I was watching a great video on YouTube and at the end of the video the editor displayed some great web pages for black Americans — and all Americans — to visit.
The editor titled his list “Right Wings of the Black Community.”
Here are the URL’s from his list:
There are two more I’d like to add to the list:
It’s not a black thing, it’s not a white thing, it’s a not being an ignorant fool thing. Check out all of these web sites!
The United States is currently suffering under an unimaginably complex tax system. The maintenance of this beauracratic behemoth costs the taxpayers billions of dollars every year. The direct costs borne by the taxpayers are small in comparison to the costs borne by corporations and individual taxpayers in attempting to comply with all of these Federal government regulations.
The people of the United States and their elected representatives are now looking at two options to replace the current tax system: The Flat Income Tax and the National Sales Tax.
The Flat Income Tax represents a modification of the current tax system, where the National Sales Tax represents a complete re-architecture of the entire tax system.
This is a bold claim, so I will explain it in simple terms using a small model of the global economic system. In our model, we will have only two companies and two consumers.
Our two companies are Alpha Company and Charlie Company. Alpha Company manufactures widgets in their plant in Plano, TX. Charlie Company manufactures similar widgets in their factory in Shanghai, China.
Our two consumers are John and Chon. John lives in Los Angeles, Califoria. Chon lives in Beijing, China.
For the purposes of our example, let us state that it costs Alpha Company $100 to manufacture a widget. To this $100, we must then add the burden of income taxes. Again, solely for the purposes of our model, let us state that this burden raises the cost of the Alpha Company Widget by $20.
Alpha Company must pass these additional costs on to the consumer. Therefore, if either John or Chon decide to purchase Alpha Company brand widgets, they must pay more for them.
In effect, the Income Tax makes Alpha Company widgets more expensive (and therefore less desirable) than Charlie Company widgets.
Now let’s look at the effects of a National Sales Tax on international trade.
Once again, we will state that a widget costs Alpha Company $100 to produce. However, this time we will not burden Alpha Company with income tax.
In this model, there are no extra costs for Alpha Company to pass on to the consumers, John and Chon. When John decides to buy a widget, he is taxed the same National Sales Tax — no matter which widget he buys. This allows Alpha Company to compete on an even level with Charlie Company.
Moreover, when Chon decides to buy a widget, he does not pay our National Sales Tax for the widget. This makes Alpha Company brand widgets price competitive in the China as well as in the United States.
Let me restate this succintly: The Income Tax destroys our national competitiveness and increases our trade deficit; The National Sales Tax restores our national competitiveness and enables us to compete on an even playing field with the rest of the world.
Any good animal trainer knows that animanls do what you reward them for doing and avoid doing what they are punished for doing.
The Income Tax effectively punishes people for working. For every extra dollar you make, you are forced to pay more Income Tax.
If you work for $10/hr, the income tax takes approximately $3.50 of that. You are now working for $6.50/hr. Isn’t that significantly less motivating than $10.00/hr?
By reducing our motivation to work, succeed, and produce, the Income Tax robs our national economy of much of it’s vigor. It hinders our ability to compete with other world economies.
The National Sales Tax, on the other hand, punishes Americans when they spend money. That $2 beer now costs $2.50. The $100 Walkman is now a $125 Walkman.
This acts to discourage spending. Discouraging spending automatically encourages savings. Savings become investment. Investment becomes wealth.
What does American business require to build and grow? Investment capital.
Where does American business currently get that investment capital? From overseas.
Why does American business get its investment capital from overseas? Because Americans don’t save and invest.
Who profits from American business? The investors.
Who ends up owning American businesses? Foreigners.
We must be careful here not to blame the foreigners who now own a large number of American businesses. They took the risks and invested money when we didn’t, and the markets rewarded them for this. What we must do, however, is build a tax system which enables and encourages Americans to save and invest in America.
Building wealth for foreigners is a good thing; Building wealth for Americans is a better thing.
Objection
The National Sales Tax is regressive. It taxes poor people more heavily than rich people.
Resolution
In many states which currently collect sales tax, basic items are exempted from sales tax. These items include food, clothing, and housing.
Exempting these basics of living from the National Sales Tax has the effect of moving the National Sales Tax from a regressive to a progressive tax.
Objection
The National Sales Tax will be difficult and expensive to collect.
Resolution
Forty-five states are now collecting state sales taxes. The Federal government will be able to outsource the collection of the National Sales Tax to the existing organizations within the states.
Organizations to collect the National Sales Tax will have to be built in only five states.
Objection
Switching to a National Sales Tax would require a repealing of the 16th Amendment.
Resolution
The 16th Amendment allows the Federal government to levy an income tax, but does not [i]require[/i] it to do so.
We could switch to a National Sales Tax and repeal the 16th Amendment at some point far in the future.
Our nation is at a critical crossroads where we must choose to stay with our current broken system of taxation, attempt to repair it, or replace it entirely with something new.
The principles of economics show us clearly that the National Sales Tax is the right path to take to ensure the economic prosperity of America for our children and for their children.
Now is the time to build a tax system which encourages American values, supports American business, and builds prosperity for our futures and our childrens futures.
Every year since 1999, the U.N. has voted in support of a resolution which is misleadingly named “Combating the Defamation of Religion.”
This resolution is sponsored by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), a powerful group of Islamic nation states which dominates the U.N. General Assembly.
This resolution “stresses the need to effectively combat defamation of all religions and incitement to religious hatred, against Islam and Muslims in particular.” In other words, this resolution combats the freedom of speech which free people all over the world hold so dear.
Former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton speaks very clearly to this issue when he says “It’s obviously intended to have an intimidating effect on people expressing criticism of radical Islam, and the idea that you can have a defamation of a religion like this, I think, is a concept fundamentally foreign to our system of free expression in the United States.”
