The Future of the World Depends on Failure of the EU - Human Freedom and Liberty Needs It to Fail

Yes, I'll admit that title is a little hard-hitting and in your face, but what better way to get the point across. Now then, you are going to want my explanation for such a harsh reality type statement like that, and I believe you are justified in your inquiry, so, let's get right into the meat of this debate, and then you can contemplate on this argument, whether you agree or disagree is immaterial, my objective is purely to get you to think about it all.

Now then, if you will recall Greece is world of financial hurt, mostly due to their over expenditures on socialist type government give-aways, and rather than going to austerity measures to re-align themselves with the rest of Europe, they elected a more left-leaning socialist leader. What did France do? Well, they are not without their own challenges although far better off than the PIIGS - Portugal, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Ireland. But what did France do, well, they too voted in a more left leaning President recently.

All these left-leaning socialist methods are what has caused all these problems, and rather than fixing them, they decide to add more fuel to that fire and dig a bigger hole, rather than digging their way out of the one they'd created. If the ECB becomes an entity with the same power as the Federal Reserve and attempts to borrow its way out of things without changing this socialist mindset, it only will blow the balloon up bigger for one less hoorah before the big pop and implosion in the years ahead.

Worse, in the meantime it gives other nations a model to follow, and they too will reach the same potential eventuality and drive off a similar future cliff. And, let's not forget our own nation's problems, isn't our current leadership also following socialist theory and borrowing so many bad economic habits from Europe already? If the governments of the world become the parents and nannies of their citizenry, then what happens when the parents can no longer provide.

Perhaps you will recall when you were young and your parents took care of you? You didn't have that much freedom, and you always wanted more, but those were the rules right? Well, if the government is your new parents and you live as a socialist subject then you will not have any freedom or liberty, and then may I ask what you intend on doing when your parents lose their home, and leave you all alone? Freedom and Liberty come with responsibility my friends.

Of course, I am utterly amazed that the US voters would elect a regime that promised them such a socialist dream, something that goes against everything this great nation stands for. It's time to understand that socialism does not work, and maybe it is time for the European Union's experiment to fail before other nations follow it into the same abyss. Mexico is about to elect a left-leaning socialist, and many nations in South America already have. History shows this to be unwise, and it will surely cause those economies an early demise.

We as Americans know better, or at least most of us used too, today, it appears that the majority may not know better - nevertheless, maybe it's time that everyone see the light. It might be much better off for the future of mankind, for freedom and liberty worldwide, if the EU simply fall apart and those nations which are less socialistic are allowed to succeed on their own accord and those which aren't are allowed to pay for their foolhardy mistakes, then we might see a rebirth of freedom and liberty, yes, with responsibility, as that is the nature of things on this planet, it's always been that way, no matter what a politician might say.

Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Economics and Politics. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/

All I Need Is a Chance He Said - Wrong, What He Needs Is to Do, Not Beg

The other day, someone wished to join our think tank, and they told me that all they needed was a chance; they need someone to give them a chance and they would shine. Then they asked me if I remembered when someone gave me a chance - and asked me to remember back when I was young and just starting out. The reality is that no one ever gave me a chance, I had to fight for my chance, I was told I couldn't do it, it wasn't allowed, or that I wasn't good enough. I knew that not to be true, and I made my own way. I'd like to talk to you about this for second because you're probably already dismissing what I'm saying.

Sure, there were people along away who said they wanted to give me a chance, but every time someone wanted to give me a chance, the reality is they wanted to harvest my hard work ethic and energy and make money off of my efforts. The bank that gave me my first business loan, said that they wanted to give me a chance, but "fat chance" as this was when interest rates were approaching 10% or more. They weren't giving me a chance rather the bank was making a ton of money. Don't kid yourself.

When I was young I started my first aircraft washing business at age 12, and the local fixed base operator at the airport wanted to give me a chance and let me clean their aircraft. Were they really giving me a chance, or were they hiring me because I charged less than everyone else, and I would do it cheaper? I would submit to you that they hired me because the prices were low, and it didn't make sense for them to pay their own employees to do the work, because I would do it cheaper, and I worked harder, and therefore did a better job, and they saved money.

Did they really give me a chance? You might say they gave me a chance, and I earned my keep, and proved my worth, but I would submit to you that they used me. I understood the game, and I was perfectly okay with that, but I didn't need anyone to give me a chance, not really. I took my chances, I seized the moment, I grabbed opportunity, and I never looked back. I find it very unfortunate that people in our society believe that they need to be given a chance. No.

