Saturday, December 31, 2016
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Tuesday, December 13, 2016
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Thursday, December 1, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
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Thursday, November 24, 2016
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Friday, November 18, 2016
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Friday, November 11, 2016
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Monday, November 7, 2016
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Wednesday, November 2, 2016
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Saturday, October 29, 2016
Friday, October 28, 2016
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
God Loves a Lost Cause: Mainstream Media Power & the Burgeoning New Media Movement
 |
| The symbol of leftist media bias, the New York Times headquarters, via Wikipedia. |
If academia, the scientific community, the mainstream media, celebrities, and late night talk shows have all aligned to tell me to vote Democrat against the evil GOP, well, I might just be a little brainwashed. Amazing how one can feel edgy and alt on a college campus by supporting the politicians supported by everyone else on campus, television, teachers, and media pundits. Very interesting, very interesting.
So we've found ourselves a few weeks from the big day when Donald Trump loses to Hillary Clinton, or so the media tells us. The polls don't look too good though. It's a difficult situation. To grit one's teeth and vote for the outrageous blundering Donald Trump, well, that isn't an easy prospect. Many are turning to Gary Johnson, some are turning to a guy named Darrell Castle of the Constitution Party, and still others are looking to Evan McMullin of Utah.
Some of the establishment GOP are saying they intend to vote for Hillary Clinton. Yes, they are that terrible. It's truly amazing the lows that the establishment will go to. Clearly, they are more leftist than conservative. I'm sure very few are surprised.
I'm really quite perturbed with people like Glenn Beck, Ben Shapiro, the Federalist, and the Resurgent. It's tough because these are basically the people who are the core inner circle of my political beliefs. They represent exactly what we need, exactly the kind of zeal and principle we need to retake America. These folks are in fact my team in every respect. I'll be honest, I'm one of the original, earliest members of the Never Trump movement right when it started during the primaries, when it was between Cruz, Trump, and that little snail-like creature they call "John Kasich." But I just can't abide the way these folks keep trying to undercut Donald Trump. If you aren't going to vote for Trump, well that's fine, but do you have to be out there day in and day out trashing him? Do you have to spend every day manically attacking Trump? For what reason? To do everything possible to slander and attack him? I don't like him either. In fact I despise Trump. But I agree with Mark Levin's argument, this isn't about me, this isn't about me being right, this is about the future of the country. These folks like to undercut the idea that this election is critical, saying you know they say that every election. Well maybe so, but the facts are clear, this election is critical, we are at a fundamental turning point. The Supreme Court, they try to undercut that argument, but it's a solid argument. These leftist activist judges will take the 1st amendment, the 2nd amendment and much more. They openly declare as much. Is that hard to understand? No, it's quite clear. In addition, if open borders continues, with illegal immigrants crossing the border, being pushed toward red states, well, soon the country will be unrecoverable. It's not about you, your ego, or even your hatred for what Trump represents. Put your country before your reputation.
That's my thought on that. Trump is a catastrophe, his comments about women are despicable. But his policies and positions are reasonable in quite a few areas. His tax plan is solid. His SCOTUS picks are solid. He's surrounding himself with people like Pence. The GOP platform is firmly conservative. Will Trump follow it? I have no idea. But I know exactly what Hillary will do. And anyway, these people who refuse to vote Trump were willing to pull the trigger for people like John McCain and Mitt Romney, people who have supported the most radically high spending in the Senate, the most radical progressive agendas, they've rubber stamped and gone along with, with people like Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid. Your telling me Donald Trump is worse on policy than those low lifes? Maybe you don't fully understand what goes on in our House and Senate.
So we've got problems on our team, within the conservative movement. But I firmly believe that conservatism is making a huge comeback. We've seen wonderful things coming together, we really have. We are seeing young people increasingly identifying themselves as conservative and libertarian. We are seeing an increasing push back against the failed policies of the progressive left. We saw AFA and FRC fighting and WINNING the battles for the Republican platform at the RNC, creating the most conservative platform we've seen in recent history. We still have that toad Rhence Priebus gathering untold power to himself and his office at the RNC, but in time we'll deal with him.
We've seen principled folks, everyday americans, and Christians getting involved in politics again. We've seen Reagan conservatives, Tea Party, evangelical voters, old guard, libertarians, and conservatarians all coalescing into a new and vibrant conservative movement. We've seen liberals departing the left, becoming libertarians who are gathering with conservatives. We've seen many who once considered themselves democrats turning to conservatism because the left has gone so far left. We've seen the formation of all kinds of new media to challenge the left wing media, websites like Drudge, Breitbart, National Review, the Daily Wire, the Daily Signal, Life News, Life Site News, the Resurgent, the Federalist, Western Journalism, PragerU, The Stream, Charisma News, the Christian Post, the Daily Caller, and many others. On the radio there is Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, and Glenn Beck. Through Youtube and internet shows and radio we see great programs like The Andrew Klavan Show, the Ben Shapiro Show, Louder with Crowder, Rebel Media, The Blaze, Breitbart Media, the Eric Metaxas Show, the Dennis Prager Show, and many others. But the truth is we're still not reaching enough everyday Americans to turn the tide. That could change over time though.
We have a problem in the United States, quite a few actually, but the one key during this election is the mainstream media. That's what I mean when I say the "old media." The mainstream media as a term is often attributed to the firmly left wing television news companies including CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, and MSNBC. Also included are big newspapers like The New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and Bloomberg. One could also include radio like NPR and the CBS radio network. More recently added to this conglomeration of left wing news are websites like the Huffington Post, Politico, Snopes, Politifact, Salon, Yahoo! News, Media Matters, Occupy Democrats, and of course, Gawker. It's important to remember additionally that major search engines and social media sites also tend to lean hard left, most prominently Facebook, Twitter, Google, Wikipedia, and Yahoo.
