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Thursday, July 29, 2021

IS JOE GOING TO MAKE IT?

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- Good question. Let's look at history.

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I have studied Winston Churchill for many years and consider him the most fascinating man of the 20th century. I have read several books regarding Britain's former Prime Minister (P.M.) and visited his home in Chartwell, but I recently read, "Churchill Taken from the Diaries of Lord Moran," aka Dr. Charles McMoran Wilson, Churchill's personal physician who tended to him since he was appointed P.M. in 1940, until his death in 1965. The voluminous book was published in 1966 shortly thereafter, and created a furor by the family who saw it as a violation of patient/physician privilege. Moran actually did us a favor as he was able to articulate a lot of what passed through the P.M.'s mind on key issues, such as World War II, the Iron Curtain and the Cold War, and a remarkable grasp of the implications of the Hydrogen bomb. The two possessed a great friendship and Moran saw him almost on a daily basis and accompanied him on his many travels. If Moran's relationship with Churchill is correct, the P.M. would certainly not have a problem with the book and would have toasted the author.

However, this article is concerned with President Joe Biden and his ability to lead. I mention Churchill because in 1955 at age 80, he was coming to the end of the line, and he knew it. He provided 60 years of public service and his achievements were great. It was not just his words, but his deeds that led the Allied coalition. Had Churchill not existed, it is unlikely the world would be the same as he brokered relationships not just between Russia and the United States, but a coalition of smaller countries as well.

As Churchill neared his 80th birthday, members of his Tory party and cabinet ministers began whispering of his mental and physical fitness to lead the Empire. He was losing his hearing and attention span, and had trouble walking due to old age and suffering from two minor strokes during his lifetime. Winston's aides became afraid he would say something out of line, a condition which also concerned the P.M. Yet, he managed to hold on and make some important speeches regarding international affairs and domestic policy. The public loved the "Old Lion" but knew he was losing his grip. To his credit, Churchill designed a succession plan whereby Anthony Eden ascended to Prime Minister, followed by Harold Macmillan, both capable of the position.

As an aside, I have always believed Churchill was one of the few people who used both sides of his brain; he was creative and mischievous, yet was also a logical thinker who could solve difficult problems through invention, political tactics, and communications, something he was particularly adept at.

Frankly, there is little to compare Joe Biden to Winston Churchill, other than their physical and mental spryness at around the same age. It appears President Biden is more physically fit than Churchill, but in terms of mental acuity, you have to give the nod to Churchill. The P.M. simply burned out physically. The President, on the other hand, appears to be an old man in his dotage.

So what condition is the President truly in? The American public would like to know. According to CNN, "The last extensive update on Biden's medical state came in December 2019, when the doctor he eventually recruited to serve as White House physician described him as 'a healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.'"

Biden, hasn't released a medical statement since, but a White House spokesman claims he will have an examination later this year. I will be curious to see if the News Media takes the same intense interest as they did for President Trump. Probably not.

If it is true the President is not mentally fit to lead the country, one has to wonder who is running the store behind the scenes? Former President Obama? The Cabinet? Is it on auto-pilot? It certainly cannot be Vice President Kamala Harris who appears to be a neophyte in her new role as VP.

Towards the end, Churchill was blessed to have a sound cabinet around him. They would take care of the minutia, but it was the Prime Minster who led the way and was clearly in charge. Nonetheless, they were concerned about his future and whether a new election would be called in 1955.

Consider this conversation about retirement between Churchill and Lord Moran in 1955:

Moran: "They (WSC's inner circle and cabinet ministers) took it for granted that you were finished as a politician. I felt from the first you were more likely to snuff out if you retired."

Winston: "Yes, I felt like that."

Moran: "But Clemmie (WSC's wife), Christopher, Max and Camrose didn't (his inner circle). They did their damnedest to get me to agree with them. They were afraid you would collapse in the House of Commons or blunder in the Cabinet, or make some gaffe in public. They were thinking of your reputation, while I was concerned with your health and your peace of mind."

Winston: "Perhaps - you were both right."

There is one inescapable fact we must contend with, specifically, President Biden will turn 79 on November 20th, that's now less than four months away. So who is worrying about the health and longevity of the President? Unless a medical examination is performed to pacify the public, we may never know.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

THE NEVER ENDING NIGERIAN SCAM

BRYCE ON CRIME

- The latest con job.

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

I have been receiving messages from the Nigerian scam artists for over 35 years, first by snail mail, next by fax, then by e-mail and text messages. Their con in the early days sought to capitalize on simple greed whereby they would promise their victim millions of dollars if they could deposit money in their bank account. To do so, the victim would have to reveal details regarding his/her account. Once exposed, the Nigerians would fleece the account of all of its money. I cannot imagine a single man, woman, or child who hasn’t been approached by these scam artists over the years who, by the way, are considered national heroes in their home country.

