Slogging Through Winter

My electric power returned this morning after an absence of thirty hours or so.  Thursday night featured the worst howling winds that I can recall for decades and Maine suffered widespread power outages that are still in effect in some areas.  5-6 inches of rain made life even more interesting.  Fortunately, our winter here along Maine’s southern coast has been unseasonably mild and most of the snow on the ground had already melted – still, there were extremely high tides and flooding along many streams and rivers.

After the devastating ice storm of ’98, I vowed not to be caught short of electrical power again and purchased a gas-powered generator and tied it into my home’s electrical system so that we would still have enough power to operate the oil furnace, water pump, refrigerator and a few lights.  The addition of a wood stove a couple of years ago has helped keep the house warm, as has replacement of the siding.  All told, we can weather winter’s adversity and summer’s major storms with mild inconvenience.

I find myself hoping that our current mild winter will continue for at least another month so that I can avoid the labor of moving snow, although I am most thankful that we have avoided the massive snowfalls that have plagued other parts of the country.  There are more daylight minutes now, making life more enjoyable.

A sad commentary, is it not, on how a little inconvenience can present perceived hardship on a people enjoying the life available to us here in America?  During the brief power outage I found myself grumbling, missing the luxuries of the Internet, television, electric stove and other amenities we take for granted on a daily basis.  I really should know better, having spent many of my years in the military living in countries whose standard of living is far below our own.  A community with no potable running water, limited access to electricity and no reliable food supply would hardly decry a brief interruption of electrical power as a major hardship.

I think that it is very difficult for us as a people to appreciate the wonders that we take for granted.  After all, here in our country even the “poor” have televisions, sometimes automobiles, scheduled payments from the government that provide enough money for food and even a subsidy for adequate shelter.  Not to mention free medical care.

It should be no surprise that the United States is envied, hated and even feared by citizens of other countries for our lifestyle and our influence throughout the world.  Still, our country attracts millions from around the world who see opportunity for a better life, even as our nation is vilified both from without and within.  I refuse to accept the burden of guilt some wish to assign to me because I am an American – or white, or middle class, or “privileged” because I have amassed enough resources to live on without worrying about the basic necessities of life.

So actually this is a pretty good day, one that I can look forward to because I can share time with loved ones, because I have shelter and food and the opportunity to make a neighbor’s day a little better by helping to clean up storm damage.

An external source of power has been renewed – my internal source is always there to be tapped.  All I need to do is reach out ………..

Tough times for Maine Deer Herd

This past winter has been a welcome break for the hard-hit Whitetail deer herd here in Maine.  The previous two years featured deep snow well into early spring and cold weather to go along with it.  Reliable reports have detailed discovery of frozen deer carcasses numbering in the hundreds in winter deer yards in the northern third of the state.  Some estimates claim that the number of Maine deer have declined as much as 30-40% in northern and western counties during this two-year period.

My own experience in hunting these areas has shown a marked decline not only in sightings of deer, but also in the number of tracks, droppings and other deer sign.  There still appears to be a reasonably healthy deer population around my property in Freeport, located on the coast in the lower third of the state, but I do not see as many deer as I have in the past.

A significant indication of the severity of the problem is that the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has softened its adamant stance against residents engaging in the wintertime feeding of deer.  Even though residents of the housing developments that have sprung up around me over the past decade seem to have unwittingly increased the available food supply available to the marauding Whitetails (through the cultivation of shrubs, plants, and grassy areas), I decided to leave small portions of deer food – pellets available through retail feed stores such as Blue Seal – in areas not covered by snow.  The deer seem appreciative.  They frequently visit the apple trees near the house and dig up windfall fruit throughout the winter months and their presence is always welcome.

The whitetail deer is a hardy species, but it will take some time before they can rebound from the two harsh winters.  Deep snow robs them of food sources and unrestrained timber harvesting that destroys the cover provided by thick forest growth in “yarding areas” exacerbates the hardships.  Maine has an expanding black bear population and the bruins are a particular threat to the fawn population in the early spring when the bears awake from hibernation and the baby deer are at their most vulnerable.

