Freedom Isn't Free

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Ever since the land of the free and the home of the brave was founded in 1776, thousands have come and gone, some have been more known than others, some have been wealthier, some have been more famous, others have been less known but still remembered; nevertheless, all are remembered as the sons of the land of liberty and justice for all, as the sons of the one Republic under god.

And as such sons, Americans have always understood that with great power comes great responsibility, that because they enjoy liberty and freedom today it doesn't mean they will enjoy it tomorrow; Americans have understood so dearly that there is always a price to be paid, and so they have always been willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate price only to be sure their sons and daughters will enjoy not only what they themselves enjoyed, but more.

There, has endured the main principle upon which America is founded: making sure others will have and enjoy more than we ourselves enjoyed. Today, and every single September 11, every single American and like-minded person must remember that no matter how many attacks are perpetuated against our lifestyle, against our values, and against our dignity, our flag still stands for freedom and the revolutionary torch lightened in 1776 burns hotter than ever.

It is time not only to stand up for our country, but to feel our anthem's lyrics deeper than ever, time to remember why we are here, what America's mission in this world is, why we are the greatest nation on earth, why we are exceptional, and moreover, it is time to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for us to be here; time to assure future generations they will never have to endure the same hardships we have had to endure, or if they have to, that they will have every single possible necessary instrument to win through victory and come out swinging.

We must all understand that these tragedies don't happen so we change our values, they don't happen so we stop being prosperous, or happen so we give up on our beliefs, these tragedies take place only so we can understand the message that we are the envy of many, and the comfort of many more. They happen so we can understand freedom doesn't come free nor is it easy to maintain, and more important than all, these tragedies take place so we can understand that we must stand more united and stronger than ever before.

Today, not only as an American, but as a proud westerner, conservative, catholic, capitalist and peace-lover, i stand prouder than ever (and i know i don't stand alone) in reiterating that no single person who believes in freedom is alone, and the best proof is that those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in September 11th may be gone, but they will never be forgotten.

God Bless America!

God Bless America

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Human history has seen many great nations rise and fall, we have seen economic rise and decline, we have witnessed world wars, evolutions from dictatorships to democracies (and vice-versa); But never in the course of human history  had the world seen the rise of a nation founded upon the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is this rise that has inspired millions of peoples around the world, and today, July 4th, we gather annually to celebrate what makes us unique, what makes us exceptional; we gather to celebrate and cherish the land with which we were blessed.

Every 4th of July is special, and not because we celebrate our founding fathers and their struggle to establish something better, but because we gather to cherish upon our recent achievements and hope for our future and current challenges; it is this spirit, and this sense of celebrating accomplishments but fighting challenges that represents the best of America: its willingness to always improve, its never-ending struggle towards better, the core belief that we are not yet the best but the better.

Today, it is important for every single one of us, whether American or not, Christian or Jewish, Black or White, Patriot or not, to celebrate what we have and make a pledge to strengthen this great nation, which continues and will continue to be the hope of the world. It is important for all of us to remind ourselves that it is America which has risen up to the occasion, whether great depressions, world wars, political crises, or military confrontations. And moreover, it is important that we remember, specially if not American, that when America is strong and stands tall: democracy, freedom, liberty, justice and prosperity are strong and stand tall. 

May America continue to be the land of the free and the home of the brave, and most important, may we reiterate what every fourth of july will be true: America's best days lay ahead. 

God Bless America.

Written by: Ricardo Madrid A.

Snowden and Surveillance Part I

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In the past, the United States and other free nations have surely been victim of those who seek to infiltrate their societies, their technology, and disrupt their progress. Nevertheless, for a long time, the world hadn't seen such a dangerous threat and traitor as Edward Snowden, a 30-year old, north carolinian who worked at NSA-Contractors for quite sometime until he decided to succumb to the primitive notion of total, unrestricted, safe liberty.

Snowden travelled to Hong Kong around May and revealed top-secret information about American and British intelligence programs, all to an American and a British Newspaper. By many, he has been seen from that moment as a hero, and an inspiration; while in reality, the only thing Edward Snowden represents is a cooperator and indirect sponsor of terrorist acts, he himself, has become the biggest enemy of the liberties we enjoy and possess.

People need to be able to differentiate between a government intromission into your civil liberties and a fight to assure the survival of these same civil liberties. The Bush and Obama administrations have not forfeit your ability to send and receive e-mails or calls, they have not limited your right to dislike the government, these administrations haven't jailed you for disagreeing with the Iraq War or Obamacare, instead they have searched for those who seek to destroy your own ability to disagree with such issues. The fact that they haven't prohibited such things eliminates the vague argument that the federal government is undertaking actions proper of Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, or other, like-minded, dictatorial, anti-dissent anarchists.

