2014 Elections are Coming

Remember this list when you see your paycheck shrink, your insurance disappear, your doctor retire, your meds cost more, your medical choices reduced, and some damned bureaucrat determining if you are worth approving for an operation. This man is a pathological liar who thinks that two lies or more when told together create some sort of truth.

Here are the Top-10 Obamacare promises that were broken in 2013:

1. The website is simple and user-friendly
Hardly. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's claim in an op-ed piece in USA Today turned out to be a glib — and false — boast.

Even Democrat-friendly Jon Stewart's The Daily Show hammered Sebelius on the widespread and well-reported problems with the HealthCare.gov sign-ups. Stewart ended the interview with the official in a merciless monologue in which he wondered: “And then I think to myself, ‘well, maybe she’s just lying to me.’”

Just days into its disastrous rollout, the Obamacare website was out of order until mid-morning Oct. 8, a public relations headache given the administration had pledged to sign up 7 million people for Obamacare insurance by the start of 2014.

The early outage wasn't the last; on Dec. 20, a mere three days before the deadline to sign up for coverage starting Jan. 1, yet another outage lasted for several hours.

Even members of Congress were vexed by Obamacare's glitches.

2. "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan."
Obama's June 6, 2009 assertion was wrong. As insurers sent cancellations to millions of individual policy holders because their plans were sub-par for Obamacare standards, the president's oft-repeated pledge blew apart, and PolitiFact declared the vow the "lie of the year."

But respected Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer railed Obamacare itself was a fraud from the beginning, writing the law "was designed to throw people off their private plans and into government-run exchanges where they would be made to overpay — forced to purchase government-mandated services they don’t need — as a way to subsidize others."

3. "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor."
Obama's 2009 promise was wrong again, we learned in 2013. For insured Americans dumped by their employer-sponsored plans because they don't cut it with the new health care law, or pushed by their insurers to re-enroll at higher rates, it's likely they won't be able to keep their doctors, conservative blogger Cam Harris writes.

Offering the example of the 15,000 spouses of UPS employees forced to seek out new plans on the individual market, Harris writes they'll find their Obamacare network won't include their usual MD.

4. Premiums will fall by as much as $2,500 per family

That won't happen. Forbes magazine, comparing Affordable Care Act premiums versus pre-Obamacare premiums, finds this presidential assertion a dud.

According to Forbes, and based on a Manhattan Institute analysis of the HHS numbers, Obamacare will actually jack up underlying insurance rates for young men by an average of 97 to 99 percent, and for young women by an average of 55 to 62 percent. As for states, the worst off is North Carolina, which is expected to see individual-market rates triple for women, and quadruple for men, the analysis showed.

5. Obamacare won't add 'one dime to our deficits'
But it does. Even the Government Accountability Office's report of Feb. 26, 2013, projected Obamacare will increase the long-term federal deficit by $6.2 trillion.

An Investor's Business Daily analysis also shot down the Obama promise, reporting the Affordable Care Act could actually add $18 billion in red ink.

6. The ACA will cost around $900 billion over 10 years
Not even close. A Congressional Budget Office’s report from May 2013 puts the real price tag more around the area of $1.8 trillion. And the cost projections rise with every new estimated, conservative blogger Cam Harris noted.

7. Families making less than $250,000 won't see 'any form' of tax increase
Far from it. Obamacare contains 18 separate tax hikes, fees, and penalties, many of which heavily impact the middle class, the Heritage Foundation maintains.

Citing a Joint Committee on Taxation 2012 report and Congressional Budget Office information, as well as a Heritage Foundation report, Obamacare’s taxes and penalties will accumulate over $770 billion in new revenue over a 10-year period, and among taxes that'll pound the middle class are the individual mandate tax, the medical device tax, and new penalties and limits on health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts.

8. The ACA will keep healthcare costs down.

So says the president's Council of Economic Advisers.

But it's just not so, according to senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and American Enterprise Institute visiting fellow James Captretta writes in the Weekly Standard.

Here's why: National Health Expenditure projections show a slowdown in health spending that began long before Obamacare was passed, and was due to factors entirely unrelated, he argues.

