Everywhere I turn nowdays I hear or read about the erosion of America's freedoms. According to the far left the Bush administration is trying to take away our freedom of speech by trying to pass a law banning flag burning, they are trying to stop newspapers from publishing state secrets, they are fining telivision and radio shows for using too much or too many obscenities, they are harassing that poor Colorado University professor for calling the 9/11 victims little Eichmanns, they are trying to regulate the porn industry, they are trying to take kiddie porn off the internet, etc., etc..

The far left says that the Bush administration is trying to take away their privacy rights by trying to intercept telephone calls and e:mails sent from known terrorist groups to people in this country, by investigating bank accounts of suspected terrorist groups, by infiltrating suspected terrorist groups, etc., etc..

The far left says that the Bush administration is trying to tale away freedom of religion by advocating school prayer, support of faith based education, saying 'under god' in the pledge of allegiance, etc., etc..

In other words by trying to protect our country, our kids and our god, the President has incurred the wrath of the far left. They are so angry at him that when they talk about him they call him names, cuss him out and wish him dead. How dare he try to take away their rights to burn the flag, assist our enemies, expose our children to pornography, be obsceen on radio and television and to take god away from those that believe.

The 'Hollywood Elite' especially hate the President. How dare he remind Americans about morals, values and principles? How dare he tell Americans that some of the things that many of the 'Hollywood Elite' believe in, like drug use, adultery, divorce, obscenity, pornography, atheism, etc. may not be right and proper? How dare he be happily married, how dare he believe in god, how dare he be against recreational drug use, how dare he believe in the security of this nation and how dare he not kowtow to them and do what they want instead of what the people who elected him want? Doesn't he know that they are supposed to run the country, not him? Doesn't he know that they are all powerful and that the average citizen is only good for buying movie tickets, concert tickets, CDs, DVDs and what ever else it takes to support the 'Elites' lavish lifestyle? Doesn't he know that you are supposed to do what's fun and easy and not what is right? Doesn't he know that freedom and liberty are for them and not for the average citizen? How dare he rock the boat? How dare he threaten their lifestyle?

I'll tell you how he dares to do those things. He dares because he does have morals, principles and values. He dares because he cares about America and it's people more than he cares about himself.

I'm not saying that everything he does is right. In fact, there are many things that he does or advocates that I disagree with. He makes mistakes, however, I see him trying his best to create, help and protect, while all I see the far left and the 'Hollywood Elite' do is try to destroy, hinder and harm while they make money and enjoy their freedom to do as they wish without regard for the rest of us.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
USA City Directories

That's right I said blow the North Korean Taepodong 2 missile off it'a launch pad. Everyone keeps telling me that the can't take preemptive action against North Korea because it would destroy our diplomatic credibility and it would anger China, Russia and much of the rest of the world, thereby destroying diplomatic relations with our 'allies' China and Russia.

Bloomberg.com reported today "China's Premier Wen Jiabao called for the resumption of six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program "as soon as possible," amid concern the communist country is preparing to test-fire a long-range missile. They quoted the Wen stated "We still believe the six-party talks are the only way to a peaceful settlement to the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula." and China will work actively with the various parties concerned in the matter so that we can resume the negotiations as soon as possible.".

James Na, a guest columnist for the Seattle Times wrote "What is vital, however, is that should North Korea launch the missile, the U.S. must not overplay the advantages thusly derived from the situation. The recommendations to launch a preemptive strike against North Korea or destroy the missile on the ground in North Korean territory would be psychologically gratifying, no doubt, but is not advisable. Such a move would forfeit all the diplomatic leverages; the U.S., not North Korea, would now be seen as overreacting and being belligerent, while North Korea would play the victim card of having been attacked by the U.S.".

In my opinion the U.S. does not have any 'diplomatic leverage'. We have been trying to use diplomacy ever since the 'Korean Conflict' began and it has gotten us nowhere. Our so called 'allies' China and Russia have been blocking our efforts for decades.

