The World as IE Sees It

2012 is almost over. We’re supposedly going to dive off the so-called fiscal cliff. There is a discussion about taking away certain guns and more gun control. The America we know, or think we know, is slipping away from us. Before the ball drops and the bungee cordless cliff diving begins, I wanted to share a few factual tidbits combined with my overactive imagination. I am a writer, after all. Let me set the scene: The year is 20NE (2075CE). The cities in what remains of the U.S. have been razed. Eco-friendly Pod Cities have been built in their place. A 17 year-old boy and his 14 year-old sister, Xavier and Nickie, escape from Pod City one-five, finding a settlement of people that should not exist. From Chapter 14 of my dystopian novel, Tricentennial : I wanted to sink in my chair wallowing in hopelessness until Nickie asked, “How did all this happen? I mean, why are we out here, all alone, without the comforts that the people in the Pod Cities enjoy?” “That’s a long...

Unmanned flying machines that are typically operated by a person using a game controller often fly over places such as Pakistan. For the most part, they watch and attack. Drone strikes happen much more frequently since Obama has been living in the White House. According to the New American Foundation , there has been 339 total number of drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004. Of those, 293 were since 2009. In 2009, only 2 strikes happened under Bush. Let’s break down the numbers. Under 8 years of Bush, there were 48 drone strikes in Pakistan. In 4 years of Obama, there have been 291. The latest was just the 29th of November. I shudder to think what another 4 years will bring. Troops will still remain after the 2014 end date. Now, these drone attacks do not happen on their own. The President must authorize each and every attack. That’s a lot of drone strikes for a guy who said that he was bringing the troops home and ending our wars. And let’s not forget the drone strike in Y...

Everywhere you look, someone is talking about why the Republicans lost the Presidential election and only gained one seat in the House and lost two in the Senate. I haven’t been listening to anyone. Ruminating over the past few days, I have come up with my own theory—the Republican Party itself. If you are a regular reader of my opinions, then you will know that I am not a proponent of the two party system or an any number party system for that matter. However, I feel the Republican message is not what voters really want to hear. The Republicans think they have this large conservative base that they need to appease. That is why Romney picked Ryan as his running mate, which was a huge mistake. Ryan is too far right, although left of Santorum. This “base” is not as big as the pundits would lead us to believe. These people are the ultra conservative fringe of the party. People such as myself are where the party’s focus should be if they wish to survive. Unfortunately, they ...

I was going to do pros and cons of each of the big three running for President as I see them. However, on this day before the election, I thought it best to keep it simple. We need integrity . Integrity to do what is right instead of what is ideological. We need responsibility . One who will take responsibility for his actions and his rhetoric. We need courage . Courage to buck the party to do what is right for our country. We need patience . Patience to refrain from ramming through legislation without giving people time to read it. We need confidence . The confidence to go through each day without a cult of celebrity. We need restraint . Practicing monetary restraint before there is nothing ahead of us but collapse. We need humility . The humility to know that not all the answers to our problems lie at the Federal level. We need understanding . Understanding of how the country works from all levels of government to the private sector. We nee...

Everybody and their brother are talking about how the jobs numbers have been cooked. They are now saying that a large state was left out of the tally. I am not surprised. There’s plenty I won’t put past this Administration. The real problem is their disdain for America and Americans. Believing that we are stupid, mindless sheep who will latch on to silly catch phrases drives them to do their dog and pony show. The dog and pony incidentally are cardboard cutouts. The federal government has been turned into a carnival where the main attraction is a freak show. The Executive Branch is adept at performing classic misdirection and games of pass the blame. Transparency is an illusion. Instead of transparency, we are given smoke, mirrors and sarcasm—lots and lots of sarcasm. Like a barker, the White House directs our eyes to the shows they want us to see. Pay no attention to the people outside the tent. We may never know the entire truth of what happened in Libya, but the lies they...

