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Thursday, October 13, 2011

Are You Entitled To My Money? Part 2

Part 2

 




Both sides are mostly correct ... from their own point of view. The Democrat's programs will succeed in shifting wealth from the top to the bottom - but there is no thought given to how this will effect the economy as a whole. These programs take money from the middle & upper classes, and hand it over to the lower class. But by stealing money from the "haves", they will in effect be punishing people for success. Economic expansion will be hindered in the absence of the "profit motive" that is lies at the heart of most business ventures. And without entrepreneurs the economy cannot expand, and in the end everybody suffers.

But apart from the economic consequences of socialist policies, there lies several social consequences as well. Such programs by their very nature require the forcible taking of wealth - A policy that is anathema to most democratic principles. Theft does not cease to be theft simply because an elected body is the entity which is perpetrating the act. "Forced Charity" is not charity at all - it is theft.

And in the end, such policies cause a large segment of the population to become somewhat dependent on the government - another concept shunned by cultures which cherish freedom.


But the other side of the coin isn't without its flaws either. Republican actions will help stimulate the economy and help increase production. And even though fair portion of this increase will "trickle down" to the masses, most will end up going those at the top. The Republicans will argue that the rich deserve this wealth for working so hard to build new businesses and increase production. But without the social "safety nets" that the Democrats have put in place, many of our nation's citizens will be left in the cold.

Somebody once noted, that Democracy is akin to "three wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner." That is to say, that in a democratic society, it is the will of the masses which ultimately prevails. And, since the "have-nots" will invariably outnumber the "haves", you can bet that "have-nots" will eventually elect to eat the "haves" for breakfast.

In virtually every nation in the world there exists a gradual shift towards more and more of these socialistic programs. On the whole, European nations seem to be accelerating towards this economic "utopia" a little faster than their American counterparts. But you can rest assured that unless the "opposition" parties can find a way to shift this trend into reverse, we will all arrive in the same place eventually - back in the old USSR.

Now, any intelligent examination of the economic state of any communist nation should be enough to scare people away from this outcome. I mean - can anybody point to one successful communist nation? Sure, the USSR wasn't without its achievements. They were the first country to launch an artificial satellite into orbit - and they did create one hell of a military, but most of their achievements were a direct result of competition with the west (competition being a fairly "capitalistic" concept).

But in the end, they failed in their goal of raising the have-nots out of poverty, and eventually crumbled. And sure, not every communist nation on the planet has crumbled like the old Soviet Union, but can you actually say that the have-nots in China and Cuba are really better off than the "poor" of the United States? Sure, everybody has a job, but they are all poor -- Really poor. The average McDonald's employee makes more in a month than these people see in a year.


So you might ask - why is everybody complaining? The reason is because American's simply expect more. We have a higher standard of living than most nations in the world. This is not to say that American aren't ever broke - Just that none of us are starving. Not to sound to cold, but just what exactly are the poor complaining about?... That they don't have a new car?... That they don't own a house?... That they don't have access to the best health care?... That they can afford a new pair of Air Jordan's or a coach bag?.

The only way to become really poor in this country is to not work. It's real easy to do - you just sit around and not do anything. But Americans are kind enough to take care of everybody - even the lazy. Many of these people are overweight (obviously not starving), most are provided with free housing (a place for them to sleep when they aren't busy not-working), and they are even provided with spending cash so they can purchase all of the bare necessities (you know, things like Air Jordans, Coach bags, Tommy Hilfiger Shirts, Gold Jewelry, Crack, and a color TV).

I know that all of this may seem very cold to you, but it's the truth. Everyone in this country is for the most part taken care of. Sure, there are those with too much pride to get assistance - and others that are just too lazy to walk up to the welfare office - But most of society's bottom rung is taken care of. It seems that the real complaint on the part of the "poor" is that they just aren't as "rich" as the rest of their countrymen. What America considers to be poverty would be a considered a "step-up" for most of the people on this planet. The simply act of being born in this or any other industrialized nation guarantees you a spot in the "world-wide" middle class.

There all already enough social programs in place to take care of those who are truly "in need". The bottom 5% that have trouble affording food are fed with food stamps. Those that are too poor to pay for shelter are provided with public housing - complete with heating, clean water, and most with air conditioning. Retired Americans are kept out of poverty by social security. And, despite what the Clinton's will have you believe, poor Americans have access to health care through either private insurance, or Medicare and Medicaid.

We seem to have all the basics covered. Yes, there are people that have more stuff than others - people that have better health care, eat better food, drive better cars, and have enough wealth to enjoy a better retirement. But, what business is it of yours. You shouldn't just sit there being envious of everybody else. And you shouldn't increase the power of a politician just because they promise to steal other people's stuff for you. They aren't "feeling your pain" - they are rich, and they want more power. And they are counting on your vote to aid them in their ascension.

Or maybe the real problem is that you're not greedy enough. If you were, you would get off your ass and try to find some way make yourself useful to society so society will have a chance feed your appetite for greed in a more productive and civilized way.

Part 3 to follow.....

4 comments:

  1. Good article Deborah, But although you say that the bases are covered there are many Americans who cannot afford health insurance and people fall through the cracks with social security these are the things that need to be remedied.

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  2. A brave rant, and alas much of what you say is true. Here in the uk the unemployed often receive a weekly allowance, house rents paid, and if you have a drink problem you get extra money to spend in the pub. Some of these very same people,wear the latest nike trainers, designer clothes and have brand new iphones. Those that i know wouldnt dream of getting a job, as they say they wouldn't be anywhere as near well off. Makes sense, right?

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  3. Great and honest post!
    Have you read about the Fair Tax? This program, if implemented, would do away with the income tax and stop politicians, by its very nature, from stealing from the so-called "rich". You can learn about it at www.fairtax.org.
    Again, a terrific rant!
    Blessings!

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  4. Good rant for the most part...but you went a bit overboard on the end stating that most Americans have access to good health care. Not so Deborah, although I would like to see that happen.

    Many lower middle class hard working Americans are finding themselves falling through the cracks because they work for themselves and can't afford health care and they do not qualify for health care programs. Unfortunately if this keeps up these people will eventually become too sick to work and then finally qualify. Hmmmm.... something's wrong with this picture.

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