God at Work

I've been back from the Peacemaker mission in Ecuador for almost a month and have had the time to process to some degree the things that we saw and experienced. The biggest take-away is how big the Church is and how God is working all over the world.

We met some quality people who have hearts for God and put their faith into action. Pastor Domingo, a former FARC guerrilla, who came to faith in Christ and who has a true pastor's heart. Robin, who heads a Christian school and who is doing a good job training up a new generation of believers. Caesar, who owns and personally runs one of the few Christian radio stations on the Amazon side of Ecuador and who does not hesitate to pay out of his own pocket to get people counseling or other needed services. Pedro and Patricia who keep the school clean and cook for the children. These are just a few of the fine people we met and who touched our lives.

There is a lot of bad news out there, but quietly and under the radar, God's people are doing His work and making the world a better place. It was a privilege to work with them. If you have the chance to take a short term mission trip, grab it. You will be amazed at how you are changed.

Brits See End of Euro

The British Foreign Office is making plans to help ex-pat Brits if the Euro goes down, which is now viewed as a certainty. The British Treasury Ministry confirmed the plans and made an interesting comment:

"The Treasury confirmed earlier this month that contingency planning for a collapse is now under way. 

A senior minister has now revealed the extent of the Government’s concern, saying that Britain is now planning on the basis that a euro collapse is now just a matter of time. 

' It’s in our interests that they keep playing for time because that gives us more time to prepare,' the minister told the Daily Telegraph." (emphasis added).

The fall of the Euro will have a major effect on this country as well, particularly if our big banks have heavily invested in Eurozone bonds. More importantly, it can happen here too and the probability goes up every day that the Feds do nothing to halt our runaway spending.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8917077/Prepare-for-riots-in-euro-collapse-Foreign-Office-warns.html

Up in Smoke

Yes, it's the name of a bad Cheech and Chong movie (for the record, they were all bad) but it's also apparently what is happening to Chevy Volts. I am sure that the next thing that the Feds will roll out besides the tax credits for this turkey will be a Federal fire insurance policy. It would seem that whatever you may save on your carbon footprint by driving this thing, you more than lose from the car fire. Go Green!

townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2011/11/28/chevy_volt_batteries_catching_on_fire

Up, Up and Away!

Mark Steyn made an interesting catch that I had not seen in the run up to Thanksgiving. Germany was selling government bonds on Wednesday and didn't get any buyers at the interest rate offered. What does that have to do with us? Consider:

"The advantage the United States enjoys is that, unlike Greece, it can print the currency in which its debt is denominated. But, even so, it still needs someone to buy it. The failure of Germany’s bond auction on Wednesday suggests that the world is running out of buyers for Western sovereign debt at historically low interest rates."

 www.nationalreview.com/articles/284111/more-more-more-mark-steyn

Ergo - interest rates will go up. For everything. And where they will stop, no one knows. People and institutions with serious money don't have to buy bonds. They can buy gold, silver, oil, countries - almost anything. If they perceive government bonds as a poor investment they may not buy them at any price and then the EU's and the U.S. government's Disneyland economics will come to a rapid and painful end. Unfortunately, we get to go along for the ride.

Arab Winter

The American press seems to think that every time there is a mob in the street it is always about "progress" and "peace" regardless of what they are actually doing, Occupy Wall Street for example.  In this vein they have reacted ecstatically to the demonstrations in Arab countries in the Middle East as ushering in an "Arab Spring." Michael Youssef, an American born in Egypt who writes very insightful pieces about what is happening in the Islamic world, says guess again. Speaking specifically about Egypt, he reports that:

"The truth about recent events in Egypt reveals that the country has disintegrated into a total anarchy and barbarianism that would make the Vikings blush.

Peaceful Christians are being beheaded in their own homes. Their possessions are being carried off as police either stand helplessly by or, for a portion of the booty, turn a blind eye. And surprise, surprise! Nearly all the victims of beheadings were Christians killed by Muslim fundamentalists."

