Sunday, February 24, 2013

Ancient Rome vs. America: The Coming Economic Collapse

     The current state of government spending is leaving America on a direct path to destruction.  This type of national decline has happened many times in the history of our world, and yet we have not learned our lesson.  This paper will take a look at ancient Rome and show how we are following their same economic logic, and if we don't change course we will also cease to exist as a nation.
     The creation of money helped exponentially expand the world economy, but it has also led to many failed civilizations.  When greed and power overtake a government, it's not long before corruption, over taxation, and the destruction of the currency follows.  Rome was a nation such as this.  Jack Weatherford states the problem of the growing army and lack of finances when he wrote the following, "Despite its declining ability to produce revenue for the state, the army continued to grow in size.  Even during the third and fourth centuries, when the geographical size of the empire declined, the number of soldiers more than doubled from approximately 300,000 to 650,000."  When the government should have contracted its spending it increased it at even faster rates.  In fact, the government in Rome was growing at a rate inversely proportionate to its declining empire.
     The city of Rome itself had a population of approximately 1 million citizens, but there were not enough jobs to keep them all employed.  The Caesar's decided the best way to keep the mob under his control was to provide them with 'bread and circuses'.  Thus, Rome became the first welfare state on the planet.  Weatherford elaborates on this in the following, "When Julius Caesar first came to power nearly one-third of the people, approximately 320,000, received free wheat on the public dole, but through skillful maneuvering, he reduced the amount by more than half, to a still substantial 150,000.  After Caesar's assassination, the numbers started to climb once again, and the benefits increased."  The taxes that were imposed on the farmers and wealthy people of the country became an unbearable burden, and the Caesar's had to come up with another option.
     Coins in early Rome were made out of pure silver and gold and had a standard weight and size.  The infamous Nero was the first to exploit the purity of the money in circulation.  Before the devaluation of coins, a pound of silver made 84 denarii, but after Nero's decision, the same pound created 96.  So the actual amount of silver and gold in the economy didn't change, but the amount of coins in circulation greatly increased.  The unknown result of this action was hyperinflation, which caused the price of goods to skyrocket.  Soon this way of raising revenue began to fail and the government was forced to look for other ways to sustain its power.  Weatherford points to the socialist policies used when he wrote, "One simple method arose from the ancient practice of confiscating the property of anyone judged to be a traitor of Rome or, more accurately, to the emperor.  Soon the emperors used the accusation of treason as a ploy to confiscate the property of anyone rich enough to attract the attention of the emperor but not close enough to him to maintain his favor."  By the end of the 5th century the debasing of the coins led to the outright collapse of the Western Roman Empire.  This is the path America is currently on.
     America is widely considered to be the most powerful nation ever, but that distinction is coming to an end.  Our country's currency was once based 100% on the value of gold, which meant a citizen was able to take a 20 dollar bank note and trade it in for 20 dollars worth of gold.  It was when the government greatly expanded its power and size during the 1930's Presidential reign of the democrat F.D.R. that we embarked on the same path as the ancient Romans.  The President decided to take our country partially off the gold standard and our currency began to decline in value.  In the 1970's our government expanded its welfare position as it introduced food stamps and welfare, and this necessitated the need to take our currency completely of the gold standard.  The result of this has been felt and will continue to get worse as our current President continues to devalue our dollar.
     When our government overspends it increases our money supply, but it devalues our currency.  So every time our government has a deficit of a trillion dollars or more, other countries consider our dollar to be worth less.  The result of this is that middle eastern countries begin to demand more dollars for their oil, and China demands more for its goods, but instead of cutting the expense of our government we have decided to take the path of the Roman's.  Barak Obama has not only decided to keep spending where it is, but increase it to even higher levels by promising more 'bread and circuses' in the form of universal healthcare.  And just as the emperors of Rome did, the government is deciding to raise taxes on the wealthiest to keep the mob under its control.  The results are already becoming all to obvious as you see our wealthiest citizens renouncing their citizenship due to the higher taxes.  Eventually, there will be no more money to take from the wealthy and the government will begin to confiscate and slowly takeover the whole economy.  By this time we will be living under a tyrannical government, which in the end will fail as all other's have.  
     There is a small window of time in which we as a nation may be able to avoid this disastrous outcome.  We need to speak up loud and boldly and bring the truth to the public in a way that they can understand it.  We need to vote true ECONOMIC conservatives into office and do away with the two party system that is satisfied with the status quo.  If we don't take drastic measures soon the clock will run out on our free society and everything we value will be gone. 

Friday, February 15, 2013

America and It's Fall: Comparing American Mistakes With Past Empires

     Government is a necessary evil in any truly democratic society.  What we as a country need to decide is how big should we let the government get, and what are the potential drawbacks or dangers of such a large and powerful body.  If there is one true axiom in life it is that whenever a monarchy or governing body becomes too powerful it becomes fascist and eventually declines.  So let's take a look at some of the 'great' nations of the past and see how they resemble and differ from our own nation at present.
     Rome was one of the most powerful nations to ever rule the face of the earth with it power stretching from Asia to Africa to as far north as England.  Its history is a fascinating one as there was a constant power struggle between the democratic senate and the power hungry Caesars.  When the senate declined in power you ran into some of the most corrupt and evil rulers such as Caligula.  In the end the Caesars figured out how to manipulate the public to maintain their own power.  Something as simple as providing bread, protection, and gladiatorial games, proved enough to sway the masses.  The mistake that the Roman rulers made was that they spread their empire too far and wide, and with only a secular government and army to keep the peace, the experiment was bound to fail.  The empire was soon split into two with the Eastern empire's capital being in Constantinople and the Western's being in Rome.  The one similarity we can see between this government is the expanding of the nations influence, and with that expansion, the need for an increase in taxation.  In Roman times this led tributary cities to revolt and eventually caused the collapse of the empire.  As for our own nation we can see the effects as many of the prominent wealthy citizens are revoking their citizenship and moving to a different country to escape the high taxes.  Eventually, the government will fail just as Rome as the tax base continues to shrink and government continues to grow.
     Mongolia was a nation that acquired even more land that the Roman's under the leadership of Genghis Khan.  With a small army of highly trained horsemen Khan tore a path through the Middle East and most of China.  This army effectively consolidated their power in China and became a minority ruling class that was unchallenged by the more numerous Chinese.  The Mongolian rulers were able to put together one of the largest fleets the world has ever seen.  They dominated the pacific ocean and even had ships go as far as the coast of Africa.  This was a short lived dominance as the central government began to overspend and began a policy of seclusion.  The ocean going ships were either destroyed or fell into disrepair and China became vulnerable to ocean attacks.  With a lack of cultural connection one historian claims, "Corrupt government and incompetent administration resulted in revolts in different parts of the empire." and another commentator cites the over taxation of the public led to many revolts in which the Mongols were not numerous enough to put them down.  The connection with our current government is the corruption and overspending that will someday lead to revolt.  A truth that has long been true is that a people will not stay long under heavy taxation.  One other similarity this failed government had with our own was the protectionist policies, which once led to a great depression in America.
     ussia will be the last 'great' empire that will explored and compared with our own.  The Russian people were a backward people that had long been ruled by the Czar's, but that ended in the grizzly murder of nearly the entire family of the Czar.  The people had been frustrated with the ruling class and had become fascinated with the teaching of Karl Marx and the inspiration of people such as Lenin.  The people were looking for the strengthening of the working class and the equality of all men, but what they got was far worse then what they had originally.