It's also important to remember that many of the largest and most powerful businesses in the United States are left wing. Some of the largest include Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Pepsi, Progressive Insurance, American Express, Starbucks, Pfizer, Ben & Jerrys, Liberty Mutual, Nike, Morgan Stanley and hundreds of others. For a full list just Google companies that boycotted North Carolina for refusing to allow boys in the girls bathroom. Or Google companies that directly fund Planned Parenthood. If it feels like the whole world is against you, well, that's pretty much it.
This is our problem to deal with. And each of us can make a difference. I cancelled my Cable a long time ago, and I encourage you to do the same. Make use of the internet for your news. Subscribe to alternative news sites, and encourage your friends to do so also. Build a presence on social media and advocate for conservative and Christian values in the public square. Many could've just thrown up their hands a long time ago, and said it's over these companies are too powerful, the television is too powerful, but conservatives never gave up, they took the truth onto the web and built a vast movement that is now challenging the leftist narrative on a daily basis. Keep fighting, keep sharing the truth, keep praying, because God loves a lost cause.
The tides are turning. If it had been almost anyone else, especially a Ted Cruz or a Marco Rubio, this election would've been much difference. But for now it looks like Donald Trump may lose to the awful, terrible, corrupt Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton is truly terrible, her policies are a nightmare; more spending, more bailouts, higher taxes, inheritance tax, gay marriage, gender ideology, no vouchers for school choice, abortion up to and including partial birth abortion, and of course weak and naive foreign policy. Hillary Clinton sold her position as secretary of state for donations to the Clinton Foundation. Imagine a White House that sells itself to the highest bidder. Imagine pay to play at that kind of level! It's truly a terrifying thought. People are afraid of a Trump presidency, because the left has gone so far as to call Trump "literally Hitler" but it's nonsense. Trump is no Hitler, he's a business man, a lewd, nasty, immoral business man, but nowhere approaching the corruption of Hillary Clinton.
All that said, we will probably have Hillary Clinton as president. Oddly enough this could be a good thing to the movement that is being formed through conservative organizations and new media. But it will only be a good thing if we can somehow hold on to what little is left of the Constitution. People make it out like somehow this is just an average election, a normal time to be an American, and all the talk of "the end is near" is overblown, well, much of it is. But then again, the facts are quite clear, the national debt is massive, the Supreme Court rulings are on the edge of chaos, the presidency has gathered far too much power, and the rule of law is in the toilet with most everyday Americans believing that there are two sets of rules, one for them and one for the elite. This isn't normal, this isn't an everyday election, I think there is a solid case for the suggestion that we are at a pivotal moment in our nation's history. The Constitution has never been under attack like it is today. But maybe, just maybe, with the blessing of God we can turn the tide and form a new movement to defeat this leftist marxist nightmare threatening to turn America into a weak, second-rate nation of debt and big government control of everything. The danger is real, but the conservative movement is coming out swinging.
Related Posts:
- Media Bias, Saul Alinsky, & the War on America's Character
- An Essay on the Fall of Man in Today's America
- Five Political Presentations that will Change your Worldview
- An Appeal to Heaven: The Movement
- The Supreme Court, Same Sex Marriage, Religious Liberty
- Thoughts on Public Schooling: Should Christians homeschool their Children?
- Kim Davis is only the Beginning: Prepare your Ministry for Persecution
- A Cause Worth Dying For: Materialism, Millennials, & the Authentic Mission
- What is the Truth about Abortion? Fact, Fiction, Christianity & Humanism
- Christian Activism: Can Christianity survive the new cultural attitudes?
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Monday, October 24, 2016
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Monday, October 17, 2016
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Friday, October 14, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Monday, October 10, 2016
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Friday, October 7, 2016
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Monday, October 3, 2016
Friday, September 30, 2016
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
How to be an Effective Heritage Action Sentinel on Social Media
How to be an Effective Heritage Action Sentinel on Social Media
The Heritage Action Sentinel program
is a stroke of genius in the realm of political change. Few
organizations truly realize the potential in assembling cohesive
grassroots movements. Many organizations simply fund raise and throw
money at problems, but the real lasting change is found in individual
activism and the spreading of information through new media.
Even if you aren't affiliated with Heritage Action's
Sentinel program, keep reading, and learn how to engage in effective
political activity on social media. It's fun, it's effective, and it's a
great service to your country.
Sentinel.
1. a person or thing that watches or stands as if watching.
2. a soldier stationed as a guard to challenge all comers and prevent a surprise attack
 |
| Statue of the "Minute Man" via Wikimedia CC 2.0 |
is a stroke of genius in the realm of political change. Few
organizations truly realize the potential in assembling cohesive
grassroots movements. Many organizations simply fund raise and throw
money at problems, but the real lasting change is found in individual
activism and the spreading of information through new media.
Even if you aren't affiliated with Heritage Action's
Sentinel program, keep reading, and learn how to engage in effective
political activity on social media. It's fun, it's effective, and it's a
great service to your country.
Sentinel.
1. a person or thing that watches or stands as if watching.