An even more serious threat to the deer herd is the infestation of Maine by coyotes.  These predators are not native to Maine, but their population has mushroomed over the past few decades.  They have no enemies in the wild other than man and they have wreaked havoc on small game creatures such as rabbits and ruffed grouse in addition to the severe impact that they inflict on the less mobile deer during the winter months.  The problem is not confined to the wilderness areas: sightings are common in and around urban settings such as Portland and Bangor, where the coyotes find easy meals in wandering cats and small dogs.  A close neighbor lost both a cow and calf during the birthing process a couple of months ago.  Attempts to reduce the number of coyotes through hunting have been only marginally effective and various animal rights groups present an effective block to any control efforts such as trapping that the state might consider undertaking.

It is time for a concerted effort to be made to preserve the Maine Whitetail.  Everyone has a stake in this issue.  Conservationists, hunters, promoters of tourism, wildlife lovers ……. all need to work together to formulate a plan to restore the health of the deer population.  Numbers for moose and bear show positive growth and ongoing efforts to increase native fish species have produced encouraging results.  But unless immediate, extensive attention is paid to the problems facing our native deer, the precipitous decline of one of Maine’s signature wildlife creatures will escalate.

Anyone interested in helping to solve this problem is encouraged to contact their local legislators and/or organizations such as The Wildlife Federation, Audubon Society, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine or other concerned groups.

Or, if you are in an appropriate setting, pay a visit to your local feed store, spend a few dollars, and set out some supplemental food for the local deer.  They are very enjoyable to watch.

A Major Serving of Kool-Aid

It’s all over the news today about how President Obama is “taking charge” of the deficit by forming a “Blue Ribbon Panel” of experts to formulate ways and means to combat the soaring deficit.

So, our erstwhile “leader” is turning to the Washington coteries (recycling some of the Clinton-era economic gurus) for assistance in solving a crisis that his reckless policies have exacerbated.  What a bald admission of failure on the part of the great communicator, the harbinger of hope and change, the “new style” of leader who promised us deliverance from the evil ways of the Washington establishment.

In his first year in office, Mr. Obama has managed to triple the deficit and oversee an economy that is facing a growing inflation rate while over 4 million jobs have been lost on his watch.  Ah, but the “stimulus” package has “created and saved” millions of jobs according to Democratic Party hacks – interesting that Washington, D.C. leads in this category, followed by booming economies such as that of California and Washington State.

It takes a dedicated Kool-Aid drinker to be able to view the first year of the Obama administration as a success.  The carnival that he has brought to Washington rivals the county fair midway for both glitter and the empty promises of wonderful prizes to be won with just a little luck and a lemming-like addiction to the lure of the barker’s spiel.

Can You Detect the Faint Odor of Rot?

I live in what could likely be called “small-town America” (Freeport, ME, population of 7,800 according to the last census).  Because of that somewhat insulated environment, I often find it challenging to relate to headline-grabbing news such as “University of Alabama professor massacres fellow teachers”, or even the growing rate of violence in Portland, Maine’s largest city.  It is far easier- and much more pleasant – to recognize the positive results, such as the good work done by friends and neighbors who contribute to the operation of the local Community Center, the charitable efforts of organizations such as the Lions/Lionesses and the Masons, or to feel pride and satisfaction over the number of high school graduates who continue on to prestigious colleges and universities.

But can I ignore the problems facing America as a whole?  No, there are indeed other matters of wider importance that concern me.  Those of you readers who visit with me regularly are probably all too familiar with my diatribes concerning the lunatics who run the asylum charitably called “Maine State Government”.  And do I perceive in America an increase in certain trends that throughout history have foretold the decline of the prominence of a given nation or culture?  Yes, I have suspicions.

There is the taint of moral decline, evidenced by a growing crassness in our “entertainment” – movies, theater and video games relying on the lure of sex, violence and ethical transgression to entrance the public.  The same is true of contemporary literature, which seems to shun (in so many instances) expression of traditional and historical values and the classical conflicts between good and evil, reveling instead in the worship of relativism and the avoidance of being considered “judgmental”.  The same dismissal of core values is also increasingly noticeable in the corruption of the rule of law infesting our legal system, the failure of our educational system to include moral and ethical guidance, and even in some religious institutions that have wandered afar from their founding precepts.

