Cover Up

Why all the lies and cover up from multiple sources within the Obama administration concerning the Libya terrorist attack?  Why all the propaganda about the anti-Muslim video?  Why was everyone, to include CIA Director General Petraeus, U.N. Ambassador Rice, Press Secretary Jay Carney, Secretary of State Clinton, Defense Secretary Panetta and the President himself, so anxious to deceive the American public about Libya?   If a bad call was made, even a series of bad calls, would it not have been better to clear the air and move on?

One may assume that there is a greater danger for the President yet to be exposed and lurking behind the lies.  Where was the President during the seven or eight hour crisis in Libya, a crisis broadcast to the White House in real time?  Was he sleeping?  Was he observing the mayhem in the White House situation room?  Was he calling the shots about Libya or the lack of shots?  No one at any level of the administration is willing to say what was the president's role during the crisis or whether he was making the decisions.

The only conclusion that is plausible is that he was somewhere else and unavailable.  The president has given us no other choice but to guess at his role, so let us guess.  Could it be that he was chemically indisposed?  Such a high or low would have been more than enough reason for any amount of cover up to protect the president!

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA

The Forever Priest

Sunday October 28, 2012
 
Hebrews  7: 28
For the law appoints as high priest men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

The anonymous writer of Hebrews wants to bridge the seeming theological divide between the old and the new.  The old is summarized by the term “law”, which to the writer included all of historical Jewish experience and worship lead by very human priests.  The author claims that in the person of Jesus the new and singularly efficacious priest has come amongst us, he is the forever priest.  He was sent to us to remedy our disobedience problem, forever!      

The question may be asked, was Jesus, the great high priest, a time sensitive and limited savior redeemer for just the few?   Was he sent to be the disobedience remedy for the few?  From the record of Christian history the Church built fences or theological boundaries around the incarnation almost relegated Jesus to mere folk hero status.  Does the great high priest have authority over the sin of all mankind, over the living and the dead as well as all generations yet to happen?  It would seem that to this reader that the writer of Hebrews so believed.

How big is the incarnation to the apostle Paul?  He was the biggest risk taking missionary in the early Church, telling of the power of the Savior to cure the sin problem for the living.  Was the thrust of his redemptive message only for the living?  In Romans 11 he had no limits on the power of God to save those who lived by the old way.

Romans 11:  28, 32
A far as the gospel is concerned, they (his Jewish ancestors) are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

The little word “all” is the biggest word in Scripture. If Paul so believed about those of his own family who were trying to kill him, why do we believers send every Tom, Dick and Harry to hell?  There is no such hellish eternal, forever future awaiting anyone, God is big enough to work his will in everyone, preferably before death but his “election” or will is not limited by death.

Some years ago I was impressed to so believe despite being raised in the Church with a spirit of fear that assumed the heaven and hell scenario.  I was relieved and surprised to discover from the writings of others, including the Bible, that the universalistic Grace of God has always been a minority but neglected dogma in the Church.  It has been neglected by the Church for selfish reasons, believing that such an understanding of God's Grace would discourage evangelism and the giving of money to the immediate Church .

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca  

The Rock

Where are you General David Petraeus?  Thank you for your statement yesterday, October 26, 2012, but it is not enough.  As director of the CIA you can no longer can hide under the rock of the chain of command.  You are now a political servant of the president and have the option to serve, or not to serve, as your conscious may dictate.  The deliberate decision to leave your people exposed to the murderous intention of the terrorists in Benghazi came from someone, if not you, who?

You claimed, “No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply not accurate.” (Weekly Standard, October 26, 18:05)

All of this is well and good, but are you going to allow whomever ordered  your people “to stand down”, a rock to hide under by insinuating that you and the intelligence community are responsible?  If no one else in the administration will speak up and answer all questions about the Benghazi events, you must clear your agency and your people of responsibility.

Need I remind you, you are the Director of the CIA, you owe our heroes Tyrone Woods and Glen Dougherty more than a simple statement, resign and speak up on their and our behalf.  After all, they lost their lives not just their jobs!

