Can America Survive the Biden Administration?

            The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns the truism of “peace through strength.” According to Wikipedia, the concept of peace through strength “is quite old and has famously been used by many leaders from Roman Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD to former US President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.” However, critics maintain that “peace through strength” can easily become “peace through war.” 

            I am aware of three United States Presidents who operated with the concept of peace through strength. In his 1793 State of the Union message to Congress, President George Washington enunciated his policy of peace through strength: 

There is a rank due to the United States among nations which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness. If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war.

            Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan used the concept of peace through strength in the 1980 campaign against Jimmy Carter. Carter was the weak and vacillating incumbent president, and his weakness invited enemies to attack both the United States and its allies – much like Joe Biden’s weakness invites attacks by our enemies today. Reagan kept the idea of peace through strength as one of his main policies when he became president. 

We know that peace is the condition under which mankind was meant to flourish. Yet peace does not exist of its own will. It depends on us, on our courage to build it and guard it and pass it on to future generations. George Washington’s words may seem hard and cold today, but history has proven him right again and again. “To be prepared for war,” he said, “is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” Well, to those who think strength provokes conflict, Will Rogers had his own answer. He said of the world heavyweight champion of his day: “I’ve never seen anyone insult Jack Dempsey.”

            President Donald Trump operated with the policy of peace through economic and military strength. Peter Navarro explained Trump's policy this way: 

Trump knows the key to keeping America safe in an increasingly dangerous world is to “make America great again” through economic renewal. America must have the fiscal firepower to end Pentagon’s budget sequestration in order to fund the military the U.S. needs for adequate defense. Cutting the corporate tax rate and cracking down on unfair trade practices to increase America’s GDP growth rate are just as demonstrative of national might as the F-35….

            The enemies of the United States did not attack while Donald Trump was in the White House because they understood that he would protect America and Americans. Trump did not want war, and he sought to bring the military men and women home. However, he always acted within his policy of peace through strength. His policy was that every nation should pay its own way before expecting money from the United States. Allies and enemies alike knew that Trump would make them pay if they chose to go against him.

            The idea of peace through strength is defined by one word – deterrence – according to Victor DavisHanson. He described deterrence as “the ancient ability to scare somebody off from hurting you, your friends, or your interests – without a major war.” In other words, if we want peace, we must be prepared to wage war. Hanson continued:  

Deterrence is omnipresent, and also applies well beyond matters of war and peace. The current crime wave of murder and violent assault in our major cities is the wage of loud efforts to defund the police and contextualize crimes as somehow society’s – rather than the criminal’s – fault.

As a result, lawbreakers now think there is a good chance that robbing people or hurting or killing them might result in monetary gain or at least bloody satisfaction. They no longer fear a likely sentence of 30 years in prison. So, they see little risk in hurting people. And innocents suffer.

With a border wall, an end to catch and release, and tough jawboning of the Mexican and Central American governments, a new American deterrent stance in 2019-20 discouraged once unstoppable waves of migrants.

Northern-bound migrants knew that even if they reached and crossed the border, there was a good chance all such effort would be for naught, given quick apprehension and deportation.

So, in their rational calculations, migrants waited at home for less deterrent times. And they found them when President Joe Biden stopped construction on the wall, renewed catch and release, and eased pressures on Mexico to interrupt caravans headed northward.

Hanson explained that “Trump restored the strategic deterrence lost by his predecessor.” Barack Obama drew his red lines in the sands of Syria without any intent of enforcing them, and ISIS knew it. China suspected that Obama would not do anything when they built military bases in the South China Sea. Obama was just as weak against Russia when Putin threatened Ukraine. “Aggression followed as U.S. deterrence eroded.” Obama did nothing to stop the threats of missile attacks coming out of North Korea.

Then Trump entered the White House. He “destroyed the ISIS ‘caliphate,” “obliterated an attack of Russian mercenaries in Syria,” “took out terrorist masterminds like Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani and the ISIA cutthroat Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.” He traveled to North Korea and calmed those troubled waters. Hanson continued:

To dangerous actors, an unpredictable Trump appeared likely to strike back if provoked. As a result, America’s enemies became fearful of challenging the United States. And its friends and neutrals were more ready to join a power again deemed not just reliable, but willing to take reasonable risks to assist in their safety.

