Iran Treaty is a tragic mistake

First and foremost, the treaty proposed by the President with Iran is not constitutional. No portion of Congress has approved it. The constitution requires that 2/3 majority of the senate approve all treaties.  So for the President to push forward and start implementing this treaty is against our founding documents and should be considered an act that breaks his oath of office. Now with this president, that is not a big surprise. He seems to relish his role of Constitution wrecker.

Second, I am trying to understand the good that comes from giving the regime that has spilled more American blood in the last decade than any other, a big bunch of money based on promises by a regime that wants our destruction. They want war. They support terror groups attacking peace loving people across the world. They export arms and revolution and here the US stands at the brink of helping them gain more power, money and influence. It does not make any sense to me unless the true goal of our President is our ultimate destruction.

Third, it is a base tenant of the "religion" these guys profess to lie to their enemies. How can you have an agreement with a group of people that will lie to your face to get what they want?  Is the world safer with that same group "self inspecting" or providing limited access to their bomb producing facilities? Is their promise worth the paper it is inked on? Will this President follow through if they break this accord? I think not.

Finally, the result of this accord is like pouring gasoline on the existing fire in the region.  We can look forward to an escalating arms race between the gulf nations and Iran. We have already seen massive destruction in the region as Iranian forces move around fighting and killing citizens across the middle east. This will only deepen the war and cause more death. Israel will have to act to preserve itself since the President has chosen Iran's side and is giving them money and opening trade routes that were shut because of Iran's bad behavior in the region. It will only be a matter of time until the same bloodshed seen in the middle east reaches our shores.

I find it amazing that we stand in this place 14 years after the attack on American spawned by radical Islam, making a deal with the lead sponsor of terror in the world. Is this really what America wants?
This deal should be stopped and it's author should be removed from office.

G.D. Livengood Writing Blog: I wrote this a while back, but I edited it and pre...

G.D. Livengood Writing Blog: I wrote this a while back, but I edited it and pre...: I wrote this a while back, but I edited it and prettied it up a bit,

Stop the Imperial President!

I would encourage every American citizen to contact Congress this week. They are considering funding the current administration’s plans and policies for more than 6 months. We simply can’t afford that.  The President’s policies have already dug us into a huge hole and his current plan to rule as a monarch for the next two years needs to be stopped. When our founding fathers designed our national government, they knew that there needed to be a balance of power between the administration, congress and the courts. We currently have a failed national government. The congress is afraid to act in our best interest. The administration is choosing to tear up the constitution in favor of their agenda.  The most amazing part of this whole situation is that the American people have spoken and rejected the Obama agenda over and over again.  How is it that they don’t get that we want this dictator stopped?

What has Obama done for our country in the last 6 years? Well to start with his first action was to shove his ACA (Obamacare) act through congress in an unconstitutional way. The congress refused to read the bill. Not one republican voted for it and the deciding vote was cast by the vice president. All of this was going on while the president ignored our floundering economy and turned his back on Iraq. He traveled the world apologizing for our sins to the likes of the Egyptians and other Arab countries. How bowed to Kings. He started a policy of turning away from our allies and negotiating with our sworn enemies. He clamped down on our financial institutions, borrowed so much money from the world that our debt skyrocketed. His version of balancing the budget was cutting the military and giving money to his supporters. He failed to act strongly enough to halt the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. He ignored ISIS for years until they started cutting the heads off Americans. He covered up the attack at Benghazi so he could win re-election. His administration has been the most corrupt in decades.  From the IRS throttling the tea party to the justice department’s gun running in Mexico to his terrible management of the VA. We stand in a very dangerous place today.  Our economy is still down, our unemployment rate is low because so many Americans have given up trying to find work. The president is seizing powers he does not have. Our nations standing in the world has declined. Our national press continues to support the administration to the detriment of us all. We need stand up and stop this president. The next two years needs to be a battle for the heart and soul of America. We can’t just try to wait it out with this guy. President Obama has broken his oath of office over and over again and we need to call him on it.

Liberals and the destruction of America

In response to the latest misguided propaganda from the illustrious Dr., I would like to point out that all the politically driven science in the world will never make our earth warmer.  Trying to attach man's actions to some change in the climate is dangerously presumptuous.  Could facts possibly get in the way of this latest boondoggle of our politically correct society?