     Joseph Stalin's rise to power was a brutal and tyrannical one.  Stalin had a very difficult childhood in which he was forced to sleep above a stove, and at one point his family was in such a state of poverty that they had to make a choice of who to let live, Joseph or his brother.  The parents had chosen Stalin to the detriment of the Russian people.  Stalin watched as his brother slowly starved to death and it damaged him for life.  With a cold heart and an iron fist he implemented the Soviet way of life.  For decades the Soviet Union falsified the performance of its' economy as it tried to compete technologically and ideologically with the West.  In the end the over spending, false economic numbers, lack of productivity, and over taxation of the Russian people led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.  Many of these same mistakes are being made by the current administration as we overspending putting generations in the future into debt.  With the overspending comes the destruction of our currency and our buying power is decreased.  Also our government, along with the help of the liberal media, are reporting false economic numbers to help deceive Americans into thinking that the economy is doing well.  We are told that unemployment is going down, but every week there are 300,000-400,000 new jobless claims and only 100,000-200,000 new jobs created.  How can this lead to a decreasing unemployment number?  There is a very deceptive trick used by the government when it comes to unemployment.  When someone runs out of their 99 weeks of unemployment and they have yet to find a job what happens to them?  The answer is they cease to be counted in the unemployment number and are considered to be chronically unemployed.  The real estimate for unemployment is in the range of 11-18%.
     The country has gone so far in the direction of previously fallen empires that I have little hope we can reverse the trend.  The only way we can turn this thing around is to educate ourselves and use our voting power to its greatest extent.  We need people in power that will cut the corruption, overspending, and immorality that exist now.  If we don't do this we will end up going the way of the dodo bird.  God Bless.

By Jeffrey Brandon Lee

Why Do We Mock God?

     Grant for me a second the fact that there is a supreme being that created and rules the universe.  For this discussion I will use Christ as the omnipotent God (since that is my own personal belief) that is in charge of every aspect of the cosmos.  With that said, I would like to pose a question to the reader.  If there are 4 to 5 billion people on earth who believe in a higher power, why do we consistently mock Him in our everyday living?  I ask this question in light of the meteor hitting Russia, North Korea expanding its' nuclear capabilities, and the Pope resigning.  
     When we look at the Bible and its' teachings on the end time it is clear that we will know the season of Christ return, just not the day or hour.  It states that we will see signs in the heavens (meteors, comets, etc.), rumors of wars (North Korea, Iran, and Russia), and one extra-biblical prophecy that the next Pope will be the last.  If one is alive and breathing it is apparent that there is turmoil all over the globe, but why do we still try to laugh it off and deny that quite possibly God may be trying to get our attention?  
     I was watching a clip of John D. Rockefeller IV address an audience that was in support of a one world government and I saw the most amazing act of defiance against the Creator.  He was mocking a statement in a book written by Pat Buchanan, in which he made reference to the widely help Biblical belief that any world government that man tried to form without Christ as its' head, would be doomed to failure and would be evil at its' heart.  Rockefeller IV's response was, "I ask you that you join me at the right hand of satan..." to build a one world government.  The audience erupted in laughter and applause.  While his intention may have a been an attempt at humor, the fact is he was shaking his fist in the face of God and challenging the He has set forth.
     The effects of the meteor hitting Russia is not fully noticeable as of yet, but the mocking has begun already.  There was one article on yahoo.com that stated, "Meteor...Not the end of the world." as if that writer was privy to the knowledge of the Most High.  The reality is that when the meteor struck people were terrified and thought Russia was at war.  So if people were so confident in their scientific approach to life and the cosmos, why would they immediately become so terrified and unsure?  The answer is that deep down inside we all know there is a God of the universe and if you're heart is not right with Him you will always have fear living just beneath the surface.
     I would like to ask every reader to search your own heart and see if you're confident in where your future lies.  We may be approaching the end times, or it may be a thousand years away, regardless you need to have that confidence that is found in Christ alone.  With Christ as your center you can face anything the world can throw at you!  And remember, He does ALL things for your good.  God bless.


By Jeffrey Brandon Lee

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Hypocrisy: Gun Control, Big Banks, and Climate Change