In 2002, NHE spending per capita rose 8.5 percent and then began to slow over the ensuring years, he notes. And HHS actuaries even concede the reasons their estimates of health costs over the coming decade are lower than they were a few years ago is due to economic conditions, fiscal policy changes, including a sequester cut of Medicare payments, and a slowdown in growth in Medicaid, Medicare, and other government programs — all unrelated to Obamacare.

9. You have a deadline and a mandate.
Maybe. Squishy deadlines, and "fixes" have been a hallmark of Obamacare almost from the start.

In the most major fix of a problem aimed at people who lost their coverage because it didn't measure up to Obamacare standards, the administration abruptly shifted gears Dec. 19, changing policy to help people make a deadline to replace dropped insurance plans.

Those with inadequate insurance that got canceled were now allowed to claim a “hardship exemption," giving them the option to buy cheaper, minimal coverage plans normally available only to people under 30.

Another "fix" came Nov. 14, a week after the president apologized for the cancellations sent to people whose insurance didn't meet new standards. The president asked insurers to keep offering those plans for a year even if they don't meet minimum Obamacare requirements.

For small businesses, Obama last July bumped back the deadline requiring companies with 50 or more employees to offer insurance from Jan. 1 2014 to Jan. 1, 2015.

As for sign-up deadlines, it's been confusing at best. In October, people had until Dec. 15 to pick a plan if they wanted coverage beginning Jan. 1. Then, in November, it was extended to Dec. 23.

But citing high traffic to the HealthCare.gov website and at call centers before that deadline, the goal posts moved again, this time to Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.

Officials said nearly 2 million visits had been logged by that time in the last-minute rush, Yet in a blog post on the website Dec. 24, the administration suggested additional flexibility.

"Sometimes despite your best efforts, you might have run into delays caused by heavy traffic to HealthCare.gov, maintenance periods, or other issues with our systems that prevented you from finishing the process on time," the post said. "If this happened to you, don't worry -- we still may be able to help you get covered as soon as January 1."

HHS also pushed back the deadline when the first month's premium would be due, and insurers obliged, extending the payment deadline nine days, to Jan. 10.

10. Sure, the national exchange is glitchy, but the state sites are working great.
Not so fast.

Obamacare’s state-run enrollment operations have had technological delays and low sign-up levels. Several states even replaced top executives.

“Some of these states have been committed, but it’s just been hurdle after hurdle after hurdle,” said Heather Howard, program director at the State Health Reform Assistance Network, a Princeton, New Jersey-based group advising state exchanges told Bloomberg News. “I do think those states will get there, but this is an ambitious undertaking in the best of cases.”

Meanwhile, Massachusetts and Vermont are weighing legal options against the contractor that designed their healthcare insurance exchange websites. both states used Montreal-based CGI Group, which built HealthCare.gov, and say they are withholding future payments and taking steps now to recoup millions in taxpayer dollars already spent on their websites that still have serious problems, reports The Boston Globe.

“CGI has consistently underperformed, which is frustrating and a serious concern,” said Jason Lefferts, a spokesman for the Massachusetts' insurance marketplace, Commonwealth Home Connector. “We are holding the vendor accountable for its underperformance and will continue to apply nonstop pressure to work to fix defects and improve performance.”

Editor's Note: Should ObamaCare Be Defunded? Vote in Urgent National Poll



© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!

FREEDOM!

I borrowed this paragraph from the Oathkeepers website:

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER" and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God. - Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

New Ek Knives

Here are my long-awaited F~S Ek Knives. The picture will speak for itself to the quality of production and the combination of functionality. Ek President Robert Buerlein's brainchild, these knives have the bowling pin shaped Fairbairn-Sykes handles with rugged Ek double-edged blades. This is as ingenious as combining peanut butter and chocolate. There are several sheath choices to choose from: ie traditional WW-II, modern leather, or tactical Web belting types. These are limited to 100 copies of each model, nickel plated or black. If you are interested in purchasing one you better hurry and call Ek because they won't be available for long. Tell them 007 sent you.

 http://www.ekknife.com/ or
Ek Commando Knife Co. • 6767 Forest Hill Avenue, Suite 305 • Richmond, VA 23225
(804) 257-7144 • email: HQ@EkKnife.com • Fax: (804) 320-3223

Merry Christmas

I just finished polishing the Silver service. If I lose my regular job maybe I can get one as a servant with Downton Abby. But, if I am polishing the silver (which we never actually use) then it must be Christmas time. This is one of those rituals that we do year after year so that visiting friends think we keep it polished all year round. NOT. Well I love the look of it myself and admire the craftsmanship.  I was taking photos of another knife and my nickel plated x-dagger was lying here. As I looked to one side the silver caught my eye and I decided to use it for a prop. What do you think? Looks good to me and different from my usual choice of books, maps, etc as a prop.

