AMERICA IS FAR FROM DEAD

AMERICA IS FAR FROM DEAD

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

Many nation’s malcontents and pundits are rooting for the demise of capitalism. The Arab Spring, the riots in Europe and its offshoot, Occupy Wall Street, are all angry with their national governments’ corrupt leadership and international corporate greed. The crucial issue for this turmoil is not capitalism but the insidious marriage between the power elites of government and that of the corporate world.

The leader of the free world, America, has received the brunt of the criticism nationally and internationally for the current economic downturn. We have played power politics to foster international and internal stability. Our support of certain dictatorships and international corporations over freedom seeking young people as in Iran and small businesses has rightfully been questioned. We need to reevaluate our foreign policy and allow the free market to work.

Governments worldwide and international corporations have entered into unholy alliances, which are contrary to capitalism. These corporations have funneled money to government representatives to receive special legislative favors that give them an unfair competitive advantage. The revolving door between government and nearly monopolistic corporations has resulted in what is called today “crony capitalism” and in the past was fascism.

In the United States both political parties have used the power of the executive branch to pursue policies to grow government’s power disregarding the Constitution and the people’s will. We are rightfully losing trust in our institutions.

Our leaders and culture have been corrupted by the notion that “it is all about money.” We have lost our moral bearing, the social backbone of our society. Our nation is indeed in a poor place in the economic and moral cycle, although we definitely can rebound.

There are plenty of things that are wrong but there are more things right about the U.S. History shows us that living is difficult in whatever period of time one examines. Somehow America has muddled along from the beginning making the necessary changes to put us on a steady course. During crisis after crisis, the Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, WWI and WWII, the great depression, the Cuban Missile Crisis, assassinations of the 1960s, Carter’s Iran hostage crisis, 9/11 and this Great Recession many people have thought the USA’s end is near.

At those frightening moments Americans have thought about all we have to lose. September 11, like other major crises in our history united us all. We forgot about our differences and remembered what makes us an exceptional nation. These realizations of what we have to lose are similar to what families and friends feel at a funeral. The death of a person brings a flood of all the things we will never again experience with the person. The shortcomings are overlooked or forgotten, all the goodness flashes in front of the mourner. This brings on the regrets of not telling the individual when he was alive how much he was appreciated for his being and actions.

Today our appreciation for all we have in the United States is almost non-existent. We have a tremendous amount to lose if we turn our backs on our moral principles and our capitalistic roots that have allowed our nation to prosper.

Before we topple our entire system because some corrupt businessmen and politicians are exploiting it, we must realize all the advantages of living in the United States we would lose. Our free market has allowed people from all over the world the opportunity to keep the wealth they earned through their own efforts . The possibility of obtaining the American dream has made us a beacon to the world.

Americans have a responsibility to openly criticize their leaders and nation whenever the will of the people is not being represented by the government. Freedom of speech is a unique and essential element that makes us great. However, citizens do not have the right to resort to violence nor blatant deception. A significant majority of our citizens do not believe that the end justifies the means.

Many people in the past counted America as a society close to death. Our weaknesses have caused other nations to misjudge our internal strength. The only thing these attacks on our homeland have done is wake up a sleeping giant.

Anarchy and chaos do not lead to improvement but to destruction. No civilization, culture or person has ever been perfect. Man, by his nature is imperfect.

Creating a better world is much harder to accomplish than tearing down the old one.

United States citizens reject the road of redistributing wealth. Socialism, even in the milder form of European Democratic Socialism, is unsustainable. The combining of big government and corporations- crony capitalism/fascism – also will fail as the corruption is uncovered.

Americans need to insist on the free market where there is a level playing field to insure there is no favoritism of bailouts or picking winners and losers. Fair competitive capitalism needs to be the ideal not crony capitalism. This reestablishment of capitalism not arbitrary redistributing of wealth would resolve the major objections of both Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party to the present shenanigans of Wall Street and big government joining together.

It will take most of us to improve our country and benefit all of us. By being more fiscally sound, morally prudent and doing our civic duty we will improve the nation one person at a time

The return to a more moral and less intrusive government will unite America. It will revitalize our economy and citizens. We will enter an era of strength and prosperity. The rest of the world of nations will follow our lead.

