China: Potential Threat?

Having discussed change below, it is important to see how the world is changing now. In specific, Red China. China is the largest nation in terms of population in the world. The only reason they are not yet a true superpower in the mold of the USSR is their propensity to isolationism. Socialism has caused their economy to stagnant for many decades, but even this is changing. With more capitalist ideas and practices entering their country, they are becoming stronger. They have the largest standing army in the world.
With this comes a threat. There is precedent for countries to flex their military might from time to time. Moreover, they have resource and living space rich Siberia to their north. Russia is vast. Her East is hard to defend due to the lack of transportation across the Russian steppes. This would make an inviting target for an ambitious Chinese commander.
Assume the Chinese do attack there. What then should be the United States' response? It is clear that this aggression could not be allowed to stand. Furthermore, it is clear that the US would have trouble making an effective stance there. Our military used to have a policy that enabled it to fight two and a half wars; two global conflicts and a regional one. This is no longer the case. Our military, while strong, could very well be swept under the sheer mass of the ChiComs.
The ChiComs are picking up the slack they had technologically, as well. They no longer fight with jets and tanks that were outmoded in the 70s. Now they have state of the art equipment. With Russia in seeming disarray and America effectively hamstrung logistically, it is but a matter of time until the Chinese move north. Let us pray that any conflict on that front does not go nuclear.
What then can be done? I propose a return to the former two and a half wars policy. This military buildup will stimulate our economy as well as protect us. Even if the ChiComs do not move on Siberia, conflict somewhere, sometime is inevitable. Likewise, we should establish a few bases in Siberia, by way of treaty with Russia. This presence might well act as a deterrent to any ChiCom aggression. It will also give us a logistical toehold if something does happen. Navally we are far superior to them. We must maintain this egde. Control of the seas gives us a decisive advntage. The world is changing. If we are to maintain our place in it, we should act unilaterally. By doing so, we can meet whatever threat may come.

Any thoughts? Disagreements? Let me know.

Thoughts on Change

This may not seem to fit the theme of this blog, but bear with me. The new pope, students graduating, and the various social, political, and economic turmoil has got me thinking on change. The human mind is a true dichotomy. Change can be something that we both welcome and dread. There can be no growth without change. However, change can hurt. Without change, we can just stay in our comfortable routines. While that may be familiar, it may well cause the stagnation of our lives. This is not good.
People change. Situations change. Sometimes it is expected, sometimes it is sudden. Retirement at 65 is a different change then a dear friend dying in a car crash. However, both are necessary for us to better understand life. Life, by its very nature, is mercurial. There is never anything that is exactly the same. For anything to remain is impossible. The only constant is change itself. It is incumbent on people to recognize this. Many changes are out of our hands. Accept what you cannot change. However, in the main, people can affect change themselves. Loneliness can be cured by greeting life. Everyone has some likeminded person in the world to connect with. A change due to age (graduation, retirement, etc) is only can only be sad if you have learned nothing from those experiences. If you do not embrace the future that is open before you, you cannot enjoy life. Change can help. Fresh faces, fresh places. If you are leaving a success, create a new and better one at your next stop. If life is a maze, forget figuring it out; bust through the walls! This is the only way to deal with change. Seize it, make it your own!

The Antichrist is Among Us

Today we saw the election of a new pope. This man, now known as Pope Benedict XVI, has been hailed as the leader of the church. However, it is necessary to specify what church he leads. I would argue that he certainly does not lead all Christians. Truly, if he follows his predecessors, he will not be leading Christians period. It might well be better stated that he leads Satan's church. Before you condemn me as an atheist, let me explain.

The office of the papacy has been responsible for perverting the Catholic Church for hundreds of years. There is no place in the Bible that gives credence to a teaching that tradition has any bearing in theology. Even when Paul praises the Corinthians for maintaining the minor tradition of headcoverings, it is merely to contrast with their abuses of doctrine that he condemns in the following verses. However, through papal edict, tradition has become a trump for doctrine in the Catholic Church.
Furthermore, purgatory has no Biblical basis. This is merely a tradition that the church has handed down. The pope claims divine basis for his edicts from his throne. Let us now examine some of these. He claims to be the vicar of Christ. Where in the Bible does this come from? John Paul II even had the hubris to compare his sufferings to that of Christ! How can a man of God say that anything that happens to him is comparable to Christ's sufferings? Christ was the perfect Son of God! No man can say he has any part in that. Christ's death was all that was needed for our sins. The Pope's death did nothing for my sins. Where's the comparison?

Likewise, the popes throughout the years have initiated a right of penance for sins, to help get rid of them. Where in the Bible is this even suggested? If we must do something to cover our sins, what was the point of Christ's death? If he, who lived a perfect life as the Son of God, could not atone for me, how can I be so bold as to think I can do anything to help myself? This is truly a faith destroying doctrine. If one can never be sure if one has done enough to be right with God, how can one come to the conclusion that God is anything more than a god that likes to play games with his people? This is as far from the loving God outlined in the Bible as one can get.