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Personal in 2012

America could care less how this obscure nobody is thinking about this 2012 national election.  Understanding this to be the case, I find it necessary to make this simple and hopefully clear statement about the current state of politics in America and the upcoming election.  This statement is not intended for all Americans,  these words are first for my children and grandchildren as they deal with the America of tomorrow.  The truth is that tomorrow’s America will be greatly and perhaps irrevocably influenced by this election, more so than any election in my lifetime.

My family is justifiably busy, growing up, finding a sense of self, getting an education and establishing an income pathway in these very difficult times.  I am very proud of each of you regardless of the choices you make but for your own good, please get involved in the political process.  Elections have consequences and if you choose not to participate, you will have no say in the America of the future.  Your vote may not control the outcome of the election or the direction of the country but it just might.  In any event, the vote makes the individual a participant in the national destiny regardless of who seems to win in the moment.  Your own self esteem should be enough to encourage you to be a political participant rather than a spectator and a political victim.

The choice in this election has been obvious to all for many months.  Who do you trust with your national and personal futures?  Should we stick with the status quo, ever larger government, no financial accountability, a stagnant economy, the Democrats and President Obama?  Or, should we give the Republicans and Mitt Romney at chance to return the country to it’s historical free enterprise American economy that utilizes to a greater degree the energy of the individual?  This is the decision we as a country will be making in a few days.

If you and yours have had to shoulder less pain than most of us over the last four or five years, then vote for Obama.  If the stimulus spending temporarily cushioned the pain and you want to be taken care of again in the next four years, vote for Obama.  If big government with it’s many layers of government jobs, governmental unions, bail-outs and entitlements provides for you and yours, then vote for Obama.  If you are comfortable with this dependent lifestyle then voting for Obama is a no-brainer.  Sadly, approximately half of America is so inclined.

Family, I shall not rehash why I believe Romney’s direction for the country is the best choice.  I have made my own way in life treasuring the opportunity to control my own destiny irrespective of the meddlers.  Individual freedom is the only good reason to be an American.  I have gone down a number of paths, worked very hard most of the time and struck out most of the time.  My days have not been that rags to riches success story that is so often glorified in the media and hinted to be the American norm.  However, I shall always treasure having had the freedom to choose my own destiny.  At this time in my life my days are quite simple and enjoyable.  Social security has made my retirement possible and I am thankful for this program that I paid into all of my life.  Social security is not governmental charity.

Freedom’s choice is not the principle reason to now make a political change.  To this voter, the election campaign and recent eventful circumstances have exposed a lack of moral integrity in the man, Barack Obama, our President.  It has become increasingly obvious that he and his Democratic cohorts will disparage, deceive, distort and lie about anything, everything and everyone, if it is politically expedient.  I cannot vote for, proudly support or follow the habitual liar that he has proved himself to be.  This realization about his character is indeed heartbreaking.  Four years ago I was suckered by the hope and change rhetoric and really wanted him to succeed, only to be increasingly disappointed over the last four years.  The Libya events, like unto an abortion, are the final proof of the moral bankruptcy of this current administration.

Knowing that America may not agree with this evaluation is the most disappointing fact of this election season.  We could cease  to be America!

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

Chicken President

The most unpleasant moniker to hang on any person is chicken.  It is not a word used to describe one who holds your respect and may even be more inflammatory than cussing, swearing or ethnic epithets.  The On Line Slang dictionary says that it means to be afraid or scared.  These emotions are universally human but the slang word is particularly used of those who make life decisions from their fear center.  Such a person is a chicken.

