Freedom, Frugality, Personal Responsibility and Charity=Prosperity

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Socialism

2011-03-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Before anyone can ask for either Liberty, Socialsim or something in between, we first need to define what each means. This is not easy due to they are both subjective in their defintions. Liberty for example, can range from anarchy(no government, we just inhabit the earth with no rules) to very limited freedoms such as those that may exist in a Communist country.

Socialism itself has a certain definition in the dictionary, but we have all come to use the term, for one reason or another, to define different aspects of government. Government itself is a form of socialism.

What we do know is that for a society to work efficiently, it must have an organized structure. This comes in the form of laws, regulations and infrastructure. This also requires the ability to enforce such laws and regulations while maintaining the sovoreignty of the country.

Our Founding Fathers went to great length to establish a national constitution that provided the necessary power to a central government, in order to provide sufficient national security and protect americans natural enalienable rights. Its duties are enumerated in our Constitution. The main focus was for the states and individuals to maintain as much self-governance as possible. This in my opinion included all personal needs such as: food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, retirement and education. The states were given leway to experiment in socialism, while recognizing that the individual, family, friends, churches and charities could provide most basic essentials.

So, we come to the question everyone has to ask themselves: How much liberty do you want and how much socialism do you want? There is a wide range to choose from which is why our politics are so divisive.

The more liberty one has comes with more responsibility. An example would be: If you do not want Social Security, you have to accept responsibility for your personal disability and retirement needs. This can be a blessing as well as a burden. On the one hand, you can take the 12.4% of your earnings that currently go to Social Security and apply them to your own investment portfolio, which can lead to a very nice nestegg. But, some will be irresponsible and fail to plan for their later years or possible disability.

What needs to be considered when social programs are promoted is, just how affective will they be and what are the possible unintended consequences. These consequences could include: how do they affect the self-reliance of the individual, how much fraud and abuse may be associated with them. We have to question the governments true ability to implement these programs. I think we can all testify to the fact that government management of social programs has had less than desirable results. Examples would be the constant growth in payroll taxes necessary to maintain SS/medicare, the mind boggling taxcode, the massive national debt and the heavy distortions caused by GSE's(Fannie, Freddie, FHA and Sallie Mae), which contribute to excessive costs in college tuitions, healthcare provision and the housing bubble that led to our current financial crisis.

I would ask that you give reasonable consideration as to just how much government we should have, while we attempt to pass liberty to future generations . That you would take an honest look at the current social programs and judge them by their practical viability and not just by their good intentions. I would also ask that you try to picture the future of this country considering its current path, and lastly, I ask you to be prepared to give up your vested stake into our failing pension/Social Security system that are leading to the serfdom of future americans.

General Welfare Defined by Madison

2010-08-08T18:29:00.001-07:00

Many have taken the General Welfare clause as an excuse to promote unlimited government. This was not the intent of its inclusion into the Constitution. It was meant to refer to only applications that were a benefit to the whole of the country, like roads and infrastucture.

Here are some explinations from the Father of the Constitution:

James Madison: "If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare,and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare,they may take the care of religion into their own hands;they may appoint teachers in every State, county and parish and pay them out of their public treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may assume the provision of the poor; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads;in short, every thing, from the highest object of state legislationdown to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress.... Were the power of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for, it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature of the limited Government established by the people of America."

James Madison: “The government of the United States is a definite government, confined to specified objects. It is not like the state governments, whose powers are more general. Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government.”

James Madison: “If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions.”

James Madison: “With respect to the two words ‘general welfare,’ I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators.”

James Madison: Federalist #41:

Some who have not denied the necessity of the power of taxation have grounded a very fierce attack against the Constitution, on the language in which it is defined. It has been urged and echoed that the power "to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States,"amounts to an unlimited commission to exercise every power which may be alleged to be necessary for the common defense or general welfare. No stronger proof could be given of the distress under which these writers labor for objections, than their stooping to such a misconstruction.Had no other enumeration or definition of the powers of the Congress been found in the Constitution than the general expressions just cited, the authors of the objection might have had some color for it; though it would have been difficult to find a reason for so awkward a form of describing an authority to legislate in all possible cases. A power to destroy the freedom of the press, the trial by jury, or even to regulate the course of descents, or the forms of conveyances, must be very singularly expressed by the terms "to raise money for the general welfare."But what color can the objection have, when a specification of the objects alluded to by these general terms immediately follows and is not even separated by a longer pause than a semicolon? If the different parts of the same instrument ought to be so expounded as to give meaning to every part which will bear it, shall one part of the same sentence be excluded altogether from a share in the meaning; and shall the more doubtful and indefinite terms be retained in their full extent, and the clear and precise expressions be denied any signification whatsoever? For what purpose could the enumeration of particular powers be inserted, if these and all others were meant to be included in the preceding general power? Nothing is more natural nor common than first to use a general phrase, and then to explain and qualify it by a recital of particulars. But the idea of an enumeration of particulars which neither explain nor qualify the general meaning, and can have no other effect than to confound and mislead, is an absurdity, which, as we are reduced to the dilemma of charging either on the authors of the objection or on the authors of the Constitution, we must take the liberty of supposing had not its origin with the latter.The objection here is the more extraordinary, as it appears that the language used by the convention is a copy from the Articles of Confederation. The objects of the Union among the States, as described in article third, are "their common defense, security of their liberties, and mutual and general welfare," The terms of article eighth are still more identical: "All charges of war and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common defense or general welfare and allowed by the United States in Congress shall be defrayed out of a common treasury," etc. A similar language again occurs in article ninth. Construe either of these articles by the rules which would justify the construction put on the new Constitution, and they vest in the existing Congress a power to legislate in all cases whatsoever. But what would have been thought of that assembly, if, attaching themselves to these general expressions and disregarding the specifications which ascertain and limit their import, they had exercised an unlimited power of providing for the common defense and general welfare? I appeal to the objectors themselves, whether they would in that case have employed the same reasoning in justification of Congress as they now make use of against the convention. How difficult it is for error to escape its own condemnation.

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave?

2010-08-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

Land of the free, home of the brave, really? I think not. How many americans are willing to save for their own retirement? How many americans are willing to plan and acquire their own healthcare in the free market? How many americans are willing to provide their own food or give to those who need it, without government intrusion?

How many americans are ready to say no more government assistance for any individual needs? How many americans are ready to say no more too big to fail, no more Fannie and Freddie?

How many americans sit back and watch our youth go to the battle field and give their lives for freedom while you cannot even say no to even one of the above mentioned?

How many of you so called americans have your head in the sand while our government buries our future generations in debt and deminishes their freedoms to maintain your status quo?

Guess what america, your call to freedom has been sounded, and you have failed miserably to respond appropriately. They claimed that without bailouts the country would dive into depression, they say that without stimulus we will never recover, they say that we have to have more government control over healthcare and the economy to provide stability, oh really?

Freedom is not free, it costs blood, it costs wealth and it cost as much separation from government as possible. Freedom is a right from God, it is a treasure to pass to future generations, but it has to be fought for and maintained through personal responsibility.

Thomas Jefferson:
Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of the day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period, and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers (adminstrators) too plainly proves a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing us to slavery.

Thomas Jefferson;
A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement.

Benjamin Franklin quotes:
Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.

Benjamin Franklin quotes:
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Thomas Paine quotes:
These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated

Thomas Paine quotes:
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.

George Washington quotes:
It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn.

Deer in Headlights Syndrome

2010-07-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

I'm amazed at how many people in this country are not aware of our impending collapse. We are like zombies walking towards a cliff. Very few people in this country give a blink of notice to our pending debt and social program obligations.

It seems as though everyone is in self-preservation mode with no sense of regret for the imposition we are imposing on future american, our children and grand children.

As an christian, I used to wonder how on earth there could ever come a tribulation period as described in the book of Revelations(last book of the bible). Today, I do not see how we can avoid it in the near future. I always believed that America was too strong and sovereign a nation to ever be ruled by an anti-christ, but with our impending economic problems and moral decay, I am left to believe the time is near.

I don't know when the time will come, but I fully believe it can be delayed as long as America stays strong and sovereign. This will take some very hard work and sacrifice to accomplish. But, is there enough people in this country with the fortitude of our Founders and forefathers to do this? God I pray we do.

How do we fix Social Security & Medicare?

