Symposium 2015: The majority of greenhouse gas emissions come from automobiles. Is it time to institute a carbon pricing system for individuals who drive automobiles?

Cartwright—The solutions are very simple.  First, we need to impose a special gasoline tax on every gallon of gasoline and diesel sold in America.  This tax should be punitive.  In this instance, yes, you should be punished for your behavior.  I’ve long promoted the benefits of higher gasoline prices at the pump.  You have people driving less, capital gets invested in alternative energy and alternative transportation means, with fewer cars on the road there will likely be fewer accidents which should lower insurance premiums, and of course pollution is reduced.  I’ll gladly pay eight or nine dollars per gallon if it means there are fewer crazy drivers on the road every day and at the same time it helps clean up the air.    Continue reading

Symposium 2015: Should federal anti-gaming legislation be scrapped?

Cartwright—My right honorable friend here just said it.  Legalize it and let government at the local, state, and federal levels tax it.  We can’t legislate morality, and I find it quite hypocritical that many states allow people to buy lottery tickets but they don’t allow casinos.  Isn’t the lottery considered gambling?  Isn’t the lottery a game of chance?  Let’s legalize gambling and let the casino operators build casinos where they see fit and where it’s economically feasible for them.  This is good business, and it’s good for communities.  Each casino in Las Vegas averages over 2,000 employees each.  I know there are plenty of communities throughout the United States that would love to have someone come in and create a couple thousand jobs. Continue reading

Symposium 2015: Is it time to end the current Social Security program for citizens under the age of 18?

Cartwright—I’m not suggesting we end benefits for children who are under eighteen and currently receiving survivor benefits until they are eighteen.  I don’t think that’s the point of the question.  However, I do favor telling people under eighteen that they will not have social security when they reach retirement age and encouraging them to start saving on their own at an early age.  There’s no doubt that the current Social Security system is broken and unsustainable.  Let’s remember that Social Security wasn’t intended to be a long-term programme to supply for everyone when they reached retirement age.  Somewhere along the way the idea of personal responsibility got put by the wayside in favor of another big government, socialist entitlement programme.  I recognize that it’s helped a lot of retirees over the years; it’s helped relatives of mine who wouldn’t have been able to survive in retirement without it. Continue reading

Symposium 2015: In light of recent terrorist attacks, should the federal government increase domestic surveillance? How far should a domestic surveillance program be allowed to go?

Cartwright—If you use Facebook or Google or Apple or Amazon and you have a problem with domestic surveillance, you’re out of touch with reality.  Facebook, Google, and your cell phone provider know about you and what you do than Uncle Sam does.  Do you think the federal government is listening in to the phone calls of nearly 400 million people in America?  That’s not happening, but is Google tracking your every move on the internet?  You bet your ass they are.  Ever get pop-up ads for something you looked at on Amazon a week ago?  Think that’s a coincidence?  Think again.  They know what you’re looking at online.  They know what you like, what you want, what your habits and patterns are.  They know all this about you.  Your cell phone provider may even know where you are right at this moment.  Does Uncle Sam know that you looked at a pair of shoes on Amazon last week?  Probably not.  Continue reading

Symposium 2015: Should the federal government increase progressive taxation or the federal minimum wage as a way to address income inequality?

Cartwright—Neither!  Income inequality and the efforts to address this issue are typical socialist arguments and policy initiatives.  It’s not for the federal government to redistribute wealth though the Democrats would certainly like nothing more than to legislate income equality via redistribution of wealth.  What politicians and those who want income equality fail to understand is that you can’t tax your way to prosperity.  At some point, they rich are going to take their money and go somewhere else or worse.  They aren’t going to sit idly by while the federal government continues to take more and more from them and punishing them for being successful. Continue reading

Award-Winning Mystery Novelist Digger Cartwright Participates in Thinking Outside the Boxe’s 12th Annual Symposium

Orlando, FL, Miami, FL & Washington, D.C. February 2, 2016—The office of Digger Cartwright, award-winning mystery novelist, released the transcripts of his responses to the question and answer session from Thinking Outside the Boxe’s 12th Annual Symposium held in Orlando from December 26-31, 2015.  The symposium focused on a variety of topics such as the politics, the environment, foreign policy, social issues, and more.

 

The transcripts of Mr. Cartwright’s responses in the question and answer session are available at www.DiggerCartwright.com or www.MysteryDigger.com.  The transcripts of Mr. Cartwright’s opening statement and additional interactions between Mr. Cartwright and other panelists were not made available by Thinking Outside the Boxe.

