Tag Archives: R. Alan Harrop

Choosing a President

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

We will soon be faced with choosing a presidential nominee and then voting for president. What factors should we consider in making these crucial decisions? We can gain some guidance from examining the characteristics of prior presidents who have fostered the success of this country. Let’s take a look.

Belief in the principles that helped create this country is a good place to start. Political power resting with the people and not some group of elite in Washington is critical. Reigning in the increasingly large federal government and following the constitution are necessary. As Reagan said the federal government is not the solution to our problems, they are the problem. A good president must be willing to not only reduce the size of the federal government but have the courage to curtail agencies such as the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, DOJ, IRS that are out of control and threatening our basic freedoms.

The ability to relate to the people is crucial. An effective president must be willing and able to communicate directly with the people in a clear and concise manner. Cannot hide in his basement or refuse to interact directly with the people or answer questions about his policies. People must trust what he says and believe that his primary purpose is to promote their interests and freedoms.

An effective president, is able to understand and advocate the economic principles of the free enterprise system that has make this country great. There is no room here for compromising with Marxist ideas that will destroy this country. People must understand that the government exists to assist them in being independent and responsible for themselves and not here to provide for their needs which has never and will never succeed. As president John F. Kennedy said: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

Defending our country is the primary function of any president. To do that, he must project an image of strength and determination to other countries and to domestic threats. Closing the borders, sending back illegals, and backing law enforcement as well as the military are critical for our survival against enemies both foreign and domestic. Crime cannot be tolerated. To protect our country, a president must be willing to meet with foreign leaders and deal with them in a fair but firm manner. Negotiation from strength is critical to prevent wars brought on by uncertainty of our response.

Experience is an important factor in any leadership position. The current domestic and world situation does not lend itself to “ learning on the job”. Demonstrated capability to do the things that must be done to save this country is absolutely critical Courage to stand up to critics and biased press as well as unethical prosecutors is a characteristic that not all presidents possess.

Last but not least, is the ability to do the right things that need to be done for the country and not owing things to major donors is also essential to resisting the influence of the elite and powerful. We the people should be the focus of attention.

There are, of course, other factors to consider, but these are a few of the things that should be considered when we make our choices.

 

Solving the Debt Crisis

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Author: R, Alan Harrop

The current debt default discussion is a good time for us to take an honest look at the extent of the problem. Here goes. The total federal debt in 1993 was 4.3 trillion dollars, today, thirty years later the debt is 32 trillion dollars. That is a 744% increase. It amounts to $91,430 for every man, woman and child. However, since only about 150 million people pay federal taxes, it amounts to $213,000 per taxpayer. I strongly suspect that your income and net worth has not increased 744% in the past 30 years. If you took the national debt of 32 trillion dollars and stacked them up, the stack would be 2,584 thousand miles high or 11 one-way trips to the moon. Clearly, this is unsustainable.

The question is, what do we do about it. As Reagan once said: “The federal government does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.” Assuming our elected leaders are serious about stopping this reckless spending (which is questionable at best), here are some things that can be done: (1) Reduce the budget of all federal agencies by 5% a year, exempting the Department of Defense. (2) Eliminate the federal Department of Education, which has a budget of $87 billion dollars. This agency was started during the Carter administration and is not needed, since the states have constitutional authority over education. (3) Reduce the budget of the FBI by 50% and refuse to fund their request to fund a new headquarters that would be larger than the current Pentagon. This should include removing arresting authority (started in 1934) from the FBI and returning it to a strictly investigative body with arresting authority remaining with local law enforcement. (4) Eliminate granting welfare, and other social programs to illegal aliens. They broke the law to get here and should be identified and returned to their country of origin. Illegal aliens currently cost the taxpayers $151 billion each year, and that number is growing exponentially. (5) Implement a strict work requirement for any healthy person who is currently receiving welfare payments. Too many people are staying home and refusing to take available jobs. According to the Heritage Foundation, the average family of four receives over $70,000 in total welfare payments per year. (6) Stop weaponizing non-law enforcement federal agencies such as the IRS, State Department, Dept of Commerce, etc.

There are plenty of other places to cut spending, such as grants to various institutions. This represents only a partial list of what could be done and needs to be done before the entire system collapses. No sane individual would run their household budget like the politicians run the federal government. Much of this wasteful spending is initiated and passed to help politicians get re-elected. This is one of the main reasons why there is increasing demand by some for term limits. The Republicans in the House are fighting to at least begin the process of controlling spending. Let’s hope they succeed.

What is long overdue, is an amendment to the Constitution requiring a federal balanced budget. A Convention of States may be the only way this will ever be accomplished.

 

Tyranny Or Not?

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

We should all know that the Revolutionary War was fought to stop the tyranny of King George. According to Webster’s dictionary a tyrant is a ruler who is unrestrained by law or constitution. Are we being governed by tyrants? Let’s take a look.

President Joe Biden is not only ignoring the Constitution, but has taken actions that are unlawful and destructive to this nation. Open borders violates the Constitution and federal immigration laws. He took an oath to uphold the Constitution and obviously has no intention of doing so. Forgiving student loans, mandating vaccines, implementing regulations on emission standards that will end internal combustion engines, warring against fossil fuels, and getting us involved in foreign wars without Congressional approval are all actions of a tyrant.

At the state level, we have a Governor who would not relinquish emergency powers meant for a natural disaster and used those powers to control and restrict out freedom. More recently, Governor Cooper has mandated by executive order that North Carolina reduce its CO2 emissions by 70% by the year 2030. This is impossible without destroying the standard of living of every North Carolinian. He has authorized the construction of three extensive wind farms off the coast of North Caroina as well as solar panels on extensive form acreage. The fact that he and his brother, own one of the designated plots of land for these solar boondoggles goes unreported and unknown to most of us.

In some ways the most insidious threats to our freedom comes from unelected bureaucrats. Ostensibly, members of the Executive Branch, they are given wide range to impose regulations and take actions that limit our freedom. Mandatory vaccines, increasing attacks on gasoline powered vehicles by establishing impossible to meet emissions standards and hiding documents that show how they influenced elections are just a few of the many examples of the bureaucrats controlling our lives. The recent release of the Durham Report (took way too long) proved that the corrupt FBI was colluding with the Marxist Democrats to overturn the presidency of Donald Trump. Perhaps, the most frightening and brazen action of the out of control bureaucrats is the arming of IRS and other non-law-enforcement federal agencies. Why would any IRS agent need training in the use semi-automatic weapons? What are they getting ready for?

The impact of the above unlawful actions, threatens to destroy this country and makes the impact of King George’s Stamp Act pale in comparison. President Lincoln said it best when he said that America would never be destroyed by a foreign enemy but rather, if we are to be destroyed, it will be from within. Well, that is what is happening now. The American people must rise up and remove these tyrants one way or the other. Elections are always the best solution, but the tyranny we are experiencing today raises the question of whether fair elections can be counted on as an effective remedy. Are there too many people addicted to government handouts to stand up to tyranny and demand freedom? Time will tell. But the time is getting short if we are to save this country from the likes of the worst and most corrupt president in the history of our nation.

