The state of the Union . . . The state of our Union . . . What exactly is the state of our Union?
I will say right off the bat that there were some points I actually agreed with in the President's speech. I agree that the government should make it easier, in all ways, for business to function successfully in the United States. Obama's statement about lowering taxes for stateside corporations is something I agree with. But make no mistake, that is a fiscally conservative perspective. Since I know that Obama is not a fiscal conservative I have to wonder what sort of strings would be attached to this plan. In other words, what would corporations have to give up in order to receive a lower tax rate? I suppose I should amend my statement from above. This is probably the only part of Obama's speech that I agreed with. OH! My apologies. I also agree that the government should not subsidize the wealthiest people in our country. They should not receive farm subsidies for growing organic vegetables. They should not receive favorable tax breaks that average-income Americans are not entitled to.
I was alarmed at how many task forces the President intends on forming. My first question was, "Where is the money going to come from to fund these task forces?" And then at some point I heard the President tell Congress to spend the money they would have spent on the war in Iraq on some other program the President was selling. It was then that I understood that Obama is one of the many in government who sees tax revenue as "their money". Had he chosen to be more accurate he would have said, spend the American people's money on this new program I'm selling.
If I'm not mistaken, one of these task forces had something to do with illegal immigrants going to college, and granting them citizenship because they were educated in our country. Obama said something to the effect of it's a shame that foreign nationals are being educated in our country and then going back to their own country to make it better; and why aren't we trying to keep these people in our country? So his solution is to form a task force to deal with this issue. With all due respect Mr. President, there are many reasons why we don't need to recruit foreign nationals to live in our country. We have yet to deal with the problem of illegal immigration in and of itself. There are still not enough jobs in our country to support our own American born citizens. (As I understand it, that's one of the issues of the Occupy protesters. They have a college education and student loan debt but no job.) I think I may have a much simpler and cost-effective solution to this issue. How about we decide not to educate illegal immigrants/foreign nationals? How about that? What if the public university system in our country decided that they would no longer grant admission to illegals? What if they also put a moratorium on educating foreign nationals who have every intention of returning to their country upon graduation? And I'm talking about public universities that receive funding from the government. Private universities can do whatever they want. They don't get government money. Wouldn't that solve the problem that the President is concerned about? If you are an illegal immigrant living in the United States, and you have legal status somewhere else, go back there to get your education. I don't care what the reason is for your illegal status. I'm sorry that you weren't born here. But in any other country on this Earth, correct me if I'm wrong, if I live there as an illegal immigrant, I won't be able to attend their universities. In many cases I wouldn't be able to obtain legal employment. We are the only country that I know of that has an open door policy to the rest of the world. Come on in! We'll take care of you! We'll give you a place to live, we'll pay for it for you, we'll give you food to eat, we'll give you spending money, health care, a job, an education . . . anything else you want? We are here to meet your needs! Meanwhile there are citizens of this nation losing their homes, unable to find work, on welfare and food stamps for the first time in their lives. They can't just go to another country to make a better life for themselves. The government in our nation in general has just decided that the problem of illegal immigration either isn't really a problem, or it really isn't having a negative impact on our country. Either way, they're wrong.
The President presented a rather rosy outlook on the jobs situation. He made a strong claim that the economy was bouncing back and things were looking up. According to his own numbers 8 million jobs have been lost since 2008. He boasted that there had been 3 million jobs added since he took office. Mr. President, that is hardly bouncing back. That means we have 5 million jobs to add until we reach 2008 levels. In December of 2008 our national unemployment rate was 7.8%. So in actuality we want to add probably 6 to 7 million jobs to get unemployment back to around 6%. We have a long way to go yet. We are not bouncing back. If anything, it's getting worse. The jobless numbers look better because so many people have run out of benefits. They no longer have unemployment benefits, but they haven't worked so they can't file a new claim. So basically they are just without an income - permanently unemployed. So while it's true that the number of new jobless claims has declined, the reason is not because more people are back to work. What does that mean for our economy? While the number of people who have been surviving on unemployment benefits declines, these same people will probably lose their homes. Foreclosures will go up. With no new jobs being added, we are potentially facing something similar to the Great Depression. What are all of these homeless, jobless families going to do? Where are they going to go? We will see soup lines, homeless camps, etc., and it will not be pretty.