Gary Johnson is not allowed to participate in the debate tonight. I honestly think that both parties are afraid of his political allure. I don’t think the debates between Obama and Romney are that important. It’ll be the same ol’ same old crap we’ve been hearing over and over from both of them. However, if Gary Johnson were included, then the debates would matter. Different ideas would be heard. Discourse might actually happen in this country. We need to change the dialogue. The media gatekeepers perpetuate this stale rhetoric. Our ears are tired of being filled with the load of nothingness. Too many of us have turned our backs. Too many of us have said that there is nothing we can do. This is simply not true. We can do something. The Constitution gives us the right of peaceful assembly. In this digital age, assembly may need to take place on the internet. Open a dialogue in which everyone can participate. It is time we no longer feel powerless. Our votes do cou...

Mid East violence has hit a new high against the US. Flags burn. Embassies and consulates are being attacked. At least one diplomat is dead. Anti-American chants reverberate through the streets. At what point do we bring our people home? Humans have retained basic survival instincts since the beginnings of humanity—fight or flight. Both of these actions increase our chance of survival. What does not is just sticking around for the heck of it. In these highly violent areas, we are neither fighting nor fleeing. Sure, we shut down the embassy in Indonesia. But why are we allowing these sorts of attacks? Workers in the embassies or consulates are innocent civilians. Most do not even have proper military defense for these little bits of America in foreign lands. Declaring war is not a feasible option. We simply do not have the resources to attack an entire string of nations after our three “wars” (including our involvement in Libya). Nor do we have the stomach to sustain a lon...

I want an end to our “wars” and for our troops to come home as soon as possible. I want the government to protect us by protecting our borders not by preemptive strikes or monitoring its law-abiding citizens. I want the government to stop regulating us excessively. I want to stop the “Federalization” of life’s every aspect. Government is best on smaller scales. I want sovereignty to be returned to the states. I want the government to stop pushing any kind of social agenda on the people. I want the Internet to be free of regulation and without a “kill switch.” I want the Constitution to be the rule of law, not some old document. I want the balance of power to return to the constitutionally granted checks and balances. I want the government to stop spending so much money. I want the government to stop interfering in the economy so that it can run its natural course. I want simplified taxes. I want an end to the divisiveness of the two party system. I want the government to leave us alo...

Less and less Americans have jobs. Prices keep jumping higher and higher. Crime seeps even further into our streets. Americans are dying abroad. Our flag’s ashes mix with the sands of foreign lands. Every time I read a new headline on Drudge , my insides drop and unrelenting sadness crashes over me like a tidal wave and I try to not let myself be pulled under with the current. The election is less than two months away. We can get out of this maelstrom.

All over the news, “they” keep saying that single women vote Democrat and married women vote Republican. Where do “they” come up with this stuff? Personally, I am sick of being told that I should be one way or another because I fit a certain demographic. The ubiquitous they feel the need to pigeon hole us into convenient little boxes to make their lives easier. As a young single woman who has never been married nor have any children, I wholeheartedly resent being thought as though I have no mind of my own. All I am supposed to care about is “reproductive rights,” which actually means access to birth control. There are those out there who feel that being able to hand out birth control like candy (well more than candy because candy is now a no-no food) will solve all problems. I hate to break it to you, but it does not. Contraceptives are against some religions. Plus, they may lead to other health issues in the long run. Nowhere in these reproductive diatribes does it men...

The conventions are over. All the confetti has been swept off the convention floor. Politicians are racing to the booths. Each wants your vote, but for whom do you electronically tick the box? Will it be for the donkey, the elephant, or someone else entirely? As a country, we are at a crossroads. We have the choice to continue down our path of inevitable self-destruction or charge ahead differently than the status quo. Manufacturing has moved beyond our borders. Our institutions are in shambles. Our government spends much more than it could ever take to cover its debts. The national debt has surpassed 16 trillion dollars. More and more Americans have fallen into the arms of an ever expanding government dole. Friday morning, the Labor Department released the new jobs numbers for the month of August. 8.1 percent unemployment means that for 43 consecutive months the unemployment rate has been over 8 percent. Full employment is typically 3 to 4 percent. Almost 400,000 people dropped...

The World as IE Sees It talks about issues that I deem relevant. My thoughts may not be popular nor “politically correct.” This blog may change in appearance as I tweak it over the next few days. I encourage opinions and thoughts. I will not tolerate abusive language, vitriol, malice, or attacks on either me or other commenters or guest bloggers. Thank you for visiting!