What's Wrong With Washington?: May 2012

Friday, May 25, 2012

Summer Here We Come!

Happy Friday and this is “What’s Wrong With Washington” and I am Lance Pisowicz. Tonight I unfortunately will not have a normal length blog nor will I post a video. Instead, I have a few elements of exciting news to announce and a this past week’s poll results to break down, but first I have a couple of reminders for you all. Please do check out my website, Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). Also become a subscriber of my Youtube Channel (www.youtube.com/user/lancejponline), like my Facebook (www.facebook.com/lancepisowicz), or follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/lancejponline). You can also subscribe to my blogs on blogger (www.wrongwithwashington.blogspot.com and www.lancesweeklywalk.blogspot.com). Be sure to join me in all of these locations. They truly are great locations to connect with other Americans who love their country.

You must forgive me this week as I will not have my normal set for our Friday presentation. I am now a little less than halfway through my final exams (I’ve taken 3 of 8) and summer is just around the corner. With that being said, there are a few things I found like to bring to your attention. I am preparing a special edition of “Lance’s Weekly Walk” for Sunday similar to what we did for Mother’s Day. Again I will not be able to prepare a full length blog due to final exams. I do plan to return with full length blogs and videos next weekend, my first of the summer. I hope to offer some exciting new topics as well as dig deeper into the more established ones.

Secondly, for those of you who remember my question from a couple of weeks ago regarding who you thought was/is the “Ultimate Patriot”, that competition will begin early this summer. I am still finalizing many of the unique elements about this event, but it will occur over June and July this summer. It will pit sixty-four American patriots from unique backgrounds and walks of life against one another for the title of “Ultimate Patriot”. Many of the people who made the list, I feel are awesome American role models, but I have included some that were not in my top sixty-four, because I feel they represent the nation’s top sixty-four. The event will occur in tournament format, much like the NCAA Basketball Tournaments if any of you have watched those or filled out a bracket. You will have the opportunity to select which patriot advances in each matchup in order to determine the eventual champion. I even have a few surprises to come with this, so stay tuned. Be sure to make your voice heard in the mega-competition when it is released early this summer.

Finally I will reveal our results from this week’s poll. Our voter turnout was up from last week which was nice to see. Last week I asked who the United States greatest foreign ally should be. The results were quite intriguing. An even 50% of you selected Israel as our greatest ally, while a little over 21% of you chose the United Kingdom. Just over 14% said India should be our best friend, while about 7% of you chose Japan. Another 7% selected another country not included in our poll. Thanks again for voting.

Don’t forget you can vote in this week’s poll by visiting http://poll.fm/3q5sb. Tell us whether you think English should be declared the national language or not. Polls close at 3 PM EDT on Thursday so be sure to vote while you can. You can vote once every 24 hours, so be sure to make your voice heard! Thanks again for joining me again tonight. I will see you with the Memorial Day special edition of “Lance’s Weekly Walk” on Sunday. God bless you all and have a great but safe weekend!

Friday, May 18, 2012

A Crossroads

It’s Friday and this is “What’s Wrong With Washington”. I am Lance Pisowicz. This evening we are going to return our focus to an issue that I know has all of you very concerned. Exactly what does the federal government’s growth in power mean to you? I have just a couple of reminders before we begin. Please do check out my website, Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). Also become a subscriber of my Youtube Channel (www.youtube.com/user/lancejponline), like my Facebook (www.facebook.com/lancepisowicz), or follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/lancejponline). You can also subscribe to my blogs on blogger (www.wrongwithwashington.blogspot.com and www.lancesweeklywalk.blogspot.com). Be sure to join me in all of these locations. They truly are great locations to connect with other Americans who love their country.

Now, I will reveal the results in last week’s poll. Our topic was whether or not you believed that the federal government has grown too powerful. Once again I appreciate all of the responses. Hopefully we can see even more next time. 75% of you said you were believed the federal government has gained too much power, while 25% of you said it has not gained too much power. I was very intrigued by the results, and tonight we will examine this topic a bit more. Thanks again; I hope you will vote again this week! As always we have a jam-packed show, so let’s begin!