The latest scam involves an envelope mailed from Las Vegas, Nevada, as received by a friend of mine recently. A letter is included from a company named Mintel, "The #1 employer of Retail Researchers." The packet included a $3,000.00 check which looked genuine and made out by an alleged company named "Partnership Healthplan of California," 4665 Business Center Drive, Fairfield, CA 94534. The address is legitimate, but has nothing to do with the other contents in the envelope. However, when my friend took it to the Sheriff's Office for inspection, they assured her it was fraudulent and part of a scam.

The letter instructed the user to buy multiple prepaid Credit Cards and send the details to them. Said cards are to include an additional $500 of your own money. Naturally, this was all part of the scam. The scary part was how realistic and official the letter and check appeared, and it made me wonder how many people have already been taken in by this.

What I have found over the years is no matter how many times you block Nigerian users sending such messages, a new one gets through now and then. Normally I just delete them but recently I started to read them as I wanted to see what the latest wrinkle was in their ploy. Interestingly, they have added some new twists to the banking scheme. Instead of just appealing on a person’s greed, they now try to play on people’s emotions. Regardless, they are all rather entertaining to read when you understand their motive; here is a sampling of unretouched pleas (I particularly like the grammar and spelling):

"Dearest Beloved Friend,
I know that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I came across your email contact from my personal search and I believe that you will be honest to fulfill my final wish before i will die. My name is Mr. Ehab Elbalawi, I am a dying man who has decided to donate what I have to charity through you.You may be wondering why I choose you.But someone has to be chosen i am a dying man with cancer, I have a charitable offer of $6.5million Dollars.please get back to me for full Details"
Your Dying Friend,
Mr. Ehab Elbalawi"

Dear Ehab, so drop dead already.

"My name is Mrs. Anna Moyes; I am a US citizen, 51 Years Old. My residential address 645 Leland Drive Deltona FL 32725 , United States, I am one of those people that took part in receiving Inheritance funds and Lottery funds from African banks and European banks even from many lottery organizers few years ago and they refused to pay me, I had paid different fees while in the USA trying to get my funds from those banks and lottery organizers but all to no avail.

So, I decided to travel to WASHINGTON D.C USA with all my compensation documents, and I was directed by the F.B.I Director to contact a man called Dr. Fred Owen, A British citizen and a member of the UNITED NATIONS & IMF COMPENSATION AWARD COMMITTEE currently staying in ACCRA - GHANA.

Contact Person: Dr. Fred Owen.
Address: Diplomatic Lodge, United Nation Accra Ghana.
Email:drfredowen@yahoo.cn
Telephone: +233549970284.

Contact him now and send him (1) Your full names, (2) Your contact Address, (3) Your mobile phone numbers and (3) Any of your photo ID bearing your picture etc, you really have to stop dealing with those people that are contacting you and telling you that your fund is with them because it is not in any way with them, they are only taking advantage of you and they will dry you up until you have nothing left with you.

Thank You and Be Blessed.
Mrs. Anna Moyes.
3648 W. Scenic Hwy 30-A,
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
United States of America."

Dear Mrs. Moyes, first I find it interesting that you have two conflicting residential addresses in the United States, one of which I plotted is in the middle of Tyndall AFB in Florida (the Santa Rosa Beach location). I trust you are sleeping well on the practice range as the Air Force makes their bombing runs. I agree we have to stop dealing with deadbeat people such as yourself who are trying to swindle people out of their money. Please give my kindest regards to Dr. Owen of the Akan Tribe. Someday you will have to have him tell you about the "Spider Story" which celebrates the deceit of people. Oh yea, please join Mr. Elbalwi and drop dead.

"ATTENTION; My Dear:

I have contacted my secretary to confirm if you have received the compensation draft cheque of (US$10.500.000) which I issued in your name, but he told me that he could not send it to you because of the courier charges. Now I have called my bank to cancel any payment regards to the draft cheque and then authorized them to transfer the payment into ATM CARD in your name which they did.

As of now be informed that all charges has been paid and the ATM CARD is going to be in your name, but to reactivate the ATM Card you have to forward your current informations as requested below to the bank and the only money you will pay to the bank is US$295 for the ATM Card Reactification fee, then they will send you the ATM CARD for your immediate use.

Here are the informations you have to forward to the bank:

1. YOUR FULL NAMES:______
2. Postal ADDRESS:_______
3. PHONE NUMBER:_________
4. CELL NUMBERS:_______
5. EMAIL ADDRESS:________
6. SEX:_____
7. AGE:_____
8. OCCUPATION:________
9. NATIONALITY:________

CONTACT PERSON: Mr. Ben Peter
Director, ATM Foreign Operation Dept.
INTERCONTINENTAL Bank Lagos, Nigeria
Email: (mr.ben_peter@yahoo.cn

Get back to me once you received the ATM CARD ok.

Thanks and God bless you.
Mrs. Ruth King L."

Dear Mrs. King L. - regarding your generous offer regarding a new ATM CARD. As tempting an offer as it may be, I’ll have to say No. Besides, what am I going to do with another US$10.500.000.? Thanks and God bless me.

