Ok, I am the new dog on the block, but I have known the contributors to this blog for some time now.  With much arm twisting, they FINALLY got me to come along and contribute my words to this great blog.  I do not pretend to be an expert in anything, though I am versed on a lot.  I may not come across to eloquently at times, but I promise I will answer your questions.  I welcome constructive criticism but negativity is not tolerated.  I do not subscribe to any political ideology except that of the Constitution, battered and bruised as she may be.  I have given my time to this country doing many things I can’t talk about, ever.  I held my hand up nearly 20 years ago and swore:  I, Shadow Patriot, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

I will piss you off.  I will make you laugh.  I will give you something to think about.  I may even make you like me.  But what I won’t ever do is candy coat anything.  I call it like I see it…I always have.

This brings me to this fine blog.  I think it was inevitable that I would find an outlet for my thoughts, in the hopes that those words will help move our country in the right direction.  I have worked constantly and diligently, trying my best to pick the right fights and educate others on more truths than they may have been accustomed to.  This brings me to the first of two conversations.  In this day and age, nothing digital ever goes away.  SOMEONE SOMEWHERE retains a copy.  I rarely maintain a copy of anything on social sites, but two recent conversations were gems that I needed to save and share.  I did so on Facebook (and that resulted in the final arm twisting that got me into the pool of contributors for TNP, and those generated quite a buzz for me.  So I am going to share them with you.  First up, a Ron Paul nutter that just doesn’t get it (I changed all names, including mine, to protect all identities…given my job, I request all comments coming from people who know me to call me Shadow Patriot):

Conversation with a Ron Paul nutter over the killing of Awlaki:

Shadow Patriot:  You know, this guy had it coming. This is nothing more than fulfillment of Bush’s policy against terrorism. We took the fight to him (Awlaki) and ended his life before he could further formulate plans. He decided to be an enemy combatant, and therefore his was not an assassination. His death was more than justified and in killing him, countless lives were saved. Sorry……I don’t agree or the enemy could consider all of OUR soldiers worthy of dying, as well, for all the innocent children and women, etc. that they have killed. Bottom line—-we have a system and a Constitution for a reason…..and that is to find someone GUILTY before they are punished.

Shadow Patriot:   There is a mountain of evidence against him. As I said, he decided to become an enemy combatant. He mentored 2 or 3 of the 9/11 pilots, as well as the shoebomber.

I don’t agree with assassination, but as I said he chose to be an enemy combatant.

Shadow Patriot:   And the enemy DOES consider all our soldiers worthy of dying…as well as anyone that doesn’t follow their flavor of islam…hence the secular violence that has gone on for ages.

Other Person: We can’t “agree” some of the time and not “agree” some of the time and at the same time be consistent with the Constitution, tho. The power in Washington has gotten way out of hand, and if they can arbitrarily kill anyone they think deserves it, we are in deep trouble. I am sure many of us are now considered terrorists, so if they start killing innocent people, we allowed that to happen. I think I know you well enough, Shadow, to know you don’t want that…..We just cannot pick and choose whom we want dead. Aside from the fact, that that isn’t our choice to begin with!

Shadow Patriot:   Barbary coast…constitutional or not? Correct or not?

Other Person: And this violence and hate is all a part of “their” agenda, as well…..having the masses spread the hate and violence and that will justify the end means of Martial Law. And yes, I KNOW the enemy considers all of our soldiers worthy of dying…..why? Because we killed their innocent people (guess I didn’t explain it very well the first time around….sorry)

Shadow Patriot:   You did…I understood you. What I am trying to point out is that the fight existed before we even came to be as a nation. We weren’t the cause, though we (the west and all non-muslim nations) are the enemy. Ever hear of the 12th imam? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_al-Mahdi

Other Person: I totally understand this fight has been in existence for ages….but, I also contend that it should be THEIR fight….N OT ours and that they would NOT be including us in it if we hadn’t pissed them off by putting our noses where they don’t belong.

Shadow Patriot:   I am trying to say that whether we stuck our noses anywhere or not would not matter. There are thousands of excuses to attack the US. Not one of them would ever have to do with us interfering with an afghan/USSR thing.

Other Person: Shadow, my friend……we shall choose to agree to disagree on this one. Until the day I die I will be a firm believer in following the rules of the Constitution. They did the same thing (supposedly, albeit, he wa already dead) with Bin Laden……both of these men should have been brought to trial and not assassinated, period. Have a great weekend, kiddo. Thanks for your input….I always value your opinion, as you know 🙂

Shadow Patriot:   I do know….but you never answered my question from before, though it was meant for you to think about… The Barbary Pirates…was our action in stopping them constitutional or not? Many say yes, many say no. I say it was needed.

Other Person: I fail to see where just because of the way Jefferson handled the Barbary Pirates made it right.