 

About Mr. Cartwright—Digger Cartwright is the award-winning author of several mystery stories, teleplays, and novels including The Versailles Conspiracy, a modern day political thriller, Murder at the Ocean Forest, a traditional mystery novel set in the 1940s, The House of Dark Shadows, a psychological thriller, The Maynwarings: A Game of Chance, a mystery set in the Old West, and Conversations on the Bench, an inspirational/motivational novel.  His books are available in hardback, paperback, and e-book format through his website, www.DiggerCartwright.com, on-line booksellers and bookstores.  The House of Dark Shadows, The Maynwarings, and Conversations on the Bench all won first place in various categories in the 2015 Regional Excellence Book Awards.  The House of Dark Shadows and Conversations on the Bench both won silver medals in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards.

 

Mr. Cartwright has contributed to a number of articles on a wide range of financial, strategic planning, and policy topics.  He frequently contributes articles, commentaries, and editorials focusing on current economic and political topics for the private think tank, Thinking Outside the Boxe.

 

Mr. Cartwright is an enthusiastic supporter of local no-kill animal shelters, the Wounded Warrior Project, and local Meals on Wheels programs.

 

He enjoys golf, participating in charity golf tournaments, and attending WWE events.  He divides his time between Washington, D.C., South Carolina, and Florida.

 

Press Contact:

Website:   http://www.DiggerCartwright.com

Blog:      http://www.MysteryDigger.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/DiggerCartwright

Twitter:   @mysterydigger

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mysterydigger

Daily News Briefing:  www.MysteryWriterNews.com

 

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Award Winning Mystery Novelist Digger Cartwright’s Christmas Message

Orlando, FL December 25, 2015—The office of award-winning mystery novelist Digger Cartwright has released Mr. Cartwright’s Christmas message delivered on Christmas Day at the Thinking Outside the Boxe Symposium and Champagne Summit in Orlando.

 

The transcript of Mr. Cartwright’s speech follows:

Thank you all, Merry Christmas and God bless everyone.  This is always a wonderful event, and I’m very honored to be here once again.  To those of you have been here in prior years and heard me speak, thank you for coming back again.  I think you’ll find my message is somewhat similar to before, but I feel that it is an important message nonetheless.  To those first timers, welcome, and I hope you find something to take away from this event.

 

Christmas is a special time of year, but unfortunately the spirit of Christmas and the message of Christmas are often lost in the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and holiday party-going mixed with everyday life.  You’ll notice that I said ‘holiday’ shopping.  As we know, the liberal media continues to try to force the secularization of Christmas upon the American people by slowly and systematically dismantling Christmas.  ‘Merry Christmas’ and the Christmas tree are stricken from some places in favor of holiday trees and holiday wishes.  References to the meaning of Christmas are fewer and fewer and the Christmas message is blurred.  This has been a trend for the last decade and continues at an alarming pace.  The effort to make an all encompassing, general ‘holiday’ at the expense of Christmas marginalizes the Christian faith and should be seen as an affront to the Christian values upon which this nation was founded.

 

I celebrate Christmas, yet I know many people who don’t.  Some celebrate Hanukkah, some celebrate Kwanzaa, and some don’t celebrate at all.  I don’t care what people celebrate.  I’ll wish just about anyone a Merry Christmas.  If they don’t like that, they can forget that I offered them good tidings.  I’d be happy to receive good Hanukkah or Kwanzaa wishes.  I’d be flattered that someone thought enough of me to offer me those good tidings.  If people don’t like my Christmas wishes, they can reject them but they don’t have the right to impose their will upon me and millions of other Christians by pressuring us to eliminate the term ‘Merry Christmas’ in exchange for emasculated, politically correct jargon.  So, let me say it once again, Merry Christmas!

 

We live in a time of conflict, materialism, and self absorption.  There is conflict among nations, conflict between religions and civilizations (whether anyone is willing to admit it or not), conflict between races, conflict between those who don’t respect the rule of law and those who wish to preserve it, conflict between those who have and those who don’t, conflict between political parties, and conflict within ourselves.  Not all conflict is armed conflict or violent conflict.  Much of the conflict is tension or restlessness or aggressiveness.  Without doubt, this conflict can lead to unrest, anger, resentment, and ultimately violence.

 

But conflict among nations, religions, or ideologies is a problem whose resolution is for another day and another time.  As individuals we cannot singlehandedly solve these conflicts.  It is rather for us to work to find peace within ourselves and with those around us.  Sometimes neither can be accomplished easily.  As individuals we must work hard to quell the conflict within ourselves which often leads to conflict with others.  We must seek to understand the nature of that conflict and find ways to overcome it.  Only if we are at peace with ourselves can we be at peace with others.  Too often we become consumed by internal strife and external drama which leads to problems in our everyday life and damages relationships with those around us.

