Category Archives: Foreign Policy

Tom and Jeff’s Japanese Adventure

Posted on by Standard 1

My son, Jeff, and I just returned from a ten-day adventure trip to Japan. And I have to tell you, it had a profound impact on me.

As we boarded our plane for the big trip, the country we were leaving behind was mired in discontent as we Americans struggle to pull ourselves out of the ugly messes we have gotten ourselves into: rampant crime, dysfunctional schools, hordes of unassimilated immigrants, government corruption. The country that greeted us at the other end was starkly, palpably different.

We immediately saw that Japan is clean. And safe. And modern. And efficient. Everything just WORKS, from the incredible transportation system to the amazing array of delicious foods in the convenience stores.

Tokyo is the third-largest city in the world with an estimated current population of 33 million. Japan’s land mass is roughly the size of my original home state of Montana, but its population density is 123 times greater.

Tokyo is Sardine City, a point not lost when boarding trains. Shortly after our arrival we caught one of the more popular commuter trains at rush hour. We got through the car doors, and people kept entering behind us. And entering. And entering! When there was no more room, the riders outside turned their backs to us and pushed with their butts until there was enough compression to get the doors closed!

Jeff and I laughed out loud, even though loud talk is never heard on a Japanese train, as that would be impolite. I told him I thought I might have had sex with the young lady in front of me. This kind of “compression” is acceptable at rush hour, even by a people whose nature is to not touch others, or offend in any way. After that, we graded train rides by “low density”, “high density”, and “compression!”

But the trains are on time, work perfectly, and are organized, fast, safe, clean and efficient. In Tokyo, you get where you need to go in mere minutes and distance is not an issue. Passengers don’t bother with tickets – the ultra-computerized system runs on prepaid unlimited passes or “IC” (currency) cards. On arrival or departure at a station, riders quickly scan their cards at the turnstile and the fare is deducted from the prepaid balance.

Did I say efficient? Japan is a place where there is no wasted time, space, or effort. That makes most costs lower than they are here. Hotel rooms are small, but well thought-out and every comfort is attended to, right down to the automated six-button toilets.

Now on to the very best part of Japan: the people and their amazing culture.

Jeff is totally blind, but he is a good white cane traveler. He takes my arm and we motor around at a good clip. Even though he is as able to stand on a train as well as anybody, every time we boarded Jeff was offered a seat by a thoughtful rider. He was welcomed and cared for and loved on with sincerity and dignity everywhere we went.

There is virtually no crime in Japan. One can walk the streets anywhere at any time of day or night and not feel an ounce of concern. Bicycles are parked all over, unlocked, with the knowledge that yours will still be there after work or shopping. I could stop and talk with anybody on the street, from a laborer to a businessman to a grandmother, and each was as gracious and friendly and patient as you could imagine. There is some language barrier, but they patiently try to communicate and especially to be helpful. Younger Japanese are immersed in American pop culture so their English skills are pretty good, but no worries – we all have translators built into our phones.

The Japanese people also have tremendous work ethic and attention to quality. Every person at every job, from menial to high-tech, goes at their work with a passion to do their absolute best.

Japanese culture is built on respect. We were surprised and pleased at the formalities at the end of a pro basketball game we attended. The fans all remained in their seats after the game. The visiting team lined up across the court, faced the audience on one side, graciously bowed, waved, and expressed their thanks. Then they turned 90 degrees to thank the crowd on that side. And turned again. And again. The crowd showed their respect for the visiting players. Then the same routine was performed by the home team, with additional speeches. Can you imagine two NBA teams in a heated game where no one ever swears, questions a call, or leaves a player on the floor when he falls, whether it’s his teammate or opponent?

I came back from our adventure amazed at how happy, calm, industrious, and kind our hosts were. My curiosity about that was somewhat resolved when I stumbled into a video about the “eight tiny habits” that are infused into Japanese culture.

Now, I’m not naive enough to think that Japan is Nirvana. Their controlled, low-key approach to life might get kind of boring after a while. I mean, how many Hello Kitty commercials can you take? I have heard about a sleazy side of Japanese culture, but it wasn’t evident. We did get a kick out of the huge Godzilla outside our hotel room.