2010-07-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

This is an highly subjective question. It's answer has to come first from what kind of country do you want to be. There are numerous ways to fix these problems, but which way will be based in our collective will as an country.

The pain involved in this fix will largely depend on the nature of government you chose to have. Do you want an Constitutional fix? A socialistic fix? Or something in between?

I would argue that we currently are managing these programs in an in between manner. We want our personal freedoms, while we want to maintain the status quo through social programs. We are being forced to go in one direction or the other, typically when this has occured in the past, we have went down the road of socialism.

These include: The establishment of the Federal Reserve, Social Security, medicare, medicaid, welfare, EITC, food stamps, federal housing allowances and now national healthcare insurance. Is there any question that from our beginnings we have drifted vastly towards an socialistic country? One has to be honest about what are the unintended consequences that are caused by these programs, like for example: Dependency, lack of self-motivation and personal responsibility, fraud, over-use, over-expectation, charitable disincentive, moral hazard and less
personal freedom.

So, how do we fix our current social programs? Do we use a more socialistic approach or an Constitutional approach? What does either look like? You are going to have to decide as an individual to research and proactively pursue an option, or we will get what government provides through it nature and that is: more government and less freedom.

Ask yourself honestly, How does this affect future generations? Are we going to be an selfish generation or one that is willing to sacrifice(as our fore-fathers did) and accept the losses created by our socialistic system. In reality, these programs are failing and have to be backed up with higher taxation and less freedom on each future generation. Do we stop this now and faze them out? Or do you really want to see the snowball continue at the detriment of our children and grand children. It is time to learn and act.

Not a Problem Son.

2010-06-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here son(that so called free american), let me take that money(Fica/medicare) from you so that you do not waste it. I'll take your money and set it aside(locked box) for your college education(retirement benefits).

Obediently(at gun point, with no choice), the son turns over his money(payroll taxes) to his mother(government nanny) for his best interest(because he is too inept to do it himself). Later, he graduates school and ask mother where will I go to college? Harvard, Yale or Princton?

Mother informs him that she had spent(to study why pigs stink) his college fund(that locked box full of IOU's). But, not a problem, I will go to the bank(China, the communist country) and borrow(on knees begging) the money to pay for your college(retirement), you will have to go to community college( that wopping SS check) and by the way, you children (future taxpayers paying a higher rate and recieving benefits later)will have to repay the note(with interest), but you will get your college education.

This is an accurate account of Social Security. This is your government nanny at work for you. Is there anyone in this universe that thinks this is acceptable?

Many of you will say: I can't do anything about it, why bother with it? Well, yes you can do something about it.

Get out of debt, start saving for your future as if SS/medicare did not exist, because it will not exist in the not so far future. Once you are of the mindset that you do not need the government, you will fight against any further intrusion on your prosperity and freedom. Get off your ass and do something about it.

Americans are pathetic socialist

2010-06-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

You won't admit it, but it is the truth. There has never been an freer people than those who won the war of independence. They knew little to no taxation, they knew little to no regulation, but more importantly, they knew no social programs.

What kind of society has an tax code of 40+ thousand pages with an force of KGB/IRS agents out inforcing it?

What kind of society allows it's government to take 15.3%(45+ years and growing) of its income for an failed old folks ponzi scheme?

What kind of society pays people to sit around for up to 99 weeks(and growing) doing nothing?

What kind of government bails out private entities, owns large auto and insurance companies, pays its employees almost double the average wage of its taxpayers?

What is an society that has little to on savings, debt up its eyeballs, government debt beyond imagine, government safety nets that are funded by future generations.

WHAT THE HELL DO YOU CALL THIS SOCIETY? Let me answer this for you, you call it an pathetic socialist society. Very few in this country deserve to call themselves AMERICANS.

True americans would see this for what it is, it's a disgrace. Where is the movement to end this madness? Where is the call to privatize SS/medicare? Where is the call to get our inept government out of our housing, education and healthcare industries? Where is the call to demand no bailouts? Where is the call to get rid of our mind boggling tax structure? THIS IS NOT THE AMERICA OUR FOUNDERS BUILT.