There are several other variations, but I think you get the idea. Obviously, if the deal seems too good to be true, it is. These people will sink to any level to scam you out of your money. If you have the slightest suspicion something on the Internet might be fraudulent, in all likelihood it is. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do as the scammers are seldom caught. Nevertheless, for some information on reporting Internet fraud, see:

USA.gov Internet Fraud

ComsumerFraudReporting.org

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Thursday, July 22, 2021

VOTER SUPPRESSION VS. ELECTION INTEGRITY

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- Another polarizing element between Left and Right.

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

Arguably the two biggest issues facing the American people today deals with illegal immigration and voting. Interestingly, I believe the two are related. However, there are sharp differences in interpretation between liberals and conservatives and reflects a deep divide between the two groups.

As to illegal immigration, liberals do not believe in national borders thereby causing the current influx of illegal immigration. It is their hope illegals will be granted citizenship and voting rights, thereby enabling Democrats to remain in power.

On the other hand, conservatives want tighter control at the border, thereby thwarting illegal voting, illegal distribution of benefits, and curb human trafficking and drug importation.

Voting also has two differing perspectives. Liberals claim the new election laws enacted by Republican-led states represent "voter suppression." They insist the laws are being enacted to prevent minorities from voting. As such, they label these laws as "racist" and akin to "Jim Crow laws." They use the "Jim Crow" moniker knowing the public has no sense of history and have forgotten it was created by the Democrats, the same people who gave us "Jim Crow" and advocated slavery.

Conservatives, instead, are promoting "election integrity" as a means to promote lawful voting. This can hardly be construed as "voter suppression," but this is what the Democrats would have us believe. Republicans thereby are creating state laws to promote proper Voter ID, reasonable hours to vote early, and honest absentee voting. To illustrate, there is nothing in the recent Texas state election bills (HB3 and SR1) that could possibly be construed as "voter suppression," yet this is what Texas Democrats insist it is. Interestingly, the bills begin by claiming they are, "enacted solely to prevent fraud in the electoral process and ensure that all legally cast ballots are counted." Having read the legislation, I have to agree.

Knowing Republicans have the votes to pass the legislation, Texas Democrats fled the state, and flew to Washington, DC to seek comfort from the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats. As part of this, they want to federalize voting as per House Resolution 1 (H.R.1), the "For the People" Act which is aimed at encouraging more votes, not validating them. As I wrote in March on this subject, "There is nothing in the bill about validating voter identity, verification of signatures, or checking rolls in a uniform manner. This is all about harvesting votes for the Democrats in an unscrupulous manner."

Let's be clear about something from the onset, H.R.1 is un-Constitutional as the right to determine voting is a state issue, not federal (see Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution, whereby, "The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof;" Aside from the Electoral College, this is also true for the Executive Branch.

I also find it interesting the role the News Media plays in all of this. Most outlets claim this is about "voter suppression," not "election integrity." This is obviously being orchestrated by someone behind the scenes. To illustrate, I found two columns with almost identical content:

Techbondhu - by Serilda - July 9th
The bills - House Bill 3 and Senate Bill 1 - were filed during the special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott, which started Thursday. Republican leaders vowed to take another pass at approving voting legislation after Texas House Democrats blocked a previous effort in May to pass more voting restrictions.

NPR - by Ashley Lopez - July 12th
The bills - House Bill 3 and Senate Bill 1 - were filed during the special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott, which started last week. Republican leaders vowed to take another pass at approving voting legislation after Texas House Democrats blocked a previous effort in May to pass more voting restrictions.

It is as if someone from the left wrote the article first, distributed it to the news media, and allowed them to fine tune it to suit their needs. Not only is this plagiarism, and shows to what length the Left will go, but it demonstrates how the news media works. As an aside, I have also seen this done with "Letters to the Editor," where the same comments are posted in different newspapers across the USA.

The truth is, this is about manipulating and controlling the vote in order to maintain a tyrannical grasp of power. It has absolutely nothing to do with racism and "Jim Crow," which is nothing more than a clever subterfuge. What we are witnessing is another test of the U.S. Constitution, to wit, do we accept illegal immigration and voting, or do we not? This will inevitably end up in the Supreme Court.

P.S. - As one friend said to me recently, "You notice Democrats are fine with vaccine cards, but not Voter IDs?" Just saying.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

"HOW TO BECOME A TYRANT" - MUST SEE TV

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- It provides invaluable lessons for today.

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

I recently watched the new documentary, "How to Become a Tyrant," on Netflix. It is a six episode series, each running 25-30 minutes in length. The intent is to examine past tyrannical dictators, note their personal attributes and tactics used, and make some conclusions as to becoming a tyrant, thereby providing a text book explanation for such madness.

In the film, they examine Germany's Adolph Hitler, Russia's Joseph Stalin, Uganda's Idi Amin, Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, North Korea's Kim family, as well as other tyrants from around the world; e.g., Fidel Castro, Mao Tse-tung, and others.