Dr. Maglio is the author of Invasion Within and Essential Parenting. He is a psychotherapist and the owner/director of Wider Horizons School.

Visit: www.drmaglio.com.

READER BEWARE: A FREE PRESS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ACCURATE OR TRUTHFUL

READER BEWARE: A FREE PRESS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ACCURATE OR TRUTHFUL

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

Going all the way back to our revolutionary war time the newspapers said slanderous things about their opposition. During the John Adams and Thomas Jefferson presidential campaigns newspaper commentary was incendiary and often absolutely untrue. Neither candidate had the ability to hold the newspapers accountable for the slanderous statements their opponent’s supporters made.

Our Founding Fathers were concerned about the ruling power controlling what was allowed to be printed, not its accuracy. James Madison stated, "The security of the freedom of the press requires that it should be exempt, not only from previous restraint of the executive, as in Great Britain; but from legislative restraint also; and this exemption, not only from the previous inspection of licensers, but from the subsequent penalty of laws." He feared writers would self-censor or not publish their works if government could prosecute them for an anti government article.

The first amendment to the Constitution “ prohibits any law…infringing on the freedom of the press….” Our founders were clearly concerned about limiting freedom of speech not about the accuracy of the information. It appears they had faith in educated and responsible citizens discerning the truth and they would prevail over sloppy or deceitful reporting.

The over whelming majority of the mainstream press, 85-90%, identify themselves as being left of center. It is reasonable to believe they would have a progressive bias although as professional journalists they would maintain a high level of objectivity. This seems not to be the case. It appears ideology has replaced objectivity in schools of journalism. Creating a leftist narrative has become the priority of the major news organizations like the New York Times and Associated Press. Subjectivity not only appears to be preferred over objectivity but “deceptiveness to create a perception” is being rewarded in the mainstream newspapers.

On Friday, September 23^rd, 2011 there was an attack on a new campaign office of President Obama in West Los Angeles, CA. At 7:00pm windows were smashed by a pellet gun. Immediately reports suggested it could be politically motivated. This, of course, would indicate that right wing radicals were to blame. There was not the slightest evidence offered or discussion of other more plausible explanations such as vandalism.

In the Tucson, Arizona shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others the mainstream media initially identified Jared Loughner as a “right winger.” Pima County Sheriff, Clarence Dupnik, immediately blamed radio talk show hosts and cable television for creating the climate for this horrendous act. It turned out that Loughner was an insane person involved with leftist causes.

New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg and the mainstream press, hopefully hypothesized that the Times Square car bomber was a Tea Party member. He was found to be a Muslim extremist.

A commentary on the September 17, 2011 Wall Street Day of Rage, described the left wing group as right wing. Colin Moynehan, stated in an article, “Wall Street begins with demonstration blocked. Organizers said the rally was meant to be diverse, and not all of the participants were on the left. Followers of the right-wing figure, Lyndon LaRouche formed a choir near Bowling Green and sang “The Star Spangled Banner” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Nearby, anarchists carried sleeping bags and tents.”

Lyndon LaRouche is a committed progressive, not a conservative. He ran for president from 1976-2004, once as a Labor Party candidate and seven times as a democrat. Supporters view him as the next FDR. In fact the same LaRouche supporters appeared at Tea Party events with posters of Obama with a Hitler moustache. The media reported them as “right wing hate signs.”

Originally the press speculated that the Ft. Hood shooter was affiliated with militia groups. It turned out Major Nigel Hasan was a committed Muslim extremist.

The press has consistently described the Westboro Baptist Church as “right wing nut jobs.” The inspirational leader of the church, Fred Phelps, has run for office as a democrat. Phelps has run in various Kansas Democrat Party primaries four times. These included races for governor in 1990, 1994, and 1998 and in the 1992 Democrat Party primary for U.S. Senate. Again, a radical leftist that has made a fool of himself protesting the funerals of deceased American soldiers is being misrepresented as a religious conservative.

The beat goes on. The mainstream media is using the power of the press to mislead the American public. This has caused enormous confusion in the electorate. Ideally it would be wonderful if reporters were held by their superiors to a higher standard of the truth. This is not being done.