They don't need to be given a chance; they need to put forth effort and perform, and when they do that other people will notice, and they will let them prove themselves. These people who say they need a chance are wrong - and they don't need to be given anything by the government, or our tax dollar, if they want to make it the world they have to do what I did, and every other successful person did in this country, they have to perform, put in the hard work, and persevere. They need to develop strength of character, and be committed and dedicated to their cause.

They don't need a chance; they were already born, and now they're here they've got their chance. What they make of their life is their business, their choice, and in the United States at least, we live in the greatest nation ever created in the history of mankind; there are plenty of chances and opportunities for everyone, but fact is that they need to; take it.

Indeed I hope you will please consider all this, and if you are a left-leaning bleeding heart liberal, and wish to debate with me let's go ahead and talk, but I guarantee you I have experience, observation, and real-world knowledge backing me up on my point of view. And that trumps all your academic BS studies.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Success. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/

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Government Needs to Stop the Cram Down of the Middle Class

Wall Street and Washington are cramming down the Middle Class. Unregulated banks are conspiring with real estate brokers and appraisers to drop the housing market, thereby destroying a major component of the life's savings of many Americans - their home. The 1% wants this process to continue, because once they cram down the Middle Class, they have what amounts to a "reset" of the economy at a much lower level, and they can ride it up again, much as they rode it up over the last half of the Twentieth Century.

There's a serious problem with government allowing banks to do this, and there is a simple solution. The problem is that we were called upon to "bail them out," on short notice with very little debate, and now we're being called upon to allow this reset of the economy, which is crushing the savings of the Middle Class by destroying our home values and forcing about 10 million families into foreclosures - many of which are being fraudulently pursued.

Our home was recently "appraised" at 41.5% of the value it was "appraised" for in 2004. That is ridiculous! Nothing changed about the value of our home over the intervening time, except that appraisers know that bankers want the real estate market "reset" at this lower pricing level. Real estate brokers are playing along, because they need income.

The solution is quite simple. We need to reset the value of all of the mortgages on the books of the banks. In our case, if our house is to be valued at 41.5% of its previous value, then let our mortgage also be reset at 41.5% of its previous value. If this were done across the board, it would have no impact on the real financial health of any of the banks, but it would be much fairer for the Middle Class. This proposal would amount to a bookkeeping entry that would not hurt the banks the Middle Class saved from collapse. Since all banks would be required to comply, this proposal would save some of the equity that has evaporated from the Middle Class, without causing a further financial crisis.

The Middle Class was required to save the banks from collapse with no warning, and after a bare minimum of debate. President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson simply told Congress it had to be done or else. Now the Middle Class is being crushed by the consequences. How is that fair? The way things stand right now, we've bailed out the banks, and now the government is allowing them to pick our pockets and reset the economy so they can do it again over the next 20 or 30 years.

This suggestion would save millions of homes from foreclosure, put money back into the retirement savings of the Middle Class, and give us confidence in our government processes once again. I can hear the responses to this on Wall Street now! But this is the only fair response to a truly unfair set of circumstances that Wall Street created.

If conservative pundits want to know why Middle Class Americans are in the streets in outrage, this is why! We saved the banks; they continued to pay themselves huge bonuses with our money, while their companies were insolvent; and now they want to destroy our life's savings so they can do it again. We need a bailout too! A solution like this is the only fair thing to do. We are the 99% and we want government to look out for us the way it looked out for Wall Street!

Skip Conover is an International Executive, Author, and Artist. Learn how he marketers, artists and politicians use your subconscious mind to manipulate your decisions at the Archetype in Action Organization.

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Why A Leader Needs To Be A Success Coach

Are you a leader? Well, here's a challenge for you! As a leader, you are a success coach with an awesome responsibility. How can you keep your team goal-oriented, motivated and coach them to success? Most importantly, how can you coach your potential successors to excellence and magnificent results?

Leaders are goal-oriented achievers: they know what they want, focus on it, and overcome all obstacles in order to get it. Can you ask yourself - What worked for me? - identify the process and repeat it for your team?

Perhaps it depends on how easy it was for you. Did you struggle alone? Did you have a mentor? Did you have models for success? Did you succeed to "show them"; "to prove it", in spite of all the obstacles? Did you move smoothly up a systemized ladder or did you create your own system?

Leaders know the motivators' hallowed principle of the written goals plan. Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, and Anthony Robbins all stress the importance of the written goals plan. Can you attribute your success to your written goals plan? Do you know where it is now? Do you have bits in a drawer here, a cupboard there? Perhaps you just flew by the seat of your pants (miracles used to happen a lot more in the past)?

