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What's New

2009-11-01 15:55:00

Bullies...

Question: What’s new?

Answer: There is a lot of debate going on right now in our country on the pros and cons of all of the things that are being operated, governed, legislated, executed and adjudicated. I will leave that debating to those who are more qualified than myself. I do think however, that I can lend an opinion or two, and some facts on the economic impact of some of these things, while calling to mind some other things we should all be aware of. This is the purpose of my article this month. Like many of my articles, it may end up being a bit of a strange “trip” with an unexpected “turn” or two, but some say that makes for good reading. I hope so. First, I would like to ask you to call to mind any one of the dozens of movies you’ve watched throughout your life, that dealt with a character who played a high and mighty, boisterous, abrasive and prideful role, and was brought down and put into his or her place. You know…kind of like a “bully” movie. A “bully” movie usually has just two scenarios. The first is when a movie like this ends with the “bully” getting what is seemingly due him or her (i.e. maybe like Ben Gazzara in Road House). The second scenario is when the movie goes on to show the “bully” being “healed” in some way where he or she ends up becoming the actual hero or heroine, or almost the hero or heroine (i.e. maybe like Jack Nicholson in The Bucket List). As you watch the story in the movie unfold…who among you does not say to yourself…or out loud…something like, “He sure needs to be taken down a notch or two,” or, “She just can’t go on treating people like that without it coming back to bite her, can she?” And, regardless of which scenario the movie ends with, as the story shows that this person received an “eye opener” or is “rapped on the knuckles” a bit, you feel more at ease. You feel like justice is being served and that things are not going to get totally out of hand. If the movie uses the second scenario, you end up rooting for the guy or gal, or almost rooting for them, in their new and changed role. Next, before I embark on this little “trip,” I have to say to the new or infrequent readers of this column…I am conservative in my ideologies and very much a supporter of capitalism. That does not mean I am right. It’s just who I am. And, just as entrenched as I am in my beliefs that a predominantly, capitalistic system propagates entrepreneurship, free enterprise, technological advances, jobs and economic growth, there are those who are entrenched in their beliefs counter to mine. This is fine. This is honest debate and part of what makes our country as great as it is. I have tried however for years to imagine America under any other kind of a system, that is more of another type of system than that of capitalism. To help myself, I look back at two American History courses I took at WSU under Dr. John Born back in the late 60s. The first was American History from the American Revolution to the Civil War, and the second…American History from the Civil War to present day. Capitalism has played a major role in our entire history. With a different type of system, other than capitalism, or another type of system that is more something else other than capitalism, I don’t see many of the events in history happening the way they went down. Like the American Revolution…the way it went down, compared to how it would have gone down. Were we to have been a country based upon a different kind of system, or more of another type of system than capitalism, I don’t see the same respect we have always showed our forefathers who wrote the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, and who got our country going. I lose too the respect that we have always shown the millions of men and women who fought and died for our country in all of the wars. I lose the level of patriotism I have been so proud to experience throughout my entire life. I lose things like many of the inventions at the turn of the 20th century during the Industrial Revolution…and lots of other things like our technology, our increased productivity as the result of this technology, and our advances in all of the sciences. Please understand, I don’t mean to say these and hundreds of other things would never have happened, I just think they would have happened differently and things would be very different today if we had been based upon a system other than capitalism, or a system that was more something else other than capitalism. Am I a rebel rouser? I hope not. Am I against government? No. Does this mean that I believe we should, as a nation, not have government? Of course not. Government should do as our Founding Fathers intended…be a government of the people…by the people…and for the people…composed of three branches…each performing its own special tasks…while providing for a check and balance system on each other. Our Founding Fathers never intended for the government to be the “dog” and the “people” be the tail…did they? Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around? According to the courses I took it was. If you’re of this persuasion…or of a different persuasion…don’t quit reading yet. I promise this column will not end up being a bashing. At the end, all of the dots will connect, and hopefully, if we’re all REALLY honest with ourselves, we won’t find that much to disagree with. Since the new Democratically-controlled legislative and executive branches of our Federal Government took over in January of this year, it has appeared to me to be one of these types of “bully” movies. It seems like, regardless of the feelings and desires of the populace, whom they represent, they have imposed and are going to continue to impose their feelings and desires on all of us. Other congresses headed by Republicans and Presidents have done it too, when they have bowed their necks and marched on to the “drum beat” in THEIR head, without taking into account the feelings and desires of those they represent. Regardless of who and when…it is wrong…but maybe today it is even more wrong than ever, given our present, economic situation. Let me give you some facts. In the past 10 months both branches have been in control, with what has been funded, committed to be funded, and currently being debated to be funded, the spending has been unprecedented. I am not giving Republicans and Independents a free pass here. While not too many of them are voting for this stuff, there are still things they need to do in all of this, and they will be responsible and held accountable accordingly. We now have a Federal budget of more than $4 trillion. That is $1.5 trillion more than we take in! Our total debt exceeds $12 trillion, before this $1.5 trillion is added. Our interest on this debt is $178 billion per year. Most of this debt is to foreign countries, with China and Japan being our top creditors of $800 Billion each. With the projected deficits, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates we will be in debt $21 trillion by 2019, with interest running more than $800 Billion per year! Keep in mind…this is BEFORE the costs of health care reform, cap and trade, any more bailouts, and whatever is going to be done to rescue Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, which are now paying out more than THEY take in, and will be insolvent within the next few years. This means kids who are now between the ages of 8 and 12, by