Dear America,

Happy Monday.

Two words not often coupled with each other; but suitable for the sentiment of the day.

The world is ripe with contradictions, hypocrisy and double standards --  even white washing and fudging the truth should be thrown in while we're at it -- as it just depends on who is speaking, the audience, and the context in which the words are spoken, doesn't it.

For the most part, America is a propaganda machine; we churn it out so fast, not before Gore invented the internet did we ever have the ability to keep up with it -- or attempt to try anyway.

Some of these instances of contradiction to reality come to mind rather easily.

Take for example, all of the angst and hoopla over the airing of the Focus on the Family ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother, during the Super Bowl.  Understanding it's old news already, I encourage you to stay with me for a bit.

The organizations such as NARAL and NOW just lambasted the audacity to air such a family friendly, prolife ideology during the biggest fantasy football day of the year -- and to actually tackle his mom in it, oh my, that act of violence towards women in general, and his mom in particular, quickly grew to become their second line of attack; and then, make no mistake, it was open season on Focus on the Family.  The weeks leading up to one of the largest television audiences of all time, this family, both literally and figuratively, were demonized and buried into the turf by the opposition, who came at them with the force of a million linebackers again and again and again.

How could such an organization do such a thing, they would remark-- and during the quintessential family day of all things, while everyone would be sitting around eating chips and dip, watching the biggest game of the year like that, as a family -- to have the gall to air such an ad as this -- what in the world is this world turning into, they would say.

They used whatever words they could muster in their feeble attempt to win the argument against the sponsor, Focus on the Family -- and in response, the Focus on the Family repeatedly clung to the same mantra --wait and see, wait and see, wait and see.

As calm as can be this family, along with the entire team and fans behind Focus on the Family, waited -- basking in the knowledge that they knew what the ad would say, and more importantly, what the ad would stand for; and they waited, sitting patiently in the light of principle and values unmatched and clearly unbeknownst by the opposition.

In spite of the continually unfair attacks coming in from the sidelines at all angles and at all costs, we all know how it ended.  After all the hype and character assassinations, after taking things out of context, or adding color and confusion to what is otherwise black and white, after attempting to turn 'little Timmy' and his mom into some kind of Christian coalition of Jesus Freaks or some kind of warped proponents of making violent attacks on women -- the ad aired.

And it was done.

Never did the ad make people, children or small dogs, feel uncomfortable.  Never did it preach.

It was simply a proud  moment of a mother and son -- and almost nothing more than that.  As the real call to action was to go to the Focus on the Family website, or not. The choice was left up to the viewer.

Oh sure, she was tackled -- to the floor!  (And if you believe that, I have swamp land in Florida to show you, oh the beauty of make believe TV at it again.)

But skip back into the real world if you will; what about Betty White?

I'm just not hearing anyone from NOW speaking out about Betty.
I'm just not hearing anyone get after the corporate creators of the likes of Snickers Bars everywhere.
I'm just not hearing anyone speak out on behalf of little old Betty hitting the turf in the Snickers Bar ad, poking fun at the idea that "you're just not you when you're hungry" -- an ad running rampant as we speak.

Oh sure, it's funny when Betty gets flung through the air and buried under a pile of boys, not just one son, landing in a pool of mud up to her eyeballs. Yeah, that's funny; but a Heisman trophy kinda kid who's wearing bible verses in his black under-eye, not so much.

Dennis Blair, an admiral with  personal experience dealing with radical Islam and a history of making it's clear distinctions, can sink to new lows as Director of National Security, by way of whitewashing terrorism the Obama way; telling it like it is, Franklin Graham, not so much -- matter of fact, now, an invitation from the army to speak on National Day of Prayer it is rescinded on just so much.

Newscasters can make general remarks and accusations about the NY Subway bomber as to having "weapons of mass destruction" --

"Mr. Zazi, 25, pleaded guilty in United States District Court in Brooklyn to charges that included conspiracies to use weapons of mass destruction and to commit murder in a foreign country, and to provide material support for a terrorist organization. He faces a possible life term when he is sentenced on June 25."

but the W, in his every intent and aspiration to protect a nation, makes such a claim against an evil dictator, not so much.  Let alone the reality right here and right now, that the entire middle east now has the makings of weapons with mass destruction... perhaps everyone could use a swallow of the get real pill, but let's keep going...