On the other hand, the impact such revelations have had on international relations has been underestimated by many, including probably Snowden himself. Nevertheless, the leak has strained relations not only between the already at-odds Chinese and American diplomatic corps, but between the strongest allies such as the United States and the European Union. This implies, not only that this crucial edge of security that has been forged between Washington and Brussels will be weakened and loosen, but it also implies that the newly-started trade agreement negotiations will be seriously affected or even halted, stopping billions of dollars from being invested here in America, and thousands of jobs from being created. American efforts to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, to broker a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, and to negotiate a truce among Afghans and Talibans will now have a higher risk of failure as the international community starts to doubt the credibility of the United States and the operations it conducts.

Moreover, it is most crucial to consider the grave effects and implications these leaks will have on the progress we had built on protecting ourselves and our allies from the grip of terrorism. Not only will of course terrorists abstain further from utilizing the internet, and cellphones (and switch to other communication methods which we will have a hard time tracking) but they will get precisely what they want, an American and British public which is increasingly uneasy about its government. This will create the perfect social ambiance for terrorists, an ambiance based around division, lack of trust, and weakness.

Before concluding, it is extremely imperative to note that some believe because we prefer a smaller government, then we should prefer less government surveillance and intelligence gathering to prevent terrorism from harvesting in our territory, while in reality, it is precisely more important for those of us who prefer a smaller government to defend these undercover programs; we are the ones that must defend them as this type of programs are those that assure we will never need a stronger, more-centralized, almighty government which has to limit all our abilities to assure our safety.

It is the wish of all of us to have a smaller, smarter, more effective government, let us not for a single second confuse crucial surveillance programs that are aimed at precisely assuring our liberties with actions that are aimed at limiting our scope of dissent or actions that will ultimately make us less free, because it is in fact, this actions, that will permit our liberties to be expanded and strengthened, all because we are sure they can be exercised and built upon in a safe and stable environment; there will be no environment to wield this liberties and rights on if we are left unprotected.

God Bless America!

Written by: Ricardo Madrid A.

The Syrian Civil War, Part 1: France

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As European Empires extended their reach after gains won in World War I, France and its Empire, extended their reach in Asia and the Middle East, this time, in 1920, France occupied and took control over what today is Syria. This occupation was part of a League of Nations mandate, which would come to last under 1946, when the French Republic would leave Syria and let it have independence. Since those times, relations between France and the Syrian Arab Republic have mostly remained close, and have been of tight political links, strong consultation and cooperation between the two governments, shared history, and sometimes shared values, although policy differences have been marked notably by differences in positions towards Lebanon; Most recently, relations were practically halted (in 2005) when Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri was assassinated and Syria was presumably implicated.

Although relations would later be normalized, since dictator Bashar Al-Assad started shelling his own people and massacring them, the French Republic and all its might and weight in the international arena, have been fighting and pushing for a change in Syria. They have repeatedly called for a democratic and pacifist stepping down of Tyrant Al-Assad, but since the beginning, they have brought military options to the table of the United Nations, with their Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their Mission to the United Nations pushing for a joint resolution where military force would be authorized, in order to assure hostilities are suspended.

French efforts might have been strong, but they haven't been enough to convince the western world to intervene militarily in the Syrian conflict, nevertheless, they have persuaded Washington and London to cooperate more closely with the opposition, and have prompted them to provide intelligence and information to those fighting the grip of Bashar Al-Assad. The French, were also among the first to recognize the Syrian National Council as the legitimate government of the Syrian people, meaning that they have fully officially declared their support towards the revolutionaries and their desires. Allegedly, their foreign policy has also been based around helping train rebel soldiers in neighboring Turkey, with the aid and help of the Saudi Kingdom and Qatar.

Most recently, western governments have been alarmed about the possibility that Chemical Weapons were used by the Assad government to try to shift the balance and retake control, this, would violate the so-called "red-lines" by the governments of the United States, United Kingdom and France. With the latest one having promised a "massive and blistering" response, which could include, but not be limited to, no-fly zones and naval strikes.

What is most important, is the need for France to continue pushing for change, and if necessary, the need for La Republique to intervene militarily and make Assad step down, for they must advocate in favor of human rights, and this would constitute one of the most important steps in the fight towards a greater and fairer society in the middle east. France will continue to be a key player in the Syrian Civil War, and not only because it has historic links, and of course, because of their interests in the middle east, but because their renewed Foreign Policy has been heavily focused on humanitarian missions and liberation from tyranny (most recently applied in Mali). The Fifth Republic must adopt a policy of strengthened positions, with unwavering arguments against the use of chemical weapons, and any methods of torture. As perhaps this, can help France regain its lost confidence in the international arena and recapture all the lost influence, specially in the middle east (They might even appeal to arabs with actions of this type).

