Welcome to The Shining City

Thanks for visiting my blog. It's a no coincidence that I am launching this blog on President's Day. America has flourished under some great Presidents. During my lifetime, I believe that the greatest President (and greatest world leader) was President President Ronald Reagan. I also believe that the absolute worse president was Jimmy Carter.

What is the difference between a terrible president like Jimmy Carter and a great President like Ronald Reagan? It all comes down to two things belief and values. President Ronald Reagan truly believed in the concept of America as the Shining City on the Hill. Jimmy Carter talked about an era of diminished expectations. There was a lot of discussion during the Carter era, that America's best days were behind her, that we were no longer a great country. The Misery Index (the combination of the unemployment rate and the inflation rate) in June of 1980 was 21.98%. America couldn't put 8 working helicopters in the air to rescue hostages held by a fourth rate country like Iran. After 5 years under Reagan the misery index had dropped to 7.7% and America was strong again, easily rescuing American students in Grenada.

Ronald Reagan believed in America's greatness, and he followed the values that built America. I remember sitting at home in December of 1980. America was a mess. Suddenly Ronald and Nancy Reagan were on television. They wished the American public a Merry Christmas, and basically said, 'hang in there help is on the way'. I felt a new confidence in America's prospects. What did he do during his presidency? Ronald Reagan cut taxes, reduced the size and influence of the government, reinforced the principles of free market capitalism and increased spending on defense. He gave speaches that expressed his loved of this country and his desire to make it strong again. He made Americans believe in themselves.

What bearing does this have on America today? Today we have a president who keeps repeating the mantra that America is trouble. We hear from Obama that the economy is a mess and that we need massive government intervention to bail us out. Then he tells us that the $1,000,000,000,000 being spent may not be enough. Take a look at that figure. it is incomprehensible.

Look over Obama's statements since his inaugaration. Do any of them inspire enough confidence in you that you are planning on going out and buying a new car or investing in the stock market? Americans are beginning to ask themseves if we have we elected a second Jimmy Carter. Will Obama betray Israel as Carter betrayed the Shah of Iran? He plans to open talks with Hamas and Iran. Will we be sitting in gas lines again? What is the misery index today?

Look at Ronald Reagan's description of the Shining City on the Hill. I'd buy stocks today, if we had a leader who expressed that type of feeling for America.

In the future my posts will address more specific political issues. I just felt that it was important on this Presidents day to look at the leadership vacuum that we have in this country.

I have one comment on this President's Day. Where is Ronald Reagan, now that we need him?