      Hypocrisy runs thick among politicians as we all know, but when looking at the far left it seems to be much more prevalent. If one pays very close attention to the words that come out of a liberal politician mouth you will see they are speaking out of both sides of it. To an audience that is plagued with the attention span of a two-year old, their arguments sound very fluid, convincing, and moral. I will use a few prominent issues to prove this sad state of the liberal agenda.
     Abortion has been one of the most fought over issues over the last forty or so years. The right has remained fairly consistent on the issue, believing that in almost all cases abortion should be outlawed due to the sanctity of life. The left on the other hand has been all over the map when it comes to the importance of life. First, you hear politicians such as Barak Obama calling for an end to the sale of assault rifles, and even claimed that if just 'one' child could be saved it would be worth it. Now that argument in and of itself seems to come from a passion for saving lives, but what comes out of the other side of his mouth? When he was in the senate in Illinois he argued that babies who survived an abortion should be allowed to die from malnutrition. So what exactly is the real stance of the left? 55 million babies have been aborted since abortion was legalized in the 1970's, but liberals have done nothing to stop the senseless murdering of innocence. The reality is that politicians such as Barak Obama and Nancy Pelosi only care about saving just 'one' innocent life if it fits their political agenda.
     On the economic front there is a constant attack on big business from those in control of our government at this present time. They cry for fairness and equality for all, but when the veil is pulled back who is supporting these very same democrats? In 2008 6 of the top 7 donors to Obama's campaign were investment banks. These same investment banks (like the bankrupt Lehman Brother's) were the one's who were responsible for the housing crisis and the skyrocketing gas prices. So why would they support candidates who said they wanted to take down these very same companies? The answer is quite clear! When it comes to investment banks, they now have the backing of the federal government when they invest in risky ventures, because they now know they have paid for the government to bail them out when they are in trouble. As for oil companies, they love the policies that shutdown more production, because when you shutdown production supply falls and prices along with profits rise. When you open up drilling to more competition the price drops drastically.
     Climate change will be the last issue discussed in this paper. Whether climate change is man made is still up for some debate, but that is not what will be discussed here, we will look at the true motives of the people promoting this fear. Let's look at Al Gore and his mission to end the harmful carbon emissions of the human race. On face value it seems once again to be a very worthy cause that most Americans would support, but now let's look at the truth behind his mission. Al Gore owns a home that produces 20 to 25 times the carbon emissions of a normal American household. He also flies around on a Lear jet that is a major carbon emitter. Putting aside these simple hypocrisies, we can get to the real sinister motive behind climate change. Al Gore constantly presses for carbon taxes and credits and there is a very real reason for this. He is a board member and major shareholder in the company that will be selling these very same carbon credits. It has been reported that he stands to make from 1 to 1.5 billion dollars if he can get the bill passed in congress. Now that is real concern for the environment. Another short example of this profit based motive cloaked in concern for the environment is that of MSNBC. They have been huge supporters of the green movement and the new low carbon emitting light bulbs. Great idea! Less electricity used and we will all save money on our electric bill. Now the reality, MSNBC is owned by GE (the very same company that manufactures the more expensive light bulb) and when you combine the wind energy and light bulb pushed they're reported to see an increase in revenue which could reach 1 trillion dollars when all is said and done. Sad!
     Now politicians on both sides of the isle are guilty of this type of behavior, but until we find a man with true character and an unbending will, we should seek to support the lesser of two evils. And furthermore, I encourage each and every American to take a close look at what they're being told and not just take it in unquestioned. If we don't we become mindless minions of a large and powerful government that will exploit us at every possible turn. God Bless and have a great day.

By Jeffrey Brandon Lee  

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A Brief History of Ancient Money

     One of the most valued things in our human existence is money in its various forms.  In order to better understand how we came to exchange paper for houses and cars,a closer look must be taken at the beginnings of this form of trade, which will give us a better perspective of how the current monetary system came about.  As we take a brief walk through the history of money, you be intrigued as to how different civilizations valued different objects, and how those object were in fact traded.  
     One of the first areas of the globe we will look at is the ancient Lydians of Greece, who Herodotus credits in the eighth century B.C. the following, "...The manners and customs of the Lydians do not essentially vary from those of Greece, except in this prostitution of young women.  They are the first people on record who coined gold and silver into money, and traded in retail."  It seems fitting that since prostitution is said to be the oldest profession that money would be recorded first in such a transaction.  While Herodotus is one of the more widely accepted ancient historians, in Jack Weatherford's The History of Money he shed light on a more ancient claim to the beginning of money when he writes, "As early as the end of the third millennium B.C., the people of Mesopotamia began using ingots of precious metals in exchange for goods.  Mesopotamian clay tablets inscribed in cuneiform in 2500 B.C. mention the use of silver as a form of payment."  The first use of precious metals for currency may never  be known, but it is important to look at the best sources of information on the subject that we have to date. 
     The problem many of the early money makers had though was developing a uniformed and standard weight and values for the different precious metals.  According to John Kenneth Galbraith in Money: Whence It Came, Where It Went, "After Alexander the Great the custom was established of depicting the head of the sovereign on the coin, less, it has been suggested, as a guarantee of the weight and fineness of the metal than as a thoughtful gesture by the ruler himself."  This form of currency remained largely unchanged in this part of the world until the 17th and 18th century when bank notes began to appear and be accepted as 'good as gold'.  The next part of the globe we are going to visit was for more primitive in its exchange of goods and its form of currency.
      The ancient Aztec culture was far more brutal and controlling of its currency than other surrounding nations.  Cocoa beans were the coins of this empire and they were sacredly valued and meticulously counted.  What is amazing and disturbing about this economic system is not in the trade of the beans, but in fact what they were traded for.  600 cocoa beans could be traded for a human in which to sacrifice to the God's (which occurred daily with the ripping out of the live victims heart).  According to Jack Weatherford in  The History of Money, "Although the sacrifices sponsored by the merchants ended up on the dining table of a special banquet, most sacrificial victims had a more mercantile end....They disemboweled the corpse and sent the choicest cuts of meat to the tianquiztli, the city market, where they would be sold for chocolate."  So much for the ancient Americans 'painting with the colors of the wind' and being harmony with every living thing.
     Although the Aztec and early American Indian trading and religious system was brutal and archaic, it still was monitored very closely by its government.  Some of the more daring traders would attempt to fill cocoa beans with mud and then pawn them of as real beans, but if the perpetrator was caught it would most likely cost him his life.
     By the time of Christ, many nations had begun to steer away from trading farming goods for services and had adopted the metal form of currency.  This has lasted to a certain extent up to this day, but it has not been without its drawbacks.  In The Wealth of Nations, one of the greatest economic works of all time, Adam Smith wrote about the common custom of merchants and buyers chipping off small pieces of the coins thus damaging their value.  In an effort to stop this practice Kings went to the furthest extent and issued that proclamation that anyone found defacing the currency would be executed, and this largely curtailed the practice.
     Moving into more modern time, the Bank of England charter of 1694 helped promote and spread the use of a new form of currency, paper.  Although its use had been around since the late 13th and early 14th century, people were still widely skeptical of its use.  As we have now entered into the period of modern currency and trade I feel that this is a good place to leave off.  Next we will deal with modern forms of currency such as; credit/debit cards, stocks, greenbacks, and gold etc.