I’ll begin tonight with what I would consider to be sort of a “mini-topic”. It’s something that has been occupying much of the airtime on the major news networks, so I thought I would just set the record straight.

As many of you are aware, last week President Obama came out and said, “Same-sex couples should be able to get married.” Okay, thanks for your input Mr. President, but is that really your call in the position you’re in?

Personally I believe marriage is between one man and one woman but I realize just how divided our nation is on the issue. In 2009, a Gallup Poll found that 57% of Americans opposed Same-Sex Marriage, while 40% supported it.³ This was a drop in six percentage points, when 46% of Americans supported Same-Sex Marriage in 2007. So is now really the time to “divide the house” once again?

The last time I checked, the rights to Marriage laws were reserved to the states, and if you really wanted to make a change, you should have run for Governor of Illinois. At least you probably wouldn’t have tried to sell a Senate seat.

Now, that is not to say that Marriage laws cannot become a federally ordained right. It would require an amendment to the Constitution. To do this we would either need a proposition by Congress or a national convention requested by at least two-thirds of the state legislatures.¹ The national convention has been attempted twice but has never succeeded. Even if the convention happened, 38 states would need to approve the amendment. If we went the Congress route, there would need to be a two-thirds major in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Considering how divided Congress is today and the extreme requirements for amending by convention, I would say there is no way a Constitutional Amendment is going to happen for this during Obama’s presidency (win or lose in November) or anytime soon after that. So what was the President’s purpose behind this “announcement”?

It was merely an attempt to reinvigorate a base support group that got him elected in 2008. President Obama felt as if he had neglected the advocates of Same-Sex Marriage, so he felt inclined to come out and make a statement. But it goes further than that. The statement was also a fundraising tactic, which brought in tens of millions of dollars from Same-Sex Marriage advocates.

Meanwhile Mitt Romney has attempted to remain out of the fray, and the results have been rewarding thus far. A recent poll by CBS News/New York Times reports that Romney now leads Obama 49-46, and the president has lost 5 percentage points each among women, moderates, and independents respectively. Although, I realize unseating an incumbent is very difficult, I understand that Mitt Romney is right. The issue in the hearts and souls of the American people right now, by and large, is not a social one but an economic one. Just like in 2008, the very issue that elected Barack Obama threatens to destroy him - the economy. Americans are concerned with whether or not they will have a job next month, how they will repay their student loans when they finish school, or what their children’s futures will hold.

If you don’t believe me, let’s lead into my next topic, with a glimpse into a possible future for the world. Let’s say President Obama is reelected. The federal government continues to expand, new taxes suffocate American business and industry, and the already towering debt to China and other foreign nations grows even larger. We are now going to jump eighteen years into the future with a look at what the world might be like.

Whether President Obama’s policies take us down a path to socialism or not, one thing is for certain. If his policies don’t, our debt will. It all comes down to dollars and cents.

Many foreign nations, in particular China, have been loaning the United States government money for years. Where does China get the money to do so? Their exponentially growing industries are controlled by the government because it is a Communist state.

So unlike when American industries flourish on a global scale, the Chinese government not only benefits in a small way (like the U.S. does with taxes) but reaping nearly all of the bounties brought from international trade.

As I stated earlier, with that money they are loaning the United States over 1 trillion dollars.⁴ This is about 8% of the nearly 15 trillion dollars of American debt.

Just like a bank essentially owns a home until the mortage is paid, China has a great deal of influence in the United States. In its present state, that influence is somewhat passive (although one could make a case otherwise), but that influence will only grow more intrusive and pervasive the more we owe and the longer we owe it.

Just like with a house or a car, if a person does not pay their loan back, they are given several warnings that the bank will seize the property. Although there are codes of ethics regarding influence in other nations, China will essentially be in the driver’s seat if we do not do something fast.

The Chinese are not really to blame for the predicament we find ourselves in. We have essentially brought this on ourselves. One should never owe a debt, monetary or personal favor to anyone who does not have his best interest in mind. Not only is China another country, but by and large, they have a very different philosophy in regards to how a nation should be governed and where the common man fits in.

