When I was in grade-school, our class would adopt a poor child from a third-world country as part of a charity project. I never thought I would experience a time when students in an African nation like Mauritius may start adopting a poor American child as part of their charity project.

What’s happening to America? Is the great American experiment with freedom over? Has America reached its zenith? Are we starting our downward march to the graveyard of great civilizations? The facts say yes! The facts also indicate that most Americans could care less.

According to a Wall Street Journal and Heritage Foundation report, the United States has now declined for the fourth straight year in its Index of Economic Freedom report. It’s the first time in the history of the report (18 years) that an African nation’s economic freedom is ranked higher than The United States of America. I don’t even know how to pronounce Mauritius and trying to find it on map would be a “Where’s Waldo” experience.

The United States fell to 10^th place when compared with 179 countries. What countries could possibly rank higher than the U.S.A., the home of freedom? Here are the top countries listed in the Index of Economic Freedom: Continue reading →

How can Congress get away with murder? Thomas Paine is one of my favorite Founding Fathers and author of Common Sense and The American Crisis. Both were powerful pamphlets that inspired the colonies to fight for our independence. John Adams described Paine in his famous quote, “I know not whether any man in the world has had more influence on its inhabitants or affairs for the last thirty years than Tom Paine.”

After all the sacrifices this patriot made for America, it breaks my heart to see his Common Sense memory trampled by the worst leaders this nation has every elected. Congress murdered the spirit of Thomas Paine.

Let me try and explain what happened in a way we can understand. If your son came to you with the following scenario, what advice would you give him? You son has a debt of $150,000. He makes $22,000 per year. He spends $38,000 per year. He has an annual deficit of $16,000. What would you recommend he do? Continue reading →