Not only is it an excellent history lesson, but it provides insight as to what is happening today in this country.

Their "Tyrant's Playbook" makes some rather astute observations with six key points:

1. How to seize power - here, the producers describe how tyrants ascend to power. Most come from obscurity, such as Adolf Hitler who was but a corporal in the German Army during World War I. Key to their rise was portraying themselves as one of the people. Hitler, Stalin, and Mao were particularly good at this. Interestingly though, the tyrants had no respect for human life, which is why they were so effective in snuffing it out.

To become a tyrant, one must possess an inflated ego whereby you, alone, can solve your country's problems. It thereby becomes important to develop a catchy message the public understands and can embrace. With Hitler, it was his book, "Mein Kampf." In China, Mao's "Little Red Book," contained quotations from his speeches and writings. Likewise, Muammar Gaddafi had his "The Green Book."

It also helps to rise to power during a difficult time, such as a financial calamity, like The Great Depression, war, poverty and disease. People are looking to be saved and will be receptive to anyone with a proposed solution, thus greasing the rails for rising to power.

Most of the tyrants also possessed a military background, thereby using soldiers to achieve domination. Such training also came in handy in terms of tactical warfare within their own country.

2. Crush your rivals - either through legal or illegal means, it doesn't matter. Rivals would suddenly disappear or be falsely accused of traitorous activity.

3. Reign through terror - this requires the person to be totally ruthless. To implement this, public executions send a clear message to the populace that the tyrant is not to be trifled with. Joseph Stalin's purges of the government and military was also effective, whereby hundreds of thousands of people were executed and another million sent to prisons and labor camps.

Key to the tyrant here is controlling the law, that the only interpretation that matters is the dictator's.

4. Control the truth - this is very important to developing a culture of confusion. If you can control the source, content and distribution of information, you control the actions and decisions of the people.

Not only is it necessary for the state to control communications, such as publishing, TV, movies and the Internet, but the news as well. This is why the masses are prohibited from accessing the press in other countries.

Another key point in this area is altering history to suit your agenda. Most, if not all, of the tyrants in the film understood the necessity of this. And, Yes, propaganda was of strategic importance. To illustrate, North Korea's Kim Jong-il (father of Kim Jong-un), came to power not through military means, but as Propaganda Minister.

5. Reinventing the country into the utopia you always wanted - this section was particularly interesting as we saw tyrants implement several tactics aimed at changing the culture of the land. For example:

* Supplant religion with something else, such as Stalinism.

* Replace the flag.

* Suppress civil liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and access to firearms.

* Crush protests, but let your supporters run amok.

* Reorient people (change their values).

* Indoctrinate the youth.

In this area, tyrants also tend to think big and implement massive and expensive construction projects, such as Hitler's rebuilding of Berlin and the Autobahn, Stalin's subways and dam projects, and Gaddafi's massive irrigation system for the desert.

6. Seek immortality - to do so, you need a succession plan, something few tyrants actually prepare. The best example of this is in North Korea, with the Kims ruling for over 70 years (Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un).

One of the key points to maintaining power is requiring isolation. North Koreans are taught to take pride in being self-sufficient. By doing so, traveling outside of the country and communicating with the outside world is simply not necessary and, therefore, is prohibited.

Another trick is to export your revolution, such as Germany, Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba, and Libya, who assisted other countries and political factions with weapons and funding.

Aside from North Korea, most tyrants do not hold on to power. Even Russia fell and was opened to the West, but outsiders still look at Russian President Vladimir Putin suspiciously. As an aside, to-date Putin has served for 22 years (Stalin was 25 years); if he has his way, Putin will be able to serve until 2036, marking 37 years as leader).
 

This documentary provides invaluable lessons. We see many elements from the list in America today, such as:

- Crush your rivals - either through legal or illegal means, it doesn't matter.
- Controlling the law, that the only interpretation that matters is the dictator's.
- Controlling the truth, particularly through the media.
- Altering history.
- Supplant religion with something else, such as Socialism.
- Replace the flag.
- Suppress civil liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and access to firearms.
- Crush protests, but let your supporters run amok; e.g., Antifa and BLM.
- Reorient people (change their values). Enforce Political Correctness.
- Indoctrination of youth.

The big question here is who is the tyrant in this country? The film suggests it is only one person, but today this could very well be an organized and determined political party who wants total control and create a new Utopia.

Yes, this film was very much an eye opener and worth a look. I highly recommend it for everybody, particularly youth.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Thursday, July 15, 2021

THE 1776 PLEDGE TO SAVE OUR SCHOOLS

BRYCE ON EDUCATION

- Are you willing to sign it?

Click for AUDIO VERSION.

To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

During the recent CPAC meeting held last weekend in Texas, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) was one of the conservative speakers (7/11/21). During her talk, she made a passing reference to "The 1776 Pledge to Save Our Schools." Being unaware of the pledge, I decided to look it up. It was developed by a group called, "1776 Action," an organization dedicated to "Stopping the Anti-American Indoctrination of our Children and Grandchildren."