Key to deterrence is for all parties to know beforehand the relative power of each and the likelihood that it may be used. When strong powers unfortunately transmit signals of weakness, whether deliberately or inadvertently, then weak powers are confused and come to believe their rivals may not be so strong as their armed forces appear. Often, unnecessary wars are the unfortunate result.

            Anyone with eyes to see, ears to hear, and brains to think should know that the deterrence that the United States enjoyed under Donald Trump has evaporated under the weakness of Joe Biden. America’s allies do not trust her leaders, and her enemies are no longer afraid. Will Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea take advantage of the apparent weakness in Biden? They know that the U.S. military has the power to stop them. Their only question may be: does Biden have the backbone to use the military to stop them?

            America is in a dangerous situation because she has lost the deterrence factor gained during the Trump administration. After watching the national destruction of the past nine months, I question if it is possible for America to ever regain the deterrence that Biden “so rashly and foolishly” threw away. May God bless and protect America until patriots gain control of the U.S. government!

Peace through Strength

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple principle that America enjoys more peace when we are prepared for war. More than 200 years of history – from George Washington to George W. Bush – shows this to be a true principle.

                In his first message to the nation in 1790, George Washington stated: “To be prepared for war, is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” He believe this principle, and he practiced it.

                Mark Alexander at The Patriot Post discusses how this principle runs in cycles throughout the years between George Washington and Ronald Reagan. His article is extremely interesting and gives numerous quotes from various Presidents. It also names recent Presidents who did not adhere to this principle and how the peace of Americans was affected.

                Alexander quotes President Reagan as saying, “Deterrence means simply this: making sure any adversary who thinks about attacking the United States, or our allies, or our vital interests, concludes that the risks to him outweigh any potential gains. Once he understands that, he won’t attack. We maintain the peace through our strength; weakness only invites aggression.”

                President Reagan followed the administration of President Jimmy Carter. Carter did not adhere to the “peace through strength” principle, and Iran held 52 Americans as prisoners for  444 days. The prisoners were released at approximately the same time as Ronald Reagan was sworn in as POTUS. Could Iran have been afraid of what President Reagan would do?  

                President George W. Bush was another leader who adhered to the “peace through strength” principle. After terrorists attacked our nation on September 11, 2011, President Bush took immediate action to destroy al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Recently we learned that his actions prevented the terrorist organization from launching another wave of attacks on America. 

                Barack Obama, like Bill Clinton before him, squandered the gains made by the previous administration. We are now weeks away from the inauguration of another President, even Donald Trump. It seems that he too believes the principle “peace through strength” because he has chosen General James “Mad Dog” Mattis to be his Secretary of Defense.

                Alexander states in his article that “Putting the Pentagon under the charge of a man nicknamed `Mad Dog’ puts the world wide enemies of Liberty on notice…. Our allies respect James Mattis for his fearless courage and character, and our adversaries fear him for the same reason.” Senior officers who have served with General Mattis describe him as “a modern-day George Patton, but without all the warm fuzzies.” He is the “most revered Marine in a generation.”

                Alexander continues, “James Mattis is known as a student of history. In this respect, he’s similar to his World War II Army predecessor, Gen. George `Old Blood and Guts’ Patton, who was also a prolific reader – particularly of his enemy’s writings. Mattis has a personal library that exceeds 7,000 volumes and is known as the `Warrior Monk’ both for his intellect and for being a lifelong bachelor.

                “He has a long history of publishing required reading lists for his Marines, subjecting them to his personal standards of intellectual rigor and aptitude. He believes as he has often preached, `The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.’”

                Alexander includes several interesting stories that illustrate the character and leadership of General Mattis. It sounds to me that President-elect Trump made an excellent choice when he selected his Secretary of Defense. Under the leadership of Mattis – and with the support of President Trump – Americans should start enjoying more peace because of its strength.

Peace through Strength

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple principle that a nation must be strong in order to have peace and prosperity.  The Founders of our nation and the Framers of our Constitution understood this principle and enabled the United States of America to become the first truly free people in modern times.  By working together during the Revolutionary War and afterwards, Americans gained not only freedom but strength, peace and prosperity.  The young nation soon became the most powerful nation in the world.

                According to W. Cleon Skousen, the goal of the Founders and Framers was peace and the means to peace was strength.  He quoted Benjamin Franklin as writing:  “the very fame of our strength and readiness would be a means of discouraging our enemies; for `tis a wise and true saying, that `One sword often keeps another in the scabbard.’  The way to secure peace is to be prepared for war.  They that are on their guard, and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked than the supine, secure and negligent.”  (Ibid. as quoted in The Five Thousand Year Leap – 28 Great Ideas that Changed the World, p. 184.)