 

Those with internal conflict are like crippled ships drifting aimlessly in the vast ocean.  They are lost.  They seek direction and guidance and when they can find neither they become frustrated, bitter, and angry.  They channel and vent these powerful emotions towards others.  There is an emptiness inside them that they attempt to fill by denigrating others.  They try to feel better about themselves by hurting others—sometimes physically and sometimes emotionally.  They fuel the fires of their own internal conflict by drawing others into their personal quagmires of emptiness, anger, and despair.  They are unhappy people and they hope to make others around them unhappy as well.

 

We live in a time of materialism.  The accumulation of material things serves as a status statement but also seeks to quench the thirst of those who have a void in life which they are seeking to fill.  They believe that this void and the underlying unhappiness that they experience can be filled with material goods.  They believe that they will be happy when they get the new cell phone or the new car or the new TV.  But the fulfillment they seek from material goods is an illusion.  They are living a lie and only fooling themselves.  When the satisfaction of the new phone quickly wears off, they are faced with the same emptiness that they had before, and they seek a new object to desire.  And thus the cycle never ends.

 

Retailers prey upon the wants and desires of those who seek material goods as solace for a troubled soul.  Those who are weak and torn with conflict and strife are ripe prey and willingly succumb to marketing efforts.  Yet many of these individuals also bemoan the loudest the evils of corporations.  All the while they fuel the fires with each successive purchase they make.  In the end, the want of more and more material goods fails to fill the void in their lives or end the internal or external conflict.

 

The satisfaction of materialism is ephemeral.  Individuals consumed with conflict and attempting to assuage those feelings with materialism would be better served to give rather than receive.  Helping others does more to calm the troubled soul than personal consumption.  The satisfaction of knowing that you’ve made a difference in the lives of others lasts long beyond the satisfaction of acquiring the material good.  Charity makes tremendous strides in soothing a troubled soul.

 

We live in a world where there are millions of people and animals in need.  In our own nation, the greatest and most prosperous nation on earth, we have children and seniors who go to bed hungry at night and who live without secure food supplies.  In the most prosperous nation on earth, we have individuals and families who are homeless or lack the basic necessities.  We have homeless, orphaned, or abandoned animals living in shelters waiting to find a forever home.  We have seniors living at home or in facilities who have been forgotten.  All the while, many of us go about our daily lives with little consideration of those less fortunate or those in need.  We become too wrapped up in our own routines or our own lives to consider others in need or how we can make a difference.

 

Charity not only makes a difference in the lives of those in need but also makes a difference in the lives of those who give whether they suffer from internal or external conflict or not.  Giving is something each of us should strive to do no matter how great or how small our capacity to give.  As many of you know, I’ve never been enthusiastic about financial contributions.  Money given to a charity is often used for salaries or operating expenses.  The direct impact is not seen or felt, and it is altogether too easy to write a check to a charity and move on.  As you also know, I prefer to give what can be most useful.  Each blanket given to the homeless shelter, each can of food donated to the food bank, each bag of dog or cat food given to the animal shelter, and each book, puzzle, or toiletry given to those in nursing homes makes a direct difference in the life of the recipient.  We should each give to our own capacity.  Those of us who have been blessed with plenty should give as much as we can.  Many who are working and living paycheck to paycheck say they don’t have the discretionary income to be able to give.  I would point out that the most valuable thing you can give anyone is your time.  To those who want to give but don’t have the financial capacity to do you, volunteering at a shelter or home is a gift that is of immeasurable value to the recipients.

 

It truly is better to give than to receive.  Charity goes a long way for both the giver and the recipient, and the satisfaction from charity is more meaningful than the satisfaction from materialism and self satisfaction.

 

And finally, we live in a world where so many people, particularly the young people, are self absorbed.  They feel that the world revolves around them and that everyone should bow to their every whim.  They are spoiled and self centered. They often lack basic social skills such as manners; they don’t say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ as they think this is unnecessary since they deserve something or they’re entitled to it.  They care only about themselves and what satisfies them.  They have no concern for the feelings or needs of others.  They crave attention and adulation.  This is their mechanism for dealing with the void within.  They need to feel important and admired to be complete.  They mistakenly believe this quells the strife within, but it only serves to create a false sense of security.  When they are taken outside their circle, their illusions of a self centric universe are shattered.  They become angry and hateful.  They seek to hurt and manipulate others in an effort to make themselves the center of attention again.