What is the state of our Nation? Land of the free, home of the brave . . . is it? Are we free? Do you honestly feel free? The state of our Nation is bleak. The once brightly shining beacon of inspiration and resourcefulness and individuality and strength and freedom, has become a tarnished, flat, dull and forgotten trinket in the drawer of humanity and government.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Toxicity
Over the weekend I watched a program on Current TV called "The 99 Percent". Christof Putzel, a correspondent for Vanguard, went to live with the Occupy protesters who were living in Zuccotti Park and documented his experience. You may or may not know that Current TV is a network founded by Al Gore, so obviously it expresses extremely leftist points of view. Although I don't share a leftist mentality, I am fascinated by human beings, the way their brains function, and why they do the things they do. It is for this reason that occasionally I will watch programs on Current. I tuned in to this particular show in an effort to gain some perspective on what the Occupy protesters are trying to accomplish.
For the most part I didn't gain any new insights into the root issue of their protest. What I did see was thousands of people participating in GroupThink and GroupSpeak with no clear demands, ideas, desired changes; nothing tangible I could point to and say, "Ah! That's what you're protesting." I was most horrified at the way they made their messages known to the rest of the encampment. Every night at 7:00 pm they would have "Assembly" wherein anyone was allowed to say anything at all. Because they were not allowed to have amplified noise, they came up with "The People's Mic". One person talked and everyone else was supposed to repeat what was said. Additionally they had a series of arm gestures that indicated whether or not they agreed with what was said. It truly reminded me of something out of Soviet Russia or North Korea. Many of these people were clearly just talking for the ego satisfaction of hearing a large group of people repeat what they said. I wondered, as I was watching, what if someone were to disseminate an opposing opinion? Worse yet, what if someone were to tell these people they were wrong? Would there have been an uprising? This was clearly not a group of people who invited free thinking and free discussion. It was very obvious that you are either with them or against them.
Two other topics stood out very clearly in this show. Coincidentally, both had to do with unions. The first, briefly, was that various local unions joined the Occupy protesters. I thought that strange considering that the unions are a huge part of the problem of the ever widening gap between the poor and the un-poor. Not to mention that many union employees receive enormous benefits and pensions, in addition to a good salary, so they're clearly not part of the 1% as I understand it.
In one part of "The 99 Percent" Christof accompanied a gentleman to his hometown, somewhere in the south. Many of the business had shut their doors, including several large factory/corporate industries. The man stated that "the corporations are moving their jobs out of the country because they don't want to pay Americans a decent wage." What??
First let me say that I think it's awful when businesses have to close. It's bad for the local economy and it's bad for the business owners who have lost their livelihood. I am concerned about the fact that we are losing a middle class in America. I am concerned that people who, five years ago, were a part of the middle class are now living at or below the poverty line. I'm VERY concerned about what this means for our nation. But I DON'T think it's the government's responsibility or its' job to take care of me. Husband has not had a permanent job in going on four years. He's a skilled carpenter living in California. California hasn't had a construction industry in about four years. (As a side note or rant if you wish, the construction industry started having problems almost 10 years ago in California. Why? Because employers began laying off their skilled employees. One reason was that Worker Compensation Insurance was very expensive, and its' expense was crippling small construction companies. Another reason, the primary reason, was because employers realized they could save money by hiring illegal Mexican workers. So companies that used to employ citizens of the United States now had crews of almost entirely Mexican illegals. Good for the employer's pocket, not good for hard, American born workers like Husband. And it's not the illegals who should be blamed or punished. It's the companies that provide them with jobs who should suffer the consequences.) Once his meager unemployment ran out, that was it. There was no more free money for us. But we've been surviving without the help of the government since then. Husband has literally been doing anything and everything to keep money flowing. It's been difficult, but we've been making it work. And we are living below the poverty line, and it sucks. But I'd rather scrape by than be dependent on the government.
This leads me to the idea that ". . .corporations don't want to pay Americans a decent wage." Is it true that there are some corporations that are greedy and care more about profit than where they do business? Probably. But by and large this is not the reason that corporations are taking their business out of America. Even if they still had to deal with the ever-increasing regulations to do business here; even if they still had to pay for very expensive environmental impact studies; even if they still had to pay the outrageous taxes and fees for employing people, there would still not be the mass exodus to other countries. The reason corporations are moving is because they cannot afford the demands of the unions. Unions are one of the primary reasons our country is crumbling. I will note, however, that easing government restrictions, regulations and taxes would help woo businesses back home.
