Who Is William F. Buckley?

            My VIP for this week is William F. Buckley who published an important book about American conservatism and the battle of ideas in 1951. Regnery Books recently released a 70^th anniversary edition of his “God and Man at Yale.” According to Timothy Goeglein, Buckley’s writing “proved to be prophetic and long-lasting.” 

The indefatigable William F. Buckley was a devoted Catholic who felt that religion and faith were absolutely the foundations of higher education, both at Yale, which he attended from 1946 to 1950, and in our nation. He saw that they were coming under increasing attack, and felt strongly that he had to sound the alarm about what was happening at Yale and which was beginning to seep out in the hallowed halls of higher education across America – the rejection and replacement of those ideals with secularism, socialism, and government dependence.

He also saw that with the left there was no room for debate. As he put it, “Though liberals do a great deal of talking about hearing other points of view, it sometimes shocks them to learn that there are other points of view.” Those words turned out to be prophetic as we face the “cancel culture” of the 21^st century.

In “God and Man at Yale,” the estimable Buckley peeled back the layers of the onion at Yale University and exposed its leftist core. As Richard Brookhiser wrote, “Yale in 1951 still pretended to be a bastion of capitalism and Christianity; Bill told the world this was a con, to keep alums sending their sons and their money to New Haven.”

Unfortunately, more than 70 years later, we have all seen that what started in New Haven did not stay in New Haven. While “God and Man at Yale” served as the launching pad for the conservative movement, much of America remained blissfully ignorant of what was happening to their children as they entered the ivory towers of American academia.

            Bill Buckley was an intelligent man who saw what was happening in America long before most people. He holds the title of being the first conservative in our day, long before Rush Limbaugh started his radio program. 

Why Should We Reject Indoctrination for Our Children?

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns freedom of speech, particularly the freedom to NOT have certain words forced upon our children. From the experience of numerous people, we can only assume that the LGBT movement is much like the critical race theory (CRT) movement in that they want to force our children to learn information that is opposed by parents. In other words, both movements want to indoctrinate the children and by making parents irrelevant or an obstacle to their goal. Tim Graham explained it as follows. 

Just like the cause of critical race theory, the parents are not simply irrelevant; they are seen as an impediment to essential progress.

The other words [transgender, cisgender, nonbinary, and consent from a previous paragraph] sound ridiculous in a science class. They are at war with science. They are at war with common sense. And they are at war with religious Americans who feel that God made the human race male and female, not some unscientific blur.

The LGBT lobby does not believe in democracy or debate. They believe that all dissent is “hate speech,” and any opposition to their treacherous goals leads to youth suicide and emotional torture. They fight dirty, always assuming the worst of their opponents and always engaging in character assassination.

They can count on their staunchest allies for support – from Hollywood’s cultural shapers and the “news” media.

            Graham claims that proof of his statement is “in the way journalists have mangled and maligned a bill in Florida to prevent teachers from pushing their gender-bending ideology on children in kindergarten through the third grade.” They refer to the legislature as the “don’t say gay” bill despite the fact that the bill does not say what they say that it says. Graham said that such people do not consider an abortion at nine months to be “horrific,” but “failing to suggest to children that they might be gender fluid is a tragedy.”           

            After citing several news stories [from “CBS Evening News,” ABC’s “The View,” and ABC’s “World News Tonight,” Graham emphasized what was left out of the news articles.

Notice that no one says that parents can’t teach their young children at home about the birds and the bees, or, in this case, how birds can be bees, if that’s how they want to identify themselves. It’s mandatory that all children in schools be taught one ideology.      

I know that when I was a student, I would have been a nightmare for an indoctrinator. I would have fiercely spoken up with opposing arguments. That makes it seem obvious why the LGBT lobby thinks it’s so important to push their garbage on grade-school children, before they can offer the withering critique it deserves.

            This brings us back to the counsel from child-rearing specialists who have for many years encouraged parents to teach their children about sex from infancy. Parents are urged to use correct words to define the various parts of the body and to not shy away from questions asked by children.