American citizen’s actions are giving the mainstream media a vote of no confidence. They are following the truth by shifting their news sources. The viewership of the mainstream media is shrinking while the alternative media is thriving.

It is up to We the People to beware of false narratives. Citizens should self educate and remember the difference between the initial reporting and the eventually substantiated facts. We must be discerning of the stories we read and what actually turns out to be the truth. We have a free press but it does not mean every writer and news organization has professional integrity. We must do our due diligence as patriotic citizens.

Dr. Maglio is the author of Invasion Within and Essential Parenting. He is a psychotherapist and the owner/director of Wider Horizons School.

Visit: www.drmaglio.com.

WALL STREET OCCUPATION IGNORANCE: A PRODUCT OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM

WALL STREET OCCUPATION IGNORANCE: A PRODUCT OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist.

The Wall Street rage started on September 17^th, 2011. Most of the original occupiers of this festival of alienation were college students, the unemployed and individuals who wanted to revisit the sex, drugs, filth and arrests of the 1960s counter-revolution that their teachers glorified in high school and college. They are joined by union organizers, celebrities and some participants who reportedly get $300-600 per week to attend.

There was the same freaky communal democratic chaos and feelings of the 1960 hippies being surrounded by like-minded people. These predominately young adults were disenchanted by their unfulfilled dreams. They continue not to have a specific focus to correct their many grievances. These concerns are all over the map from animal abuse, global warming, racism, corporate greed, and personal financial issues.

These protestors had plenty of gripes. A college student wanted her college loans and rent paid for by the government. A well-dressed young man in his early 30s complained he worked as a lawyer. He said he was overworked and underpaid. A protestor was asked why he was there and he said he was against capitalism. When asked what he would replace it with, he was unable to reply.

The origins of the Wall Street protests was derived in the 99% Movement that went through Europe. Many progressives fanned the flames of class warfare such as Van Jones, George Soros, Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters. This movement was planned for over a year to arrive in the USA on September 17^th as the Day of Rage. This is an international effort to bury capitalism.

The anger towards bailouts of financial institutions and picking winners and losers is a mantra of these anarchists. However these “educated” students did not seem to understand that picking winners and losers was contrary to capitalist principles.

These malcontents did not know the difference between a centrally controlled economy and a free market economy. They did not seem to know the Tea Party was against the government interfering in the free market forces to determine who would succeed and who would fail. They seem not to understand unregulated competition is a capitalist concept or that President Obama’s administration picked winners and losers. They did not know that President Obama received significantly more money from the financial corporations than did candidate McCain during the 2008 presidential elections. Do they know that many 1960 radical hippies joined the establishment becoming corporate big wigs and educators?

The ignorance of the Wall Street protestors is understandable when you realize American civics and history are often not taught or taught from an anti American perspective in our public schools. They have been indoctrinated to believe that Marxist ideals are viable while are shielded from the facts that every nation that followed this path throughout history has resulted in economic and human rights

failure.

Most shocking is they accepted the propaganda that they are entitled to start at the top once they receive a degree. Many of these “educated” adults believe their credential is more important than their productivity on a job. They have been sold a bill of goods that sitting in a classroom insures a great job and the United States is greedy. They believe they have a right to receive the wealth of others to put them on the same footing with the rich and famous.

This naïve, unruly mob wants financial equity with the rich without earning it. This is a dream scenario when entering the work force but a nightmare when you worked yourself up the capitalist ladder. This immoral approach of robbing (redistributing a person’s wealth) is the reason our brilliant founding fathers insured the right of the individual to his private property.

The exceptionalism of the USA has to be emphasized in schools instead of magnifying every blemish to diminish America’s great accomplishments. This anti-American bias has to end.

American education is doing a great disservice to our children by perpetuating over inflated evaluations, false high self-esteem and encouraging students to live in an alternate, utopian fantasy world.

The 1960s hippie experiment was a pathetic failure. This latest attempt of the radical left to hold America hostage will help our young citizens gain insight into the thinking of these delusional people.

This fiasco of attempting to destroy our free market economy has to be exposed. The international 99% Movement will come to light with time. The free marketplace of ideas will put the United Stated back on firm footing. America pragmatism will again give us the edge in the global economy to lead the world out of chaos towards stability and prosperity.