How have we brought this problem on ourselves? The answer is found in the fact that we have forgotten our history and abandoned our principles. As a nation, we seem to have forgotten what our values are. We formed this nation because we felt government had become apathetic to us and had intruded on our lives. The same is true today. A federal healthcare system that will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, a failed stimulus package, among other programs designed to supposedly help the public have stripped away many of the freedoms which we hold dear. In the meantime, we seem to sink further and further into debt, and nobody seems to know how to solve the problem.

America now finds herself at a crossroads. We can either take the path down the road to socialism and more government pervasion, or we can choose to go restore our nation to its former glory with a freer society that would make the founders proud. It’s our choice.

Before we conclude this evening I have a message from one of you guys that I wanted to share.

“What's wrong with Washington? For the past 10 or 15 years, nothing important has been accomplished in Washington. So, Washington D.C. is just as dead as President Washington himself.

I think to start; we should jump into Natural gas production & distribution to power our cars. Can you imagine how many people that would employ? ALL U.S. JOBS.”

Steven Fisher

Bristol, PA

If you would like to possibly have a message/reply shared on the show, be sure to leave us one at: http://lponline.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3k7/.

That’s all the time we have for tonight. Thank you for joining me on “What’s Wrong With Washington”. I will see you on Sunday with “Lance’s Weekly Walk.”

This week our poll question asks you who should be the United States’ greatest foreign ally. Be sure to tell us who you think America’s greatest friend is at: http://poll.fm/3prne. You can also access this poll and many other features through Lance Pisowicz Online, www.wix.com/lancejp/online.

I hope you have enjoyed our broadcast tonight, as much as I have. Thanks again, and God bless you all. See you Sunday!

Sources:

Friday, May 11, 2012

Taking a Stand

Happy Friday! This is “What’s Wrong With Washington” and I am Lance Pisowicz. Tonight we are going to take a look at two of the more “touchy” issues are nation is facing today. Neither issue is as immediate as the economy nor the direction government is headed in, but they are important topics and cannot be ignored. Before we get to that, please do check out my website, Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). Also become a subscriber of my Youtube Channel (www.youtube.com/user/lancejponline), like my Facebook (www.facebook.com/lancepisowicz), or follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/lancejponline). You can also subscribe to my blogs on blogger (www.wrongwithwashington.blogspot.com and www.lancesweeklywalk.blogspot.com). Be sure to join me in all of these locations as we collaborate on ideas to take back our nation.

Before I move on to the two controversial issues we will cover, I will reveal the results in the Abortion poll. I understand this was a very emotional topic for many of you, and I appreciate all of the responses. We had another great turnout this week. 85.71% of you said you were Pro-Life, while 14.29% of you said you were Pro-Choice. As I said, it appears that just about everyone has an opinion on this issue one way or the other. Thanks again; I hope you will vote again next week! There are two major issues that I would like to get to, so let’s get going.

Often on “What’s Wrong With Washington” we point out all of the scandals occurring in D.C. as well as discuss how to fix the economy or government itself. Today I thought it was important for us to take a look at some issues that are not the most glamorous. They never have unanimous support, and often many politicians dodge them fearing “political suicide.” However, it takes a true man of character to stand up for what he believes in, and occasionally I feel compelled to do so.

As you probably guessed from our poll topic, tonight I am going to break down the issue of abortion. I understand nearly all of you have a very strong belief set in regard to this issue. After all, the topic has been very heated since abortion was legalized in every state in 1973.¹ And to say that the issue was not heated before then would be absolutely false. In fact, it has been a key issue for many of our entire lives.

So what I will do tonight is present the facts and analyze it all. According to the National Abortion Federation, the reasoning behind legalizing abortion was to make it safer for the mother and more human to the baby who they were essentially going to kill.²

Since 1973 over 54 million abortions (murders) have been condoned by the United States government.³ In just over 38 years, abortion has killed more people than the Holocaust (11 million)⁴ and the reign of Joseph Stalin (20 million)⁵. I recognize that the Holocaust was only about six years and Stalin’s reign was about thirty years, but this adds up to 31 million murders in about thirty-six years combined. Remember, there were reportedly 54 million abortions between 1973 and the end of 2011 (about thirty-eight years).

