Monitor The Strategic Trends

Introduction:

“It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.”
-Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

The Best of Times?

By many reckonings, it appears to be the best of times in America: We enjoy a robust economy, reinforced by continually advancing technologies. At least one computer in every home, and a personal telephone on almost everyone’s belt. People are buying their 3rd and 4th cars. Our military is the most feared throughout the world. Indeed, in many ways, it seems like the best of times.

NEW! Religious Freedom Versus Contraception Coverage January 31, 2012

NEW! The State Of The Union January 31, 2012

Healing From Roe January 17, 2012

US Marriage Rates The Lowest Ever January 17, 2012

The Supreme Court Hears A Dirty Words Case January 10, 2012

The Economics of Pharmakeia by Mary Miller

The Days of Black Swans by Mary Miller, Executive Analyst, Koinonia Institute

The Future of Energy by Steve Elwart, Senior Analyst Koinonia Institute

States In Crisis by Mary Miller

The Decline of the U.S.: Habakkuk's Dilemma by Chuck Missler, President of Koinonia Institute

Documents

The Many Benefits of Traditional Marriage - The benefits of marriage are most observable within the measurable realms of health, wealth, and (self-reported) sexual fulfillment. In each of these categories, married couples experience immense advantages that cohabitating couples, or individuals who remain single, do not.

Is Homosexuality Genetic? - This site contains a variety of resources on the health dangers of the homosexual lifestyle and evidence that homosexuality is not innate and unchangeable.

The Declaration of Independence -

The Federalist Papers - A definitive review of the Constitution written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison

NAFTA -

Related Sites

The American Center for Law and Justice -

Same-Sex Marriage & Domestic Partnerships - Yahoo! Full Coverage

Abortion Rights Debate - Yahoo! Full Coverage

Elian: Sign of America's Decline? -

America's Criminal Class: The Congress of the United States - Capitol Hill Blue

News Sources

NEW! Komen for the Cure Defunds Planned Parenthood - The breast cancer awareness organization Susan Komen for the Cure is defending its decision to revoke funding for the Planned Parenthood. The key in the Komen decision is the grant criteria it uses to make grants. Planned Parenthood does not perform mammograms at any of its centers across the United States, and Komen says it is implementing "more stringent eligibility standards to safeguard donor dollars." Its new guidelines also prevent it from funding any group under congressional investigation, but the breast screening issue reportedly has the effect of ending Planned Parenthood's funding even if the current Congressional probe finds Planned Parenthood free of any wrongdoing.

NEW! Authorities Round Up 104 Suspected Mexican Mafia Members In So. Cal. - Authorities arrested more than 100 members and associates of the Mexican Mafia street gang in southern California as part of investigation into a wide range of offenses such as racketeering, kidnapping, attempted murder and drug trafficking, federal officials said. The arrests were made primarily in San Diego County and were the culmination of three major investigations on gang activity in the area, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said Wednesday.

NEW! Full Text Of State Of The Union - The full text of President Obama's 2012 State Of The Union speech can be found at the above link. We will give perspective on the speech in next week's eNews.

NEW! Alaska Airlines To Stop Giving Out Prayer Cards - Alaska Airlines is ending decades of giving passengers prayer cards with their meals, saying Wednesday the decision was made out of respect for all passengers. Airline spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said the airline heard from customers who preferred not to mix religion with transportation. "Some customers were comforted by the cards and some didn't feel religion was appropriate on the plane and preferred not to receive one," she said. The cards offer a short excerpt of a psalm from the Old Testament printed on a beautiful photograph. One current example includes this excerpt printed over a beach scene: "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever."

US Supreme Court Won't Hear Board Prayer Cases - The justices today left intact a federal appeals ruling that said a North Carolina county board was violating the constitutional separation of church and state by opening most of its sessions with a Christian prayer. The high court also refused to review a separate decision that barred prayers at meetings of a Delaware school board. In the North Carolina case, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners used private religious leaders to deliver its prayers, each year inviting members of various faiths to sign up on a first-come, first-served basis to deliver an invocation. The result tended to be prayers that were predominantly Christian. From May 29, 2007, to Dec. 15, 2008, almost 80 percent of the prayers referred to Jesus.