As for angering China and Russia, so what. They already hate us, they are our enemies, not our friends. If either of those countries thought they could conquer us now they would attempt to do so. As far as China goes, they are at war with us right now. They are trying to defeat us economically and they are doing a good job of it.

China doesn't want to end the dispute with North Korea, they just want to delay and extend it. The more problems they can cause us the better. Does anyone really think that China could not stop North Korean in it's tracks if it wanted to. China is not worried about North Korea's nuclear capabilities. Their leaders know that they can crush North Korea anytime they want and they don't have to worry about a democratic citizenry voting them out of office. Nor do they care if they lose a few million Chinese citizens, if North Korea were stupid enough to strike first.

The people of America have become too worried about what other people think of us and not worried enough about our own survival. The world knows this and therefore, takes advantage. What good is being the so called most powerful nation in the world if we are afraid to use that power. We have to learn to stop putting out fires and to start preventing fires. We have to learn to stop listening to people like Howard Dean, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Alec Baldwin, Susan Sarandon, etc.. We have to stop wanting everyone to love us and start making everyone fear us.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
Resources For Attorneys

In his address to US Congress, George W. Bush ordered to freeze the accounts of Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenka, KGB chairman Stepan Sukhorenko, Security Council Secretary Viktor Sheiman, Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Naumov, Minister of Justice Viktor Golovanov, Prosecutor General Petr Miklashevich, Central Electoral Commission Head Lidia Ermoshina, President’s Administration Head Gennady Nevyglas, Speaker of Lower House of Parliament Vladimir Konoplev, Head of state-owned TV and radio company Aleksandr Zimovsky, and Deputy Head of President’s Administration Natalya Petkevich.

Nominal black list of top Belarus officials was accompanied by George Bush’s caption: “There is no place in a Europe whole and free for a regime of this kind.” However, the list is not complete yet. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is charged with enlarging the list.

The White House named the vote fraud during the last presidential election in Belarus in March 2006 as the main reason for the sanctions. Aleksandr Lukashenka won presidency for the third time running with as much as 83 percent of votes. The U.S. also dislikes Lukashenka’s regime for repressing the protesters after the election results were announced, amd the on-going persecution of opposition members in Belarus.

So, the U.S. set a course for the gradual stiffening of sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime. The possibility of such measures became known long before Belarus presidential election in March. Shortly before the election, Bush informed the Congress on personal incomes of Lukashenka and other Belarus leaders. Belarussian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called this information “black PR on the eve of election.”

George Bush signed a decree on May 12, which is the first punitive measure imposed by Washington. The decree bans top Belarus officials from entry to the U.S., as a punishment for electoral fraud, breach of human rights, and corruption. The sanctions concerned even the officials’ family members and businessmen “who have business relations with Belarus government.”

The U.S. adopts practically similar measures against Lukashenka to those of the EU. In early April 2006, Brussels declared Lukashenka and 30 top officials of Belarus personae non grata in EU countries. On May 18, the EU ordered to freeze their accounts in European banks. According to this order, accounts of Lukashenka, heads of Internal Affairs Ministry and KGB, Prosecutor General, Speaker of Lower House of Parliament, and Presidential Administration officials—of over 30 people—will be frozen.

Thus, Belarus is now under the double blow from the West—the U.S. and the EU. This only strengthens the effect of the pressure on Lukashenka’s regime.

“Take it all”

US Ambassador to Belarus George Krol has recently promised that “if the decision to freeze Belarus officials’ accounts is adopted, then active search for these accounts will begin.” So, “Lukashenka’s money” in the U.S. is being looked for since yesterday.

However, Minsk does not worry, or, at any rate, does not show it. Head of Legislation and Legal Issues Committee of the Lower House of Parliament Aleksandr Arkhipov yesterday assured that US president’s order to freeze the accounts of Belarus top officials will have no consequences. He said that according to the law on state service, Belarus officials are not allowed to have accounts in foreign banks. “So,” summed up Arkhipov, “all these statements are unfounded, and demonstrate the position only of some politicians, and nothing more.”