            One word of caution is that parents should not assume that a two- or three-year-old child is ready to learn the complete story about babies and how they are made. Nor are they ready to hear how men can be women and vice versa. Our children come to us in innocence, and they should be allowed to remain innocent and pure for as long as possible.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

            My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to Genesis 37-41 and the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob. The life of Joseph and life itself teach us that bad things sometimes happen to good people. Joseph was heir to the covenant that God had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but he was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery. However, he refused to compromise his integrity when Potiphar’s wife made advances to him.

Joseph was thrown into prison, and he must have had some questions. The more faithful he was, the more hardship he faced. He must have known that the difficulties were not a sign of God’s disapproval, because “the Lord was with him” through all the adversity (Genesis 39:3). We can see this important truth through Joseph’s life: God will not forsake us.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, “Following the Savior will not remove all of your trials. However, it will remove the barriers between you and the help your Heavenly Father wants to give you. God will be with you” (“A Yearning for Home,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 22).

            Time after time, good fortune abandoned Joseph. His brothers hated him and sold him into slavery to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt. However, he was purchased by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, and an Egyptian. Potiphar recognized that the Lord was with Joseph, and he saw that the Lord caused everything seemed to prosper with Joseph. Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his household. (See Genesis 39:1-2.)

            When Joseph rejected the sexual advances of Potiphar’s wife, she charged him with sexual assault, and Potiphar put Joseph in prison. However, the keeper of the prison also saw that the Lord was with Joseph, and he put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners. The Lord made everything that Joseph did to prosper. (See 39:21-23.)

            The Pharaoh’s chief baker and chief butler did something that displeased Pharaoh, and he threw them in prison. While they were in prison, they each dreamed a dream, and Joseph interpreted the dreams. According to the interpretation, the chief butler was restored to his position, but the chief baker was hanged. (See Genesis 40.)

            Two years later, the Pharaoh dreamed a troubling dream, and none of his wise men could interpret the dream. Then, the chief butler remembered Joseph and how he had correctly interpreted the dreams of the chief baker and the chief butler. He told the Pharaoh, and Pharaoh ordered that Joseph be brought to him. The Pharaoh told Joseph his dream about seven fat cattle and seven lean cattle, and the lean cattle devouring the fat cattle. Joseph interpreted the dream as being seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. (See Genesis 41.)

            We see again that the Lord was blessing Joseph because the Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of storing grain during the seven good years to prepare for the seven years of famine. Joseph was the most powerful man in the kingdom, besides Pharaoh, and the Lord put him in a place where he would be blessing to many people.

            The chief baker, the chief butler, and the Pharaoh dreamed dreams that gave them valuable information, but they did not understand the meaning of the dreams. The Lord revealed the meaning of the dreams to Joseph. Elder David A. Bednar taught, “Revelations are conveyed in a variety of ways, including, for example, dreams, visions, conversations with heavenly messengers, and inspiration” (“The Spirit of Revelation,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 88).

            How does the Lord reveal information to you? For many years, I dreamed dreams that gave me information. For example, the night before my father died, I dreamed that he died. When I arose the next morning, I proceeded to prepare to make an airline trip even though I did not receive the telephone call until that evening. Because I had advance warning, I had time to prepare myself, my home, and my family.

            I have not had that time of dream for numerous years. I do not know why the dreams stopped, but I like to think that the change is because I now listen better for the Lord’s voice while I am awake. The Lord reveals to each of us what we need to know. It is up to us how we hear His voice and what we do with the information. I know that more revelation comes as I learn to hear it and to act upon it.

 

Why Is Investing Important to Wise Money Management?

             Families, communities, and nations are stronger when they practice good money management. One component of good money management is investing with the goal for getting rich slowly. President James E. Faust of the First Presidency shared the following thought:

The parable of the ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, has both a spiritual and a temporal application. Each of us has a lamp to light the way, but it requires that every one of us put the oil in our own lamps to produce that light. It is not enough to sit idly by and say, “The Lord will provide.” He has promised that they who are wise and “have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide” will have the earth given unto them” (“The Responsibility for Welfare Rests with Me and My Family,” April 1986 General Conference).