I am told, this is a by-product of the "1776 Commission" as established by President Trump to support "Patriotic Education." The Commission was quickly dissolved following the inauguration of President Biden.

There are actually two pledges listed in the "1776 Action" web site; one for citizens and one for candidates, such as school board members.

CITIZEN PLEDGE

As a citizen, I believe that:

* The United States of America is an exceptional nation whose people have always strived to form a more perfect union based upon our founding principles.

* Our Founding Fathers - including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson - as well as leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. were among the greatest Americans to ever live, and they deserve to be honored as heroes.

* Our children and grandchildren should be taught to take pride in their country, to respect our founding principles of liberty and equality, and to have a sense of American history that is both truthful and inspiring.

* Civics education should focus on the serious study of our founding documents and principles - not coerce students into engaging in extracurricular political action on behalf of contemporary policy positions.

* Our young people should be taught to view one another not according to race or gender, but as individuals made in the image of God.

* Teaching children to hate their country and each other is immoral and deeply harmful to our society and must be stopped.

THEREFORE, I PLEDGE to help replace elected officials, school board members, education commissioners, principals, deans, and university presidents who promote a false, divisive, and radical view of America and our fellow citizens with new leaders who respect our history, our values, our rights, and the God-given dignity of every person.

CANDIDATE PLEDGE

THEREFORE, I PLEDGE to the voters of (enter District/location name) that I will take concrete steps to do the following in our K-12 public schools:

1. Restore honest, patriotic education that cultivates in our children a profound love for our country.

2. Promote a curriculum that teaches that all children are created equal, have equal moral value under God, our Constitution, and the law, and are members of a national community united by our founding principles.

3. Prohibit any curriculum that pits students against one another on the basis of race or sex.

4. Prevent schools from politicizing education by prohibiting any curriculum that requires students to protest and lobby during or after school.
 

Frankly, I see nothing wrong with either pledge as this is how things worked years ago when I went to school. In essence, it is a throwback to another era.

As I interpret the pledges, this is obviously a reaction to today's perception of academia which appears to be more interested in indoctrination as opposed to education. Case in point: a Virginia school district who recently came under fire for allegedly teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) and promoting transgender policies. Other school boards are also coming under fire for similar policies. Not surprising, attendance at school board meetings by concerned parents are increasing dramatically across the country, thereby denoting the politics involved.

If all citizens and School Board members signed these simple pledges, it might very well quell the uproar at such meetings. Then again, if they do not, the intensity may increase. It is simply a matter of whether you agree with the pledges or not. As for me, I agree.

CLICK HERE to visit the 1776 Action site to take the pledge.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

WHY WE EAT

BRYCE ON LIFE

- Please, do not tell us it's "good for you."

Click for AUDIO VERSION.

To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

When they have commercials on television for food, you often hear about its nutritional value. In a way, it is like when you were a youngster and your mother admonished you to eat your lima beans because it was "good for you." I realize our taste buds change over the years, but I never acquired a hankering for lima beans, even to this day.

To my way of thinking, this "good for you" argument is nothing but a clever subterfuge to get you to eat some rather nasty tasting food. In all likelihood, it was invented by unscrupulous farmers, advertisers, nutritionists, and mothers to induce us to eat through this form of brainwashing. It's a dirty trick and they should just stop it. I would much rather eat something based on its appearance, smell and taste.

Let me illustrate, over the years I have consumed thousands of gallons of citrus drinks, be it juice, the fruit itself, or in some other form, such as a soda. Since I was a kid, I was told it was loaded with Vitamin C, which is good for our immune system and fighting a cold. In the many years I have ingested Vitamin C I have never had a problem contracting the common cold. The point is, if I didn't enjoy the taste of such products, I certainly wouldn't be drinking it just to prevent colds. It's an old wives' tale.

Then we have spinach which, among other things, is said to contain enough iron to make you as strong as Popeye. Sorry, I have seen nothing to this effect. Liver is also supposed to have a lot of iron, but I cannot bring myself to eat it simply due to the horrid smell, which they try to mask using onions and bacon. This does nothing more than ruin some perfectly good bacon.

Then you hear mothers pushing a variety of products containing "antioxidants," which is a fancy name designed to frighten children. There are also vegetables like broccoli and kale which are sources of Vitamin A, C, calcium and manganese, etc. Try selling that to an eight year old.

As to lima beans, they are supposed to be a fat-free source of protein. What they don't tell you is, many beans, including lima, are toxic if they are not boiled for 10-15 minutes. If prepared improperly beans can easily result in food poisoning. It's like the pharmaceutical warnings you hear on television, "May cause nausea, vomiting, strokes, or death;" otherwise it's great for you. So, as a kid, you've got to wonder if your mother was really trying to feed you something nutritious or if she had ulterior motives.

