by Mark Goodwin
Our dream will not be turned into a nightmare by guns. I intend to sign an executive order banning all semi-automatic firearms upon my inauguration. Citizens who consent to our strict registration and monitoring programs will still be allowed to have single shot and pump action shotguns as well as revolvers and bolt action rifles for hunting and home defense, but military weapons belong on the battle field not the street. I challenge you to share in making this dream a reality."
The moderator, CNC correspondent Amy Stein betrayed her feelings as she wiped a tear of inspiration while she thanked the Democratic New York Governor for his participation in tonight's debate. "And now we will hear the final words from California Republican Congressman Juan Marcos."
"America, all is not lost." Marcos began. "We can work together to find a middle ground. We can reinvigorate our economy by reducing corporate taxes that will allow companies to hire more workers. Those workers can buy homes and prop up our, once again, deflating housing market. We can find a middle ground on abortion laws. By limiting abortions to early term pregnancies and offering counseling to pregnant women, we can reach a compromise.
I intend to work with congress, to come up with responsible gun laws similar to the ones we have in California. It is a middle ground that will limit the capacity of magazines while still allowing sportsmen and gun enthusiasts to enjoy responsible gun ownership. We are not two nations. We are not the extremist left nation of Governor Howe and the extremist right nation of Senator Randall. We are one nation under one flag. Extremism seeks to alienate and destroy your opponent. A democracy seeks to find a path that we can all travel on together.
I also have a plan to reform the health care law to get it back on a sustainable track.
My plan will sure up our national security. Our defense budget has been devastated by the austerity measures placed on us by the UN and IMF in our bailout agreements. I am working with representatives from the IMF even now to begin paying back our obligations to them so the restrictions on military spending can be lifted. Once that is done, we can begin to build ships and planes and repair our military infrastructure. This will create jobs for everyday Americans like you. It will reaffirm our presence as a global force for good. We will work to sustain the intelligence networks that have kept our country safe from terrorism for so long.
Once these new economic engines are in place, we can begin to scale back the level of support that we are required to expend on social programs that have been draining our budget for the past eight years. We will pass new work bills that will get everyone in America a job to do. We will get our roads and bridges back up to standard. We will reopen our schools and put teachers back to work, training our next generation. We will rise from the ashes and return our country to its former glory by our American spirit.”
The camera caught Amy Stein as her eyes were rolling at the congressman's speech. "Thank you for your participation in tonight's debate congressman." she said.
"Thank you for allowing us this opportunity." Marcos replied.
"Now we will hear the closing arguments from Texas Republican Senator Paul Randall... I’m sorry, Senator, I meant to say 'Independent', I have gotten so used to calling you a Republican over the years." the moderator exclaimed.
Randall said "That’s alright Amy. Technically, I am still a Republican Senator, but I am running as an independent in the presidential election."
"That’s because I got the Republican nomination Amy" Juan Marcos interjected.
Senator Randall bit his lip to keep from saying something he would regret. He knew Marcos was baiting him. Juan Marcos had been using these tactics on Randall all night. Paul Randall sat silent for a minute. Amy Stein reminded him "You may proceed whenever you are ready Senator."
"Yes, thank you Amy." Paul said finally. "I had an excellent speech that we had worked on all day, but the closing remarks made by Governor Howe and Congressman Marcos have hit harder than I expected. These men do not represent what our forefathers had in mind when they risked their lives to build you this country, America. Our forefathers had in mind to build you a nation on faith that was anchored by morality and law to ensure liberty. The framers of the Constitution spent years to create a document that would ensure our liberty and guarantee our God given rights. They had just thrown off the chains of tyranny and hoped to guard you against that same oppression. Governor Howe and Congressman Marcos sought to put this document behind them, the document upon which the entirety of our legal system is founded. Without the Constitution, we have nothing but anarchy, for all the powers of government are defined and prescribed by that document. These two men go beyond nullification of the Constitution; they seek to take away the rights given to you by your Creator.
Let's look at just a few of the infractions against our founding principles. The Declaration of Independence so eloquently speaks of the right to life. Both of these men have infringed upon that right for millions of unborn children. They condone murder of the most defenseless. I know they don’t think that it is a life. They think that it’s just a blob. Have you ever seen an ultrasound Governor Howe? Does that look like a blob to you? It looks like a person to me. I see tiny arms, legs, a head, fingers and toes. So when does life begin? I say at conception. You say at some other time, but you can't tell me when. If you can't tell me when, then you cannot say definitively that it does not start at conception. Therefore, you can't tell me definitively that abortion is not murder. If we’re going to pick a time that is convenient to say when life begins, let's just say it starts when you wake up from being a liberal or a neo-con.