Dr. Maglio is the author of Invasion Within and Essential Parenting. He is a psychotherapist and the owner/director of Wider Horizons School.

Visit: www.drmaglio.com.

CAN THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 REIGNITE OUR FREE MARKET?

CAN THE 10^TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 REIGNITE OUR FREE MARKET?

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD Traditional Realist

This is the 10^th anniversary of the terrorist attack on America. People are remembering the way we felt when this attack occurred. It brought us all together to appreciate what we have and to realize how fortunate we are to live in The United States of America.

Our nation was built on the hard work and lives of many who fought so we can have our freedom. However, the United States is not for everyone. It is for the rugged competitor who values freedom above all else. Unless a person comes from a wealthy family, he has to work to survive and prosper. The USA safety net is intentionally small and fragile. Citizens are expected to use their energy, creativity and effort to labor up the economic ladder. They are supposed to make their wealth through their own effort not to take the wealth of others through accepting public assistance.

America is and has been the land of opportunity for people who are willing to start at the bottom and work their way up. The choices in the USA are many but each comes with consequences. Accepting government assistance, except for the truly impaired, is seen by most as an admission of laziness. A person temporarily unemployed has the personal and civic responsibility to take a lesser position until he finds a better job or creates one. His work record sends a strong message to future employers that the person is a motivated worker.

A person with a spotty or no work record ends up sending up a red flag. An individual on the dole loses his motivation to show his worth in the free market. The decision to accept government handouts undermines a person’s resolve to remain outside the seductive clutches of government “largesse.

Freedom loving people want nothing with strings attached. They are willing to work in exchange for a salary and a chance to prove and improve themselves. Some may be exploited but sooner or later they understand another job or business opportunity will materialize to prove that he has the perseverance to be a success.

This courageous climb to the top in the free market is negatively called the "rat race". It is competitive and difficult although there are great rewards at the end. The higher one goes, the greater the risks but the bigger the prize.

Anyone in America with courage and initiative can choose the journey. At this point in time government meddling in the free market is growing but it is still far less than most developed nations. There are licenses and educational restrictions to limit joining in the adventure but as of now, the motivated and creative people find a way to get around bureaucratic red tape.

America is at a crossroads. The past several administrations have been enlarging the power of the federal government at the expense of the people's freedom. The proponents of big government are offering citizens more governmental services and even redistributive money. Citizen’s only requirement is to remain passive as the federal government dismantles our Bill of Rights, Constitution and our economic solvency.

The recipients of unearned government handouts usually are unaware once they start this process they are at the mercy of the bureaucratic decisions and lose all power to control their destiny. They become victims surrendering their freedom for entitlements that dwindle in value as more join their ranks. Too many Americans are willing to sell their souls for supposedly “free” health care. These people are unwittingly accepting government telling them what they can eat, drink, smoke, drive and what jobs to take in order to remain in the good graces of the big hand of government.

Fortunately there are many aware patriotic citizens who understand we are being stripped of our rights and freedoms. They want to keep their spiritual and economic freedom and are fighting to keep government out of our lives and pockets. They are uniting to choke off the money gushing into the "beast"-Washington, DC. It is a peaceful but powerful insurrection to stop the centralizing of federal power.

The saving of America would be accomplished by breaking the federal government's chaining of the entrepreneurial spirit. Self-reliant entrepreneurs have made America an economic dynamo. Government must stay out of the way of small business for us to continue to prosper.

The choice for us has never been clearer. It is up to all Americans to decide if they want a nation that controls all the choices and actions of its citizens, a nanny state, or one that allows citizens to determine their own destiny, a free market state. Rejection of government's seductive promises (lies) will keep the USA functioning at the highest socio economic level the world has ever witnessed.

Our nation cannot endure a civil war where half our citizens are productively working while the other half is given government payoffs to vote for the ruling political party. This is a failed formula that results in bankruptcy that tears apart every fiber of society that binds us together and leads us down a path of decline.

Our tenth anniversary of 9/11 can act as an historical, galvanizing event like the end of the Civil War to bring all Americans together revitalizing our nation. Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address stated:"...this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom in that government of the people, by the people shall not perish from the earth."