Lukashenka himself responded to the West’s accusations of him even earlier. “There can be no secrets in our world. Especially, those that are ascribed to me, that I have allegedly stolen billions of dollars. These are lies and fibs. I’m telling my minister: ‘Urgently prepare the report on my income, on my behalf, and write a postscript “take all my money that are in Switzerland or elsewhere.” Because it is all under the CIA’s control, they know everything. So let them take it all.”

Lukashenka probably has reasons to stay calm. Yet, these reasons do not include his confidence that Americans or Europeans will not find his accounts. Apparently, the American blow against Lukashenka’s regime is aimed not only at Belarus.

Probing warm-up

Bush’s order to stiffen sanctions against Belarus was announced three days before the Collective Security Treaty Organization summit in Minsk. The summit will discuss issues of coordinating the CSTO’s external policy. It is expected that the CSTO will be transformed into an international multi-functional universal structure, and collective forces for emergency response will be created.

The summit’s intense agenda means that Moscow is trying to enhance the role and significance of the CSTO, and in a very specific direction. CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha yesterday said that “CSTO officials are concerned about the creation of NATO military infrastructure around Russia and Belarus.”

Moscow, apparently, regards the CSTO summit as an important step in the preparation for the G8 summit in St. Petersburg in July, to which it attaches great importance. The success of the CSTO summit in Minsk would allow Russia to speak not only for itself, but also on the behalf of a “serious regional structure.”

US decision on sanctions against Belarus seriously undermines the image of that very structure, making at least one of its members look like a rogue state and a choker of democracy.

On the eve of the G8, Russia and the U.S. exchanged lunges on Georgian direction as well. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. Although the meeting did not solve any of acute problems in Russia-Georgia relations, it allowed Moscow to announce that it does everything to settle differences with Georgia and does not need mediators.

Yet, immediately after that, Bush notably made an appointment with Mikhail Saakashvili for July 5 in Washington. Speaker of Georgian Parliament Nino Burdjanadze was straightforward yesterday: “Georgian president will use his meeting with George Bush to set before him the real picture of Russia-Georgia relations and arrangement of conflicts. This meeting is also important due to passing before the G8 summit, where situation in Georgia may be discussed.”

Finally, there is another curious coincidence. Bush announced anti-Belarus sanctions en route to Vienna which hosts US-EU summit this week. The summit will primarily discuss Iran nuclear crisis and situation in Belarus.

Thus, the upcoming summit in Vienna may become Washington’s response to the recent SCO summit in Shanghai, on the eve of the G8 summit in St. Petersburg.

By: Viktor Kuzin

Featured by Resources For Attorneys

Yesterday, while reading letters to the editor in one of our local papers I read a letter from a David Schaberg that said in part that "American power was built on the trust and respect we once enjoyed in the world". Mr. Schaberg was, of course, complaining about the Bush Administration.

Well, I have news for that gentleman. No country's power was ever built on trust. A country's power is built on military or economic might and the fear that arises from that might. Fear generates respect.

The United States is not a permanent member of the United Nation's Security Council because the world trusts us. If that were the case Russia and China would not be permanent members as no one trusts them but almost everyone is afraid of them.

When Ronald Reagan was President the world feared us and therefore they followed our lead and pretended to like us. After President Clinton took office the world decided that there was no longer anything to fear and we became a paper tiger. World leaders loved President Clinton because they knew that they could control him. There was nothing to fear from our might because President Clinton was not about to use it, unless it was going to be used to please those leaders. Once President Bush took office the world saw that he might be willing to use our might. After 9/11 they cooperated with us in Afghanistan and many of them worked with us in Iraq.