Both of these men have been involved in passing laws that infringe on your Second Amendment rights. The amendment says 'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.' What part of ‘shall not be infringed’ don't you gentlemen understand?
Our country has been reduced to begging for handouts from the IMF and UN because of the continued welfare spending proposed by Governor Howe and the warfare spending proposed by Congressman Marcos. If we want to regain our national sovereignty, we’re going to have to cut defense spending to a sustainable level. That will not include Congressman Marcos 'Jobs' plan that pilfers the taxpayer to enrich the military industrial complex. It also won't include the constant growth of the surveillance police state that ‘protects’ us from terrorism. Do you know the odds of dying in a terrorist attack Congressman Marcos? It is 20,000,000 to 1. Do you know the odds of being struck by lightning? 6,250 to 1. Lightning is 3200 times more likely to kill you than a terrorist. Do you know how many lightning rods and rubber shoes we could buy with the $300 billion dollar intelligence budget that we use to spy on our own citizens through programs like Prism? But that doesn't matter, because it’s not about saving Americans from terrorism, it’s about controlling them.
We are also going to have to turn welfare back over to the church. Government can't handle welfare and it is not their job. This is the job of the church. When a person is in need of financial help, there are usually other factors at work. Sometimes it may be drugs or it may just be poor money management. Sometimes it‘s just that they need help through a hard time. But they need the church to counsel them and find out what the issue is. The church can then help them get back on their feet. If they’re just freeloaders, the church can discern that and kick them out the door. Government can't do those things. They just get people stuck in a cycle that they can't or won't get out of. Government has no ability and no desire to help people who are down. The liberals get dependants to give up their freedom for an Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT card and insure their votes and our nation’s demise.
Health care? Ironically, the heath care bill dubbed Al Mohammad Care was the disease that completely collapsed our economy into the ruins we see today. Governor Howe brags about the unemployment rate. It is a manipulated number that doesn't count millions of people who have dropped out of the work force over t
he years because there were no jobs to be had. The number also neglects all the people who are working part time because they can only find part time work. If you calculate those folks in, the number is much closer to 30% than the 7% that is reported. All of these part time jobs popped up when the health care law forced many service sector businesses to cut employees to 25 hours per week to avoid being required to provide health care insurance for them. Other part timers were hired to take the hours of the employees who lost hours. That goosed the U3 unemployment number to make it look lower.
My plan is not an economic stimulus plan. It is not the 'lie in the sky' bill of goods these other two candidates are offering. My plan is painful but it takes us back to a sustainable path. The future will be painful. The only question is, will we salvage what we have and rebuild or will we burn it to the ground, to a point from which there is no coming back? My plan will prevent significant loss of life. Howe's plan or Marcos plan will most certainly end in complete collapse of our government and economic system. Depending on how much charity we receive from other nations, we should expect a die off of between 10% and 40% of the US population. There is no more sugar coating the facts. It’s just simple math. We are out of time and the collapse is at hand. The IMF is low on funds and unable to bail us out much further. To continue to print money through quantitative easing will collapse the little value the world still places on our paper currency. My plan will take us through a revaluation and reinstitute a 100% backed bi-metal monetary system backed by physical silver and physical gold. Gold and silver have been used as stores of value since the very beginning of time. Genesis 13:1 states "Abraham was very wealthy in cattle and silver and gold." That, my friends, is the beginning of time. This will replace the Federal Reserve and the central planners with a free market that regulates monetary supply though scarcity. It protects the citizens from inflationary taxation through new money creation which robs savers. The value lost by savers through inflation is then reallocated to the government for them to waste and buy votes.
My plan is not a new one. It is the same plan our forefathers handed us more than 200 years ago. It was a plan that worked, so let's get back to it."
Marcos proclaimed with a loud voice "Nobody is going to die Randall! Your fear mongering is a new low for you Senator. I find it disgusting!"
Paul Randall walked out from behind his podium towards Marcos. "I find your willingness to lead this country into an early grave in order to line your pockets and the pockets of your cronies disgusting, Congressman!" Paul shouted as he approached Marcos' position on the stage.
Marcos stepped back with a look of fear and shock. Security flanked Senator Randall, but he returned to his podium on his own.
“Well, that was certainly a debate for the history books!" Amy Stein exclaimed. "Join us right here on CNC for the poll results coverage on tonight's debate right after this short break."
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CHAPTER 5
"In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has."
Proverbs 21:20
Matt shut down the computer and went into the living room to watch a few minutes of the news with Karen. She was relaxed on the couch with the cat, Miss Mae. They were watching "DC Live", the prime time political show on CNC.
Ed Nolan, the lead correspondent for "DC Live" turned to his guest Amy Stein. "Amy, what was that high school locker room scene at the end of the debate last night? Your job was to keep things civil." he said with a chuckle.
