The Difference Between the American Nation and Others

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AMERICAN NATION AND OTHERS

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

America has been a haven of freedom-loving people. It is not a nation of a particular race or ethnic group. The people who came to America from all over the world wanted the freedom and opportunity it offered them.

There never has been gold lining the streets but there are many immigrants who wanted a chance to raise themselves up by their own bootstraps. Hard work and sacrifice still exist as a formula to prosper in the USA. Look at any group of recent immigrants, they are competing to get ahead and are doing it.

These new immigrants and the existing doers among our countrymen are the role models who capture the indomitable spirit of America. Doers do not want anyone, especially government, to tell them how and what to do. They desire the freedom to live their own lives. These doers do not want to owe anyone, expect or accept government handouts. They are proud, independent people who reject government interference in reaching their self defined goals.

There is no difference between any other nationality compared to an American as most want the chance to climb the socio economic ladder.

In the past the vast majority of immigrants who came to the US did not seek government dependency; they were running from it. They detested it because they understood the cost. They abhor any strings attached to receiving welfare and refuse to be envious or make excuses for not being as well off as others. The only thing they seek is an entry level position or the chance to start a small family business.

American exceptionalism is not based on the ethnic and racial superiority of our people for we are from every corner of the world. It is clearly our culture and our historical freedoms that encourage every one of us to reach our goals through our efforts. America has been the land of opportunity.

Too many citizens of America have become un-American. They want a cradle to grave government existence. These weak and easily frightened parasites have every constitutional right to advocate for socialism, communism, fascism or use their freedom to leave for another country. These dissatisfied citizens reject traditional American ideals and are not believers in what is unique about our country. However, most want to keep their own status and money while crusading for redistributing the wealth of the middle class to assuage the guilt of their own material wealth.

We are an exceptional nation because of our self-reliant values, willingness to work hard and save for our families and our strong belief in God. There are many “have nots” in other countries who just want a chance to be “haves” by being allowed to earn and keep their wealth. They come with the strong family and moral values needed to succeed. Let them come because we need them more than ever.

We are at a tipping point in America of doers and takers. This 2012 election can be the end of freedom or the United States or an incredible rebirth. It will show whether Americans want a large government dependent society or a limited government with a free market society.

The choice is between two different approaches in governing: A central government that controls all aspects of one’s life or a limited government encouraging individual initiative and doer energy to propel the nation. Even if the people choose a limited government and a capitalist economy it will be up to the citizens to keep the ruling class of both parties from reasserting its power through devious means.

The choosing of a welfare state will turn the tide of productive people’s desire to come to America. We will become dispirited like almost all other countries in the world. Too many of our people will complain about the ineffective government programs and not hold themselves accountable for their own pathetic, lazy existence.

If the balancing point is passed where the takers outweigh the doers we will rapidly tumble into an immoral, disorganized, unproductive society. At this juncture there will be little inspiration or wealth to redistribute and our fate as “a has been” nation will be sealed. As the doers realize America has chosen the taker’s path they will jump ship for another freer and more prosperous country. America’s exceptionalism will no longer exist. It is doubtful another country will rise to take America’s place. All nations will become equally unexceptional.

Our founding fathers learned from England’s repression of the colonies, Adam Smith’s, Wealth of Nations and the study of history of past nations the most effective way to organize the government to insure the people’s freedom. These lessons gave them an enlightened perspective to forge a constitution that is not based on limiting citizen’s freedom but limiting government’s power to interfere in the lives of it’s citizens. This great experiment is the legacy that has made America the beacon oof the world.

People have come to America specifically for the freedom and opportunity our founders granted each and everyone of us. Let us not sacrifice this incredible gift on the altar of false government promises. America’s inspiration to the world should be preserved for the people of all nations.

Dr. Maglio is an author and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.com.

