Brain Draining - A Different Perspective

The concept of Brain draining is very ancient though the term was used in the early 1950 by spokesman of the Royal Society of London. The magnitude of brain draining has increased in this present scenario. Immigration of good individuals abroad to serve other nations is attributed as brain drain. This phenomenon can be observed even in the early history. The super power of every age use good individuals of other nations in their interest. Presently almost all under developed countries are at stake because this is going all over, high qualified professionals are migrating to USA, UK, Canada and other countries, but Pakistan is facing this storm rigorously and it's getting violent day by day. The desire of youth to get abroad is growing rapidly and this issue is not yet properly addressed.

One of the reasons of this dilemma is due to the unjust environment surrounding good individuals. Housing problem, security threats, health issues, intense inflation, power failure, bribery are some of the reasons which are driving good individuals abroad and leading them to stay permanently. Considerable number of graduates is leaving for abroad every year and very few came back from higher education.

Going for higher education is another thing, but staying there and serving them is what brain draining is. Even in the life time of Prophet Muhammad (Peace. Be.Upon. Him), there was incident when the Prophet (Peace. Be.Upon. Him) sent Muslims on a special mission to ash-Sham (modern day Syria, Jordan and Palestine). Ash-Sham was ruled by Romans, who were Christians and super power of that time; they were highly skilled in military technology. Muslims were sent for special mission to acquire that technology and to use it for the global implementation of Islam. Another example of acquiring technology was through Persians the second world power of that time, Muslims worked for trench technology through Salman Al farsi (May Allah be please with him) and it was used in the Battle of the Trench(khandak) and played an effective role. The difference between the present scenario of Muslims and the Prophet's Companions' episode is that they do have a vision while our individuals go abroad for self contentment.

Brain draining notion is very ancient, there is one example from the Prophet Muhammad (Peace. Be.Upon. Him) when the battle of Badr was over, some of the prisoners were released on the condition that they should teach 10 Muslims to read and write, this is the excellent example how the state used other people for educational programs. Another example of brain draining is Sultan Mehmed 'the conqueror of Constantinople' when he used a German Orban. Orban was highly skilled in cannon making and arms production that time, he offered his services to Byzantines but Sultan Mehmed very tactfully handled him and offered good reward in return. Sultan provided him a makeshift foundry where he worked and produced the largest cannon of that period called 'the Great Turkish Bombard', which was powerful enough to break the fort of Constantinople and this how Sultan achieved great historical victory. Orban's cannon could carry 1200 lb (544 kg) ball as far as one mile.

Well these are some of the examples how Islam had used non Muslims, it clearly shows us that without vision and motto, one can't stop brain draining, unless and until the problem is not properly diagnosed. There is need for both Vision and healthy environment for good individuals and this can't be done if the State does not make itself responsible, if the state will not take this seriously then there is no use of delivering lengthy speeches in various seminars.

The case is bitterly regrettable, few individuals from youth is somehow feeling this pain in Pakistan. That is the reason seminars are organized, but this issue should be properly addressed by the state and the system that drives mass and the mob. And it should be properly analyzed with this provided historical perspective.

SM WAQAS IMAM is an undergraduate student of NED univ of engineering and technology. He is also editor of an online official E-zine Ned univ of engg and technology "The Insight". Further he is a contributor to different magazines.

What Does it Take to Be Successful in Today's Corporate America? Is it Different Than 20 Years Ago?

Has anything changed during the last decade?

I do not think so. The following paragraphs summarize what I told an audience of recently MBA graduates at their 11th Annual Conference of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs in November 10, 2000. At the time, I was the President of Phelps Dodge Industries with responsibility for an operating group comprised of 50 plants in 27 countries engaged in the manufacture and sale of engineered products for the electrical, communications and automotive industries. The Group had revenues of $2 billion and employed over 5,000 people. After early retirement in 2002 and 35 years of corporate experience I became an entrepreneur. Bottom line, nothing has changed.