 

They live a sad and pathetic existence.  They know nothing of sacrifice as they expect others to sacrifice for them.  They know nothing of giving as they only take.  They know nothing of being a complete and wholesome individual and a functioning member of society.  They think only of themselves and what makes them happy.  They think nothing of others.  Conflict and drama are their lives.  They have an insatiable internal conflict and they revel on external conflict.  They are empty human beings.  They know nothing of charity unless they are on the receiving end.  They know nothing of peace as they have never truly experienced it before.  They know nothing of goodwill.  These people set the world back; they don’t move it forward in any positive manner.

 

Peace and goodwill towards men are at the root of the meaning of Christmas, yet our society is getting away from this simple message that transcends the bounds of any religion.  By striving for peace within ourselves and amongst friends and family, we make the world a better place.  This can only be accomplished willingly and with great effort but it is a cause greater than any one individual and the effects are far reaching.  While I’m not a counselor on these matters, the solution seems pretty simple.  Lead a good life.  Be honest with yourself and with others.  Treat others with respect and decency.  Be humble and be thankful.  Give rather than receive.  Practice patience and tolerance but don’t blindly acquiesce.  Be strong but kind.  Make the most of every day that you have.  Make the most of time with family and friends.  Try to do something every day to make the world a better place—smile, laugh, listen, share.  Be good to one another.  Keep the spirit and message of Christmas burning inside you each and every day of the year.  With that, we can make our lives, the lives of those around us, and the world a better place.

 

Thank you again.  God bless, and Merry Christmas.

 

 

About Mr. Cartwright—Digger Cartwright is the award-winning author of several mystery stories, teleplays, and novels including The Versailles Conspiracy, a modern day political thriller, Murder at the Ocean Forest, a traditional mystery novel set in the 1940s, The House of Dark Shadows, a psychological thriller, The Maynwarings: A Game of Chance, a mystery set in the Old West, and Conversations on the Bench, an inspirational/motivational novel.  His books are available in hardback, paperback, and e-book format through his website, www.DiggerCartwright.com, on-line booksellers and bookstores.  The House of Dark Shadows, The Maynwarings, and Conversations on the Bench all won first place in various categories in the 2015 Regional Excellence Book Awards.  The House of Dark Shadows and Conversations on the Bench both won silver medals in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards.

 

Mr. Cartwright has contributed to a number of articles on a wide range of financial, strategic planning, and policy topics.  He frequently contributes articles, commentaries, and editorials focusing on current economic and political topics for the private think tank, Thinking Outside the Boxe.

 

Mr. Cartwright is an enthusiastic supporter of local no-kill animal shelters, the Wounded Warrior Project, and local Meals on Wheels programs.

 

He enjoys golf, participating in charity golf tournaments, and attending WWE events.  He divides his time between Washington, D.C., South Carolina, and Florida.

 

Press Contact:

Executive Assistant to Mr. Cartwright

Website:  http://www.DiggerCartwright.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/DiggerCartwright

Twitter:  @mysterydigger

Blog:  www.MysteryDigger.com

Daily News Briefing:  www.MysteryWriterNews.com

 

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Release of Transcript of Award Winning Mystery Novelist Digger Cartwright’s Top 10 Reasons To Hate America Speech

Orlando, FL, July 24, 2015—The office of award-winning mystery novelist Digger Cartwright released the transcript of Mr. Cartwright’s speech, Top 10 Reasons to Hate America.  His speech was delivered at the Thinking Outside the Boxe Independence Day Champagne Summit in Orlando.

 

Mr. Cartwright issued the following statement regarding the release of the transcript:

 

I want to thank Thinking Outside the Boxe for once again inviting me to participate in their Independence Day Champagne Summit.  It is always an insightful and intellectually stimulating event.  In light of what has been happening in America the last few years and particularly the last few months, I thought it appropriate to address the attempts by some to weaken and destroy the constitutional republic in America.  We are no longer the country we once were, and I think it’s time that Americans have a serious examination of where we are as a nation, where we’re heading, and what we need to do to make sure our nation remains strong, prosperous, and secure for generations to come.

 

Make no mistake.  I don’t hate America.  I still believe in the promise of America.  I believe in our constitutional republic, and I believe in the Constitution.  Despite all our problems, America, the institution, remains the greatest country and institution of government in the world.  But there are things in America that I dislike and there are things happening in America which should concern us.  We need to have a careful examination of these issues, and how they are affecting our lives and our freedom.