Victor Davis Hanson, historian, educator and writer, has speculated that the fall of the Roman empire was greatly hastened by the creation of a dependent class supported by “the dole” and appeased by the violence and vulgarity of the Coliseum’s circus, abetted by the corruption of a weakened “elite” who had become contemptuous of the wealth achieved through generations of hard work and sacrifice coupled with the expansion of trade and commerce.  This combination of a widening prosperity and a persistent moral crisis fed the decay which opened the gates of the Empire to an influx of “barbarians” who had absorbed the lessons learned from evaluating the growth Roman prosperity and profited in turn through the adaptation of their methods.

Thus can a “culture of entitlement that is not justified by revenues or the creation of commensurate wealth” lead to the decline of a stable society.

We need not to have to appreciate ancient history to see the fruits of such self-induced decline.  Many European nations with their promise of cradle-to-grave safety that comes at the price of liberty serve as examples of embracing a choice not to maintain their international prowess, but instead to decide to accept higher taxes and a loss of personal freedom while rejecting (through unionization and a lack of representation) opportunities for advancement and growing profit.

It should be clear by now, even to the most committed ideologue, that the current leftist-oriented administration and a disturbing percentage of the Democratic Party are opposed to the Protestant work ethic, the concept of family and societal thrift, and the restraint of a limited and stable government.  Progressives (which now include a disturbing number of Republicans) have their own agenda which embodies corruption and feeds on an insatiable lust for power.

For those who believe in American freedom and exceptionalism, it is time to deny those who believe in the right of the “political elites” to revise our nation to fit their idea of utopia.

A View From Afar

Interesting to see how our current administration is viewed by some of the foreign media, eh?

Barack Hussein Obama: I Told You So, Yes I Did By Howard Galganov Montreal, Quebec, Canada When Obama won the presidency with the help of the leftist media, Hollywood and entertainment liberals, ethnic socialists (ACORN), stupid non-business professionals and Bush haters, I wrote: It won’t take six months until the people figure this guy out and realize how horrible a mistake they’ve made and when they come to that realization, the damage to the United States of America will be so great it will take a generation or more to repair - IF EVER. The idiots who not only voted for the messiah, but also worked hard to promote his lordship, are now left holding the bag. Here are two things they will NEVER do: they will NEVER admit to making a blunder out of all proportion by electing a snake-oil salesman with no positive social history or management experience of any kind because he is black. They will NEVER take responsibility for the curse they’ve imposed upon the immediate and long-term future of their country. In essence, the people responsible for putting this horror show in power are themselves responsible for every cataclysmic decision he makes and the consequences thereof. In just six months, the messiah’s polls are showing the following: on Healthcare Reform, he’s going under for the third time with polling well under 50 percent, even within his own party. Even though he might be able to muscle a Healthcare Reform Bill by using Chicago bully tactics against his fellow Democrats, it will only make things worse. On Cap and Trade (Cap and Tax), the fat lady is already singing. On the Stimulus Package (Tax and Spend), his popularity is in free fall. On the TARP package he took and ran with from President Bush, it’s all but Good-Night Irene. On the closing of GITMO and “his” war on what he no longer wants called the War On Terrorism, he’s standing in quicksand with his head just about to go under. On a comparison between himself and George W. Bush at the same six months into their respective first term presidencies, Bush is ahead of him in the polls. On a comparison between “he who walks on water” and the 12 preceding Presidents between WW II and now, Obama ranks 10th. On a poll just conducted, that asks who would you vote for today between Obama and Mitt Romney, it’s a dead heat. Between Obama and Palin, Obama’s only ahead by 8 points and she hasn’t even begun to campaign! It seems to me that Obama wants to be everywhere he shouldn’t be. He’s personally invested in totally insulting America ‘s only real Middle Eastern ally ( Israel ) in favor of Palestinian despots and murderers. He’s traveling the world apologizing for the USA while lecturing others on how to do it right, when in fact and truth he has no experience at doing anything other than getting elected. He went to the Moslem world in Egypt to declare that America “is not a Christian nation” while he heaped praises on Islam, where he compared the “plight” of the Palestinians to the Holocaust. The Russians think he’s a putz. The French think he’s rude. The Germans want him to stop spending. The Indians want him to get his nose out of their environmental business. The North Koreans think he’s a joke. The Iranians won’t acknowledge his calls. and the British can’t even come up with a comprehensive opinion of him. As for the Chinese, he’s too frightened to even glance their way. (After all, China now owns a large portion of the United States …) Maybe if America’s first emperor would stay home more, travel less, and work a little bit instead of being on television just about everyday (or forget about his Wednesday date nights with his amazon wife) or stop running to “papered” Town Hall Meetings, perhaps he would have a little bit of time to do the work of the nation. In all fairness, it wasn’t hard to be right in my prediction concerning Obama’s presidency, even in its first six months, so I’m going to make yet another prediction: OBAMA WILL PROBABLY NOT FINISH HIS 4-YEAR TERM, at least not in a conventional way. He is such a political horror show, and so detrimental to the USA and his own Democratic Party, that the Democrats themselves will either force him to resign or figure out a way to have him thrown out.  Who knows, maybe he really isn’t a born US Citizen and that’s a way the Democrats will be able to get rid of him. Or, more likely than not, the Democrats will make Obama THEIR OWN LAME DUCK PRESIDENT. I don’t believe the Democrats have nearly as much love for their country as they do for their own political fortunes. And with Obama, their fortunes are rapidly becoming toast. The Democrats can keep on blaming Bush for everything, but that game’s already begun to wear real thin. Their mantra was “WE DON’T WANT 4 MORE YEARS,” which the STUPID people bought, since McCain was nothing at all like George W. Bush. The new mantra will soon become: “WE DON’T WANT 6 MORE MONTHS.”