            One key to successful investing is to understand the difference between investing and speculation. To fully understand this key, memorize the following saying: “If it sounds too good to be true, then it is too good to be true.” Investing is for the long-term with the idea of getting rich slowly, while speculation is any investment that promises to do better than the market, a get-rich-quick scheme.

            According to E. Jeffrey Hill and Bryan L. Sudweeks in their book “Fundamentals of Family Finance – Living Joyfully within Your Means,” there are important steps to take before speculating with your money. The first step is to pay off all your credit card debt and consumer debt, pay off your vehicles completely, and pay off student loans. While you are paying off the debts listed above, make sure that you are contributing ten percent of your income to tithing each month and investing ten percent of your income to a tax-advantaged, diversified IRA and/or 401(k) with most of it in stocks.

In addition to the above, the authors state that you should pay an honest fast offering monthly of at least the cost of two meals, meet all the basic financial needs for you and your family (food, shelter, transportation, education, etc.), have adequate insurance (life, health, automobile, and home), have a three-month emergency supply of money, food, water, and fuel (where possible), meet enough of the financial wants of your family to be happy (vacations entertainment, furniture, etc.), and be paying off your home mortgage as quickly as possible.

If you are doing all of the above, you may feel comfortable doing whatever you desire with any money that you do not need.  An investment is something that you buy or purchase that will generate income or gain in value. The authors state that there are purposes for investing that go beyond getting a good return on your money. Other purposes are to meet short- and long-term needs for your family, show God that you are a good steward of His possessions, and to bring yourself and your family to Christ. They gave seven principles of successful investing:

Principle 1: Invest as a full partner with your spouse. [You and your spouse should work together in all areas in your marriage, including budgeting and investing.]

Principle 2: Understand risk and stay diversified. Risk is inherent in all investment activities…. It is important to understand the tolerance you have for risk…. Diversification is your best defense against company-specific risk…. It is also advantageous to invest in several different asset classes.

Principle 3: Make low-cost and tax-efficient investments for the long term. Watch your investment costs carefully, including costs for transaction fees, management fees, and taxes. Remember that when investing, a dollar saved is worth more than a dollar earned – you have to pay taxes on every new dollar you earn, but every dollar you save is already taxed and can earn interest.

Principle 4: Monitor your portfolio performance. President Thomas S. Monson taught, “Where performance is measured, performance improves. Where performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates.” How can you know how the investments in hour portfolio are doing if you do not monitor their performance?

Principle 5: Don’t try to time the market refers to the attempt to obtain greater than market-rate returns by buying when the market is low and selling when the market is high…. It is difficult, expensive, time-consuming, and just plain dumb to try to beat the market on your own.

Principle 6: Invest with high-quality, licensed, reputable people and institutions. When you need help investing, do not be afraid to ask for it. However, be sure to get help from good people whose actions and beliefs are consistent with [good investing] principles.

Principle 7: Develop a good investment plan and follow it closely. Develop a good investment plan that is consistent with your goals, your budget, and [good investing] principles. An investment plan is a detailed road map of your investment risk and return, investment strategy, constraints, and reporting and evaluation methodology. Think of our investment plan as a road map to successful investing. Follow this plan carefully.

            Investing is an important part of successful money management because it is a way to make your money work for you. Otherwise, inflation will eat the buying power of your money. We should understand that the wise use of money brings blessings to families, and investing is a way to use money wisely. 

            Yet, there is a greater investment that you can make as taught by President Gordon B. Hinckley: “The gospel of Jesus Christ … [is] a greater investment than any…. Its dividends are eternal and everlasting” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, pp. 567-68). Wise parents will seek understanding about investing money and then teach their children to do it. Strong families understand wise money management, and strong families strengthen communities and nations.

2022-3-10 Will U.S. Go to War if Putin Invades or Attacks a NATO Ally?

            The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Many questions arise because Putin invasion of Ukraine along with his threats to use nuclear weapons. Poland and other nations in the area are members of NATO, so one question is, what happens if Putin attacks or invades a NATO nation and NATO invokes Article 5 of the treaty.

