3 years ago
Monday, January 26, 2009
Kava, South Pacific Beer...or dirty dishwater?
Well, I have officially been here at the Prison for over a month. So far it doesn't seem to bad, although I don't expect to be doing to much agricultural work, which is a major bummer. I expect that I will most likely be teaching guards here at the prison how to use programs on the computer, and helping out with grants. I think. I have met some of the prisoners and most of the guards. They are all very nice people, but sometimes it is not hard to remind myself that I am on a prison. I usually drink kava with the guards and prisoners on Friday nights, btu because it tastes horrible and makes me extremely tired I usually only sit with them for about 2 hours and then I go home and go to sleep. Last Friday some of the other volunteers and I went to the Sundowner social that is held the first friday of every month for the volunteer community at the Australian High commisson. I was able to meet a few of teh AUstralian volunteers and it was a good chance to relax and unwind. It has been extremely hot these last several days, so I have been greatful that the Peace Corps office has Air conditioning and I can relax on the weekend. Hope all is going well with everyone back home.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Why am I a Conservative?
Ok, I know this post has nothing to do with Tonga, however, with all the news about Bush on his way out, and Obama on his way in, I figured I would explain to people who both know me and people who don't of what I believe and why. I have been asked several times whether I am happy about Obama winning, or if I voted for him, both among Tongans and PC volunteers alike. My common answer " No, but we live in a democracy and we can't always get what we want, we just vote for elected officials in hopes that they will represent our needs and desires." The next question I am asked commonly is "Why are you a Mcain or Republican Supporter." I would commonly reply, "because I am more conservative in character than liberal." While I tend to call myself a conservative, I do not really feel that the one word does justice to describe what many "conservatives" feel or believe. I do not claim that some liberals or democrats do not share my point of view, however, I have not met a democrat, liberal, or even moderate who has agreed with me in all areas. So what do I believe, and why do I consider my self a conservative? Here are some key things that I believe and what leads me to vote for conservative candidates and policies over democrats or liberals, bear in mind that these are my opinions, and while you may not agree with them, I respect your right to your own, even if they conflict with mine.
1.) I am a Christian. I believe in the freedom of religion, and the right to practice my religion freely without the fear of persecution or punishment. This does not mean however, that every religion has to be equally represented in a society and government whose history and structure was founded under Christian roots and values, and whose members contain a majority of Christians. It merely means I can be a Christian, or I can be a guy who worships a toilet brush, without the fear or persecution. I do not think that it is necessary to remove aspects of Christianity from our government in order to avoid offending people of different religious backgrounds(the pledge of allegiance, In God We Trust,ect.) However, I do not think that individuals of differing religious beliefs should be forced to take part or believe in those aspects either. Simply, if you don't want to say "One nation,under God" don't say it, you have the right.
2.) The original intention of the federal government is to ensure that trade is maintained between the states and foreign nations, to provide roads and post offices, to protect and print U.S. Currency, to provide patents for citizens, to borrow money on the credit of the U.S., to establish a uniform rule of naturalization, to govern the national capital,to provide and operate an army and navy to defend the States in the Union from enemies, and to levy uniform national taxes and create laws in order to execute these powers.
It was not designed to regulate how many gallons your toilet may flush, what kind of car you can drive, and what the legal definition of marriage is. These kinds of decisions were meant to be left up to the states themselves to decide. The system of checks and balances was suppose to allow for one branch of government(either the legislative, executive, or judicial)to keep tabs, and hold the other 2 accountable for its actions. The President can veto, the congress can over rule vetoes by 2/3s vote, and judicial can declare a law constitutional or unconstitutional. Supreme court judges are appointed by the president and the senate must consent to the appointment.
3.)My money is my money. While there is a need for basic taxes to pay for education, defense, and transportation, and the general welfare of the nation(see #2), my taxes should not be used to pay for private company bailouts, industry subsidies, or nationalized health care or retirement funds. I can make my own decisions as to what type of health care I want and where I want to invest my retirement.