However you made it, you now know that once you have a team to build there needs to be a written goals plan. Leaders know that many people fail to set goals for a variety of reasons: They don't know how; they don't make the time; they fear failure; they fear success; they are too busy trying to please others and do what they think they are expected to do, rather than what they prioritize as important; or they have too many interests and activities, creating a sense of "busyness", but with no real focus or sense of direction. These people need success coaching and look to their leader for direction.

How can you make success easier for your team? Leaders have a responsibility to accelerate their team's success and minimize the struggle. The best success coaches assist their success candidates to set goals with a written plan and then allow independent pursuit of their goals BUT only within a framework of accountability. Independence can be dangerous if there is no system for ongoing feedback and self-correction.

There are four key capabilities of true leaders. They are: courage, passion, vision, and integrity. Courage is number one, because true leaders, high performance leaders, need to say and do difficult and controversial things, they need to face criticism, and they need to put their jobs on the line for what they believe is the 'right' thing to say or do. It takes courage to be a success coach but if you will take up the challenge, you will be the mentor your junior colleagues need. Think of a mentor you had and how grateful you are for their coaching!

Dr. Janet Hall is a psychologist, hypnotherapist, sex therapist, author, professional speaker, trainer, and media consultant. Dr Jan has authored eight books on family and relationship issues and recorded 42 =Ds/MP3s, many use hypnosis. She founded the Richmond Hill Psychology Clinic http://www.drjanethall.com.au/

Jan consults regularly with print media and is a frequent guest on talk-back radio and current affairs shows. Jan has a unique ability to encourage people to clarify their situation and solve their own problems with both heart (trusting intuition and feelings) and head (with logical analysis and rational prioritization). She believes that people deserve to feel empowered and allow themselves to be the best they can for the good of all.

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Special Education Scholarship Vouchers Can Mislead Families of Special Needs Students

In Wisconsin, children who qualify for special education and their families are caught in the middle of a legislative battle over an introduced bill called AB110. The bill is similar to many private school voucher programs for special education students that are being endorsed predominantly by Republicans in state legislatures throughout the country.

One of the most misleading bills introduced by Wisconsin legislators, AB110 mandates that the option of a voucher be given to special education students for the purpose of using it for tuition at a private school or for the value of their special education services, whichever dollar amount is less. Once the family of a special education student accepts a voucher, however, they waive any rights the student has to receive a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as IDEA.

This means that Wisconsin bill AB110, by requiring public schools to cover the expensive tuition of private schools, ends up funding privately-run schools that tend to offer inferior instruction to special needs students that is neither free nor appropriate. As already stated, the the right to FAPE will be forfeited when the family accepts the voucher.

Further, if the voucher scholarship isn't enough to cover the cost of a private school, or the public school is no longer obligated to cover the costs because the family opted out of a FAPE by accepting the voucher, the family has to cover the remainder of the cost or the cost altogether.

Essentially, what all of this does is suck money out of public schools (taxpayers) and parents, and fills the pockets of private school operators, most of whom, ironically, operate schools that don't offer provisions for special needs students and basically discourage the participation of special needs students as a result of a lack of services.

What bills like AB110 end up doing is segregating disabled children from their peers, setting back laws that have supported mainstreaming in regular classrooms for decades. Since it has been implemented, mainstreaming has repeatedly been proven to benefit both disabled and non-disabled kids alike.

Another frightening aspect of bills like AB110, is the aspect of them that cover the audit of these special education voucher programs. AB110 states that the legislative audit bureau shall contract with one or more researchers who have experience evaluating school choice programs.

What this means is that outside contractors who have experience evaluating vouchers will be used to evaluate the program. It doesn't mean that experts in special education will be called upon to evaluate the actual efficacy of the private school program as it pertains to meeting the needs of disabled children.

In other areas of the country, specifically Florida, where special education scholarship vouchers have been implemented, outright disaster has ensued for participants. Riddled with fraud and abuse, these programs end up doing harm to the most vulnerable children. For more information about how these Florida programs have failed, check out Miaminewtimes.com to read their article about McKay Scholarship Programs. Based on what little these voucher programs have to offer special needs children, a majority of disability organizations in Wisconsin have opposed them.

Even when faced with mounting evidence that these programs are not only expensive, but that they also fail to address the needs of disabled students, legislators continue to endorse and pass bills that support them. Unfortunately, in doing so, they end up sacrificing the rights of the most vulnerable citizens in the process.

Where motherhood, tenacity and advocacy meet. Alphamomfia.com is a blog written by Julie Harris, who left a successful career in sales to advocate on behalf of one of her sons, who battles with anxiety. She muses about life, children and gardening and also provides a resource for parents wanting to advocate on behalf of their own children. Funny, insightful and irreverent, Alphamomfia is worth checking out! Alphamomfia represents a whole new breed of Alpha Mom.

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