They should forget the nutritional sales job and simply concentrate on preparing something delicious and smells heavenly. Look, if we like it, we will eat it. Why not just give us the nutritional mumbo jumbo in pill form and let us enjoy our meal.

It's all about filling the hole, nothing more, nothing less. Somehow I feel duped after all these years.

And when you still do not want to touch your meal, mothers try to lay the guilt-trip on you of, "Do you realize there are thousands of children dying from hunger in Africa." They are not amused when you answer, "Well then, why don't we send them my plate?"

First published: March 4, 2016

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Thursday, July 8, 2021

WHAT MAKES US HAPPY?

BRYCE ON LIFE

- Is it how we act or how we perceive life?

Click for AUDIO VERSION.

To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

The Gallup organization recently published a study on "The Happiest People in the World?" This was a global analysis as to who are the happiest people. Interestingly, they had to define happiness as either how you live life versus how you perceive life. If you believe in the former, Latin Americans are considered the happiest people as they are often laughing and smiling regardless of their economic situation. It you believe in the latter, Europeans are considered the happiest as they are more content with their station in life.

Personally, I look upon happiness as how you perceive life. If everything is going your way, you are happy, but if you seem to be at odds with everything, you're unhappy. This is why I believe the United States is generally unhappy; nobody has faith in the government anymore and are constantly complaining about social injustice, and this goes for both sides of the political spectrum.

It seems we rarely laugh anymore, particularly in the workplace. Jokes are no longer told as they are now considered politically incorrect. Even common courtesy is uncommon. For example, when I say "good morning" to a stranger at the post office, I typically receive a glare in return. Kind of like saying suspiciously, "Yea, what do you want?"

What makes me particularly happy is to see a job well done, be it menial labor or a specially skilled craft. It occurs whenever a person takes on a professional attitude. In other words, someone who commands confidence in what they are doing and successfully produces quality work products on time and within budget. I very much appreciate it when someone is straight with me (no BS) and creates "win-win" scenarios where both parties benefit, not just one.

Unfortunately, instead of working cooperatively, we tend to operate more as self-centered narcissists, be it in the workplace, the highway, in neighborhoods, or even in stores and restaurants. Some of my happiest moments in life were team related, be it on the football field, coaching kids, or working on a major project charged with complexity. By everyone pitching in and doing what they are supposed to, it always seemed the sky was the limit. Or is this just me?

Maybe happiness is nothing more than how content we are with our lives, like the proverbial expression, "life is what we make of it." If you are consumed by such weaknesses as jealousy and greed, you will likely be socially dysfunctional and consumed by unhappiness.

By the way, one of the key takeaways in the report, Gallup claimed that despite all the things we see in the news, the world isn't doing too badly. We just need to learn to laugh and smile more regularly. Perhaps the key is to simply turn off our televisions, computers, and smart phones, and learn to socialize again. It's that simple.

First published: April 13, 2016

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

BRYCE AMERICAN HISTORY QUIZ

BRYCE ON HISTORY

- Just how well do we know our own country?

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

Sometime ago, I asked my blog readers to take a simple quiz regarding American government and history. I wanted to see just how well we knew some of the basics, such as our governing docs and some historical events. Nothing elaborate, I just wanted to take a pulse of our knowledge in general. 134 brave souls took the quiz for which I give my thanks. I didn't want the quiz to be complicated which is why I tried to keep it as simple as possible. I could have asked for such things as age and political party affiliation, but I didn't want to muddy the waters and turn people off.

Out of those who took the test, probably 25 people got a perfect score. I was not surprised by this as I didn't try to invent a complicated quiz, just something that could give us some fundamental idea of what we know and what we don't.

The quiz was far from scientific, yet I believe I can draw some conclusions from it based on the input. But first, let's review the responses to each question. I'll show both the number of responses and the percentage of the total, followed by my comments.

PLEASE ANSWER ALL 10 QUESTIONS - AMERICAN CITIZENS ONLY

1. Signed in 1620, it is the first governing document of Plymouth Colony as written by the colonists, later known to history as the Pilgrims. It was in essence a social contract in which the settlers consented to follow the document's rules and regulations for the sake of survival.

22 - 17% - Magna Carta
92 - 69% - Mayflower Compact (CORRECT)
06 - 04% - Pilgrim Declaration
12 - 09% - Plymouth Compact
02 - 01% - Standish Consent and Decree

Comment: I considered this a tricky question as most people are unaware of any American history prior to 1776. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people got it right. Those that answered "Magna Carta" disappointed me; even though it is an important document that influenced others, it was still developed in England, not America. I consider it significant that people recognized its name though. By the way, the last three, Pilgrim Declaration, Plymouth Compact, and Standish Consent and Degree were figments of my imagination.

2. How many "separate but equal" branches are there in the U.S. Federal Government?

000 - 00% - 1
002 - 01% - 2
131 - 98% - 3 (CORRECT)
001 - 01% - 4
000 - 00% - 50

Comment: People may have gotten other parts of the quiz wrong, but somehow the concept of "three separate but equal branches of government" representing the checks and balances of government has been successfully stamped into our brains. Only three people missed this.