2. a soldier stationed as a guard to challenge all comers and prevent a surprise attack
Many fail to understand the potential in
online political activity. The knee jerk reaction of the older
generation is to laugh off the internet as a region of trolls, jokes,
and foolishness. That might've effectively described the state of the
internet 10-12 years ago. Today it is a much different place. The
internet is slowly but surely pushing aside television. The internet
and talk radio have grown as regions where the flowering of conservative
thought have developed into growing principled movements.
online political activity. The knee jerk reaction of the older
generation is to laugh off the internet as a region of trolls, jokes,
and foolishness. That might've effectively described the state of the
internet 10-12 years ago. Today it is a much different place. The
internet is slowly but surely pushing aside television. The internet
and talk radio have grown as regions where the flowering of conservative
thought have developed into growing principled movements.
The internet is a powerful forum for the
discussion of ideas. In particular, social media has grown into a
place where ideas can be shared. In that fold of ideas is politics and
political causes.
discussion of ideas. In particular, social media has grown into a
place where ideas can be shared. In that fold of ideas is politics and
political causes.
So your a burgeoning young (or older)
political activist. How can you engage your neighbors via the internet
and social media?
political activist. How can you engage your neighbors via the internet
and social media?
First of all you should create a
Facebook account, a Twitter account, and a Google+ account. There are
many other options for social media accounts, but these are the largest.
Once you've created these accounts, you need to build them up.
Facebook account, a Twitter account, and a Google+ account. There are
many other options for social media accounts, but these are the largest.
Once you've created these accounts, you need to build them up.
On Facebook.com
that means adding friends, creating your profile, and posting good
content. The maximum friend count is currently 5,000. Add people you
know, and "like" pages like The Heritage Foundation,
Heritage Action, the American Family Association, the Family Research
Center, the Media Research Center, The Federalist, Conservative Review,
Alliance Defending Freedom, Marriage Conservation, The Resurgent, and
many other pages. When you see good political posts from these pages,
reshare them on your timeline.
that means adding friends, creating your profile, and posting good
content. The maximum friend count is currently 5,000. Add people you
know, and "like" pages like The Heritage Foundation,
Heritage Action, the American Family Association, the Family Research
Center, the Media Research Center, The Federalist, Conservative Review,
Alliance Defending Freedom, Marriage Conservation, The Resurgent, and
many other pages. When you see good political posts from these pages,
reshare them on your timeline.
On Twitter.com
you'll want to create your account, build your profile so it looks
nice, and then begin to "follow" others. I usually go through and
follow right up to the maximum of 5,000. In turn about 1,000-2,000 of
these accounts will follow you back. Then when you "tweet" they'll see
those tweets on their accounts. It's good to follow people in your area
first, then follow political accounts around the web as well. You can
"retweet" content from any of the afor mentioned political
organizations, or create your own tweets. The trick for Twitter is that
every tweet must be under 140 characters long. You can tweet links,
images, or even videos. One of the tricks of twitter is to use
#hashtags. Some popular sentinel and conservative hashtags include:
#conservatives #evangelicals #teaparty #heritageaction #heritage #ccot
#tcot #faith #GOP #republican #libertarian #nohearingsnovotes
#dontdraftourdaughters. There are many others as well. Pay attention
to hashtags used by Heritage Action and other sentinels. One of the
best ways to make sure your impacting your political leaders is
tweeting @ someone. Say if I want to tell my congressmen that I want
him to support the First Amendment Defense Act #FADA I would tweet
"@RepSeanDuffy Please support the 1st amend def act #FADA." When I
tweet the message in such a way, it will show up on Sean Duffy's twitter
timeline.
you'll want to create your account, build your profile so it looks
nice, and then begin to "follow" others. I usually go through and
follow right up to the maximum of 5,000. In turn about 1,000-2,000 of
these accounts will follow you back. Then when you "tweet" they'll see
those tweets on their accounts. It's good to follow people in your area
first, then follow political accounts around the web as well. You can
"retweet" content from any of the afor mentioned political
organizations, or create your own tweets. The trick for Twitter is that
every tweet must be under 140 characters long. You can tweet links,
images, or even videos. One of the tricks of twitter is to use
#hashtags. Some popular sentinel and conservative hashtags include:
#conservatives #evangelicals #teaparty #heritageaction #heritage #ccot
#tcot #faith #GOP #republican #libertarian #nohearingsnovotes
#dontdraftourdaughters. There are many others as well. Pay attention
to hashtags used by Heritage Action and other sentinels. One of the
best ways to make sure your impacting your political leaders is
tweeting @ someone. Say if I want to tell my congressmen that I want
him to support the First Amendment Defense Act #FADA I would tweet
"@RepSeanDuffy Please support the 1st amend def act #FADA." When I
tweet the message in such a way, it will show up on Sean Duffy's twitter
timeline.
On Google+
you can create a profile either through your gmail account or by
creating a Google+ profile account. I don't interact too much on
Google+ but you can follow up to 5,000 people and they can add you back.
I tend to just repost content from Youtube, Facebook, and other pages
onto Google+. I have a decent following on there, but I don't interact
too much. But feel free to explore Google+ and generate activity on
there. We need trail blazers in the conservative movement to engage in
new areas.
you can create a profile either through your gmail account or by
creating a Google+ profile account. I don't interact too much on
Google+ but you can follow up to 5,000 people and they can add you back.
I tend to just repost content from Youtube, Facebook, and other pages
onto Google+. I have a decent following on there, but I don't interact
too much. But feel free to explore Google+ and generate activity on
there. We need trail blazers in the conservative movement to engage in
new areas.
Additional social media sites include: Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Instagram, Reddit.com, VK, Flickr, Vine, Meetup, Ask.fm, Classmates, Sound Cloud, and many others.
