“The election is over, the talking is done…”

I know, I know, the election is over; and to paraphrase something I read on Facebook™  ”The election is over, the talking is done. My party lost, your party won. So let us be friends, let arguments pass. I’ll hug my elephant, you kiss your  a****!  Most people are trying to do the ‘lets be friends’ part; not the ‘you kiss you  a****’ part. There are a few folks who still feel that it is their duty to convince the ‘other’ guy that he was so wrong to vote the way he did, even though the election was nearly 2 weeks ago. Americans should stop talking about politics and affairs of state, right? Wrong.

Because all Americans know that our finances, jobs, debt and economy and anything remotely tied to these things, are headed for the proverbial terlit (and some say it is already there), it is up to Americans to decide what role the government has, if any, in solving these problems. Part of the problem was caused by too much government involvement, and part of the problem was caused by too little government involvement in operations of this country. After all, if government is PART of the problem, asking/demanding/allowing that SAME GOVERNMENT be part of the SOLUTION; seems to me a bit like allowing the government to be judge, jury and executioner at its own trial. This is hardly an impartial way to solve a problem. Don’t you think it is the role of the GOVERNED/WE THE PEOPLE to determine what the role of government is in finding a solution?

Another thing that the American people ought to be doing (and not just because I say so), is deciding if they want to return to strict interpretation of our founding documents, do they want to mold them into their lifestyle  now (after all  the documents have withstood the test of 230+ years for a reason).

The following article appears long and in some ways is a bit over-the-top for me, but when read with an open mind, there are some solid truths to it. As tempted as we may be to spend the next 4 years squabbling, let spend the next 4 years TALKING  and finding solutions so that the next generation and enjoying life.

http://freedomoutpost.com/2012/11/what-is-not-the-job-of-the-us-government/

 

Is there really a war on women?

If so, who’s fighting? I’m not and I’m a woman.  However, Sandra Fluke feels that a war is being waged on women. Ms. Fluke has quite a history of peaceful activism for women’s right’s and advocacy for human trafficking and many good causes.

But because she is not an expert on insurance coverage of contraceptives or the role of the church in contraception; Ms. Fluke was not permitted to testify at the House Ways and Means Committee hearings. Because of this denial, Republicans (they control the House) have been accused of waging WAR ON WOMEN! Get real! I’m a woman and I’m a Republican and I don’t feel that war has been declared on me. I found this clip of Dennis Miller commenting on Sandra Fluke’s now involvement in the current political arena, interesting:

Related articles

• Sins of Deceit: Sandra Fluke Insults the Intelligence of Women (americanclarion.com)
• Rep. Joe Walsh: Sandra Fluke, You’re 31, ‘Get A Job’ (mediaite.com)
• A Nation of Sandra Flukes (nationalreview.com)

“The Obama Bankruptcy” and food for thought (EB)

FROM THE WEEKLY STANDARD:

ADVANCE EDITORIAL from the August 17, 2012 issue.

12:00 AM, AUG 17, 2012 • BY IRWIN M. STELZER

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There you have it: Obama, bankruptcy, and an unpleasant, forced end to entitlements as we know them, or Romney-Ryan and the preservation of entitlements that protect the elderly and disadvantaged, and that are sustainable for generations to come. Like Walter Matthau, Barack Obama is out of money, and has no plan to cut spending or to raise more without throwing us into another recession or worse. Unless he plans to find the equivalent of a rich widow, he should leash his attack dogs and offer some positive alternative to what Romney and Ryan are offering, rather than more of the policies that have brought us so close to financial disaster. Negative ads and squabbles over details are diversions from a debate over how to enable entitlements to accommodate our changing demographics and straitened finances, and a discussion of who would take the nation in the right direction. That is our real entitlement: to a debate on the relative merits of Obama’s “plan” to do nothing and Paul Ryan’s plan for reform.

—Irwin M. Stelzer”

Related articles

• The Obama Bankruptcy (weeklystandard.com)

“Barack Hussein Obama-The Rise and Fall of America”

This is a guest post from The HubPages by guest author Bill , Henderson, reprinted with permission of the author

“Barack, Barack, Barack. Where shall I start?”

