Dependency

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/us/07cutbacksWEB.html?hp

I found this article and I am not sure that my thoughts are what the author was trying to stir in his readers. I believe the writer was looking for sympathy for folks. I don't have it. I see it as there are some communities figuring it out. Folks are depending on the government to provide them a service and do it cheap. The government can do that, for a limited amount of time. Then, it goes into debt. Period. Why? Because the government over-pays for everything and everyone. Remember all of the old jokes about the $10,000 hammer at NASA? It's not too far off. Just this week, there was a report about government employees and CDL drivers who were working and drawing disability payments at the same time. It only added up to a couple million dollars a month. And that's just the ones that reporter found. Have you ever done work for the government? Anyone that has can tell you that you ALWAYS give them a higher bid than you would any other business. So, the government wouldn't choose that bid right? Wrong. They are all on the same page. Everyone knows that the government wastes money. The bigger the government, the bigger the waste. Shrink the government, shrink the waste. Oh, and a newsflash folks: businesses are in business to make money! I know you find that shocking, but it is true.

Second thing I got out of this article: the bailout is working....temporarily. I know, shocking, again. Nobody ever saw that coming. I mean, surely the money would be there after the government money ran out, right? It had to just show up from somewhere. Oops. The recovery isn't going to happen overnight. It will take time. The stimulus and bailout are temporary help to hold things up. Now, one of two things has to happen: get more money from the government or make the cuts necessary to save money that should have been made before.

The US government is trying to create a society where the majority of people rely on the government for much of their lives. They are taking over businesses. Think about the bailouts for banks and autos. This tells these companies that they are too big to fail and the government will be there again if they fall down. So, do you think this will affect the way they run their companies? If you had to cross a high wire, would a net make a difference in how you approached it? Same thing. These same businesses are free to take huge chances and not have a bit of concern because they are assured that, no matter what, they will never go away. Now, had we let some of those big banks go under and let GM go under, it would have scared the crap out of businesses around the country. They would have seen the example and cleaned up their acts. Instead, they just sit back and laugh, knowing they have a huge safety net that you and I are holding up. Personally, I would love to pull it out from under them when they fall.

The NOT so United States

Are we stupidly fighting against a division of the United States? It's a question I ponder. Look at this country and it is very easy to divide it up into at least 3 parts and even better if you do 5 or 6. Yes, we are all Americans, but I think that someone from Texas sees that differently than someone from California, who sees it differently from someone in Massachusetts. I am not stereotyping here. It's not just politically either. It's attitudes and approaches to life. I am reminded of a caller to a radio show that I heard while Bush 43 was in office. She didn't understand why the Democrats in Washington, DC, weren't cooperating with Bush. She said the ones in Texas had been much more agreeable. Well, yeah, because the Democrats serving in the Texas Congress are different than those serving in DC. We have Blue Dog Democrats, most of whom are from the Southeastern US. There are Liberal Democrats in the West and Progressive Democrats in the East. There are Progressive Republicans in the East as well. The center of the country is super Conservative. It's so blatantly obvious. Like minded people flock together the majority of the time. It's difficult to fit in when you feel differently from 90% of the people around you. The problem is that the big government in DC would never, ever allow anything like this to happen. It attacked the Confederate states when they seceded. It wants to weaken the powers of individual states. Yet, at the same time, it comes down on Russia for invading Georgia and backs the separation of Serbia along religious lines. Does this make sense to anyone? Georgia was nothing more than a former state in the USSR. It would be the same thing as Florida saying, "We don't see things the same way and we are moving out", then being invaded by the US. That is a restriction of freedom here at home and encouraging freedom on the other side of the globe. It reminds of the folks on "Whale Wars." They want to save whales which is highly commendable. Yet, they chug around in a diesel burning boat, dumping trash and a boat into the ocean, and endangering the lives of their own crew and those of other boats. Human lives at the expense of whales? Really?

I Love Obama

Yep, you read right. I'm betting not a one of you would ever thought that you would see that coming from me. Are you confused? I guess I owe you an explanation.