On returning, I realized I wouldn’t trade my acres of land, my chickens and dogs, my tractor, or my church for anything. But ten days in Japan is just pretty damn nice.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Oh no, they say he’s got to go
Go go Godzilla! yeah
Oh no, there goes Tokyo
Go go Godzilla! yeah

GODZILLA – Blue Oyster Cult

Vietnam

Posted on by Standard 5

I graduated from high school in 1971, not yet eligible for the draft. In 1972 I turned 18. The war was winding down, and the number of American soldiers ‘in country’ was significantly reduced from the peak in 1968. Still, the word on the street was that young draftees were being sent to the front lines to replace the guys who had survived tours of combat and wanted to go home in one piece. The young grunts were easy meat for the more experienced and war-tough Viet Cong.

A great Marine recruiter had approached us senior boys at my high school before graduation, and I thought about enlisting, but after graduation, with help from my dad and my young wife, I was able to afford college and bypass military service.

1972 was my first year eligible for the draft lottery, and my number was 228. That year only the first 95 birthdates were drafted.

I was relieved, of course, at the time. Still, I had a gnawing ache that so many of my brothers had served and died in ‘Nam, and I didn’t. I saw the war protests on the nightly news, along with the reports of guys returning from the war being vilified as “baby killers”.

To this day, over 50 years later, there is a special place in my heart for Vietnam vets, who served our nation in that ugly war, without really knowing how their spilled blood made a damn bit of difference. Some were driven by pure patriotism, and some were just unfortunate draftees. All of them laid it on the line for their buddies.

Throughout our history, America has lost many brave young men on the battlefields, including more recent conflicts in the Middle East. Some Americans would have us send our young to Ukraine for God knows what purpose. I’m a patriot, and have reverence for all of our lost soldiers and war veterans. But I don’t ever want to experience the national heartache of the pointless Vietnam War again.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

He blesses the boys as they stand in line
The smell of gun grease and the bayonets they shine
He’s there to help them all that he can
To make them feel wanted he’s a good holy man

SKY PILOT – Eric Burdon and the Animals

Draining the Swamp – Trump 2.0

Posted on by Standard Reply

The first few weeks of Trump 2.0 has been exhilarating for long-suffering conservative Americans. Early reports of young brainiacs with their AI algorithms revealing mountains of waste, fraud and inefficiency are music to our ears. Volunteer auditor-in-chief Elon Musk and newly-confirmed director of Office, Management and Budget (OMB) Russ Vought hit the ground running – no, they hit the ground flying at hypersonic speed! They are determined to streamline performance, knock down the debt and deficits, and get rid of federal flab. As Trump would say, they are attacking the Swamp with a speed and ferocity “no one has ever seen before”.

So far, so good. Trump 2.0 has already:

  • eliminated DEI departments, programs and costs
  • attacked woke and politically weaponized practices
  • exposed inappropriate spending, targeting foreign and domestic outlays that taxpayers would never approve
  • required federal employees to show up for work and prove their merit
  • closed the borders to illegal immigration and started deportations
  • negotiated favorable foreign trade arrangements
  • promised to get rid of unnecessary and duplicative departments, unused buildings and unneeded personnel
  • identified opportunities for upgraded technology and efficiency

But all this swamp-draining optimism seems eerily familiar. I recall a similar feeling at the beginning of Trump 1.0, and found an old article I wrote about it eight years ago. My enthusiastic and well-intended predictions turned out to be embarrassingly inaccurate.

For one thing, my article focused on one of many less-than-stellar Trump cabinet appointees, Mick Mulvaney. Mick was plucked by Trump from his gig as SC legislator to seek and destroy federal waste and corruption via the OMB. It didn’t happen.

When we first met, Mulvaney impressed me. He was very bright, had a real grasp of Tea Party conservative principles, and walked the talk as a founder of the fledgling House Freedom Caucus. And he hired Russ Vought, a friend and mentor from Heritage Action, as his right-hand man. But I got a chill when I asked Mulvaney if he could implement zero-based budgeting to get our spending under control. He said I should forget about reducing spending. “Our budget is so huge and complicated that nobody in government will even try to cut spending – ever.” Mulvaney said that the only way to reduce the debt, which was about $10 trillion at the time, was to outgrow it by revving up the economy and tax revenues. Tax revenues grew rapidly, but spenders gonna spend – and some of them will spend $2 for ever $1 taken in.