By Jeffrey Brandon Lee

Monday, February 11, 2013

Great Guide To The End Times

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414353731/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1414353731&linkCode=as2&tag=godecoandlif-20

Popes Resignation and Possible End Times Implications!

     With the sudden resignation of the Pope it seems appropriate to reflect on some of the Papal and Biblical prophecies that may be implicated by this event.  Before we begin I would like to make clear that the following is from research alone and not to considered Divinely inspired.  I would expect that each of you would read and then search your own hearts through prayer and meditation for what God would reveal to you.  Now let's begin our discussion.
     Pope Benedict XVI announced to the world today that he will be stepping down on February 28th of this year sighting poor health as his reason.  This immediately leaves millions wondering who the next head of the Catholic church will be, and a good place to begin our search is with the prophecy of Saint Malachy in 1139.    Malachy had been summoned to Rome by the reigning pope and while he was their it was said that he experienced a vision of all the popes to come.  Many claim that another person authored the prophecy, and some even claim that famous Nostradamus was responsible for its creation.  Regardless of who the author of the work was, it's been eerily accurate as to who was to be the successors of the Papacy.
     According to wikipedia, "They purport to describe each of the Roman Catholic popes (along with a few anti-popes), beginning with Pope Celestine II (elected in 1143) and concluding with current pope Benedict XVI's successor, a pope described in the prophecy as "Peter the Roman", whose pontificate will end in the destruction of the city of Rome."  Many prophecy scholars claim that this 'final' pope will be the harlot that revelations speaks about as being the leader of the one world religion.  If that is indeed the case than this puts a very evil man into a very powerful position and we must all be on our guard so that we are not deceived.  John Phillips describes the false prophet as follows, "The Dynamic appeal of the false prophet will lie in his skill in combining political expediency with religious passion, self-interest with benevolent philanthropy, lofty sentiment with blatant sophistry, moral platitude with unbridled self-indulgence.  His arguments will be subtle, convincing, and appealing.  His oratory will be hypnotic, for he will be able to move the masses to tears or whip them into a frenzy....His deadly appeal will lie in the fact that what he says will sound so right, so sensible, so exactly what unregenerate men have always wanted to hear."  Frightening indeed.
     Whether the next pope is going to be the false prophet, or will be a Jew as some suggest, it is important to see what his ultimate goal is.  According to Revelation 13:12,  “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed”  So the false prophet's main goal is to get the masses to worship the beast or antichrist.  This unholy trinity will have the power to mimic the miracles that the two witnesses from God perform.  The ultimate goal will be that every man, woman, and child on earth declare that the beast is God.  He will eventually sit on the throne of God in the third temple and proclaim that he is god and sacrifice a pigs on the altar.
     This altar and throne will be located on the temple mount in Israel when the third temple of Solomon is rebuilt.  Many think that the idea of the Muslims allowing a Jewish temple to be built next to the dome of the rock is absurd and unlikely, but there are today Jew's in the Holy Land that have already made the temple utensils and some of the building blocks in anticipation of the new temple.  The Bible talks about a 7 year peace treaty being signed between Israel and its' enemies, and after 3 1/2 years the treaty will be broken.  Some suggest that the treaty will include the Jew's being able to rebuild Solomon's temple.  
     This whole scenario is not as unlikely as it may seem.  The so-called 'Arab Spring' may have been the first domino to fall in the prophetic calendar leading up to the 'Ezekiel War' where God supernaturally saves Israel from the invading armies.  When we look closely at the countries that participated in this revolution there is one thing that stands out very clear.  The only nations where the 'Arab Spring' was 'successful' were Islamic countries that had secular governments in place that allowed a certain amount of religious freedom.  After they were able to topple their dictators, the Muslim Brotherhood was quick to snatch power from the people and attempt to implement Sharia Law.  So the question is this, why did America and the west not support the uprisings in Iran and Saudi Arabia?  The answer from a Biblical standpoint is clear, and it is because those nations were already governed by Islamic theocracies.  So the pieces are now in place for what is to come next.
     In Ezekiel 38:19-22 it states, "In My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: "Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the fields, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence.  The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground".  I will call for a sword against Gog (Russia) throughout all My mountains," says the Lord God.  "Every man's sword will be against his brother.  And I will bring him to judgement with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on many peoples who are with him (Arab nations), flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone."  As you can see, Russia (who has long hated Israel) and an Arab alliance will come against Israel and be destroyed by God.  Already we can see the signs of a military strengthening on the part of the Arab nations as reported by the New York Times, "The agreements with Saudi Arabia included the purchase of 84 advanced F-15 fighters, a variety of ammunition, missiles and logistics support, and upgrades of 70 of the F-15 fighters in the current fleet.  Sales to Saudi Arabia last year also included dozens of Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, all contributing to a total Saudi weapons deal from the United States of $33.4 billion, according to the study.  The United Arab Emirates purchased a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, an advanced antimissile shield that includes radars and is valued at $3.49 billion, as well as 16 Chinook helicopters for $939 million.  Oman bought 18 F-16 fighters for $1.4 billion."  Many cite the reason for this military 'bulking up' as a response to the growing threat from Iran, but to Christians it should signal something far different.  War is coming to Israel and with everything that has been going on in the region it seems likely that it is coming very soon.  Our President is visiting Israel this week, and right before his arrival the state of Israel has approved more new settlements, which will undoubtedly cause an uproar among the Arab and Persian nations.
     So if we really are living in the end times, what are we to do?  Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, "But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.  For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.  For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon  a pregnant woman.  And they shall not escape."  It is apparent from this passage that we must be on the constant look out, especially when peace is cried out loud and far.  
     These times may seem to be full of fear, but God has made promises to those who call on Him.  As David Jeremiah writes in Living With Confidence In A Chaotic World, "A particularly wonderful aspect of the Bible is its many promises.  When God makes a promise, it is our rock.  Jesus comforts us with this promise: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also"(John 14:3)"  My advice to all Christians, whether pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib, is to live your life as God intended.  If you're in school, stay in school.  If you want to have a baby, by all means be fruitful and multiply.  Don't ever let fear of the end prevent you from having all that God has promised to you!  Now to those of you who do not believe in Christ I would like to offer you the opportunity to make Him Lord of your life.  Just tell Him that you're a sinner in need of His saving grace and the sacrifice that He went through on the cross.  Let Him know that you will make Him Lord of your life.  If you have confessed to Christ all this and confessed that He is the Son of God, then I would like to welcome you into the family of God.  Now join a good church and read the Bible for all its wonder and promises!