Ask yourself these questions: What would I do differently if there were no unemployment, social security, medicare, medicaid, food stamps, fannie and freddie, welfare or pension plans? Well, you had better start changing your spending habits to prepare, because you will see the end of these unfundable social programs before long. It's time to pull your head out of the sand and face reality, face this reality as an free american and not wimper to further government control and fiscal abuse of future generations.

Personal Finance Tips

2010-06-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

It seems that a large and growing segment of people and governments across the globe are hooked on the drug of debt. Too many people have also become heavily reliant on government programs.

Many European countries are struggling and nearing default on their massive pension liabilities. We have seen riots in a few countries as deficits continue to grow.

In america, we have massive debt, massive deficits and massive unfunded liabilities. Our mind boggling tax structure is anything but business friendly and would likely have our founders in tears. The only options on the table are to make an already bad business plan, worse.

I blame this on the people. For far too long, americans have grown to passive to government intrusion into their personal lives and the economy. This mindset has nowhere to go but to an eventual collapse, which will be very detrimental to our and future generations freedoms.

So, how do we fix this? Do we continue to trust our inept government? Or do we take back responsibility for our personal finances and lives? When an individual is not reliant on government, he will detest that government taking his freedom through taxation.

The average american applies way too much of his income to assets that depreciate in value. Most people have no idea how to allocate their incomes. Too many people are addicted to instant gratification and use debt to get what they want which limits their overall potential for wealth and overall prosperity.

Here is an seven step program to have as an financial plan, by Dave Ramsey.

1) Build an 1000k Emergency fund
2) Pay of all debts other than mortgage and large home equity loans.
3) Build Emergency fund to 3 to 6 months expenses.
4) Begin investing 15% of your income into Diversified stock mutual funds.
5) Any additional funds can fund college funds(529's).
6) Next, use any additional funds to pay down mortgage
7) Give. This can be done in parts after step three if you choose.

Ultimately, you want to have no debt other than your mortgage, have an EF of 6 months expenses and be applying at least 10 to 15% and more towards retirement savings.

Pay cash for all cars, tv's etc. If you do not have at least 10k in savings, you should not be buying cars worth over 5k, you should not be smoking(period), you should not be eating out, playing golf etc. Getting out of debt and saving an emergency fund should trump any luxuries.

If you do these things, you will prosper. You will also eliminate your desire for instant gratification and over consumption. You will eventually have wealth and be able to use it more wisely and abundantly.

Do for yourself what the Keystone Government is failing to do

2010-05-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

In late 2007 I heard the "R" word was coming. This brought back memories of the recession that occured in 2002-2003. At that time, I was moderately in debt and my income was dwindling. I had been an avid listener to the Dave Ramsey radio show, but not fully on board with his advice.

Luckily, at that time, my house was up for sale while I was having a smaller house built. My house sold quickly and I was able to live a few months with my brother while our house was being built. We used our equity to payoff all our debts. Fortunately, my business had picked up by the time we moved into our house.

So, this time I took the "R" seriously. I had not yet built an emergency fund and I had about 3k left to pay on my truck. I immediately dropped my golf membership, dropped my cable, made an tight budget for necessities and began to work as much as possible. Within 8 months, we were able to payoff the truck and build an emergency fund of 5 months basic expenses.

Every since that time, we have invested 18%(mostly in Roths useable for additional emergency funds) of our income and established an additional 400 per month in an car fund(which could be used as additional emergency funds). We carry no debt but our mortgage. It is important to know that my family is an average income family. You do not have to make a lot of money to become debtfree and build wealth.

With that said, it seems to be common place for many americans to live in debt from payday to payday. Many will not or do not know how to change this behavoir. Many will stumble over the status quo or keep up with the Jone's mentality. As Dave Ramsey has said many times, personal finance is 80% behavoir and 20% head knowledge, all you need is a basic understanding of money and a lot of will to change.

But, here is the good news, once you commit to changing your financial health you will not suffer as you think. When you see progress you will transform away from an addictive consumption lifestyle. Once you get ahead of your finances you gain an sense of impowerment that will have you look at your life and freedom from an more independent point of view. Like me, you will begin to see the way government handles your money as an abomination.

Don't make the mistake in thinking that becoming an saver and living an debtfree lifestyle means living without. Not only will you gain financial peace, you will get more for your money while building wealth. Instead of you paying interest, you will start to reap the reward of earning compound interest.