Needless to say, Trump’s success at draining the swamp was about as real as my photo-shopped picture of Mick wrestling an alligator. The swamp creatures from the left and right were bigger and badder than Trump 1.0 bargained for, and he got his nose – and ours – bloodied.

But nobody ever said Trump is a quitter. He recognized his errors, he listened to good advice, he meticulously studied and planned, he literally dodged bullets, and he returned victorious to implement Trump 2.0. The stakes are higher this time around as our debt has ballooned to $36.5 trillion and is growing by a trillion bucks every 100 days. We don’t yet know if our Republican Senate and House will support Trump 2.0 or prefer the fetid smell of the swamp.

Last November American voters peered over the edge of a steep cliff. At the bottom we saw the extinction of our freedoms, our prosperous and moral civilization, and the future of our children. We turned away from the edge and now have One More Last Chance before we’re through.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Give me just a one more last chance Before you say we’re through I know I drive you crazy baby It’s the best that I can do We’re just some good ol’ boys, a makin’ noise I ain’t a runnin’ ’round on you Give me just a one more last chance Before you say we’re through

ONE MORE LAST CHANCE – Vince Gill

January 20, 2025 – Mixed Emotions

Posted on by Standard 1

What a historic day as President Trump is inaugurated to be our 47th president. The story is Braveheart revisited – pushed to the edge of the cliff, we let out a primal scream, and charged behind our leader into the teeth of our evil enemy. To victory!

The last four years has been nothing less than an existential battle for those of us who are engaged in the war to save our nation and culture for our children and future generations. I find myself in a swirl of mixed emotions today and am recording them for future reflection.

THANKFULNESS – thanks to God for answering prayers and for His perfect plan. Salvation is there for those who will accept it and it is our responsibility and honor to preserve and share that good news.

CELEBRATION – Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble! We have taken a daily beating from the press, from our political adversaries, from every institution in society. But we kept fighting, knowing that truth and justice always wins out in the end.

BROTHERHOOD – We had to stick together and keep each other inspired, informed, and encouraged in the face of withering attacks from a relentless enemy. For some of us it was a four year battle, but many of us have been in the trenches since the Tea Party days almost twenty years ago. I am so proud of all of my brothers and sisters who have led – and followed – when the going was tough.

HUMILITY – Our battle isn’t personal, although the other side wanted it to be. It’s tempting to shame and embarrass our vanquished opponents as they did to us. But some of those who have not been on our team just didn’t know any better. We should celebrate today and then get to work for all of our fellow citizens, because we know better and we are better than the few evil ones that did so much damage.

ANGER – I will try to release the anger I have toward those evil ones and will cut their sheep followers some slack. But it will take a while because of all the personal carnage they caused. And justice must be meted out to those with evil intent, as a deterrent to future villains. It will be hard to forgive those who arrested innocent protesters like my nephew on January 6, 2021 at the cost of prison time, loss of careers, homes, and savings. I’m confident that TODAY President Trump will pardon them all. He promised me.

DETERMINATION – I doubt most people know how close we came to losing our precious American way of life. Let’s make damn sure we don’t get pushed to the edge of that cliff again.

Onward! And may God continue to bless America!

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Let’s grab the world by the scruff of the neck
And drink it down deeply and love it to death
So button your lip, baby, button your coat
Let’s go out dancing, let’s rock and roll
You’re not the only one with mixed emotions!

MIXED EMOTIONS – the Rolling Stones

The Economy is Fine – Inflation is Only 3%!

Posted on by Standard 1

Yeah, right.

The CEO of McDonald’s acknowledged a drop in sales due to increased menu prices. Customers have noticed and criticized the price hikes, especially the nearly $18 Big Mac combo. The company aims to focus on affordability in response.

Chris Kempczinski discussed this strategy on an earnings call, highlighting a shift towards making their offerings more affordable in 2024. Despite a 3.4% growth in global same-store sales, it fell short of the expected 4.7%. Rising inflation has particularly affected low-income customers, leading to a decrease in patronage.

Daily Patriot Report – 2/7/24

Since 2020, home prices are up 45%. Car insurance has increased by 36%. 

Some other mind-numbing stats from the Heritage Foundation:

Unless you are one of the elite, jet-set, Davos/WEF “beautiful people”, you know what’s going on. The middle class will soon be completely hollowed out as our federal government borrows trillions of dollars from our grandchildren, pouring it on their friends and oligarchs around the world, while inviting millions of third-world sparrows to our once-prosperous eagle’s nest.

