What Does the World Need?

This question oftens come up when government leaders and political activists get together. What can be done to decrease the famine going on in some countries? Put an end to terrorism? Find an answer for global warming? The answer is simple to all of those questions. We are taught at a young age in school that there is no I in team and that teamwork is often times the best answer to any problem. The nations of our world need to realize in between fighting one another, that we face an even greater struggle. We create more problems for ourselves by waging war against other countries as we neglect the needs of our own people and the much greater burdens that lay over our heads. If in some way we learn to respect one another, we may be able to see humanity at its greatest form, the human species at its peak. If we continue to fight one another, we are in a greater sense contributing to our own demise. We neglect issues like global warming and world hunger that will ultimately defeat us all if we continue to act stupid and take no action. We take expensive vacations, buy expensive cars and luxuries to make our already high standards of society and living even higher while people from all over the world in third world countries are lucky if they have a home to call their own. We continue to drain our natural resources and pollute the ozone layer in the process. What the world needs more than anything else is people who understand and appreciate it.


I originally posted this on my first blog and republished here.

The Least Experienced Presidents of The USA

Following my previous segment on the most experience people to ever be elected President of the US, I have decided to run an article on the least experienced Presidents. You will find that some Presidents were complete successes and others failed to really ever accomplish anything.

The Least Experienced Presidents

1. Zachary Taylor

Before being elected President, Taylor never held any political office. He rose to fame as a successful American General during the Mexican American War, in which he proved to be a well liked military commander. Taylor only served as President for two months, before dieing due to gastroenteritis. His short term had the daunting task of dealing with the slavery issue and was mildly successful, at the very least, of asserting the preservation of the Union at all costs. Taylor could have accomplished much more had he lived longer. All in all, the United States has seen much worse Presidents.

2. Ulysses S. Grant

Best known for his work as a General during the Civil War, Grant was elected the 18th President of the United States in 1869. Despite being elected to two terms, the Grant Presidency is renowned for its corruption. As President he supported amnesty for Confederate leaders and also decided to limit the number of troops stationed in the south to avoid further conflict. His Presidency was hit hard by the Panic of 1873, as historians feel Grant did little to stabilize the nation. His cabinet was increasingly corrupt and Grant did little to halt this. He meant well but Grant was not able to accomplish a whole lot.


3. George Washington

Washington set the precedents for the majority of all Presidential duties. Being the first President, Washington really didn't have an opportunity for experience. A member of Virginia colonial legislature, Washington led the Continental army to a victory during the Revolutionary War. As President he was flawless, calling for America to stay separate from foreign affairs and focus on what is going on at home. Perhaps his greatest feature was his humbleness, as he willingly gave up command of the country following the Revolution to the Continental Congress. He was never power hungry and refused running for a third term because he did not want to be like a King. Many scholars consider him the greatest President in American History.

4. Abraham Lincoln

Another worthy man is the "inexperienced" Senator from Illinois and no, I do not mean Barack Obama. Abraham Lincoln, like Obama, was a junior Senator from Illinois. Lincoln was elected in 1860 and reigned in the most turbulent period in American history. He was faced with a southern secession and a subsequent civil war. Poised and focused, Lincoln led the Union to victory and was able to achieve the abolition of slavery throughout the entire country. Although this was achieved, Lincoln ran for President with the intention of maintaining slavery as it was, without expanding it. Despite his success as President, Lincoln was the first President in US history to be assassinated. It has been said that Lincoln was the last casualty of the Civil War. Like Washington, Lincoln is often considered the best President in US history.

5. Dwight D. Eisenhower

The former Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during WWII, Eisenhower never held political office. His popularity as a military figure led to his ascension to the nations highest office in 1953. Eisenhower pioneered the construction of highways throughout the country, supported the ruling of Brown V. Board of Education and asserted a strong foreign policy. During his Presidency, Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union. Eisenhower proved to be an able commander in chief and was well liked during his Presidency.



Other notables include: Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Barack Obama, Andrew Jackson, Franklin D. Roosevelt and W00drow Wilson.

Huey Long: Every Man a King

After reading up on the Great Depression, it has become strikingly clear that much of the same things are going on now. Barack Obama, much like FDR, has moved towards creating a stimulus package to jump start the American economy. Obama has proposed a "new deal" of his own that closely resembles the one implemented by Roosevelt. The figure of Huey Long, former Governor and Senator from Louisiana seems to be often forgotten in history. Much like Roosevelt, Long advocated for government regulation and intervention to get the nation out of the Great Depression. His "Share our Wealth" program focused on the motto "Every Man a King" and sought to impose a cap on income. He theorized that the wealthy did not need an excess of money and sharing their wealth with the lower classes would in turn cause a boom in the economy. Long endorsed Roosevelt in his bid for the Presidency in 1932 but shortly after broke in his support for the President. During this period, it is safe to say that everyone knew Huey P Long. He defined Louisiana politics and was even seen as a potential opponent to President Roosevelt for the Democratic nomination in 1936. At this time, Long was often viewed as a radical politician. His speeches in the Senate were considered works of oratory art and entertainment, causing many politicians to either respect him or disdain him. However, with his political future having endless possibilities and his own ambitions set on America's highest office, Long was shot on September 8, 1935 and died two days later. The man who could inspire any crowd, stir up those who had no reason to rejoice, was assassinated without ever realizing his potential. As he lay dieing, Long reportedly said "God, don't let me die. I have so much left to do".

To read more about Huey Long, visit http://www.hueylong.com/

Rush Limbaugh Is an Idiot

To my dismay, I am not the first person to make this distinction, as Mark Sanford and Al Franken have already beat me to it. Limbaugh has gone on a limb to make it clear that he wants President Barack Obama to fail. This of course is coming from a man who has a contract to make $400 million dollars throughout the course of his talk radio contract which expires in 2016. It does not surprise me that a man of such wealth would want the President to fail. If Obama fails, the American economy will fail to recover and subsequently the middle/lower class American will fail. What does Limbaugh have to lose? Money? He already has enough money to live very well for the rest of his life. In calling for his hope that Obama fails, Limbaugh is insinuating that he hopes the economy fails and that notion, in my opinion, is UN-AMERICAN. The American people have so much at stake right now and Limbaugh's attitude is both disgusting and insulting to the United States as a whole. It appears as though his loyalties lie with his party, rather than his country. Mr. Limbaugh, the American people have spoken and it is time you get off your high horse and stop sulking over your beloved Republicans defeat. Our current economic situation is an American crisis, that transcends party lines and political ideological differences. If you cannot understand that, you are a fool.