Shadow Patriot:   “Although Congress never voted on a formal declaration of war, they did authorize the President to instruct the commanders of armed American vessels to seize all vessels and goods of the Pasha of Tripoli “and also to cause to be done all such other acts of precaution or hostility as the state of war will justify.””

That is the big thing. We went to war without a formal declaration. In violation of Article 1, section 8.

The bottom line I was trying to get across to this person was that RP was WRONG on this one.  Awlaki was responsible for two of the terrorists who committed the 9/11 attacks.  Furthermore, he was responsible for the guy trying to blow up his shoe.  He essentially gave up his right to citizenship by NOT stopping an act of war on our nations soil.  I further tried to explain that a President’s first priority is to the security of the nation and sometimes a President has to do the right thing, even if it means doing something many people don’t like and that there is historical precedent for military action against a terrorist group that did not require congressional approval.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to ever have to go back to Iraq, and I certainly think that we would be better off if we came home and secured our own border (that is another story), but we are doing what we must in taking the fight to a nationless, faceless enemy…militant Islam (the distinction is also another story).

What this person also didn’t get that militant Islam would have attacked us anyway.  I TRIED to get this person to see this by talking about the 12th imam…  What drives me nuts are people who form a conclusion with no basis in fact.  We need to do our homework.  We need to read and research.  And yes, this means even reading the Koran and getting educated on Islamic history and the numerous terrorist groups out there.

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Another conversation with a person who seems to have his priorities messed up….The lesson I was trying to convey was that all this class warfare is misdirection. Aim the anger at someone else. It is classic Machiavelli. It keeps the pressure off the real targets. And yes, I have read The Prince…good read.

PERSON 1:  Raising the taxes on some people AIN’T GONNA SOLVE ANYTHING

Shadow Patriot: But lowering them on all will… even going to a fair tax scheme… Think about it…raising taxes hasn’t helped…devaluing the dollar by flooding the market hasn’t helped…so taxing more is going to help? NOT.

PERSON 2: They are doing it on purpose.

PERSON 3: Depends on how much you raise them and who you raise them on 🙂 plus if you put people back to work it will be a win win for everyone. More consumer spending more tax revenue etc… BUT maybe you are right and taxes wont solve anything maybe the whole system needs to go

PERSON 1: I would rather see the biz tax stay the same, while ending personal income tax.

PERSON 3: We have had ten years of lower taxes. Lets just be honest ok. Tell me how ten years of lower taxes have helped.

Shadow Patriot: There were a lot more factors than lower taxes…and there were more taxes and fees in other places than simply income tax.about an hour ago

PERSON 1: well of course, that’s why we should restore the free market. And Aaron I don’t know people should boycott, certain things that are involved with the top 1%

PERSON 3: At least you are willing to admit you dont know. I dont know either but i do know whe have had ten years of lower taxes all while paying for ten times as many thing like two wars, banker bail outs, and years of unemployment benefits just to name a few. If you make over 250 thousand you should pay more taxes. Hell i have never made over thirteen thousand dollars in a single in my whole working life. Im still alive im still kickin why does anyone need that much money anyways?

Shadow Patriot: In a much freer time, people were free to amass as much as they could. It wasn’t a matter of need, it was a matter of ability. Just because you can doesn’t mean you need to, you just do it because you can. Now that very same thing that brought us everything we so love (right down to that computer/phone/tablet you are using) is made into a pariah. We are now being told to hate success…and that successful people are the reason we are in the mess we are in. While I am willing to grant that some of them need to pay more (for instance GE, and Immelt who is now on Obama’s staff DIDN’T PAY A DIME IN TAXES and Buffett who owes more than a billion, but I digress), I am not willing to punish success because it sucks being here in the middle/bottom. There has to be more than simply making the rich “pay more”….such as the military budgeting system. Did you know that if you didn’t spend the money you were allocated in one fiscal year that you got less in the next? Makes sense on one hand, but mission requirements change at the drop of a hat and may require more funding….or a unit may need less funding than they were given for a given year.

PERSON 3: No one is saying not to be successful or not to strive for success what is being said is hey we ALL want to be successful so pay us a fair salary so that we might be able to have some capital to invest or start a business etc… and IF you arent willing to do it WE THE 99% WILL BURY YOU AND SHUT YOU DOWN. 🙂 EXPECT US 🙂

Shadow Patriot: It sounds like a bit of misdirection on the part of the government. The rich aren’t THE problem (though some of them may be a problem, as stated in my previous). The tax system is. Their combined wealth wouldn’t even put a dent in the debt. However, the collective 401K’s will….if the government can find a way to borrow from those.

PERSON 3: THE RICH AREN’T THE PROBLEM? ? ? I’M SORRY WHO STOLE OUR MONEY AND WHO DID WE BAIL OUT AND WHO DO WE STILL HAVE TO PAY BACK EVEN AFTER WE JUST FUCKING PAID THEM BACK? I’M SORRY BUT THE RICH ARE THE PROBLEM

Shadow Patriot: The government stole our money and bailed out companies. The root of the problem is the government overstepping its boundaries and assuming more power than it should have had.