THE ABO AND ETCH-A-SKETCH CANDIDATE

THE ABO AND THE ETCH-A-SKETCH CANDIDATE

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

Many people are fed up with the direction taken by the United States. Just like the democrats with former president G.W. Bush, now the republicans with President Obama, believe the removal of the party leader will miraculously bring back the vitality and greatness of America.

“Anyone but Obama,” ABO, is wishful thinking. President Obama is an aggressively committed progressive. He has fought for rapid Marxist change by often ignoring constitutional and legislative procedures. Be careful what you ask for, you might not the change that you get.

Republican 2008 nominee, John McCain, G.W. Bush and most republican presidents for the past 60 years were “gradual change” progressives. Each one of them might have spoken about limiting the size of government but each enlarged the scope and size of it. They proposed different variations of a mixed economy each with progressive redistribution of wealth.

The United States does not need another slick politician saying one thing during the campaign and then doing another thing once in office. President Obama told Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, “On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this can be solved. But it is important for him (Putin) to give me space. This is my last election.” I can be more flexible after the election is over.”

The American people should not ignore the president’s off-the-record remarks nor should we settle for a politician without principles who has a history of flip-flopping on issues depending on the audience. The presidency is not another product to be sold through slogans and outright lies. Americans do not want or need another stealth progressive RINO.

Long-term adviser, Eric Fehrnstrom, indicated that Mitt Romney would be more moderate after the primary. “I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It is almost like an etch-a-sketch. You can shake it up and we start all over again.” We need a president who means what he says and says what he means to bring back faith in our representative.

Our nation is in an economic crisis. The USA’s deficit is $15 trillion and climbing. Welfare safety net programs have proliferated that drain the treasury. Plus 50% of Americans do not even pay income tax but receive some form of government benefit. This has happened while international corporations have been given corporate welfare. They receive special legislative waivers from regulations and get taxpayer money for an unfair advantage over other businesses especially small ones.

Government mandates and regulations may give the public a false sense of security as did BP in the petroleum industry, Enron, MF Global and the entire Wall Street debacle. This illusion was short lived. Politicians with similar limited moral conscience join hands with crooked corporate businessmen to protect them for a handsome fee.

Businessmen without scruples can fleece the consumers. No enforcement of government regulations can control rampant immoral business practices. Defective medical devices, contaminated food and medicine, electronic knock-offs, false advertisement of a product can only be effectively limited by the moral conscience of the seller. When trust in the marketplace is lost, capitalism is undermined.

America can no longer be described as G.W. Bush described it when he said, “It is all about money.” This sums up an immoral and easily corrupted economic system that is solely guided by the greed of a select few. We need to reestablish a more level playing field to have a free market without government choosing winners and losers for personal and professional advantage.

America needs more than just ABO or a “progressive light.” We need a passionate moral leader who can persuade citizens that we all need to take the necessary bitter medicine for the USA to regain it's health and vigor. He must expose corruption and limit the political revolving door lobbying between government and international corporations. The fascist marriage of big government and select international corporations is stifling the free market hurting small business and leading us down the path to totalitarianism.

The reversal of this pervasive immorality in our business sector and other institutions of our society will take more time and effort to complete than one eight-year administration. The family unit has to be encouraged to resume many traditional functions instead of leaving it to government programs.

To bring us out of this mess we need a God fearing leader who knows right from wrong and acts accordingly. He will be a role model that awakens us to the essential stable family and morality in a laissez faire society. The free market cannot function without the stability of the most important social unit in society: the family, which best inculcates moral values.

Great leaders have strong moral character although they are made by the times they live. They see the needs of the nation and fulfill them. A major responsibility of leaders of the United States is to inspire the citizens to appreciate the opportunities offered by our freedom. Each person that understands America’s exceptionalism will be more motivated to put his energies into developing a strong moral family unit. Through their daily decisions and the selections of moral politicians on all levels of government the people will be a major part of the solution.