This is what I said then and what I would say today:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be with you on this special day. A few minutes ago my fellow panel members talked to you about the challenges and opportunities that you will face in this new era of e-commerce, globalization and high technology. These are indeed very exciting times! You will be part of a generation of leaders that will take our businesses to uncharted territories. It was only 30 years ago that I was sitting in a room like this wondering what it would take to be successful in Corporate America. Little did I suspect that one day I would be discussing with you my impressions on what is a very complex subject with no "clear cut" answers. My bottom line advice to you is this: "Business mirrors life. There will be highs, lows, compromises and sacrifices in your quest for success. Approach it as a journey and use your head, your heart and your gut to guide your decisions along the way." I am not going to spend any time stressing the need to be technically proficient in your field of expertise. That is the price of admission. Rather, I will share with you a simple model that has worked for me as I have progressed in the pursuit of my professional dreams. I refer to this model as my "Seven Ps"


Plan
Preparation
People
Passion
Proactive
Partnerships
Performance

P number one - Plan

Planning your future is like putting together a strategic plan. A Company defines its vision and you must do the same. For each of us, that vision is more like a dream. I had a dream and I am sure each of you has one. But you can't achieve that dream without following a disciplined and systematic process. What is your dream? What will it take to achieve it? Are you willing to make the personal sacrifices that may be required? Having the intent is not enough. It is the combination of will and vision that eventually allows you to reach your full potential.

And this takes me to the second P - Preparation

Education and experience are two critical factors for success. You must be obsessed with learning. Learning is a never-ending process. Some learning opportunities will be provided by your company but that alone is not enough. You must take the initiative and be in control of your professional development. And this requires significant commitment and personal sacrifice. I'm an avid reader and the number of books and magazines I read each year has a direct correlation to the number of air miles I travel. I firmly believe that to become a well-rounded businessperson you must expose yourself to a diverse range of subjects and viewpoints. I generally encourage my key managers to read between 3 and 4 newspapers a day, and 20 to 30 publications each month covering a wide range of topics: economics, finance, demographics, social issues and politics, management and technology. No single one of these topics should be considered in isolation and much less taken as the gospel. And if you're waiting for the one good book that will guide your entire career, forget about it...You are the author of this book and it is work in process. Instead, consider everything you read as an opportunity to germinate new ideas that you can apply to your business challenges. I can tell you from my own experience that even at this stage of my career I learn something everyday. Failure to do so translates into what I refer to as "intellectual obsolescence." None of us can afford that. The second component of preparation is experience. You are all probably familiar with the expression that there is no substitute for experience. In my professional life, I have never turned down an assignment that would increase my know-how of a process, a country, a company, a culture or any other subject essential to my future ability to accept more responsibilities.

P number three - People

There is a business adage that says that you will pass the same people in an organization on your way up as on your way down. I know this to be true from personal experience. And always remember that you are only as good as the people you work for, the people you work with and the people who work for you. Never abuse or misuse your power. You can be demanding but you must also be fair. And never forget to act on what is right and not on who is right. You also must mentor and develop the people in your organization. A decade ago, mentors were the "seasoned old guys" in the executive suite, and mentorees were the MBAs fresh out of school. Today thanks in large part to the rapid acceleration of technology development, mentoring is more diverse. It's not unusual, for example, to find a 25-year-old technology guru mentoring a group of seasoned leaders. Look for every opportunity to be both a mentoree and a mentor at every stage of your career. As I said, there is always more to learn, and as you advance, your experience can help others succeed. In addition to my mentoring role within my company, I have been a mentor and a lecturer at the University of Miami MIBS Program for several years. You would be amazed at what I have learned from your contemporaries both one-on-one and in the classroom. Transferring your knowledge to others is a very rewarding experience that can be accomplished at all levels of the organization.

P number four - Passion

Leading an organization requires you to be Passionately Committed. I have never met anyone who excels at anything that does not possess an inner fire. Ordinary efforts will only produce mediocre to average results. Drive and passion produce outstanding results. Sometimes, success leads to a false sense of comfort. Often, some of the best people lose their passion. When that dies, it is difficult if not impossible to sustain excellence. So, I encourage you to work hard to feed and fuel your inner passion.

P number five - Proactive

Today's rate of business change also will require you to be Proactive. You will be required to seize challenges and opportunities. Speed and innovation are the keys to staying ahead. Quick victory is the aim of competitive action. You need to move fast and move first. This does not mean that you will always do things right but you must always do what is right. You must have the intellectual honesty to acknowledge that some solutions or actions did not work. If they didn't, try something else. As President Roosevelt once said: "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something". Proactivity allows you to stay one step ahead and this is worth more than any other competitive advantage.