By Jeffrey Brandon Lee 

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Get: Fire in the Minds of Men by James H. Billington

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765804719/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0765804719&linkCode=as2&tag=godecoandlif-20

Secret Societies: Their Origins and Beliefs



     Secret Societies are one of the more intriguing topics in today's information rich technological environment. With most of the world's knowledge just a keystroke away, many people find themselves researching topics that would otherwise be beyond their reach. One dark corner of the internet is dedicated to the research of secret societies. It will be the goal of this article to examine the origins and original motives of these elusive groups. Also, we will take a look a brief look at the societies in their more modern form.
        The more famous of secret societies is the practice of freemasonry. Some date the origins of this group back to the Knights Templar, and claim that after the Templar's were crushed by the King of France that they fled and formed the Mason's. Others say that the roots of Freemasonry can be traced all the way back to Egypt and the ancient Pharaoh’s. Whichever of the two is true, one thing is for certain, during the late 19th century their influence was being felt by people as powerful as Napoleon.
       The Mason's were hierarchical in nature and led men to believe that as they achieved greater levels of Masonry, they would have 'greater truth's' revealed to them. While many claim to be Christian's to this day, the original object of the Mason's was to rebuild the temple of Solomon and reshape society in a secular way with 'moral force'. The whole idea being that man was finally capable of being a civilized society without the supernatural help of God, or as they called Him 'The Divine Architect'.
      As Billington wrote in his great work Fire in the Minds of Men, “In what follows I shall attempt to show that the modern revolutionary tradition as it came to be internationalized under Napoleon and the Restoration grew out of occult Freemasonry; that early organizational ideas originated more from Pythagorean mysticism than from practical experience; and that the real innovators were not so much political activist as literary intellectuals, on whom German romantic thought in general-and Bavarian Illuminism in particular-exerted great influence.” The internationalization of this movement brings the tantalizing idea that the power of one group of men had expanded and consolidated their power in multiple nations. This gives rise to the more popular theories of a One World Government and who is behind the push for such an international body. While the Mason's seem to be the power behind Secret Societies, the next group of men are alleged to have far greater control of world affairs.
     Popularized by the movie The Da vinci Code, The Illuminati has long been considered by conspiracy theorist as the head of all other organizations. According to Billington, “The Order of Illuminists was founded on May 1, 1776, by a professor of canon law at the University of Ingolstadt in Bavaria, Adam Weishaupt, and four associates.” Different from the Mason's, The Illuminati didn't seek to attain a higher level of wisdom, but to be remade 'into a totally loyal servant of a universal mission'. They also sought to bring top level Mason's and other secret societies into their own organization to gain notoriety.
     The Illuminati were made up of three different bodies; church, synod, and areopagite. The areopagite were the top level Illuminists, and it consisted of 'the small secrets' and 'the great secrets'. When a member was able to attain the very top level they were said to have achieved the ultimate goal, which was, ultimate 'liberty' and 'equality'. Mostly political in nature, there is still not much known about this exclusive group. Some even suggest that the organization in its original form no longer exists.
      Today the Mason's are seen as a dying breed with 'temples' shutting down all over the country, but the truth is far from this. There have been 27 President's who were said to have been Mason's (including 33rd level George H.W. Bush). Many have even claimed that Billy Graham is a 33rd level mason, and have even claimed to see him in the 33rd level temple in Washington D.C.. Whether there is truth in the claim, we may never know, but the mere fact that so many President's have been members of the organization its fair to say that the group is alive and well.
      As for the Illuminati, it is far more difficult to find their existence. Some believe that the Bilderberg group is the new form of the Illuminati, but it is uncertain. According to Ashley Lutz, “ The Bilderberg group is120-140 powerful people who meet each year to discuss policy. The meetings are closed to the public.” Not only are the meetings closed to the public, they are also heavily guarded by men with machine guns and snipers on the roof. Lutz also mentions that the group includes the notorious One World Government advocate George Soros. These elite few are tied to almost every major global corporation, charity, and political body. As one commentator once said, “Do you think they are getting together to play pea knuckle?”
     It is fair to say that these groups are powerful in nature and their influence encompasses the globe, but what can't be concluded is what their ultimate goal is (unless you take them at their word). Sometimes people laugh at conspiracy theories as the inventions of kooks, but I have always lived by the saying, “If just 10% percent of what they say is true, we should all be very afraid.” I hope this information was helpful, and I will write in more detail in the future on each organization. God Bless.


By Jeffrey Brandon Lee

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Completing the Task God Has Set Before You

     Many times in life we are left feeling inadequate or unworthy of God's call on our lives.  Whether it's a sin we think God simply can't forgive us for, or the task that is just to great for us to overcome, it can truly put us in a rut.  The purpose of this article is going to shed light on how to respond to the constant inner conflict and defeatist attitude that stalls our obedience to God.
     Guilt is one of the tragic feelings that many Christians constantly battle to overcome.  At times it can be something so trivial and small it may seem silly to even feel guilt, but at other times it may be a very great sin that constantly plagues our consciences.  Take heart in the fact that you're not alone.  There has never been a man or woman who ever lived on this earth that has not sinned, except the mighty Son of God Jesus Christ.  
     So when the guilt attempts to condemn you and lay on your shoulder's the burden of sin, remember what Christ did for you!  Jesus lived the unblemished life that the messiah must, and for that He was put on a cross and nailed to it where He died.  He did this not only to do the Father's will, but so that you wouldn't have to feel the guilt or condemnation for you past mistakes.  He died and went to hell so that when the devil comes at you and accuses you saying you're not worthy to undertake the mission God has set before you, you can tell him, "I live without the burden of sin for God poured His wrath out on His Son so that I would no longer have to live by the law, which is called the ministry of death."  So pick yourself up with the confidence of God's love and move boldly toward the future that God has planned for you!
     Others of you may look at the task assigned and say, "Lord there is no possible way that I can accomplish what you have asked me to do."  This is a very common fear that we deal with when we are presented with a clear assignment from God, but once again we must not let ourselves get stuck in the mud and not move forward.  We must always remember that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us!  He would have never given you the assignment if you could not accomplish it, and He knows exactly how it will be done.  All we have to do is have faith that He is in control of the situation and that He will deliver us in our time of need.
     The father of the Reformation, Martin Luther, is a prime example of how far God can take a simple man.  Luther was a monk in a small Abby in Germany in the 15th century.  Early on he struggled with his faith and even questioned the goodness of God, but God had a great work to do in this single man.  Through diligent study of the word and extraordinary faith, Luther was able to challenge the very Papal throne.  He relied completely on the grace and faithfulness of God to the point of facing death as an accused heretic.  Through it all God always provided the words and safety that Luther needed to accomplish his mission.  Today we all benefit from his courage and faith as he translated the first Bible to be available to the masses.
     The important fact to remember when you face the challenge God has set before you, is that He loves you enough to sacrifice His own Son so that you could be with Him forever!  If you truly believe that He is all powerful, then walk boldly out into the world and accomplish the task He set before you.  I can guarantee one thing, and that is, if it is His will, He will make the way for you to succeed in everything He has for you.  God Bless and have a great day!     


