Dear President Obama,
How is that “spread the wealth around” thing going for you? I’m convinced by now that it’s going just fine for you -- but what about us little people? The only thing being spread around is poverty!
I never went to college and even I can understand a model of economic success.
A twice-proven-in-America model of lowering taxes during recession. Against a twice-failed-in-America model of raising taxes during recession.
The arithmetic is proved. The ability to grow a business provides more jobs. More jobs creates more taxpayers. More taxpayers generates lots more tax revenue. Math is a universal constant. That is, until one injects emotion. Then it’s called “new math”. How does emotion stack up as a constant? Try saying one thing to two people. One may laugh while the other gets angry. Emotion cannot be counted on as a constant. Not to discount it totally, it certainly has it’s place. But not with math or economics. Politicians bemoan “tax cuts for the wealthy” with quips like “They’re rich, they should pay more because they can afford more.
First of all, with very few exceptions (e.g. Paris Hilton etc.), People convicted of being “wealthy” can also be described as “producers”. Producers create wealth. Wealth creates jobs (have you ever gotten hired by a poor person?). Jobs provide income. Income allows for the consumption of goods and services. This circles around to reward the producer who took the risk in the first place. Politicians have developed this warped idea that people go into business in order to create jobs. After all, that’s the platform both party candidates ran on (create or save 2 million jobs etc.). Since when is it government’s job to create jobs? Government creating jobs creates government jobs. 2 million new government jobs. Let’s think about that for a moment.
Government’s job is to stay out of the way of the private sector so Americans can grow the economy. There are corruption laws to protect the innocent, they just need to be enforced.
So, here’s a news flash: Americans don’t go into business to create jobs. Americans go into business to make money!
Success is defined in many ways and to varying degrees. Success is directly related to the varied degrees of: Passion, Motivation, and Self Discipline one has. Self discipline defined as: Doing what you know needs to be done weather you feel like it or not. Now, to “spread the wealth around” because some feel that it’s more fair is a moral judgment by those less motivated or disciplined.
Fair. For whom?
More fair to the individual who makes a decision on what they would like to do? More fair for the individual who follows a passion? More fair for the individual who sacrifices time from family? More fair for the individual who invests money (for education) time (60-70 hrs/wk etc.) and energy to build their business? These are positive moral and social values that should yield reward. A sense of entitlement seems to be the prevailing sentiment in this country. Why is anyone owed anything who hasn’t earned it?
I/we are not without empathy for folks who have fallen on hard times. I don’t mind helping said people for a period of time. But forever? For generations? What happens to their spirit? Don’t people who support themselves and their families genuinely feel better about themselves?
When people get addicted to the drug of permanent assistance they allow their soul to be sucked out of them by the drug pushers that is government.
It starts slow…..Heating oil. One has to heat the home. They can have it for free this year. They can have it for free next year too. Next, they can check their eligibility for food stamps. Maybe then they can have their child diagnosed with some sort of disability or other.
Then, after a while they’re hooked. How can they possibly be expected to support themselves and/or their family now? With the lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to? Especially not after having five kids so they can get a raise.
They’re hooked. And now, in classic drug dealer form, it’s time to pay the piper. What’s the cost?
Votes.
Very few politicians truly want to help people or to really really represent the people. They want power.
Just like those who are addicted to “assistance”, politicians in the afore mentioned category, are addicted to power. I submit that anyone addicted to power should lose it immediately. But, they look out for each other. And, after all, who will vote them out? The masses that they’ve hooked and are dependent on government? Who, in their right mind, would kill the goose that lays the golden egg?
Maybe, and I’m just floating this (although it makes sense) votes should count only for taxpayer citizens who contribute to society in a positive manner.
What’s that you say? Who will make the moral judgment as to which are contributing in a positive manner?
Well. President Obama, as such an eloquent speaker, your message and rhetoric could shift from “disaster, crisis, and catastrophe” to one of inspiration, motivation, and personal responsibility. Encourage entrepreneurs. Create incentives for success instead of punishing it. Target incentives to your base if you want. I don’t care. More people creating wealth is only good for the economy. If one continues to look for what’s wrong with the economy, one misses what’s right with it. If you truly want to repair the economy it would take little more than a snap of the fingers in the form of a couple amazing speeches. But why do that when you have this glorious crisis that you can milk for all it’s worth. After all, one never wants a good crisis go to waste right? And, “if used the right way” you can get legislation passed that you would not normally be able to pass. This crisis is being exploited!
I, for one, am not dazed or sucked in by soaring speech rhetoric. I have personal experience with the term “We’ll see what we can do” (said to Jorje regarding McDonald’s benefit pkg). That phrase in particular means (to any that have used it) “nothing can be done but I want you to feel better “ and “I want you to remember who made you feel better about this“.
The same goes for phrases like “I’ll do everything I can” or “I’ll continue to fight for you.” (to the U.A.W.)
People don’t listen to what you say. They (most of them) only feel your intent. If folks actually listened to the words they’d hear things like what John McCain caught in the presidential debate regarding offshore drilling. McCain would drill….Obama will “look at” drilling.
Another phrase is “Some say…..” or “Some would argue….” . This is a “straw man” argument. Who? When? What was the context? But when one is “feelin’ ya” these go right through unchallenged.
What if, for example, there were some more difficult emotions to connect to people with? Emotions like self esteem. Who has a higher self esteem, the person who lines up every day for their fish? Or the person who has taken fishing lessons and can catch their own fish.
Connect with useful emotions (useful to the individual) like self esteem, self reliance, and self confidence.
Instead of trying to be all things to all people, taking care of them, inspire them to take care of themselves.
Individuals are not helpless. And a person is smart.
When people get categorized into groups and such, that group can be told that their helpless. And with no one to argue the point, folks in that group feel that some if not all in the group feel that way so then they do too. Well they must! They’re in that group aren’t they? They’ve been put into a group. Weather they agree with …
But………wait…….. Ohh……… I get it. That’s why the sense of entitlement is promoted by the left. They’re helpless because they’ve been told they are. They’re helpless because of all the assistance given them by the government. They get assistance because they’re helpless. They’re helpless because…
In closing, a campaign promise was to go through the budget line by line and eliminate items deemed ineffective…. Never mind.
Please examine objectively the results of liberal “entitlements” and not just the intentions. Also, ask what are the unintended consequences of the same.
Thanks for your time,
Dave the small biz owner/rural mail carrier/karate teacher
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