Successful executives also rely on the next "P" - Partnerships

In today's world you cannot do it alone. You'll need to forge alliances to offset your weaknesses, and to bring together diverse geographic and business cultures. You'll also need to harness the commitment of your team to get the job done. And let me emphasize the word TEAM. This would be a natural point for me to offer some anecdotes about the power of business partnerships, but instead, I'd like to put the emphasis on the partnership that you now have, or that you may have in the future, with your spouse, your significant other and your family. All of the business demands on your time will make it increasingly difficult for you to create a balance between your personal and professional life. I must confess that this is the area in which most of us fail, at least from time to time. And I am no exception. My wife Maria, who is here with me tonight, gets all the credit for providing the on-the-ground, day-to-day stability that our young sons needed in their formative years. But she, and my sons Manuel and Carlos held me accountable for being present at the important events, and there were no excuses accepted if I failed to pick up the telephone and check in each morning while they had breakfast, and again each evening to hear about their big events of the day. There is no right or wrong answer about how to calibrate the balance needed to make that partnership succeed. You will learn with time how and when to compromise. But you must learn how to do it sooner rather than later. Our families are often thought of as being in the background. But make no mistake about it. It is only through their support that we have a chance to advance in our business endeavors.

P number seven - Performance

Performance is critical. You must focus your efforts in results not politics. It is not how well you play the game or how much effort is applied. The end result is to create value for all your stakeholders. You'll also find that success is a constantly moving target. You will never be able to sit back and relax. It is true that you are only as good as what you deliver today. Get used to it. And remember this is driven more by the demands of the customer and the marketplace, than it is by your manager's expectations. Learn to stretch your expectations of yourself. At some point in your career you will become "good." But don't let good get in the way of becoming "great." If your quest is to be the best there is no room for complacency. You must aim higher and higher. Today's excellent performance will be average tomorrow if you do nothing to get better. Make continuous improvement a part of your life. Remember, becoming the best at what you do does not happen by accident. You must continuously work hard at it with passion and intensity. When you sum the total of your efforts you will achieve outstanding performance. From time to time, I hear managers describe someone else's good performance as "luck." But long-term business success is not "luck" unless you define luck as the point at which opportunities and preparations converge. You must be always ready to take advantage of an opportunity.

In fairness to this audience, I suspect I could not adequately address your interests unless I also speak about the subject of diversity. Be proud of who you are and where you come from. Use it to your advantage, but don't take advantage. Being a minority does not entitle you to anything. Each of us must earn what we have, and must maximize what we have been blessed with. I believe that diversity in a very broad sense is strength. It is in our differences, not our similarities that the most dynamic, exhilarating and life-changing experiences can be found. Allow your heritage to give you clarity of self -- to know who you are and what motivates you. But let your brain, and your guts and your heart - not your gender or the color of your skin -- lead you through life. As the global leaders of the future you must learn how to balance your technical strengths with the many cultural requirements of the people who you encounter.

You also must learn to be diplomats. I say diplomats because to become a global leader you must possess a keen understanding of the history, geography, religion and politics of the local economies in which you will conduct business. You must learn to be flexible, resilient and adaptive. Respect for local, country or regional culture is and will continue to be essential elements for success. Only "global leaders" will be able to strike the proper balance. As a member of this new breed of leaders you must be able to conduct business in at least two languages and let me emphasize the word "conduct."

The ability to read, write and speak a language is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the future. You must understand the culture and be sensitive to cultural differences. You must be able to create a seamless bond. A case in point. English has become and will continue to be the universal language of the Internet, but the cultures of the English-speaking world don't represent a universal culture. Economist Milton Friedman says it is now possible for a company located anywhere, using resources from anywhere, to produce a product anywhere that can be sold to customers everywhere. What Mr. Friedman does not tell you is that you cannot build the plant, purchase the resources, or market the product if you do not relate to each culture individually on its own merits and within its cultural paradigms. This is a most important and difficult point for global leaders to accept when learning to work with different cultures: A single paradigm does not work universally. You by virtue of your Hispanic background have the best of both worlds and an excellent foundation to accommodate the best of various cultures and to create new ways to lead business. You can make a difference. I went with confidence in the direction of my dreams and lived the life I always imagined for myself and my family. Now, it is your turn to create and follow your dreams. Thank you for your kind attention.

Mr. Iraola is the founder and CEO of The Aloaris Group, http://www.aloaris.com, a privately owned group that provides financing and manages start up ventures with the potential to revolutionize existing business models.