                Skousen quoted Franklin as writing at a later time:  “Our security lies, I think, in our growing strength, both in numbers and wealth, that creates an increasing ability of assisting this nation in its wars, which will make us more respectable, our friendship more valued, and our enmity feared; thence it will soon be thought proper to treat us not with justice only, but with kindness, and thence we may expect in a few years a total change of measures with regard to us; unless, by a neglect of military discipline, we should lose all martial spirit, and our western people become as tame as those in the eastern dominions of Britain [India], when we may expect the same oppressions; for there is much truth in the Italian saying, `Make yourselves sheep, and the wolves will eat you.’ (Ibid., 6:3-4 as quoted in Leap, p. 184.)

                President George Washington was described as being “First in peace, first in war, first in the hearts of his countrymen.”  He held the respect of his countrymen and still deserves our respect.  His “position on national defense was in terms of grim realities experienced on the field of battle.  No man wanted peace more than he. And no man was willing to risk more in life and property to achieve it.  In nearly the same words as Franklin he declared:  `To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.’  (Fitzpatrick, Writings of George Washington, 30:491).” (Skousen, Leap, p. 185)

                “Peace through strength” implies that strength through military preparedness is a necessary component of peace.  This is phrase was first used in the first century A.D.; it was used much later by Ronald Reagan in his political challenge against Jimmy Carter in 1980.   He accused Carter of being so weak in his leadership that he invited attacks against the United States and its allies.   As President, Ronald Reagan used the phrase “Peace through strength”  as part of his foreign policy and explained his purpose in 1983:  “We know that peace is the condition under which mankind was meant to flourish.  Yet peace does not exist on its own will.  It depends on us, on our courage to build it and guard it and pass it on to future generations.  George Washington’s words may seem hard and cold today, but history has proven him right again and again.  `To be prepared for war,’ he said, `is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.’  Well, to those who think strength provokes conflict, Will Rogers had his own answer.  He said of the world heavyweight champion of his day:  `I’ve never seen anyone insult Jack Dempsey.’”

                “The approach was credited by many for forcing the Soviet Union to lose the arms race and end the Cold Ward.  `Peace Through Strength’ is the official motto of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).

                “Peace Through Strength” appeared in the Republican Party platforms of 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2012.”

                Compare President Reagan’s motto of “Peace Through Strength” to that of the current occupant of the White House of appeasing, apologizing, and bowing to our enemies.  During the six years that Barack Obama has been Commander-in-Chief he has done much to weaken our nation by his policies and particularly by cutting our military strength.

                A blogger wrote recently:  “An American Hero… and Obama.  I walked out of the movie American Sniper with a heavy heart.  The senseless murder of Chris Kyle at the hands of a fellow veteran is a tragedy.  But it is also appalling that the Obama administration chose to snatch defeat form the jaws of victory in a war that Kyle helped to win.  Obama’s disdain for our veterans who have given life and limb and heart and soul to protect their country and its freedoms has been apparent for years.  His assault on the military would be horrible at any time, but in the midst of war, it is criminal.”

                In October 2014 Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal spoke about numerous Obama policies that have weakened our nation:  “`[Obama] leaves for the next president tools of hard power that have fallen into disrepair.  Military strength should not be the primary means by which the United States executes its foreign policy.  But it is the indispensable element that underpins the other tools….’

                “Jindal seeks to claim the legacy of former President Ronald Reagan, borrowing a line when he argues that, `Peace through strength costs infinitely less in American blood and treasure than does war precipitated by weakness.’

                “He argued that more money will allow the United to `rebuild the tools of military power’ to create a force, `not to nation-build overseas, not as a police force or a Keynesian jobs program, but as a deterrent to our adversaries, and as a tool to eradicate threats to American lives and interests.”

                The Conservative Tribune published the following in August 2014:  “The United States of America is the sole remaining superpower in the world, for now.  It was able to rise to such a position by a general policy of `peace through strength’, having a strong and robust military that prevented rivals from making moves against the US.

                “But things have changed now, and after more than a decade of the War on Terror, and especially after the implementation of several policy changes by the Obama administration, morale has declined significantly, and our military is transforming into a hollow force, a paper tiger.”

                This publication noted that some of the ways Obama is transforming our military are:  (1) “an ongoing purge of the US military’s leadership by the Obama administration, (2) “the repeal of `Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, which allows openly gay people into the military.”