3. What is the following quote from? "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

27 - 20% - Bill of Rights
94 - 70% - Declaration of Independence (CORRECT)
06 - 05% - Gettysburg Address
00 - 00% - Oath of Office
07 - 05% - US Constitution

Comment: The lion's share of answers went correctly to the Declaration of Independence, but I was surprised to see how many people picked the Bill of Rights. As an aside, many of us had to memorize this section of the Declaration in elementary school.

4. Which U.S. President was NOT impeached?

34 - 25% - Bill Clinton
20 - 15% - Andrew Johnson
80 - 60% - Richard Nixon (CORRECT)

Comment: I expected this kind of response to the question. Richard Nixon resigned before impeachment proceedings could begin. The other two were impeached, meaning to hold trial in the Senate, yet were found not guilty. No U.S. President has ever been forcibly removed from office through peaceful means (assassination is another matter altogether).

5. What is the following quote from? "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,..."

04 - 03% - Bill of Rights
32 - 24% - Declaration of Independence
02 - 01% - Gettysburg Address
00 - 00% - Oath of Office
96 - 72% - US Constitution (CORRECT)

Comment: Most people got this correct, but notice how many confused it for the Declaration of Independence. This particular quote is from the Preamble of the Constitution. Like the Declaration, many of us had to memorize this in grade school, but I don't think they do so anymore.

6. What U.S. President served as commander-in-chief during World War I?

11 - 08% - Calvin Coolidge
07 - 05% - Warren Harding
18 - 13% - Theodore Roosevelt
03 - 03% - William Howard Taft
95 - 71% - Woodrow Wilson (CORRECT)

Comment: I expected this question to be a little tougher as a lot of us have forgotten the events of nearly 100 years ago. Baby boomers may still be familiar with World War II, but I thought they would surely have problems with the first war, "The War to end all Wars." I wasn't surprised that Teddy Roosevelt captured the number of responses that he did simply because of his strong name recognition. By the way, William Howard Taft was the only President who also became Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (and the first to throw out a baseball on opening day).

7. What is the following quote from? "...and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

001 - 01% - Bill of Rights
000 - 00% - Declaration of Independence
000 - 00% - Gettysburg Address
127 - 95% - Oath of Office (CORRECT)
006 - 04% - US Constitution

Comment: I was flabbergasted that anyone got this wrong. The six who answered "US Constitution" should have read the question more carefully.

8. What is the following quote from? "...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

005 - 04% - Bill of Rights
002 - 01% - Declaration of Independence
122 - 91% - Gettysburg Address (CORRECT)
000 - 00% - Oath of Office
005 - 04% - US Constitution

Comment: I was pleased to see most people remembered Lincoln's speech. Interestingly, Lincoln was not the keynote speaker that day and, because of this, his words were almost overlooked by reporters in attendance. Thank God somebody was paying attention.

9. It stated that further efforts by European countries to colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention. It asserted that the Western Hemisphere was not to be further colonized by European countries but that the United States would neither interfere with existing European colonies nor meddle in the internal concerns of European countries.

009 - 07% - Emancipation Proclamation
002 - 01% - Kansas-Nebraska Act
000 - 00% - Kennedy Doctrine
116 - 87% - Monroe Doctrine (CORRECT)
007 - 05% - NATO Accord2

Comment: I was pleasantly surprised by this one as I had assumed many people had forgotten about the Monroe doctrine, an important document which, to this day, is still in effect. I wonder if those who answered "Emancipation Proclamation" really understood the significance of that document. Probably not.

10. Which U.S. President was NOT directly involved with the Vietnam War?

81 - 60% - Dwight Eisenhower (CORRECT)
49 - 27% - Gerald Ford
01 - 01% - Lyndon Johnson
03 - 02% - John Kennedy
00 - 00% - Richard Nixon

Comment: This was perhaps my most controversial question as some of you argued that Eisenhower sent advisers to Viet Nam. True, but we send advisors to a lot of places. Viet Nam was Kennedy's "line in the sand" to stop the proliferation of Communism. As to Ford, he inherited the Paris Peace talks from Nixon following his resignation and was in charge when we finally pulled out in 1975. Interestingly, I find younger people have no clue about this war whatsoever.

Conclusion

A few things occurred to me as I was compiling the results. First, the Gettysburg Address is better known than the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The Gettysburg Address is a moving speech but it certainly doesn't bear the significance of our governing documents.

Second, it seemed to me that a lot of people cannot distinguish between the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. They view them as synonymous documents. For what it's worth, the Declaration was used to sever Britain's authority over its American colonies. The U.S. Constitution specifies how the government is to operate. The Bill of Rights is an attachment to the Constitution and specifies the basic rights of the citizens, specifically the first ten amendments. It was greatly influenced by such documents as the "Magna Carta." All three documents, the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, are important reads that all citizens should be familiar with, not just students in grade school.