Then, France worked against us and continued to deal with Hussein right up untill we invaded Iraq and we did nothing. Canada, Germany, Mexico and many other countries told us to go jump in a lake and we did nothing. Russia and China worked against us and we did nothing. Arab countries like Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia and others aided terrorists and we did nothing. Terrorists attacked Spain and the people of Spain decided that they were more afraid of the terrorists than they were of us so they elected a new government that promptly withdrew it's forces from Iraq and we did nothing. Then other countries started to withdraw their forces and we did nothing. The President of Venezuela called for the assassination of our President and we still buy their oil. Then far left Democrats and the 'Hollywood Elite' started talking about running from the war in Iraq while they and many other Americans screamed that we were to harsh on our enemies and many Americans listened to them. Charlie Sheen says that he thinks our own government might have been part of a conspiracy to blow up the world trade center and people still watch his television program.

The world has learned that even though we have money and might we do not have the will to follow through on our principles and actions. They can ignore or even work against us and we will still treat them as friends. They can threaten us and although we may threaten back we will do nothing unless the rest of the world approves of our actions. We don't do anything about North Korea because China, Russia and South Korea may be angered by our actions. We do nothing but talk about Iran because other Arab countries may get angry and cut off our oil. Syria allows terrorists to cross their border into Iraq and even though those terrorists kill American soldiers we do nothing to Syria because it may upset others in the world community.

The world doesn't like or trust Russia and China but they do fear and respect them. America is the most powerful country in the world but the world no longer fears us because they have come to realize that too many Americans value comfort over principles. They realize that when a strong and principled leader like President Bush comes along we will eventually get rid of him and his followers rather than make the sacrifices needed to follow through on what we start. They also realize that we have short memories and will treat our enemies of today as friends tomorrow. All our enemies have to do is wait us out.

Americans need to be less worried about being trusted, about being liked and about comfort and quick results. We need to be more worried about being feared and about staying the course no matter what and how long it takes.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
Resources For Attorneys

Reading the newspapers and listening to the news, I hear things like U.S. pressures North Korea, South Korea issues a stern warning, Japan issues a pointed warning, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says "we are all worried", the French call for a halt to test preparations and that any North Korean missile test must draw a "firm and just" international response, China says "We hope that under the current circumstances, relevant parties can do more in the interest of regional stability and peace", the Australian foreign minister says "North Korea would be gravely mistaken if it thinks that a missile test would improve its bargaining position in the six-party talks", Blah, blah, blah.

What does all of this mean? As far as I can determin, it all means nothing. It seems that no one is actually willing do do anything about North Korea.

China, France and Russia are too busy selling technology and materials to North Korea. China and Russia are too busy attempting to maintain influence with North Korea and are too busy trying to cause problems for the United States to put a stop to North Korea's shenanigans, which, by the way, actually assist China and Russia in their undeclared war against us. South Korea is not going to do anything, after all we have always done everything for them. Why should they risk harming their economy or put their soldiers in harm's way. Japan is too weak to do much of anything militarily. Austrailia, although an ally of ours, does not have the power to do anything. As for the United States, we are so busy worrying about world opinion that all we can do is talk.

Meanwhile, North Korea is being run by a phychotic, petty dictator who wants nothing more than to destroy the evil United States and any other country that stands in it's way. The ruler of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, doesn't care about how many people he kills. He doesn't even care about how many North Koreans die. He only cares about maintaining his power over his small domain. Right now he is trying to blackmail us into giving him what he wants and if that doesn't work he will do his best to destroy us.

The fact that we could blow him off the map doesn't enter into his considerations. He's crazy and he probably truly believes that he can defeat us. He has probably, through back channels, also been led to believe that China and Russia will support him in a war against us. After all, are not they currently helping him keep his nuclear program going. And, finally, if he has been listening to America's far left, he probably believes that Americans do not have the will to actually take him on.

Talking will not get us anywhere with North Korea. There are really only two ways to deal with North Korea. Either destroy it militarily or surrender and give them everything they want including but not limited to, billions of dollars in economic aid, billions of more dollars in military aid, controll of South Korea, a permenant seat on the U.N. Security Council and eventually we will have to kneel down before Kim Jong Il and kiss his feet.

My question to my fellow Americans is, do we go to war or do we kiss Kim Jong Il's feet.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
Resources For Attorneys, a legal and lifestyle directory.