Minimum Wage Issues

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Two state Democrat Senators, Joyce Waddell and Rachel Hunt have introduced a bill in the N. C. Senate to increase the minimum wage from $7.25 per hr. to $15.50 per hr. Is this a good idea or not? Let’s take a look.

Historically, the first federal minimum wage was mandated in 1933 by the Roosevelt administration at $.25 per hr. Like many. Roosevelt’s leftist actions it was overturned by the Supreme Court. Subsequent laws approved by Congress established federal minimum wages that have been increasing steadily over the years. Most states, like North Carolina, have implemented their own minimum wage laws. The purpose of a minimum wage has been confusing since some claim that it should reflect the minimum needed to support oneself i.e. a living wage. Critics of a minimum wage usually oppose the concept of as an interference by Big Government in the free enterprise system. There are other issues that need to be recognized that make raising the minimum wage problematic.

First, a minimum wage was never intended as a self-supporting living wage. It was intended for new workers, many of whom lack the skills needed to justify a higher wage. Importantly, a wage level is best seen as a contract between a worker and the employer reflecting the value of the workers skills and output to that business. A business cannot long exist if it is paying more to the worker than they contribute to the productivity of the business. The balance between worker skill and contribution to business success if best left to the business owner not some government law. This is especially true for new and or small businesses that typically operate on a very small profit margin. Large corporations, like Walmart and Amazon can afford to pay higher minimum wages than your neighborhood retailer, manufacturer or repair shop. It is important to recognize that very few workers stay at the minimum wage level as they become more skilled and contribute more to the success of the business. Second, in an era of increasing automation, raising the minimum wage can actually be detrimental to workers in the long run. Self-checkout, automated food ordering, robotic manufacturing are all likely to increase as the minimum wage is increased, producing fewer jobs. This is especially harmful for unskilled beginning workers that do not yet possess useful work skills. Third, North Carolina has been doing very well over the past several years as a good place to conduct a business. While the minimum wage rate is not the only factor, it is one reason why businesses select North Carolina over most other states.

The bottom line is that the wages are best left to the negotiation between worker and employer than to mandates from government. To do otherwise, is a direct threat to small businesses that have traditionally been the main source of employment in this country, especially in rural areas.

Destructive Inflation

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Author: R. Alan Harrop,Ph.D

The news reports are that inflation is higher now than it has been in 40 years. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 1.2% in 2020, the last year of the Trump administration, and was 8.6% in 2022 under the Biden regime. Let’s take a look at how this has actually impacts the average American family.

First of all, the CPI does not include food and energy, two of the biggest expenses. Food on average has gone up 24% and gasoline from $1.87 to $3.69 per gallon during Biden’s presidency. At the same time the purchasing value of the dollar has gone down 7.4%. An item that you could buy for $100 in 2020 now will cost you $115. New automobiles are up an average of 29% and used cars 52%. Home prices are up an average of 10.4% since 2020. Home mortgage rates have gone from 3.1% to 6.8% costing an average of $878 more per month for a typical home priced at $355.000. For the length of a typical 30 year mortgage the home owner will pay a whopping $316,000. more today than in 2020.

What does all this mean? Your standard of living has gone down substantially and you are poorer now than in 2020. Your wallet does not lie. Now, it is important to realize, that even if the Federal Reserve can get
the inflation rate down to a more manageable level of 1.5% this does not mean that the cost of items will ever return to 2020 levels. They will only stop rising as quickly. The Biden administration has permanently
reduced your standard of living. Period. Of course, they will try to tell you that this dramatic rise in inflation is due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you at a
bargain price. The inflation we are experiencing is due to reckless federal spending and the war on fossil fuels. No other explanations are needed; such as blaming it on the China virus or President Trump.

So what do we do? The only way to correct this problem is by expanding production and providing inexpensive, abundant energy. Only the Republican Party (particularly with President Trump) can turn this around before it is too late. For Democrats the truth is hard to face; but face it we must if we are to save this country.

 

Mental Health of Students

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

In a previous article, I expressed my opinion that local Boards of Education should not accept federal funds (your tax dollars) to establish mental health treatment clinics in our public schools for a variety of reasons. In this article, I am going to address what today’s public schools are doing that are detrimental to the mental health of their students. 

Sound mental health is based on two things:  self-confidence and self esteem; and avoiding negative, demoralizing influences. Here are some things schools can do to enhance the mental health of students: First, help students be successful and develop a positive outlook for their futures.    This can only be done by successfully mastering traditional academic knowledge and skills. Self- esteem is only real when it is based on demonstrated actual achievement. Second, teach children to believe in the American Dream, where they can achieve any reasonable goal through hard work and self-discipline. America is still the land of opportunity.  Third, stop teaching subjects that are contrary to good mental health.   Examples are (a) Critical Race Theory, where inherent unchangeable racial bias will block a person’s ability to reach one’s goals. Where skin color is more important than the content of one’s character. (b) Transgender indoctrination, that instead of teaching that one’s gender at birth should be celebrated and provides opportunity for rewards and a fulfilling life, makes transitioning to the opposite gender an acceptable solution to dysphoria, which it clearly is not. Individuals that attempt to transition to the opposite sex are much more likely to develop mental disorders and twenty times more likely to attempt suicide. (c) Respect for Authority, clearly many children who enter school do not show proper respect for authority and do not follow basic classroom conduct rules.  This not only is detrimental to their learning but interferes with the learning of others.  Clear, consistent conduct rules must be  established and enforced.  Students should not be permitted to call their teachers by their first names since that level of familiarity diminishes respect for the authority of the teacher. Teachers are not the students’  pals.(d)  Environmental Catastrophe. The idea that mankind’s actions are the primary cause of climate change is a theory and not proven fact. Teaching children that extreme climate change threatens to destroy the world in their lifetimes can only produce fear and discouragement. Through positive and creative action mankind can deal with whatever climate change that occurs. Optimism not pessimism!   

Last but not least, is not allowing students to have access to their cell-phones at school.  A great deal of mental stress on students occurs on social media. Children spend too much time on often detrimental sites like Tik-Tok and Facebook. Negative messages that impact a student can distract the student for hours during the school day.     

If Boards of Education and the school administrations are seriously concerned about the mental health of their students they will focus on improving the school climate not on treating problems after they occur. 

Mental Health Services in Schools

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

I have a Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology, a career as Mental Health Director for the NC Department of Correction, and have worked with a variety of clients and families in private practice. I want to offer my opinion concerning whether mental health counselors and service providers should be added to the staff of the public schools in North Carolina (an idea currently being encouraged by the Federal Department of Education). As usual, the federal government is providing start-up funds to initiate this effort.  Remember what President Reagan warned us about– that we should beware of any time the federal government says they are here to help. I am opposed to this for the following reasons 

First, public schools are already facing many challenges in meeting their primary function of academic education. Adding another responsibility, such as providing mental evaluation and services, is a totally unnecessary complication to their primary function. Second, schools should establish clear rules for expected behavior for all students and enforce those rules. Parents should be expected to make sure their children can demonstrate those essential expected behaviors. Otherwise, not only will that student not learn properly, but will disrupt the learning of other students. Remedial conduct training may be required before an unruly child is assigned to a regular classroom. Learning self- discipline and obeying authority are the keys to academic success and in life after school. Third, students, who are suspected of having mental health problems, that fact should be brought to the attention of the parents and the parents provided with information about the availability of mental health evaluation and services in the community such as the county mental health center. The decision and responsibility to seek these services should remain with the parents. Fourth, mental health problems rarely, if ever, manifest themselves only in one phase of a child’s life. The idea that a true mental disorder will manifest itself solely in school is incorrect. Fifth, the idea of attributing unacceptable behavior in school to a mental disorder is counter-productive to learning self-control and discipline.   There are far too many students placed on medication now instead of being trained in proper school conduct. 