 

About Mr. Cartwright—Digger Cartwright is the award-winning author of several mystery stories, teleplays, and novels including The Versailles Conspiracy, a modern day political thriller, Murder at the Ocean Forest, a traditional mystery novel set in the 1940s, The House of Dark Shadows, a psychological thriller, The Maynwarings: A Game of Chance, a mystery set in the Old West, and Conversations on the Bench, an inspirational/motivational novel.  His books are available in hardback, paperback, and e-book format through his website, www.DiggerCartwright.com, on-line booksellers and bookstores.  The House of Dark Shadows, The Maynwarings, and Conversations on the Bench all won first place in various categories in the 2015 Regional Excellence Book Awards.  They were also finalists in the Beverly Hills Book Awards competition in 2015.

 

Mr. Cartwright has contributed to a number of articles on a wide range of financial, strategic planning, and policy topics.  He frequently contributes articles, commentaries, and editorials focusing on current economic and political topics for the private think tank, Thinking Outside the Boxe.

 

Mr. Cartwright is an enthusiastic supporter of local no-kill animal shelters, the Wounded Warrior Project, and local Meals on Wheels programs.

 

He enjoys golf, participating in charity golf tournaments, and attending WWE events.  He divides his time between Washington, D.C., South Carolina, and Florida.

 

About Thinking Outside the Boxe—Thinking Outside the Boxe is a private, nonpartisan think tank that is dedicated to providing a wide variety of perspectives on issues that are of interest to the general public.  The views that are expressed in Thinking Outside the Boxe’s commentaries and research are often times uncommon, provocative, and controversial.  Thinking Outside the Boxe’s mission is to formulate and promote positions and to provide research, independently, that would otherwise be deprived of an outlet in the mainstream media.  Thinking Outside the Boxe’s commentators and researchers seek to broaden the parameters of public knowledge by addressing issues in such a fashion as to provoke thought and debate on some of the most pressing issues of our day.

 

Press Contact:

Executive Assistant to Mr. Cartwright

Website:  http://www.DiggerCartwright.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/DiggerCartwright

Twitter:  @mysterydigger

Blog:  www.MysteryDigger.com

Daily News Briefing:  www.MysteryWriterNews.com

 

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Digger Cartwright’s Speech: 10 Reasons To Hate America

Orlando, FL, July 4, 2015—This is the transcript of Mr. Cartwright’s speech delivered at the Thinking Outside the Boxe Independence Day Champagne Summit.

 

The constitutional republic in America is nearly dead, though many in America refuse to accept this particularly as they celebrate their nation’s 239th declaration of independence from Great Britain.  America has long been reviled on the international stage for its perceived arrogance.  The hatred towards America is probably attributable more to jealousy and resentment than to a hatred of the constitutional republic itself.  Those in socialist, communist, and even many democratic countries envy the brilliant constitutional republic developed by America’s Founding Fathers. For the first time in the history of the world, the people told the government what its rights and powers are as opposed to the other way around.  To this day, our system has largely stood the test of time.

 

But America is no longer the place it once was, and the constitutional republic is weakened and in disarray.  The American people were blessed with a tremendous gift given them by the Founding Fathers and the sacrifices of those patriots who risked everything that this nation might live.  The American people have taken this for granted and have slowly allowed their rights to be infringed and eroded.  The Constitution has been trampled by the President, the Congress, the Supreme Court, and federal courts throughout the land.  All the while, the American people have stood by helplessly; some have even applauded the efforts to undermine the constitutional republic.

 

So, what do I hate in America?

 

  • I hate the lazy and ignorant masses that are breeding more lazy and more ignorant masses. Schools are forced to teach to the lowest common denominator as opposed to separating advanced students from mediocre students from those who learn at a slower pace.  Schools are failing the kids, but so are the parents who need to take a more proactive approach in their kids’ lives.  Kids need to learn a thing or two about hard work and the benefits of a good education.

 

Jobs aren’t being stolen by immigrants.  A lot of Americans are too lazy to work and too stupid to do the work because they don’t apply themselves and don’t work to get the benefits of free K-12 educations.  Kids today would rather have stuff handed to them on a silver platter than to work for it, and the parents have contributed to this laziness.  Applying oneself in school and hard work pay off.  This isn’t an opinion.  This is fact.  Lazy, ignorant kids grow up to be lazy, ignorant adults.  There’s no excuse for being lazy or ignorant in America, but the epidemic of people being ate up with stupid is growing in this country.  Let’s promote hard work and education.  I’ve preached for a long time to return to the Jamestown colony principle:  If you don’t work, you don’t eat (with exceptions for those who are too old or too infirm, not including too lazy or too fat to work or those who have been put on “disability”).