At this juncture all citizens should be inspired to non-violently fend off government’s intrusion into every aspect of our daily lives. Being victorious in the struggle to preserve our economic opportunities and freedoms will pay generous dividends to all American citizens and will be a beacon to the rest of the world.

Dr. Maglio is the author of Invasion Within and Essential Parenting. He is a psychotherapist and the owner/director of Wider Horizons School.

Visit: www.drmaglio.com.

WHO SHOULD RAISE THE KIDS, PARENTS OR SCHOOLS?

WHO SHOULD RAISE THE KIDS, PARENTS OR SCHOOLS?

By Domenick J. Maglio, PhD. Traditional Realist

Our nation has thrived with parents having the right and responsibility to raise their children as they see fit. Parents are not perfect in all their decisions but for the most part they have given us strong morals and insight to succeed in a complex society. The state has only been allowed to intervene when the child’s life was in imminent danger. As government has grown local, state and federal laws dictating when a representative can invade the sanctity of the family has expanded.

The current line of attack on the family unit is being fought in public schools. Prayer and almost any mention of God have been nearly eradicated although the overwhelming majority of citizens approve of them. Even the concept of the family has been blurred by including all types of configurations of people residing in a house as equal to a father, mother and children.

Now the rights and responsibility of parents to determine what is proper for their children to eat and drink are being usurped by government bureaucrats and enforced by school officials. First certain foods and drinks were banned in vending machines. Now Los Angeles county school district is outlawing chocolate milk in the lunchroom.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, children in the LA united school district responded to soda being restricted in school vending machines by bringing their own to school in their lunch boxes. Ultimately parents have the power not to give their children money to buy soda and to refuse to provide soda for them to put in their lunchboxes.

Students may not have the availability to buy soda, cigarettes or drugs in school but it does not mean they cannot obtain them somewhere else in the community. By removing the opportunity to make reasonable and simple decisions like what beverage to drink, we are setting the child up not to learn to making good decisions.

Children who are not used to denying themselves are more susceptible to addictive behavior. A student whose parents tell him not to buy soda should listen to them or suffer parental consequences for not listening. These are wonderful lessons for instilling the values that keep the child on the straight and narrow path.

Parents have more time and intimate knowledge of their child than any government bureaucrat can possibly possess. By government schools decreeing what children should eat, they are undermining the authority of the parents. Some modern parents may initially be relieved to have the state taking over their child’s eating habits. These same people will not be so receptive if the menu in their homes or particular physical exercise would be dictated by government bureaucrats. Limiting parental freedom to educate their own children as to the best way to live is a slippery slope. We have seen intellectual elites in centralized nations like Cuba, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union attempt to indoctrinate instead of educate children. When government attempts to micromanage every aspect of society by gradually reducing personal freedom citizens become more dependent until they become enslaved.

Unless we want to live in a totalitarian regime, the responsibility of raising a child needs to remain in the most efficient social unit, the family.

United States citizens need to evaluate the type of society they want. The more our government schools offer programs and mandates that minimize the role and power of the parent and increase the already unrealistic job description of the teacher the more student’s education will suffer.

Educating students and parents about the importance of nutrition and exercise for health and longevity affects people’s choices. This is already happening in public schools where soda consumption is declining even in schools with soda in vending machines.

Our children should learn to make good choices not be limited in their freedom.

Better choices will not only happen in the school building but throughout the community. Students should not be denied making age appropriate decisions. They should be taught how to make rational choices, which will protect them in a multitude of situations.

Modern parents need to be empowered to be strong authority figures by our schools, not be dismissed. When parents are more precise in their expectations and standards at home, students do perform better in school. Parents and schools need to be on the same page in order to maximize the student’s learning.

There will never be enough state workers to replace the parents in the life of the child. Parents have the primary responsibility to buy the food, provide opportunities for physical activity and teach children to make good choices. Parents should be encouraged and inspired to be the best parents they can be. Hopefully no bureaucrat will ever be assigned by law more power to control a child than a functioning parent.

Dr. Maglio is the author of Invasion Within and Essential Parenting. He is a psychotherapist and the owner/director of Wider Horizons School.

Visit: www.drmaglio.com.