the time they are in the work force, and every other taxpayer, will get absolutely nothing for the first $800 Billion in taxes they pay into the system. Nothing! No defense, no roads, no entitlement programs, no infrastructure rebuilding, no space exploration, no money for health care, the arts, research, education…nothing…as the first $800 Billion goes to “thin air”…each and every year. The biggest injustice is that these kids and these kids’ kids did nothing to deserve this…except have us as their parents and grandparents. Most of us are aware of this or at least partially aware. Our elected officials should be more aware of it than we are. So tell me, what is all of this debate about anyway? Who…in their right mind…can be talking about further deficit spending on ANYTHING? How can any elected official, who represents any constituent…support…in the midst of all of this…spending another nickel that we don’t take in? The dreaded “spiral” we have all talked about for years is already in play. This “spiral” is the process where taxes are being increased more and more, on more and more individuals and businesses, making it tougher for businesses to stay in business, and certainly to compete, driving jobs overseas, worsening our unemployment and our economy, to get the government the money it needs. But all of this money IS NOT and WILL NOT be enough. So, what will the government do then? It has only two choices: raise taxes even more, on more and more individuals and businesses, and/or print more money. We know what raising taxes too much will do. When more money is printed, the value of the dollar goes down, which as of this writing, is at a 15-month low. The government then has to increase interest rates to get more foreign countries to buy our debt. This creates inflation. Most of these countries don’t want the debt they hold of ours now, because it is becoming more and more like junk bonds. What happens if they don’t buy any more of it? As this “spiral” continues, we get “hyper inflation,” which will cause more business failures, more job losses and even higher taxes. When the “spiral” goes into this mode, things happen very quickly, just like the spiral that is created when a toilet is flushed. It moves slowly at first but then it picks up more and more speed until finally…everything is gone. All of this spending is “too” much. Any spending over what we take in is “too” much. Maybe…for the first time ever…people are beginning to realize, the government doesn’t REALLY pay for anything. It is a clearing house. The money comes in and 535 members of Congress, 1 President, a Cabinet of 15, and anywhere from 21 to 38 Czars (depending upon who is counting) dole it out. Less than 600 people are spending it all…and lots more…for 306,000,000 of us. Much of it is being spent on their own agendas, each fighting for his or her share, and making deals in the back offices to scratch each other’s back. Lobbyists’ interests get a huge chunk. Waste is everywhere. At the end of the day, it all comes down to us…our children…and our children’s children…to pay the tab. You know how I said at the beginning of this article, “a turn or two”? Here is a good example of the same kind of spending, but in the private sector. Who among us doesn’t like the World Series, or the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals or the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Most all of us do. And I believe, God made us all in such a way so watching these gifted athletes perform, who He also made, is good for us. But if some professional franchise owner commits to give a baseball player $33 million per year (what works out to be around $74,000 each time he has an “at bat” in a normal season), that owner doesn’t really pay him does he? Isn’t he too, really more of a clearing house? We consumers pay the ticket. How? When we spend a week’s salary taking our family to the game. When we buy the licensed cap, jersey or coffee mug. When we buy the products that are advertised during the telecast or broadcast of the games. When we pay our cable bill. But you say, “This IS capitalism.” And I say, “You’re right.” I also say, “Sage makes the sausage, but “too” much sage ruins it.” Professional sports are great, but when some owner commits, on behalf of the fans, to pay “too” much, it’s not a good deal. By the same token, looking out for all of society is something our government should do…and for the most part…has always done, but totally remaking the system to do it…and paying “too” much…will lead to our demise…if we’re not already at its “door.” Unlike some who rant and rave and wish the worst for others or for the opposing views…I would much rather this particular “movie” (which still goes on for some time) ends up where the “bully” gets an “eye-opener” or a little “rap on the knuckles” and begins to act differently in the way he treats people. Maybe one of these “eye openers” or “raps on the knuckles” was the recent governor races in New Jersey and Virginia. I’m not jumping up and down because of them. I am just saying I felt a bit of adjustment…like this…was in order. Exactly the same way I feel when I watch a “bully” in a movie. Unless the polls are all terribly wrong, there are more people (remember them, a government of them, by them and for them) against-than-for the current health care reform bill from the House, cap and trade, stimulus programs that stimulate more political favoritism than they do the economy, bailouts and government takeovers of private enterprise. We don’t have time any longer for partisan politics on this spending. We have to unite…and SHOUT…“No more bullying! We can buy it next year, or the year after that, or the year after that…but not now. Let’s be sure we know where we stand before we spend another nickel.” And if these “bullies” persist, until election day, we have to say, “Stop. We are the “dog.” You are the “tail.” All of these changes and this spending is changing who we are as a nation. While you may think you have, you HAVE NOT been blessed with a most unique insight and level of intelligence. The time for “bullying” is over. Our country is in trouble.” I sincerely do not believe that the vast majority of people wake up in the morning, shower, shave and put on a fresh set of clothes, to go out and hurt someone…or hurt our country, or do I believe this about our elected and appointed officials. I believe most people want to do good. I do not believe they are wrong, misguided or dishonest. I just think from time to time…they tend to become a “bully.” For an end to this “movie” we can all deal with, while we still have time…they have to stop. As I have asked previously when I have voiced my opinions, please do not turn me in to some agency or governmental body of some kind saying I am propagating undue fears. I just want what you want and hopefully what everyone wants…for this great country of ours to go on…and on…and on. Whether you are of the same or different persuasion than what I have detailed here, e-mail me and tell me…how you think this “movie” will end. How far off base am I…really? By the way, one last “turn” on another front. Max Harris, a friend, good golfer and fellow member at Rolling Hills, said he would probably read in the next issue of our publication about the problems he’s been having lately, winning hole #18, when a certain person is in the group he’s playing with. I told him I doubted I could figure out a segue to get it in. God willing, I will be back next month.