It is time for someone to lead, and that someone has already begun doing so, it is now time to get more practical, France is the one to do it.

Vive la liberte, la fraternite, et l'egalite.

Written by Ricardo Madrid

Time to commemorate Britain's Union!

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Many countries, to be realistic, most, have national days, either commemorating their day of independence, or an event of special significance. The rule of adopting a special commemorative day, which is known all around the country, and in most cases, all around the world, has widely been adopted both in the developed and emerging worlds, its exceptions are few and might shock a few, as those countries which don’t have an official national day, are countries with a long history and tradition, The United Kingdom and Denmark are among the most recognized of nations which do not have a national day, although, they do have some special dates and events which are recognized.

In Denmark, it could be said to be the 5^th of June, when the constitution of 1849 was adopted, while in the United Kingdom, it would be very hard to determine, as they have important events such as the birthday of the queen, many commemoration days to different saints, among other famous and acclaimed celebrations; but one of the most underscored, and less celebrated, is probably the one which should be the most important day in the United Kingdom of is the Union Day.

Their union is now 306 years old, meaning they have enjoyed more than 300 years of prosperous cooperation, everyday closer ties, and most important, political union. But to understand why this union is so important, and why its importance can even be compared at a lesser-extent to that of the United States, one must understand how this union benefits all parties involved, and how it must be preserved. This union is made up of 4 different subdivisions, or countries, which are Wales, Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland.

Although one might argue that the union depends solely or majorly on England, as they have the largest population and the largest GDP in the Union, it might as well be argued that it wouldn’t have such high levels of economic productivity and prosperity if it weren’t for the union. England enjoys very large levels of investment from Welsh, Northern Irish, and Scottish companies and people, it also enjoys large concentrations of populations from all those parties, and they do, as well, of Englishmen. If it weren’t for the natural resources which are found all around the British Isles (those which are part of the union), the United Kingdom would not be able to sustain its world position as a global power in production and providing of services, as it wouldn’t have enough to generate what it does. On energy matters, the union depends largely on both foreign oil and Scottish oil, as the northern maritime areas of Great Britain generate many of the country’s oil, and assure the country has large reserves to exploit. Militarily, the union depends mainly on the commitments made by England, and it has since a long time ago, followed English military doctrines, perfecting them with welsh, northern Irish, and Scottish methods. Culturally, the union is represented by its wide cultural diversity, many of which comes from Wales and Northern Ireland, which both host some of the most famous and oldest cities, and which hold some of the few areas where traditional, regional dialects are spoken in the developed world.

All this elements and many more, make the Union more perfect, with each part contributing largely to its success, but most important, specially to the whole world, is not the domestic matters of the highly successful union, but what it means to foreign relations. Since Britain is strong, it is allowed to make high commitments and promises to world peace and stability, it is also given room, to cooperate extensively, as the tranquility and political stability which such union brings, to a geographical region which was once turbulent, assures the North Atlantic is safe, meaning that exports and imports are given free flow and therefore bring economic stability and safety to most countries, which depend on imports and exports. The British union, because of the strength it produces, and the global influence it has, boasts one permanent seat in the Security Council, with Veto powers, which basically means there is one more permanent and veto-armed member which will defend democracy, liberty, and justice, along with the United States and France. This union, also makes the United Kingdom a world center for Banking and Financial services, which provides the west with another corner of economic stability and leadership. Finally, the most important benefit which this union brings to the whole world, is that with all their brains together, they have formed the pillars of western civilization, of the free and democratic order, and have provided Earth with a government willing to cooperate, make peace, but stand up when necessary and defend what is right.

I hereby, today, want to warn the whole world, and specially Britain, that this union is one meant to be kept, those who seek to destroy it and tore it apart, are blinded by false arguments which mislead the public, everyone in the United Kingdom should know, they are better of with the union, and most important, we, the world, are safer because of this anchor and hub of freedom.

Happy Union Day to the United Kingdom! May God give you unlimited years to perfect your union!

God bless the queen!

-Keep Calm and protect the Union-

Written by Ricardo Madrid

Socialism now on Germany's Success

It has long been known, that Germans, their economic role and position inside the Eurozone, and their weight, cant be ignored. Under President Sarkozy, France sought to considerably improve relations with its eastern neighbor, it tightened commercial ties, boosted trade, eliminated regulations, and most important, started a very effective, and useful system of constant dialogue between Continental Europe's strongest countries. Both Sarkozy and Merkel boasted a close friendship, they shared interests, values, and ideals, and because they did, it was easy for both countries to work fast and achieve their goals.

