiently. Since American voters hate energy taxes, the petrol tax has not increased since 1993 and its purchasing power has declined. Adjusted for inflation, it is now worth only 11.5 cents. Had it been indexed to inflation 20 years ago (says the Centre for American Progress, a leftist think tank), it would now be 29 cents a gallon.” I am sharing the above as it affirms the position I have espoused for over a decade now. Had the Congress had the foresight to index it at the beginning there would be no shortage of funds today. Americans were so thrilled at the thought of the Interstate Highway program, that there would have been no objection. Think of the good paying jobs there could be, think of how much safer our highways and bridges could be and think of the extra incentive higher gas taxes would have on the average American as he or she contemplates purchasing a new vehicle. Even today should the Congress just index the tax to inflation the healing process could begin? I am not sharing this with my Congressman or my Senators as should any one of them sponsor a bill he would be destroyed by negative advertising. Oh for the day when Americans cared enough to sacrifice a little for the general good. I doubt if I will live long enough to see that attitude re-appear.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Letter to the editor Arizona Daily Star

On Tuesday, after protests by students, faculty and outside groups, Brandeis University revoked its invitation to Ayaan Hirsi Ali to receive an honorary degree at its commencement ceremonies in May. The protesters accused Ms. Hirsi Ali, an advocate for the rights of women and girls, of being "Islamophobic." She wrote an excellent book entitled ‘Infidel”. It tells the story of her life growing up in the Muslim culture in Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. It describes in great detail the low esteem they hold women in. She now lives in America. Her mission in life is to improve the lives of women all over the world but in particular Islamic countries. Her life has been threatened many times but she continues regardless. She should be honored. Brandeis University should be vilified. Jack Walters April 12, 2014
Ukraine Suggestions In a previous memo I stated America’s weakened position in opposing Mr. Putin. But there are thoughts I would like to share that might persuade him to cease and desist. In two months the breather with Iran will end. Should that be successful allow them to immediately release their oil into the market. That should have the effect of reducing the price. Anything like that would hurt Russia seriously since 70% of their income is from selling oil and gas. Cancel the $750,000 contract to purchase helicopters from Russia. I felt it was a disgrace when I first heard of it. The Pentagon made this decision as a lower cost for Afghanistan forces. Pass legislation to allow the export of natural gas from America. I realize that local gas prices would increase but the benefit to Europeans would be dramatic and would enable them to stand tall in the negotiations with Russia. Jack B. Walters April 16, 2014

Letter to the editor

Ukraine Suggestions In a previous memo I stated America’s weakened position in opposing Mr. Putin. But there are thoughts I would like to share that might persuade him to cease and desist. In two months the breather with Iran will end. Should that be successful allow them to immediately release their oil into the market. That should have the effect of reducing the price. Anything like that would hurt Russia seriously since 70% of their income is from selling oil and gas. Cancel the $750,000 contract to purchase helicopters from Russia. I felt it was a disgrace when I first heard of it. The Pentagon made this decision as a lower cost for Afghanistan forces. Pass legislation to allow the export of natural gas from America. I realize that local gas prices would increase but the benefit to Europeans would be dramatic and would enable them to stand tall in the negotiations with Russia. Jack B. Walters April 16, 2014

It's Even Worse Than It Looks- a book report

(How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism) By; Thomas F. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein This book was used as a text book for a class I attended at the University of Arizona. The class title was “Our Broken Democracy-Can It Be Fixed”. It was an excellent course attended by a restricted number with a maximum of 20. The reason was to assure adequate discussion by the attendees. I thoroughly enjoyed the interchange of ideas from each of them. This book provided a great deal of information relative to the hardening of positions by both political parties over the past 30 years or so. Its premise was that the war began when Newt Gingrich in the1984 election promoted “The Contract with America” which included a balanced budget amendment, a tough crime package and term limits for members of Congress. He believed that President Clinton was soft and would cave to pressure. He was wrong and had to face reality and did try to work with Clinton on issues such as reforming welfare work rules. None the less the seeds of confrontation were sown and have continued to this day. The election of Barack Obama infuriated the Republican Party and the re-election even further. They have made their goal to fight him at every turn. I do not dispute this premise. I do have a problem with the authors as the preponderance of the book places the blame almost entirely on Republicans. I consider myself to be a moderate with fiscal conservatism as a fundamental base. I agree that the party is no longer the party I can support totally. I am registered as an Independent joining with millions of others who are trying to tell the major parties that they have run amuck and no longer represent our values. We have reached the point to where the far right and the far left are dictating policy where most of us only want them to address the major issues of concern and solve the myriad of problems our country is facing today. Squandering their time fighting each other accomplishes nothing but increasing bitterness. I too long for the days when opposing sides would come together and forge compromises which while never perfect, at least made some improvement. With the advent of unlimited fund raising the system is completely out of focus. Only those willing to grovel for funds stand a chance of getting elected. The Supreme Court was totally wrong in granted personhood to Corporations and Unions. The average citizen’s contributions are meaningless compared to the funds available to these huge mega groups. This is the premise of the authors and also me. Congress should be passing legislation to overturn that decision. There has to be some wording that could stand up to the Court’s review. On page 198 of a book with 201 pages the authors finally show their total bias by stating “Punish a party for ideological extremism by voting against it. (Today that means the GOP). It can’t be any clearer than that. The sum total of this book was anti-Republican. Where the writers erred, in my opinion, is that they did not say enough about why the Republican Party became so abusive. It is the spiraling down of every principle they hold dear. Referring to Obama specifically, I voted for him the first time. He said he would make us energy self-sufficient. In my opinion he has done everything to prevent that. He would lower the deficit in half by the end of his first term. Instead he doubled it. He was going to end the wars. Instead he tried his best to keep troops in Iraq, he ordered the surge in Afghanistan, he is trying to keep troops there after the end of this year and he has pledged billions for the next ten years to support that government. He had both houses of Congress Democrat in his first two years. He could have created a health care system for all Americans that was reasonable and affordable. Instead he created an albatross which will cost us untold billions and is so complicated no one seems to understand. His love for Islam has prevented those in government positions from confronting the terrorist organizations who are predominately persons adhering to the Muslim faith. In other words he has proved to be untrustworthy in my opinion. In conclusion, while I strongly disapprove of the antics of the Republican Party today, they will probably get my vote as I abhor everything Obama stands for. Jack B. Walters March 28, 2014