However, those who support abortion or “Pro-Choice” as they call it will claim that the fetus in the mother’s womb is not a living human being. But here’s what the experts have to say:

“A favorite pro-abortion tactic is to insist that the definition of when life begins is impossible; that the question is a theological or moral or philosophical one, anything but a scientific one. Fetology makes it undeniably evident that life begins at conception and requires all the protection and safeguards that any of us enjoy.” - Dr. Bernard Nathanson (New York, NY)

“It was not until I was pregnant myself that I began to really examine my feelings about the moral aspects of abortion. It had taken over a year for me to become pregnant with my daughter. The first time I saw the tiny little flicker of her heartbeat on an ultrasound screen I fell completely in love with her. I finally had to come to terms with the fact that the only thing that made my daughter any different than all those tiny babies I had terminated was the fact that I wanted her. It was as if the scales fell from my eyes and I was at last able to see what I had not allowed myself to see in all those years of doing terminations.” - Dr. Yvonne Moore (Memphis, TN)

“When you looked at an ultrasound, there was no mistaking that this was a baby. Ladies who came in for mid-trimester (four to six months of pregnancy) abortions were shielded from the images. Several nurses quit. They would bond with the baby they saw on the screen; they couldn't take it.” - Dr. Joseph Randall (Atlanta, GA)

All three of these doctors’ testimonies are from TeenBreaks.com.⁶ There are also several others there worth reading as well.

If these testimonies do not prove that life begins at the moment of conception, then I must ask what do some people (often the Left) believe is true? Do they believe in scientific facts or do they rely on hearsay. Often times they like to accuse Republicans of not being based on facts, when in fact they do it themselves on other issues. If a doctor who was once an abortionist and fervent Pro-Choice supporter comes out and says abortion is in fact murder, and they chose not to believe him, then who’s to say that their environmentalist so-called “experts” are correct about global warming?

It really is quite perplexing when there are people in society who advocate the rights of the environment or animals yet they turn a blind-eye to the systematic murder of millions of human beings. There is nothing wrong with wanting to take care of this great environment God has given us or treat the animals we are supposed to look after with respect, but when they become more important than mankind, something is clearly wrong.

In the United States we believe it is wrong to deny anyone their rights, but by condoning abortion we are denying human infants their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I respect the rights of women, and I believe we need laws to protect them from rape and being left with children they have to support themselves. I applaud the government on their child support laws they have passed in recent years to not only help the mothers but also the children they will attempt to raise. I also see domestic adoption as a great solution to this issue. There are millions of American couples who want to become parents who cannot have children of their own who are forced to adopt internationally because there are very few alternatives in the United States.

I also understand many women would prefer to avoid the pregnancy and the pains of childbirth all together, and if another human life were not at stake I would fully support them on this. However, as my Business Law teacher said, “Your rights stop where another’s rights begin.”

Unfortunately, in theory, the mother has the duty to have the child unless her own life is at stake.

To conclude with this issue, I will quote Ronald Reagan once again.

“Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.”

The second key topic I want to highlight tonight is the issue regarding immigration to the United States. Nearly all of us have some ancestors if not all who immigrated to the United States at one time or another. For my mother’s family this was mostly during the 1600s and 1700s. In fact, I even had two ancestors (Thomas Rogers and John Goodman) who signed the Mayflower Compact and founded Plymouth colony. These ancestors were mainly from England, Scotland, Wales, France, Holland, and eventually some came from Germany and Ireland. My father’s family has a quite different story. My grandfather is 100% Polish (hence my last name) and my grandmother was 50% Polish and 50% Hungarian. The last portion of my family to enter the United States was my grandfather’s mother’s family who immigrated here in 1912.

The truth is, immigration has been and continues to be a very beneficial element of American society when it is overseen and regulated in the right way. The only part of my family not to immigrant here was my Mohawk (Iroquois) branch from which my 13^th great-grandfather was Chief Sachen of the Turtle Clan and his daughter (an unnamed Mohawk princess) married a French settler, Jacques Hertel.

