Killing the Dreams Soldiers Died to Preserve

On Memorial Day, tears were shed as programs across the country honored and prayed for those men and women who sacrificed their dreams in order that we might live out our own. Some Americans who had lost a son or daughter, a spouse, or a parent never got to see their loved one reach their full potential. Those soldiers who died left their dreams in their graves.

Their loss is made even worse by an administration that is doing all it can to kill the dreams of Americans they fought to preserve. President Obama's plan for creating jobs takes more and more money from private citizens and companies so that his administration can hire more government workers and fund more government projects. This funds President Obama's dream, not yours.

Many complain that conservatives only want to protect "the rich." It's not the rich that conservatives need to protect. The truly wealthy will take care of themselves. They can move resources, relocate companies, and shelter income to avoid the worst machinations of Washington's tax policies.

Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary because he receives no salary. He doesn't need a salary. His extensive investments feed his lifestyle and fund his future investments. Government taxes investment income at a lower level to encourage savings and the capital investment all economies need.

President Obama's assault on the top 2% of wage owners is not a punishment on the truly wealthy; it's an assault on the "new rich." His taxes hit those successful entrepreneurs who invested in their own idea, worked hard, created jobs, and reaped the benefits of their success. Instead of being honored and rewarded, they watch as Washington takes more and more of their earned reward. At a time many would want to expand their companies, ObamaCare and increased government regulations have just increased their costs.

The gap between the average "rich" and "poor" American may have grown, but the "new rich" do not easily stay rich. In the 2007 Treasury Study--"Income Mobility in the US from 1996 to 2005," the biggest losses in income came not from the poor but from the wealthiest income earners. The top 1% of income earners in 1996 had their incomes halved by 2005. They were not getting ahead at the expense of others; many lost ground.

Those aspiring to reach their dream, the top 20% of wage earners watched their income increase a mere ten percent. Those Americans originally in the bottom 20 percent saw a 91 percent increase in income. This is missed in many statistics because such increases move people out of the lowest 20 percent. In short, there is no permanent underclass or overclass. People can still succeed, but President Obama is doing everything he can to punish those Americans who do!

He isn't punishing "old wealth”; he's punishing "new wealth." He doesn't bring down the wealthy; he keeps out those trying to become wealthy. Abraham Lincoln knew the value of preserving the American Dream: “I don’t believe in a law to prevent a man from getting rich; it would do more harm than good. So while we do not propose any war on capital, we do wish to allow the humblest man an equal chance to get rich with everybody else.”

Though often wrongly attributed to Abraham Lincoln, it was William John Henry Boetcker, an American religious leader and influential public speaker, who first penned "The Ten Cannots:" "You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help little men by tearing down big men. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence. And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves."

Lincoln and Boetcker understood what President Obama and his fellow class warriors just don’t understand. In a country that is built on personal achievement and free enterprise, there need be no war between capital and labor. When America is working its magic, capital and labor are the same people at different stages of their lives. Workers work to save, then to invest, and ultimately to become owners of capital themselves. They want opportunity not more government programs designed to keep them dependent.

Though we should never forget those who gave their lives that we might have the freedom to dream, may we do what we can to ensure that this and future generations can still profit from the dreams those soldiers died to preserve.

Cut-Backs on Meals for Marines (Wonder if the ‘Commander-In-Cheap’ thought that one up on his last vacation?)
2 June 2013 / 284 Comments

By: Marilyn Assenheim

The Marines at Camp Leatherneck, in Afghanistan, lost one hot meal a day on Saturday. Eager to pre-empt criticism, the Pentagon hastily informed the public that no soldier will lose any calories…they will be provided with yummy, nutritious MRE’s (“meals ready-to-eat”). Too late. Outrage is already growing.

MRE’s are pre-packaged, shelf- stable packets provided to soldiers when they are out in the field. Soldiers have carried MRE’s during every battlefield conflict. Where MRE’s have not been utilized is in a soldier’s home camp. There, soldiers are expected to have four meals a day; three hot meals and a sandwich bar. The meal that has been taken off the roster as of Saturday is the “midrats” better known as the midnight to noon service. This includes hot breakfast and sustenance for soldiers coming off duty. Midrats are, arguably, the most important meal in a soldier’s day. It is the only time that Camp Leatherneck marines can be together during the 24/7 service they perform in Afghanistan. Oh yes. The Pentagon is removing 24 hour sandwich service, too.

Why is this happening? The reason being given is because of a need to cut down on expenses. There is more to the preposterous excuse; a massive draw-down of troops in Afghanistan, some 30,000 soldiers, requires ancillary workers (e.g. kitchen staff) to be permitted to go home first. You read that right.

Why on earth, since the massive decrease of troops is already saving the government a bundle, should there be a further need to decrease already-Spartan services provided to soldiers remaining on the firing line? Camp Leatherneck is located in Afghanistan’s southwestern Helmand Province, hedged by Pakistan and Iran. This is not the garden spot of the world and any troops remaining in the area, especially as their numbers decrease, are going to be in more danger. Does it make any sense, whatsoever, to deprive them of simple, hot meal?

Although the marines have maintained rigorous silence about this decision, one soldier wrote to his wife, but declined to speak on the record. According to NBC.com he wrote: “This boils my skin. One of my entire shifts will go 6.5 hours without a meal. If we need to cut back on money I could come up with 100 other places… Instead, we will target the biggest contributor to morale. I must be losing my mind. What is our senior leadership thinking? I just got back from flying my ass off and in a few days, I will not have a meal to replenish me after being away for over 9 hours.” He was being reasonable.

The Lyin’ King’s disdain for the military is common knowledge. Lt. Col. Cliff Gilmore at Camp Leatherneck broke the news. But it is the Lyin’ King’s regime, via the Pentagon, that is instituting this despicable “austerity measure.” The Commander-In-Cheap behaves more like Marie Antoinette. His contempt for the military grows more obvious, daily. On May 24th, he sauntered past the guard of Marine One who saluted him. He didn’t bother to return the salute. Saturday, ABC7 confirmed that Walter Reed Hospital is furloughing over 3,500 caretakers of the Wounded Warrior Project in July. Part of The Lyin’ King’s sequester, of course. He seems to find such an atrocity acceptable.

The Lyin’ King is unwilling to cut government spending anywhere but the military. Perhaps he needs a few suggestions: Federal funds have been implemented to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for public school children. The regime plans to extend the program to include weekends. This is a permanent expansion of government spending. The Lyin’ King might have public schools spare a hot meal a day for the limited time the soldiers remain in Afghanistan. Or perhaps he should just stop acting like King Croesus… with our

A sad series of books was the “Gunner Asch” series by Hans Helmut Kirst about a German soldier caught up in German militarism.
“The Revolt of Gunner Asch” shows him in prewar German Army getting promoted to “Unterofficier” or Corporal.
“Forward Gunner Asch” shows him in East Front, and on the Home Front as a Sergeant.
“The Return of Gunner Asch” shows him as a Lieutenant, leading his men home, despite the best efforts of his commanders to kill them all.
“Whatever Happened to Gunner Asch?” shows how he protects his family from the militarism of the next generation.

In Forward Gunner Asch, one cynical soldier asks, not for men who are willing to die for their country, but for a country that someone would be happy in which to live.

The 08/15 (null-aicht funfstein) movies are based in part on these books. The 08/15 refers to the model number of the German version of the Maxim machinegun, deadly to its enemies, but stoppage prone, heavy and unforgiving to its casualty prone operators.

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