Since the socialist machine of Hollande reached power, the French Economy has gone from prosperous long-term prospects, to the steady decline. After having closely monitored the situation in the Eurozone, and most particularly France, i have gotten the chance to see how Hollande's policies have ruined everything Sarkozy did, and most importantly, how he has achieved nothing of which he promised. French economic outlooks are meager, unemployment is the highest in years and rising, french industries and corporations are constantly loosing presence and importance in the international arena, and relations with the rest of the world have gotten more and more stranded, this time, Socialism and its envy have chosen Angela Merkel and her success as their new prey.

It all begun with the obvious distancing in French politics from its sister Federal Republic, and recently, Hollande has appeared to be blaming Angela Merkel for every single problem that lies within the Eurozone, he and his evil-followers have classified Angela of being "egotistical intransigence" and they have called for "democratic confrontation" with Berlin, all happened, not only because they needed to shift away from internal problems, but because they thought a German financial paper, which only states the reality, was offensive towards France, as that report called France "Europe's biggest problem child".

Europe must not stand still when the French Socialist failure is jealous about the huge success and progress achieved by Ms. Merkel, they must know, that if their policies were correct and assertive, France wouldnt be expected to grow by a mere 0.1% at best, compared with Germany's minimum estimated growth of 0.5%, Hollande must instead of blaming it on outside success, put his feet on the ground, think of ideas to get all French potential and capacity at work, eliminate restrictions, ease the flow of goods, improve commercial relations with its largest economic partner, and work towards harmonizing relations with Germany, for if they cannot hold strong links with their most vital ally presently, they wont be able to sustain their international position and weight. Francois must take a look at the strong proof he has from history, as under Nicolas Sarkozy, during the worst of the recession, French GDP didnt go below -3.5% of growth, as many other European economies did, and with his responsible and smart policies, France was back on track in 2010, growing at an unprecedented, more than 1.7% for two consecutive years, until the party of ultimate failure, nationalization, corruption, and broken promises was back on power.

In order for the French Fifth Republic to continue its long history of economic success and prosperity, it must act accordingly to its position, France can no longer pretend or endure to act as the rebirth of socialism, for this would mark the final blow into the French economy and French society. Even as i have always loved France, and think of it as a country with huge potential and room for growth, i know, and i am confident, these policies of limitation, blaming on others, and revived "dirigisme" will only further increase the odds of failure. France must unite, and call on its president to revive the economy, knowing that this will only be achieved with the cooperation and connection held with Germany, a model of success.

Vive la Republique et Vive la France!

Written by Ricardo Madrid 

Attacks on American Lifestyle: The case for continued strength

The United States has recently been host to some of the worst atrocities, ranging from terrorist attacks in some of the most important marathons in the countries, to industrial explosions, to classroom massacres and many more. There have been a lot of people who have enjoyed American suffering and have made themselves proud by contributing to disturbing American Lifestyle and Values all throughout history, this people have from time to time, contributed to disturbances, attacks, and attempts to destabilize America and its society.

To the threats and events that have to do with terrorist attacks, there must be one strong response, no single Terrorist attack or threat, will disrupt American lifestyle, will discourage the United States from pursuing a strong Foreign Policy, or will make western society fearful. Everyone who thinks they have stroke a huge blow to American life, all of those who think the battle is over, and that the decline of the US is sure, they must know, these events, threats, and attacks only strengthen America's values, they only tighten the union between Western allies, and more important, the only thing they do, is make Americans stronger and less vulnerable to any type of attacks.

So, as mentioned, this attacks shall not disrupt the way of life or the way of thinking of Americans, and they haven't  They should only encourage a stronger response from the United States, they will only continue shaping American interests around destroying terrorist and threatening organizations, and when the United States and its huge power is focused on neutralizing a threat, they have shown, cant be stopped.

As for eventualities not relating to terrorism and these types of activities, they test American courage, reactions to them portray American heroes and capacities. They will only continue to make constant improvement unstoppable, they will make more advances in science and technology more likely, and they will bring the American society one step further in the path towards a more strengthened society.

Classroom massacres, and shootings, have been of special national spotlight during the past months and the past season, they have been of wide debate, and have drown the interest of the whole nation, moreover, it has become clear that the real problem might not be with the right to bear guns and buy them, but the mentality of those who buy them and use them; that is why, the United States must be strengthened by this events and form a stronger education on the potential threat posed by guns, it must make sure everyone is provided an environment where they can express their love for weapons, but are not poised to use them against society, and its most important assets, the next generation.

The whole point of the United States, has always been about strength and determination throughout difficult and perilous times, these times, have been both perilous and difficult, and they have put at stake American lifestyle itself, that is why, those who belong to the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, must understand that these times are not here to weaken us, or demoralize us, or even to signal us about our inevitable decline, they are here because we can handle them, because we must take the next step towards a greater society, towards a renewed America, an Strengthened one. Times like these, will always be the ones which shape our character the most, now is the time to confront them ferociously, with or without doubts, once and for all.

God bless the United States of America!

Written by Ricardo Madrid