Also,lower taxes means more growth, which increases money earned and jobs created, which means more taxable income. It's not that hard of a concept to grasp.
15%(when was the last time taxes were only 15%)of some one who earns at least $500,000 a year is at least $75,000. Someone who pays 15% on $25,000 only pays $3,750 . So tell me who pays the majority of taxes in the United States. The rich. Still don't get it? Take 10 people who make $25,000 a year. They,combined, still pay only a little more than half of what the 1 person making $500,000 has to pay. Does the rich person get better health care, safer roads, and a personal army? No, they receive the same services for their taxes dollars as we do. That is why they tend to get bigger tax breaks, BECAUSE THEY ARE PROVIDING THE MAJORITY OF THE TAX DOLLARS!!!! I think the rough statistic is something like the top 5% pay over 70% of the taxes in the nation. Before you lump me in as a rich person, remind yourself, I am a Peace Corps volunteer, and I make $350 a month. So unless you are another peace corp volunteer, remind yourself, I probably make less than you do.
4.) Social Security is not a retirement plan and was never meant to be one. I should have the right to use that money to invest in my own retirement, where I may actually see a payout when I reach retirement age. If a small percentage is needed (say 1-2%) to make sure that those who have already paid into it receive some amount back, so be it. I am willing to sacrifice a small amount of what should rightfully all be mine in order to currently fix a broken system, so that it can be done away with completely for future generations.
5.) The world is not fair, get use to it. Some people will get the short end of the stick no matter what. I am more willing to help out my fellow man when my money and freedoms are not restricted. Don't believe me, fine, just take a look at what percentage of this country gives out more money to charitable organizations (while paying the larger amount of taxes might I add). If you don't believe me read Who Really Cares? by Arthur C. Brooks.
6.)National Defense- I'm a Reagan Supporter. I think that says it all, but if that doesn't make sense, listen to the man himself. "Trust but Verify" and "Peace Through Strength". Peace is only enjoyable when you have freedom, and freedom has to be defended and supported.
Those are just six reasons I call myself a conservative. Also just to point out, while I have heard all the bad things that President Bush has done, I have not heard a single praise of what he has done thats good. That is until I found this.
Now that I have you either grinning or spitting, I think I will leave it at that.
1.) I am a Christian. I believe in the freedom of religion, and the right to practice my religion freely without the fear of persecution or punishment. This does not mean however, that every religion has to be equally represented in a society and government whose history and structure was founded under Christian roots and values, and whose members contain a majority of Christians. It merely means I can be a Christian, or I can be a guy who worships a toilet brush, without the fear or persecution. I do not think that it is necessary to remove aspects of Christianity from our government in order to avoid offending people of different religious backgrounds(the pledge of allegiance, In God We Trust,ect.) However, I do not think that individuals of differing religious beliefs should be forced to take part or believe in those aspects either. Simply, if you don't want to say "One nation,under God" don't say it, you have the right.
2.) The original intention of the federal government is to ensure that trade is maintained between the states and foreign nations, to provide roads and post offices, to protect and print U.S. Currency, to provide patents for citizens, to borrow money on the credit of the U.S., to establish a uniform rule of naturalization, to govern the national capital,to provide and operate an army and navy to defend the States in the Union from enemies, and to levy uniform national taxes and create laws in order to execute these powers.
It was not designed to regulate how many gallons your toilet may flush, what kind of car you can drive, and what the legal definition of marriage is. These kinds of decisions were meant to be left up to the states themselves to decide. The system of checks and balances was suppose to allow for one branch of government(either the legislative, executive, or judicial)to keep tabs, and hold the other 2 accountable for its actions. The President can veto, the congress can over rule vetoes by 2/3s vote, and judicial can declare a law constitutional or unconstitutional. Supreme court judges are appointed by the president and the senate must consent to the appointment.
3.)My money is my money. While there is a need for basic taxes to pay for education, defense, and transportation, and the general welfare of the nation(see #2), my taxes should not be used to pay for private company bailouts, industry subsidies, or nationalized health care or retirement funds. I can make my own decisions as to what type of health care I want and where I want to invest my retirement.
