Source: The Business of Running for President

Abe Lincoln wouldn’t win an election today. And either can Gary Johnson.

The 1992 campaign slogan of Bill Clinton Putting people first poses the question: which of the 2012 presidential hopefuls will be best at representing the needs of the citizens of the U.S.? Though ultimately the choice is up to each and every person who votes, both current president Barack Obama and his opponent Mitt Romney have promising agendas.

With Election Day just three days away, many political polls have indicated a very close race. Each candidate is nearly tied. Each is battling hope, fear, and conflict. Each has a very distinct vision for the future of America. Harnessing enthusiasm, Obama has made mention of his past victories while instilling the importance of change, transformation, and sustainable recovery. Romney has concentrated his efforts at engaging people to vote for patriotism and a genuine love for the U.S. As the battle lines draw closer than ever, the importance of selecting a president aligned with what each voter holds most valuable is essential to the welfare of and future direction of this country

On November 6, 2012, exercise your obligation as a citizen of the U.S. and select a leader based on his competence, credibility, character, and command.

Source: Online Christian Colleges

The first thing to note is that there have been no proclaimed atheists. That doesn’t meant there haven’t been any practical atheists in the oval office. But it is interesting nonetheless. And I had no idea that the majority of President’s were Episcopalian. I wonder if that’s more a reflection of British influence on the country or the convenience of the Episcopal denomination.

Sure, solar is still a little cumbersome and not the only energy solution. But if corporations had the incentives to make better solar products (in the form of subsidies) we’d see a lot more technological progress on this front.

Source: Marriage and Family Counseling Degrees

There’s a great article over here that demonstrates how Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy and wars account for nearly half the debt our country currently faces.

Source: Best Accounting Schools via BusinessPundit

Let’s unmask the Fed!

And the factory system has been notched up a whole additional level in recent decades with emphasis on standardized tests as documented in the following infographic from the website Best Masters in Education. The infographic does a nice job documenting how education has just become a factory for producing kids who can do well on tests. But it also points out how this system has class biases (wealth). And because schools with wealthier families perform better on tests, the system is destined to perpetuate a class based education gap. There is also pressure on both teachers and students to cheat… because cheating, if uncaught, gets rewarded.

It is time for our educational system to become kid based, to focus on learning and natural curiosities, and to reward natural inquisitiveness. The current system is as mind numbing as a factory.

From: BestMastersInEducation.com

War is a nasty thing.  And sadly it is something that the United States instigates far too often.  It is important for us to remember how atrocious war is and articles like this one highlighting the bloodiest of the bloodiest battles where millions of people die, are very helpful.

Read the full article:  10 Bloodiest Battles of World War II

What strikes me is that pretty soon, most people alive will not have vivid memories of the horror of the World Wars and may very easily put to sleep by an overly militarized government.  As long as we’re the ones imposing the terror, well then it’s not so bad.

For anyone who ever doubted that the US is acting like an empire.  Click this map to see a larger version.