First, President Obama is the President of our country. Therefore, he deserves my respect. My beliefs also lead me to believe that this man was put in power by God. So, I pray for this man each and every day. God has put him in a position of power for a reason. Who am I to question God? While I realize that there are folks out there who are known as "birthers," I am not among them. I have no interest in trying to prove something that will never happen. The government machine is too big and too powerful. There are way to many other issues in this country that could use that kind of energy and that you have a chance to make a difference with those issues. But I digress (love that commercial). God puts certain men in places of power for His own purposes. Who knows what that reason might be right now. We can speculate all day. Hitler? Yes, God put him in power. There are numerous examples of kings and rulers in the Bible that are evil, but used by God for His purposes.

Second, no one man could have done more to wake this country up than President Obama has succeeded in doing in the last year and a half. Too many people, myself included, have felt powerless for a long time. Suddenly, people have been awakened to what is going on in this country and the road we are headed down. Now, folks are getting together and remembering the power that we, the voters, have in this country. Had John McCain been elected, he would have continued us down the same road of "Progression" that George W. Bush was leading us down. The difference between the two is that President Obama put his foot on the accelerator. He's not stupid. The voters put him in power and gave his party complete power over the Congress as well. So, he did what any politician would do and took full advantage of the situation. He saw that he had 2 years to get all kinds of legislation pushed through. He is making huge strides in pushing this country in the direction that he and other Progressives want us to go. He is a hero to those who believe in his way of thinking. He has delivered on much of the change he promised. So, why are we angry with him? We should be angry with ourselves for letting this happen to our country. Obama didn't start this, but he would love to finish it. Those of us who feel this country should be going in a different direction fell asleep. We got lazy. Now, we are having a hard time figuring out where to start making changes. There are so many areas that need change. The Progressives have been changing things for nearly a century. We can't flip a switch and make it all go back to the way it was. (And I don't mean slavery, just FYI. Please don't accuse me of that crap.) So, folks who don't approve of what is going on in this country should direct their anger or other emotions towards themselves and get out there and do something to make your opinion matter.

The Tea Party

As anyone who knows me in the least little bit can attest, I am completely on board with most of what the Tea Party is about. The part I find interesting is that it is tough to make out who the leaders are, where they meet, etc. It is very decentralized and lacks a true "head". I love this. It keeps things from being too simple. It allows people to be educated on their own and form their own opinions. It keeps the power with the people, not a person or committee. We, the people, decide which way the wave goes. It makes it tougher on the media and the opponents because they don't have one person to vilify. It is what this country was meant to be, free thinking. I also feel like we, as Tea Partiers, should be very wary of the Republican Party. I don't trust them. Keeping the Tea Party decentralized also keeps the Republicans from stepping in and just trying to fold us into them where they feel we belong. They feel like we should be under their control. Supposedly, they are the existing political party that most closely agrees with our views. However, they have been infiltrated by a large number of Progressives. They aren't all conservative. Also, they are a political party that has been around for many years. They are looking out for their survival here. They want money from the "little people" to come into their pockets. I feel like if we continue to push our agenda, they will have to listen to what we are saying and move the party platform to conform to what this majority of their people want for this country. Or, the Tea Party may just have to go out on their own. I'm not yet convinced that this won't be the easier road. It would be difficult to take over an organization from the inside. The entire leadership would have to be replaced. So, in my opinion, starting a new party would be the best solution. It wouldn't take long for the Republican party to be choked out. I also wonder if the Democratic party wouldn't split up as well. There would be those who consider themselves Liberal, and others who consider themselves Progressive. The Democrats are slowly realizing these aren't the same viewpoint. These are interesting times in political parties. I hope people realize how important these times are in our country. It is simple to listen. However, hearing and thinking on your own isn't always easy in these times of instant media.

The Purpose

I feel weird. I am going to be considered a Blogger after this. Why would I do something I felt was silly? Courtesy. Necessity. All of the above. Basically, I have tons of thoughts on political things and news in the world. I am moving them here so that I am not forcing them down anyone's throat on Facebook. I can keep things friendly there. If someone reads this, it is of their own choosing. I promise to not delete any comments to my postings. This is about discussion and education. I ask that you keep it clean, if at all possible. I can learn things as well. And please don't assume that you will know exactly how I feel about something going on in the world. I might surprise you! And I might hear a good argument and have to re-think my position, if I have one. I may just write on this thing and be talking to myself. We will see. I don't have any expectations of this blog except to get some of my thoughts written down.