(3) “allowing women into combat infantry units.”  It also notes that some of the generals, etc. who were “retired” or forced to resign are now speaking out against the administration, something unheard of during previous administrations.

                David L. Goetsch suggested in April 2014 that Barack Obama is weakening America on purpose, not because he is an inept Commander-in-Chief:  “Anyone who knowingly ignores clear and present danger is courting disaster, a fact that makes it difficult to understand why Congress continues to sheepishly acquiesce as President Obama takes a meat cleaver to the defense budget.  Elected officials in Washington, D.C. – people who are privy to accurate, up-to-date information that has not been filtered through biased media outlets – continue to ignore the clear and present danger represented by President Obama’s on-going cuts to the defense budget.  Barack Obama is weakening America’s military and, in turn, America.  Worse yet the evidence suggests he is doing this on purpose.

                “Congress and presidents have always responded to the end of major hostilities by cutting back on military expenditures – think of World War II, Viet Nam, and the Cold War.  But President Obama has broken all precedent by cutting the military’s budget at a time of increased hostility toward America.  President Obama’s only interest in the military seems to be in scoring cheap political points by:  1) moving military dollars into social programs, 2) coercing the service branches into accepting open homosexuality in the ranks, and 3) advocating for women in combat.  To President Obama the military is just a convenient organization he can coerce into advancing his leftwing social agenda….

                “I used to think that President Obama was just inept when it comes to military and foreign relations matters, and he is.  In his book Duty former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates makes clear that President Obama and his closest advisers are uncomfortable with the military and distrustful of military leaders (and vice-versa).  However, the evidence now suggests that President Obama’s ineptitude in defense and foreign policy matters conveniently disguises an agenda aimed at weakening the United States by weakening the military.  In other words, when President Obama continues to undermine the military in spite of the on-going terrorist threats, nuclear advances in Korea and Iran, the re-emergence of Russia and its expansion minded president, and increasing terrorist violence on American soil, any objective observer would have to conclude that the president’s unstated goal is to purposefully weaken the United States.  No other explanation makes sense.”

                The writer then asked his readers to consider America’s situation and ask themselves the following questions:  “1) Is America’s economy stronger since Barack Obama took office?  2) Is America’s military stronger since Obama took office?  3) Are there fewer threats to America’s security since Obama took office?”  Most Americans would answer “no” to all three questions.

                I think that you can probably see the point I am trying to make.  America has peace when it is strong, but when America is weak or acts weak, peace is far from us.  I believe that Barack Obama has put America in a much worse condition than Jimmy Carter did.  I think that Mr. Carter was simply an inept president, but I believe Mr. Obama is an evil president or at least acting under orders from evil people. 

                I believe that we are living in the times prophesied by ancient American prophets.  They warned us that secret combinations would be in every nation in the latter days.  I believe that our government is now under the control of evil and secret combinations of men and women, both Democrat and Republican, who seek the overthrow of the United States of America.  I believe that this is the reason why our military is being weakened.  I believe that very difficult times are coming to Americans and all nations.  Please pray for America and for the power to discern and eradicate the secret combinations in our midst.  May God bless America because the peace for the entire world lies in the strength of America. 

Prepare to Remember

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the need to prepare for and remember the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001. In approximately three weeks, our nation will honor the nearly 3000 people killed when Islamic terrorists attacked our nation. Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of this heinous act, is dead, but the war against terrorism continues.

I encourage you to be prepared to turn this anniversary into a repeat of the day when our nation was turned red, white and blue by the many flags flying in the breeze. Please make sure that your flag is clean and in good repair and that you understand the proper treatment of the Stars and Stripes.

Another way to prepare for this anniversary is to let your Senators and Representatives know that national security is of high priority to you. National security was decreased during the administration of President Bill Clinton, and our nation was attacked months after he left office. We now have another President and his supporters who want to cut our defense budget. It seems to me that they do not understand the simple fact that people who want to destroy our nation usually attack us when our defenses are down.

Our Founders understood that we must be militarily strong. President George Washington fought for the cause of liberty and risked his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor fighting for American independence. He wanted peace, and he knew that "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

Benjamin Franklin was of the same opinion and wrote: "The very fame of our strength and readiness would be a means of discouraging our enemies; for 'tis a wise and true saying, that `One sword often keeps another in the scabbard.' The way to secure peace is to be prepared for war. They that are on their guard, and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked than the supine, secure and negligent."