I wonder how many Brits, facing the coming combat of WW-II, might have taken a moment to take tea, one last civilized act before boarding ships or airplanes to carry the battle to the enemy? The juxtaposition of instruments of war and peace would resonate with their Samurai opponents. In fact they had a term for it, Bun and Bu. I hope you enjoy this photo of a handmade First Pattern Commando knife by Paul MacDonald of Edinburgh, Scotland, and a WW-II X-Dagger by persons unknown.

I wish you a Peaceful and Merry Christmas as we tumble headlong into the holiday season and a new year.

Been a Good Year

It’s been one hell of a year. On the national political front it has been all downhill and You all know where I stand on that. If my blog goes black you’ll know I got droned for expressing my utter contempt for the President/Dictator, his corrupt administration, the ineffective Congress, and the Supremely Socialist Supreme Court. On the home front it has been a pretty good year! We have enjoyed good health and are still employed. You have probably been able to judge by my blog postings that our knife collecting has been “over the top.” Thanks to my website, http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/ we have made connections with several top collector’s, dealers, and authorities on the Fairbairn Sykes Fighting Knife. Many of these people have shared information and photos that have added to the breadth of our website. Some of them have provided us the opportunity to add extremely rare knives to our collection. While this has strained our pocketbook at times, most of those people have worked with us to make it possible to purchase items over time. I quickly learned that the smaller a WW-II fighting knife is the more expensive it is, often paying more for the thumb daggers than the much larger X-daggers. One collector and authority provided us with 20 years worth of correspondence, photos, sketches, and notes giving us a volume of sorely needed information and adding immeasurably to our knowledge. Some of this treasure trove has already been posted on the website and more will be as we sift through the hundreds of documents. He also provided us with several rare and truly exciting knives. We have gained quite a few new e-friends (and one gadfly) through the website from all around the world. In the meantime I have been working on photographing our collection and writing chapters for a book on Fairbairn Sykes knives. If any of you have connections with a publisher give us a holler. I want the book to be conversational and well-illustrated, with large color photos. I have dozens of miscellaneous fighting knives to sell and I need to get to work on that. If you’re looking for something special contact me. We have over 400 fighting knives (of all types) in our collection and no museum to house them. Between knives and research books on knives and commandos our house is being over-run. 2013 has been an exciting year and next year looks to be the same, with five knives already on hold waiting for money. Sure you don’t want to buy a nice fighting knife for Christmas? Email me. ghdave2@hotmail.com

Interesting Dagger

Here is a unique commando knife that appears to have mixed parentage. The handle is black painted or stained wood in the shape of a pepper grinder. This is usually associated with WW-II Egyptian commandos. What is unusual is the blade is shorter than those knives and very well finished. Perhaps someone bought this knife and reworked it? A standard Fairbairn Sykes sheath accompanies it. As soon as it arrives I will get better photos of it along with my other Egyptian knife. One author has suggested these knives may have been produced in England for Egypt.

The blade is nicely polished and exhibits a long square ricasso. The knife is unmarked and in near mint condition. This is another gem from my friend Roy Shadbolt. http://wilkinsonfscollection.com/wilkinsonfscollection.com/Home.html 

Check out our website at

http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/

Holiday

Wishing all of you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

These belong to a friend and are not all mine.

New Dagger

Our Newest addition to the collection has arrived. Check it out here. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/rarest-of-them-all.html

Veterans Day

Remembering our veterans on this sacred day, and the sacrifices they made for your and my Freedom. Keep their memories alive and stand always for Right, for Freedom, and Liberty. Remembering my Father Col David W. Decker.