I guess I’ll start with what you said

“Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business—you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”

First, no one said that we don’t need roads and bridges or infrastructure, so that’s an obvious straw man argument (and you are a genius at building straw men!). But your argument is also that we cannot make it without government (and you, of course), while the exact opposite is the truth. Government can’t do one damn thing without the taxpayers who provide the money via taxes, or the businesses government then hires to build that infrastructure.

Government earns no money, and couldn’t build a bird house.

Your surrogates are quickly rushing to tell us what you really meant, but why is it that the smartest man in the world so often has to have his people ‘splain what he really meant? I submit that you meant exactly what you said: Americans cannot thrive without a massive government guiding and supporting them every step of the way, and with a man like you at the helm telling us what we must do.

Well, I have news for you sir. I like to write about early America, because I’m in awe of the sort of brave men and women who left the comfort and relative safety of Europe and sailed to the new land where government did not exist. What an astoundingly courageous thing to do! There was no such thing as ‘infrastructure’, but they came anyway, and they persevered.

I’m also in awe of the brave men and women who later left the relative comfort and safety of the original states, and ventured into the unknown western frontier, where they were on their own, and government was nowhere to be found. There were no roads and bridges, and ‘infrastructure’ was a word that would not be coined for centuries. Yet with little or no help from government, they carved out the ranches, farms, and industries that made America an industrial giant. They expanded America, and government went along for the ride.

I would also point out to you, sir, that those times when government was out of the way were also some of the most productive times in our history! How could that be, when you claim that only government can pave the way? That is obviously untrue.

The role of government was spelled out by our Founding Fathers:

“We the people, of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

I’m surprised that a Constitutional scholar, and lawyer like you would be so woefully ignorant of the Constitutional role of government

Government is supposed to provide a taxpayer supported environment that allows “We the people” to prosper. Government was to be limited in power and scope, so that it was the servant of the people and not their master. Government was never intended to have the dominating role in our lives that you envision. That’s why the Constitution was written in ink and on stiff parchment, rather than on rubber than can be stretched to mean anything.

The sneering tone, delivery, snark, and blatant condescension of your recent remarks directed to and about business creators demonstrated your inherent hostility and derision toward the entrepreneurs and innovators which create new businesses and provide the backbone of American prosperity. You should be ashamed. What sort of president are you, when you constantly pit one American against another? You are the most divisive president in this old man’s memory.

You need to reexamine your motives, sir, apologize to America’s small business owners, and then run on your record. I assume you already know that the economy is in a shambles, unemployment is unacceptably high, and America has lost her triple ‘A’ credit rating. Why not run on that, instead of attacking America’s backbone?

I remember when we used to scold the lazy, good-for-nothings in America, the ones who refused to work and make something of themselves, whether adult or child. Today, we have a president who scolds the hard-working, successful business creators! How did we ever come to this?”

By Bill Henderson/Will Starr

Image via CrunchBase

Healthcare food for thought!

This captures my thinking so well in such a short phrase: Sure, I KNOW we’d all like to see everyone covered, but unless we  increase taxes, revues, penalties, decrease services or SOMETHING, that can’t happen.

The Little Red Hen

Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered quite a few grains of wheat. She called all of her neighbors together and said, “If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?””

Not I,” said the cow.”Not I,” said the duck.”Not I,” said the pig.”Not I,” said the goose.

“Then I will do it by myself,” said the little red hen, and so she did. The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain.

“Who will help me reap my wheat?” asked the little red hen.

“Not I,” said the duck., “Out of my classification,” said the pig., “I’d lose my seniority,” said the cow., “I’d lose my unemployment compensation,” said the goose.

“Then I will do it by myself,” said the little red hen, and so she did. At last it came time to bake the bread. “Who will help me bake the bread?” asked the little red hen.

“That would be overtime for me,” said the cow., “I’d lose my welfare benefits,” said the duck., “I’m a dropout and never learned how,” said the pig. “If I’m to be the only helper, that’s discrimination,” said the goose.

“Then I will do it by myself,” said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, “No, I shall eat all five loaves.”

“Excess profits!” cried the cow. (Nancy Pelosi)

Capitalist leech!” screamed the duck. (Barbara Boxer)

“I demand equal rights!” yelled the goose. (Jesse Jackson)

The pig just grunted in disdain. (Ted Kennedy) And they all painted “Unfair!” picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

Then the farmer (Obama) came. He said to the little red hen, “You must not be so greedy.”