Instead of putting mental health clinics in the schools, it would be better if schools would remove unnecessary distractions like cell phones and over-reliance on computers and return to more traditional means of teaching. I am afraid that we have abandoned effective instructional techniques in favor of non- proven so-called modern approaches. Using mental health intervention, especially with medication, puts the blame on the student and not the educational process.  It also moves the responsibility for one’s conduct from the student to a mental disorder that of course cannot be their fault or that of the parents. 

 

Time to Unite

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

The indictment of former President Donald Trump in New York (as well as several other potential indictments) represents a grave constitutional threat to America that must be answered in a way that crushes the Marxist Democrats. Anything less is not acceptable. Time to use a sledge hammer. The idea that one political party would use a fake criminal charge to destroy a political opponent from running for president, threatens our democracy and is right out of the Marxist play book. Any clear thinking American patriot should see this for what it is.

The question becomes what do we do about it? We must unite and fight back in a way that the Democrats will regret and reasserts the principles inherent to our Republic. How? We currently have Donald Trump leading in the polls for the Republican nomination by 20 to 30 percentage points over his nearest potential rival. The hammer blow will be struck when all current and potential candidates withdraw from challenging Donald Trump for the nomination. Ron DeSantis should agree to run as Trump’s Vice President. The other candidates should agree to take positions in the next Trump administration. A ticket with Trump and DeSantis will not only offer an unbeatable combination but will keep Republicans from fighting amongst each other in the primaries. There will also be a considerable saving of campaign funds which can then be used to fight the Marxist Democrats in the general election.

It is time for Republican politicians to stand up and recognize that our country is in extreme peril which is going to require extreme measures. The days of normal politics are over. We can only win if we fight as a team and put aside personal interests. DeSantis is the key. Trump has proven that he loves this country and has been willing to endure constant attacks from the Marxist Democrats, since he first came
down the elevator in Trump Towers in 2016.. He did not run for president for personal ambition but rather due to his unremitting love of this country. It is time for Ron DeSantis to demonstrate whether his love for America is strong enough to put aside his personal ambition for four years and be part of the team that saves our country. He could still go on and serve eight years as president in his own rite and go down in history as a true patriot.

What a blow this would be to the Marxist Democrats. Wishful thinking? Perhaps…

 

Fear vs. Courage

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Author:   R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D       

Decisions in life are best made by rational thought that weighs the facts and potential outcomes and the best alternative is chosen. I believe most people would agree with that statement. When emotions enter the decision making process errors and mis-judgements are the result. There is plenty of evidence that the Marxist Left is trying and in many ways succeeding in destroying the foundations of this country.  A blind man can see it. 

  Why are they being so successful?  I believe it is through the use of fear and intimidation. Franklin Roosevelt did many things that in the long run put this country on the wrong path. There was one thing he got right when he warned the American people during the Great Depression and leading up to World War II, when he said “… the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself”.  It turns out that fear is one of the most powerful emotions, and when given into, prevents people from rational thought and deliberation.  The Democrats have utilized the Marxist playbook to capitalize on the use of fear to destroy our freedoms. The sad part is how easily we have allowed them to do so. One obvious example was their exploitation of the fear of the China virus to assume emergency powers that we would never have tolerated except to the fear factor. Extensive lockdowns, closing schools, closing private businesses, mandatory vaccines and etc., would never have been tolerated without the excessive use of fear.    

Similarly, the destruction of our energy independence and resulting runaway inflation are based on the fear of irreversible and catastrophic climate change as the result of the consumption of fossil fuels. The scare tactics are focused on the most vulnerable and susceptible to fear, namely, our children and the ill informed. Public schools and colleges are hotbeds of leftist indoctrination of climate change fear mongering none of which is based on valid, scientific facts and truth. The fact that the earth has had multiple warming and freezing cycles that occurred way before mankind was consuming fossil fuels is of course disregarded and not taught.     

The Left is constantly calling conservatives ”neo-Nazis”, when in reality they are the ones who use Nazi style tactics.   For instance, Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister in charge of the media in Nazi Germany, stated that all it takes is to tell a lie often enough and loudly enough to convince the people that it is true. The mainstream media in this country (including most social platforms) are controlled by the Left and are nothing more than shills for Marxism. It should also be remembered that the Nazis  (National Socialist Party) were socialists not conservatives.  

We must fight back with the truth and stand up before it is too late. The antidote to fear is courage. We need to show it ourselves, teach our children to think for themselves and ensure that our elected officials stand up for conservative principles or vote them out of office. There is not much time left.  We cannot compromise with evil. 

Trusting Experts?

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

As I have said many times: “The Left ruins everything it touches.” One of the primary means the Left uses is convincing us to rely on so-called “experts” when making important decisions in our lives. Marxism is based on the notion that elite experts rather than you as a free person should provide the direction for your life. How is this working out in modern day America? Let us take a look.

Finances: As hard-working individuals, we would like to believe that leading responsible and frugal lives will allow us to accumulate sufficient funds to support ourselves in the present and when we retire. We can only do this when our economic system is predictable and understandable. For example, it used to be the case that one could put extra earnings in a bank and receive a reasonable rate of return at little or no risk. Not so today. For over a decade the “experts” at the Federal Reserve have kept the interest rates at or near zero which could never happen in a true free market economy. As a result, people were forced to seek alternative investments such as bonds, crypto-currency and the stock market. As the recent failure of the Silicon Valley Bank has shown, bonds are disastrous when the experts at the Federal Reserve decide to reverse policy by raising interest rates faster than any time in U.S. history. You, the taxpayer, will wind up paying for the woke policies of this poorly run bank by reimbursing big donors of the Democrat party.

Medical: According to the so-called “experts” (like that fraud Dr. Fauci), all we had to do was wear masks, stay six feet apart and go on lock down for two weeks, and take an unproven vaccine and we would be over the China virus pandemic. If you did not comply, you could lose your job and your business. Well two weeks turned into two years for school children and masks are still being worn by the true believers even though there is no evidence of their effectiveness. Vaccines and boosters are still being encouraged by the experts even for children when there was never any evidence that they faced a serious risk from the China virus.

Environment: The greatest hoax of all perpetrated by the so-called experts, of course, is the belief that climate change is the direct result of the burning of fossil fuels. As if there had never been any climate change before mankind began using this cheap and abundant source of energy without which no modern civilization could exist. The Biden administration’s implementation of “green energy” scams has produced high inflation, robbed every American of their hard earned income, and killed birds/whales, which the fake media hides. We are much poorer as a result, and the reality will get much worse if we continue down the path recommended by the so-called climate experts.