Explore, establish new outposts of conservatism, and build into new regions. One
of the best things you can do is be creative and imaginative. Use your
own ideas and try out new things. Engage on new platforms and engage
in new ways. We need innovation, and it's up to you to find new ways to
reach people not just in the United States but across the world.
of the best things you can do is be creative and imaginative. Use your
own ideas and try out new things. Engage on new platforms and engage
in new ways. We need innovation, and it's up to you to find new ways to
reach people not just in the United States but across the world.
Another effective way of reaching people
on the internet is through blogging. I started the blog your reading
now in early 2013. I had written for several newspapers and magazines.
I'd been published a few times on Yahoo! News and other websites. But I
was largely an unknown. I used blogger.com to start my blog and three
years later I'd reached nearly a quarter million people in fifty+
countries. If your a good writer or you just love writing definitely
consider starting a blog with a free platform like blogger.com or wordpress.com. It's a lot of fun, and you can potentially reach millions.
on the internet is through blogging. I started the blog your reading
now in early 2013. I had written for several newspapers and magazines.
I'd been published a few times on Yahoo! News and other websites. But I
was largely an unknown. I used blogger.com to start my blog and three
years later I'd reached nearly a quarter million people in fifty+
countries. If your a good writer or you just love writing definitely
consider starting a blog with a free platform like blogger.com or wordpress.com. It's a lot of fun, and you can potentially reach millions.
Side Note: Blogging doesn't have to be just writing articles. Many of the most viewed blogs are video blogs hosted on Youtube.com.
If you have a good computer that can edit video, consider starting a
video blog. Video is definitely the latest trend in the internet,
whether on social media or on Youtube, more people are viewing videos on
the web than ever before. Another option for blogging is creating a
podcast. You can host your content on sites like Sound Cloud or Itunes.
Do you have a gift for the spoken word? Start a podcast!
If you have a good computer that can edit video, consider starting a
video blog. Video is definitely the latest trend in the internet,
whether on social media or on Youtube, more people are viewing videos on
the web than ever before. Another option for blogging is creating a
podcast. You can host your content on sites like Sound Cloud or Itunes.
Do you have a gift for the spoken word? Start a podcast!
If your feeling ambitious you can create
several blogs. I have seven blogs that I routinely aggregate content
to and write for. It's fun and effective. You can do the same with
Facebook accounts. I personally have three Facebook accounts that I
share content on, plus five Facebook pages. In addition, I have built a
Twitter presence of thirty-six accounts that I share content to
everyday via a free program called Tweetdeck.com.
Of course it took me the last four years to build up that kind of
presence on the internet and social media. But it all starts with a few
clicks, and eventually years later your building on your progress and
making decent waves on the web. Start small and think big over the long
term.
several blogs. I have seven blogs that I routinely aggregate content
to and write for. It's fun and effective. You can do the same with
Facebook accounts. I personally have three Facebook accounts that I
share content on, plus five Facebook pages. In addition, I have built a
Twitter presence of thirty-six accounts that I share content to
everyday via a free program called Tweetdeck.com.
Of course it took me the last four years to build up that kind of
presence on the internet and social media. But it all starts with a few
clicks, and eventually years later your building on your progress and
making decent waves on the web. Start small and think big over the long
term.
One thing I try to tell sentinels is
that we need to work as a team. And I don't mean that in terms of just
helping out other sentinels. I mean we have to think of ourselves as
ambassadors of Constitutional conservative principles and
Judaeo-Christian thought. And we can't be selfish about it. I don't
just share content from Heritage Action and the Heritage Foundation. I
consider myself an activist for dozens of organizations, charities, and
outlets. I routinely post content, petitions, media, articles, and
other content from Liberty Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom, The
Center for Medical Progress, MRC.org, the ACLJ, School Choice, Article V Convention of States, The Federalist, The Daily Wire, the Ben Shapiro Show, The Blaze radio, the Mark Levin Show, AFA.net,
The Family Research Institute, Focus on the Family, The Resurgent,
Conservative Review, Reasonable Faith, Cross Examined, RZIM, The Rebel
Media, Louder with Crowder, Life News, Christian Post, The Stream, Paul
Joseph Watson, Reason Magazine, Prager University, The Libertarian
Republic, the Hoover Institute, Campus Reform, The Reagan Library,
National Review, Breitbart.com, and
of course the Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action. These
organizations are all important parts of the foundation of our national
identity in our ideological battle against the secular progressives.
One thing that all of these organizations lack is dedicated political
activists willing to support them, protect them, and spread their
powerful content across the interwebs. We can be the force that
supports and unifies these organizations into a grassroots movement that
reclaim our nation from the corruption of the socialist leftists.
that we need to work as a team. And I don't mean that in terms of just
helping out other sentinels. I mean we have to think of ourselves as
ambassadors of Constitutional conservative principles and
Judaeo-Christian thought. And we can't be selfish about it. I don't
just share content from Heritage Action and the Heritage Foundation. I
consider myself an activist for dozens of organizations, charities, and
outlets. I routinely post content, petitions, media, articles, and
other content from Liberty Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom, The
Center for Medical Progress, MRC.org, the ACLJ, School Choice, Article V Convention of States, The Federalist, The Daily Wire, the Ben Shapiro Show, The Blaze radio, the Mark Levin Show, AFA.net,
The Family Research Institute, Focus on the Family, The Resurgent,
Conservative Review, Reasonable Faith, Cross Examined, RZIM, The Rebel
Media, Louder with Crowder, Life News, Christian Post, The Stream, Paul
Joseph Watson, Reason Magazine, Prager University, The Libertarian
Republic, the Hoover Institute, Campus Reform, The Reagan Library,
National Review, Breitbart.com, and
of course the Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action. These
organizations are all important parts of the foundation of our national
identity in our ideological battle against the secular progressives.