By Jeffrey Brandon Lee

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

New Media: Finding Economic Truth Through the Lies!

     Truth may be one of the hardest things to determine in the media today.  Whether it is CNBC and the 'Tingle going up my leg', or Fox and their insistence that Romney was going to win in a landslide, the validity of the facts are often left up to the viewer to decide.  With the little time we have these days most will not take or don't have the time to research it for themselves.  This article will attempt to shed light on some of the falsehoods we have been fed as Americans.
     The biggest lie that Americans are led to believe is that the economy is turning around.  You hear from most major media sources that the job market is turning around and that the unemployment number is going down.  First, let's take a look at the overall economy.  If people are honest with themselves they will see that stores are closing left and right and shopping centers are almost empty.  The few new stores that are being opened tend to shut their doors months later due to sluggish sales.  Just recently we see that Barnes & Noble is shutting down stores and J.C. Penny's is struggling to stay afloat.  Best Buy is trying to secure the finances to go private to prevent a shutdown and liquidation of its assets.  So where are all these new jobs we are hearing about constantly?
     The answer is in technology, but sadly most Americans are not qualified enough to fill these positions.  Even if they were, the number of jobs lost in the economy is far greater than the jobs that are being created.  How can that be you may ask.  We all heard Barak Obama say that he created 7 million new jobs in his first four years.  Sounds great right?  Well, let's take a closer look at the numbers that are in question.  The 7 million jobs that were mentioned were new positions that did not exist before he took office, but the reality is at the same time these new jobs were being created 8.5 million jobs were lost.  At the same time the unemployment percentage went down below 8%.  This is where most people's heads begin to spin so I'll lay it out quite simply.
     When a person files their initial unemployment claim and are granted the insurance they're considered part of the working force for the remaining 99 weeks that they qualify for.  If they're still unemployed after their benefits expire they mysteriously disappear from the numbers.  They become what is called 'chronically unemployed' and are no longer considered part of the work force.  Therefor, the real unemployment number is estimated to be between 11-18% (Close to that of The Great Depression).  It reminds one of the way the old Soviet Union used to manipulate its economic numbers to embellish its success.  In the end the true numbers always come out as they did when the Soviet Empire collapsed.
     Another myth that is spread by the mainstream media is the reported under taxation of the American public.  Our country's investors pay the second highest tax on dividends in the world (and that includes socialist countries).  The problem with increasing this rate even further is that it takes money that would be used to consume (increasing the need for labor) or invested in new businesses and instead gives it to government to spend.  Now most people would admit that the government is quite wasteful when it comes to spending.  What would be a better use of 3 million dollars?  To spend the money on the study of marijuana's effect on lab rats, or to allow a person to keep the money to open up their own business and employ 10-20 people.  The answer should be quite clear.
     I hope this information was helpful when it comes to digesting the news.  I will keep you up to date on any important information that may seem to be a little too good to be true or is blatantly false.  Keep your hopes up, but your minds guarded.


By Jeffrey Brandon Lee
       
     

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Courage is the Answer!


     In order to be successful in this life a person must learn how to effectively confront the problems they face. Christ said in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the World you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” So it not be a surprise to anyone when they face a challenge that may shake them to their very core, but in the shaking they must remember who their hope is in. So what else should be done in these troubling times?
     One thing that must remember is to never shy away from the trial that God has placed in your life. Trying to avoid the problem will only prolong your time within the problem, and that is a mistake that many make. Once the problem has been identified, take time in prayer to seek what the Lord would have you do. Many times you may find He says as He did in Ephesians 6:13, “Therefor take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Standing can be the hardest thing a person must endure, when inside they feel the necessity of flight. Now standing may mean different things in different situations as will be seen.
     Some situations require one to keep on the course they are already on and stand firm in their direction. It may mean battling through depression, anxiety, economic hardship or a handful of other problems, and the Lord may just ask them to remain steady and allow Him to bring about His will. Then there are other times when the Lord may bring a problem to let someone know that where they're at is not where the Lord wants them. In this instance God may want them to stand by changing their direction and holding on to Him when things get tough. Whatever the case may be, the person must never take standing to mean cowling down and letting the enemy assault them as they whimper. A person puts on the armor of God to fight and to defend, not to be cowardice and let the enemy flail away on them.
     Courage is the key to being successful in this battle! Courage to stand firm and trust that the Lord will bring them through the battle and that He, “Works out everything for our good.”. Not just somethings, but everything. So when the battle hits them full strength they can laugh at the devil and say, “Greater is He who is in me then he who is in the world.” With an attitude of courage and love a Christian can overcome any obstacle that life throws their way. God bless and have a great day!