Then we have Wall Street.  The federal government gives a pass to Fannie and Freddie, featuring Frank and Dodd, and makes Goldman Sachs the evil one. The same Wall Street and Goldman who bank rolled the Obama administration getting in are now on the chopping block -- oh paybacks are a bitch, aren't they?  Goldman gave nearly one million dollars to the Obama campaign -- almost 4.5 million dollars to the democrats in 2008 combined (to the other side, a measly 1.5 million in all)  Who is kidding who here? Or is it really just all a part of some hidden agenda, masterminded from a think tank of George Soros and his imperialistic empire leaning to the far left?  Ahh, but now I would be sounding like some kind of conspiracy theorist, and we wouldn't want that now would we?

GM is gloating on ads these days, featuring their own Ed Whitacre, gushing over the fact that they have repaid their government loan -- interesting to note, these ads began on the very day of this announcement on all news wires!  Does the AP have a room in the back of the factory?  Or is it in the White House?  That must have taken some doing, to create and produce the ad and make the market watch announcement by the government all on the same day.  How about that kind of timing for a propaganda masterpiece.  Ahhh stop with the conspiracy theory, enough already...

Oh sure, he says  they have repaid the 8 BILLION dollar government loan -- five years ahead of schedule.  How could it be anything less than joy to the world....it is done...and it was good....happy days are here again.

Oh right.
He made no mention of the 53 BILLION the taxpayers are still on the hook for; because that's not a loan, it is called ownership -- we bought stock in a business that was about to go under.  We bought into a business which was failing in every which way to Sunday against the competition, without blinking an eye.  We are banking on GM rising out of the weeds, making tread on the pavement and leaving Toyota in it's tracks.  And if GM can do that, we, Americans, could still stand to make billions! 

Once upon a time the Department of Education had a budget of 12 Billion dollars.  It was 1965 and much of the school of thought managed to keep most of the responsibility to the states and local jurisdiction.  Times have changed, however, and we now have a budget of over 100 Billion dollars -- in an area that has yet to prove it's ability to manage the education of our children any better.

Look around.  Are kids seeing the benefits of this 100 Billion, or is it merely the bureaucracy that's booming?
Look around.  Are more kids graduating from inner city schools or joining a gang?
Look around.  Understanding sports can maintain keeping the kids off the streets and keeping their focus on the straight and narrow path of higher education, how many kids do you know still write links to bible verses under their eyes and have the conviction to stand up to it in front of the entire world?  One in a million.

Currently, there is a new bill on the agenda to cover 32 BILLION dollars to tend to the GREENING of our schools -- 32 BILLION DOLLARS, one third of the entire DoE budget added in new legislation!  Just to cover the costs related to simply the changing few light bulbs, replacing fixtures with low-flow toilets, and upgrading schools everywhere with enough solar panels and eco-friendly whatnot's to fuel a third world country a million times over.  Making superficial changes to the epidemic disparity happening each and every day may make for a good soundbite, but in the end proves to be money far from being well spent.

If you are gonna throw your money around like that, shouldn't the benefactor be the children? Can you just imagine a troubled school system, take Chicago for example, getting a gift of just one of those billions?  Maybe it's just me, but go ahead and squander, don't let me stop ya.

"The way to have good and safe government is not to trust it all to one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to every one exactly the functions he is competent to [perform best]. Let the national government be entrusted with the defense of the nation, and its foreign and federal relations; the State governments with the civil rights, laws, police, and administration of what concerns the State generally; the counties with the local concerns of the counties, and each ward [township] direct the interests within itself. 

It is by dividing and subdividing these republics, from the great national one down through all its subordinations, until it ends in the administration of every man's farm by himself; by placing under every one what his own eye may superintend, that all will be done for the best. 

What has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every government which has ever existed under the sun?  The generalizing and concentrating all cares and powers into one body, no matter whether of the autocrats of Russia or France, or of the aristocrats of Venetian senate."

                                                            Thomas Jefferson

Again and again, it's all in how you look at it.
Again and again, it comes down to who is speaking.
Again and again, it gets down to what's in it for them -- coupled with what's in it for me -- if I choose to follow.
And sometimes, if we're lucky, it's nothing more complicated than telling the truth and standing by such truth.

Make it a Good Day, G

Note to self: do your homework -- and remember, not everything that you read, or hear, is true.