Samson's Jawbone

By David L. Miner Some people believe Socialism is good. Others think Democrats are good. They both point to the same benefits and the same beliefs. Some people believe that Liberals and Democrats are the same. I am convinced that they are different, but so far I can find no evidence to support my belief. But allow me to make a statement before engaging in the analyses of socialistic views. The Constitution for the United States of America requires a republican form of government. [ The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence. Article 4 Section 4 ] Socialists intend to change that, and Democrats try to chip around the edges of that Constitution every day on the same issues as Socialists. That means Socialists and any Libe...

My wife and I never decried the myth of Santa Claus. I never prevented my kids from watching Santa Clause television specials. We read the "Night Before Christmas." But when my kids got old enough to ask whether Santa was real we usually answered, "What do you think? Do you think a fat little man in a red suit delivers presents to everyone in the world in a 24-hour period on a flying sleigh pulled by  reindeer?" They understood immediately that Santa was a fantasy. Preschool children fantasize. When my children were small. They really believed in Santa Claus and that there was a big yellow bird who taught them to spell, a grouch who lived in a trash can, and a "cookie monster." As they grew older they learned to separate fact from fiction. The"Cat-in-the-Hat" and "Power Rangers" were the creative product of a someone's vivid imagination, as was Santa Claus. As  a Christian family we honored Jesus at Christmas and celebrated his birt...

The United States military has a history of leaving a conflict before the job is finished. Vietnam, the first Persian Gulf War as examples. I was surprised to hear Kate Mc Farland, a former Regan, national security advisor suggest that we might consider pulling out of Afghanistan. Some people feel the costs are too high and we have lost too many lives. I understand people's weariness with the war. We are going on our 10th year there and like every conflict it has had its ups and down. The current occupant of the White House ran on an election plank that this was the war we should be fighting rather than Iraq. He promised to pull us out of Iraq which he has not done, and promised to end Afghanistan by July 2014, which now appears to be a noble goal. With huge budget deficits and calls for reduction of spending some argue we can ill afford the 2 billion dollar a day price tag. Some will argue that Afghanistan is a rugged terrain that cannot be conquered and point to the Soviet defea...