 

  • I hate the media. Our Founding Fathers recognized that the press plays a vital role in our constitutional republic.  They are supposed to keep the public informed about the events that matter, the events that impact our lives.  They are supposed to be impartial and objective.  In the last several decades, however, the rise of the 24-hour news outlets has resulted in increased media bias and partisanship.  The media no longer reports the news; they “make” the news.  If they’re not pushing a political agenda, they’re “spinning” a story for political or other agendas.  They’re always seeking sensationalism and controversy.  In this, they do not help the general public; they hurt the general public.  They manipulate the facts for their own agendas.  They lie to the American people who don’t take the time to fact check what’s reported.  They tell the public what they want the public to hear.  They lie and manipulate while waving the flag and hiding behind the Bill of Rights when it is convenient for them to do so. They tear down good people and gain sadistic pleasure from it.  They are not friends of the constitutional republic anymore, and they are not friends of the American people.  There is evil in what they do.  The press is, in this day and age, the enemy.  They need to report the facts and only the facts.  They do not need to spin the stories or sensationalize them.  They need to be objective and unbiased in their reporting and leave out their editorial comments.  Let the American people come to their own conclusions on what you report.

 

  • I hate the entitlement system which today represents the financial rape of the American taxpayers and provides a disincentive to work and succeed. Welfare is the modern day plantation.  Recipients are slaves to the plantation owner—in this case, the politicians and the federal government.  Welfare recipients are wholly dependent on the ruling political class for food, clothing, housing, and so on.  In return, they are expected to vote a certain way…and they do.  More and more people are becoming slaves on the plantation of Uncle Sam, and many of these people are not even US citizens.  There’s something fundamentally wrong with this.  More importantly, we are near the point where almost 50% of the population is not contributing financially to the system.  This doesn’t mean they’re receiving welfare or benefits; they may simply not be paying into the system.  America cannot survive where half the population is living off the other half of the population.  Everyone in America needs to contribute to the system in some way, no matter how great or how small, to make America work.  Again, I return to the principle of the Jamestown colony:  if you don’t work, you don’t eat.

 

  • I hate the politicians in America who are largely corrupt, gutless, cowards looking for personal profit and enrichment. Congressmen and Senators enter office as men of modest means but quickly become millionaires.  They are wined and dined by lobbyists and special interest groups.  They are enriched by selling their votes and their influence in the Congress.  They are like fat plantation overseers who benefit from the toil of others while enslaving others with handouts for political purposes.  They say one thing to get votes then do another when they are in office.  They become part of the establishment, and the establishment has become the enemy of the people and the enemy of our constitutional republic.

 

Our Founding Fathers served for the good of the country, and when their terms were done they went back to being planters, merchants, professionals, and so on.  They didn’t make a career out of public service only to enrich themselves.

 

We are no longer a nation with elected leaders who are our peers.  We are a nation ruled by an oligarchy and an elite political class who believe they know more than the rest of us and who feel they are entitled to be sent to Washington.  We are like the French in the years before their revolution.  The politicians in Washington aren’t looking out for the American taxpayer; they’re looking out for themselves.

 

  • I hate the push for political correctness in America. This media concoction is trampling over the 1st  We can’t call someone fat or short for fear it may hurt their feelings.  We can’t say anything bad about anyone.  I certainly don’t favor racism or bullying, but simply saying someone is fat doesn’t constitute a hate crime.  Calling a midget a midget shouldn’t be offensive.  Calling illegal immigrants criminals shouldn’t cause people to gasp.  If they have come to America illegally, they are criminals; they’ve broken the law.  If that hurts their feelings, too bad.  People need to get thicker skin.  We have the right to call Islamic extremists terrorists.  The rebels in Syria aren’t freedom fighters; they’re terrorists.  I have the right to call someone fat and lazy as much as they have the right to call me Ichabod Crane or Slim Jim.  Let’s get back to calling a spade a spade.  We have more important things in America to worry about than if someone gets offended by lack of political correctness.  The media’s bullying of the American people for saying something they in the media deem politically incorrect has scared people into silence.  This is abjectly wrong.  Americans need to fight back against the media’s bullying tactics and political correctness bullshit.

 

  • I hate the redistribution of wealth from those who contribute to the success of America to those who are bringing America down. Half of the American people are paying taxes to support half of the American people who are just takers from the system.  Half are paying in to provide benefits and services for all 100%.  This is unsustainable in the long-term, as it creates a disincentive for work and success.  The efforts of the media and politicians to demonize those who are successful, whether individuals or corporations, are appalling.  Success should be applauded not denigrated or penalized.