How about the fact that the earth stopped warming 15 years ago and hasn't warmed since. How about the fact that back when people started noticing the warm climate, the ice on Mars was also melting. Could the fact that the earth has warmed many times over the millennia without man's help. I am afraid the real driving force behind this liberal agenda item is their desire to control our lives.  The United States has in the last several years destroyed industries, raised the cost of living and pushed millions into poverty by forcing fake science on all of us.  The most recent example is the light bulb. A wonderful invention that has saved countless lives and brightened the world.  Our environmental friends claim this device burns too much electricity and increases green house gases so the inefficient device must be banned.  The replacement device is sold as longer lasting and consumes less energy, but what is the real cost? First, they are expensive and most importantly they are toxic (break a bulb and you need a mask and gloves to clean up the mercury spill).  Another banned substance is freon. We outright banned that amazing gas used for decades to cool our homes. According to the environmentalists, the innocuous gas was supposed to be tearing a hole in the ozone layer. Sounds bad, but we are the only country in the world stupid enough to believe them. So now we have to pay for a more expensive substance that tears up our air conditioners causing more maintenance and replacement. The most frustrating part of all of this environmental insanity, is the real cost that is being born by all of us. We pay more for electricity, gas and life due to all of the meddling caused by the government believing the fake science spouted by liberal environmental groups. Our country has the technology and ability to reduce our cost of living substantially, increase our employment and expand our economy if the government and environmentalists would just get out of our way. From pipelines to power plants to dams to refineries we know how to build, create and distribute the key elements that could sustain us, but at every corner we are limiting ourselves and putting our freedoms and liberty at risk as we let our government destroy opportunity, leaving us out in the cold fighting over the crumbs they let slip from their table.  |We need to change course, go back to reality and bring our country back to its founding principles: freedom, liberty, self sufficiency, equality and hard work. These principles seem to be lost in today's society.  

What Christ means to me

Image a world without knowing Christ and His gospel.  If you look at humanity’s worldly experience over the millennia, at least 90% of us have no understanding of the true nature of God, His son and their role in our salvation.  Man has had to struggle through this mortal existence without knowing the gospel plan and the happiness it brings.  Each person is born, grows up, lives and dies with a limited view of their purpose.  If they didn’t see, touch, taste, feel or smell it, it didn’t exist.  Others are lead down strange paths by the vain theories of men.  They don’t know where they came from, why they are here or where they go after this mortal realm. Hope and faith are strange to this world view.  Today, our world is caught up in such a dark place where faith is chided and hope can only be come from the government. Fortunately, God gave us prophets to guide us back to him.

One such prophet taught over a thousand years ago of Christ. From Alma chapter 34: 8-x

Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

 9 For it is expedient that an ^aatonement should be made; for according to the great ^bplan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are ^cfallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

 10 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a ^bsacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and ^deternal  sacrifice.

 Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is ^ajust, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.

 12 But the law requireth the ^alife of him who hath ^bmurdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.

 13 Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a ^astop to the shedding of ^bblood; then shall the ^claw of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.

Now, Imagine you lived in the time of Christ. Prophets of old had prophesied of His coming:

From Isaiah chapter 7:14-16 :

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a ^asign; ^bBehold, a^cvirgin shall conceive, and bear a ^dson, and shall call his name^eImmanuel.

 15 ^aButter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

 16 For ^abefore the child shall know to refuse the ^bevil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

But what surprised God’s people was his humble beginnings. He was born in a manger to a young unmarried virgin. He was not brought to His thrown, but was threatened by the rulers of His own land.  He was a carpenter’s son in a small town in Judea.  He lived not as a king, but as a common man.  He sought out John the Baptist to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness.  He then fasted, prayed and was sorely tempted as He began his mortal ministry.

In this season as we celebrate the birth of Christ, we can now truly grasp His significance. Many thought that the messiah would come and conquer their enemies and reign in glory.

Through the scriptures and the prophets we learn of Christ’s life and purpose. His virgin birth over two millennia ago, began his mortal ministry. He lived a humble life of service. He shunned sin and chose the good throughout his life. In the end, he knelt down in an olive orchard, prayed to his father and accepted all of man kind’s sin.  He felt pain and anguish and temptation but chose to atone for you and me.  He let himself be taken, scourged and finally crucified, sealing the atonement with his blood.

Christ, through the atonement transformed our lone and dreary world, into a world ruled by a gospel that brings hope and happiness to the full extent of God’s creation.  Through His teachings we know we existed before this mortal life and we have a loving Father in Heaven. We chose to follow Christ and take the risk of a mortal life. We have an eternal soul made up of our body and our spirit both created through God’s power.  Our prophets testify of Christ and we love and follow him. He has given us his Plan of Happiness that leads us back to our father and eternal life.  Because Christ took upon himself my sins and yours and the sins of man’s mortal existence, we can partake of His atonement and be cleansed pure and white.  We can choose to follow him by walking the path he designed, guiding us through the pitfalls of mortality.