I don't want to go into the history of unions. Suffice it to say I do believe they once had a place in America. I believe their time and place is long gone. Unions no longer assist employees in working out safe working conditions and fair pay. It's not about being paid a decent salary. It's all of the other demands that unions have on employers. They feel that they deserve not only a "decent" salary, but a damn good one for even unskilled work. Not only that, they want benefits paid for themselves and their families. They want a pension that will last the rest of their lives. They want paid vacation that keeps accruing year after year. While I think it's a nice thing to do, to provide some health benefit options, retirement options, and some paid vacation for your employees, it is by no means a right of anyone. Just because you have a job does not entitle you to "extras". At some point people need to be responsible for some things on their own. If more employees had to pay for their own health care, for instance, they would probably make different decisions on their plan and how often they use it. They would take more care in their decisions. Unions are putting a stranglehold on our country. In the San Juan School District in Sacramento, the entire budget of all of the schools is gone every year before the new school year starts. Where is it going? It's going to pay for the retirement and health benefits of retired teachers. As a teacher I think this is so wrong! Why do you get health benefits for the rest of your life simply because you chose to teach?
It's all so backwards, and it's easy to feel hopeless and rather depressed about the state of our nation. But until there is a significant change in the attitude of our society, it will only continue to get worse. We must get over this idea that somebody else, the government, the union, our employer, is responsible for our lives. This has become, seemingly, the battle cry of the 99%. "Someone else take care of me! Give me a life free from financial hardship! Give me, give me, give me!" The only person who has the knowledge, the ability and the desire to take care of you in the best possible way, is YOU. Love YOURSELF enough to do that.
For the most part I didn't gain any new insights into the root issue of their protest. What I did see was thousands of people participating in GroupThink and GroupSpeak with no clear demands, ideas, desired changes; nothing tangible I could point to and say, "Ah! That's what you're protesting." I was most horrified at the way they made their messages known to the rest of the encampment. Every night at 7:00 pm they would have "Assembly" wherein anyone was allowed to say anything at all. Because they were not allowed to have amplified noise, they came up with "The People's Mic". One person talked and everyone else was supposed to repeat what was said. Additionally they had a series of arm gestures that indicated whether or not they agreed with what was said. It truly reminded me of something out of Soviet Russia or North Korea. Many of these people were clearly just talking for the ego satisfaction of hearing a large group of people repeat what they said. I wondered, as I was watching, what if someone were to disseminate an opposing opinion? Worse yet, what if someone were to tell these people they were wrong? Would there have been an uprising? This was clearly not a group of people who invited free thinking and free discussion. It was very obvious that you are either with them or against them.
Two other topics stood out very clearly in this show. Coincidentally, both had to do with unions. The first, briefly, was that various local unions joined the Occupy protesters. I thought that strange considering that the unions are a huge part of the problem of the ever widening gap between the poor and the un-poor. Not to mention that many union employees receive enormous benefits and pensions, in addition to a good salary, so they're clearly not part of the 1% as I understand it.
In one part of "The 99 Percent" Christof accompanied a gentleman to his hometown, somewhere in the south. Many of the business had shut their doors, including several large factory/corporate industries. The man stated that "the corporations are moving their jobs out of the country because they don't want to pay Americans a decent wage." What??
First let me say that I think it's awful when businesses have to close. It's bad for the local economy and it's bad for the business owners who have lost their livelihood. I am concerned about the fact that we are losing a middle class in America. I am concerned that people who, five years ago, were a part of the middle class are now living at or below the poverty line. I'm VERY concerned about what this means for our nation. But I DON'T think it's the government's responsibility or its' job to take care of me. Husband has not had a permanent job in going on four years. He's a skilled carpenter living in California. California hasn't had a construction industry in about four years. (As a side note or rant if you wish, the construction industry started having problems almost 10 years ago in California. Why? Because employers began laying off their skilled employees. One reason was that Worker Compensation Insurance was very expensive, and its' expense was crippling small construction companies. Another reason, the primary reason, was because employers realized they could save money by hiring illegal Mexican workers. So companies that used to employ citizens of the United States now had crews of almost entirely Mexican illegals. Good for the employer's pocket, not good for hard, American born workers like Husband. And it's not the illegals who should be blamed or punished. It's the companies that provide them with jobs who should suffer the consequences.) Once his meager unemployment ran out, that was it. There was no more free money for us. But we've been surviving without the help of the government since then. Husband has literally been doing anything and everything to keep money flowing. It's been difficult, but we've been making it work. And we are living below the poverty line, and it sucks. But I'd rather scrape by than be dependent on the government.