He lays much of the responsibility at President Obama's feet:

"Indecisive leadership kills innocent people and causes disasters. Take President Jimmy Carter’s vacillating support for the Shah of Iran. In one breath, Carter would support the beleaguered leader, and in the next, he would praise the Iranian Revolution. That indecisiveness led to 52 Americans being taken hostage for 444 days inside the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

It is precisely the same kind of vacillation and accommodation on the part of Mr. Obama that has emboldened the Islamists around the world. As a result, we have seen jihadist-led bloodbaths from Yemen to Syria and from Libya to Egypt."

I think that this is probably an overstatement. The U.S. can urge moderation and adopt policies to move a country in that direction, but it does not have the ability to dictate events. In Egypt and other Arab countries beset by these mobs, despots have usually done little for their citizens and instead simply focused on keeping the lid on via the secret police. Eventually the pressure builds and the lid comes off - unless an even more brutal government takes its place. By winking at ruthless elements, though, like the Muslim Brotherhood, and recognizing them as legitimate parties, the U.S. can make it easier for such groups to gain power and really clamp down as they take a country back to the 5th century, their view of paradise.

Egypt is getting ugly. I suspect that as the rose-colored glasses come off we will see more and more snow and ice, rather than tulips and daffodils, and we will have to deal with all the consequent foreign policy crises that will go with it. Think President Carter and American hostages in Iran for 444 days. The world situation is getting very interesting.

townhall.com/columnists/michaelyoussef/2011/11/27/arab_winter

Happy Thanksgiving!

King John the First

Funny, I didn't realize that Gov. Kitzhaber was the head of the Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches in Oregon; 3-in-1! That's right, acting in his capacity as King of Oregon, Kitzhaber decreed that there will be no more executions of convicted killers on his watch. Never mind that the defendant who precipitated this decree had been adjudged guilty of murder, his conviction and sentence upheld by the appellate courts, and all pursuant to laws duly passed by the Oregon Legislature. Constitution, Smonchtitution - it's such a bother when you have to do what is Right!

I get it - the Donks don't like the death penalty. Just like they don't like Measure 11 (mandatory minimum sentences), most drug laws, and Republicans. Their remedy, of course, is a Constitutional amendment, but that requires a vote of the people which they know would not pass, so roll out the executive fiat! That's right - no messy elections, no separation of powers, etc., etc. because after all, they are the Ruling Class and know what's best for everybody and everything. Basically, it's Obama Lite and involves ruling subjects by decree, not governing on behalf of citizens pursuant to a Constitutional framework, and it is rapidly becoming the Democrats' modus operandi - a very troubling m.o. to people who care about democracy and limited government.

The Statesman Journal in today's editorial also raises the moral issue of Kitzhaber's inconsistent pro-life ethic: Why spare convicted killers when we allow the killing of innocent babies via abortion and authorize assisted suicide? Good question. Kitzhaber couldn't articulate an answer when asked. I would be happy to trade the abolition of capital punishment in return for doing the same with abortion and assisted suicide. Somehow I doubt, though, that trade is on the table. So much for consistency.

Oregon has been becoming a one-party state for some time and power without accountability breeds arrogance and anti-democratic policies. That's what we see here in Kitzhaber's unilateral decree. I grew up outside Chicago and it is what we saw there in the 1960s and still see today with Rahm Emmanuel and his crew. It isn't healthy and it breeds corruption as well. I don't know what happened to Oregon's vaunted independence, but it seems like the electorate is content to be ruled and not governed. Sad.

www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20111123/OPINION/111230418/Halting-Oregon-execution-bold-political-move

Everything is Not Okay

John Mauldin is a financial analyst whose new book Endgame is high on the Amazon bestseller list. He thinks that the developed world is at the end of a debt "super-cycle" and the house of cards is about to fall. Europe will probably be the catalyst of this collapse and here is why:

"If the ECB [European Central Bank] does not backstop the banks and Italian and Spanish debt, the Eurozone will fall into a deflationary debt spiral. The large majority of European banks (even in core countries) are basically insolvent. They simply hold too much sovereign debt of all types, at leverages approaching 40 to 1. They have this debt on their books at face value. Even a write-down of 10% wipes out most of their capital. It would be an unmitigated disaster. Look at Dexia. Only a few weeks before it was nationalized by the French and Belgians, the regulators were telling us the bank was well-financed. And then Bang! In a matter of a few weeks, it had to be taken over by the governments.