Why a Representative Republic?

There are currently a number of variations of democracy throughout the world, each purporting to follow the general principles of rule by majority, social equality, and respect for the individual within a community.  This form of government stands in sharp contrast to the brutality of a dictatorship, the exclusiveness of an oligarchy, and the wild mood swings of a benevolent or tyrannical monarchy.

America was deliberately constructed as a Representative Republic, wherein the supreme power was designed to lie in the hands of a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them.  To this end was our Constitution constructed, limiting the powers of the Federal government to those specifically allotted it under Article 1, Section 8.

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people” (Amendment X, Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America).  Thus did our nation’s Founders set limits for a central government – which they showed rightful suspicion of – and provide means of recourse to its citizens should they become distrustful of those in whom they placed their trust by electing them to office.

Under this format, separate States were allowed the freedom to manage their own affairs with a minimum of intervention from the central government, each constructing their own identifiable ethos and social and legal contracts under the general concepts identified by the Constitution.  Communities within each State, under the same governmental structure, provided the base for a government “by the people”.

So, Americans have historically enjoyed choices unavailable to citizens of so many other countries; if unhappy with the social context of their current residence, they could freely move to another location that they felt better accommodated their personal preferences.  Thus a climate of “hope and change” was truly available.

Today there are those who regard these set guidelines as a “Living Document”, open to interpretation and of a necessity malleable in nature in order to address the variances of society that were supposedly unforeseen by those who created a system of government that still provides ( if scrupulously followed) freedoms and prosperity unmatched throughout history.

For decades these statists (masked by the self-proclaimed label of “progressives”) have maintained a carefully planned and executed attack aimed at the moral, ethical, and legal principles that construe the underpinnings of our Republic.  Their goal is to circumnavigate the restraints on power so carefully engineered by America’s founders and replace our free society with a centralized, intrusive government populated by the “educated elite”, the Guardians of Plato’s ideal society.

This grasp for power is hardly restricted to any one political party.  It is endemic to mankind, whether it is expressed by a Hugo Chavez, a Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a Theodore Roosevelt, a pampered and self-absorbed U.S. Congressman, or a tyrannical and overbearing mayor.  Even within the supposed constrictions of a democratic society, usurpers can gain prominence.

I have had people say to me, “My vote only counts if I vote with the majority”.  My reply is, “Your vote does not count only if you choose not to exercise the right!”  I deeply believe that if everyone voted who has that right, then our country would be a different place today.  Politicians rely upon ignorance and apathy to remain in office.  Recent events, such as the election of more conservative Governors in both New Jersey and Virginia and the surprise election of a Republican to fill the Senate seat of the late Ted Kennedy provide more than adequate proof that votes against conventional wisdom do indeed count.

Our American way of life is under attack from many different fronts, but there is evidence of subversion from within.  Fortunately we have the means to resist, if only we have the will to exercise our rights before they vanish.