None of us can be experts in every field, but we have to rely on our own commonsense and judgement of the facts. Seek out the truth. Whenever you are told “ …..the experts say…” that should be a warning that the Left is trying to control your life. Make your own decisions. Use your own judgement. It is your life.

Caving to the Left

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

To any clear thinking American patriot, it should be abundantly clear that the Left is out to destroy America as we have known it. It is also clear, that the Left destroys everything it touches. The list includes everything from the open border and economic prosperity, to the Boy Scouts and public education. What is so disappointing is how organizations and corporations just cave-in to the demands of the Left, which is actually a minority in our country. 

The latest example is the Left’s attack on the primary source of our moral standards: religion.  Take what is happening with the United Methodist Church (UMC).  The UMC was formed in 1968 when the existing Methodist Church combined with the Evangelical United Brethren Church.  The Methodist movement was originally founded in the mid-1700s by John Wesley.   The UMC has consistently followed traditional Judeo-Christian principles (see Social Principles of the United Methodist Church) including marriage between a man and a woman.  For some reason unknown to me, the leadership of the UMC has chosen to cave-in to the woke Left and are endorsing homosexual marriage. This has resulted in a crisis and the splitting of the UMC by vote of their members who support or oppose these changes.   

What is most disturbing, is how an organization allows a small minority to control their principles and their integrity. For example, in a recent poll only 6.4% of women and 5% of men claim to be homosexual. Of these, only 10% are in a homosexual marriage. So, the UMC, is allowing its organization to be potentially destroyed by trying to accommodate the demands of an extremely small group of people most of which are not members of their congregations.   Hard to understand. 

The UMC is just one example of organizations caving in to the Left. The Disney Corporation, Gillete, Coca Cola, and Direct TV are other examples of organizations that  have done the same thing. Fear of the Left and negative publicity may explain some of these actions.  Allowing small minorities to control our country over the wishes of the majority must be stopped. We can register our objections by complaining, not purchasing their products and canceling services. Going along with this is what the woke Left expects us to do. Let’s disappoint them. 

 

Dealing With China

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Article: Dealing With China              Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D       harropcrew1@gmail.com 

How the United States has dealt with China over the past few decades is a classic example of not putting America first along with wishful thinking which has put us in very dangerous situation of our own making.  Instead of isolating an evil communist regime, our leaders believed if we gave them special considerations like trade agreements that they would realize that communism is a failed system and become democratic trading partners and respect us as their friends.  Dumb, dumb, dumb.    Instead the Chinese Communist Party outwitted us and  profited immensely from an extremely favorable trade balance in their favor.  We have made a communist country a strong military and economic powerhouse that now exceeds us in many ways.   We may have sold our freedoms and security for cheap consumer goods.    

The question now is what do we do about it and is it too late?  Only time will tell if it is too late, but here are some things we must do.  First, we must recognize and act like they are the threat that they present.  Second, we must re-direct our manufacturing so that we eliminate our dependence on China.   We have an abundance of fossil fuel energy which they do not; so we must return to energy independence.  Stop the move toward windmills, solar panels and electric cars that depend on China for production.   Essential medical supplies and medicines must be made in America.  Third, we must cease allowing China to fund research and send their students to our universities. We must cease investing in their economy instead of ours.  For example, some state governments are investing their pension funds in China through asset managers like BlackRock.    Fourth, we must protect our food supply by stopping communist China from owning our essential agricultural land and food processing facilities (e.g. Smithfield Foods).   China currently owns an estimated 400,000 acres of agricultural land some of it located close to military bases.  Allowing a communist regime to control part of our food supply is absolute lunacy.   Fifth, the fentanyl poisoning of Americans from Chinese manufactured chemicals  processed by the Mexican drug cartels is killing over 100,000 Americans per year which is more than the death toll of the Korean War(36,574) and Vietnam War(58,148) combined.  And this is every year!  Why are we putting up with this?  Would we retaliate if China was killing 100,000 Americans with weapons?  What we should do is inform China that if the shipment of their chemicals to Mexico is not stopped we will stop all shipments of American coal (13 million tons) and food products (such as soy beans 14 million tons) to China. This will get their attention. 

The above represent some of the things that need to be done if we are serious about dealing with the threat from communist China.  Why are we not taking these and similar actions?  Try greed.   We have funded the growth of the China threat and the profits made by big corporations (and corrupt polititians) keep this going and will ultimately   result in the destruction of America.   It is clear that the weak and corrupt Biden administration will do nothing.   The only hope is that  Republicans will have the courage to take action before it is too late.   Let’s hope so for ourselves, children and grandchildren. 

 

Conservatism vs Marxism: Who is Winning?

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D 

The fight to save our country is essentially a struggle between Conservatism and Marxism.  However, many of our elected officials either do not agree or fail to understand the threat.   Conservatism entails individual freedom, small government and fiscal responsibility.  Marxism entails government control, ever expanding government and indebtedness.  Another key essential difference is that of individual responsibility.   Conservatism requires each person to be responsible for themselves whereas in Marxism taxpayers are required to pay for services for others.    

Clearly, the Democrat Party is moving us dramatically towards Marxism, and just as disturbingly, there are some Republican Party elected officials who are not reliably true conservatives.   We would not be in the current crisis in which we find ourselves if this was not the case.  The recent approval of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina is a perfect example.   After years of opposition to Medicaid expansion, many Republicans led by Phil Berger and Tim Moore voted to approve this Marxist action.   Of course, they did not bother to determine what their constituents wanted (a limited poll in Craven county was overwhelmingly against expanding Medicaid) and came up with a justification, essentially about federal funding, and ignored the fact that this program is a Marxist program expansion that makes an estimated 600,000 additional people dependent on the government and forces other taxpayers to pay for it.   By the way, there is no requirement in the state or federal constitution requiring taxpayers to pay for medical services for others. 

Another example is House Bill DRH30118-TC-21A that supposedly will prevent students from harm in our public schools.  What the bill does is expand the responsibility of teachers to socialize our children instead of focusing on their true mission of teaching traditional academic subjects.   While preventing student harm is a laudable goal, this bill is Marxist to the extent that it shifts the responsibility for socializing and disciplining our children from the parents to the government run schools.  Marxism always attempts to weaken the role  and authority of the parents/family and take over that role by the government.   Remember the old saying that the road to h—- is paved with good intentions.   The public schools in North Carolina in many cases are failing to teach academics adequately, and this situation will not be helped by adding additional burdens on the teachers that rightfully belong to parents.     Another worrisome factor is that once the schools assume the role of parents, the content of what they teach can be anything the school officials decide.  Not good. 

The bottom line is we need to support elected officials who reliably put conservative principles first and vote the will of their constituents.  Otherwise, the slide to Marxism is assured. 

Losing Freedom

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By R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.

Most of us remember that America was founded to provide personal freedom and liberty as opposed to authoritarian rule by the British monarchy. When Ben Franklin was asked what form of government the Constitutional Convention had given the American people, he stated: “ A representative republic, if you can keep it”. Well it has been 236 years since the founding of our country; let’s see how we are doing keeping our freedoms.

