Every circle of friends has that guy in it. The guy that noone really likes. Maybe he's loud, or obnoxious, or he drinks too much, or he engages in some other embarrassing activity in public that makes everyone else cringe. Any time we all go out, my friends and I have the same conversation. After we decide where we are going, what we are doing, and who will be coming along, we bring up the George debate. George is a lawyer. He's balding, fat, and annoying. He also makes a lot more money than the rest of us. the discussion usually goes something like this...

" So, should we call him?"

" I don't know, how much cash do you have?"

" Not much, You"

" Not much...do you want to call him or should I?"

You see, no matter how annoying he is, he usually picks up the check. We often wonder if he knows that the only reason we put up with him is his fat wallet. I think he does. I think this, not only because it justifies our shallow treatment of him, but also because I know he is not stupid. He is a lawyer after all. The way I see it, he pays the tab because he wants to be our friend. He needs to hang out with someone, and he knows that the only way anyone will put up with him is if he pony's up the dough. This may seem wrong to you, it does to me as well, but that's the way it is.

The United States under Barack Obama is turning into my friend George. In the push for trans-nationalism, we have lost sight of the fact that noone in the world likes us. We are the richest nation in the world. Our citizens are seen as fat, lazy, boorish, and unsophisticated. No other nation wants to be our friend, unless of course, we are willing to pay the freight. As long as we pick up the tab for the fight against global warming, the rest of the world will invite us to the party. The UN will put up with us, as long as we are responsible for all of their operating costs. If we prostrate ourselves before the altar of the international community, they will allow us to participate in their vision of one-world-governance.

The problem is, we don't need them, they need us. We can act unilaterally to protect our interests across the globe. We can take care of ourselves. The rest of the world cannot. They need us to foot the bill for their insane ideas like socialist medecine and entitlement spending in their own countries. They don't realize that if they convince us to go down the same path that they have, we will be as poor as them. Our wealth will disappear faster than a Frenchman when the first gunshot is fired in battle. So why do we continue to grovel and apologize for simply being ourselves? Why do we continue to buy the friendship and forgiveness of the rest of the world? Are we truly that bad? Or is it that the people in power right now believe that we are?

I happen to believe that America is the greatest nation on earth, and as long as we remember what made us great in the first place; individualism, innovation, ingenuity, and a willingness to work hard to achieve our dreams, it will remain so. It is only when we lose sight of the reasons for our astounding success that we risk failure. If we continue to elect politicians who see America as a bad place, as an evil cancer in the world, we are setting ourselves up for failure. We have made mistakes in our history, but what nation hasn't. We have also done more good in the world than anyone will give us credit for. And I don't mean the government, although they have done more than their share. I mean regular citizens who see someone in need and react. Did the nations of the European Union step up when the tsunami struck? Anytime an earthquake hits in some faraway land, do the people of France send money they can't afford to help out? Do the citizens of any other nation give as generously as the citizens of America? And we are the evil ones? We are the one's that need to apologize? I don't think so. I hope you don't either. Let's try to vote for some people that feel like we do, instead of the usual suspects for a change. An election year is upon us again. Don't listen to what they say. look at what they've said. Pay attention to what they did before they were trying to get your vote. And most of all, don't vote for anyone that feels a reflexive need to apologize for our nation's supposed failures. Let the rest of the world thank us for all the good we've done first.