Remember too, which president has cut our veteran's benefits, reduced our armed forces, negotiated away our position of power, reduced our nuclear arsenal, negotiated with terrorist organizations, purged dozens of high-ranking and highly decorated commanders, bowed before tyrants, sought to illegally confiscate your firearms, broken his oath of office beyond repair and lied to the American people for five years. Our veterans died to preserve our rights, he has lied to destroy them.

Cradle of America

If I were to choose a place where America first came into being it would have to be Williamsburg VA. I realize that Jamestown was settled first but Williamsburg is where America took wings and flourished. We just returned from a great three day vacation there and it was hard to pull ourselves away.

We visited many historic structures and were educated and entertained by a broad selection of people working as interpreters and docents. They are the ones who made it all come alive. No question went unanswered and the depth of knowledge displayed by many was simply stunning. These were not canned answers but well thought out replies. They knew their character and their subject. A couple of times watching the soldiers drill, or listening to the impassioned rhetoric calling for freedom and liberty I felt my eyes well up with.....well tears. Damn it tears of pride in what we represent and where we have come from.

The question today is where are we headed. Are we going to go down the dismal, crooked path of Socialism and ditch everything this nation was founded on? Are we going to accept mediocrity (as our president suggests) or work to recover our exceptionalism? We have a man in office dedicated to the downgrading and degrading of the Greatest idea Man ever put forth, the idea that all men are Created Equal and they are FREE. Many times it was emphasized that in the colonial era there was no separation of Church and State. In fact they dwelt hand-in-hand. Co-partners in the advancement of human-kind. We are standing at a cross-roads and pray GOD, like our forefather, we choose the right direction. God Bless America.

Posted on Website

Our new WW-II dagger is now posted on our website with information on the owner. Please come check it out at http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/x-daggers.html

Another X-Dagger?

Coming soon to a website near you out latest addition to the collection. This knife was obviously owned by Harold A. Brown during WW-II. We have tracked his service number 20153409 to be in a range issued to someone in the Army National Guard inducted in New England. If you have any tips on how to narrow down the service number to a real person and their military service I would appreciate an email or post a message here. email is ghdave2@hotmail.com
 The knife has all of the characteristics of a knife made from a bayonet but, until I have it in my hand I will not be able to verify that. It could just be a custom made knife. Who ever made it was quite skilled. In the next few days I will have photos posted on our Fairbairn sykes website.

OCTOBER 17th

Mark this day on your calendars and in your diaries as the day the deal was done, the government was reopened, the two party system died and congress became totally irrelevant! Mark it so you can tell your children when we passed from a republic to a dictatorship, from a voice of reason to a government of treason, and a warning to shut up or face the consequences. Liberty is dead, Tyranny thrives.

X-Daggers

A couple of us are getting together to explore the topic of WW-II Fairbairn Sykes style prototypes, often referred to as X-Daggers or Metford Fairbairns. If you have any information or photos you'd like to share, email me at ghdave2@hotmail.com These knives were made from metford 1888 and 1903 bayonet blades. They usually have remnants of the bayonet markings on the ricasso and are larger than a standard First Pattern knife. I have attached a photo to give you a reference. There is a lot of controversy over the legitimacy of these knives and whether they are WW-II era or post-war fakes. Our group believes they are genuine and are going to great lengths to find any information we can. The knives are also affiliated with the STS 103 or Camp-X training facility that was established in Canada near Oshawa, east of Toronto. please check out my website for more information and photos. http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/

I have a new knife to share with you, which for a change is not a Fairbairn Sykes, which is an excellent fighting knife. A couple months ago I was instantly excited when I saw an example of this knife for sale. Unfortunately it sold before I could speak for it. About 3 years ago I designed a very similar knife and submitted it to two friends, but for one reason or another, a finished knife never resulted. So when I saw this one I inquired of Ben Tendick if he would make me a copy. He said it would be a month or two wait and I gave him the go-ahead. It arrived sooner than that although the exact delivery time slips my mind. I am extremely pleased with this small Bowie! Ben’s creation fits the purpose I had in mind and my only regret is not having him sharpen the swedge. No big deal I could do it if I desire since he brought the back edge down to within 1/32 inch or less. The edge is well sharpened, unlike a few custom knives I have bought in the past. The handle fit is fine for my smallish hands and the contoured micarta scales feel good and provide great retention. A well-made, snug-fitting, kydex sheath accompanied it. Great knife, quick delivery, what else could you ask for? Ben plans on becoming a full-time maker and I think the knife-world will be a better place for that. Check out his website and see the gorgeous traditional bowie featured on his opening page. Thanks for the knife Ben and I’ll be back for another knife I’m sure. check out his work at http://www.brtbladeworks.com/