Lastly, our country is headed towards financial storms. Many will be disapointed with the social programs in place. Social Security is not secure, I strongly urge you to prepare for yourself and not rely on these programs. I personally, would be saving less if I believed that SS would be there, but I have not faith in our government to become fiscally sound. Please, do not leave yourself vunerable, find the independent american pride within you to do what you must do.

What is Freedom?

2010-05-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Freedom has many levels. Total freedom would be chaos, meaning there are no laws and governments. Every individual would walk this earth reaping or taking from others what he wants and needs. Obviously, this would not be good for mankind.

So we humans move to some level of cooperation with one another to get our wants and needs with some form of agreement of security. This can be from a few people(band, gang, tribe etc.) to an country of billions establishing some form of restrictions upon ourselves for the greater good of the society. This manifests itself in laws, rules etc.

But, where is the fine line between a social collectivism and an individual collectivism? What are the differences? We all know that in either collective, there will be a level of responsibility by every member to protect the rights and provide common services(geared to the masses, not the individual) to each individual. This occurs when establishing national defense, police and fire protection, courts for justice, infrastructure for waste management etc.

In an social collective there are different levels. You can have a certain level of responsibility to the others, for example:

You can have a government that collects a certain amount of ones income to be redistributed to another individual, or you can have that government take all of ones income and redistribute it evenly to the whole.

But, what is an individual collective look like? In a truly individual collective, each member would be required to provide his fair share of the costs of the collective needs no matter his income. This is not realistic so that society is likely to have those earning more pay more of the cost for common services.

Defining the line between an social collective and an individual collective is important. But, we need to explore first what the difference is between an social mentality is and an individual mentality.

A social mentality will have some level of shared societal responsibility for individual wants and needs. These wants and needs are defined as: Food, clothing and shelter for basic needs to healthcare, cars, expensive houses, fine dining, electronics etc. for wants. One of the problems that occur in a society is when it crosses into providing individual needs and deciding what exactly those needs are, and what are really indiviual rights as humans?

Defining a right is different between a social collective and an individual collective. Our basic rights are life, liberty and property. To an individual, life means my right to exist at my own provision of that life. To the collective, life means the right to life at the expense of the collective.

To an individual, liberty is freedom to pursue happiness within the fairly regulated rules of the collective. To the social collective, liberty is aquired after the provision of the mandated guarantee of some level of equilibrium to the society.

To the individual, quantity of property is based on the individuals production. To the social collective, quantity of property is achieved based on collective output and not that of an individual. Humanity needs to ask itself: Which system motivates more production?

So, how much freedom do you want? How much socialism do you want? These are the important questions for an society to define. Our current Constitution was established to provide the utmost freedom to the individual as possible. During the early 1800's this was not difficult due to there was little advancement to define as a right or need or want. Important to know is that, the Constitution did not define food, clothing, shelter or healthcare as an right. So why does society today, struggle so hard with these issues?

What kind of society do we have when the government has taken on some level of provision and responsibility of an individuals personal wants and needs? Our government now is involved in an individuals personal healthcare, education, housing, food, retirement and charitable giving. All of these programs have an effect on the individuals motivation to produce and achieve by ones self. At what degree has the individual lost his freedom?

Society needs to step back and look at the big picture that is occuring around it. Today in america, our country is in massive debt, it has massive unfunded liabilities, it has high unemployment, high foreclosure rates, high rates of those collecting government sustenance. What really caused this to occur?

In my opinion, society needs to take an honest look at what defines individual freedom and social responsibility. It needs to be honest about what motivates an individual to provide for him/herself, what is an right and what is the true failures of our current system. Every individual needs to prepare for the possibility that the socialist mentality, that it denies exists, is occuring and failing quickly. Everyone needs to accept that his/her investment into these programs has been squandered and does not exist, that the promises its government is making cannot be fulfilled without further maluse of current resources and the freedom and resources of future generations. Every individual needs to prepare for eventual collapse of these social programs.

At what age do I have the right to live to? To the military servicemen that defend our freedoms, that life is 18. To the fetus, it is not one breath. So really, what is one individuals responsibility to another for food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and retirement benefits?