President Wilson was a chicken when he refused to stand up to the aggression of Germany at the beginning of the last century.  The American people were chicken when they stood by allowing six million Jews to be murdered by the second Germany, claiming willful ignorance.  There are even more instances when  American presidents took ill-advised action with macho chest bumping thereby hoping to cover their chicken center.  Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat, started a useless and loosing war in Vietnam that degraded American authority and respect in the world.  The second Bush, a Republican, lead our people into a useless ground war in Iraq and Afghanistan with a naivete about nation building that was and is insane.  In the long run these experiments proved and are proving to further degrade our national interest.  These debilitating decisions with great loss of life emanated from our national chicken center.  Terror is a real threat and must be confronted but confronted wisely.  We have pulled all the wrong punches, almost assisting the long term plans of radical Islam.

Here we go again, this time it is President Obama and his Middle East foreign policy.  Let us consider September 11, 2012.  President Obama, like some of his predecessors, has made and is making national decisions in regards to our Middle east foreign policy from his chicken center.  As a result, we Americans or Hillary, or Patrick Kennedy, or the CIA, or the intelligence community or a video are to blame for the violence and murders in Benghazi and we the people are being made the fools in the national area.  Despite all the lies about Benghazi, our State Department watched the eight hour attack on our embassy and the murder of four Americans on a live video feed.  For the president to claim he was not privy to the Benghazi happening is a lie without precedent in American history.  Our chicken president did nothing to stop it and has done nothing to explain it to the American people, nothing except to assign blame to others.

According to President Obama, whatever the cost, we must not offend Islam, the lives of our people were therefore expendable.  Who are you Mr. President?

 G.Goslaw
Landers, CA

Optimal

Not optimal, Mr. President, not optimal you say.  We say they did not have to die!

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA

Hate

I hate flies!  I have no wish to disparage any of the other great issues of mankind but the only way to deal with the fly scourge is to smash them one at a time.  This is tedious but somehow rewarding work.  When written on the printed page this truth sounds so petty, so juvenile and so emotionally unbalanced.  Yet, I must confess to wanting the fly species to be annihilated from this earthly gene pool.  They gather around Hammer’s food dish and then somehow find there way into the house.  Should I feel this way about the little devils?

Hate is an appropriate word in the instance of the fly, at least for me. We are instructed not to hate other races, other religions, our neighbors, dogs and cats, our jobs or lack thereof, the Giants or the bullies in life. Most of the time it is not difficult to keep these issues on a dislike list but to hate a fly?  Wow, there must be something wrong with me, do you suppose?  After all, is not the fly a part of God’s created order, is there not a form and a function for the fly in this world?  How can I hate what God has placed before us?  It is a good guess that the fly was into all kinds of good stuff, including dinosaur dung, long before we humans walked on this earth.  How can I hate what God wills?

But I do.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

The Mess

Getting a politician to take real responsibility is like pulling teeth.  Let me be a chauvinist for just a moment, getting a female politician to take real responsibility is even more difficult.  Wait, to ask a female politician named Clinton to come clean will result in an ever increasing mess.  Hillary, was it your decision to reduce security for our Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans on multiple occasions?  Hillary, was it your directive to Patrick Kennedy that he reject and discourage all requests for security upgrades at the consulate?   Hillary, was it your decision to trust a few Libyan paid guards, poorly trained and vetted, with the lives of our people?  Is it yes or no?

Hiding behind your security professionals, when you were giving the orders, will not work.  Hiding behind supposed Muslim outrage about a video will not work.  Hiding behind a seemingly dumb and blind media will not work. Hiding behind the "the outnumbered and hopeless scenario" will not work.  Hiding behind your politically sensitive gender will not work.  Hiding behind President Obama, who has thrown you under the bus, will not work.  The people want your answer Mrs. Clinton.  Are you hiding or is the president hiding behind your petticot? Your hiding means that we will not get the truth until you appear before the congressional committee and answer under oath.  You will not, so the mess of your making will go on.  As we watch the presidential debate tonight, we will be thinking of you.

G.Goslaw
Landers, CA
Tuesday, October 16

Liar, Liar

“Liar, liar, pants on fire”, can you remember that schoolyard taunt, what did it mean?  A vivid illustration is the election politics of the last few days.  As the president desperately forages for ammunition going into tomorrow nights debate, he is sure to come out swinging with an attempt to paint Mitt Romney as the biggest liar of all time.  Go ahead with this liar barrage Mr. President, your pants are on fire!