Authoritarianism is commonly defined as “ the enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience, in thought and action, at the expense of personal freedom”. The question is to what degree have the authoritarian actions of the socialist Democrats impaired our freedoms. Here are some examples. The unprecedented imposition of mandates by the federal, state and local governments in the past two years has reduced our personal freedoms. Mandating unproven vaccines, wearing useless masks, closing down schools, forcing businesses to close and preventing people from attending church, are obvious acts of an authoritarian government. The war against fossil fuels , mandating electric vehicles ( as in California after 2035), and the recent proposal to eliminate gas stoves/ furnaces not only prevent people from making their own free choices but have made us all poorer by raising the prices of essential commodities. We were never given a choice about any of these actions. Government knows best!

What is particularly alarming is how easily most Americans (especially the young) went along with these actions that took away the freedom of individual choice. Providing information is a legitimate role of government; issuing mandates is not. Some people did stand up and protest, but the majority just went along. Our Founding Fathers would have been disappointed in our acceptance of these authoritarian actions. There is a saying , death by a thousand cuts, meaning of course that small actions can lead to severe results.

If we do not stand up and fight seemingly small attacks on our freedom, we will soon find that all of our personal freedoms have been eliminated. We will have failed to keep our republic as Ben Franklin warned and will have no one else to blame but ourselves. Complacency versus fighting for freedom. Your choice.

Resisting Communist China

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Let’s face the facts. The very unwise effort by the U.S. Government over the past 40 years to undermine communism in China by granting them economic privileges and favored nation status has been a disaster. The naïve politicians , who fostered this absurd policy included Democrats and Republicans such as
Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon, George Bush (both), Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and worst of all Joe Biden. As a result, communist China is arguably the strongest country on earth economically and militarily. And we funded them!

The question is what do we do now? First, we have to recognize that President  Biden is a compromised president who is being unduly influenced by Communist China. As a result, he does not put America first. Several examples such as the $60 million given to the U. of Pennsylvania where Biden set up an ancillary office after he left the Vice Presidency in 2017 (where classified documents have been found), his son, Hunter, receiving millions of dollars in money from Communist China for his scam “business” deals and passing it on to Joe by paying a reported $50,000. per month for renting one of Joe’s homes.. Money laundering straight out of the Mafia playbook! What do we do about it while we wait the outcome of the 2024 election?

Governor DeSantis of Florida is again leading the way. He recently announced that he will be working with the legislature to pass a law that would ban Communist China (and any phantom corporate entity) from purchasing real estate, especially agricultural land in Florida. North Carolina should follow suit. A couple of years ago, Smithfield Foods was purchased by a Chinese group centered in Hong Kong. Why on earth would we allow a communist adversary to purchase a main component of our food chain? Insanity if you ask me.

Another issue is Communist China supplying the chemicals to the drug cartels to produce fentanyl which is then smuggled into the United States and has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans over the past few years What are we doing about it? Compromised Joe Biden is doing nothing. In fact, his open border policy is facilitating this death drug. The U.S. Government should be imposing the severest of trade sanctions on Communist China until this is stopped. . Try starting with stopping the export of U.S. coal to China. That
would get their attention!

The final thing is Communist China giving grants to higher education institutions in this country and allowing Chinese citizens to work here on research projects that have high technological value. No Communist
Chinese grants should be allowed into in this country. You know they will want a return on their investment that will be detrimental to American safety, security and technological advancement...

These are some things that need to be done immediately. If you agree, contact your appropriate elected officials and demand action before it is too late.

Concealed Carry: Right or Privilege?

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”. Notice it does not limit bearing arms in any manner whatsoever. Here in North Carolina, as in many other states, a person can carry a firearm legally as long as it is visible. Carrying a concealed firearm is a different matter in that it requires a Concealed Carry Permit issued by the local law enforcement authority i.e. the county sheriff. This requirement places North Carolina in the category of “may-issue” states as compared to what is called “constitutional carry” states where carrying a concealed firearm does not require a permit. Currently, there are 25 states that are designated “constitutional carry”. In my opinion, North Carolina needs to join this group. Let’s look at some reason why.

First, as stated above the Second Amendment does not permit the infringement of the right to bear arms (i.e. carry). It does not say anything about limiting carrying concealed. So, therefore, states requiring a permit are, de facto, violating the U.S. Constitution.

Second, the permitting process, allows states to include any requirement that they choose to impose; for example, limiting the type or firearm or the capacity of magazines. Third, how many people do you see carrying a firearm that is not concealed? In my experience, it is very rare to see someone carrying a firearm where it can be clearly observed. Given the increasing crime rates in many cities, this reluctance diminishes the right of the individual to self-protection. Fourth, but not least, how many criminals do you think bother to get a concealed carry permit? So, what we do is impede law abiding citizens from self-protection knowing full well that criminals are under no such impediment. Fifth, if you were a criminal seeking a victim wouldn’t you prefer to assume the person is unarmed than to assume the opposite? It is like the absurdity of announcing a location is a gun free zone which only encourages criminals to select those places to commit their crimes. Sixth, some may argue that the required training to carry concealed is a safety factor for all concerned. This is also absurd, since no such training is required for open carry. Are they saying that carrying a firearm under your shirt, sweater or coat makes it more dangerous than carrying in the open? Nonsense.

If you believe that North Carolina should become a “constitutional carry” state let your elected representatives know. Your safety and that of your loved ones may depend on it.

Article: Principles and Medicaid Expansion

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Expanding Medicaid, which I believe will be a disaster for North Carolina (see prior article on this topic in a recent issue of County Compass and here) is on the agenda of the new General Assembly scheduled to begin their session later this month. Our elected representatives should be expected to reflect our values and principles when deciding how to vote on various issues addressed by the General Assembly. If they do not do so, they should be voted out of office. Seems pretty clear to me.

However, sometimes issues arise on which we as constituents have not expressed our views and therefore our position on those issues might not be known to our elected representatives. What should our elected representatives do under those circumstances? The ideal thing would be for us to be apprised of the nature of the issue and our opinion solicited by our representatives. Some of our representatives are very effective in communicating with their constituents through social media, emails, or town hall meetings. Congressman Greg Murphy for example, does a great job with his email based newsletters. Use of issue surveys conducted by party officials can also be of great assistance in determining constituent opinions.

There are some issues before the General Assembly that are seemingly complex and have various interested persons arguing for or against. Take expanding the number of people eligible for Medicaid (estimated to add 600,000 or more) in North Carolina for example. Advocates for expansion point to several economic reasons essentially about hospitals/ medical providers’ financial difficulties with the current system and available access to federal tax money. Those opposing Medicaid expansion frequently cite more dependence on the government, disincentive to work, Medicaid is already a failed program, problems in other states, and burdening taxpayers to pay for other healthy, working age individuals, etc. How is an elected representative to sort through all this and make the right decision?