Note please that these are the same regulators that said European banks only needed about €3 billion this summer, and recently that has been raised to €100 billion. They have no clue what mark to market means, but the market does. Bank financing dries up quickly and there is a default moment. Maybe the only real purpose of European bank regulators is to make US regulators look conservative and prudent." (emphasis added)

Having seen how U.S. bank regulators missed virtually every major warning sign prior to the crash of 2008 gives you some idea of how bad the situation is in Europe. Essentially Mauldin is saying that the engines of the jet are cutting in and out for lack of fuel but they haven't quit altogether quite yet. When they do, the free fall begins.

Wars, incidentally, have often arisen historically from events like these. Let's say, for example, that Germany demands a European super government where it calls the shots since it's paying the bills. Fourth Reich anyone? Of course we're too civilized for that sort of thing anymore.

There is growing concern that the big banks here may also have been drinking at the same trough as the European banks by buying up government bonds from the likes of Greece and Italy. (I mean they have great yields and surely the Eurozone will back them. Won't they?) If so, the contagion will spread to this country. Then the pressure will again be on the U.S. government to again bail them (and maybe Europe too) out from this dire dilemma of their own making. But wait - the U.S. is broke too and getting "broker" every minute. Yup, let's be more like them Europeans - the ride down is such a rush!

The Real 99% Americans

I appreciated the piece in today's Statesman Journal by executive editor Bill Church about the so-called 99 percenters. His point is that the real 99 percenters in Salem go to work every day, take care of their families, and give back to this community with their time and money. If something needs fixing, they don't whine about it, they roll up their sleeves and go about finding a solution. Life isn't perfect and never will be, but whining and throwing tantrums about being "oppressed" won't make America great again.

www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20111120/OPINION/111200363/Real-99-percenters-don-t-pitch-tents

It Was Only a Matter of Time

A public water system in Illinois was shut down by a foreign hacker in the first known (or admitted) incident of foreign cyber-sabotage. This will be a major front in the next war and perhaps a decisive one.

Imagine the Chinese moving on Taiwan and the U.S. dispatching a carrier task force in response. China sinks our carrier with its supersonic cruise missiles and the U.S. goes to war-footing. While we dither about a response, China locks up the U.S. power grid and a majority of the water system and threatens worse. Checkmate? At the very least, it brings a far-away conflict literally into the homeland.

I hope that somebody is working on countermeasures, but this incident doesn't do much to raise my confidence level.

www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.bb560ae65a071dc80a1c88fdc371ec35.d51&show_article=1

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Oil or Jobs!

It's about jobs! We've got to get this economy rolling right now! Right now! Thus saith El Presidente in taunting Republicans to spend more Federal money. Unfortunately, when given the chance to actually walk the walk,  the Big O took a pass. I'm referring to the Keystone XL pipeline project from Canada down to the Gulf Coast.

The pipeline is designed to supply the U.S. with substantial quantities of oil and gas from a reliable ally, making us less dependent on the likes of Hugo Chavez and the sheiks in the Middle East.  It would also employ upwards of 20,000 skilled American workers to build it. Sounds like a winner to me, but as John Belushi would say - BUT NOOOO! The President "delayed" the project until after the 2012 election, which is to say that if he wins, it's a dead letter. Canada is taking the cue and moving to peddle its oil to Asia. Allegedly the President acted because of "environmental concerns." There are already many oil pipelines in the U.S., though, and they seem to be doing just fine. While this argument might be convincing to some 20-year old tree hugger, I doubt that Mr. Obama believes this canard.