Life & Death

Yesterday was my brother's funeral. He died early Monday morning, age 58, very unexpectedly. Death is often, for some reason, an unexpected event. We all know its coming from the day we are born but we manage to put the idea away in the back of our mind until...... He and I had become closer in the past few years and I would often go visit and

we'd discuss the same sort of things I talk about on here, political issues and about guns, knives, swords, etc. I inherited from him Dad's Vietnam and Korean service medals. With each successive death in the family I have inherited more of what once belonged to my dad. Not exactly the way I want it to happen. Now I am the last one in our small family and the things I have accumulated will be passed down to my daughter when it is my time.

I told my wife how can I start a revolution without my brother. LOL. We were co-conspirators the like of which this frivolous government worries about, and wastes time over, looking for monsters under their beds. We were from an Army family and raised to cherish freedom, honor America, and fight for liberty and the ideals this nation was founded on. Sometimes I wonder if the very idea of a "Volunteer" military didn't blur the lines between patriotism and mercenary pursuits. we used to discuss the changes we were seeing sweeping across this nation and the inevitable rise of the State over the rights of the individual. Well I guess he'll have to align himself now with the armies of a different Lord. I will miss him and all of those who knew him will too. He lived a laid-back life with his wife, children, two dogs and a coop full of chickens. Not the sort of immortal warrior you would expect if you were looking for a freedom fighter. No capes, no flying though the air, or fanfare, just a brother who died too soon. We are our brother's keeper. I'll miss you Kim. Kim on the left, me on the right.

New Things Coming

These photos are two of the knives we recently added to our collection.

I have several exciting knives in the wings for our collection and web site. What I need is to sell some of our fine modern fighting knives. These are listed on our fairbairn sykes webpage under the Introduction page. Check them out at this link. http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/fighting-knives-for-sale.html The new knives we have reserved for our collection are especially rare models and not inexpensive so if you are looking for a solid fighting knife for yourself or someone in the military check out those for sale page on our website. If it is for someone in the military we will reduce the price by 10% and a thank you for their service. We have enjoyed sharing our knives with you and being able to communicate with other collectors and owners of F-S knives. Many people have contacted us to share photos of thier knives and their stories. We have registered almost 24,000 visits to the site so far. I want to thank all of those visitors and especially those repeat visitors who keep coming back and checking out new material as we add it. Here are a few photos to entice you to come check our site out if you have not yet been there.

No Clowning Around

Can you believe that a rodeo clown has been banned for life and some people sent to sensitivity training because of a mask making fun of the president? Can you believe this is a topic of national proportions? Couldn't we talk about the clowns in washington, obamacare, benghazi, 400 missing SAM missiles the administation was sneaking to Syria. How about the IRS and NSA scandals, the leaks to the press and hollywood leading to the death of seal team six members, oh don't forget Fast & Furious? Aren't there bigger problems for the DOJ to tackle than clowning around with rodeo people? These are some of the most authentic people left in the USA, salt of the earth, honest to god Americans. More smoke and mirrors, more distractions, more bullshitting instead of bull roping and riding from a thin skinned man in the white house and his hangers-on. Lets talk about something of substance for a change and cut out the cheerleading and posturing coming from the Obama glee club. Since the left wants to make such a big deal out of this then I feel obligated to support them by posting the offensive picture so you can see how terrible it is. Well I was going to upload a photo but all of my attempts, including different photos, have failed due to the "server rejecting" my attempts. First time I ever experienced this. So you will have to go to the internet and find a photo for yourself.

Errant Angel?