This leads me to the idea that ". . .corporations don't want to pay Americans a decent wage." Is it true that there are some corporations that are greedy and care more about profit than where they do business? Probably. But by and large this is not the reason that corporations are taking their business out of America. Even if they still had to deal with the ever-increasing regulations to do business here; even if they still had to pay for very expensive environmental impact studies; even if they still had to pay the outrageous taxes and fees for employing people, there would still not be the mass exodus to other countries. The reason corporations are moving is because they cannot afford the demands of the unions. Unions are one of the primary reasons our country is crumbling. I will note, however, that easing government restrictions, regulations and taxes would help woo businesses back home.
I don't want to go into the history of unions. Suffice it to say I do believe they once had a place in America. I believe their time and place is long gone. Unions no longer assist employees in working out safe working conditions and fair pay. It's not about being paid a decent salary. It's all of the other demands that unions have on employers. They feel that they deserve not only a "decent" salary, but a damn good one for even unskilled work. Not only that, they want benefits paid for themselves and their families. They want a pension that will last the rest of their lives. They want paid vacation that keeps accruing year after year. While I think it's a nice thing to do, to provide some health benefit options, retirement options, and some paid vacation for your employees, it is by no means a right of anyone. Just because you have a job does not entitle you to "extras". At some point people need to be responsible for some things on their own. If more employees had to pay for their own health care, for instance, they would probably make different decisions on their plan and how often they use it. They would take more care in their decisions. Unions are putting a stranglehold on our country. In the San Juan School District in Sacramento, the entire budget of all of the schools is gone every year before the new school year starts. Where is it going? It's going to pay for the retirement and health benefits of retired teachers. As a teacher I think this is so wrong! Why do you get health benefits for the rest of your life simply because you chose to teach?
It's all so backwards, and it's easy to feel hopeless and rather depressed about the state of our nation. But until there is a significant change in the attitude of our society, it will only continue to get worse. We must get over this idea that somebody else, the government, the union, our employer, is responsible for our lives. This has become, seemingly, the battle cry of the 99%. "Someone else take care of me! Give me a life free from financial hardship! Give me, give me, give me!" The only person who has the knowledge, the ability and the desire to take care of you in the best possible way, is YOU. Love YOURSELF enough to do that.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Lost in the Crowd
"I know not if this earth on which I stand is the core of the universe or if it is but a speck of dust lost in eternity. I know not and I care not. For I know what happiness is possible to me on earth. And my happiness needs no higher aim to vindicate it. My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose.
Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their altars."
"The word "We" is a lime poured over men, which sets and hardens to stone, and crushes all beneath it, and that which is white and that which is black are lost equally in the grey of it. It is the word by which the depraved steal the virtue of the good, by which the weak steal the might from the strong, by which the fools steal the wisdom of the sages."
From Anthem, by Ayn Rand, pgs. 95 & 97
We are living in a divided nation. Its' division stems from so many different places that it's difficult to know where to find the taproot. At present, the division is manifesting itself in what is essentially class warfare; the 99% versus the 1%. There is much talk of creating a more "fair" society where our needs are met primarily by government programs (free health care, free public university, etc.). The people at the core of this movement desire a country where everyone is "equal", where no one person is better, in any way, than any other person. (I believe that many of these people would go further to say that no one person is better than any animal as well.)
Let us consider the implications of the above philosophy, a world where everyone is "equal". First of all, what does that even mean? Does it mean that we are all equally as gifted at playing a musical instrument? Clearly we are not. Does it mean that we are all equally as intelligent? Not so. Does it mean that our professions should all pay the same amount of money regardless of the level of expertise required? What does it mean then? To our forefathers it meant that we are all created equally in the eyes of our Creator, and that we are endowed with certain God-given rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It meant that God does not look at any one person as "better" than any other. He loves all of humanity with the same unconditional love, because that is God's nature. I don't believe our forefathers intended this to mean that everybody should be treated equally. In fact, it's an impossibility to treat everyone equally. As a human being, gifted with the power of rational thought and intense emotion, we are incapable of treating every person we come in contact with in the same way. It's impossible, unless you live in a totalitarian, socialist or communist society, where you are required to treat everyone in the same manner or suffer the consequences. As a human being living in a civilized society, we should, for our own sakes, treat everyone with respect and with kindness. This is the polite and civilized way to live. Apart from that, people have different relationships, connections, conflicts, resentments, admiration, and love in varying degrees for different people.