If the "Vicar of Christ" does little more than lead people away from Christ, what must then be said about him? The Bible says that the Antichrist will set himself up as Christ. Sounds an awful lot like vicar of Christ to me. He will also lead many away from the true, saving faith. As seen above, the papal office certainly does that. That is not the only way this happens. If anyone needs more proof, feel free to ask, but the case is pretty convincing. The office of the papacy, not necessarily a specific pope, is the Antichrist. The Bible bears out this thought. That is all the proof I need.

Disagree? Prove me wrong.

Concerning Capital Punishment

There are far too many people today that consider capital punishment an inhumane, morally reprehensible act. This is little more than foolishness. People who do certain things automatically forfeit any claim they have to humane treatment. They have disregarded the health and well-being of another person. It makes sense that they would not value their own, either.
As far as I know, capital punishment is only used in heinous murderers. While the states that have this as law are certainly justified in doing this, I would argue that it does not go far enough. Violent criminals are all guilty of a blatant disregard for human rights. There need to be more stringent laws which allow capital punishment for rapists, child molesters, child abusers, and wife beaters. All of these people have forfeited their claim on life. They have seized someone else's life and left on it indelible scars.
While I am willing to grant that there are certain circumstances that may need special consideration (e.g. an 18 year old who has consensual sex with his 17 year old girlfriend. While technically statutory rape and therefore a sex crime against a minor, it would be ridiculous to say that this crime is worthy of death.) these are not the cases I am talking about. Furthermore, all cases that have capital punishment as a possibility need to have that specified as the punishment.
There are good reasons for my stance. I have no qualms about paying taxes that finance our prison system. What I do have a problem with is paying room and board for people that have forfeited their rights. Also, anyone who offends in this manner has left a mark on someone's mind and, in most cases, body. This is as high a crime as one can commit. They need to pay as high a price as they can pay.

Disagree? Prove me wrong.

Concerning the Privatization of Social Security

Social Security (SS) is one of the major factors of American life. We are issued a number at birth. This number is one of the most important parts of our lives. It is used in the first part of life mainly for identification, along with our birth certificate. It is one of the ways we can prove who we are. Later in life, it is how we claim our SS benefits.
The has been a great deal of debate recently about privatizing SS. To my mind this makes a lot of sense. Think about it. The government routinely takes money from our paychecks to give back to us when we retire. Essentially it is the government's way of making sure that its citizens have money at retirement. It was never intended to be the only source of income at retirement. A supplement for, and only a supplement for, other money salted away is what it was meant for at its beginning.
However, things have changed. The government now uses our hard earned money to fund useless projects. SS is not being used as a supplement for retires and the disabled, but as a government slush fund to finance projects in order to win Congressmen more votes. Now there is a way to limit the amount of money that the government receives in this manner. By letting people decide how to invest it, they are limiting the possibility for more government pork barrel bull.
I don't know about everyone, but I bust my hump for my money. I don't really have a problem with there being a safety net for retires and the disabled, but there needs to be a way to guarantee that it remains just that. There is no reason for my money to be used to build a bridge in Poughkeepsie. It is supposed to be there for me.
There are two benefits to this plan. First, by allowing the people to put the money away for themselves, it allows opportunity for growth. Secondly, it forces the government to cut down on the pork. By decreasing the the cash flow into the government, they are forced to prioritize quite a bit more. I think that people can only derive benefit from a more streamlined government. Even if the people take their share of privatized SS and stick it in a bank, they will be doing more and better with it than the government ever could. There is no financial wizardry necessary. If people wish to be creative with it, there are investment advisors out there. This can only lead to a better life for people.

Disagree? Prove me wrong.

On Welfare

Welfare. A well intentioned plan that grew into a monstrous beast. There is no reason to object to there being a safety net for people who lose their jobs or are somehow disabled. The problem stems from the abuses that occur. The mothers who have kids simply to receive bigger checks, the people who do nothing, seek no employment and let our tax dollars pay for their new TV's and other opulent luxuries. Worst of all are the people who have jobs, but defraud the system. In one case in New York, a women received multiple welfare checks for homeless men. Some of these men had even died, but she still got paid for them. These are just a few of the more prominent examples of abuse that our system endures.
What can be done? Why not allow the county or city level government deal more closely with this? Impose a strict 6 month time period for the able bodied unemployed. Keep single mothers from turning their wombs into baby factories by putting a limit on benefits. Place a regulatory commission over the people who make these decisions to ensure their adequacy. I argue this can be best done on the local level.
Why the local level? Simple. The bureaucracy will be smaller then. With a more concentrated case load, the workers will be able to focus more specifically on individual cases. This will allow for strict enforcement where necessary. It also grants more room for leeway, it the situation warrants.

Disagree? Prove me wrong.

Mission

Greetings.
I am vox_veritas. I created this blog to give an open forum for discussion of history and politics, so that the truth may come out in the collective banter. All my posts will contain my views on subjects related to the issues that face us as a people today. Not all who read this will agree with me. I invite them to post their views, thus promoting an open and free exchange of ideas. Anyone with a mind can think for themselves. I want them to respond to me. I am but one man. Feel free to refute me. Try to prove me wrong. If you can, I will admit it. However, it may well prove difficult.

[The contents of this site are my intellectual property. However, they are allowed to be used, in part or in whole, by anyone who wishes. Simply cite my name (vox_veritas) and the web address: verbumveritas.blogspot.com Thank you.]