Also,lower taxes means more growth, which increases money earned and jobs created, which means more taxable income. It's not that hard of a concept to grasp.
15%(when was the last time taxes were only 15%)of some one who earns at least $500,000 a year is at least $75,000. Someone who pays 15% on $25,000 only pays $3,750 . So tell me who pays the majority of taxes in the United States. The rich. Still don't get it? Take 10 people who make $25,000 a year. They,combined, still pay only a little more than half of what the 1 person making $500,000 has to pay. Does the rich person get better health care, safer roads, and a personal army? No, they receive the same services for their taxes dollars as we do. That is why they tend to get bigger tax breaks, BECAUSE THEY ARE PROVIDING THE MAJORITY OF THE TAX DOLLARS!!!! I think the rough statistic is something like the top 5% pay over 70% of the taxes in the nation. Before you lump me in as a rich person, remind yourself, I am a Peace Corps volunteer, and I make $350 a month. So unless you are another peace corp volunteer, remind yourself, I probably make less than you do.
4.) Social Security is not a retirement plan and was never meant to be one. I should have the right to use that money to invest in my own retirement, where I may actually see a payout when I reach retirement age. If a small percentage is needed (say 1-2%) to make sure that those who have already paid into it receive some amount back, so be it. I am willing to sacrifice a small amount of what should rightfully all be mine in order to currently fix a broken system, so that it can be done away with completely for future generations.
5.) The world is not fair, get use to it. Some people will get the short end of the stick no matter what. I am more willing to help out my fellow man when my money and freedoms are not restricted. Don't believe me, fine, just take a look at what percentage of this country gives out more money to charitable organizations (while paying the larger amount of taxes might I add). If you don't believe me read Who Really Cares? by Arthur C. Brooks.
6.)National Defense- I'm a Reagan Supporter. I think that says it all, but if that doesn't make sense, listen to the man himself. "Trust but Verify" and "Peace Through Strength". Peace is only enjoyable when you have freedom, and freedom has to be defended and supported.
Those are just six reasons I call myself a conservative. Also just to point out, while I have heard all the bad things that President Bush has done, I have not heard a single praise of what he has done thats good. That is until I found this.
Now that I have you either grinning or spitting, I think I will leave it at that.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The best thing since sliced bread.
Ok, so I have begun work here at the prison, but am still trying to figure out what that work will actually be. While I am currently settling in, there are several things that I have noticed in the past few weeks that I took for granted back in the states. While some of these are available down here in Tonga, accessibility and price definitely play a factor. Chances are, you probably take them for granted as well and don't even know it. Some of them may be big, some may be extremely small things. Here is just a short list:
sliced bread
any kind of bread other than white
boneless chicken
Radio stations that play a variety of music (If I hear Akon one more time, I may go into convulsions)
Rock music
couchs, futons, hammocks, or even bean bag chairs
carpeting
bookstores
Ground beef or even chuck steaks
hot water
On the other hand there are several things that i have seen here that I cannot believe we do not have back in the states yet. This list is somewhat shorter however:
Solar charger for cell phone
9 Movies in 1 for $4 ( So far I have the Mel Gibson, Denzel Washington, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson collections, gotta love countries where copy right laws don't apply.)
Hope all is well.
sliced bread
any kind of bread other than white
boneless chicken
Radio stations that play a variety of music (If I hear Akon one more time, I may go into convulsions)
Rock music
couchs, futons, hammocks, or even bean bag chairs
carpeting
bookstores
Ground beef or even chuck steaks
hot water
On the other hand there are several things that i have seen here that I cannot believe we do not have back in the states yet. This list is somewhat shorter however:
Solar charger for cell phone
9 Movies in 1 for $4 ( So far I have the Mel Gibson, Denzel Washington, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson collections, gotta love countries where copy right laws don't apply.)
Hope all is well.
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