What kind of a Nation and what government are we...

using, really.

I ask because there is the ideal of what we think the good American People are, and the Democracy which we think we are living under, but I am very uncertain.

I am reading "NO THEY CAN'T: Why government fails - but Individuals Succeed" by John Stossel (he would like you to buy the book) which I got from my local Library. He is correct, but too hard on government, they do succeed, just not as well as the individual can. Remembering that an IQ of 100 is in the center, with half of the population above and have below, and it is a Bell Curve, most of us are close to 90 to 110. Cynic says 'I am a little above that', and might be correct. Realize that we do not test for IQ for government jobs, nor is it on the resume, or the ballot behind the candidate's name. Those in government are not smarter or better qualified for anything they haven't been trained to, and being experienced in failing does not make you into someone that will perform better in the future in that position. Then there is that "The Peter Principle", you get to be promoted to the level that you no longer are effective.

I like the thought that the Highest Ranking Officer in the nation is the very best. But the truth is that lowly private in the muddy fighting position or on the sight on the gun, is key to winning any battle participating in... no matter who was in charge, after the enemy and our military might meet, the winner is the ones left alive to clean up and claim the battlefield. I know, the Generals and Admirals will write the books, and George Washington in uniform spent more time writing Congress for things he didn't have, he was never hesitant to ride to where he could affect the combat on the battlefield, but in the end - the privates, corporals and lowly LTs win the battles, there are more of them, for they die faster and need replaced more - but the higher leaders will take much public credit.

Originally, our Founding Fathers, wanted a small effective federal government and wrote the Constitution, they didn't want the Nation's Capital running everything. Where we have gone is to grow it bigger and think that means better, but it isn't. One great weakness of current thought is that the person in charge must monitor the engagement, and our technology allows them to think they are critical to the operations. Think the OBL assassination operation. Found him, assign the team to strike, and go - strike - get away. Professional. Announcing success, proof that it was OBL, and then trying to smooth it over with Pakistan is the National Government's duty. But cheering like a high school at their big games, photo opportunities -- that is taunting the enemy, and the enemies are still out there. Make me feel bad and I might start a feud with your family, which is kind of like what got us into a War on Terror.

Currently the President has a Kill List, but it hasn't been published. Seems to me, if the government especially in the person of the President has a list of our Nation's Enemies that are to be KILLED On SIGHT, it should be published so all three hundred million of us can take the shot. Yes, I know that all of us don't carry and can't hit a target farther than we can throw a rock, but we can help. The government might not succeed but the individuals could. Which isn't exactly John Stossel's point but close.

After the attack on 9/11, in panic the American Government grounded all aircraft because they couldn't tell how many more were in the control of, or could become under TERRORIST control. At that time, the terrorists had won, the entire country surrendered to its fears. I know, we didn't really surrender, and I know on the day, at the time I was watching the planes strike the towers, over and over -- I wasn't afraid, and if you had asked me (but they didn't) I would have said to treat this like a crime, investigate, get the people and shut their operations down. The Federal government has shut our operations down, found a few of the people responsible and fought two wars, and attempted to convert the heathen or build a better nation (not our own). I almost blame the Atomic Bomb on this mentality that we don't dare fight a real war, to the point of an enemy surrender and change - or that the Nation cannot treat little things as something little bandages will cover until healed.

How many airplanes would the TERRORISTs have taken over if ten percent of the passengers had been carrying personal weapons? Well, now you know that the President can't have his best security guy on the aircraft full of fuel and innocent passengers that the pilot or copilot have decided to crash into his lover's penthouse or downtown Detroit. What do you want the government to do now?

London was bombed in WWI and WWII, Berlin was bombed, Leningrad was bombed, Tokyo was bombed, only Washington DC closes shop and surrenders when attacked.  You can't surrender unless you want to live in fear and maybe raise your children that way, the government hasn't the answers. Only God will sort us out, and I will trust in the LORD, so I will fight until He calls me home. We are supposed to be brave Americans.