Some people are calling Snowden a traitor and calling for his trial and death or incarceration. Others are calling him a hero. I am wondering what would make a young man knowingly ruin his future, his life, endanger his friends and relatives? What was so strong that he felt compelled to take the risk?

Maybe he is neither a traitor or a hero. We are all more informed and I believe safer for the sacrifices he made. His revelations were not life threatening to others, military personnel or diplomats. Unlike the outing of Seal Team Six for political capital, which led to the death of many members of that team. His leaks have made us cognizant of the war being waged against average Americans by their own fragile and paranoid government.

Maybe the skinny guy with geeky glasses and unruly hair, the man with a wisp of a beard, is an angel. Yeh what if he is a guardian angel sent to warn the American people? Would we know an angel if we bumped into one, would we listen to him?

Back from the toxicity of politics to the world of cutlery. Two icons of the Second World War, the ubiquitous American KaBar made in Olean, NY and the Fairbairn~Sykes made in London, England. Each had its own merits and each one has survived the test of time. Completely different concepts, one a "fighting-utility" knife, the other a pure killing knife.  Check them out and more new stuff on our website.
http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/

Despot, What say you?

Attorney General Eric Holder's plan to ask a federal court to reinstate the Justice Department's authority over voting laws in Texas smacks of despotism by the Obama White House, Sen. Orrin Hatch tells Newsmax TV in an exclusive interview.

"The court has already ruled — and he's trying to reinstitute the Voting Rights Act in Texas," the Utah Republican tells Newsmax. "If I were a Texan, I'd be so doggone livid that I don't think I'd ever get over it. That's not the thing to do, and it just shows how this administration ignores the law."They act like they're despots," he adds. "The president is continuously doing things that he has no authority to do — and yet they just do it and they get away with it because many in the liberal media just will not hold them to account like they would a Republican president."

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/hatch-obama-despots-civil/2013/07/25/id/517126#ixzz2aC60n5wt
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!

I genuinely like and respect Sen. Hatch! But I would like to remind him and all of the other members of congress, of both parties, that it is not the media's responsibility to hold a dictator to account! It is CONGRESS' responsibility. The media has sold out long ago, get over it and move on. Middle Class America is left wondering if Congress has also sold us out. The socialist left owns the media and there is nothing that can be done to turn that around. There is only one reason Obama gets away with breaking the law, breaking his oath, and shaming the office of the president, its not the media, its as clear as black and white.

New Postings and knife sale

I have added a lot of new material, photos and text on our Fairbairn Sykes web site. If you enjoy WW-II knives and history, please go check it out.
 http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/

There is a new header specifically for mini fairbairns and thumb daggers. More to come still as we sort and add to our collection. If you want a good deal on a fighting knife go to this page.

http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/fighting-knives-for-sale.html

I really need to raise some money so if you Contact me through the website contacts page and place "knife Sale" in the subject line I will give you a 10% discount.

The Rule of the Lawless

Fidelity to the rule of law is the centerpiece of a free society. It means that no one is beneath the protection of the law and no one is absolved of the obligation to comply with it. The government may not make a person or a class of persons exempt from constitutional protections, as it did during slavery, nor may it make government officials exempt from complying with the law, as it does today.



Everyone who works for the government in the United States takes an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws written pursuant to it.



In our system of government, we expect that Congress will write the laws, the courts will interpret them and the president will enforce them.



Indeed, the Constitution states that it is the president’s affirmative duty to enforce the law. That duty is not an abstract formulation. Rather, it means the president cannot decline to enforce laws with which he disagrees or whose enforcement might cause him or his political allies to lose popularity.





President Obama's radical rejection of the rule of law, which presents a clear and present danger to the freedom of us all, has had fatal consequences.



It also means the president cannot make up his own version of the law as a substitute for what the Constitution commands or Congress has written.



In the modern era, presidents have rejected the value of the rule of law and instead followed their own political interests. President George W. Bush, for example, while signing into law a federal statute prohibiting the government from reading your mail without a search warrant, boasted that he had no intention of enforcing that law -- and we know that he famously did not enforce it.



But no modern president has picked and chosen which laws to enforce and which to ignore and which to rewrite to the extremes of President Obama. His radical rejection of the rule of law, which presents a clear and present danger to the freedom of us all, has had fatal consequences.