We are living in a country where we're hearing almost daily that humans are the source of evil and destruction in the world. Humans are responsible for the destruction of the planet, for man-made climate change, for the extinction of animals, for everything that is wrong with the country and the world. It is true that human beings are capable of enormous destruction and unimaginable evil. But it is also true that we are capable of incredible greatness and inspired creation. As a nation, we have lost the belief that we have the ability to positively effect the world.
Let's talk about the so-called 1%. Who are these people, really? I believe there is a difference between who the 1% have come to be, and who they used to be. At present the 1%, if I'm understanding the Occupy Protesters correctly, are all of the rich, greedy corporate monsters who run Wall Street. I think this is rather short-sighted of them. If the 1% are the rich, you'd have to include many more people than just the "corporate monsters". You would have to include actors, athletes, politicians, lobbyists, trust fund kids and "musicians". (I'm using quotes here to distinguish between the true artists who make amazing music and the factory-made pop stars who make garbage.) Out of that list, including the corporate 1%, who has created, invented, contributed anything of value, to the world? I would say, with perhaps a few exceptions, that only the corporate "monsters" are the people who contribute tangible value to our nation and the world.
As we look back in history, the 1% were the philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, inventors, painters, sculptors, physicists, chemists and others in their respective fields, who pushed the limits of their own minds to produce greatness. They gave us new ideas and technologies, and made it possible for us to believe that such greatness even exists. Some of these people became wealthy, others did not. Their contributions were not often based on the idea that they would become millionaires. They simply knew that theirs was a superior idea or product and desired to share it with the nation or with the world. The market (here we go with Capitalism) decided if it was indeed a superior idea and either embraced it or did not. We used to encourage and inspire these minds to achieve even a higher level of greatness and to contribute a more superior idea to our country. We used to take pride in the ideas and products coming from our United States. What happened? When did things change and for what reason? The greatest minds in our country seem to be lost in a sea of reality television, dirty politics and ever increasing government.
It's time that we embrace our place as human beings on this earth. We have a place above all other creatures. I realize you may need to take a minute to digest that. Yes, humans are greater than animals. I believe that all of nature is special and amazing and that we need to be good stewards of this earth. But humans are more important than polar bears, more important than whales. Humans have the gift of rational thought and emotion. Our brains give us the power to create, to imagine, to reach beyond what we think is possible. Our eyes give what we call beauty to the world. If not for our eyes, our brains, our language, what would beauty be? What would happiness be? It is our individual capacity for interpreting what we see and aspiring to greatness that has created the world we live in. We must embrace it! We must stop believing that we are the source of misery. We are the source of beauty and invention and resourcefulness. We must stop believing that it is wrong to be more intelligent, more talented, more imaginative than other people. We must embrace our individual talents and nurture them. We must stop striving for "equality". We must treat one another with kindness, but we must love our uniqueness. It is time to reclaim our position of greatness in the world, and to begin again to contribute greatness to the world.
Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their altars."
"The word "We" is a lime poured over men, which sets and hardens to stone, and crushes all beneath it, and that which is white and that which is black are lost equally in the grey of it. It is the word by which the depraved steal the virtue of the good, by which the weak steal the might from the strong, by which the fools steal the wisdom of the sages."
From Anthem, by Ayn Rand, pgs. 95 & 97
We are living in a divided nation. Its' division stems from so many different places that it's difficult to know where to find the taproot. At present, the division is manifesting itself in what is essentially class warfare; the 99% versus the 1%. There is much talk of creating a more "fair" society where our needs are met primarily by government programs (free health care, free public university, etc.). The people at the core of this movement desire a country where everyone is "equal", where no one person is better, in any way, than any other person. (I believe that many of these people would go further to say that no one person is better than any animal as well.)