The Longest War by; Peter L. Bergen

The Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda This is another outstanding, well researched behind the scene’s report on the underlining circumstances regarding this disastrous conflict that has endured for 13 years with no end in sight. Thousands of Americans killed or wounded and hundreds of thousands of Afghans and Iraqis killed or wounded plus the expenditure of over one Trillion Dollars. It starts with the fact that there were all kinds of warnings that Al-Qaeda was planning an attack on America. President Bush’s support staff was clueless with the exception of counterterrorism coordinator Richard Clarke, CIA Director George Tenet and his Deputy John McLaughlin. I am referring to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. I cannot, nor will I ever forgive the irresponsibility of these “leaders” who allowed the destruction of the twin towers and then showed how tough they were by turning our Armed Forces loose to attack, not only Afghanistan but also Iraq. The latter country had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11. It was pure and simple an excuse to overthrow Saddam Hussein for his attempt years before to assassinate his father and also because President Bush wanted to control the oil resources possessed by Iraq. This last sentence reflects my personal thoughts not the author’s. Most of the book revolves around the growth of Al-Qaeda under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. Thousands rallied to his cause including many willing to sacrifice their lives as suicide bombers for the goal of extending the reach of the Taliban and changing all nations to Sharia Law as they interpreted the will of the Prophet Mohammad. It follows the transfer of our soldiers to Iraq which allowed the Taliban to rebuild in Afghanistan to the extent that when Obama became President he had to send a surge of 30,000 troops to regain control of Afghanistan. As Senator, Obama had been critical of Bush’s surge in Iraq. Doing this was a bitter pill for him to swallow. It examines the frustrating situation of Pakistan becoming a safe haven for the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. It ends with the death of bin Laden, except as you should know, there is no end in sight. This conflict can never be won with troops. The only sensible recourse, in my opinion is to withdraw completely from this part of the world and let them sort it out. It is their problem, not ours. This book is worth reading by Congress and our people. Jack B. Walters March 10, 2014

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Letter to the Editor

Swimming Pools VS Guns Mary Anne Davis responded to my article requesting penalties for gun owners whose careless act resulted in a child finding a gun and pulling the trigger. She may be correct but it is my opinion she wrote to disparage the veracity of what I wrote. There are many hazards to be found in homes including cleaning chemicals, drugs, knives, etc. that should be properly stored out of reach of curious hands. We are all guilty of being irresponsible and careless one time or another. The jails can’t hold us all. There is a difference between these and guns. These are to serve a useful purpose or provide pleasure. A gun is designed to be used against a person or animal whether as a criminal or in self-defense. I stand by my previous letter. Jack B. Walters January 15, 2014

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Lone Survivor

I went to see this new movie last night, not to be entertained but to see the reconstruction of an actual event that had occurred in Afghanistan. I considered it to be a documentary. A true documentary includes actual video of events which this was not. I take it on faith that the film makers, out of respect for the victims, filmed the events as close to actual; as possible. After the picture ended the pictures of the deceased were shown one after the other, sometimes in uniform and others with wives and children. It starts with shots of the rigorous Seal training showing the strain these men are subjected to, including pictures of some who drop out. They signify that action by placing their helmets on the ground. Four men are dropped into the desert on a mission to locate a Taliban leader who had recently killed a large number of U.S. Marines. They accomplish this but unfortunately they are discovered by three Afghani shepherds. They debate killing them, leaving them tied up or releasing. They finally decide on release, aborting the mission, attempting to reach the other side of the mountain calling for extraction. The shepherds quickly inform the Taliban and they come after them. They become engaged in a fire fight ending in the death of three men. A rescue effort ends in tragedy as 19 men are killed in the rescue helicopter. The survivor of the original group hides as night descends. In the morning friendly villagers discover him, take him to their village and care for him. He asks that a note be carried to the base telling where he is. Once received a massive effort is put into action to save him. In the meantime the Taliban forces attack the village. The Taliban group is attacked and driven off with many casualties. He is returned and does survive. That is the story. Normally it is considered impolite to disclose the plot of a movie. Since this was a recap of actual events which ended as portrayed I felt I could do so. There are a few comments I would now like to make. Since I have previously made it known to one and all my concern about adherents to Islam, I was deeply affected by the knowledge that Muslims protected him knowing that they would be attacked by the Taliban. A number gave their lives doing so. It was announced that this is tradition to protect strangers in need. The other main point was subtly brought into the conversation regarding previous penalties others had received for killing civilians or other breaches of the stringent code of conduct these men are required to accept. It is no wonder to me that veterans return home feeling bitter and sometimes suicidal. Please see this movie and remember the hardship these men live under on our behalf. Jack B. Walters January 14, 2014