“Patriotism means to stand by the country.  It does not mean stand by the president” —- Theodore Roosevelt

Sensible Health Care Reform

It is an oft-repeated mantra presented by Obama and his minions when the subject is health care reform; “Republicans are the party of No!”; “Present me with ideas and I will listen”; (from his State of the Union Speech)  “if anyone from either party has a better approach … let me know”.  Anyone who swallows this line of b.s. should pay close attention to the following.

There is only one proposed bill in existence that the Congressional Budget Office has said would actually lower health costs and that is a bill presented by the House Republicans – and ignored by the President, Nancy Pelosi and most of the mass media.  Jeffrey H. Anderson, the  director of the Benjamin Rush Society, in conjunction with Tevi Troy, has proposed many of the reform measures contained in a “small bill” that reflects many of the ideas that are widely accepted among House and Senate Republicans as well as by many of their Democratic colleagues.

The stated purpose of the “Small Bill Proposal for Sensible Health Care Reform” is “To make health insurance more accessible, affordable, and portable — without increasing government control, jeopardizing the quality of care, or breaking the bank”.  This might be accomplished in seven basic steps.

1.  Cut costs by preventing runaway malpractice lawsuits.  This is anathema to the Democratic party leaders, who reap enormous campaign contributions from the trial lawyers association.  By capping non-economic and punitive damages while still allowing unlimited economic damages to cover financial loss, there would be no increase in government spending and savings to private citizens due to doctors not having to raise their fees to cover “defensive medicine procedures”.  The trial lawyers association would not like to see this happen, for obvious reasons.

2.  Cut costs by allowing Americans to buy insurance across state lines.  There would be no cause for increase in government spending and Americans could shop coast-to-coast for the plans that appeal to them the most.

3.  Cut costs by allowing lower premiums for healthier lifestyles.  This proposal centers on cutting costs to those who eat and drink in moderation, exercise, or don’t smoke.  Currently, Federal regulations prohibit companies from offering more than a 20% discount to employees who make these choices.  There would be no increase in government spending here.

4.  Increase access to health insurance by ending the unfair tax on the uninsured (and self-insured), giving them a tax break similar to that which is already available to those with employer-provided insurance, resulting in refundable annual tax credits of $2,500 per person or $5,000 per family.  Employer-provided insurance with its tax-exempt status, and the rest of the tax code would remain intact.  This provision would mean an increase in government spending of approximately $80 billion and reduced revenues of approximately $120 billion (for refunds of taxes paid).

5.  Provide further help for those who are uninsured and have expensive pre-existing conditions by increasing federal support for state-run or state-organized high-risk pools.  Thirty-five states already have such pools to help those with pre-existing conditions and to assist the remaining states would cause an increase in government spending of approximately $100 billion.

6.  Convert some federal funds into block grants to states and reallocate the savings resulting from reducing the number of uninsured.  Disproportionate Share Hospital (or “dish”) payments presently reimburse hospitals for emergency room treatment of uninsured patients.  A reduction in the number of uninsured (caused by the above proposals) frees up money that could be allocated more efficiently through the block grants.  Beginning with block grants pegged at 75% of each state’s current DSH funding level, reductions of 5% each year until the grants reach the 50% level in Year 6 could result in a savings of approximately $180 billion with no increase in government spending.

7.  Implement additional reforms from the House Republican health bill (Yes, Virginia, one actually does exist despite Democratic denials), such as adopting regulatory reform in the small group and non-group markets, standards for electronic administration, an abbreviated approval [pathway for follow-on biological products, and HSA reforms.  There are no increased government costs and a savings of an estimated $20 billion.

Estimated 10-year totals under this “small bill” reveal $180 billion in costs and 1.1 million newly insured per $20 billion spent, with no deficit spending.  The CBO projections for the Senate Bill from 2014 to 2023 are $217 billion in deficit spending (unless doctors’ pay under Medicare is cut by 21%) and total spending increases of $2.5 trillion (supposedly offset by Tax increases of $1.0 trillion, Medicare cuts of $800 billion, and Medicare Advantage cuts of $214 billion), ending in 260,00 newly insured per $20 billion spent.

A more in-depth analysis of the “small bill” can be viewed at http://www.smallbill.org.