The law requires that if American tax dollars are being given to the government of another country, and that government is toppled by its military -- the common phrase is a coup d’état -- the flow of cash shall stop immediately, lest we support financially those who have betrayed our values.



In Egypt, the military arrested the president, suspended the Constitution and installed a puppet regime. But Obama, embarrassed at the fall of the popularly elected but religiously fanatical government he supported, refuses to consider that military takeover a coup. Instead he has called it a popular uprising supported by the military, and he has continued the flow of your dollars into the hands of a military that has been murdering scores of peaceful demonstrators daily in the streets of Cairo.



The president’s signature domestic legislation -- ObamaCare -- is scheduled to become effective in stages. One of its provisions, requiring employers of more than 50 persons to offer health insurance acceptable to the feds to all of their employees, becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2014.



In anticipation of its becoming law, insurance carriers and employers have calculated that instead of costs going down, as the president promised, they will certainly go up, resulting in the loss of jobs. So the president, mindful of the midterm congressional elections in November 2014 and fearful that Democrats who supported this law might suffer at the polls at the hands of deceived and thus angry voters, announced on the Fourth of July weekend that he planned not to enforce that provision until Jan. 1, 2015.



When he wanted to use military force in Libya and Pakistan -- two allies -- without congressional approval, out of fear, no doubt, that Congress might turn him down, he dispatched the CIA to do his killing.



Why? Because federal law requires that he report all offensive use of the military to Congress and eventually obtain its approval for continued use. Because the CIA largely operates in secrecy, the president needn’t report its behavior publicly or even acknowledge that it took place.



In the same vein, he recently moved all records of the Usama bin Laden killing from the military -- which carried it out -- to the CIA.



Why? Because the military is largely susceptible to the Freedom of Information Act, which commands transparency, and the CIA is largely not. He probably fears that the truthful version of bin Laden’s demise will become known. If so, it would be the fourth version of those events his administration has given.



When he wanted to kill an American and his 16-year-old son in Yemen because the American, though uncharged with any crime and unasked to come home, might be difficult to arrest while advocating war in a foreign country, he wrote his own rules for governing his own killings. He did so in secret and notwithstanding clear language in the Constitution expressly prohibiting the government from taking life, liberty or property without due process of law.



And when he wanted to keep us safe from terrorists but servile to him by spying on all of us, he established an enormous network of domestic spies who have access to all of our phone calls, emails and text messages. And he did this despite unambiguous language in the Constitution requiring a search warrant based on particularized probable cause of crime about the records he wanted to seize or the venues he wanted to search.



What’s going on?



What we have is a runaway government, dismissive of the Constitution it has sworn to uphold, contemptuous of the law it is required to enforce and driven by its own values of maximum control and minimum personal freedom. And we have a Congress supine enough to let this happen, as well as a judiciary so tangled in its own arcane procedures that immeasurable human freedom will be destroyed and Obama out of office before any meaningful judicial review can be had.



Is this the rule of law? What shall we do about it?





Andrew P. Napolitano, a former judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, is the senior judicial analyst at Fox News Channel. Judge Napolitano has written seven books on the U.S. Constitution. His latest is “Theodore and Woodrow: How Two American Presidents Destroyed Constitutional Freedom.”







Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/07/11/above-law-obama-radical-rejection-rule-law-has-fatal-consequences/?intcmp=obnetwork#ixzz2YxBkWceT

Independence Day

Remember this day and cherish it. I couldn't find any statements on freedom from the POTUS so I picked the next best statement about independence and freedom:
"A strong government does not mean a government that interferes and intervenes in all affairs. It is not a government that limits the lives of people. This is not a strong government," said Rouhani who takes office early next month.

"The power of the government lies in improving popular trust and...offering services, decreasing problems, setting the stage for further development of all citizens to help meet the needs of the people and desire for change," he said in an address aired on state television.
How ironic these words come from our "arch-enemy" IRAN! What does it tell us when we hear more truth from Putin than POTUS? and we hear more about smaller govt and less intrusion from Iranian Rouhani? This comes at a time when trust in Obama tanks and the congress approval rating is 12%.

They're Here!