The Group also provides a full range of advisory services to companies operating or planning to operate in emerging markets. He is also a co founder and CEO of http://www.Homekeys.com a developer, integrator and provider of state of the art web-based information tools and services for the real estate industry.

Mr. Iraola currently serves on the Board of Directors of Central Hudson Energy Group Inc. (NYSE:CHG). He previously served on the Boards of Phelps Dodge Corporation (NYSE:PD), Southern Copper Co. (NYSE:PCU) and Schweitzer Mauduit International Inc. (NYSE:SWM).

Specialising in Different Areas of Wildlife

After you have been studying wildlife for a year or so, you will have built up your local general knowledge and may want to go deeper and specialise in one particular group of organisms. To do this, the best way is to join a national society and members there will be glad to help you. You may also be lucky and have a local society as well. This is ideal as you can share knowledge, ask for advice and go on field trips in your local area. However, this does depend on where you live.

There are a number of factors to consider when specialising. After your first year you will now which organisms appeal to you and you find interesting. It may be an easy choice for you. If not, here are some of my observations on what it is like being a naturalist in particular specialist areas. They apply to where I live in the UK.

Mammals

There is a national Mammal society and they have local groups that you can join. There aren't too many mammals in the UK and learning to identify them is fairly easy. The hard part is finding them and there is a greater emphasis on tracking and hunting skills than for other areas. However, those people who like mammals delight in their greater character and personality and you can learn much more about their life cycle and lifestyle than for other animals. Although some surveying is done, the main focus on mammal work is getting involved in conservation, habitat creation and protection of local animals.

Birds

Learning about birds is very easy in the UK. There are many local groups, with plenty of members and there are many reserves well organised by the RSPB and local wildlife trusts. Learning bird identification is fairly easy and there aren't too many birds to learn. You can also do it pretty much anywhere. A great feature of birding is that you're never quite sure what you will see on a field trip, they are full of surprises. On the downside, birds are so popular that it is difficult to make any new discoveries or see something that someone else hasn't seen already. There is the opportunity for survey work and this is always welcome, but if you want to make a really valuable contribution to local and national wildlife, I would suggest that the other areas are much more needy.

Butterflies

Many bird watchers, when wanting to expand their knowledge like to move on to other flying creatures, so butterflies are an obvious next step. Butterflies are also ideal for children and beginners. They are fairly easy to spot, there aren't too many to learn, there are some easy ones to identify and some trickier ones as well. The have a fascinating lifestyle and are always a delight to see. Studying them gives you a great insight into conservation and ecology. There are butterfly societies all round the country and you have a great opportunity to contribute to local and national knowledge.

Moths

From butterflies, moths are a logical next step. There are far more to learn and identification is more difficult. There are also many more micro-moths which are very challenging. Also, their nocturnal lifestyle means that you need to learn how to use light traps. However, surveying s always exciting as you are never sure what you will see and any survey work you do is welcome and makes a real contribution.

Other insects

Dragonflies are popular and are well known. You can buy good field guides for them and they are fascinating to study. However, you have to learn how to catch them in a net and some identification is tricky.

You an also learn about other insects such as grasshoppers & crickets; ants, bees & wasps; flies, bugs, aphids and beetles. Observation of these insects is rather different to birds, butterflies, flowers etc. where you can identify what you have seen in the field. Studying other insects usually involves trapping, collecting and killing them. The insects then have to be prepared for a microscope slide and many hours of study in your own home is needed to identify them. You also have to build up your own collection of samples for comparison. Field guides exist for some areas, but not others, and keys for identification can be hard to find. However, societies exist to provide help and support and you will certainly be able to make new discoveries and make a valuable contribution to local and national knowledge.

Flowers

Studying wild flowers is very rewarding as there are many different flowers to learn and you will always see a many of them on a walk in the countryside. Also, their bright colours and delicate beauty make them aesthetically pleasing and great subjects for photography. Learning identification is a bit daunting as there are 10 times as many plants to learn as birds. Also, some features are a lot more subtle and difficult to see than for birds or mammals, so it can take a long time to become proficient. However, being stationary, you can always go back to a plant you have seen and check it out later! There are enough botanists to cover the country, but more are always welcome and there are enough specialists and local societies to help you, though there is a bias in popularity towards south-east England.