One thing that all of these organizations lack is dedicated political
activists willing to support them, protect them, and spread their
powerful content across the interwebs. We can be the force that
supports and unifies these organizations into a grassroots movement that
reclaim our nation from the corruption of the socialist leftists.
Being a Heritage Action Sentinel is much
like being a minuteman. We work day and night in our communities to
light the brush fires of liberty in the hearts of men and women. We
spread the truth via social media and blogs to those who have heard
nothing but the lies set forth by the entrenched television media. We
are alert at any moment to step up and meet dangers to our nation from
ideological fruit baskets like the progressive left who seek to change
and redefine everything in our society to fit their twisted, corrupt
agenda of redistribution of wealth, enforced equality, and supplanting
of the core foundations of our Constitution.
like being a minuteman. We work day and night in our communities to
light the brush fires of liberty in the hearts of men and women. We
spread the truth via social media and blogs to those who have heard
nothing but the lies set forth by the entrenched television media. We
are alert at any moment to step up and meet dangers to our nation from
ideological fruit baskets like the progressive left who seek to change
and redefine everything in our society to fit their twisted, corrupt
agenda of redistribution of wealth, enforced equality, and supplanting
of the core foundations of our Constitution.
Take on the challenge of standing up for
your nation. Begin to educate yourself on the key issues of our day.
Build a social media presence. It is very effective in the spreading
of ideas. Any activist ought to know that politics is the last effect
of ideas that are spread in the culture. If we can spread
constitutionalism, conservatism, limited government, free markets,
personal responsibility, Christian faith, and unalienable rights in the
realm of ideas our work in the political realm will be fait accompli.
So get to work sentinel, build your social media presence, stay active
on the Sentinel Hub,
sign petitions, write emails to your Congressional leaders, start
campaigns, and spread the core ideals that made our country great. God
be with you.
your nation. Begin to educate yourself on the key issues of our day.
Build a social media presence. It is very effective in the spreading
of ideas. Any activist ought to know that politics is the last effect
of ideas that are spread in the culture. If we can spread
constitutionalism, conservatism, limited government, free markets,
personal responsibility, Christian faith, and unalienable rights in the
realm of ideas our work in the political realm will be fait accompli.
So get to work sentinel, build your social media presence, stay active
on the Sentinel Hub,
sign petitions, write emails to your Congressional leaders, start
campaigns, and spread the core ideals that made our country great. God
be with you.
 |
| Minute Man Statue, via Wikimedia Images CC 2.0 |
P.S. Feel free to add my accounts on social media and share the content I aggregate. Here are links to my accounts:
Related Posts:
- Media Bias, Saul Alinsky, & the War on America's Character
- An Essay on the Fall of Man in Today's America
- Five Political Presentations that will Change your Worldview
- An Appeal to Heaven: The Movement
- The Supreme Court, Same Sex Marriage, Religious Liberty
- Thoughts on Public Schooling: Should Christians homeschool their Children?
- Kim Davis is only the Beginning: Prepare your Ministry for Persecution
- A Cause Worth Dying For: Materialism, Millennials, & the Authentic Mission
- What is the Truth about Abortion? Fact, Fiction, Christianity & Humanism
- Christian Activism: Can Christianity survive the new cultural attitudes?
Saturday, September 24, 2016
A dream of a world gone mad...
Friday, September 23, 2016
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Friday, September 16, 2016
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Top 10 People I wish were running for President so I could Vote for them
 |
| CC 2.0 via Flickr |
1. Ted Cruz - principled constitutional conservative, what a chance we had...
2. Alan Keyes - former diplomat, constitutional lawyer, a true man of principle
3. Allen West - retired Army Lt. Colonel, great and wise man.
4. Thomas Sowell - economics would never be a problem under a Sowell presidency
5. David Horowitz - here is a man who knows how to fight political correctness and cultural marxism
6. Ron Paul - I don't agree with his foreign policy, but Ron Paul is a man who believes in the Constitution and the restriction of federal power.
7. Marco Rubio - here is a solid conservative, not as consistent as Cruz, but certainly would make a great president.
8. Ben Sasse - This senator is a gifted communicator, Youtube his speech at the Heritage Action conservative summit; he receives a 97% from Heritage's conservative scorecard.
9. Justin Amash - this Rep from Michigan is a rising star, a solid libertarian inspired by the Ron Paul movement to run for Congress. He is a principled libertarian who firmly supports the Constitution.
10. Michelle Bachmann - the media pundits and insiders laughed at Bachmann when she suggested that ISIS was attempting to form an Islamic caliphate in the middle east, years later, she was proved correct.
Honorable mention: Jim DeMint, Mike Lee, Clarence Thomas, Carly Fiorina, Mark Levin (if he would run), Trey Gowdy, and Rand Paul.
Who did I forget? Who would you most want to vote for? Who would you want to see run in 2020?