The answer is actually very easy: Go back to conservative principles and what is best for the country! The biggest threat to our country at this time in its history is the Democrats push towards socialism. A person would have to be blind not to recognize that fact. The question then becomes does adding close to one million people in North Carolina to a government program move this country more towards destructive socialism? The leftist Democrat party and Governor Cooper have been advocating the expansion of Medicaid for years. Until recently, the Republican party has fought against it. Now, all of a sudden many Republicans are supporting Medicaid expansion or are considering doing so. Where are their conservative principles? Do they actually have any? Destroying this country for some economic reason is not acceptable. Fortunately, we do have at least a couple or reliable conservatives such as Representative Keith Kidwell and Senator Norm Sanderson who have stated their opposition to the expansion of Medicaid. Other representatives would do well to follow their example.

The Case Against Medicaid Expansion

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Just a reminder, Medicaid is a program that was started in 1965 to provide healthcare to the very poorest of Americans. In the last session of the General Assembly, the Republican controlled N. C. Senate voted to expand Medicaid, which has been advocated by leftist Democrats as part of Obamacare, in spite of their being opposed to expansion for several years. Why the dramatic shift in position? We have not been
told. Let’s take a look at why expanding Medicaid is a very bad idea and needs to be stopped.

First, expansion will greatly increase the number of people on this socialist program by an estimated 600,000 and possibly one million people in North Carolina.. The program is already failing with high costs, poor access to care and adding more people will make the situation worse.

Second, several states have tried this with dismal results. Louisiana, for example, expanded their Medicaid program in 2015. The number of people accessing the program is 65% higher than the original estimate and costs have ballooned from $1.4
billion to $3.1 billion. If all the states expand Medicaid, The Federalist estimates it will require a $1 trillion tax hike and a $700 billion in cuts to Medicare.

Third, a recent Civitas poll showed that 65% of respondents opposed Medicaid expansion when they learned that the “…expanded population was primarily healthy, working age adults with no children”. It is estimated that 60% will drop private healthcare coverage they already have. The working poor can already find inexpensive private healthcare coverage on the federal exchange.

Fourth, even though federal tax money will pay for about 90% of the initial cost, the state is liable for future costs and do not forget that it is still more money taken from the average tax payer. The existing Medicaid program already takes about 25% of most state budgets.

Fifth, expanding Medicaid (up to 138% of federal poverty level) is a giant step towards socialized, government controlled medicine which has already proven to be a problem in other countries. Remember Obama’s lie “ if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor”. The more people on welfare, which is what this is, the less freedom of choice.

Sixth, All welfare programs encourage dependence on the government and reduce the incentive to work. We need fewer welfare programs not more.

Seventh, medical facilities, unable to survive on Medicaid reimbursement rates,
increase the cost of services to the owners of private insurance. Expect your premiums to go up as well as your taxes.

Eighth, the majority of individuals receiving Medicaid vote for Democrats in order to ensure continuation of the program. Expanding Medicaid will most likely turn North Carolina from a red to a blue state which is exactly what the Democrats are expecting.

There are other excellent reasons to oppose Medicaid expansion. Bottom line, this is an expansion of the Welfare State that no true conservative Republican should support. If you agree, contact your state legislators before it is too late. The slide to socialism must be stopped if we are to save America!

 

Polling Site Malfeasance

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

This country continues to struggle with voting irregularities most of which are caused by excessive reliance on absentee ballots. However, another means of affecting voting is through mismanagement of the polling sites. The recent evidence that in Arizona up to 52% of ballots were rejected by the tabulating machines in Maricopa County because the ballots were not printed correctly, resulting in excessively long lines and citizens giving up on voting on Election Day. On Election Day this year, similar outcomes were observed at polling sites in Craven County, although for different reasons. Let me explain.

I have worked as an electioneer (handing out voting information) at the Fairfield Harbour polling place in Craven County for ten years. During that time, I never observed the chaos at the local voting poll that occurred this past Election Day. I was at the poll in Fairfield Harbour from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM when the poll closed. The problems I observed were (1) excessively long lines all day resulting in waits of 45-60 minutes ; (2) the waiting line extended into the parking lot traffic pattern causing a dangerous safety issue; (3) curbside voting waits of up to 1 1/2 to 2 hours; (4) confusion at curbside voting resulting from mingling with the handicapped parking spaces; (5) and inability to access the public restrooms. What was the result of all this chaos? Predictably, many voters left without voting resulting in voter suppression.

It is essential to note, that none of these problems existed at any other election I witnessed during my prior electioneering at the same location. What was the cause? Well, according to the Chief Polling Judge and, importantly, a member of the Craven County Board of Election who came by the poll that day, these problems were the result of recent decisions by the Craven County Board of Election (BOE). The only reason provided by the BOE member was a concern that electioneers may distribute election material in the restrooms at the polling site! This is totally absurd. First, no case of this ever happening has been reported for the FFH site that I am aware of. Second, why would any electioneer stay inside the restroom in order to access the small percentage of voters who may use a restroom, when all voters can be accessed as they enter the polling place? When asked about people not being permitted to use the restrooms, the answer I received was “”…the BOE is not in the restroom business”.

It should be noted that none of the restrictions imposed on Election Day at the Fairfield Harbour polling site were in effect at the early voting site at 406 Craven St. Question: Were these changes done purposely to suppress the Election Day vote of Republicans, who vote overwhelmingly on Election Day, by a BOE controlled by Democrats? You decide. Does make one wonder.

At the Board of Election meeting on Dec 7th, I reported these problems to the Board. Their response was they would look into them , but that voters should consider voting absentee or early voting instead of waiting for Election Day. My response was the Board should make voting all of the three options efficient, safe, and convenient and not favor any specific option especially given the potential problems with absentee and early voting.

Sliding to Marxism

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Author: R. Alan Harrop,Ph.D 

The Marxist Left is succeeding in their efforts to take over America.   The recent election of John Fetterman, an avowed Marxist and grossly impaired person, in Pennsylvania is glaring proof.   There are many strategies the Left is using that we need to be aware of if we are going to save America.  Let’s examine a few. 

Promising Free Stuff.  Humans have a propensity to like getting things nothing.  The Biden regime is using the promise of student debt relief and continuing, so called ,“ temporary” delayed payments on existing loans to get the youth vote.  It is working as shown by estimates of 70% of voters in their 20’s voting for Democrats.   Democracies fail when those in power buy votes in this way.  

Information Control.  All tyrannies use the media to control what people believe.   The fake media in this country no longer even pretends to be objective.  With rare exceptions, they are shills for the Left.  The large majority of the media are registered Democrats.  Conservative media must be encouraged and supported to offset this overwhelming advantage.  Government funding of National Public Radio (NPR) must be terminated.  Social media platforms run by Leftists are censoring  information that the Biden regime wants blocked.   Efforts like those by Donald Trump and Elon Musk have to be supported.   Get your children off these platforms.  Stop giving cell phones to minor children.  Check out the five minute, conservative internet videos on Prager U.      

Expanding Government Overreach.   As Ronald Reagan clearly warned, the greatest threat to our freedom is an ever expanding  federal government.  Adding 87,000 armed, IRS agents;  collecting credit card purchase information of guns/ammunition;  and the expansion of Medicaid, are examples of the Biden regime’s moves to expand government control over our lives.   Add to this the use of the FBI and the Department of Justice to threaten citizens who oppose the Left and we see the makings of a police state.   We must demand that our Congressman defund these and other examples of government intrusion in our lives.    

