There is one week to go in this presidential campaign; just one week until the world changes.
A few weeks back, my very eloquent brother posted an article on the blog arguing that our politicians - though claiming that they had warned us, told us, etc.-were only out for themselves.
These politicians never really "told" the citizenry about much of anything, much less warned us of dire consequences of the other party's decisions. There were many other brilliant observations in his post, none of which I will quibble herewith. However, I will ask one question further than "Who did you tell?" I will ask, "Who listened?"
Without trying to fault one party or the other, I simply ask this question- "If our elected officials warned us, would we listen? Would we do anything about it?" I would argue that the evidence clearly indicates that it just wouldn't matter. No one_ okay, a bit overstated so let's go with "only a few"- cares. Time and again we have been told what would happen if this law was passed, or that tax were levied, or this policy implemented. Whether it be on the House floor, the Senate, or the bully pulpit of the White House, we have been warned- we did not listen. We heard, we did nothing.
Like my brother, I offer the full disclosure that I am a conservative. I don't know where it came from, by all rights I should be a flaming liberal like my younger sister, or atleast a moderate like my saintly older sister. I am however a staunch and proud conservative. That said, I will admit that the party that supposedly carries the conservative flag has been wrong on many occasions and has let this country drift further and further left over the decades. They have lacked the spine and willingness to put their job on the line for the sake of principle. Rather than fight and risk being portrayed as bigots, they allowed our tax dollars underwrite mortgages for those who never intended, or never had the ability to pay the loan back. When they had control of both the houses and the White House they became drunk with the power they had railed against the other for abusing.
Through it all we have been warned. We did not listen, we did nothing. We were warned that if the budget bill of 1993 was passed, bussinesses would begin to move offshore, and though we would have increased short term revenue gains, in less than 10 years we would face budget deficits larger than we had ever seen before. It passed, thanks to a tie breaking vote by Al Gore. With the booming business of the internet during the decade, we received huge increases in tax revenues- all built on a facade of ghost businesses. Businesses that had no basis for existence other than the hype- and hope-of new technology and a few brain children from ivy league schools. We were warned that it would have devastating consequences. Yet, our tax dollars funded this "research" and pushed the hype, and we all got sucked in by the "possibility of what could be". Those false businesses died a sudden death almost exactly 10 years after we were warned. The deficits soared. One party got credit for a "fabulous economy" while the party that was left to clean up got blamed for letting it fall apart. Who remembers the warnings? Did you see the headlines blaring"Warnings given 10 years ago come true!"? Of course not! We were too busy wallowing in our self pitying squallier and blaming this guy or that guy. We don't go back and analyze the root cause. That's too hard. We might not win an election.
So here we are again. We are being promised a rose garden, full of hopes and dreams of what "America could be, what it once was!" It will be done by taxing the rich and giving to the poor. Everyone knows that economies are built from the bottom up, right!? If we can merely redistribute the wealth, we will all love each other, the world will love us, and we'll all go to heaven in a little row boat singing Cum By Yah! Oh, Lord!
How many of you are aware of pending legislation in the House? Right now, our elected officials are having hearings on how they can take over our 401-k's. This is serious. I have been putting some of my salary into a 401-k retirement for nearly 25 years. In good times and bad, I have religiously put money into this account for my retirement. I have never believed that Social Security would be there for me when I retire, and never really cared. I knew it was my responsibility to ensure that I had money to retire on. So, I didn't buy new cars, I put money into my retirement fund and bought a used car. I didn't buy a flat screen TV, a SUV, etc. I put money aside in my 401-k. Guess what, after scrimping and saving and arguing with my wife over finances and "maybe we shouldn't put money into a savings for a few years"- our dear government is planning to steal it from me! That's right, there is a bill being debated in Congress that would TAKE my money. Of course, they are doing this to protect me, to make sure the money is there when I need it! Hogwash! They are taking it because they wouldn't fix Social Security!
You see, we were warned that if we didn't do something about Social Security, it would go broke in our lifetime. Everybody knows this. Everybody heard this. Who listened? Who did anything? One party tried and were labeled as grinches, ogres,stingy bigoted haters for the poor. Any attempt to even begin discussions on how to fix the problem were shouted down and used as evidence to scare the elderly that they were going to lose their benefits and have to live on cat food! Remember how the party on one side of the aisle sheered when President Bush spoke of it in the State of the Union Address? He said our efforts to begin to address the problem of Social Security were silenced, or something to that effect, and the Left went wild. A standing ovation for putting up road blocks. Were you listening? We were warned of the consequences- on national television, by the Chief Politician. What did you do? We elected even more of the very party that fought to do nothing! For their efforts, the champions of reform, the three most prominent were targeted as enemies of the elderly, millions spent on the election the following year, and now they are working somewhere else.