Mosses and liverworts

Mosses are slightly more difficult to identify than flowers and aren't as obviously attractive, but have a certain charm of their own. There are enough bryologists around the country to provide field trips and give you support. A new field guide has also been produced which makes identification, and keeping up with current areas much easier than it used to be. You still need to collect samples, though and some microscope skills are required. One advantage of studying mosses and liverworts is that it can be done from late autumn to early spring, when there are few birds or flowers around, so it keeps you interested at a quiet time of the year.

Fungi

Fungi are absolutely fascinating and, like birds, you are never quite sure of what you will find on a field trip. You can also study them at a time of year (Autumn/early winter) when other wildlife isn't so abundant. There are thousands to learn, however, and identification is tricky. The lack of a good field guide for the UK is a definite downer. A key feature of studying fungi, mycology, is that the season is fairly short and you can get out of practice in the spring and summer months. Like studying insects, you go on a field trip to collect samples and although some can be identified in the field, a lot of work is one back at home. You definitely need good microscope skills as well as some preparation skills as well. There is something of a shortage of mycologists in the country and more are welcome. Any work you do will definitely make a contribution to local and national knowledge.

Lichens

There is a serious shortage of lichenologists in the UK at the moment. Again, it is the type of study where you collect samples in the field and take them home for further study. Some specialist skills are required for identification, but it learning about these organisms and their interesting lifestyles is fascinating. The Lichen society is the national organisation that will provide you with help and support.

At the Seaside

Many people go on a trip to the seaside when they are at school and you learn about the fascinating organisms that live there, such as sea anemones, crabs, sea shells and seaweed. Studying sea-life is fascinating and gives you the opportunity of studying organisms in very unusual and interesting orders, which have unusual lifestyles. There is no obvious national society for studying wildlife at the seaside and there is no definitive, in-depth, field guide available. However, joining a local wildlife trust will help you to learn where the best sites are and introduce you to local experts. Alternatively, you can go on a course run by the Field Studies Council and they will teach you some identification skills. Overall, though, this is an area that you learn in the field, from another person, rather than by reading books.

Summary

· Do you like to identify what you have seen straight away? Birds, butterflies, flowers and seaside animals are the best areas for this.

· Do you like to sit still and observe habits, characters and life-styles? Mammals and birds are good areas good for you.

· Do you like to learn about tracking and hunting? Again, mammals and birds are the best for this.

· Do you like to go on walks and record the wildlife that you see? Birds, flowers and butterflies are the best to study this way.

· Do you want to study an area where there are only a few organisms to learn? Mammals, butterflies, ferns, grasshoppers, bumble bees and seaweeds are some areas you could consider.

· Do you want to get involved in an area with thousands of organisms and new ones being discovered all the time? Fungi and many of the insect orders such as bees, flies, bugs and moths are recommended. For the ultimate challenge, you might want to consider parasitic wasps!

· Do you like to produce lists of all that you have seen and do survey work? Then flowers, insects and fungi fit in well with this practice.

· Do you like to collect samples and examine them at your leisure back at home, usually with a microscope? Then insects, mosses, fungi and lichens are studied this way.

I have given a brief overview of the different areas of wildlife, so I hope it has given you some ideas and pointed you in the right direction.

Michael Knaggs is a keen and enthusiastic naturalist from Yorkshire, England. He has been observing birds, butterflies and wild flowers since he was 12 years old. He is currently a member of the Wild Flower Society and the Bradford Botany Group.

State of the Nation - A Different View!

MY STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS!

At this point in the evolution of our society, we find ourselves in a very disturbing position. In fact, it is the opinion of many who are much more versed in the progression of nations than I that if we don't arise out of the rubble of "dumbdownism," we will not survive as a nation.

Following is an excerpt from a book I wrote some 20 years ago. The information has been adjusted to fit even more with our present condition, but the facts are basically the same. I cannot take credit for the entire writing. I have modified it to suit our present situation.

You May Find Yourself Being Terrifyingly Familiar With Mr. And Mrs. Dumbdown!

Both Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown must work because the socialist (almost bankrupt) economy doesn't allow for Mr. Dumbdown to support his family in a way acceptable to the social norms of today, thorough the work of his own hands. Some years ago, the media engineers of the new paradigm successfully convinced Mrs. Dumbdown and the majority of the female population that, as women, they should fight for the right to work. They didn't seem to realize that the agenda of the socialist engineers demanded productivity from every single individual in the worker class (including wives and mothers), and that the need to fight for such rights was only an illusion painted for their benefit. They didn't realize that under the Constitution women have always had the right to work. Their need to work is being disguised as a want to work, by those who are bringing about the illusion of this need.

