Thursday, July 7, 2016

SO THIS IS HOW LIBERTY DIES . . .

As much as I try to remain distant from political process this year, the FBI dragged me back in. Not because I care about Trump or Hillary, but because I have a deep ingrained sense of Justice as powerful to me as hunger, thirst or the need for air to breathe.
What I saw yesterday was a violation of everything I believed America stood for. I also served this country. I also carried Top Secret clearance and keep national secrets in my possession. I was also well aware of the consequences of violating that trust. Even if no one ever found out I would have betrayed and dishonored my family name. Apparently, I am a dinosaur, a relic that should have been wrapped in a thirteen-star flag and buried wit the Constitution covering my face.
Back in 1983 I sat through two incredible weeks of the Reagan Star Wars conferences. I happened to be running a theater on an isolated base at the time and happened to be vetted for high security clearance. The government and the private sector needed to discuss what was possible for the Strategic Defense Initiative. They also needed someone to operate all of the audio-visual equipment. So there I was quietly working in and around these Pentagon, Defense Industry and Research superstars with a front row view of the Black Tech World. Appropriately I wore a black uniform with no ribbons or name tag, just my rank on the sleeve.
In all of these years I have not once, not one single time revealed a bit of information about it or acknowledged the discussion of that technology even though much of it is public knowledge now. You keep your mouth shut.
Thus I find myself at odds with the same government I served and pledged loyalty to. If those at the top cannot be trusted to Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States, and cannot be trusted to come to the aid of Americans in peril, then what sort of nation do we have?
I questioned the sanity of America when it reelected President Barrack Hussein Obama in 2012 even knowing what he planned to do in a second term. I doubt I will want to live in whatever this nation becomes if we elect a Lawless Woman to the Presidency in 2016. I doubt if I'll need to worry about that for long; I have been on her Enemies List for a very long time - as have been many other veterans of the Old Republic. I won't be surprised when the black sedan arrives at my door.



Tuesday, May 24, 2016

THE F.A.R. PLAN: Foreign Aid Reform



Foreign Aid Reform

 
It is in the best interest of the American people to ensure that the government spend their money wisely and get the best possible value for each expenditure.  One valuable step in that direction is to reform how their tax dollars are distributed around the world. That is at the heart of the Foreign Aid Reform Plan.

Under the current system billions of dollars are allotted to most of the countries in the world to do with as they please with no accountability and no effort to see that the funds are used for the stated purpose. When questioned about the use of American aid dollars we are often met with “sovereignty” or “national security” stonewalls. That will no longer be the case.

Under the Foreign Aid Reform Plan there will be a detailed accounting for money received and tangible proof that the money was used for the requested purpose. If the American taxpayers sent 1.5 billion dollars to build a new highway, a new harbor or a new dam, these are the sorts of things that can be monitored and verified independent of government contact. These are the sorts of things that foreign aid was originally intended for: essentially, to improve the lives of friendly nations and enhance their abilities to grow economically, respond to emergencies and adequately defend their territory. Any other use must be shown to be in the interest of the United States as well as the people of the country receiving aid.

  1. INITIAL STAGE

  1. All foreign aid for the subsequent fiscal year is cancelled.
  2. A very limited list of countries will be granted a waiver of effect for this Plan. That list can have as few as three names but no more than ten (10).
  3. Those funds will not be restored. Instead they will be used for the purposes benefitting the people who earned it in the first place: infrastructure improvement, national defense, Social Security solvency.
  4. Every country will have to submit a request for aid in writing for the following year. It is to be detailed in describing the use of funds, reportage for accounting, and progress from year to year.
WAIVER OF EFFECT

  1. The most controversial part of this controversial bill is the granting of waivers and who will be on that list and who will decide. Simply put: the granting of waivers of effects will be predicated on those countries that have shown loyalty to and consistent support for the interests of the American people. (Countries such as Japan, Australia and Israel come to mind.)
  2. The duration of waivers has not been determined at this time.

  1. APPLICATION CONSIDERATIONS
     
    There are additional issues associated with the FAR Plan application. The relationship between America and the applicant nation is paramount. A nation that is consistently hostile to American interests and policies will not have a strong position from which to make a request. A nation routinely disrespectful of American culture and policies will likewise have difficulties in getting their “request” granted.
    Understand this is a request for money from the American workers. Every sovereign nation is entitled to operate in its own best interest. Every nation is entitled to hold any opinion or policy its laws and people permit. No nation is entitled to money from the citizens of the United States. Your problems are your problems. If we choose to help, we will, but no one can expect generosity from a neighbor who has suffered your abuse in the past.


  1. FINAL CONSIDERATION
     
    Every nation must understand that America is also a sovereign entity and it is also a unique entity in that sovereign powers are invested in each American citizen. Since every citizen is a valuable part of the nation it follows that how nations treat those citizens within their borders is of interest to the United States. Fully twenty-five percent (25%) of any final request will be dependent on the Status of Americans Abroad Report filed by our State Department. This will include:

  1. Issues of crime and official corruption affecting visiting tourist, workers abroad and ex-patriots dwelling on a ‘permanent’ basis within your borders and areas of control.
  2. Treatment of those suspected of criminal offenses. The laws of the host country may be enforced as those nations see fit. However, access to prisoners by American officials is never to be denied, proper medical and nutritional needs are to be provided by the host nation or permitted through the State Department resources.
  3. Even after conviction, access to prisoners is not to be denied and prisoners are to be treated humanely in the manner that nation expects its own citizens to be treated in American prisons.
  4. An unsatisfactory rating from the United States government will automatically reduce any granted aid by 25%.
 

This is not an effort to exert undue pressure on the sovereign rights and independence of any nation. This is not an effort to influence policies of any nation. This is an effort to properly steward the wealth and goodwill of the American people. They are not under any obligation to fund those nations who mistreat them, who abuse them and do not agree with their policies and will expressed through Trade, Travel, Military Assistance and Personal Safety. It is in the interest of any nation choosing to request aid from the American people to ensure they are in their good graces. Otherwise, seek aid elsewhere.