So, under the guise of protecting our Social Security, the left is now the majority, because we did not listen. Now, they plan to take all that I have saved in order to shore up Social Security. Under their plan, all of my investments will be taken into a government run retirement system. They will force me to also put 5% of my earnings into this plan every year until I retire. They will even pay me guaranted 3% interest! When I retire, our benevolent government will bestow upon a fixed monthly retirement stipend(sound familiar?) until I die. If I happen to have any other money saved, of course my retirement funds will be subject to taxation. When I die, my heirs will forfeit 50% of any funds I have remaining. The other 50% will be given to them in the form of a retirement credit! They will get more when they retire! You get the picture? Hey, That's Okay. I'm a nice guy. Just because I sacrificed to have a nice retirement, and my neighbor decided to build a hot tub and go to the Bahamas, I'm glad to share my retirement with him> After all, he took me to the Bahamas with him didn't he? I'm sure he'll send me a thank you card. If not, that's okay too. After all, I'm sure it's just reparations for something I did in the past. I must have done something wrong to have more than other people do.
So, my dear,enlightened brother, and other gnomes, we were warned. We did not listen. If we did listen, we did nothing. Worse, we will elect more of those that want to impose this kind of socialistic-yes, I said it-upon all of us.
Throughout this campaign we are being warned. We Listen. We do nothing. We are told that the economy is built from the ground up and that it is patriotic to pay more taxes so we can distribute our wealth to those"less fortunate." I will be called a bigot because I do not believe and will question the reasoning. How does a poor person build an economy? Will they take my money and start a business or hire someone to work for them? I don't think so. I think they'll look to buy some basics of life or perhaps some minor extravagance. They may pay a bill, or buy a steak dinner. Who knows? The $500 or $1,000 isn't going to go to far. If they spend it, it wont be on a new car, a new house, not even a new appliance for the home. It will be spent at the demon of all retail operations- Wal-Mart! Maybe it will go to Target, or Dollar Tree. Where do those dollars go from there? China, Bangladesh, Korea. So, if this redistribution builds an economy, it wont be ours. The only way to build an economy is to ensure that people have the means and the desire to start a business and hire people. Taking their money and giving it to others will NOT provide anyone the incentive to start a business or hire someone.
So I ask again my dear gnomes and gnomettes, are we listening? What have we done? How many phone calls have you made to encourage your side to victory? How many times have you written to the papers, magazines, blogs,etc. How many times have you written your congressman, senator, president,city councilman, school board, etc. to voice your opinion? How often have you shown up at a city council meeting? " My God man, are you suggesting that I take time out of my busy schedule to pay attention?" You betcha!
96% of incumbents will be reelected this year, as in years past. We complain, and kvetch, bemoan and decry- yet we vote the same way every year. Those 4% that don't get reelected- they don't have the same views as you. The guy that did, he's now working as a lobbyist. After all of the labels his opposition was able to lay on him-bigot,heartless, stingy,corrupt-being called a lobbyist is a step up.
Oh, and for all of you bible thumping, far right wacko Christian Neanderthals, you have been warned as well. Just Google Freedom of Choice Act. Again, currently being debated, this legilation will make abortion legal under virtually any circumstance. It will circumvent and override any law that has been passed to curtail abortion in anyway. Basically, it states that abortion is merely a" health choice" and must be treated as such. This means that abortion must be funded as any other health program is funded-ergo, it will be paid for by your tax dollars! If an insurer offers health insurance that covers maternity, it must cover abortion. At any time during any pregnancy for any reason whatsoever, abortion is a full funded and totally supported"health Choice!" Oh, and if for some reason the doctor blotches the procedure and the fetus survives, any care afforded the fetus is not paid for, but any cost to terminate the life of the fetus is! So, when a candidate declares that "we must work to reduce the need for abotions" one might askwhy, then, would this be the "first bill I will sign into law!"
Again and Again, we have been warned about this issue. Again and again we "choose" not to listen. How else do you explain the majority of Catholics voting for politicians who openly support pro abortion legislation. Why is that you are anti-abortion, but pro-choice? How is it that politicians can claim to be both? I know, it's above their pay grade, or they don't want to impose their views on others! Give me a break! When was the last time you saw any politician refrain from imposing their views on others! Isn't that why they are elected! They are SUPPOSED to make their views clear and try to get as many of them into legislation as they can. That's why they were elected and why they are paid!
I've said too much and most of you stopped reading this diatribe paragraphs ago. I could go on , but I wont. It wont matter. It's too far gone. No one will take the time to do anything. Not even me. I'm too busy. I've got Cub Scouts tonight, soccer tomorrow. The World Series is on and tomorrow is Dancing with the stars. I need to be home with the kids making sure they do their homework. They are studying the chapter in their history book on Barack Hussein Obama. That's right he's not even elected yet and the history book has a chapter on him! Can you believe it, even in the history book they left his middle name out! Anybody hear that? Apathy knocking. Opportunity left a while ago.
Brother Jim
Director, Gnome Institute for Human Oddities
May SeaGlass have many years of success.