Although my two sides of the family have very different backgrounds, one thing is for certain. They have struggled greatly to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today, and their triumphs are a result of their tireless work and the grace of God. Although the political machines of New York and Chicago “kissed up” to my new immigrant ancestors, nothing they did actually improved their lives. All they managed to do was attempt to create a hostility between the old immigrants and the new immigrants. The Democratic party has been notorious for its large scale political machines in major cities that attempt to gain support for themselves by “helping out” new immigrants with handouts.

They still seem to have this twisted outlook, that the new immigrants are somehow more important than the old. The truth is, no matter when your family immigrated here or where they came from, we all deserve equal opportunity. Not equal treatment regardless of what we do, but the equal opportunity to prosper. That was how each of my families developed into what they are today.

As I said earlier, legal, regulated immigration is one of the greatest blessings our nation has had. However, as a nation, it would be wrong for us to condone illegal immigration, no matter where those immigrants come from. The law is the law, and it is designed to protect our current citizens and new, legal immigrants.

According to Illegal Immigration Statistics, about 11.1 million of the 307 million people living in America are illegal immigrants.⁷ Although illegal immigrants are not eligible to directly receive welfare,⁸ they cost Americans about 2.8 million jobs and over $113 billion annually through educational costs for their children and other services provided with taxpayer dollars.⁹ To put that in perspective, consider that they cost the average American household $1,117 a year directly, not to mention that they take nearly 3 million jobs away from American citizens and legal immigrants.

So what should be done in regards to illegal immigration? First of all, we must increase the security of our borders. We must build a stronger, taller wall/fence between our nation and our neighbors (mainly where the illegal entries are occurring must frequently). The next step is to bring our boys home from Afghanistan once we have stabilized things a little bit more and are able to confidently withdraw and declare victory. We then can offer a good share of them jobs as border patrol and the rest can return to civilian life.

But the question remains about what to do with illegal immigrants who are already here. If an illegal immigrant has been convicted of any crime, they need to be deported as soon as possible. No questions asked, they do not have the right to cost us even more money incarcerating them after they were not supposed to be here in the first place. The question remains about what to do with any children they might have. If the child was born here, they are American citizens and are protected under law. If they choose to stay here, we can assist them temporarily as we seek a responsible, loving American family for them. If they choose to return with their parent(s) then that is their choice and their right. For those children who were born outside of the United States, the question becomes, should they be allowed to stay or should they be deported as well? I believe they should be allowed to stay with the eventual opportunity to become American citizens, if they came to America when they were under the age of eighteen, unless they have committed crimes themselves.

The last thing to consider is what to do with illegal immigrants who have otherwise obeyed the law since they came here. I believe that they should be given the opportunity to become American citizens after they have proven themselves loyal to this nation and have shown that they can be a valuable asset to it. We do not need any more “dead-weight” in this country, so any newcomers should not only take from America but give back.

In the coming months and years these issues will continue to heat up. They are difficult, emotional topics that deal with human beings. We must be fair to both sides, while still sticking to our core values. It takes a true man of character to speak on these issues, and I am always happy to see someone stand up for their beliefs, whether I agree with them or not. In reality, these issues do exist, and just like the issues of slavery or civil rights, there will ultimately be a verdict. It simply has not come yet.

That’s all the time we have for tonight. Thank you for joining me on “What’s Wrong With Washington”. I will see you on Sunday with “Lance’s Weekly Walk.” Also, be sure to tell me what you think with a message or reply at: http://lponline.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3k7/. It might be shared on the next show.

This week our poll question is in regards to whether or not the federal government has grown too large or not. Be sure to tell us who you think at: http://poll.fm/3p9rl. You can also access this poll and many other features through Lance Pisowicz Online, www.wix.com/lancejp/online.

I hope you have enjoyed our broadcast tonight, as much as I have. Thanks again, and God bless you all. See you Sunday!

Sources:

Friday, May 4, 2012

Balancing the Books

Thank goodness it’s Friday! This is “What’s Wrong With Washington” and I hope you have had a fantastic week. As always we have a lot to get to this evening, but there are a couple of things I would like to mention. Please do check out my website, Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). Also become a subscriber of my Youtube Channel (www.youtube.com/user/lancejponline), like my Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Lance-Pisowicz/130049603677542), or follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/lancejponline). You can also subscribe to my blogs on blogger (www.wrongwithwashington.blogspot.com and www.lancesweeklywalk.blogspot.com). Also, there have been requests for citations regarding my sources for facts and statistics used that will be noted using endnotes in the text editions of my blog. Be sure to check them out if you are interested.