Now that the nations of the world have succumbed to international monetary policy (and control) dictated by these same social engineers, Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown have no model of a real free-enterprise economy with which to relate. And, because they have no standard by which to compare their present economy, they don't understand, and cannot conceive, that when the United States was really an economically free country, its citizens were essentially wealthy by today's standards.

Up until the turn of the (20th) century, the United States of America was a good example of just such an economy. One has only to drive through many small towns and examine the average home of that era to see that it was a veritable mansion by comparison to today's equivalent. Were such homes to be built today (with the inherent built-in quality common then), the average person simply couldn't afford them. Oh, you'll see a large number of homes that, to the casual observer seem to be mansions, with their vaulted roofs, multiple rooms and garages. But what about the quality of these homes? Most of what you see is veneer! Moreover, the families living there will never, in even a long lifetime, actually own their home. Compared to the quality of the homes we are referring to here, most of these homes are little more than fluff! But, Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown, in many cases, don't have the educational background to equate the existence of such architectural wonders into the framework associated with a time that they have always been led to believe was devoid of real prosperity. This is because they believe that prosperity is a function of technology, and apply the false logic that their standard of living is related to whatever technology government can afford to sponsor. This distorted mind-set evolves into the errant belief that taxes determine the degree to which government can sponsor shifts in technology and thus produce an increased quality of life. Although nothing could be further from the truth, they believe that increasing amounts of government power and a socialist agenda whereby the government can control every aspect of life can only support their standard of living. (In light of this, consider where the present "President" and his cronies seem to be taking us).

Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown's government sponsored educational background doesn't allow them to factor private sector technology into the equation, and they fail to realize that the non-public sector is always more efficient. In fact, up until the early 1900's, it was free enterprise and individual incentive, absent corporate and personal income taxation, which rapidly propelled this nation forward to become the most powerful nation on the face of the earth, with a personal standard of living second to none. Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown don't realize that any analysis of the standard of living must include an adjustment for the natural evolution in technology. If they did, they would realize that their own standard of living and comparative wealth has fallen. They don't understand that real wealth is measured by and dependent upon economic solvency produced by a government properly limited in its fiscal conduct, not by spendthrift bureaucrats who are increasing debt to fatten the pockets of those who control the money supply, not to mention the blatant attempt to support the world and buy loyalty from nations who hate us and are ready to attack us at any opportunity.

Were Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown aware of the pertinent historical statistics, they'd see significance in the fact that the average working man of today spends up to (at least) 60% of his disposable income to support the debt structure associated with owning property (the roof over his head). If that man is married and his wife works and earns roughly the same income, then together they spend about 35%, or one-third of their disposable income on housing. A study in the comparative wealth over the last 60 years shows that the average American in the 1940's spent only 10% of his disposable income to put a roof over his head. Few wives had to work in the 1940's, but had they earned an income equal to their husbands, then the amount would drop to 5%. One can easily see that our once wealthy nation became virtually impoverished over the course of the last half of the 20th century (and we will all agree that, in the nine plus years of this century, things have only gotten worse). These relationships graphically demonstrate the effects of a debauched currency and the effects that a socialist utopia has had on our real wealth.

Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown are too young to remember, and don't realize that at the turn of the century the country was not yet strangled by the monetary grip of the Federal Reserve System (a privately owned corporation). Nevertheless, Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown have swallowed the illusion, and somehow they think they have a higher standard of living. They've grown accustomed to their financial problems and the cause of the stress in their relationship seems to elude them. They can't quite put their finger on why they've been having marital problems, but that doesn't matter because Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown subconsciously believe that their government will eventually solve all social problems (including theirs). Mr. Dumbdown has been watching Star Trek (the Next Generation) and believes that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. He's forgotten the most basic elements of the Constitution that he learned in school some 15 years earlier, and won't face the fact that when the needs of the many outweigh the Constitutionally secured rights of the few, that tyranny has arrived. He waves the flag vigorously whenever America wants to fight in some third world country, and attends many football games where he does the same. Still, Mr. Dumbdown gets mad at the government because he cannot understand why the economy is faltering and why his marriage is a futile exercise in diplomacy sinking in a sea of mutual dissatisfaction. His view of reality has been molded by an electronic device known as a television and he voluntarily steps into its frequency modulated, light emitted beam for an evening of relaxation to forget himself in a world of make-believe, never knowing that the time spent bathed in the crap spewing from the screen has turned his brain to mush!!