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Monday, September 12, 2016
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Establishment vs. Outsiders
In any given situation, in business, organizations, or most especially government we've seen a general divide taking place, between the establishment and the outsiders. And I think there are some divides even within that dichotomy. In the establishment you have two sides, on the far outside left you have the establishment elitists. They are people who are in charge, they're powerful, entrenched, and they have little interest in the "common folk." They are self interested, though they try to portray themselves as anything but. Second you have the principled establishment, this person is part of the establishment, which means they have to compromise and help out the elitists, and in exchange, at least some of their more moderate and grassroots initiatives get through as well. They tend to try to compromise for the betterment, but in so doing they end also participating as part of the elite. Third you have the moderate. They act as sort of ambassadors, attempting to walk the middle path between establishment and outsider. They pass between both worlds, bowing to the establishment yet also rallying with the grassroots. Fourth you have the principled outsider, this individual acts as a sentinel, rejecting the establishment, moving with grassroots entirely, but being centered on values and principles. Fifthly you have the rebel outsider. This is the individual who is the purest form of outsider, not so much looking to uphold principles or values, but simply looking to fight the establishment and rally in a revolutionary manner.
Here are some examples of each category that I've noticed:
1. Establishment Elitist - Karl Rove or George Soros, Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush.
2. Principled Establishment - Ben Carson, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee or possibly Paul Ryan.
3. Moderate Ambassador - Rand Paul, Dinesh D'Souza, Jeff Sessions, Marco Rubio
4. Principled Outsider - Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders
5. Outsider Rebel - Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, Elizabeth Warren
Friday, September 9, 2016
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Ben Shapiro's Trump Presidency Alt Right Apocalypse Scenario doesn't hold Water
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| Ben Shapiro Image cc 2.0 via Flickr |
Ben Shapiro outlines his argument often enough for not supporting Donald Trump. I don't support Trump either, just for the record. But his scenario I think is unlikely.
His argument tends to be:
1. Trump is not a conservative (100% true)
2. Trump is associated with the Alt Right (a reasonable assertion)
2. A Trump presidency would be a disaster (likely)
3. Therefore a disastrous Trump presidency would slander conservatism for a generation, 40+ years.
The premises in his argument are pretty good, aside from the last. Ben Shapiro suggests that Trump would destroy the Republican party for a generation, for 40 years plus. I'd contest that statement along the following lines:
1. The public is extremely fickle, and there is not a lot of memory regarding political history. In short, the Trump phenomenon will be old news in 10-20 years.
2. If the GOP could be ruined by a bad president, it would've already happened with the disastrous George W. Bush presidency.
3. The alt right is certainly a danger, but the likelyhood of some racist reemergence isn't great, it's small, even if a Trump presidency takes place.
4. It is unlikely that people would point back and blame conservatives for backing a Trump figure who turns out to be a bad president. And even if some in the media do, it's a lame argument and it wouldn't find traction with the American public. People understand politics makes strange bedfellows. And see premise 1.
5. There are no previous presidencies that have smeared a party, Democrat or Republican for a generation. The premise lacks historical examples.
Sorry Ben, your Trump presidency alt-right apocalypse scenario is far fetched at best.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Saturday, September 3, 2016
The Four Foundational Disagreements between Left and Right
How can you help create a better future? That is the question. In modern society, we find ourselves split on many values that were once shared values. Whether left or right, both sides seek to help create a better future. Both sides base their approaches on presuppositions regarding ethics, philosophy, government, and policy.
As a Christian I know that the principles I live by can be applied to any situation, on any level. The nice thing about Christian ethics is that they transfer into modern life quite well. Of course, there is a required effort to help translate principles into practical application.
There are two primary principles within the Christian worldview, they are love and truth. We stand for love and truth foundationally as Christians. We believe in loving others, caring about others, and helping our neighbors to succeed. We believe in mercy, we believe in second chances.
We also believe in truth. We believe in foundational objective principles that don't change with the whims of the majority. In fact that very principle of unchanging foundations was written into our system of government, it was written into the Constitution. See the Constitution is our agreed rule book for life in the United States. Our government leaders agree, or at least they should, that the Constitution is the rule book. Laws can be passed and policies executed with the condition that these laws and policies are in line with the Constitution. The Constitution restrains government and safe guards the rights of the people.
In the United States an irate authoritarian majority may not run rough shod over the entire country with 51% of the vote. The Constitution prevents such a possibility. The founders knew that man would tend toward ignorance, fear, and the desire to gather power and become corrupt. Therefore the founders built in foundational principles, outlined in the Constitution as the playbook for life. They wrote universal truths into our system. This is a Christian viewpoint, that truth does not change, that truth is fixed and unchanging.
Love and truth. We offer love freely, through charities, non-profits, and personal acts of kindness. One could say that our Christian love is linked inexorably to freedom. We voluntarily and freely give our love and at times with-hold it if we choose. Truth also is inexorably linked to liberty. The truth of our worldview is applied through government and the Constitution to the extent that it provides freedom and liberty for the population, while restraining government from exceeding it's primary mandate of providing safety and liberty to the people.
Of course in the area of truth, there are many areas where foundations can't be rewritten or removed. Or at least that was the intention. Unfortunately we find ourselves in a day and age when nearly all the foundations of our system are under daily attack. Amazingly, they are now being successfully circumvented in many cases.
In the ideological struggle within the United States and western civilization all together there seem to be two sets of presuppositions vying for control. There are many layers to these presuppositions. One could say that it's fundamentally about a religious vs. secular perspective. That's certainly an aspect of this struggle. One could also say it's a contest regarding systems of government, say free market capitalism vs. government controlled capitalism. Or even capitalism vs. a hybrid capitalist-Marxist system. Or even simply capitalism vs. socialism. One could go even deeper and say that it's really a contest of ideologies, philosophies underpinning two perspectives of existence: one side defends naturalism, the idea that all life is evolved and there is nothing beyond the material vs. an intelligent design position that posits inalienable rights and a sovereign creator. Another layer is of political ideology: One could say it's about conservatism vs. progressivism. Left vs. right as they say, democrat vs. republican, federalist vs. anti-federalist, and many other such dichotomies. There are many ways to look at it.