Finally, here are the number of correct answers versus incorrect answers submitted on the quiz:

1034 - 77% - Correct Answers
0306 - 23% - Incorrect Answers

In most schools, a 77% would represent a "C" which is probably not as bad as we think. Actually, this number is probably higher than the national average as I like to believe my readers are smarter than most.

First published: February 11, 2011

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Thursday, July 1, 2021

IN PRAISE OF THE STARS AND STRIPES

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- Don't tread on the country's flag.

Click for AUDIO VERSION.
To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

Singer Macy Gray was in the news recently, not for her music but for an Op-Ed she penned calling for a change in the design of our flag, "Old Glory." She claimed, "The American flag has been hijacked as code for a specific belief. God bless those believers, they can have it. Like the Confederate (flag), it is tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect... It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us. It’s not fair to be forced to honor it. It’s time for a new flag."

This has charged liberal progressives to seek a new flag, as well as changing the national anthem. All of this seems particularly strange as we approach our July 4th Independence Day, where both will be on proud display.

Ms. Gray is obviously ashamed of our flag, and in doing so, she expresses her contempt for the country which allowed her to make money, attain stardom, and accept the accolades of her industry. Like many on the left, she wants to change the basic tenets of the country, replace its icons, re-write history and subvert the U.S. Constitution. No, she is not a believer in this form of government as it was originally designed and, like so many Democrats, believe it is time to re-write it. Then again, it seems rather obvious she doesn't know the difference between a democracy and a constitutional republic.

I'm also not convinced Ms. Gray understands how the American flag came into being. I even wonder if she knows who Betsy Ross was. As most of us know the thirteen red and white stripes represent the thirteen colonies (CT, DE, GA, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, and VA). These were the first to lay it on the line and break away from Great Britain, a very bold and bloody experience. The blue rectangular canton represents the "Union" of states, as depicted by five point stars for each state. (Yes, there is currently 50 states for those of you who didn't take Civics; not 51 nor 57). As states were added to the original thirteen states, stars were added to the flag accordingly. (Gee, I cannot believe I have to explain this).

Other than this, there is no other hidden meaning in the flag. No, it doesn't represent racism, capitalism, socialism, or any other "ism." If anything, it represents the Republic we live in, liberty, and the U.S. Constitution. American men and women have followed it into all of our military conflicts, and have died for it. So, for Ms. Gray to say our flag is "dated, divisive, and incorrect," is an insult to everyone who fought and died for it, honored it in parades, schools, and countless public events.

I have been to numerous parades over the years, both as a participator and a side-liner, and I have always been inspired by the people who stand, salute, cheer, and even cry as the flag passes them. If anything, we need a little more flag waving, not less.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of Independence Day is the playing of John Philip Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever!" For years, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops made this their signature music as they played it annually on the 4th of July, much to the delight of those in attendance as well as those watching on television.

Sousa wrote the piece on Christmas Day in 1896 and first performed it the following year. In 1987, by act of Congress, it became the official National March of our country.

The music is particularly stirring. So much so, few realize words accompany it. Below are the lyrics. If you read them carefully, you will not see racism or any form of oppression between the lines. Instead, you will see how much Sousa loved our flag and the country it represents. His credentials were impeccable, and he was highly decorated and achieved acclaim around the world.

The Stars and Stripes Forever!
by John Philip Sousa

Let martial note in triumph float
And liberty extend its mighty hand
A flag appears 'mid thunderous cheers,
The banner of the Western land.
The emblem of the brave and true
Its folds protect no tyrant crew;
The red and white and starry blue
Is freedom's shield and hope.

Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peak
The never-ending watchword of our land;
Let summer breeze waft through the trees
The echo of the chorus grand.
Sing out for liberty and light,
Sing out for freedom and the right.
Sing out for Union and its might,
O patriotic sons.

Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation,
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free.
May it wave as our standard forever
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with might endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray,
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Phrases like, "The emblem of the brave and true," "the flag of Freedom's nation," and "Sing out for Union and its might," describes how Sousa and patriots feel about the flag and our country. The song, like the flag, should put a smile on the face of all red-blooded Americans as it represents the true spirit of the American people. It is not based on the dogma of a political party, but for our country as a whole. Nonetheless, Democrats like Ms. Gray would have us believe the flag reflects the values of the Republican Party and, therefore, should be abolished. Forget that it was used in battle to free the slaves, forget it was followed by soldiers, sailors, and Marines in two World Wars, Korea, Viet Nam, etc. Forget that it is a recognized symbol of freedom around the world. Forget all that.

The reason the left hates the flag is not because of racism or oppression, but because true Americans love it. They hate America that much and want a different country instead.

To those who want to change the flag, it's music, and other national icons, you are not kidding anyone. You are simply trying to usurp the spirit of America, a spirit which has helped so many people, both foreign and domestic for well over 200 years, for which I say to you, "Go to Hell!"

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.