It is hard for me not to show my conservative values. It does not matter what I think, what matters is what is really happening. Mankind has faults, it has to be motivated to provide and prepare for hardships. At the same time, humans are compassionate, as an whole, we still want prosperity for our fellow man, but this first has to come at his own sweat, then we can help those in true need. Everyone needs to be honest about what kind of compassion is good and which is bad. Our country and personal freedoms survival depends on an honest view of what are personal rights and responsibilties and those of the collective.

Somethings Not Right

2010-03-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get the feeling that something is wrong, and everyone is just ignoring it? Values and principles are being distorted to the point that you can't depend on stablility for the future. The Constitution that bounds our elected officials has been turned into toilet paper. Representatives no longer defend the Constitution or the peoples freedom.

It feels like america is loosing its soul. The idea that freedom is above all is gone. It feels like we are teetering on the edge of a socialist state, trying to decide whether freedom is worth the sacrifice we all know needs to happen in order to restore our greatness. We are at a crossroads between sovoreignty and globalism.

How do we deal with the massive national debt, the unfunded liabilities, rising costs in healthcare and higher education and a choking tax structure. I'm not sure who the enemy is, the greed on Wallstreet or an out of control government. One thing I am certain of is that the individual is better off depending on him/herself. I've found that the more one becomes independent the more one despises our current government.

Passing the Buck

2009-02-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, this country is in serious debt, and the government has no intentions to stop adding more. It will take a great deal of sacrifice on the part of the american people and a great deal of courage for the government to turn this ship around.

It appears that "We the People" and our government are in denial as to how bad this situation has become. Everybody wants the statis quo to continue as painlessly as possible, and at any cost.

My frustration is not with the left or right, conservatives or liberals, but with "We the People". We have become fat, lazy and complacent with our debt problem. Thomas Jefferson said it is immoral for one generation pass its debt to another generation.

Do any of you really believe that there is an easy way out of this? Do any of you truly believe that we should pass this debt to our grandchildren? Anyone who can answer these questions with a "no" is a soulless idiot.

IMO, how we fix this is simple. We demand term limits on elected officials and they get no pensions, we let industies do whatever it take to make this country energy self-sufficient,(building nuclear plants, refineries and clean coal plants), all government programs that are not tied to national defense or infrastructure will be fazed out rapidly. We should switch to a fair or consumption tax. No corporate tax, no income tax, no capital gains tax. To do this would cause extreme cutbacks in government spending.

Passing this debt to the next generation, is it really what you want to do? Even worse, are we going to leave them the free capitalist nation we grew up in or a left of center socialistic country heading towards Tyranny. The forefathers attempted to create a government that would be middle way between Tyranny and Anarchy, the fact that we are socializing retirement, healthcare, bailing out banking, auto industries and housing, running up astronomical debt is a strong slap in the face that we are way left of the center they worked so hard to keep us at.

Our country is like the frog in the pot, the heat is cooking us and we are doing nothing about it. It is time to go back to our roots. Payoff our debt, downsize our government and live more frugal moral lives, if we do not, say good by to the greatest country that ever existed.

America Where are You?

2009-01-31T21:56:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one who thinks America has misplaced it's self? I've spent a lot of hour on forums discussing personal finance and political influence on the economy. I'm discouraged at the amount of people who think they are intitled to government assistance, beit through bailout or subsidy or job security.

Nobody blinks an eye when they hear millions and even billions are being spent on rediculous programs. They think they can stimulate the economy by robbing our children and grandchildren, without their voices being heard. This is not the country our forefathers established.

Why are we not building nuclear plants and oil refineries in order to stimulate growth, job creation and energy independence? Why are we pumping billions into big banks who manage it like the government? Why are we bailing out the auto industry so union workers can keep their oversized benefits? Why is our government even discussing the idea of national healthcare?

The government cannot do the job. It is too corrupted by lobbyist. Why is no one sceptical that our president recieved around 600 million dollars to get a 400k job? Is there really nothing wrong with this?

IMO, the government needs to step aside and let Capitalism do its job. We need to deregulate the energy business, stop the idiotic bailouts, stop all creation of government programs, downsize government to national infrastructure and defense, slowly begin to payoff the national debt and remove every single Congressman & Senator in the next two years with newly established term limits on all of them. Enough is enough, what say you?