Let us consider the implications of the above philosophy, a world where everyone is "equal". First of all, what does that even mean? Does it mean that we are all equally as gifted at playing a musical instrument? Clearly we are not. Does it mean that we are all equally as intelligent? Not so. Does it mean that our professions should all pay the same amount of money regardless of the level of expertise required? What does it mean then? To our forefathers it meant that we are all created equally in the eyes of our Creator, and that we are endowed with certain God-given rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It meant that God does not look at any one person as "better" than any other. He loves all of humanity with the same unconditional love, because that is God's nature. I don't believe our forefathers intended this to mean that everybody should be treated equally. In fact, it's an impossibility to treat everyone equally. As a human being, gifted with the power of rational thought and intense emotion, we are incapable of treating every person we come in contact with in the same way. It's impossible, unless you live in a totalitarian, socialist or communist society, where you are required to treat everyone in the same manner or suffer the consequences. As a human being living in a civilized society, we should, for our own sakes, treat everyone with respect and with kindness. This is the polite and civilized way to live. Apart from that, people have different relationships, connections, conflicts, resentments, admiration, and love in varying degrees for different people.
We are living in a country where we're hearing almost daily that humans are the source of evil and destruction in the world. Humans are responsible for the destruction of the planet, for man-made climate change, for the extinction of animals, for everything that is wrong with the country and the world. It is true that human beings are capable of enormous destruction and unimaginable evil. But it is also true that we are capable of incredible greatness and inspired creation. As a nation, we have lost the belief that we have the ability to positively effect the world.
Let's talk about the so-called 1%. Who are these people, really? I believe there is a difference between who the 1% have come to be, and who they used to be. At present the 1%, if I'm understanding the Occupy Protesters correctly, are all of the rich, greedy corporate monsters who run Wall Street. I think this is rather short-sighted of them. If the 1% are the rich, you'd have to include many more people than just the "corporate monsters". You would have to include actors, athletes, politicians, lobbyists, trust fund kids and "musicians". (I'm using quotes here to distinguish between the true artists who make amazing music and the factory-made pop stars who make garbage.) Out of that list, including the corporate 1%, who has created, invented, contributed anything of value, to the world? I would say, with perhaps a few exceptions, that only the corporate "monsters" are the people who contribute tangible value to our nation and the world.
As we look back in history, the 1% were the philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, inventors, painters, sculptors, physicists, chemists and others in their respective fields, who pushed the limits of their own minds to produce greatness. They gave us new ideas and technologies, and made it possible for us to believe that such greatness even exists. Some of these people became wealthy, others did not. Their contributions were not often based on the idea that they would become millionaires. They simply knew that theirs was a superior idea or product and desired to share it with the nation or with the world. The market (here we go with Capitalism) decided if it was indeed a superior idea and either embraced it or did not. We used to encourage and inspire these minds to achieve even a higher level of greatness and to contribute a more superior idea to our country. We used to take pride in the ideas and products coming from our United States. What happened? When did things change and for what reason? The greatest minds in our country seem to be lost in a sea of reality television, dirty politics and ever increasing government.
It's time that we embrace our place as human beings on this earth. We have a place above all other creatures. I realize you may need to take a minute to digest that. Yes, humans are greater than animals. I believe that all of nature is special and amazing and that we need to be good stewards of this earth. But humans are more important than polar bears, more important than whales. Humans have the gift of rational thought and emotion. Our brains give us the power to create, to imagine, to reach beyond what we think is possible. Our eyes give what we call beauty to the world. If not for our eyes, our brains, our language, what would beauty be? What would happiness be? It is our individual capacity for interpreting what we see and aspiring to greatness that has created the world we live in. We must embrace it! We must stop believing that we are the source of misery. We are the source of beauty and invention and resourcefulness. We must stop believing that it is wrong to be more intelligent, more talented, more imaginative than other people. We must embrace our individual talents and nurture them. We must stop striving for "equality". We must treat one another with kindness, but we must love our uniqueness. It is time to reclaim our position of greatness in the world, and to begin again to contribute greatness to the world.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Who Is John Galt?
You thought I was gone for good I imagine. Truthfully, Husband and I have been struggling financially for some time now, like so many of you. When you're in the midst of struggle, it's difficult to think of anything else but just getting by. I found I simply had nothing to say. However, in light of the ever-worsening political and economic crisis, I am compelled to resurrect this blog. We are truly "through the looking glass" as a nation.