 

  • I hate that America is weak; we don’t strand for strength, or for that matter anything anymore. Our priorities have become mis-aligned.  Islamic extremism is on the rise throughout the world and even here at home.  ISIS and ISIL are getting better organized, better equipped, and more influential in Iraq and Syria.  They are terrorizing the people of these nations and plotting attacks against America and our allies.  Here at home, radical Islam is on the rise.  The atrocities—the mass executions, the murders, and so on—that the terrorists are committing in Iraq can just as easily happen here.  While the Department of Homeland Security and intelligence agencies work hard to protect the American people, our military is becoming weaker.

 

Our leaders are more concerned with protecting the rights of Muslims to wear burkas than they are with protecting the safety and rights of Americans.  Our leaders bow down to those who do not acknowledge our Christian values and who want to destroy those values.

 

We used to be a nation of law and order, but in the last few months we have seen rioting and lawlessness take over places like Ferguson and Baltimore; all the while, law enforcement stood idly by while private property was looted, burned, and destroyed.  Some feel this is acceptable behavior, but this shows an unwillingness of leaders to maintain order and punish those who break the law.  We used to stand for military might, strength, strong foundational values, peace and freedom.  Wrongdoers were brought to justice and punished.

 

Now, our own leaders have engaged in efforts to denigrate America throughout the world and here at home with apologies, inaction, and unresponsiveness.  We are no longer respected in the world; we are seen as weak.  Worse, our focus on inconsequential matters in the entertainment world and an investigation into FIFA, which is of no relevance to the American taxpayers, are orchestrated to divert our attention from the failings of Washington and from the true problems plaguing our nation.  Our nation has over $18 trillion in national debt and over $120 trillion in unfunded liabilities, yet the big news of late has been allowing gays to get married.  What’s more important: an issue for a group of people who represent less than 2.5% of the total population or an issue that equates to nearly $500,000 for every single person in America or the possibility of terrorist attacks here in America?

 

  • I hate that the federal government is becoming a “nanny” state. The government wants to take care of you from cradle to grave and in return you’re expected to vote a certain way.  More importantly, to accomplish this, you’re expected to willing subrogate many of your rights to Washington.  An all powerful and dominant federal government is the furthest thing from what the Founding Fathers envisioned in America.  The American people, though complacency, ignorance, laziness and greed, have allowed Washington to embark on a massive power grab that has resulted in a trampling of the Constitution and an increasingly dangerous concentration of power and dominance over nearly every aspect of citizens’ lives.  Government funded and run healthcare gives the federal government virtual control over life and death.  Those who think this isn’t the case have their heads buried in the sand or are either too stupid or blind to accept the truth.  Our constitutional republic is slowly being replaced with a socialist oligarchy.  All the while the American people are more concerned with who’s wearing panties this week and who isn’t.  This concentration of power in Washington is dangerously destabilizing for America.  Social and economic programmes are being developed to fundamentally transform America and the lives of ordinary Americans.  The burden for the ever expanding federal government is being placed upon half of the American people who actually pay taxes.  Unfunded federal liabilities amount to nearly $500,000 per person in America.  The responsibility for this financial burden will ultimately be increasingly borne by a smaller and smaller portion of the population.  Beyond the financial cost, there are other consequences of a growing nanny state:  as the federal government increases, the rights of the people decrease.

 

  • I hate that our federal elections are rigged. The last two presidential elections have been rife with voter fraud which has been widely documented.  Yet, nothing has happened.  No one has been imprisoned for the fraud perpetuated against the American people.   Illegals have been allowed to vote.  Legitimate voters have been allowed to vote multiple times.  Ballot boxes have been stuffed.  The American people have sat back and allowed it to happen.  Efforts to curb this with voter ID laws have been stymied.  If we don’t have open, free, and fair elections, what is our nation?  I have long held that we are simply given the illusion of free and fair elections.  Going to the polls on election day is just a dog and pony show to keep the masses happy.  Yet, the outcome of each election is largely predetermined.  The establishment, in both parties, ensures that only the candidates they want and hand select are put up for public office.  Mitt Romney was the heir apparent for the Republican nomination after John McCain’s loss in the presidential election in 2008.  Yes, there were other candidates for the Republican nomination, but the establishment ensured that Mitt Romney was the ultimate nominee though a systematic dismantling of the competition through vile character assassinations and muckraking.  In the current election cycle, Hillary Clinton is the heir apparent for the Democratic party, having seemingly been anointed by the establishment.  Constitutional republic or oligarchy?