At some point, by applying Occam's Razor (the simplest explanation is the most likely) one  can only reasonably conclude that Obama and the Democrats want the economy screwed up. The more people become wards of the government, the more often they will vote Democratic to preserve those benefits. What better way to achieve this goal than a crummy economy? Let's not let Boeing open a new plant in South Carolina. Let's not grant permits to drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico even though Mexico, China, and Cuba are doing so. Let's do nothing about cutting runaway government spending. In short, let's let the economy rot and get as many voters beholden to us as possible and then blame everything, however improbably, on the Republicans. No chance, you say? Did you know that 51% of the population paid no Federal income tax in 2009, the last year for which data is available? Still confident that the public will see through this farce?

 townhall.com/columnists/michaelbarone/2011/11/17/obama_has_a_knack_for_ticking_off_americas_friends

I Can't Believe It!!

"SEIU Announces Its Endorsement of Obama in 2012"--headline, ABCNews.com, Nov. 16

President Newt?

Newt Gingrich is now getting lots of air time as the new and improved Republican presidential candidate. How should Republicans react? In a word, "No."

Gingrich is a popcorn popper of ideas, which is all well and good, but not necessarily a good quality in a President. Newt sometimes comes across like a fire hose, spraying ideas all over the place. He has a legislative temperament. Remember the Contract with America? Remember him sitting on the couch with Nancy Pelosi and pitching a solution to global warming in an ad sponsored by Al Gore's outfit? President Reagan, in contrast, had firm convictions that guided him in choosing ideas that were in the best interest of the United States, but he was anything but random in his approach to governing.

I am afraid too that Mr. Gingrich will be found to have been out tom-catting with the lobbyists and living the Good Life on their tab, even more than has been disclosed already. That is not something that would be helpful to surface during the general election campaign if he were the Republican nominee. So I hope that Newt enjoys his time in the media sun, but I don't think that he's the one.

Why Bother?

We got a letter the other day from Rob Cornilles looking for money for his race for Congress as a Republican in the 1st District.  This is the seat that was held by David Wu until he began dressing up in kitty costumes and saying some rather strange things. Cornilles seems like a nice enough guy. He has experience in the private sector, he wants to cut spending in D.C. But really, why bother?

Republican Chris Dudley ran about as middle-of-the-road campaign as possible and got beat by a former governor who said that Oregon was ungovernable when he last left office. Republican Scott Bruun ran a good race against a Demo who had served only one term and who voted with Nancy Pelosi 97% of the time. While the rest of the country went overwhelmingly Republican in the 2010 election, Oregon's 2nd District (Salem and Clackamas County) went with the Donk.

Being pragmatic, it doesn't appear to me that a Republican can win statewide or a Congressional seat here in the Willamette Valley. Is it the water out here, too little sun? I don't know, but if you are thinking about political contributions, pick an out-of-state race where a Republican has a chance and make a difference by putting your cash into that race. Sad commentary, but true.

Angel Flight

When I was in Ecuador a couple of weeks ago and flying from Quito to the Amazon Basin, we taxied past the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) hangar at the Quito airport. MAF is a great organization that operates all over the world flying people and supplies to/from remote missions. It exists to support other Christian missions and many a missionary literally owes their life to a medevac flight by MAF to get them to a major city hospital and medical help.

The picture shows the new Quest Kodiak that was developed with MAF input. Simply put, it is the best light aircraft flying in the world today. It is built like a truck and can haul 3,500 lbs. of cargo. It's 750 hp Pratt & Whitney turboprop engine is designed to be extremely reliable and get heavy loads in and out of small fields. If I were a young pilot today, this is the plane that I would want to fly and the organization that I would want to fly it for.