Franklin said later, "Our security lies, I think, in our growing strength, both in numbers and wealth, that creates an increasing ability of assisting this nation in its wars, which will make us more respectable, our friendship more valued, and our enmity feared; thence it will soon be thought proper to treat us not with justice only, but with kindness, and thence we may expect in a few years a total change of measures with regard to us; unless, by a neglect of military discipline, we should lose all martial spirit, and our western people become as tame as those in the eastern dominions of Britain [India], when we may expect the same oppressions; for there is much truth in the Italian saying 'Make yourselves sheep, and the wolves will eat you.'"

Thomas Paine said, "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."

After the terrorists attack on 9/11, our nation put important policies into place to protect us. America has stopped at least forty-one attacks in the past ten years. This type of vigilance has saved lives and must continue because there are still enemies who want to attack us. Matt Mayer of The Heritage Foundation wrote the following just days after bin Laden was killed: "In terrorist hideouts across the globe, many men with similarly warped views are eager to become the next bin laden. They know the path to that title lays in successfully attacking us domestically and causing substantial death and destruction."

There are brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day in order to protect Americans. They must have the necessary equipment, supplies, and support in order to do so. Our President apparently does not take the situation seriously because one of the results of the debt ceiling battle is a policy to cut $500 billion in our defense budget.

In the words of Baker Spring at Heritage: "… the policy established by the debt ceiling law will strip the military of its ability to secure the vital interests of the United States. The law, unless it is altered or repealed, will do irreparable harm to the United States military.
"History has repeatedly shown that these kinds of reductions in defense are penny wise and pound foolish, because they often serve to increase the likelihood of conflict. And weakness that invites war is much more expensive than deterring our enemies by maintaining an adequate defense budget all along."

Our wise Founders understood the necessity of maintaining a strong military, and wise men and women today still understand this fact. We can honor the victims as well as the heroes of 9/11 by staying prepared to defend our nation from all enemies - foreign and domestic. President Ronald Reagan understood the need for military strength when he stated, "Peace through strength." We must remain vigilant and prepared!

Strength, then Peace

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that only the strong are able to stay free. The title for this post came from President Ronald Reagan who said that the only way our nation could have peace was to be so strong that no other nation would even consider attacking us. He said, "Peace through strength," and then he acted to make our nation strong.

Our Founding Fathers wanted peace for their new nation, and they understood that peace comes through strength. They understood that being a nation prepared to defend itself would provide protection from greedy nations wishing to profit from American prosperity. I have no doubts that our war with terrorists could have been much shorter and less deadly if acted with strength and unleashed the full power of the United States military.
Benjamin Franklin wrote, "The very fame of our strength and readiness would be a means of discouraging our enemies; for 'tis a wise and true saying, that `One sword often keeps another in the scabbard.' The way to secure peace is to be prepared for war. They that are on their guard, and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked than the supine, secure and negligent."

Franklin said later, "Our security lies, I think, in our growing strength, both in numbers and wealth, that creates an increasing ability of assisting this nation in its wars, which will make us more respectable, our friendship more valued, and our enmity feared; thence it will soon be thought proper to treat us not with justice only, but with kindness, and thence we may expect in a few years a total change of measures with regard to us; unless, by a neglect of military discipline, we should lose all martial spirit, and our western people become as tame as those in the eastern dominions of Britain [India], when we may expect the same oppressions; for there is much truth in the Italian saying 'Make yourselves sheep, and the wolves will eat you.'"

A common description of George Washington is "First in peace, first in war, first in the hearts of his countrymen." Washington understood the realities of life. He fought for the cause of liberty and risked his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor fighting for the independence of Americans. He wanted peace, but he declared, "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

Our Founders passed their policy of peace through strength down to their descendents. Americans have been known for their love of peace and their willingness to go to war to preserve peace.

This may be one of the "fundamental changes" brought about by the Obama Administration. By the out-of-control spending and the policies of the federal government, our economy may be destroyed to the point that we have no means to wage war. By their dismantling of the military and opening it wide to perverts and people who hate our nation, we may have no manpower to fight a war. By our President going on a world-wide tour apologizing for our country and bowing to our enemies, we may lose the respect - and thus the fear - of nations who want to subdue us. In order for us to maintain peace and keep our freedoms, we must be stronger than all other nations. Real peace can come only through strength.

