Dear Mom - Letters to Heaven

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

State of the Union - Small Government Wet Dream

You can't fund a government that is responsible for the infrastructure of a massively huge continental United States with over 300 million people based on the size of an island in the Caribbean.

It’s all very nice to have the romantic notion of small government. But if you want a civilized society with safe roads, food, water, air and a thriving, diversified economy - you gotta pay for it - the problem is everyone is trying to subvert the system (avoid taxes for their own personal gain and squeeze out the competition) those taxes actually provide for the civilized part of society, fire and safety, education, safety nets instead of anarchy.

We have got a lot of self interested crooks and ego maniacs seeing how much they can steal and get away with, but from a continent wide macro-economic point of view they are cutting our nose off to spite our face.

We need a strong middle class to support our consumer driven economy. We are not all capitalist living solely off stock market returns. Most of us are just entrepreneurs who own shops and depend on foot traffic. Two different economies operating under one system and right now Wall Street is getting all the benefits while Main Street is getting squeezed.

We have to take into account those people who have now moved on to retirement age. It’s our duty and responsibility to take care of them in their retirement because they were the ones who made the engine go (the cogs in the wheel) while we were coming up. That's how generations work. That's how the economy transitions successfully.

This idea that people receiving assistance, or social security is sucking government tit is not only crass but conveniently forgets the individual’s contribution to the very existence and functioning of our economy before we got here.

Those who came before use laid the groundwork as we lay the ground work for the next generation. After a lifetime of working, purchasing, and procreating they have earned their social security and health-care. Kicking them to the curb (literally) only creates a drain on the whole system. That's not in the best interest of the Country.

So no CEO's don't deserve special status, aren't the only ones who make the economy go, and quite frankly haven't created any jobs after decades of tax breaks.

Calling it one thing but really just starving the government because of greed sold as the romantic notion of small government and frontier justice as an equivalent of actual justice is unrealistic and not very smart.

Vilifying our seniors, war veterans, sick and poor solves nothing and creates bigger problems. Instead of the new generation coming in trying to game the system to accumulate as much individual wealth as possible, and then hoarding it off shore they should and if they understood reinvest in what takes care of and sustains them - America.

We need to think about the whole of society and what serves our country the best. If you want to go it alone move to Somalia. Good luck getting an appliance repair man over there or finding a safe bank to deposit your money.

No ones talking about handouts to freeloaders, but if you don't want drug dealers, violence, con-artists and crooks you better damn well make sure the educational system is accessible and equitable for all who wish to participate.

The Declaration of Independence starts off "WE" the people - not ME who says screw everybody else I got mine and most of yours. WE have laws to prevent that-WE should enforce them. WE don't to our own demise. Dust off the Sherman Anti-Trust Act (too big to fail goes away) and close the tax loopholes - problem solved.

Take action here

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