Practicing the Big Lie.   The term “gaslighting” has become a common term that refers to telling lies to the extent that a person begins to doubt what they see with their own eyes.   The leftist Democrats are continually using gaslighting on the American people.  For example, the Biden regime claims that the border is secure when we all know it is wide open.  They label a major expansion of government spending , the Inflation Reduction Act, when we know that excessive government spending is a major cause of inflation.  They label a recent bill the Marriage Protection Act, when in reality it will destroy traditional marriage between a man and a woman.   We must recognize that we are being lied to and confront our elected officials.

Compromising with Evil.  Too many so-called conservative elected officials are willing to put their principles aside for political gain.   We need fighters who will stand against the Marxist forces that are out to destroy this country.  Compromisers/ Rinos like Thom Tillis, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski and others need to be removed from office and replaced with reliable conservatives who will fight to save our country.   

It is high time that we recognize the dangers we face and take action to stop the slide to Marxism. 

The Case For School Vouchers

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by R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

In a recent article, I included school vouchers as one of five issues that the N. C. General Assembly should address in their next session. The purpose of this article is to provide more information about how important school vouchers have become over the past few years.

Most parents and citizens assume that the public school system, which is very well funded, is focused on teaching essential academic skills and is being successful. The reality of these assumptions could not be further from the truth. The academic achievement (ranking) of American public schools has continued to diminish so that now Americas’ school students rank 38th in math scores and 24th in science according to a Business Insider report in 2018. Since the school lockdowns the situation is most certainly worse. The national average expenditure per student in 2021-22 was $15,047 per student with North Carolina spending $11,651. The question becomes are we getting a good return on our expenditure? Assuredly not.

Another issue with public schools is the wide disparity between schools in the same district. Here in Craven County, the highest ranking Elementary School in math proficiency is 67% while the lowest is 10%. Why the wide disparity? Similar disparities exist for reading proficiency. Which school a child attends is crucial. According to recent data, home schooled children typically score 15 to 30 percent higher on standard achievement tests. The difference is even higher for Black children who achieve 23 to 40 percent higher than those in public schools.

Beyond academics however, is the increasing concern parents have about the Woke ideology prevalent in public schools. Critical Race Theory, demeaning America, transgender instruction and encouragement, and inappropriate sex education are increasing concerns of parents. Even though a school may deny specific classes on these topics, most teachers subscribe to these beliefs and consequently infuse their beliefs on their students through their daily interaction.

The bottom line is whether the parents or the government has the right to select the type of education that a child receives. If you believe the government has that right, then like most Leftists, you will support the public school system. If however, you believe that parents have that right then school vouchers are the only way to fairly allow parents to exercise that right. The state of Arizona recently passed legislation that allows parents the authority to direct the per student tax money to public, private, charter or homeschools. This should serve as a model for North Carolina. No reason not to. The question becomes whether the General Assembly has the will to take a stand on this critical issue.

Freedom,to be meaningful, must be exercised in all arenas of society. What can be more important than ensuring that the children of this country receive the best education possible?

Societal Suicide by R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

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The pied piper Joe Biden and the Left in this country are leading us off a cliff. The only question is whether we will continue to follow. The tune that are playing is “The War on Fossil Fuels. “ First of all, the Left has always used the axiom of “Never let a crisis go to waste” in their efforts to turn this country Marxist. When there is no real crisis, they invent one. The current crisis they have invented and many people are gleefully following is manmade global warming. Predictions like the world ending in 12 years, rising sea levels, increasing intensity of storms are repeated endlessly. The cause of these predictions of doom and fear mongering is, of course, fossil fuels. Sadly, many otherwise rational people are buying into this fake crisis.

Let’s take a rational look at this hoax, which if not stopped, will result in the self- inflicted destruction of our society.

First, as I have documented in prior articles, there is no scientific evidence that climate change is a result of man’s actions. The temperature of the earth has never been fixed; it has always varied. These variations can be mild, or if severe, produce the several cycles of ice ages and warming periods way before mankind could have had any effect. We are currently in a warming period following the last ice age ten thousand years ago. The Left’s conclusion that the earth’s temperature variation is caused by CO2 emissions is based on computer models and pure speculation. If someone (even climate scientists) dispute the Left’s crisis mongering , that person is demonized and called a “climate denier”. Other facts such as plants consume CO2 as food, and the more CO2 the better plants flourish, and therefore act as a control on the CO2 levels is never mentioned. With a world population at 8 billion, and each person emitting 4 lbs of CO2 a day, this amounts to 6 billion tons of CO2 from humans breathing. I guess we will soon be asked to reduce the human population or take fewer breaths.

As for fossil fuels, the Left never talks about the advantages of fossil fuels only the negative effects. The truth is that modern civilization would not exist without fossil fuels. They have provided the energy that has made our standard of living possible. Fossil fuels have saved the lives of millions of people by providing abundant energy for producing food and allowing machines to expand our ability to produce clothes, housing , heating/air conditioning and transportation essential to our survival. Fossil fuels have allowed us to live in an otherwise hostile, unforgiving natural world. Abundant, cheap energy is essential to our survival. Just wait and see what happens in Europe this winter as a result of their failed “green agenda” and reliance on other countries for their energy. Imagine America as a third world country with insufficient food, few cars, supply crises, rationed electricity for heating/air conditioning, no energy when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine, heating with wood like they are doing in Germany, etc. The abundance of food we have enjoyed in this country relies on fossil fuels for farm implements, fertilizer, and getting food to market. This is what is coming. We cannot let that happen here in America where we have hundreds of years of fossil fuels including natural gas if only we stop the Left’s war on fossil fuels. Do you think our country can be militarily strong without abundant fossil fuels? Well, it can’t. China is laughing at us for our stupidity, as they continue to expand their use of fossil fuels.

Sadly, some of our conservative polititians are going along with this green scam. They need to stand up and take action to keep this country energy independent. We need to contact them and insist they do so. THIS MADNESS MUST BE STOPPED!

 

Biden’s Destruction of America

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Author: R. Alan Harrop,Ph.D

In March 2021, I wrote an article reporting on some of the actions Biden was initiating that would be harmful to America. Let’s update his actions as of November 2022 and see how things stand after almost two years of his administration. I write this on Halloween night, but it is scarier than ghosts and goblins.

The Border: We no longer have a Southern border. Well over 5 million illegals have been welcomed across the border in less than two years. Illegal drugs are coming in unchecked, including fentanyl which has killed close to 100,000 Americans in the last year. Estimates are that illegals will cost each tax payer $2,600/year.

Inflation: The prices of consumer goods are rising dramatically; especially on essential items. Inflation under President Trump was about 2 %. Now at a forty year high of 8.6% and much higher for food.

Energy: On Election Day 2020, the price of a gallon of gas was $ 1.87, it now averages $3.49 and much higher in some areas. We have gone from energy abundance/independence to energy shortages. Recent report shows that there is only sufficient diesel oil for 25 days to meet our usual consumption. Home heating oil, commonly used in the northern states, has gone from $1.45 to $5.72 per gallon. The cost of electricity has gone up 16% in the last year and is expected to go higher. Energy is costing the average family $6,200 more per year. Biden’s depleting our strategic oil reserves and selling this oil to China is treasonous.