From the information sent to his soul and spirit via this "electronic beam" he becomes disturbed at the increase in crime, and personal assaults on individuals and families. But he has come to believe that it is the job of the over-worked, under-paid policemen to provide protection for him and his family. Because of that assurance, he believes that when such groups as "Handgun Inc.," tells the American public that the only way to real safety is to get rid of all handguns, so-called assault weapons, and other tools designed to allow the individual to protect himself, they're speaking with his best interest in mind. Because of his lack of understanding of such complex issues as the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, he doesn't realize that the real agenda of such groups is to disarm the law-abiding public, while affecting the criminal element not in the least. He can't conceive of the possibility that this movement, at its most basic agenda, might be to remove the possibility of any effective resistance to an out-of-control government which might someday attempt to place the general population under total social, spiritual, and financial control.

The Dumbdowns come home from work tired and aggravated. Not only must they contend with stress in the work environment, but when they get home, they must deal with their own financial worries. Increasing friction in interpersonal relationships is all too often a function of decreasing financial strength and increasing fiscal instability, but Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown have become so accustomed to their emotional frustration that they're not even aware of the real source of these problems. The four or five hours of television programming have an hypnotic effect on the Dumbdown's, and the liberal main stream news jabber-boxes have become their magic source of all true information. They know that if something were really wrong, these guardians of the public trust would say so. Since they haven't mentioned a word, the nation must be safe, and everything is O.K. Even in this time of emergency, these talking heads spend more time giving their two cents worth of opinion (generally based on a totally liberal bias), and praising the un-American acts of a president who seems more intent on apologizing to our enemies for our freedom, rather than reporting the news from a neutral posture. When a conservative friend suggests he watch such programs as The Factor with Bill O'Rilly, he comments that he has heard somewhere that Fox News is really only entertainment, now real news. So, he just continues with life as normal, being directed in his opinions by liberal thinkers, and becoming more and more brain dead as a result.

Occasionally they recite the pledge to the flag, and pledge allegiance to the Republic for Which It Stands, but they can't remember what the difference is between a (Constitutional) Republic and a Democracy. The Constitution, they believe, is just a document that the founders used to give citizens of this country their rights. They've forgotten that their rights are the unalienable gifts of God, which the government can neither give, nor take away (at least that is what the founding fathers intended). They don't realize that what government gives, government can take back at the whelm of the particular political mindset in power at the time. They don't understand that a government granted privilege is only as secure as the political wind which blows it - to and fro. Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown remember the phrase explaining that their rights are endowed by their creator, but can't remember what document enumerates this truth, and for some reason they find no conflict between their belief that government gives them their rights, and the fact that rights are God given. Naturally, they're unfamiliar with the prohibitions that the Constitution places on their government to enact laws that would take away those God given rights.

Since they lack a basic foundation by which to overcome their economic illiteracy, they can't understand why the Constitution would limit the power of government, for one of many reasons, to prevent the printing of paper money, and that such prohibition was made by the founders to prevent unscrupulous individuals from debauching it. They're not worried though, because they don't even realize that their currency has been debauched. To the Dumbdowns, inflation is caused by people spending too much money, rather than by excessive government printing of worthless paper. Mrs. Dumbdown doesn't even know what the word "debauched" means, and Mr. Dumbdown pretends that he does, but won't look it up in the dictionary to explain it to her. Neither has a background in political science (except what they learned in government schools) and therefore the dynamics of political power are also unfamiliar to them.

Such power revolves around control of the money supply and Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown don't realize that the money supply is controlled by an axis of wealthy families. It was to such people that Lord Acton referred when he said, Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Baron Rothschild said Give me control of a nation's money supply and I care not who writes its laws, but Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown have never heard, and most likely could not understand these quotes because the socialist public school system that educated them are themselves part of an agenda that was engineered, orchestrated, funded, and espoused by these elite families. Teaching the principles of freedom would only confound their dreams of a socialist utopia, and delay their bid for control over the international economy and formation of a one-world government. If they were to teach the principles upon which early America was founded, then the common people would wake up and challenge government usurpation of power. No matter...since Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown don't even understand our form of government, they mindlessly believe that elected representatives will preserve our rights.