Cully Stimson wrote that the situation is complicated and then proceeded to explain that his article was strictly about the legal obligations for the United States, even while admitting that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine “has been unlawful, despicable, and totally unwarranted.” Stimson stated that the situation is complicated and that his article is not meant to be comprehensive. 

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was “created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the then-Soviet Union…. There are currently 30 NATO countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and others.

Stimson reminded his readers that Congress holds the power to declare war (Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution). There are two main questions that must be answered before Congress will commit U.S. armed forces to war. (1) Is it in the national security interests of the United States to do so? (2) Do the actions of the party (in this case, Russia) amount to an “armed attack” as defined by Article 51 of the U.N. charter?

Another question that is being asked is, “Does an attack on a NATO ally require – as a matter of international law – the United States to respond with force?” Stimson answered, “No. We would never agree to that.” One expert on law of war recently told Stimson that “from a policy perspective, it has been important to convey the impression that we would respond to an armed attack on a NATO ally with military force.” Impressions are one thing, but what does the law say?

According to Stimson, “Article 5 permits the United States to respond in a way that satisfies its legal obligations short of sending in the armed forces of the United States to fight, such as providing military equipment or other aid.” The decision about using U.S. forces would depend on the answers to the two main questions listed above. So, what does Article 5 say?

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic Area. Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.

Article 5 has been referred to regularly in recent days. However, there is another important section of the Treaty that deserves to be cited – Article 11. “This Treaty shall be ratified and its provisions carried out by the Parties in accordance with their respective constitutional processes….” The United States insisted that this article be a part of the Treaty. This statement recognizes that the U.S. Constitution gives the power to declare war to Congress.

So, the short answer is that the NATO treaty obligates the United States to do something to help other members of NATO. However, the authority to order U.S. Armed Forced into war rests solely with Congress.

 

  

Why Does Biden Hate America and Americans?

             I will never understand the thinking of the politicians who are making decisions for this country. While President Donald Trump was in charge of the nation, the United States became energy independent. The Biden administration could have just continued the policies of Trump, and Americans would have continued living the good life. However, President Joe Biden decided that he could not follow the policies of Trump and made vast changes in policies in the early days of his administration. He stopped construction on the Keystone XL pipeline as well as fracking and drillings for oil on federal lands.

            Biden shuttered the oil industry in America and began importing oil from Russia. Putin used American dollars to fund his invasion of Ukraine, and Biden was finally convinced to ban import of Russian oil. So, what does Biden do? He begged OPEC to pump more oil and was told no. He sent people to Venezuela and Iran to plead for their oil. He has not considered for a second that he could all the oil needed from Alaska, Texas, and Oklahoma by rescinding some of his policies and reinstituting Trump’s policies.

            Meanwhile, the gas price at the pump is $7 per gallon in Los Angeles and increasing nationwide. Gas prices in America are at the highest level since 2008, and Biden said yesterday that there is nothing that he can do about it.

            The answer to the problem is clear to most Americans: cut the regulations and open drilling in America. However, Biden is blind to the clear answer. Instead, he chooses to depend on authoritarian dictators. Biden would prefer that our enemies provide oil to the United States rather than have Americans be oil independent. Can he really be so concerned about the environment that he cannot see the physical dangers of our position? Can he be so concerned about carbon-based emissions that he will sell out America to the enemy?

            Biden’s behavior over the past fourteen months leads me to believe that he does not care about America or Americans. He has not yet done anything – anything at all – that benefitted Americans. He has not put America first in any situation since becoming POTUS. He and his administration remind me of the famous words of Marie Antoinette when she proclaimed, “Let them eat cake.”

When Will We Have Wise Energy Policies?

             As you probably remember, Joe Biden’s war on the oil industry began on his first day in office, January 20, 2021, when he stopped drilling on federal lands and the construction of the Keystone Pipeline. Then, he started importing oil from Russia. After Russia invaded Ukraine, pressure mounted on Biden to ban Russian oil imports. Today, Biden announced a nationwide ban on oil, coal, and natural gas from Russia. At least, America will not be openly funding Putin’s war on Ukraine!