The entire purpose of free speech in our society is to protect those who would criticize ideas and beliefs held by the rich and powerful. Ideas and beliefs are never above review. This resolution is a slap in the face to the founding fathers of this great nation, men who fought and died to give the gift of freedom to their children.
This resolution is sponsored by totalitarian states who give no protection to freedom of speech or religion to the powerless minorities in their countries. Clearly, this is not the sort of behavior which the people of any free nation should be encouraging.
We must act now to protect and defend our values, before they are overrun with the values of a seventh century death cult.
As I am a devout Atheist myself, this post should more rightly be titled “My fellow Atheists, grow up!”
The angry folks from the Freedom From Religion Foundation are suing President Bush and Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin in response to a federal law designating a National Day of Prayer.
Their frivolous lawsuit claims that the law creates a “hostile environment for nonbelievers, who are made to feel as if they are political outsiders.”
I’ll tell you who is being hostile — it’s Atheists like these who can’t let other people live in peace. That is hostility right there.
As an Atheist, I am not harmed by people who wish to pray. I can pray myself, even if only I can listen to my own prayers. It doesn’t harm me at all, and it certainly doesn’t harm me to allow other people to take comfort in their own religious beliefs.
The yahoo’s from the Freedom From Religion Foundation want their freedom, but they are unwilling to grant the same freedom to others. It’s a double standard and one that should embarrass every right-thinking Atheist.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation folks are clogging up our legal system with meaningless lawsuits, including one that was rejected by the Supreme Court last year. They are wasting the hard-earned tax dollars of Americans of all faiths.
And so, to the Freedom From Religion Foundation I say — Grow up!
Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency that it will no longer be cooperating with them in a move that is less than surprising for most of us. Iran has been under investigation by the IAEA for possible nuclear weapons development and as well as attempts to create and fuel nuclear missile payloads.
The Iranian Vice President made the announcement, which further leads the world to believe Iran is hiding something. Their nuclear defiance comes only five days after Tehran ignored demands from six world powers to suspend its warhead activities.
One year ago, the IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei stated that it was a huge step forward for Iran to allow investigators inside to examine their work. Of course, one year ago he also ignored comments that Iran was distracting investigators with the “work plan” to cover up six years of clandestine atomic work. However, multiple deadlines were missed because Iran seemed to be in no hurry to hold up their end of the bargain. In theory, this work plan was to have been finished in late 2007. Instead, it ended up going into 2008 and beyond.
Defiant Iran says the allegations made by the U.S. and other world powers are being fabricated, thus, the country is no longer even remotely interested in speaking to IAEA. No details were provided but Iranian Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh stated that any further questions on the issue “will be dealt with another way”.
Britain’s Foreign Office commented “We are concerned by reports that Iran is refusing to cooperate with the IAEA on allegations over nuclear weapons. The IAEA has raised serious concerns over Iran’s activities with a possible military dimension. If Iran is serious about restoring international confidence in its intentions, it must address these issues,”
The IAEA has repeatedly asked Iran for explanations concerning their nuclear activities to no avail. Evidence collected by the IAEA includes draft plans of what appears to be refitting missiles with nuclear warheads, tests for nuclear detonators, civilian and military nuclear links as well as how to mold uranium into the shape of a warhead.
ElBaradei showed his frustration in the last report in May when he stated that Iran may be withholding information. It was also stated last week by the IAEA Deputy Director that Tehran’s defiance may be a result of multimedia presentations to the U.S. board members.
For the first time Saturday, the U.S. participated in talks in Geneva which had raised expectations for a compromise with Iran to stop their program. In return, the six world powers (U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Russia and China) would not make sanctions against Iran. However, Iran negotiators ignored the issue.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that Iran was not serious during the Geneva talks and threatened a fourth sanction against the country. The only question left to ask is: how many sanctions will it take before we realize they aren’t working?
Pakistan seems to be standing up for itself in the release of a high-ranking militant suspect. Threats from the Taliban’s commander against Pakistan’s security proved futile with the country’s refusal to release the suspect to the group. Twenty-one people were killed when militants and military forces battled while a suicide bomber injured four. According to witnesses, the suicide bomber was part of a sectarian rivalry.
The bomber was hiding on the side of a road in Hangu near a truck carrying Shiite Muslims. He came forward chanting “God is great!” before detonating the explosives. The driver of the truck, however, escaped without injury. The bomber wasn’t as fortunate. His body was found on the road, though most of the explosives were still intact.
The insurgents also seem to be getting smarter. They lured a convoy into a trap while five men acted as guides. When five other local men were sent to talk to them, they also disappeared. Sixteen troops, including a top commander, as well as five militants and one of their commanders were killed in a clash in the Hangu district. Escaping imminent death, one of the troops hid in a ravine.
In recent months, security in Pakistan has focused on the threat the Taliban poses against their country. This has also led to the arrest of one of a top aide to Pakistani Taliban. In return, this has led to Taliban fighters kidnapping security forces. This also resulted in a siege of a police station in which 19 employees became hostages. Still, Pakistan continued to stand their ground and refuse to release the Taliban’s top aide, claiming “no terrorist will be released, whatever the price we have to pay”.
A military operation in Hangu was dismissed with the promise that Pakistan would hunt down and find those responsible for the convoy attack. This clash happened while the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, was visiting the area on a one-day unannounced trip. Mullen met with several officials to discuss security problems stating that Pakistan is becoming more of a breeding-ground for Taliban militants because there is not enough pressure being applied to force them out.
Another area of focus during the visit was neighboring Afghanistan. Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry Chief, stated “To save Afghanistan is to save Pakistan and to save Pakistan is to save the world”. He also remarked that in order to secure their country, their western border needed to be more secure.