Today we'll look at four foundational disagreements between these two groups. There is certainly a fair amount of crossover between these two groups at war, you'll see many points of overlap. But there are also noticeable patterns. You'll much more often see that naturalists tend toward Marxist ideology, greater government control, collective group rights, materialist underpinnings and progressive political causes. And generally on the other side you'd see Christians tending toward capitalist voluntaryist ideology, limits on government, inalienable personal rights, deistic underpinnings and conservative political causes. We'll preface that there is a great deal of overlap, including recently with many atheists and agnostics abandoning ship on the left, moving toward more libertarian and classical liberal views on government and personal liberty.
The Four Key Disagreements
1. Personal Responsibility vs. Societal Responsibility
A man walks into a bar, has a few too many drinks, gets into a bar fight, and shoots another man with a hand gun. Who is at fault? From the Christian perspective, the individual is at fault for making a poor decision. The individual ought to be charged with a crime, given a fair hearing, punished if found guilty, and provided with the chance of rehabilitation. The fundamental view is of personal responsibility. It's the same way with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter if my dad follows Jesus, or my grandparents followed Jesus, what matters is that I personally, individually have that one on one relationship with Jesus.
The opposing perspective is that society is to blame for this crime. The appeal is made to society. Society and government need to take away the man's gun. Society and government need to regulate the bar, and instruct the people in how to conduct themselves in such a situation on a mass level. Education programs are put into place. New laws are passed to try to control the conduct of the people, and remove the guns to prevent the crime. The person is seen as a victim of the failures of social institutions to make change.
2. Personal Empowerment vs. Personal Victimhood
A young African-American is raised by a single mother who doesn't know how to read. Is he a victim or a potential victor? In the case of Dr. Ben Carson, this African-American decides to do great things in his life. And he does just that. He overcomes every barrier, he makes good choices, and reads lots of books. He decides internally that he is not going to be the victim and he is therefore personally empowered. The Christian perspective of personal empowerment is that the individual is able, God-willing, to take a stand and rise out of poverty, crime, addiction and depression to achieve anything they set their mind to.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God the human race fell away from truth. We learned to victimize ourselves. When God asked Adam about why he had eaten from the tree he was told not to eat from, the first words out of Adam's mouth were: "The woman, who you gave me, she gave me the fruit and I ate it." He transferred the blame for the fall away from himself. First he pushed it upon the woman, then he pushed it all the way back to God himself. Because after all, didn't God make the woman? If we go back far enough we can all find something to play the victim of. An African-American today could look back to slavery and say that this makes him a victim. A man of polish heritage like myself could look back to the Nazi genocide in Poland during World War II and I could say that this situation makes me a victim. A girl could look back to when she was raped, and say that this makes her a permanent victim. A drug addict could say that this is a state of victimhood, and that no one could expect him to get clean since he has been so victimized. I could and often did point back to the divorce of my parents as a reason that I was an eternal victim. If we go back far enough, we can all play the victim to something. But when we decide that it is within our power to overcome every obstacle then nothing can stop us.
The New Testament scriptures affirm this empowerment in these words: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Even when we are weakened by past struggles and sorrows, and our tendency is think of ourselves as victims, we are actually strong thanks to Christ and His power working in us.
The opposing viewpoint would say that people groups, like african americans, women, hispanics, and LGBTQ persons are actually victims of society and mainly victims of white Americans. The view is that these people need to be advocated for, given benefits and support, and provided for by government. The Christian perspective would certainly agree with advocating for those who are minimized and harmed. That's why there are charity organizations like the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and many others that advocate for the lost and hurting. But when that compassion goes too far, into the realm of providing free food, free college, free housing, and free everything we would recognize that as crossing the line and moving outside of Christian values. As it's written, he who does not work does not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). In addition, mandating through government that people be forced to give up their money to have it redistributed to those who don't work is completely anti-Christian.
Ephesians 4:28 (ESV) "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." Ephesians 4:28 should forever put to rest the false notion that Jesus was a socialist or that the Bible teaches redistribution of wealth. It most certainly does not. It does certainly teach sharing and giving of each other's possessions and wealth voluntarily. Government coercion is never suggested and is instead flatly rejected.
3. Knowledge vs. Emotion
Recently a prominent atheist suggested that the most perfect form of government possible would be "Rationalia" where every policy would be based on the weight of evidence. That seems very noble. But too often, especially on the progressive side, facts are manufactured to fit the agenda. Much the same is done through evolutionary biology to support the presuppositional position, naturalism. If facts don't fit the narrative, they are discarded. If statistics don't match the preset conclusion, such as climate change, or gender ideology, or gay marriage or gun control or socialism or big government programs, then those statistics are discarded while others, often disproven studies are magnified. It's a troubling situation.
Yet more often than not the fundamental divide seems to be between knowledge and emotion. The knowledge side often matches up with the Christian and conservative group, not always, but most of the time. Conservatives look to the past, they look to history to see what has worked and what hasn't worked. Christians look to morality, principles, religious faith, and such solid bedrocks for the course of the future. The foundations of the government, and the Constitution rest on the theories, philosophies and ideas of the past. This is all from knowledge of the past.