Shadow Patriot: As I said, misdirection…they are also a nondeclared protected class. Why do you think they are calling for the raising of their taxes? You think they care? They will pump up the price of everything you buy to cover the cost of their taxes and pass the cost on to you. Again, government overstepping its boundaries.

PERSON 3: The rich greedy bastards who own the companies stole our fucking money and then they used their government puppets to take even more from us and even though we already paid them back by bailing them out they still want to rob us for more. Are you retarded or slow or just unwilling to admit the fucking truth? Are you one of them?

Shadow Patriot: Sorry my friend, but you apparently can’t see the forest for the trees. Let me say it in a way you may understand: GUBERMENT PROBLEM. COMPANY MAY BE BAD, BUT GUBERMENT PROBLEM.

Shadow Patriot: I wish I was one of them, then I wouldn’t be in this hellhole of a middle eastern country making sure you are as free as you can be to say what you want….

Shadow Patriot: We are on the same team, I am not defending greedy companies. I am just saying that they aren’t the root problem. The root of the problem is a government that fosters the environment we are in. Once we deal with that, we can deal with companies that rape us. I agree with your very first comment…the system needs an overhaul, with the Constitution as the guidepost.

PERSON 3: I’m not on your team. You are over there fighting for a pay check you are a paid mercenary. My freedoms do not come from men with guns you could blow my fucking brains out but you will never take my freedoms because you did not nor do you give me my freedoms you help to take peoples freedoms at the barrel of a gun. If we were really on the same team you would become a conscientous objector and tell the military industrial complex to find some one else to take away our constitutional rights. If you are REALLY in the military you swore the same oath I did to defend the constitution from ALL enemies foreign AND DOMESTIC before obeying the president. You have a choice. SEMPER FI

Shadow Patriot: Meh….believe and say what you will. You have no idea what it is I do, but I promise you I know more about what is going on that you ever will.

Do not tell me what I am or what I am not. Do not tell me what I should do or should not do. I do not help to take freedoms away, though I would love to see your logic on that one (if there is any). Did you become a “conscientous [sic] objector” or did you do your time and get out? If you did your time then you are as guilty as I am in your eyes. I have never had to pull a gun or a trigger, other than qualification training…

Person 3:  I have repented of my military service. I am a homeless marine corps veteran and i think differently now than i used to. Now i believe if you don’t stand up against them then you are for them. If you allow injustice you are as guilty as the people committing the injustice. The country i served left me on the streets of that country because i am not profitable to them. I have accepted my fate and embraced it and now i will do everything in my power to peacefully and non violently bring this system down. You serve a government who constantly abuses its power and our constitutional rights, thats who you serve, not me. You have a choice we can be on the same team but only if you choose to be on the right side and stand up for THE PEOPLE who pay your salary. If not you are one of them not one of us. Its 99 to 1 what side are you on?

Shadow Patriot:  Depends when the shit hits the fan, my friend. That will be a deciding factor for all of us. I can tell you I am not supportive of big government. Limited government, and limited to the powers in the Constitution. Anything else should be put up for amendment. I love my country and that is why I serve, but I can hate the way our government runs roughshod over everyone. I can hate it for leaving you homeless after however many years you put in. I can hate it for ever leaving a vet to the fate you have found yourself. I believe there will soon be a time when we all have to make that decision to stand or fall. I can tell you I won’t go down without a fight.

What this jackass didn’t get was it isn’t the companies that are ruining this country!  Though they may be adding to the problem, the ROOT of the issue is Government that is NOT abiding by its own rules!  This fosters the environment that allows companies to mess up things, such as the housing market.  You see, if you look at it slightly differently, you would see pretty much the same thing going on as goes on when a mother is trying to figure out which kid broke the lamp.  Without witnesses or other proof, it really comes down to who has the most plausible story.  Basically, redirection.  The Government knows it is the problem, but is blaming another group (who are more than happy to play along by throwing out the lure saying, “Tax us MORE!  We’re filthy rich!”) so as to get pressure off itself.  And, if this last guy I talked to was any indicator, it seems to be working.

People, just remember, greed is good.  If it weren’t for people hell-bent on making money, nothing would have been done in this country.  The rich employ millions of people.  They give millions to charity (for their own greedy purposes, sure…but the money STILL goes to charity).  Tax them, and they start to protect their assets.  They do this in many ways, but they lay off or fire people, raise prices, or move their operations to a less expensive country.  You know how I know this?  I would do it if I were them.  When it comes to business, it’s all about the bottom line.

Oh, and one more thing about the moron above, if all he makes is 13K a year, I would suggest to him that he get another job…unless all he has is some sort of social welfare money coming in.  In which case, he too is the problem.

Until next time…  Shadow out.