We all know that there are “lies, damn lies, and statistics”. Our current administration is immune to embarrassment when it comes to issuing statistical propaganda. And their partners in crime, big tech and big media, are quick to cover up any bad news before it reaches the “smelly Wal-Mart people” they so detest.

I went to college before they were liberal indoctrination camps. My business and accounting mentor, a very wise and accomplished semi-retired CFO from Boston, taught me a succinct and powerful lesson he called “the test of reasonableness”: whenever you are given a number that someone is using to try to influence you, question it in your mind and apply some simple math. If the rough-cut calculation doesn’t make immediate sense, you are being conned! 

Hey Biden Administration! Credit card debt is through the roof. Nobody can afford to buy a new home. Working-class shoppers pick up an item, see the price, and sadly put it back on the shelf. Your inflation numbers do not pass the test of reasonableness.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

ENJOY SOME FINE ROCKIN’ BLUES BY JONNY LANG –

Lie to me
It doesn’t matter any more
It could never be
The way it was before

LIE TO ME – Jonny Lang

Uncle Sam is on Life Support

Posted on by Standard 2

Once he was the strongest man in the world, respected and relied upon by the hungry and oppressed. Now he is an old man, weak and frail, with medical problems too numerous and serious to list.

In recent years, Uncle Sam’s immune system has broken down to the point of total failure. It is now unable to prevent alien organisms from invading his body at will, to the extent that Sam’s appearance has even changed. He no longer resembles the man he once was.

Once the strongest man in the world, Uncle Sam is now a sissy, preferring girl’s clothing and makeup to the fit athleticism and bold, masculine confidence of his youth. He is now the favorite target of bullies, who no longer hesitate to take his lunch money.

Most distressing of all, poor old Uncle Sam suffers dementia. He thinks anyone can choose and change their genders, and that deviant sex, even for kids, is a good thing. He believes he can spend unlimited amounts of money without ever running out. He even thinks that national elections will be perfectly administered even if there are no rules. His brain is so addled that it seems nothing is too preposterous for him to believe.

Not so long ago Uncle Sam was clear-eyed, honest, devout and dedicated to the protection of his family. How much longer can he withstand the ravages of the diseases his current caregivers have foisted upon him?

I’m afraid the only thing that will save Uncle Sam is a new doctor.

Tom Balek, Rockin’ On the Right Side

‘Cause I have wandered through this world
And as each moment has unfurled
I’ve been waiting to awaken from these dreams

People go just where they will
I never noticed them until I got this feeling
That it’s later than it seems

Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what you see
I hear their cries
Just say if it’s too late for me

DOCTOR MY EYES – Jackson Browne

We Should Declare War Against the Cartels

Posted on by Standard 3
photo courtesy NY Times

The United States has committed more than $75 billion to Ukraine, ostensibly to defend them from Russia, Russia, Russia. We can speculate how much of that taxpayer funding finds its way back to the Biden crime family and others, but that’s another story.

It is an enormous sum considering we have to borrow every penny of it. And for what? What is our national interest in the dispute between Ukraine and Russia? How many Americans have died in Ukraine in the last two years? Answer: Six.

Meanwhile, in the same period, how many Americans have died of fentanyl overdoses? Answer: 220,000.

Almost all of the fentanyl in our country comes through our open border with Mexico. And this only happens with, through, and by the Mexican drug cartels.

I join a group of friends every Wednesday morning for a men’s prayer meeting. Last week we were gathered at our fast food meeting place as always, and we invited a nearby diner named Philip to join us. He listened quietly as we complained about how badly things are going in the USA. Then he said he had a “miracle” testimony that might make us feel better, at least comparatively.

Philip said he had met his wife over 20 years ago in Matamoros, Mexico just across the border from Brownsville, Texas. She was a native Mexican translator at a Christian conference he attended. And even though she died a few years after their marriage, Philip still keeps in touch with her family, their son, and the church they supported in Matamoros.

On a recent phone call with his former father-in-law he learned that conditions in Matamoros are getting desperate – the drug cartels have taken over every aspect of daily life. It is now unsafe to venture out of your home at any time, and if you do, you must pay a bribe to the cartel for everything you do. There is no law and order and the economy is in shambles.