Now I’ll reveal the results in potential Vice President Poll. Thanks again for all of the responses; we had another great turnout this week. It was a very tight race, but Former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice came out on top with 34.78%. In a close second was U.S. Senator from Florida, Marco Rubio with 30.43% of the vote. Third place belonged to the “Someone Else” option, in which a few of the recommended candidates (Bobby Jindal, Rudy Giuliani, and of course Joe Biden) received 26.09%. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley each received 4.35% of the vote. Thanks again; I hope you will vote again next week! There two major issues that I would like to get to, so I’ll cut to the chase.

Let’s kick off our night with something that I think will build on our discussion last week. We talked about Class Warfare and how increasing taxes for anyone would not solve the predicament we are now in. However, the question remains: What should be done?

Obviously there is a need for spending cuts in government, regardless of where one thinks they should come from. Never before in our nation’s history, has so much tax revenue been flowing in. On the opposite side of the spectrum though, is the fact that our government is now responsible for more people than ever. The 2010 United States Census showed a total of 309,050,816 living in the nation that year.¹

Still, we must remember that not all of these people need government assistance economically. According to patdollard.com, President Obama’s administration spent $888 billion in 2010 on welfare alone.² In fact the same report claims that this was $265 billion more than what was spent on the war in Iraq during the Bush administration (just under six years).

No matter how one feels about the war, the fact remains that President Obama has spent far too much on welfare. There are some essential elements of the welfare program that should not see spending cuts. There are millions of Americans out of work who need benefits while they try to find work; there are those who are physically or mentally unable to care for themselves; and there are those who have given so much of themselves to this nation over the course of their lifetimes and now deserve to be cared for in their old age (Social Security and Medicare). We need to develop a viable plan for the future generations retirement now. By raising the retirement age one month each year, a subtle but essential change will be made to prevent Social Security from going bankrupt. This will not be done with those near retirement, but rather with the younger generations (for example, those under the age of 35). Americans deserve a time of rest and reflection in their twilight years and defending that should be a top priority.

However, there are a large percentage of those who are receiving welfare benefits who should not be. The Los Angeles Times reported that 24% of welfare applications in San Diego County contained some form of fraud.³ If that held true for the entire country, that would equal almost one fourth of all welfare applications in the United States.

What a massive chunk of the welfare budget that would be! There obviously is an incredible amount of unnecessary spending going on in regards to the welfare budget. So what is my conclusion? Like I said last week, increasing taxes for anyone at this point would be foolish. Why should we further burden the people who are actually contributing to our nation’s finances as they should be?

Once we have these welfare programs in check, we should return control of them to the individual states. Each state could then make important decisions that will benefit their people the most. It would also take the burden off of the federal government which has been trying to juggle too many programs.

At the same time, we must be careful not to cut Social Security or Medicare, or any benefits for people who are physically or mentally unable to support themselves. For everyone else on welfare, I offer this quote by Ronald Reagan I posted on Twitter earlier this week.

“Welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.” - Ronald Reagan

The ultimate goal should be getting these people back to work, and talking the real problem of unemployment and poverty’s parallels. As far as Social Security and Medicare go, they should not see cuts, but rather be reformed in order to insure their existence for future generations. The tax code should be sealed, but the same is true for the welfare system. The less fraud that occurs in our nation, the brighter our economic situation will be down the road.

The second issue I want to tackle tonight ties together nicely with the first topic we covered. We have talked about budget cuts and reform, and we shot down the idea of increasing taxes, but thus far we have failed to offer a solution to the economic problem, one of the key roots for the issue with our deficit. Obviously the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been costly both in human lives and finances, and welfare fraud is threatening to bankrupt our nation from the inside out. Even with the spending cuts I recommended and the hope for an end to the war in Afghanistan, we are still in a very large financial hole. So what do Americans do when they are in a predicament? They innovate their way out of it!