 

Equally as disappointing is the fact that the American people basically have to choose between two candidates from the main parties.  Third party candidates are kept out of debates and have no media exposure for fear they will poach votes from the two main parties and compromise their holds on power.  The politically aligned media ensures third party candidates remain in the political wilderness.  We have free and fair elections…but you really only have two viable options to vote for since the third party candidates have no chance of getting elected.

 

  • I hate that the federal government is more concerned about the rights of immigrants and minorities than the rights of taxpaying citizens. Anyone who denounces illegal immigrants is a racist bigot.  Anyone who opposes the views, wants, and demands of certain minorities is a racist bigot.  If you feel we should deport illegal immigrants from Mexico, Russia, South America, Africa, the Middle East or Europe because they have broken the laws of our nation, you are a racist bigot.  If you don’t feel that they have a right to stay here and work and get government benefits and vote and all the while not pay taxes, you are a racist bigot.  If you don’t agree that illegal immigrants here have the same rights as true American citizens and taxpayers, you are a racist bigot.  If you believe that Muslims should not be given the right to wear burkas in the workplace, even if it intimidates you or your family, you are a racist bigot.  If you object to homosexuality on religious grounds, you are a racist bigot.  If you don’t believe that the rights of illegal immigrants and the views of those in the minority are more important than your own rights and views, you are a racist bigot.  If you don’t believe we should allow illegal immigrants to come here and stay, you are a racist bigot.  If you believe we should protect our borders and enforce our immigration policy, you are a racist bigot.  If you don’t believe we should bow down to immigrants and those from other religions and cultures and their desires to fundamentally change America to their way of life and their belief systems, you’re a racist bigot.  Well, then, I guess I’m just a racist, bigot, bastard!

I still believe in the promise of America.  I believe in our constitutional republic, and I believe in the Constitution.  Despite all our problems, America, the institution, remains the greatest country and institution of government in the world.  That’s why millions of peoples throughout the world seek desperately to come here for the opportunity of a better way of life for them and their families.  No one is flocking to China or Mexico, and no one is flocking to get Euros or Yen.  Yet, Americans born free in our country and bred here take this for granted.  It is altogether too easy to do this.  Likewise, it is altogether too easy to sit idly while rights are trampled and while the federal government seeks more and more control over our lives.  And, it is very easy to criticize America and fault the institution for the problems plaguing the nation.

 

Rather, the blame for the decline in America should be blamed not on the constitutional republic but a number of other factors.  I love America and what she represents.  I want America to be the greatest place on Earth and in the history of the world, but we’re falling short of that.  I certainly don’t hate America, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  I hate what’s happening in America and what’s happening with our society to weaken this great nation from within.

 

I hope that we have not gone too far down the path of self-destruction.  However naive, I still want to believe in the goodness of the American people and that collectively we will make decisions to ensure that America remains the land of the free and the home of the brave.  It will take courage and effort.  It will take education about the issues and the problems facing our great nation.  But collectively, I hope that we will come together to right the American ship which has been adrift the last few years.

 

 

About Mr. Cartwright—Digger Cartwright is the award-winning author of several mystery stories, teleplays, and novels including The Versailles Conspiracy, a modern day political thriller, Murder at the Ocean Forest, a traditional mystery novel set in the 1940s, The House of Dark Shadows, a psychological thriller, The Maynwarings: A Game of Chance, a mystery set in the Old West, and Conversations on the Bench, an inspirational/motivational novel.  His books are available in hardback, paperback, and e-book format through his website, www.DiggerCartwright.com, on-line booksellers and bookstores.  The House of Dark Shadows, The Maynwarings, and Conversations on the Bench all won first place in various categories in the 2015 Regional Excellence Book Awards.  They were also finalists in the Beverly Hills Book Awards competition in 2015.

 

Mr. Cartwright has contributed to a number of articles on a wide range of financial, strategic planning, and policy topics.  He frequently contributes articles, commentaries, and editorials focusing on current economic and political topics for the private think tank, Thinking Outside the Boxe.

 

Mr. Cartwright is an enthusiastic supporter of local no-kill animal shelters, the Wounded Warrior Project, and local Meals on Wheels programs.

 

He enjoys golf, participating in charity golf tournaments, and attending WWE events.  He divides his time between Washington, D.C., South Carolina, and Florida.

 

Press Contact:

Executive Assistant to Mr. Cartwright

Website:  http://www.DiggerCartwright.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/DiggerCartwright

Twitter:  @mysterydigger

Blog:  www.MysteryDigger.com

Daily News Briefing:  www.MysteryWriterNews.com

 

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