In Truth, Christ’s mortal ministry defeated our greatest enemy and through his atonement, He unlocked the gates for heaven for all of us to return to our Father in Heaven and to rule and reign in celestial glory.

Today, we have another test of our faith, instead of trying to comprehend how this normal looking man could be the son of God, we have to have the faith to believe this remarkable story of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

Here we stand at the cusp of the greatest and last dispensation of time, waiting for our savior’s return, this time to rule and reign as was for told in the scriptures and by prophets of old.

Will man finally accept God’s invitation and fully partake of his glorious gospel?

Through the Gospel we can have a happy life on earth and eternal joy with our Father in Heaven.

It is my prayer that we can have the faith to believe in the true and everlasting Gospel. Christ did come to earth. He was the Son of God. He did take upon himself the sins of the world. He is the only being that could have done so and through him we can return to our heavenly father. I know this. This has be testified to me by the holy Ghost.  I Know that God lives. His son is my savior and he loves each of us. We can return to him through his Gospel.

Obama and our standing in the world

America may survive the current regime, but our standing in the world, our economic power and our society have taken serious hits over the last 5 years.

Our President keeps choosing to support those that have no love for us. He seeks to hurt our alliances and has alienated much of the world. Egypt, Syria, Libya are now wrecked with Islamic fanatics tearing those countries to pieces as our president sits on his thumbs or worse supports our enemies. When is America going to wake up to this guy’s real agenda?

We have been sliding down the slippery slope of failed economic policies for 5 years now. Our government has mortgaged our future for generations with its spending policies.

Our employment levels and growth are so anemic that we have millions of Americans who may never work again due to regulation, extended unemployment coverage and Obamacare.

For most of his presidency, Obama has looked to implement his agenda. He has gotten most of what he wants. Has that been good for you? Is our country stronger? Do we get along better? Are we color blind?  Which race is racist today?  What does he want for the next 3 years?  Will you be able to afford his leadership?

The best way for us to get back on the right track involves you taking responsibility for our future. Each of us need to elect those that will rebuild our country.

We have seen what the Democrats want and what they have delivered. Each policy has failed to deliver what we need. The Democrats never want to fix anything. If they fix something, what will they campaign on in the next election?  Democratic policies are designed to fail. They want to say, “the only way to fix that problem is more of their solution”.  The problem is their prescription is poison and will never cure the anything.  We need leaders that are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and fix what is broken. Economic growth, strong world leadership and strengthening our families and society are the goals.  In order to change our country we have to start now and continue to push for leadership, strength and policy that will save this sinking ship and put it back on a course that will lead to our success.

Obama and the budget

Let’s talk about who is reckless and irresponsible in our government today. Is it irresponsible to seek an actual budget? Is it irresponsible to attempt to reign in a government that is out of control, spending and taxing and destroying our great nation? I say not. It is time to put the brakes on and change course.  The president and his party cries foul when they don’t get their way, talk about a bunch of whining children! They can’t stand it when they don’t get their way. They do not care about democracy or the constitution or the rule of law.  They want what they want regardless of the cost, destruction or death caused by Obamacare. What is the goal of those rascally republicans?  Stop funding the largest, most ill planned and ill executed boondoggle in decades. When I say funding I mean stop spending what we don’t have to create another government failure. I figure that the Democrats could stand on their proposal if they had the money to pay for it, but they don’t. They want my children and my children’s children to pay for their idiotic, ill defined and destructive programs that don’t work.  Each of us is looking at our health care differently today. We no longer can choose the care we need. The government has taken that away. We can only purchase healthcare that is approved by the new Obamacare law.  They said it would cost each family less. That was a lie. Look at the premiums, take a dose of reality. This is going to increase our costs and reduce our coverage leaving us with less each month to support our families. If you can’t afford the new coverage, then guess what, you can always pay a fine to the government… What a deal! 

For those who support the president and his policies, which policy has helped you? Are you better off today that 5 years ago? How can you still be enjoying this man’s Koolaid?

I for one find the President’s handling of the budget negotiation extremely childish.  He is sitting up in his ivory house choosing winners and losers.  Closing down open area monuments in the capital, really?  Not funding food for small children, really?  Everything is politics to this man.  He has great hubris towards each of us (he hates us). There is no other explanation.  Listen to his words. Watch his eyes. The president has no love for his country or its citizens. That is clear.  He loves power.  Note how few of his policies have actually been run through congress.  This man has done most of his ruling through presidential order. His leadership or lack there of is why our country is failing. The world see’s it. I see it. Perhaps you should take a close look and see for yourself.  I am grateful to have a few patriots left in this country that are willing to stand up and attempt to stop this dictator.