            No one should assume that Biden made this decision from a principled stand. How do we know? The administration has not taken the necessary policy changes for the ban to be effective. Katie Tubb explained the situation in her article titled “Russian Oil Import Ban Just a Distraction From Biden’s Anti-Energy Policies.” 

The president’s decision came in the wake of proposed bipartisan legislation, political support from Democratic congressional leadership, public support, and the initiative of many companies to disassociate themselves with Russian products and markets. If he didn’t act, it’s very likely Congress would have led the way instead.

Yet, the administration inexplicably has done little to change course in light of the current realities. While Biden made no secret of his anti-energy policy agenda from the first month of his presidency, the administration hasn’t even pumped the brakes on regulations that will increase the cost of energy and block Americans’ ability to use it.

Just in the past week, the administration has only doubled down to:

·         propose new climate standards to regulate conventional trucks out of existence.

·        decline to appeal a federal court decision vacating the only lease sale held on federal lands or waters (despite clear statutory direction from Congress to regularly hold sales).

·         propose any day now what some are calling “the biggest rule … the [Securities and Exchange Commission] has done in quite some time”; namely, mandating companies disclose greenhouse emissions from their entire supply chain.

While asking American energy companies for short-term increases in production to bail the administration out of political trouble, Biden has made it very clear that his administration intends to put the coal, oil, and perhaps even natural gas industries in America out of business.

            I do not claim to be an energy expert, but I have questions about the Biden goal. How does he plan to make enough electricity to power all the vehicles, heat and cool all the homes and business, etc. without coal, oil, or natural gas? Does he think the dwindling amount of water will create enough electricity? Does he intend to rely on windmills? Does he plan to build nuclear power plants? If so, it seems like it would be better to build the new power plants before destroying the current energy businesses.

            I keep thinking about Texas in February 2021. My daughter and her family were out of power for four days. The “green energy” windmills froze from all the ice and snow on them because there was not enough wind to keep the snow off the blades. If their cars had been powered by electricity, they would have been stuck at home without heat. Relying only on green energy sounds dangerous to me. A plan to use all of our options seems to be better than relying only on green energy. Tubb continued with her explanation:

The Biden administration is trying to single-handedly commit the U.S. to a centrally planned energy sector built around a narrow set of politically preferred, unproven energy technologies that the administration presumes are the solution to global warming. But as the world has seen, Europe is paying a steep financial and political price for its policy choices over the years to curtail its own energy production and opt for Russian imports. [Emphasis mine.]

            The Biden administration is full of questionable ideas about energy. Now that he has banned the import of oil from Russia, Biden is seeking soil from Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. What could go wrong! The United States has a large store of oil and natural gas just waiting to be used. It also has the policies in place to make the extraction of oil and natural gas as clean as possible. Instead, this administration seeks to access oil from other countries who do not have such policies in place to protect the environment. Someone should tell them that it is the same environment – whether it is in the United States, Russia, or Iran.

            Oil is currently being drilled on state and private lands in the United States despite Biden’s anti-energy agenda. This is the only reason why our gasoline and heating oil prices are not much higher. When Biden and White House press secretary Jennifer Psaki state that oil companies are not using the 9000 existing leases for drilling on federal lands and waters, they show their ignorance about how the “leasing, permitting, and energy production on federal lands and waters happens.” Instead, they shift the blame to others and try to force Americans to transition to green energy. Tubb ended with the following suggestions:

Biden must change course and make the policy changes necessary to weaken Russia’s influence in global energy markets. Not only is such a shift extremely popular – a recent poll showed 70% of Americans support energy production in the U.S. – but to do otherwise puts Biden in direct conflict with the well-being of Americans, who get nearly 80% of their energy from oil, natural gas, and coal.

The U.S. also needs to look to its allies to play their part: Europe must become an energy-producing region again.

The Biden administration needs to follow up words with real action: Call off the regulatory hounds and unleash the American energy sector – all of it.