We need a president who leads not from behind but is willing to take on the hard issues head on. A person who has a strong moral compass understands the United States’ long-term interest to revitalize our social fabric and economy is intertwined with awakening our nation’s moral values. The inseparable connection between the morals of the people and interactions in a capitalist nation can no longer be downplayed.

America does not need another establishment lackey politician whose first interest is his party rather than the American people and nation. Enough is enough. Let us choose a strong, moral representative whose integrity shines brightly by their lifetime character and deeds not by empty words that waver in the political winds.

You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.com.

Solving Student's Lack of Attention

SOLVING STUDENT’S LACK OF ATTENTION

By Domenick J. Maglio, PhD. Traditional Realist

The childhood epidemic of ADD and ADHD is misleading. Children with this diagnosis can focus very well on things that interest them. The real issue is they have an unwillingness to concentrate on things they are told to do where they have little interest.

The overwhelming majority of these students can eagerly spend hours playing video games, watching television, reading about dinosaurs, putting on make up or doing their nails. It is not a problem of paying attention; it is a narrow and limited field of interest and a lack of discipline to work to expand it.

Our schools have seen this phenomenon of students not paying attention in certain academic areas but focusing like a laser beam on things they like. It is negatively affecting student’s learning. Students in school have to learn and relearn fundamental facts and skills to build a solid educational foundation. A major part of school is not always new and exciting but must be done.

It would be counter productive and obscene to label every inattentive child although we are trying with a vengeance to do it in our nation. The latest approach to tackle this phenomenon is to teach the teachers to make instruction more interesting by using the student’s interest to sneak in necessary subject matter. This approach has not been effective because it wastes valuable time on entertainment rather than developing a strong academic foundation.

The appeasement of students through immediate gratification does nothing to correct a student’s focus deficit; instead it increases it. The entertainment and game approach to teaching may have temporary success but is destined to fail because it is competing with television and Hollywood professionals. Student entertainment expectations are too high to match on a daily basis. Inventing games to help slide new information into the student’s brains does nothing to show him that it will take self-discipline to concentrate and solve future problems.

Students have to be convinced that concentrating on things that society has deemed important opens up new worlds. The dosages of work given to a reluctant student in a particular area should be short and sweet. The exposure to difficult subjects for the child should end with success and be followed by an activity that is highly regarded by the student. As the child tastes greater facility in the formerly distasteful subject the child should be made aware that his feeling for the subject is becoming more favorable.

Most children have a proclivity in language arts or the math area but rarely both. It is the teacher’s creative power that is needed to set up situations to show how to master simple fundamental skills. This builds the competencies of reluctant students in these more difficult skill areas. The mastering of these competencies enhances the child's self-confidence to try more challenging work. Once the student develops more competence in the subject he begins to rely more on himself and less on the teacher.

The best antidote for a child’s unwillingness and inability to pay attention to a task is not drugs but delayed gratification training. The individual’s simple success in a difficult area for him is essential in beginning this process. An authority figure begins with breaking down the task into small simple steps. As the child’s ability to perform increases in complexity he learns the answer he seeks will occur by first observing the problem. The higher his level of expectation for completing a task is, the greater the increase in patience in searching for the answer. His willingness to accept the fact that he needs additional time to come up with the answer is delaying the gratification of completing the activity. Delaying immediate gratification for a greater payoff down the road is a necessary trait of maturity.

Discerning people cannot accept the narrative that we have a sudden explosion of defective children with an inability to be attentive. They would be more likely to agree our lack of childrearing training and the instant gratification of our culture are the main culprits for this phenomenon. Attention deficit of our children is real but the solution is not chemical, it is training the child to carefully observe situations long enough to come up with a possible solution and test it to see if it works.

Nudging a student to pay attention by sugar coating a lesson is ignoring the real issue. Students have to realize the power of applying their mental energy is the most effective way to arrive at a solution. It will increase success in all of life’s tasks. The more the student sees the positive results of focusing on problem solving, the more he becomes an independent and strong learner.

Dr. Maglio is an author and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.com.