Another good informative topic, Matthew. Thank you.
This former "bleed red white and blue" military family member came to the painful conclusion that it's a government of the freemasons, by the freemasons, for the freemasons; that is, deceit and chaos at all levels because it serves the evil one.
Best to joyfully consecrate our suffering and continue to pray for restoration. We cannot lose hope.
Just to clarify: I didn't write the article. It was an e-mail forward sent to me, which I thought made a lot of good points.
I agree that we shouldn't get too frustrated by what's going on in the USA or we'd go crazy.
One solution: Live on less. Instead of needing $50,000 a year to pay your bills (needing $50K means $50K is the minimum income needed), try to need just $30,000 a year -- or less. Then you can go ahead and make less, and still be debt-free. That way, you're paying less into "the system" and the government makes that much less money to wage wars in other countries around the world, etc.
It's not the same to need $70K and make $75K vs. needing $40K and making $45K. A simple-minded person might say, "Well, you have $5K in savings each year either way, so what does it matter?" But there are several crucial differences.
1. It's easier to find low paying jobs than high-paying ones.
2. If you need $75K to keep your household afloat, by means of both spouses working, what happens when one of them is laid off? This has happened thousands of times in the past 5 years. Homes go into foreclosure, etc.
3. Your taxes are higher when you earn $75K vs. $45K.
4. You qualify for less tax cuts, government aid, etc.
Many of you know of "Cryptogon" -- a blog run by the agnostic Kevin Flaherty, an expatriate who now lives on a farm in New Zealand. I disagree with him on religion, but agree with him on just about everything else.
He scorns and completely ignores American 2-party politics. He is against TV, vaccines, government brainwashing, public school, processed food, the Police State, the American Imperial goals, GMO, etc.
He's even against chemical birth control! (He recommended the LadyComp to his readers -- an electronic solution which supposedly does a better job. It still goes against Catholic morality, but at least it doesn't harm a woman's body like The Pill)
He has often said the best way to "gouge the enemy's eyes out and kick him in the ____" is to practice
voluntary simplicity. Earn less, spend less.
You know how the Baby Boomer answer is to "go back to school, improve your degree, and earn more"? Well, don't do that. Instead, find ways to CUT expenses. That's the other way to balance your budget, and much more fool-proof.
That extra college is NOT going to necessarily pay off. It might, and it might not. But if you cut expenses, it's a sure thing. Plus you don't pay as much in taxes, you might qualify for various welfare programs, etc.