The President appears unwilling to deviate from any of his expressed agenda regarding health care and/or the expansion of big government in general, but it is important to note that some of the mechanics of an incremental approach to health care reform already exist.  If there is any truth in Obama’s recently expressed intent for a bi-partisan approach to achieve gains for the American people in health care reform, then proposals already advanced by “the party of No!” should not continue to be ignored.

The goal of health care reform must be designed to benefit the public, not to further the political fortunes of any particular party or ideological group.

Systemic Problems

I seem to be having some difficulties in both receiving and sending comments through WordPress.  For my regular readers who are also part of this system, could you send me a quick message through the “Comments” section of this post?

If you are not able to get through, please email me at pmacutler@myfairpoint.net.

Thank you for your help

Inching Toward Decline

Mark Steyn, always an enjoyable read for his acute perceptions and somewhat biting analysis makes little effort to sugar coat his observations.  In the January 25 edition of National Review his article “Welcome to Rome” explores the possibility that America is busily setting itself up for decline.

After all, Mr. Steyn points out, “the greatest empire the world had ever known” (England) by 1977 had “shriveled to an economically moribund strike-bound socialist slough of despond, one in which the government ran the hospitals, the automobile industry, and much of the housing stock, and partly as a consequence thereof, had permanent high unemployment and confiscatory tax rates that drove its best talent to seek refuge abroad”.  “Stop me if this sounds familiar”, he jokingly implores, drawing a none-too-subtle parallel to the path that the Obama administration has laid out for its lemming-like followers to race down.

Mr. Steyn speculates that national (or empire) decline is psychological and requires acceptance of that path by its citizens.  For example, he cites the conversion, within only a couple of generations, of the “obnoxiously militarist” German people to “just as obnoxiously pacifist” and as “avowedly ‘European’ as they were once menacingly nationalist”.  He also opines that “there is no rational basis for late-20th-century Britain’s conclusion that it had no future other than as an outlying province of a centralized Euro nanny state dominated by nations whose political, legal, and cultural traditions are entirely alien to its own”, leading to the conclusion that, “The embrace of such a fate is a psychological condition, not an economic one”.

Not a bad argument, particularly when a review of the first-year actions of our current Leftist administration may well result in concluding that is taking the first steps down the path of decline and subservience that currently defines so many Western nations.

These observations might be bolstered by Mr. Steyn’s recitation of economic failures in what became the world’s leading economic power after it wrested that title from Britain in the late 1880′s.  He highlights the city of Detroit, which went from “the world’s industrial powerhouse to an urban wasteland” and “the once-golden state of California (which) atrophied into a land of government run by the government for the government”.

So what happens when the baggage of unsustainable entitlements, unchecked government interference in the economy accompanied by centralization of power and planning, and a continuing assault on individual liberty finally overloads the wagon until the weight and inertia of the oppressive socialist state overcomes the pulling power of the productive members of our society?  The spores of internal rot begin to take root and decline becomes an acceptable alternative to that portion of society willing to trade the loss of freedoms for security.

Friedrich August von Hayek, British economist and Nobel Prize co-winner, clearly outlines the dangers of “democratic socialism” in his book The Road to Serfdom.  He lists the virtues of “independence and self-reliance, individual initiative and local responsibility, the successful reliance on voluntary activity, noninterference with one’s neighbor and the tolerance of the different and queer, respect for custom and tradition, and a healthy suspicion of power and authority”.  Although these attributes may be faintly discernable  in the modern Libertarian philosophy, it would appear that in the two-thirds of a century that have passed since the publication of Hayek’s book a significant part of America’s population (not to mention a far greater number of Europeans) have gravitated to the siren song of the statists.  It is no coincidence that Hayek’s defense of classic liberalism and free-market capitalism is in direct contrast to the Keynesian theories that are so readily embraced by the elitists who populate Obama’s technocracy.

An understanding of history must be a vital component for governance.  If we, as a nation, wish to avoid decline and the accompanying loss of international security, power, and prestige then we must be much more careful in selecting our national leaders than we have in the most recent Presidential election.  The current resident in the White House has clearly shown that he and his administration have little concern with the import of history (other than to revise it to suit their policies).

Historian, philosopher and reformer Arnold Toynbee left us with this clear and concise warning; “Civilizations die from suicide, not from murder”.