On the opposing side, there is primarily an emotional response. The goal is to push for compassion and fairness. The primary goal is for equality. But the interesting thing on the progressive side is that definitions change, the theories are always evolving, and the past tends to get ignored, while utopian ideas tend to prompt the naturalists to push into the future through discussion, consensus, and scientific inquiry. Compassion and fairness are good things. But when knowledge in the forms of history, analysis, statistics, and science are ignored to push an ideology then compassion and fairness can quickly become bullying and tyranny.
There is a balance at work between knowledge and emotion. Many times in the past the conservative side has allowed knowledge to go to far in a way where the letter of the law, and the traditions of the past become dogmatic and without compassion or consideration of the minimized minority. On the other side, and more recently compassion can go too far as well. And knowledge gets thrown out the door. Eventually you have open borders leaving the door open to terrorist attacks, you have all kinds of benefits and government programs but the 20 trillion dollar national debt is carefully ignored. The balance is vital, we must center ourselves on knowledge while making sure it remains balanced with compassion and fairness.
Both sides of our national struggle are quite useful in many ways. Throughout the history of the United States there were great awakenings and temperance movements that helped keep the United States population grounded in Christian values, strong morals, service to the poor, social stability, and foundational principles. At the same time and just as important are the American enlightenments prompting incredible scientific discoveries, engineering innovations, medical progress, new technologies, and powerful philosophical ideas tending to be bedded in ancient Greek and Roman ideology and government. This is the primary reason I don't view the other side as enemies. They have most often been our friends and allies in making America great. But as this side steps from classical liberalism (liberty) to progressivism (authoritarian elitism) more and more I have to battle with their worldview. But we aren't enemies, we've often been the best of friends, thinking all the way back to John Adams the conservative Christian and Thomas Jefferson the liberal deist. How can we restore that coalition of left and right working together, not in some ridiculous John Kasich "reach across the aisle" lie where both sides join together to expand government and increase spending, but more so how can both sides rejoin hands in common pursuit and philosophical alliance? We need each other, I'll be big enough to admit that. Food for thought.
4. Liberty vs. Control
Finally the great divide of liberty vs. control. If your more to the left you might say it's a division between liberty and equality. But this is one of the biggest questions of government: How much control is too much control? On one end is the authoritarian and on the other is the libertarian. I come down much closer to the libertarian side. In the past many on the conservative side have actually tended more toward authoritarianism and big government. Often on the left the focus was on more liberty and more freedom. That has really flipped in the past ten years or so.
Conservatives and Christians should always affirm liberty as the very highest virtue of American civilization. The second would be justice. Justice is presuppositioned on due process and receiving a fair hearing. Enforced equality is not. Liberty and justice are the primary values of American society.
On one side you have the desire for gun control, economic control, higher taxation, government controlled healthcare, government run industries, redistribution of wealth, redefinition of marriage, forcing federal decisions on the states, and the like.
On the other side you have the desire for free markets, 2nd amendment rights, freedom of speech, freedom of conscientious objection, personal property rights, states rights, natural marriage, the right to life, and many other positions.
Fundamentally the question is: Should a single person be free and at liberty to make choices, good and bad? Or should government and an intellectual class provide constant input, instruction, boundaries, laws, and if necessary, coercion to enforce the views of the majority? Ultimately I have to believe the most fundamental right is that of a person's ability to be free and at liberty of choice. Secondly this person ought to have the right to justice when his right to liberty is violated or someone else violates his or her rights. Personal liberty is scandalous and more dangerous. It is only able to function properly when the morals and religious principles of the society are in tact. The person then self-imposes restraints on his own actions. The man is a moral authority unto himself and accountable to God. The person is free to worship or not to worship. The free person can be either a menace to society or a blessing to society. That is the danger of freedom and the triumph of freedom. We must advocate for freedom always. What did Jesus say about liberty? What does the Bible say about freedom?
It has a great deal to say about it:
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. -Galatians 5:1 ESV
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. -1 Peter 2:16 ESV
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. -Galatians 5:13 ESV
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. -John 8:32 ESV
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.-2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
Our Christian principles and values, matched with the innovation and genius of the liberal and the freedom loving deists and naturalists have made the United States and western society in general highly prosperous, free and just. There is always work to be done of course. Unfortunately there is a growing divide between these two forces, with authoritarianism, militant atheism, and Marxist socialism beginning to push us away from the vision the founders laid out in the Constitution.
As Christians we are builders of societies, of liberties, of philosophies, and of civilization itself. We must be builders again, because the foundations constructed by our ancestors are being crippled and subverted by a militant new progressivism pushing our society, young people, and social institutions toward disaster. We can build a better future.
It's time for a new renaissance of innovations, ideas, and breakthroughs. We need people willing to start now in the spreading of our ideas, and in the propagation of our principles to the masses, especially the young. We can still win the day. We are entrepreneurs and idealists. We are dreamers. We are followers of the greatest revolutionary of all time, Jesus Christ the son of God. By His power we can build a better future by striking out boldly into new areas, hatching new ideas and starting businesses, in creating academic institutions, media megaphones, and internet outreaches to send our conservative, Christian, creationist views across the entire face of the Earth. We can do it, one day at a time, build that future, it's never too late, and we will win the day. We'll be dogged, constant, fighting day and night, year after year, never giving up, never losing hope, and never fearing the night we see before us. Though evil may prevail for a little while, soon the bright morning of liberty, justice, and truth must break forth.
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- Journey of the Christian through the Forest called Earth
- True Christianity vs. the Modern Culture
- Recovering Consumer & Self Righteous Intellectual
- The Testimony of a Skeptic on the Existence of a Loving God
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