“But I earned the bread,” said the little red hen.

“Exactly,” said Barack the farmer. “That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle.” And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen,who clucked, “I am grateful, for now I truly understand.”

But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the “party” and got her bread free.

And all the Democrats smiled. “Fairness” had been established.

Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared…so long as there was free bread that “the rich” were paying for.

EPILOGUE– Bill Clinton is getting $12 million for his memoirs. Hillary got $8 million for hers.

That’s $20 million for the memories from two people, who for eight years, repeatedly testified, under oath, that they couldn’t remember anything.

IS THIS A GREAT BARNYARD OR WHAT?

Are we becoming an entitlement nation or a self-reliant nation?

Welfare laws were enacted in the 1800s to give general assistance to the poor and underprivileged.  Over the years, more plans were added to welfare, as we now know it: food stamps, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Women Infants and Children (WIC), public housing; even help paying utility bills.

This system went without many changes until 1996, when President Clinton decided to change welfare’s emphasis from dependency to empowerment on empowerment. In 1996, Congress passed welfare reform that Clinton signed into law, which required that recipients enroll in job training programs and work to collect benefits. This was successful in decreasing welfare roles: Between 1996 and 2006, the number of people receiving benefits decreased from 4.3 million to 1.9 million.

Unfortunately, not even 10 years later, the numbers of people on welfare has increased again to 45 million, an increase of 70% in 4 ½ years. Once again, are we returning to a entitlement culture, a culture of dependency?

Another growing entitlement is Social Security Disability, which provides benefits to 10.8 million people; 50% of those people have been placed on disability rolls in the past 3 ½ years. (The fact that I’m on Social Security Disability is one of which I’m not proud, but the good health ‘fairy’ didn’t stop at my door!) There’s a recurring 3 ½ year theme; hmmm.

Of concern to all Americans is the fact that our national debt is $16 trillion. This is an increase of $6 trillion in the past 3 ½ years from the beginning of the current administration. In 2002, 19 % of our gross domestic product (GDP) was used to support our government. Today, that figure is closer to 25%. The GDP is a measure of economic activity within a country.

This brings me to my conclusion:

Are we an independent self-reliant nation?  Or are we becoming a dependent nation? It seems that increasingly that the US of A is becoming a nation headed for dependency and increased entitlement and we’ve got some serious decision-making and talking to do. In what direction do WE want our country to go? Frankly, I like the principles on which our country was founded where government is small and there’s minimal intrusion in our lives.

So far this ‘election cycle’ we’ve had discussions about dogs on cars, eating dog, racism or not racism in this country, campaign gaffes and criticism. Mommy wars and wars on women are real; but there are other issues which ought to take center stage.

We should never minimize a race issue, but when are we going to have a real, serious and meaningful discussion about independence and self-reliance, the state of our economy and jobs-or lack thereof?

Capitalism or Socialism?

After watching this video, I thought the time might be right to start an earnest dialog about what form of government we the people want and why; You know, the people in Washington aren’t exactly doing a bang-up job representing us, so we need to represent ourselves. If representing ourselves is what is ‘coming down’ we should have an idea of what we’re representing.

After all, we can’t proceed to solve our problems, until the majority of us are on the same page as to how much or how little we want government to be involved in our lives and solving our problems. Do we want a government deeply imbedded in our lives or a government which sits on the sidelines and has minimal input, determining laws, collecting taxes and powers set forth only by the Constitution?

The choice of either way (large, controlling government vs, smaller, allowing you and me to control our destiny) will mean a change in life as we know it. I think you know where I stand from having read  this blog; but I’d really like to hear what you  have to think and why you think it. Remember, everybody’s opinion is valid-at least here!

Judge Judy and the Welfare State

In this country, there are people who receive government ‘handouts’ ‘help’ of’ one sort or another. I don’t think our society rejects the legitimate handouts; it is the illegit handouts that represent a problem. Here in is a tape from Judge Judy (I never thought I’d approve of a dang thing that she’d say) but her sentiment expressed in this tape, echo my feelings and I’m sure, the feelings of a lot of the country:

 

The tape above clearly represents a need for reform in our entitlement system.