Amy replied "Marcos and Randall were so far behind in the polls before the debate, it couldn't hurt, so why not pull a publicity stunt?"
"If it was a stunt, it worked for Randall. He is up 5 points in the polls today." Ed countered.
"He’s going to need a lot more than 5 points to pull ahead of Howe. Howe was still in the lead today by 17 points, even with Randall's Barbarian bump." Amy said.
"Is that what we're calling it, The Barbarian bump?" Ed inquired.
"He got a 5 point bump by acting like a Barbarian; the Barbarian bump." Amy answered.
"His supporters evidently thought it conveyed passion." Ed responded.
"Well, they may be a bit barbaric as well. What does President Al Mohammad call them, the 'Guns and Religion Caucus'?” Amy smirked.
“I think President Al Mohammad can't wait to turn over the keys to the White House, no matter who wins. It has been a rough eight years.” Ed said as he tried to redirect the conversation before Amy's mouth got them into any more trouble. CNC flew the flag of trying to remain in the center, but the center had moved quite a ways to the left over the past decade.
“I can't listen to this Karen." Matt said. "I get worked up, and then I don't sleep well."
"Change it." she said as she tossed him the remote.
Matt's phone rang and he picked it up. "Hey cousin." he answered.
"What ya'll doin'?" Adam Bair asked. Adam was Matt's cousin in London, Kentucky. Adam had served in the US Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan. When he returned from the war, like many vets, he had a very hard time adjusting. He had tried to silence the anger and the sadness with drugs and alcohol. It almost cost him his life. Adam had blacked out on the way to deliver 100 pills of oxycontin. He was high on them himself and nodded out while he was driving. The police found him in the wrecked car on the side of the road. He was not seriously injured nor did he hurt anyone else. It could have been a lot worse. Because of the amount of drugs the police found in his car, Adam could have done a lot of time. A Christian judge in London, Kentucky had given him the choice of prison or a Christian rehabilitation center called Teen Challenge. Despite the name, the center worked with people of all ages to overcome addiction through the power of Christ. Adam chose rehab to stay out of prison. His motivation had only been to do his time in a better environment and eat better food, but he learned the true depths of God's love for him while in the program. When he finished the program, he was a radically changed man and was reunited with his wife and two daughters. His wife, Janice had left him shortly after he returned from the war. She didn't feel safe around him and wasn't sure it was safe for the girls. Now, she loved him more than ever and only felt truly secure when he was home.
Matt replied to Adam's inquiry "We were just watching the coverage of last night's debate. Did you watch it?"
"That’s kinda why I was callin’ cousin." Adam said. “Paul Randall said some things that got me thinking. I really like the guy and he has my vote. You know I took an oath to defend the Constitution. That didn't stop when I left the Corps. I think Randall will defend the Constitution as well. I think he is the best choice we have had in my lifetime. What he said about a bunch of people dying, do you think that's realistic? Could that really happen? And do you think he believes that or do you think Marcos was right... Do you think he's just trying to scare people into voting for him? I know you spend a lot more time reading about economics and finance than I ever could. I understand economics; it just bores me to tears."
“I think he’s spot on." Matt said. "Our system is fragile and interdependent on every other part of the system. It’s also so complex. The complexity increases the chances of something going terribly wrong, and it makes it more challenging to fix. We are in such an economic pit that there is literally no way out. Consider the Great Depression. 90% of the population lived on farms or at least in rural areas. Only 10% of people lived in cities, yet even with most everyone living on farms and all the good will people had towards their fellow man, Americans still starved to death. Now, people will slit your throat for a pair of tennis shoes and the exact opposite demographic is true. 90% of people live in cities and only 10% of people live in rural areas or farms. What would those people eat if the system comes crashing down? If the currency collapses, how will the farmers sell their produce to purchase seeds and fuel to produce the following year’s crop? And it just cascades downward from there. Our cities are filled with violent people just waiting for the police to not get pai
d and quit going to work. Once that happens, it doesn't matter how much charity we get from other nations in the form of food, no one will deliver it into a war zone ran by gangs and criminals."
"Couldn't the military deliver food and aid? They have done it all over the world." Adam asked.
Matt explained "They are still all over the world. They're not here. Even if we brought them home, there aren't enough to do the job. That’s the only thing the lobbyists from Northrop Gruman, Boeing and Booz Allen Hamilton don't lobby for; more troops. As long as there are enough soldiers to sign the delivery invoices, they don't even care if there are pilots to fly the planes. Back to Paul Randall's estimate, I think a 10% to 40% die off is very possible. Grocery stores only stock about 3 days worth of food. If there is a run on grocers, the shelves could be empty in 6 hours."