In a future blog I will focus on what I think our military goals should be, but for now let me offer a quick insight in regards to it. Our goal in Iraq was to first eliminate any military threat Saddam Hussein’s military posed and then to establish a democracy there. Once we had done that and established stability it was time to leave. In 2008, President Obama would have agreed with this situation, but in reality he simply lacked the leadership skills to deliver on his promise as quickly as he had originally planned. Interestingly enough, he ended the war less than a year before the election to decide if he gets to keep his job for another four years or not.

Blame President Bush all you want, but in reality the situation was not one in which the United States could withdraw during his presidency. President Obama had the progression of nearly three years of war, after he had originally promised to have the troops home much sooner.

A similar but also quite different situation created the war in Afghanistan. It all started with the September 11^th attacks over ten years ago, when we went after the Taliban who were harboring al-Qaeda terrorists within their borders.

But now that much (although not all) of the Taliban threat has subsided, and we have killed Osama bin Laden, the question becomes: At what point do we declare victory and withdraw our troops completely?

According to the Huffington Post, a single person making $40,000 a year spent $1,694 on the war in Afghanistan alone.⁴ That report goes on to claim that a couple making a combined $100,000 in a year, spent $4,757 in 2010 on this war. At the same time, we have hostile nations like North Korea and Iran issuing challenges to us because they know we do not want to fight a second war right now. In fact, President Obama’s plan to trim $350 billion from military spending between 2013 and 2023 will only encourage them.⁵

Personally, I like the idea of having the most powerful military in the world. However, we should use this power to defend ourselves and our faithful allies, not as a police unit. I want us to create more military jobs innovating new technologies to strengthen us, rather than paying men to go over to a foreign land and fight another nation’s battles for them. When we go to war, our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line, and unless we have something to gain for us or our friends, there is simply too much to give. If we have a reason to go to another nation in the first place (if there’s a threat to our national security or our allies are under attack), then we might as well point the people there to democracy when given the chance. After that, they must realize that with preserving their freedom comes with their own sacrifice.

Meanwhile we have a budding superpower like China increasing its military spending exponentially, courtesy of everything we buy and the interest we pay on our debt to them. According to The Hill, the Chinese plan on spending almost 13% more on their military than they did last year.⁵

I am not suggesting that we withdraw from trade with China entirely, nor am I suggesting a sudden drop in trade. I believe in free global trade, and I do not think it is the government’s place to force people and businesses to buy from someone or sell to someone else. Instead we should offer a viable alternative to American companies manufacturing goods there. We should encourage them to come home by not increasing taxes, but rather lowering or even completely doing away with the repatriation tax in order to allow American companies to bring their earnings back home rather than investing money in China or other foreign nations. According to The New York Times, as much as $1.5 trillion is sitting offshore.⁶ By allowing this money to be brought back without penalizing taxes, this money could be used by the companies to invest at home and create jobs. We should even explore some more incentives to keep these companies manufacturing in or returning to the United States. Some options include lowering the corporate income tax rate, cut some of the bureaucracy and regulations that make creating jobs in America less attractive, and lower personal income tax rates across the board to encourage job creation. Finally, if there are foreign countries placing tariffs on goods we export to them, we should at least match that on what they import to us. So, maybe buying the “Made in the USA” shirt will eventually be just as cheap (if not cheaper) than buying another poor quality shirt made in a Chinese sweatshop.

If we bring back American companies, we are not only going to help their sales and decrease shipping costs, but we will also create countless American jobs. Our businesses want the tax system fixed, and it seems hard to find someone who doesn’t. The problems are not the tax rates, but rather the system’s infrastructure. If we could do this in a way that appealed to a majority of Americans, taking ideas from both sides of the aisle, we could effectively bring jobs back home. Once we get Americans working again and buying American made products, it is only a matter of time before that good old economy roars again.

This week our poll question deals with the issue of abortion. I understand this is a very heated issue in our nation today, and I would like to see where we all stand. Next week I will share my take as well. Be sure to tell us who you think at: http://poll.fm/3obcm. You can also access this poll and many other features through Lance Pisowicz Online, www.wix.com/lancejp/online.

I hope you have enjoyed our broadcast tonight, as much as I have. Thanks again, and God bless you all. See you Sunday!

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