The two newest WW-II daggers for our collection arrived yesterday. I have attached a quick photo of one of them next to the modern Rodgers Third Pattern (top) from England that I just reviewed These knives are referred to as X-daggers, proto-types, Metford-Fairbairns, Camp-X knives, etc.

When you see the two knives side by side you see why I am prejudiced toward early Fairbairn-Sykes knives. The blade of the WW-II knife is made from an 1888 Lee-Metford bayonet. A controversy surrounds these knives and some question their legitimacy. That's okay everyone is entitled to their opinion. I find them the most elegant of all of the F~S genre of fighting knives. I will be posting more photos and information about the two new Metfords on our website later this week. http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/index.html

A Better Modern FS Fighting Knife?

I want to add an apology for erroneously stating earlier that Egginton Group was the sole supplier of MOD FS knives. That was my mistake and Mr. Goodwin asked me to point out there are other designated providers. Mea Culpa!

A few weeks ago I received an email via our website from James Goodwin, of the Egginton Group, Sheffield England. Mr. Goodwin asked if I would be willing to add a link to their website. He continued on to explain that they had acquired the names and business of several famous Sheffield Cutlery firms. These included Geo. Wostenholm & Son, Geo. Ibberson. Joseph Rodgers, and J. Clarke & Sons.

I responded that I was willing to add a link even though I had not been terribly impressed with the quality of any of those firms’ post-war knives. I am not sure how long after the war some of them even survived. Mr. Goodwin explained that as a Ministry of Defense supplier many of their knives were issued to troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk/brands/william-rodgers/military-knives/all-black-commando-knife.html

Since I did not have a current model of their knife it was not possible for me to do a proper review. When I asked him what it would take to get a copy of their MOD knife he said “We can do that.” It arrived June 15^th. That the knife arrived from England so quickly is, in its self, impressive. First impressions are important and we were off to a good start.

The nicely blued blade is 6 7/8 inches long. I was surprised to find that the blade is about .010" thicker than this WW-II knife (bottom). The machine ground finish is much finer than many post-war knives. (In case you wonder why I keep referring to “post-war” it is because near the end, and after the war, the quality of Fairbairn knives went terribly bad.) The grinds are completely symmetrical and centered. While that should seem to be a given it is not always the case. The edge is sharp by fits. Sharp in some places, not so sharp in others. This is not a big deal with a stabbing knife, and a few minutes with a whet stone would be all it takes to put an edge on the dull places. Mr. Goodwin contacted me and said they were concerned with this finding and would look into it. But seriously their knife is as sharp as any other modern FS I have found. Still to be fair I reassured him I would register his concern here.

The stamped-out guard is well shaped of the gauge common today. (Again this is specified by the MOD) This one is completely sterile with no markings at all. The opening for the guard is a tighter fit than on many contemporary knives and the guard is tight without any wiggle.

One of the minor negatives I felt is the handle. The handle is a well formed, clean casting. Typical of most modern FS it is a little shorter than WW-II knives and the ribs are blurred. This may be due partially to the coating on the handle, filling the grooves, but it is also because the ribs are not as crisp to begin with. I am not sure of the process used but the knife has the look and feel of having been dipped in a coating, giving it a nice smooth surface. I think it bears re-emphasizing that the makers of MOD knives are, by requirement, forced to make their knives meet the govt. standards. Differences or changes in handles, sheaths, etc are not permitted whether for better or worse. This is no different than Govt contracts here in the USA.

The sheath is typical of most F~S knives produced since the 1950s. Better than many, made of high quality leather, it is still oversized and the knife fits loosely. I think it is past time for the MOD to explore better designs and materials. The top sheath is the new one, bottom one is WW-II.

My overall impression is of a well built and sturdy fighting knife. There is a heft to it that Fairbairn said would inspire confidence in the trooper carrying it. I would like to see a return to the full thickness guard of WW-II knives, a longer and more defined handle, and a new style sheath like used on Randall knives. These are not findings against Egginton Group but the modern Fairbairn-Sykes in general. While I am making wishes, why not wish for a quality Second Pattern knife which would sell like the proverbial hotcakes?
http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk/history/the-formation-of-the-egginton-group-of-companies.html