To Kill a Nation

I saw a part of the President's town hall in Colorado today.


While he sounds sincere, I can't trust him. Especially after the congress gets their hands of the intent of any kind of health care reform and twists it around for their needs and wants. Or at least the whims of those interests that they represent.


Don't be fooled, the government of the United States does not represent the people at this time. They represent themselves and their special interest groups. Those who have time or money to push their issues and pet projects through the process.


The average citizen is busy working, busy dealing with the messes that our government has created for us. They are trying to take care of their families, not wanting to be pushed into someone else's idea of what is right and not wanting to push their own ideas on someone else who has another idea of how their life should be run.


While President Obama sounds like he wants to make a better world. He is going about it all wrong.


This nation became what it is because everyone had the opportunity to succeed or fail. They could go out and take a risk and either fall on their face, or they could learn and grow.


Some took advantage of others. Some failed to play by the rules and by so doing deprived others of opportunity but overall most have had the chance to fail or succeed on their own.


And it should be that way. If the government takes that opportunity away and starts "giving" everyone everything they need to be comfortable, they will destroy that self reliance and self determination that has lead this nation to grow into what it is today.


By giving too much the government will kill initiative, kill accountability, and create of nation of dependants with diminished motivation and determination to stretch themselves and grow stronger and better.


By taking from those who have, in order to make life better for those who have not, you will crush both innovation and risk taking, or you will drive the best and the brightest out so they can have the benefit of their labor somewhere else. Someplace that will allow them to enjoy the fruits of their labor.


You will create a nation of mediocrity that will fade into oblivion.


You need instead to find ways prevent those who would take advantage of others and prevent others from finding their own way, from being able to block others from finding their own way to provide a better living for themselves and their families. But this must be done carefully. For you must somehow, discern the difference between those who are trying to keep others down and those who are just rising above the crowd on their efforts. Judgments and rules must be carefully considered so as to allow those with initiative and drive to move forward, allow those who are too lazy to fail, and those who are truly disadvantaged and while willing to try are still unable to move forward to be carried along by those who can.


If you hold back the few who excel honestly and with honor, you will hold back the nation and kill her future.


If you allow the few who truly can't move forward because of health or other limitations then you allow a part of our nation’s soul and conscience to die and take the rest of us with it.


But if you allow those who can and won't provide for themselves, because of laziness or fear or some other reason, to continue in their sloth by providing for their needs, you will kill the will and the drive of those who are out, following the rules and trying to provide for themselves and their families. It will demoralize those who give their best effort to improve their lives to have others who are capable but unwilling to strive given the same rewards.


Your intent appears noble but you need to find another way to bring it about.


Someday I will share some ideas on how to accomplish, I mean really accomplish, making the world a better place.


You are trying to give men fish. That will feed them today.


Who will feed them tomorrow?


You need to help teach them to fish for their own support instead.

Health care for all?

I can’t say what motives are behind president Obama’s rush to reform health care. I would like to hope that they are truly well intended and he wants to make the world a better place for people.

But this health care thing has the potential to blow up in someone’s face. Unfortunately the people who are designing it are “exempt” from the plan so they have no vested interest in getting it truly right. They won’t get hurt if it backfires.

If it doesn’t work, they are still covered by their “government” health care plans. Or as President Obama stated, I have a Dr. following me around all the time.

Do you really want the government designing and mandating your health care?

They say that they intend to maintain private insurance but, the way the health care reform is being reported, that support for maintaining your current health care plan, whether you like it or not, is lip service at best. It won’t survive.

The government has the postal system. It is going broke.

They have Medicaid and Medicare and reports tell us those are going broke too.

They have social security and the reports on SS indicate that is falling apart faster than has been anticipated in the past.

They set up cash for clunkers and planned so well for that one that they ran out of money in 4 days.

And now they want you to trust them to put sickness or health, life and death bureaucracy in place and put it in motion. Without really taking time to consider what they are doing or what the consequences of those actions might be?

Maybe without taking time to actually read the final bill, whatever form it takes, when it gets through being cut and pasted, with who knows whatever else tacked on to get someone to vote for it.

If they get it wrong. It isn’t a problem for them. They won’t be on the plan. They have a separate plan for themselves and their families. If they get it wrong they won’t be hurt.

Does anybody see taxation without representation here?

Does anyone see, “Do as I say, not as I do.” here?

Does anyone see snake oil salesmen?

Or maybe a little bait and switch potential? They tell us it is health care but what really comes out of the other end?

When President Obama and the congress, along with all their staffs, have a plan that is for everyone, including them and their families I will think about it. Then I might be able to believe that what they do is from the heart and truly intended to make things better.

This business of putting a plan out for everyone but them and their “closest” friends and contributors smells of set up at the very least. More likely it smells of corruption and paybacks for political favoritism.

If they get this wrong it might be your life on the line. Or mine. Or it might be your children’s or my children’s lives and livelihood that is on the line.

This is too important to “hurry up”.

This could, if crafted correctly bring health and well being for generations to come.

But if it is done wrong it could cause heart ache and pain, misery and suffering and untold damage to countless lives for years on end.

If it is done wrong it could cause financial ruin to our nation and destroy our civilization as we know it.

We need to remind our representatives that this thing they are playing with has the potential for tremendous good but it also has the potential for unimaginably detrimental consequences in countless people’s lives.

Please tell your representatives to slow down, take a good look and get this right.

Cash for Clunkers!!???

I have seen a video on some of these "clunkers" getting destroyed.

What a horrible waste! The car was much newer than anything I am driving and in better shape.

At least my car looks like a "clunker." The paint is peeling, it rattles and shakes, and some of the trim is damaged.

But, because it gets decent mpg, it doesn't qualify as a "clunker".

Meanwhile, some folks with "new" cars are taking them in and trashing a perfectly good car because someone else is helping them pay for their car.

Guess what?!? We the people are that someone who is helping pay!

So how many folks are going to get a new car, that I get to help pay for, when they had a perfectly sound car to begin with? You are welcome.

How many folks are now going to have a hard time finding an affordable used car for their growing famly or their college because the used cars were all scrapped instead of recirculating them through the system?

How many car dealers are going to be out of luck because there aren't used cars to sell and the folks who had a "clunker", and their clunker was so new they probably could have replaced the "clunker" on their own dime anyhow, now have a new car and don't need another one any time soon so nobody will be buying cars before very long?

Do these guys in Washington ever think about the consequences of what they are doing? Oh wait! To consider consequences they would have to read the thing first an know what they were getting into!