When I started this blog it was primarily for me. I enjoy writing, though I have no fantasies about being a published author. This blog was a way for me to pursue something I enjoy, and to perhaps entertain the few people who read it. I really didn't care if I had a strong following.
The tone of my blog will change significantly. I intend to write about the economic and political climate of the US. I am hopeful that there are still people left in our great nation, and in the world, who possess common sense; those who realize that our current economical and political system cannot be maintained. Now, I do care if people read this blog.
Let my first post address the "Occupy" protesters. What is your beef exactly? It would be entirely helpful to those of us watching in confusion to understand what you are protesting exactly. Are you unhappy that you have student loan debt up to your eyeballs? Welcome to life. There are hundreds of thousands of us who have student loan debt. It's a part of what comes with higher education. Are you upset because you don't have a job upon college or graduate school? You were never promised one. No one just "gets" a job because they've got a degree. There are no guarantees or promises in life. Sorry to disappoint you. You're no doubt part of the "entitlement" generation. I bet you got trophies for every sport you played, even though you were the most uncoordinated, worst player on the team. Are you pissed because the government bailed out the airlines, automotive industry, banks, mortgage companies and insurance companies using American tax dollars? So am I! Where were you with your torches and pitchforks five years ago? Why so late on the uptake? Are you protesting the fact that you want everyone to make the same amount of money? You want a Socialist form of government because it's more "fair"? WAKE UP! Of course what you call the 1% would gladly embrace socialism. As would anyone with something to gain by it. Don't you understand that even in a Socialist society, there are still a very few people who control everything, including wealth? There are still a very few wealthy people and the rest of us are then slaves to the wealthy and the government. Read! Research! Learn history! Are you actually protesting Capitalism? Do you understand what Capitalism is? It's an economic system based on the principle of a Free Market. In a Free Market businesses both succeed and fail on their own accord (meaning with no influence from the government). We no longer have a Free Market in the US because EVERYTHING somehow is controlled or influenced by government/large corporations affiliated with the government. So in effect, our economic system is not even based in Capitalism anymore. How can you defend our current president, Mr. Obama, hand-picking solar panel production plants to receive billions in tax dollars that are now bankrupt? Bankrupt. These companies, like the others to receive "bailouts" STOLE our money. Not the government's money, OUR money. Do you understand where the government gets money to function? From tax revenue. Do you know where tax revenue comes from? That's right kids, the American people.
I say to you again, WAKE UP! The ONLY function of government is to uphold and follow the Constitution of the United States of America. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It's fascinating how far the government has overstepped its' original function. Isn't it time for us, those of us with common sense, to take a stand? Isn't it time for us to make better decisions about who we send to represent us in our government? Can't we agree that perhaps electing people, with ties and financial stakes in large corporations is, at best, a conflict of interest? Can we entertain the idea of perhaps electing "normal" people? Not people groomed to be politicians, but just normal Americans? Oh, you say, but they wouldn't have the slightest idea about how to run the government. They wouldn't make good decisions, they wouldn't know what to do. Really? So you think that the government can only be run by an elitist group of people? Hmmmmm, wouldn't that make them a part of the 1% you so despise? The very first presidents of our United States probably didn't "know" what they were doing. It was a lot of on the job experience. Yet, we grew as a nation and prospered and survived. Is it not time for a re-birth of that philosophy: That the government is a function of the people, by the people, and for the people? I believe that it is. But, as the saying goes, who is John Galt?
When I started this blog it was primarily for me. I enjoy writing, though I have no fantasies about being a published author. This blog was a way for me to pursue something I enjoy, and to perhaps entertain the few people who read it. I really didn't care if I had a strong following.
The tone of my blog will change significantly. I intend to write about the economic and political climate of the US. I am hopeful that there are still people left in our great nation, and in the world, who possess common sense; those who realize that our current economical and political system cannot be maintained. Now, I do care if people read this blog.