Philip told the story of a young member of his church in Matamoros who made a living buying cars in the USA and selling them in southern Mexico. On a recent trip he and two friends got caught in a cartel roadblock. They were robbed of their car, money, watches, and even their shoes. Then they were dragged into the ditch where his friends were both executed point blank. When the pistol was raised to his head he prayed for his life, and as he did the murderer’s cell phone rang. The thug turned and ran to his car, leaving the young Christian shocked but unhurt. With his miracle faith aflame, he soon became the new pastor of his church.

Just south of our border is a war zone. While we send endless billions to the Ukraine war where six Americans have died in two years, we do absolutely nothing to stop the war in our own backyard that kills over a hundred thousand young Americans, and countless other souls, every year. Quite the opposite, the Biden administration supports the cartels by enabling them to extort billions of dollars from their victims who have been invited by Biden to enter our country illegally.

Former presidents GW Bush, Obama, and Trump all tried minor military solutions to solve the border problem, without much success. During his term, Trump investigated more aggressive military options, even up to firing missiles into Mexico, according to Mark Esper, former defense secretary. But our current president, sheltered by fawning news and social media, clearly prefers sending military money and equipment to Ukraine, where he gets a cut returned to him, while the Mexican drug cartels run amok on our border.

Fortunately, most GOP presidential candidates are hawkish about the cartels. In addition to Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Tim Scott agree that we should take unilateral action against the cartels if Mexican president Obrador refuses to. Asa Hutchinson and Mike Pence remain soft on the cartels. Vivek Ramaswamy has said he would use our military to “defend our borders”.

I have a hunch that $75 billion would buy more than enough whoop-ass to eliminate the cartels and finally establish immigration control at our border.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, ’n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ’n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind

Blowin’ In the Wind – Bob Dylan

Central African Nation Erupts in Violence

Posted on by Standard 2

[RockinRightSide News Service – 3/20/23] Civil war has broken out in the once-prosperous central African nation of the Ugandi States. Brutal violence in the streets has replaced the domestic tranquility and personal freedoms that made the nation a “shining beacon on a hill,” admired by all the world and a prized destination for immigrants fleeing oppression and poverty in their home countries.

The conflict started three years ago when the sitting president of the Ugandi States, Donno Trompo, was re-elected by a large majority of the populace, but the entrenched opposition party, who had maintained de facto control of the government throughout Trompo’s term, used a variety of dishonest and illegal tactics to steal the election. State media suppressed news of the election anomalies and proclaimed challenger JoJo Bidenu as the legitimate president of the Ugandi States.

As the Bidenu administration met to certify the illicit election, Trompo supporters who had gathered at the nation’s capital to protest, were beaten and sprayed with chemicals by state police on the steps of the Ugandi States capitol building. When police ratcheted up the violence, what had been a peaceful protest got out of hand. It was later learned that Bidenu government infiltrators aggressively attempted to instigate a riot and breach of the capitol building to justify their election theft. Despite allegations of protester violence by the Bidenu regime, no state officials were seriously harmed.

Four of the protesters were murdered by the authorities; one was shot in the face, one was bludgeoned to death, and two died after being struck with flash bang grenades. The Bidenu regime denied these atrocities, but the events were recorded on incriminating video. Hundreds more protesters were arrested and imprisoned on unfounded and unproven charges. Many of these prisoners were kept in inhumane, filthy jail cells for months and years without access to health care, families, attorneys, or court dates. Most Ugandi States citizens were unaware of the plight of these political prisoners as the Bidenu administration and state media hid their existence from public view.

All pretense of fairness and justice was abandoned in the Ugandi States court system as judges installed by the Bidenu regime refused to hear evidence or provide any form of due process. All of those charged with crimes were presumed guilty. The Ugandi States once-revered constitution was nullified, replaced by a spoils system that rewarded supporters of the Bidenu regime and punished Trompo loyalists.

Civil unrest grew as financial conditions in the Ugandi States deteriorated under the Bidenu regime. Citizens bristled at the government’s corrupt confiscation of wealth and distribution to connected cronies. Government overspending and manipulation of currency, interest rates and financial markets led to rampant inflation which fueled poverty and homelessness. Most banks were forced out of business leaving desperate depositors pondering how to recover their life savings.