I have included a link to MAF's website. The end of the year is coming up and if you are going to be making some year end charitable gifts, you might consider MAF. Good folks; great work!

www.maf.org/page.aspx?pid=369

True Colors

In days of yore, pirate ships would often fly the flags of various nations to lure in their prey and then run up the Jolly Roger at the last minute before boarding their prize. Wait long enough and the true colors of any entity or group will show and Occupy Wall Street (Occupy Anything) has now run up the Jolly Roger.

 Reports are coming in from all over the country about criminal behavior by the OWS folks. Best of the Web had a compendium yesterday (link below) with a list from multiple cities of criminal acts of all kinds.Consider:

San Diego.  Food vendors attacked when they were no longer able to give free food to OWS protesters.

New York.  A bakery has its restroom trashed by OWS types using it for a shower to the tune of $3,000 and is told 10 times to "watch their back" when they protest. A photographer has his nose smacked while taking pictures of the OWS crowd and is told by EMTs that this is the 14th run they have personally made for assault victims of the crowd.

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204554204577026282449099506.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_MIDDLETopOpinion

You undoubtedly heard about the goings-on in Oakland and even right here in Portland. Mayor Sam Adams has admonished the PDX branch of OWS to behave themselves. Sounds like just a minor case of bad manners, right? Wrong. How about a Molotov cocktail exploding at the World Trade Center, roughing up a KGW camera crew, smashing a police car window, etc.?

www.kgw.com/news/Police-Downtown-Molotov-cocktail-linked-to-Occupy-133527228.html

www.kgw.com/home/Video-shows-KGW-crew-harassed-at-Occupy-Portland-133496118.html

The early mantra of the OWS crowd was that they are the "99% of the rest of the U.S!" My patoot! They flew the American flag to lure a sympathetic audience but now the Jolly Roger is flying proudly from their mast. It's time to respond appropriately and take back our cities from this scurvy mob.

Don Poulson, RIP

I hope that you don't find these posts to friends who have passed to be tedious. I have always liked the "cloud of witnesses" verse from Hebrews when I think about quality people that I have known and who have died:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1

Like many other friends, Don Poulson was a quiet Christian who went about his business being salt and light on this earth without much fanfare. I had the opportunity to sit on the church board with Don and to deal with him professionally (he was an orthopedic surgeon) as an expert witness for one of my clients. He was a gentleman at all times. I hate to think of a world where all the folks like Don are suddenly removed.

Don ran the good race and now has a place in heaven cheering on those of us still here as we run our own races. Thanks Don for enriching my life and making this world a better place while you were here.

www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesmanjournal/obituary.aspx?n=don-poulson&pid=154459891

Moral Fog

Good morning, good morning. I am getting back in the saddle after 12 days in Ecuador - an interesting place and definitely worth a visit. Let's get busy, though.

Mona Charen has an interesting article about moral thought - or rather the lack thereof - in young Americans. Her high school sophomore son was reading a text book that basically trashed the white European colonists of the Americas and idealized the native populations, conveniently leaving out facts like the Aztecs ritually sacrificed 20,000 victims per year by cutting out their still-beating hearts, as shown in the movie Apocalypto with all the gory details. He knew he was reading a lot of bunk, but many young people in America today do not.

Charen says that:

"In 'Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood,' Christian Smith and his co-authors recount the results of their decade-long study of a representative sample of Americans aged 18-23. Through in-depth interviews, they examined their subjects' lives and concluded that an alarming percentage of young people are highly materialistic, commitment averse, disengaged from political and civic life, sexually irresponsible, often heavily intoxicated and morally confused. In fact, the authors contend, they lack even the vocabulary to think in moral terms."

Great. I am fortunate to know people in this age group that are possessed of great character and think and speak about moral issues clearly. If a majority of tomorrow's leaders, however, do not even have the vocabulary to think about moral issues, then America is going to be an interesting place to live. In an immoral or amoral culture, the advantage is always to the strong. So much for civility, protection of the weak, or any other mark of a truly civilized society. Rome - as in Nero's time - here we come!

townhall.com/columnists/monacharen/2011/11/04/moral_abdication