Personal Wealth: The stock market is down about 30 % and inflation reduces the value of bank accounts by about 10% per year. People on fixed income are especially hard hit. We are getting poorer.

Cost of Housing: Mortgage rates have gone from less than 3% to 7%. A $300,000 house will cost $878 more per month, $10,536 more per year and a whopping $316,000 more over the life of a 30 year loan. Rents are going up similarly.

Unconstitutional Spending: You will be paying off the loans of college students estimated to cost over $300 billion dollars over the next ten years and will continue going higher; even though you may have paid your own way through college or not gone to college at all. Presidents have no authority to do this.

Second Amendment: The Biden administration is requiring all credit card companies to report all sales of firearms and ammunition to the Federal government thereby tracking your purchases.

IRS/FBI: These agencies are now enforcement arms of the Biden administration. Hiring 87,000 armed IRS agents is aimed directly at the middle class and small business owners.

Crime: Has been increasing dramatically, especially in urban areas, as a direct result of defunding the police and liberal prisoner release policies.

International Relations: War in Ukraine, North Korea firing missiles, conflicts with Saudi Arabia, China emboldened and threatening Taiwan, are all examples of deteriorating relations with other countries.

No doubt there are other destructive actions by Biden and the radical Democrats. No rational person can look at where America is now and say we are better off after the last two years. YOU MUST GET OUT AND VOTE, if you love this country.

Destroying The Family

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Written by R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

The political Left (most Democrats), is intentionally destroying many of the traditional values of this country. The foundational bedrock of Western Civilization is the family. Not only does the family provide economic, emotional and social support to people but, importantly, provides training and guidance to children in pro-social values which are essential to successful societies. As the family structure breaks down so will the society. We are seeing this in rising crime rates, lowered moral values, self-centeredness, and lack of a work ethic. Here are some of the Left’s actions that are attacking the family structure

Marriage was once not only sacred but expected of young people especially before engaging in sexual intercourse. The idea of homosexual marriage was totally rejected as was the idea of transgenderism. Not only are these occurring now, but they have been sanctioned and approved as “normal” when of course they are quite the opposite biologically. Reserving sexual intimacy until after marriage not only diminished the chance of illegitimate children but ensured a commitment between the husband and wife. Many men and women now delay marriage until their late thirties, if at all. This limits the number of children during the child bearing years. Why should a man marry when he can get all the goodies without making a commitment to his partner? No wonder the average number of children per marriage has decreased dramatically. In the 1950s the average number of children per marriage was about five, whereas now it is less than two. The result is a society that has to rely on immigrants rather than their own children as a source of labor. This infusion of immigrants dilutes the values and traditions of any society. A society can only absorb a limited number of immigrants if it wants to maintain its integrity.

The percentage of children born out of wedlock has increased dramatically. In 1965, about 24% of black children were born out of wedlock, now, that percentage has increased to 75% This has also happened to white Americans where in 1965, 3.1% of white births were to unmarried women where it is now 29%. Asian Americans currently have the lowest rate at 11%. The data consistently shows that children born out of wedlock are more likely to experience poverty and commit crimes.

The destruction of the family is no accident. Marxist/Leftist teachings encourage the replacement of the traditional family by government agencies and control. Social programs such as aide for dependent children, assistance to single mothers, early child care like the Headstart Program, increasingly result in children not being raised in a traditional family environment. The recent expansion of transgender indoctrination and sex education in the schools shows how the government has taken over the socialization of our children. California has recently passed a law that diminishes the parents role in deciding whether their children receive gender changing drugs and surgery. As Hillary Clinton famously said “It takes a village to raise a child”, not the traditional mother and father. If you stand up and fight against this trend in public schools you risk being labelled as a “domestic terrorist” by the Biden Department of Justice.

How do we resist this? First, recognize that the destruction of the traditional family will result in the loss of traditional values and ultimately the destruction of America, as we have known it. Have courage. Speak out against it. Vote for conservative candidates at all levels especially the school board and the judges. Take your children out of the public schools if you can. Private, charter and especially homeschools allow greater control over the socialization of our children. Leftist government control must be stopped.

Something To Consider

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The following post was written by R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D. Alan was born in New York City raised on Long Island. He has a BA from the State University of New York @Stony Brook, and a MA and Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from N.C. State University. Alan spent four years in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He taught at East Carolina University, and was Chief Psychologist and Mental Health Services for the N.C. Department of Correction. He also spent several years in private practice.

Puppet King Biden

The title of this article may seem funny, but as I will show it really is deadly serious. As everyone should know, (current public school students possibly not), this country fought a war of rebellion against tyrannical King George III. As I will show, Joe Biden has increasingly acted as a king rather than as president. Also, it is increasingly clear that he is being controlled by non-elected “advisors” who are telling him what to say and when to say it.

A few examples: 1) tyrannical kings ignore the law and take whatever action they want. Look at the southern border. The congress has put in place a series of laws designed to regulate immigration into this country. Obviously, King Biden is ignoring these laws and has decided he wants open borders. In spite of existing laws (which he swore to uphold when he took office) and the desires of the people, the majority of which are opposed to open borders. 2) King Biden recently declared that hard working, responsible taxpayers must pay for the loans of other people. Not only is this patently unjust, it is a violation of the Constitution since only the Congress can initiate new taxes. Even Nancy Pelosi (ugh) declared several months ago that a president does not have the authority to do this very thing. Obviously, a king does have this authority. 3) All kings have law enforcement agencies to ensure that their rule is not interrupted or challenged. Presidents under our Constitution are expressly forbidden to create such agencies. However, look what King Biden has done with the Department of Justice and the FBI. They are being used to go after anyone whose words or actions threaten King Biden’s regime. 4) Presidents do not have the authority to require private citizens or businesses to gather intelligence information on ordinary law abiding citizens. There are no such restrictions on kings. King Biden’s henchmen are now requiring credit card companies to record and report anyone who purchases a firearm or ammunition using a credit card. Which of course, is the way law abiding citizens make lawful purchases. Unlike criminals who either steal a firearm or buy them on the black market with cash. I could go on with many other examples but you get the point.

Now, as to Biden being a puppet, just ask yourself, have you ever seen another president whose statements are walked back by his handlers like King Biden? He reads scripts for almost everything he says. He is either mentally impaired and/or is being controlled by non-elected behind the scenes officials ( can anyone say Susan Rice?).

Ok, so what do we do about it? First, we have to get out and vote Republican to ensure that we regain some control over King Biden. Second, a Republican Congress must move to pass legislation reversing all the destructive actions taken by King Biden. Third, Articles of Impeachment must be initiated immediately by a Republican Congress for King Biden’s failure to enforce existing immigration laws and other unconstitutional actions. Fourth, the State Department and FBI leadership need to be removed for failure to follow their sworn oaths to abide by the Constitution and manage their agencies in a fair and unbiased manner. The FBI must be deprived of their law enforcement authority to raid homes, arrest suspects, enforce subpoenas and must work through the local sheriff’s office. Who is the only law enforcement who is elected by and therefore responsible to the people.

Our forefathers fought and died to stop the tyranny of a king, we must take serious measures to do the same.