Thousands of Ugandi States citizens died after a man-made weaponized virus escaped from a Bidenu-funded laboratory. Using the ensuing pandemic as cover, the regime imposed lockdowns which destroyed businesses and schools, and caused chronic depression. Then the government mandated forced vaccinations that turned out to be deadly rather than therapeutic.

Reports surfaced of Bidenu and his family members taking bribes from foreign governments and companies in exchange for favorable treatment and payments from the national treasury. Ugandi States taxpayers were enraged.

The tinderbox of public sentiment in the Ugandi States was already volatile when the corrupt courts of the Bidenu regime arrested former president Trompo on specious charges. It was the final straw in a long series of provocations that citizens could no longer tolerate.

The capital city of the Ugandi States is now under siege as military and other security officials contemplate which side of the conflict to join. Police departments that were defunded and abandoned by the Bidenu regime are unable to restore order as government loyalists loot and burn cities.

Meanwhile, adversary nations are weighing their military options with the resource-rich Ugandi States government in utter disarray.

Prayers are in order for this nation teetering on destruction. More news will be forthcoming as events develop.

** This article is a parody

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Trump won, and you know it
Trump won, and you know it
Fox News won’t even show it
Trump won, and you know it

Trump Won and You Know It – Natasha Owens



The Digital Dollar – Follow the Money

Posted on by Standard 4

It was only a matter of time.

image courtesy of cryptonews.com

The late, great Rush Limbaugh taught us that whenever there is something really strange going on, especially with our government, just seal out the distractions and follow the money.

I became alarmed a month ago when our Federal Reserve Bank announced that they have developed technology that would enable them to convert our currency to a “digital dollar”. Cash and private banking could soon be a thing of the past.

My observations:

  • The big banks have been cozying up to the Feds for a long time now, squeezing out smaller and local banks. Only the biggest banks can afford to comply with the onerous federal regulations. Following the money, I’m guessing there is a piece of the government pie already cut for them in this digital dollar objective. The banks clearly have no problem sharing our privacy and our funds with the feds, who are now pushing to restrict unreported cash withdrawals to $600 or less.
  • The loss of small banks who can make loans and meet local transactional needs is crushing small business in our country. This dovetails with the woke left’s desire to hollow out the middle class. Follow the money.
  • Once our funds are under the control of the federal government, how long will it be before they establish “equity scores” with which to value our accounts? (Hmm, working white guy, your dollar is worth 35 cents. Unemployed minority migrant, your dollar is worth $2.75, automatically deposited to your account by the government.)
  • The next step would be controlling our behavior by withdrawing or withholding digital dollars from our accounts based on “social score” or inappropriate activity. This is happening already in China and Canada. (You went to a Trump rally? You contributed to the trucker protest? You posted “Let’s Go Brandon” on your Facebook page? Sorry, your funds are frozen! Your company sells pillows and contributes to voter integrity projects? Sorry, you can’t have bank accounts!)
  • With the national debt at $33 trillion and interest rates rising, we are about to become Argentina if taxes aren’t increased. But you won’t have to worry about writing a check to the IRS – they will just lift it from your digital dollar account.

I wonder if commercial banking is going to be completely eliminated and/or merged into the Fed. Banks continue to shed jobs. Try calling your bank on the phone: “Your call is very important to us, your wait time is approximately 42 minutes . . .” And now the woke big banks are firing half of their employees because they refuse to get vaccinated with a chemical that has been proven to not work again the China virus, and (according to the CDC) has killed as many as 200,000. Following the money, maybe the big banks are working toward a merger with the Federal Reserve?

The USA became the economic engine of the world based on freedom, including the right to earn, keep, and spend our own money. But we, and the rest of the world, are now facing the “Great Reset”, which is predicated on sharing the wealth based on skin color and equity. (Follow that link to the World Economic Forum if you really want to get scared.) India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are lined up to go digital as well. The EU is looking at perhaps next year.

So how can we protect our assets? Gold? Cryptocurrency? Real estate? Any of these can be confiscated or controlled by over-reaching federal government. Prayer might be the only answer.