Jeffrey Brandon Lee  

Monday, February 4, 2013

Afghanistan:What We Should Have Learned From the Soviets

     The Cold War brought with it many smaller wars in which each side of the larger conflict sought to influence a nation into siding with their particular ideology.  One of the most prominent of those cases was the Soviet war in Afghanistan.  The Soviet Union had long desired a warm water port for its fleet and the obvious choice seemed to be gaining access through the Middle East.  Prior to 1978, Afghanistan had been ruled by the heavy-handed King Massoud, but with the Communist Revolution and coup of that year, things became more complicated for the Russian government.  Assassinations and attempted assassinations by government insiders and KGB agents marked the next couple of years for the Afghan people.  With internal tension rising between the government and the nations major tribal leaders, the Soviets sought to intervene and help stabilize its communist neighbors regime.  The end result was the catastrophic defeat of the morale and strength of the Soviet Union, and eventually the crisis helped contribute to its fall.  The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the difficulties they faced in trying to stabilize the power of the government in Kabul.
Afghanistan has long had a history of war and invasion that some historians date back to as early as 3000 B.C.E. Although the country has only existed as a nation state since 1918, it has never been effectively absorbed into a greater empire or been successfully unified.  One of the reasons for these failures is expressed clearly by Larry P. Goodson in Afghanistan’s Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics, and the Rise of the Taliban when he writes:
“Since the advent of Islam, Afghanistan has epitomized the classic
“inward-looking” peasant society.  Its terrain and wide ethnic diversity combine
to reinforce a powerful sense of isolation and “separateness” of often small
and discrete groups.  Strict tribal mores, the competition for limited resources,
and efforts at power projection also lead to clashes.”
Even with this knowledge, and the historical defeat of the British at two different times during the eighteenth century, the Soviets were undeterred.  With the perceived threat, after the fall of the Shah in Iran, of the United State seeking another ally in the region Russia was determined to prop up the feeble Afghan government.
The Soviets were not alone in their desire to keep the government in Kabul functioning as a socialist ally.  As the internal turmoil began to threaten the Taraki government, the President was forced to ask the Soviets for assistance to put down the rebellion.  Gregory Feifer in The Great Gamble: The Soviet War In Afghanistan quotes the Afghan President as saying to the Soviet leader Kosygin, “If you launch a decisive attack on Herat now, it will be possible to save the revolution.”  Kosygin and the other members of the Politburo were not ready to take such a huge risk that was sure to invite international criticism.  That opinion was soon to change.
After the successful coup attempt on the Taraki government, and the ‘nomination’ of Taraki’s rival Amin as President, the Politburo felt forced to take action.  Amin continued to remain loyal to the Soviet Union, but that proved to be not enough.  According to Gregory Feifer, “In any case, December 27 was picked as the day for “Storm-333”: a new operation to kill Amin.”  The Soviets had already made two unsuccessful attempts on the life of Amin and now they knew they had to make a decisive move.  They had their handpicked replacement Karmal waiting in Moscow as soon as the deadly deed was completed.
To this day, there is no evidence that details who ordered the actual invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, but on December 25 “Advance divisions of the invading force, under the Fortieth Army, first entered Afghanistan…”.  What was initially portrayed as an international peacekeeping force by the Soviet government was in actuality there to take control of that same government.  After cleverly requesting that Amin move to Darulaman Palace, on the premise that it was more easily defended, the Russians made their move.  According to Anthony Arnold in Afghanistan: The Soviet Invasion in Perspective on December 27 at 7:15 P.M.:
“The Soviet troops that had been airlifted into Kabul made a coordinated
attack on key government installations.  Simultaneously two or three
battalions, spearheaded by light tanks, struck at Darulaman Palace.
Hopelessly outgunned and outnumbered, Amin and his guard nevertheless
put up staunch resistance and were only overcome shortly before midnight.”
With this single act of aggression the Soviet invasion had begun.
With a far superior military force and a foe that was ‘disorganized’ and tribal in nature the Soviets thought the insurrection would be easily put down.  Arnold gives a clear example of this when he states the Soviets goals as follows, “elimination of the mujahideen (holy warrior) resistance via intimidation or, if necessary, massive military blows…”.  Russia, as Britain before, made the mistake of approaching the invasion as if they were facing another first world military power with a single military command structure.  In reality they were facing five major tribal factions that would be fighting each other if not the Soviet Union.  They also made the mistake of gauging the resolve of their opponent.  According to General Oleg Sarin and Colonel Lev Dvoretsky in Alien Wars: The Soviet Union’s Aggressions Against the Word, 1919 to 1989, “It was obvious that the only profitable way was to treat the Afghans justly and respect their sovereignty.  Any other approach would just not work because of the love of the Afghan people for freedom.”  These misjudgments would characterize the rest of the war for the Soviet Union.
The Russians initial plan was to aid the Afghan army in its own efforts to put down the insurrection, but the invasion changed all of that.  The Afghan army had been suffering mass desertions ever since the Saur Revolution and once the Soviets showed up in force the rate of desertion actually increased.  Shaista Wahab and Barry Youngerman in A Brief History of Afghanistan state, “When it became clear that the Afghan army was not up to the task, the Soviets soon found that their heavily armored forces, trained for set-piece battles in China or the North European Plain, were not ideally suited to fight local militias on difficult terrain.”  Once again this did not deter the invaders as they amassed an initial force of 85,000 troops in 1979 to quell the violence.
At first the overwhelming firepower and heavily armored vehicles of the Soviet forces gained several decisive defeats over the rebels, but that changed as the insurgents realized that they lacked sufficient weaponry to face their foes head-to-head.  The new strategy of the mujahideen is stated clearly by Gregory Feifer when he states, “Realizing they couldn’t win battles by directly engaging Red Army forces, the vastly outgunned mujahideen soon began forming highly mobile units composed of ten to thirty men.”  These highly mobile units were still just a bothersome presence to the Russians as most of the insurgents carried World War II or older model rifles.  Weapons such as these were unable to reach aircraft or pierce the heavily armored ground units.
The Afghan rebels sought to find a better way to thwart their foe with the weapons they had at the time, and the ambush was found to be the most effective practice.  Examples of this occurred regularly in the Panjshir Valley.  The mujahideen fighters had learned the art of making the I.E.D. or Improvised Explosive Device and littered the valley floor with these deadly weapons.  The Soviets had already learned earlier that their cumbersome BTR-60 troop transports had insufficient armor to withstand these explosives so they had carefully swept the valley prior to their attack.  With Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters flying overhead for support the Russians felt confident that they would be able to take the Panjshir Valley with ease.  But according to Feifer what transpired was as follows:
“After several minutes under fire, he and several of his men realized
the mujahideen would eventually pick them off from above.  Their only
hope would be to clamber up the rocky mountainside to attack the rebels
targeting them.  They slowly scrambled up-and found nothing: the Afghans
had avoided them by the simple means of leaving for higher ground…The
sun rose to expose those who’d remained in the valley: some twenty-five
men, now all dead.”
This caused a great amount of anxiety among the Soviet troops as they began to fear that the enemy was behind every rock or building.  Also, the fact that the mujahideen were dressed as a common villager led to the inability to discern who the real enemy was.
This fact and the atrocious way in which the Afghan insurgents treated their enemy captives led to many massacres on the part of the Soviets.  One of the gruesome practices of the mujahideen was according to Feifer, “…their favorite tortures was skinning Soviet soldiers alive by slitting them around the waist, pulling their skin above their heads, and tying it there, leaving the doomed to suffer excruciating deaths.”  The Soviets upon seeing their comrades left in such a state would on many occasions kill anyone in sight; including women and children.  This only helped to solidify the resistance to the perceived invaders.
In response to the I.E.D.’s and ambush attacks the Soviets brought in the more heavily armored BTR-70s and BMP-2 infantry-fighting vehicle.  Even though the safer BTR-70s offered more protection, many troops opted to ride on the top risking being taken out by sniper fire rather then ride inside.  The thought was that by riding on top you had more of a chance of surviving a mine blast then by remaining inside.  These measures had a small impact, but with the increased assistance from the United States and Saudi Arabia in weaponry and financial aid, it soon offset any advantage they had gained.
The United States took a stand verbally against the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, but were not ready to outright help the Afghan’s after their recent failures in Vietnam.  $30 million was all the Carter administration was willing to commit to the rebel forces and that had to be done through third parties so as not to overtly alert the Soviets to their aid.  When Reagan was elected in 1980 he sought to restore the United States presence overseas and according to Wahab and Youngerman he ordered, “…the CIA to do what it could.  During his first administration, direct aid remained at fairly modest levels, rising to around $250 million in 1984.”  Although direct aid to the mujahideen was at ‘modest’ levels, the United States was also funding the Zia government in Pakistan with a $3.2 billion package of aid, which included the possible sale of F-16 fighter jets.#  It was very important for the United States and the mujahideen to shore up the Pakistani government because it was through this nation that most of the arms were shipped into Afghanistan.
Disguising where the arms came from was a problem that was solved fairly easily.  The Soviet Union had backed Egypt and Syria in their war against Israel and after their defeat and subsequently becoming allies of the United States it was easy to supply the rebels with Soviet made weapons.  This along with the steady flow of blankets, food, and other necessities was helping to turn the tide of the war.  The Soviets scorched earth policy against the locals was also beginning to turn against them.  The main reason for this was according to Wahab and Youngerman, “Perhaps the most important, in the summer of 1986, the United States made the decision to supply the mujahideen with shoulder-fired, heat-seeking Stinger anti-aircraft rockets (and British blowpipe missiles).”  These new weapons not only made the war more costly for the Russian government, but it also dealt a great blow to the already demoralized Soviet troops.
 No longer able to dominate the Afghanistan skies with impunity the Soviets began to suffer heavy losses in most of their campaigns.  The Afghan War was costing the Soviet Union between $7-$12 billion a year and with the military only being able to gain control of the major cities (and that only being during the daytime) international sentiment began to turn against their effort.  By the end of the war the losses for the Russians were according to Feifer:
“Some 620,000 Soviets served in Afghanistan.  Officially, 13,833 died-
although that number is still the subject of debate between various
Russian government agencies…Among the equipment lost were 118 jets,
333 helicopters, 147 tanks, 1,314 APCs, 433 artillery pieces and mortars,
1,138 communications vehicles, 510 engineering vehicles, and 11,369 trucks.”
Although the Soviet losses seem rather significant, when compared to what happened to the Afghan people, they pale.
The Afghans may be a fiercely independent country which will fight to the end, but that didn’t stop them from taking the brunt of the blows in this war.  According to Sarin and Dvoretsky, “The Afghans were able to defend their independence at a tremendously high cost: a million casualties, expenditure of huge sums, and the ravaging of a land that still remains in ruins.  The “holy war” against the infidels has developed into a civil war with brothers and previous allies fighting each other.”#  The end result of the post-soviet era in Afghanistan was the rise of the Taliban and the extreme Sharia law.
With Soviet troop morale at an all-time low, and international sentiment turning against the Politburo, the Gorbachev government agreed to the Geneva agreements to the withdrawal of their forces.  The agreement stated that the Soviet Union would have all of their forces out of Afghanistan within nine months beginning May 15, 1988.  Once again Sarin and Dvoretsky state:
“There were two routes of the Soviet withdrawal: via Kushka and via
Termez.  The transportation sequence was strictly observed.  Between
May 15 and August 1988, about 50,200 Soviet troops returned to Soviet
territory from garrison in Jalalabad, Ghazni, Gardez, Faizabad,
Kunduz, Lashkargah, and Kandahar.”
Although there were quite a few troops left behind after these initials pull outs, their main objective was to train and supply the remaining Afghan army.  Even as the final troops attempted to leave peacefully from the Afghan countryside they came under constant attack from the mujahideen.  Once safely out of Afghanistan many troops returned to a life that mirrored closely that of a Vietnam veteran.
The Soviet Union and the United States were constantly at each other’s proverbial throats during the last half of the twentieth century.  Afghanistan was just one instance of this in the Cold War that led to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Empire.  The Politburo failed to learn from history what happened to invaders attempting conquer and subdue the Afghan people.  With their superior technology and highly trained troops they made the mistake of underestimating the heart of the people and their desire for freedom and independence.  The Soviet troops on the one hand went in with the pride of the Soviet Union beefing up their confidence, but the Afghan’s had something different to inspire them, and that was the protection of their families and homes.  Once the horrible life of living in a battle zone with low quality or no food at all the Soviets morale quickly declined.  This coupled with the virtual elimination of Soviet military power by the guerilla warfare tactics of the mujahideen, and American supplied artillery and modern automatic weapons, proved to be too great of an economic cost for the communist regime in Moscow to handle.  The end result was the ‘agreed’ withdrawal of Soviet troops and the eventual rise of the Taliban.  It remains to be seen whether the current United States incursion into Afghanistan will lead to a similar fate for its forces.