Let's face it...the Dumbdown's are all too average in the present American society! They're ignorant of the law and someone needs to get their attention. While the truth may be a rude awakening, it is time for the sleepers to awake. The PROBLEM is that people like the Dumbdowns are so deeply asleep, that they'll never take the first step to begin their own education. Someone needs to grab their attention with something that is dramatic, something that has immediate impact on their lives, something that will graphically demonstrate that all is not right in the kingdom, and that their future, and the future of their children and grandchildren depends on them.

Such things as an in-depth investigation into the hidden reasons for the attempts to take away the private citizens right to self-protection through pointless gun control would be too great a task. In every proposed additional legislation concerning the control of firearms, the attempts to take arms out of the hands of citizens doesn't in any way address the possession and use of weapons by criminals. Laws that would accomplish this are already on the books. Were they to be enforced by the judicial system, much of that problem would go away. However, when one takes a serious look at the language used in these attempts at new gun legislation, it must become obvious to the observer that there's a deeper agenda involved. Consider the case of a young girl who used an available handgun to commit suicide. She'd been taking drugs, and drinking alcohol. However, did those attempting to analyze the reason for this unfortunate event make any statement about the evils of drugs or easy access by teens to alcohol? No! All addressed was the evil of a handgun being available. Is it within the realm of possibility that the girl could have used a knife, or a razor blade to take her life if the handgun had not been available? No mention of that possibility! Why? Because there is a deeper agenda involved in the antigun rhetoric being espoused. As has already been stated, all these proposed new laws have little to do with control of crime.

Out of this falling away from the original concepts of our founders have arisen a number of social beliefs that are serving to destroy our culture, and subsequently, our society. Such things as moral relativism, multiculturalism, tolerance, and the bastard offspring of these ideologies, political correctness, are rapidly taking our free lifestyle the way of the dodo bird. And all these world-views are wrapped up on one fundamental view espoused by many political leaders and thinkers, Postmodernism.

It is out of these beliefs that strong resistance and condemnation has arisen toward something called profiling. The spin-merchants choose to call it racial-profiling, which, when used as the total reason for judging a person, is certainly not acceptable. However, the present description of profiling, if strictly practiced by peace officers, would render law enforcement impotent. Adherence to this concept of profiling is presently making airport security somewhat of a joke. It wasn't Donald Duck and his followers, nor some 75 year-old grandmother (the type often searched by airport security) who hijacked four airliners and launched an attack on America. It was men of Middle-Eastern descent, fitting into a certain age profile that committed this act of terrorism. Therefore, individuals who fit this profile must, in all cases, be initially suspect. Those not guilty of planned wrongdoing, or who have no past that can tie them to suspect groups, should be glad that the forces in the United States are doing everything possible to guard against any repeat events. Those who have questionable activities connected to them should be terrified.

Please don't take the statements made in this brief beginning to mean that ALL is bad in our nation. It is still by far the best place to live on the face of this planet. At least to some extent, our government (at least a few of its members) seems to have as their primary agenda, the welfare of the nation. However, most of us agree that the future does not seem to look too good if the present course continues. However, behind the scenes are the same international financiers who have been guiding the direction of nations for decades. One must wonder just how much "cooperation" might exist (at deep levels) between those who are funding our war against terrorism, and at the same time, providing aid to those same terrorists. Such has been the case during every war ever fought by the United States, and nothing has happened to change that?

The point to be made here is that the concept"presented above was true 30 years ago...and with certain modifications, is even more drastically true today.

Wolfhunter

In 1972 I wrote a book called The Abuse Of We The People. It told the story of how the Federal Reserve, IRS, and other phony agencies were created. Much of the information above was in that book. Things were bad then...they are much worse now.

Over the past 45 years I have watched as the situation continued to erode. Now...look where we are? We have a government that seems to be guiding us toward some form of socialism. Our free market system could be taken over by an out of control government. We have a president who apoligizes to governments who have proven to not be our friends. In the face of all the historical evidence, he states that our country is really not a Christian nation. That makes me wonder where he studied American History, or if he ever did. Be that as it may, we are in a lot of trouble, and things threaten to get worse. It is up to us, folks. The "thinking American" will bring change, if change ever comes. As you read this little treatsie, see how close you may fit into the profile of Mr. and Mrs. Dumbdown.

Wolfhunter