In the schoolyard, the accusing party is the one who has the least integrity when it comes to telling the truth.  So it is with Barack Obama, he will accuse in an attempt to hide all his lies, from his promises in the 2008 campaign, to his governing methodology, to sending Ambassador Rice out on the Sunday talk shows to lie to the American people about the Libya killings.  The last four years have been one big lie. “Liar, liar, pants on fire”

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca  

Chain of Command

The house committee on Oversight and Governmental Reform, lead by Representative Daryl Issa, helped to flushed out the Obama administration and the State Department as to the security failure during the terrorist attack on our Benghazi consulate and the murder of four Americans, including our Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens.  The hearing on Wednesday October 10, exposed the dysfunction between our politicians and the salaried employees of the State Department who are charged with the day to day security of our diplomats.  The members of the committee rightly voiced outrage at the faulty judgment of both high ranking politicians and employees who scrambled for cover using lies and political spin to hide the responsible parties, President Obama and our illustrious Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.  The obvious motive of the administration was and is to deflect responsibility away from the Democrats during this presidential election season.

While acknowledging the extreme value of this hearing, one more question needed to be asked of Ms. Lamb, deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. In regards to her directives to give our diplomatic mission ever decreasing security manpower, she claimed that those were her instructions from above.  A very simple follow-up question needed to be asked, Ms. Lamb, to whom do you report?  We all have used this question in our daily lives as we deal with a variety of bureaucracies.  She avoided the question and attempted to blame an imaginary shadowy authority figure when her boss sat in the next chair, Patrick Kennedy, the under secretary for management in the State Department.  Patrick Kennedy reports directly to the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.  This chain of command relationship was not clearly identified by the committee or the resulting questioning.  If it had, a reasonably inquisitive committee member should have asked Mr. Kennedy, “did you make this decision for less security from your own experience data bank or were you instructed from above to put American lives and the mission in extreme peril, almost naked of  protection?  We still would like to know your answer, Mr. Kennedy.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca

an email

My late wife had a favorite saying ..."life isn't fair and then you die". This sounds rather morose but to her it wasn't.  By accepting the life contract, one can be free to live life as you correctly espouse, by enjoying the good times and laughing at the bad.  Only the wisdom of the years and difficult circumstances can give us that kind of life perspective.  Karen, somehow, found her place and this gift of wisdom much sooner than this dunce.  The only reality more difficult than the life contract would be to have passed and no longer have the opportunity to struggle against the inevitable.  Thankfully,we struggle on, you and I, for we are not there yet, knock on wood! 

It is great hearing from you again, hang in there Red, I wish you and yours the best!  Say hello to the guys. gg.  

Apologies

Death has come to another American, this time on the Mexican border. Four diplomatic personnel including our ambassador are murdered in Libya, all in a matter of weeks.  Three of the deaths were to U.S. personnel not directly charged with security for the ambassador.  Fifty one American soldiers have been murdered by our so-called friends in Afghanistan within the last eight months.  Who are we if we fail to protect our own?  Our president goes around the world apologizing for American pride and then allows American blood to be spilt whenever it is convenient for our enemies to make a statement.  Apologies be dammed!

In the 1949 movie, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, John Wayne’s character had the correct posture.  He advised, “never apologize and never explain … it’s a sign of weakness”.  Apologies never work in diplomatic circles, they further embolden our enemies. This reader is not sorry for the burning of the Koran, although it would be better if it had not happened. This reader is not sorry for the anti-Muslim video but it would have been better if it had not been produced.  This is America and we all have rights, the majority and  the minorities.

Abroad, fear is the only reality that will keep the peace.  Would that Barrack and Hillary had the moral fortitude to stand up instead of lying down, almost prostrating America before our enemies of this world.  It is no wonder that the world believes they have a license to kill us.

G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca