America is in a real crisis today. Millions have lost their jobs and are out of work, many of whom have looked so long without success that they have just given up hope. Yet despite this clearly visible situation to anyone who opens their eyes, the MSM talking heads continue to blather about how the economy is improving and people are spending more money and are happier. Really? What planet do they live on.
Well, they live on the Planet Of Obama, the planet that covers the ground between NYC and DC, where they want to do whatever they can to make things look good for him. If not being objective in news reporting is what it takes, well, so be it.
But in all seriousness folks, when you look around does it look and feel to you like the American economy is thriving? Despite all the hoopla, was Christmas a banner year for business in terms of profit? Even though the announced unemployment rate was lowered to 6.7% for the record does it seem like employment is ticking upward?
No, folks, things aren't getting better and the reason is that our current government's policies are contrary to growth. Government agencies have created so many new stifling rules, the Obamacare disaster is about ready to jump the rails, the unemployment numbers operate under illusory statistical techniques and the true believers running the government today believe that making more dependency payments (welfare, food stamps, and, yes unemployment compensation) will actually jump start the economy.
If we want to really turn things around we have to develop a new mindset, starting with the truth and with basic ideas that will work. Here's just a few:
1. Use the natural resources that God gave us. America is blessed with huge deposits of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels, if used carefully can do more to get America back in the game than anything. Just look at North Dakota, the state with the lowest unemployment. Awash in oil, the state is pushing forward using private lands for production. And while we are loaded with oil, plus natural gas and coal, much of the land is owned by the feds, who are unwilling to use it. They would prefer that we continue being help hostage by nations in the tinderbox known as the Middle East. If we use fossil fuels with care, our energy costs will come down, thousands of people will find new and good paying jobs, and we will no longer be under the thumb of nations who don't like us very much. We will become energy independent almost overnight.
2. End Obamacare. Don't just delay and defer it, kill it and go back to the drawing board. This albatross which will consume about 20% of our total national product is anything but healthcare and Americans know it and are upset. Business is drying up because they can no longer grow due to the uncertainty that Obamacare causes for the entire economy. Why do you think all of the stimulus dollars did nothing to turn things around? They went to the bankers to await the future or, in other cases, they went to fuel more corrupt enterprises that haven't worked, like windmills and massive solar power efforts that turned into a joke. Remember Solyndra?
3.Modernize the tax code. Make it simple, make it fair, and either do a massive overhaul of the corruption in the IRS or, preferably, do away with it. There is no reason why Americans shouldn't be able to fill out there taxes on a post card sized form and send it in within ten minutes. Think of the productivity savings and think of the positive things for a business good accountants could do for cost savings instead of poring over the tax code for loopholes. I myself prefer a consumption tax like the Fair Tax, but a flat rate tax would be far better than the current monstrosity that no one can even understand.
4. Term limits and session limits. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Our Founders never dreamed of creating a class of professional politicians who literally lived in Washington and became completely removed from those they represent. With lobby groups on K Street and Wall Street dangling huge bribes, legal or otherwise, in front of Congressman, the temptation is too great for many. So the lawmaking becomes one of serving their financial masters instead of serving the people who elected them. Term limits would break this cycle, and by also limiting leadership terms a regular switch out of leaders would keep things fresh. Furthermore, if we were to limit the lengths of sessions, say to no more than for to six months a year, the elected officials would have to come back home for long stretches, thereby being available to their back home employers. This would also cut recesses and travel and would keep things "of the people." Here's the best part, limit on time in session would necessitate devoting time to those things that really matter, not all the frivolous that current go on while big problems are avoided.
5. End of legislation by Executive fiat. Bills passed into law should also require a review of the administrative rules which are then written to enact the law. First, Congress needs to read each bill before it is passed and, further, the bill should be made available for public review with sufficient time to read it and provide feedback. Then, when passed into law, the Executive's implementing instructions should be reviewed to insure that the letter of the law is followed. Executive orders should be limited to those things governing a true natural disaster or threat to the nation's existence, not a contrived issue. Global warming, as an example, is clearly not a national disaster. This would serve as an ultimate check and balance on the President and his Executive Orders. He is not and never was designed to be a legislator and yet he has become one by fiat. Folks, unless we get this under control and fast the slippery slope to dictatorship becomes a landslide.
5. Truth in government. This is probably the toughest one to get our arms around, for there are fulltime speech writers and government planners always trying to manipulate falsehoods to appear as truth. The answer ties in to number 6 below, we all must remain alert and active and look for the truth and demand it. Lies and more lies to cover the original lies are destroying us one day at a time. Frankly, I think the answer will require each of us to face our Maker and ask Him to help us. One thing that would help is holding those who manipulate the truth for devious purposes accountable. Serious punishment should be meted out for fraud, known abuse, and personal aggrandizement instead of just hidden under the table.
6. Lastly, and this is probably as important as any, maybe more so. Americans must become engaged in their government. We must pay attention and follow what is taking place. An educated and intelligent public is critical to the success of a democratic republican government such as ours. Read up on the issues and candidates, educate your children, demand that education include the truth and not just demagogic points by whoever is in power. What I am really saying is this: rise up, get smart, face the truth and demand a return of America to the principles she was founded on.
Now these are just a few of the thing that I think would be helpful. Certainly there are many more, but we've got to start somewhere. I certainly don't have the answers; that would take many greater minds than mine. But the point is that if we continue to go forward the same way we've done in the past, if we continue to put Oprah, the NFL and Netflix in our priority list while our country is being plundered from within, and if we continue to elect the same people who got us into today's mess, then we will deserve just what we get. I want to hope and believe that we don't want to do that. So take time to think about it, pray to God for guidance and inspiration and then get involved. Speak out, speak up and never allow anyone to silence you. Don't be violent, just be strong and honest. We all might be surprised at just how far we can go.