I’m afraid it will take a huge and sudden resistance (hopefully non-violent) by the masses to this aggressive radical transformation of our nation and world. The masses will have to be made aware and educated first, and there is precious little time left. The woke leftists must be defeated at every level at every opportunity, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

When you follow the money, nothing is insignificant.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Who’s watching?
I don’t know anymore!
Are the neighbours watching me? (Who’s watching)
Well is the mailman watching me? (Tell me who’s watching)
And I don’t feel safe anymore, oh what a mess
I wonder who’s watching me now
Who? The IRS?!

Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell

ENES KANTER FREEDOM – NBA JOURNEYMAN, CONSERVATIVE SUPERSTAR

Posted on by Standard 4
ENES KANTER FREEDOM – photo courtesy MSNBC

I love basketball. I played and coached basketball for most of my years on God’s green earth.

Okay, I know, it’s hard to love the NBA when the players, owners, and league officials cowtow to communist China, Nike, and anybody who promises MORE MONEY, while disrespecting the United States by kneeling for the national anthem.

But stick with me for a minute. I have always been a Utah Jazz fan. We lived in Utah back in the Stockton and Malone days – back when the “pick and roll” was sacred and all players stood at attention during the national anthem. I taught my daughter the pick and roll when she was 9 years old.

Like many fans, my team loyalties continued well after leaving the local markets. I still love my Utah Jazz and my Kansas City Chiefs, having lived in those areas, watching hundreds of games, and being caught up in the local pro team frenzy. (Add the Saskatchewan Roughriders Canadian football team from our Montana days.)

So when former Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (now with the Boston Celtics) jumped into the headlines as a shining conservative star, outspoken in his opposition to Chinese dictator Xi Jinping’s oppression of Uigher Muslims and Venezuela’s totalitarian leader Nicolas Maduro, it got my attention.

Last year when the left gained the upper hand in US politics, the NBA was quick to play the race card, with LeBron James leading the charge against “systemic racism” and criticism of the USA, our values, and our history. At the same time, the NBA embraced Nike, a known civil rights abuser in China, and the Chinese Communist Party, whom the NBA had been courting for many years as a mass consumer of all things NBA, including broadcasts and licensed products.

When the Chinese abuse of Muslims, aggression against Taiwan and Nepal, confiscation of shipping lanes in the South China Sea and crackdowns on civil rights in Hong Kong hit fever pitch, the NBA, including its leading celebrity LeBron James, was dead silent.

Who stepped up in defense of civil rights and freedom? A first-generation immigrant from Turkey, Enes Kanter.

Kanter is, by NBA standards, a journeyman. I was struck by his athleticism and drive when he played for the Utah Jazz, and he plays the same role for the vaunted Celtics. Still, Kanter is not a “star” like LeBron.

But he is a superstar to American conservatives, because he is a strident, if lonesome, voice against totalitarianism, anywhere in the world.

Kanter, a native of Turkey, grew up in fear of totalitarian government. The New York Post quoted Kanter saying, “I remember a teammate posting something online against [then-President Barack Obama] and I got nervous for him,” he recalls of the high school incident in 2009. “I asked him, ‘Dude, what are you doing? They will put you in jail.’ He laughed hysterically and said I was confused. I was shocked that, within the next two days, the police did not come to his house and pressure him to say he was sorry or take away his family. If you did that in Turkey, you would be arrested for sure.”

Now, Kanter speaks out against oppressive regimes, and he understands the danger we face as the United States slides toward the same fate. He even legally changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom to celebrate his new life in the USA. He recently became a US citizen.

Kanter’s fervor for freedom has not come without cost – he has been threatened by the Turkish government that imprisoned his father, and he faces kidnap and arrest if he leaves the USA.

Kanter has been a regular on conservative TV and radio stations as a beacon for freedom. NBA legend Dominique Wilkins recently surfaced as a supporter of Kanter and his mission. Meanwhile, the NBA continues to embrace the “woke” agenda while ignoring civil rights abuses.

“When I was nine years old, my mom told me to always stand up for what’s right — even if it means sacrificing everything,” he said. “From that day forward, I have always been outspoken. Now I am on a big stage and there are so many dictators out there who are destroying people. God gave me this platform, and I have to use it for the good fight.”

So my first pick for the NBA all-star team is not LeBron James, or Steph Curry, or James Harden – great players all. My favorite player is now Enes Kanter Freedom, a true – and new – American Patriot.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
A long way from my home
FREEDOM – Richie Havens