Ideas and quotes are from The Five Thousand Year Leap by W. Cleon Skousen, pp 181-188.

Time for Armor of God

Families grow stronger as each individual dons the armor of God. I have been writing about strengthening the family for several months and sharing ideas on how to prepare for bad times. I told you that families need to be strong because the family is the basic unit of society; it is the foundation upon which communities, states and nations are built. Strong families lead to strong communities, strong communities lead to strong states, and strong states lead to strong nations.

The world is currently experiencing unrest and chaos, and this unrest is spreading and growing. The unrest is being caused by unrighteousness and greed. Most of us do not have much control over what happens in the world, the nation, the state or even the community, but we do have the ability to control what goes on in our own homes.

The most important principle that we must understand is that there is a great battle between good and evil being fought in our nation and across the world. We have been preparing for this battle, and now is the time for us to make sure that we are wearing the armor of God. As long as we are right with God, we do not need to fear what man does.

The writer of Ephesians 6:11-12 wrote, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rules of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

I believe that there are secret combinations at all levels of government, both in America and abroad, who are trying to destroy the government of the United States. I believe that there is "spiritual wickedness in high places" in our own nation as well as in our states, communities, and work places. I believe that many of the union leaders - not the average union member - of the current protests in Wisconsin, Indiana, and other states are evil.

Gordon B. Hinckley, a modern-day prophet, also spoke about the battle between right and wrong. He said, "We are involved in an intense battle. It is a battle between right and wrong, between truth and error, between the design of the Almighty on the one hand and that of Lucifer on the other. For that reason, we desperately need moral men and women who stand on principle, to be involved in the political process. Otherwise, we abdicate power to those whose designs are almost entirely selfish." (Stand A Little Taller, p 15.)

Wise parents will gather their children around them in family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, family dinner hours and wholesome family activities. The key word here is family! These activities will give children spiritual and emotional armor to withstand the forces of evil. They will also strengthen individual families who can then join groups of families to search out and support good, honest and moral people for positions of leadership in communities, states and nations.

If this or any nation is to survive the onslaught of evil in the latter days, it will need to have strong families whose members are wearing spiritual and emotional battle armor. Strong families form a basic force for good in the world and can do much to strengthen society. The strongest families clothe themselves in the armor of God.

Peace through Strength

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that free people must stay strong in order to survive. The title for this post came from President Ronald Reagan who said that the only way our nation could have peace was to be so strong that no other nation would even consider attacking us. He said, "Peace through strength," and then he acted to make our nation strong. Our Founding Fathers wanted peace for their new nation, and they understood that peace comes through strength. They understood that being a nation prepared to defend itself would provide protection from greedy nations wishing to profit from American prosperity. Benjamin Franklin wrote, "The very fame of our strength and readiness would be a means of discouraging our enemies; for 'tis a wise and true saying, that `One sword often keeps another in the scabbard.' The way to secure peace is to be prepared for war. They that are on their guard, and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked than the supine, secure and negligent." Franklin said later, "Our security lies, I think, in our growing strength, both in numbers and wealth, that creates an increasing ability of assisting this nation in its wars, which will make us more respectable, our friendship more valued, and our enmity feared; thence it will soon be thought proper to treat us not with justice only, but with kindness, and thence we may expect in a few years a total change of measures with regard to us; unless, by a neglect of military discipline, we should lose all martial spirit, and our western people become as tame as those in the eastern dominions of Britain [India], when we may expect the same oppressions; for there is much truth in the Italian saying 'Make yourselves sheep, and the wolves will eat you.'" A common description of George Washington is "First in peace, first in war, first in the hearts of his countrymen." Washington understood the realities of life. He fought for the cause of liberty and risked his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor fighting for the independence of Americans. He wanted peace, but he declared, "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace." Our Founders passed their policy of peace through strength down to their descendents. Americans have been known for their love of peace and their willingness to go to war to preserve peace. This may be one of the "fundamental changes" brought about by the Obama Administration. By the out-of-control spending and the policies of the federal government, our economy may be destroyed to the point that we have no means to wage war. By their dismantling of the military, we may have no manpower to fight a war. By our President going on a world-wide tour apologizing for our country and bowing to our enemies, we may lose the respect - and thus the fear - of nations who want to subdue us. In order for us to maintain peace and keep our freedoms, we must be stronger than all other nations. Ideas and quotes for this post came from The Five Thousand Year Leap by W. Cleon Skousen, pp 181-188.