God bless, be safe, thank the Lord for your blessings each day, and God bless America.
Well, they live on the Planet Of Obama, the planet that covers the ground between NYC and DC, where they want to do whatever they can to make things look good for him. If not being objective in news reporting is what it takes, well, so be it.
But in all seriousness folks, when you look around does it look and feel to you like the American economy is thriving? Despite all the hoopla, was Christmas a banner year for business in terms of profit? Even though the announced unemployment rate was lowered to 6.7% for the record does it seem like employment is ticking upward?
No, folks, things aren't getting better and the reason is that our current government's policies are contrary to growth. Government agencies have created so many new stifling rules, the Obamacare disaster is about ready to jump the rails, the unemployment numbers operate under illusory statistical techniques and the true believers running the government today believe that making more dependency payments (welfare, food stamps, and, yes unemployment compensation) will actually jump start the economy.
If we want to really turn things around we have to develop a new mindset, starting with the truth and with basic ideas that will work. Here's just a few:
1. Use the natural resources that God gave us. America is blessed with huge deposits of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels, if used carefully can do more to get America back in the game than anything. Just look at North Dakota, the state with the lowest unemployment. Awash in oil, the state is pushing forward using private lands for production. And while we are loaded with oil, plus natural gas and coal, much of the land is owned by the feds, who are unwilling to use it. They would prefer that we continue being help hostage by nations in the tinderbox known as the Middle East. If we use fossil fuels with care, our energy costs will come down, thousands of people will find new and good paying jobs, and we will no longer be under the thumb of nations who don't like us very much. We will become energy independent almost overnight.
2. End Obamacare. Don't just delay and defer it, kill it and go back to the drawing board. This albatross which will consume about 20% of our total national product is anything but healthcare and Americans know it and are upset. Business is drying up because they can no longer grow due to the uncertainty that Obamacare causes for the entire economy. Why do you think all of the stimulus dollars did nothing to turn things around? They went to the bankers to await the future or, in other cases, they went to fuel more corrupt enterprises that haven't worked, like windmills and massive solar power efforts that turned into a joke. Remember Solyndra?
3.Modernize the tax code. Make it simple, make it fair, and either do a massive overhaul of the corruption in the IRS or, preferably, do away with it. There is no reason why Americans shouldn't be able to fill out there taxes on a post card sized form and send it in within ten minutes. Think of the productivity savings and think of the positive things for a business good accountants could do for cost savings instead of poring over the tax code for loopholes. I myself prefer a consumption tax like the Fair Tax, but a flat rate tax would be far better than the current monstrosity that no one can even understand.
4. Term limits and session limits. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Our Founders never dreamed of creating a class of professional politicians who literally lived in Washington and became completely removed from those they represent. With lobby groups on K Street and Wall Street dangling huge bribes, legal or otherwise, in front of Congressman, the temptation is too great for many. So the lawmaking becomes one of serving their financial masters instead of serving the people who elected them. Term limits would break this cycle, and by also limiting leadership terms a regular switch out of leaders would keep things fresh. Furthermore, if we were to limit the lengths of sessions, say to no more than for to six months a year, the elected officials would have to come back home for long stretches, thereby being available to their back home employers. This would also cut recesses and travel and would keep things "of the people." Here's the best part, limit on time in session would necessitate devoting time to those things that really matter, not all the frivolous that current go on while big problems are avoided.
5. End of legislation by Executive fiat. Bills passed into law should also require a review of the administrative rules which are then written to enact the law. First, Congress needs to read each bill before it is passed and, further, the bill should be made available for public review with sufficient time to read it and provide feedback. Then, when passed into law, the Executive's implementing instructions should be reviewed to insure that the letter of the law is followed. Executive orders should be limited to those things governing a true natural disaster or threat to the nation's existence, not a contrived issue. Global warming, as an example, is clearly not a national disaster. This would serve as an ultimate check and balance on the President and his Executive Orders. He is not and never was designed to be a legislator and yet he has become one by fiat. Folks, unless we get this under control and fast the slippery slope to dictatorship becomes a landslide.
5. Truth in government. This is probably the toughest one to get our arms around, for there are fulltime speech writers and government planners always trying to manipulate falsehoods to appear as truth. The answer ties in to number 6 below, we all must remain alert and active and look for the truth and demand it. Lies and more lies to cover the original lies are destroying us one day at a time. Frankly, I think the answer will require each of us to face our Maker and ask Him to help us. One thing that would help is holding those who manipulate the truth for devious purposes accountable. Serious punishment should be meted out for fraud, known abuse, and personal aggrandizement instead of just hidden under the table.
6. Lastly, and this is probably as important as any, maybe more so. Americans must become engaged in their government. We must pay attention and follow what is taking place. An educated and intelligent public is critical to the success of a democratic republican government such as ours. Read up on the issues and candidates, educate your children, demand that education include the truth and not just demagogic points by whoever is in power. What I am really saying is this: rise up, get smart, face the truth and demand a return of America to the principles she was founded on.
Now these are just a few of the thing that I think would be helpful. Certainly there are many more, but we've got to start somewhere. I certainly don't have the answers; that would take many greater minds than mine. But the point is that if we continue to go forward the same way we've done in the past, if we continue to put Oprah, the NFL and Netflix in our priority list while our country is being plundered from within, and if we continue to elect the same people who got us into today's mess, then we will deserve just what we get. I want to hope and believe that we don't want to do that. So take time to think about it, pray to God for guidance and inspiration and then get involved. Speak out, speak up and never allow anyone to silence you. Don't be violent, just be strong and honest. We all might be surprised at just how far we can go.
God bless, be safe, thank the Lord for your blessings each day, and God bless America.
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