Let my first post address the "Occupy" protesters. What is your beef exactly? It would be entirely helpful to those of us watching in confusion to understand what you are protesting exactly. Are you unhappy that you have student loan debt up to your eyeballs? Welcome to life. There are hundreds of thousands of us who have student loan debt. It's a part of what comes with higher education. Are you upset because you don't have a job upon college or graduate school? You were never promised one. No one just "gets" a job because they've got a degree. There are no guarantees or promises in life. Sorry to disappoint you. You're no doubt part of the "entitlement" generation. I bet you got trophies for every sport you played, even though you were the most uncoordinated, worst player on the team. Are you pissed because the government bailed out the airlines, automotive industry, banks, mortgage companies and insurance companies using American tax dollars? So am I! Where were you with your torches and pitchforks five years ago? Why so late on the uptake? Are you protesting the fact that you want everyone to make the same amount of money? You want a Socialist form of government because it's more "fair"? WAKE UP! Of course what you call the 1% would gladly embrace socialism. As would anyone with something to gain by it. Don't you understand that even in a Socialist society, there are still a very few people who control everything, including wealth? There are still a very few wealthy people and the rest of us are then slaves to the wealthy and the government. Read! Research! Learn history! Are you actually protesting Capitalism? Do you understand what Capitalism is? It's an economic system based on the principle of a Free Market. In a Free Market businesses both succeed and fail on their own accord (meaning with no influence from the government). We no longer have a Free Market in the US because EVERYTHING somehow is controlled or influenced by government/large corporations affiliated with the government. So in effect, our economic system is not even based in Capitalism anymore. How can you defend our current president, Mr. Obama, hand-picking solar panel production plants to receive billions in tax dollars that are now bankrupt? Bankrupt. These companies, like the others to receive "bailouts" STOLE our money. Not the government's money, OUR money. Do you understand where the government gets money to function? From tax revenue. Do you know where tax revenue comes from? That's right kids, the American people.
I say to you again, WAKE UP! The ONLY function of government is to uphold and follow the Constitution of the United States of America. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It's fascinating how far the government has overstepped its' original function. Isn't it time for us, those of us with common sense, to take a stand? Isn't it time for us to make better decisions about who we send to represent us in our government? Can't we agree that perhaps electing people, with ties and financial stakes in large corporations is, at best, a conflict of interest? Can we entertain the idea of perhaps electing "normal" people? Not people groomed to be politicians, but just normal Americans? Oh, you say, but they wouldn't have the slightest idea about how to run the government. They wouldn't make good decisions, they wouldn't know what to do. Really? So you think that the government can only be run by an elitist group of people? Hmmmmm, wouldn't that make them a part of the 1% you so despise? The very first presidents of our United States probably didn't "know" what they were doing. It was a lot of on the job experience. Yet, we grew as a nation and prospered and survived. Is it not time for a re-birth of that philosophy: That the government is a function of the people, by the people, and for the people? I believe that it is. But, as the saying goes, who is John Galt?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Learning to Fly
What follows is, for me, a story of hope, of perseverance and of waiting on God's timing, which is always perfect. As you know life for Husband and I has been less than easy. We have been going through easily the most difficult time in our lives. Much of the difficulty we brought on ourselves through the choices that we made. However, much of it has been due to circumstances beyond our control. I lost my job over a year ago and haven't worked since. Husband lost his job last August and has been struggling to find permanent work. Bills are late, rent is late, my parent's are buying groceries for us. It is humbling.
KB is still living with us, and that has helped. Last July he cut his leg with a chain saw. It was as bad as it sounds. He cut some tendon in his knee, but thankfully not all the way through. Because of the accident he could not work for a while either.
At long last there is light through the darkness. KB is working again.
And for me there is not only light, there is a miracle. My long unemployment forced me to deal with my life. I considered many decisions I had made, I should make and what I am passionate about. I refused to take a job again that was just going to be a job. I wanted to love what I do, to effect people in a positive way. I decided I wanted to teach.
I took the CBEST and passed the first time. I arranged a visit with the principal of an outdoor school within walking distance from my house. This outdoor school is one of only three in California that uses credentialed teachers. I have secured a position as a substitute teacher at this school and began training two weeks ago. I also started school again. I will obtain my full teaching credential in February and I will have my Master's by June. This all happened in a span of two months, if you can believe it. I hardly can. I'm proud of myself for working hard and doing my part, but mostly I'm thankful to God for opening doors that I didn't even know existed.
Husband and I have been living here for almost three years. We were aware of the school, but I didn't really know anything about it. A family friend, who I have known since I was a very young child, told me that I should talk to the principal of the school because it would be perfect for me. She was right. Every week a new group of about 200 kids come to the school on buses. The group consists of mostly sixth graders from several different schools, although sometimes there are fifth and seventh graders. They come from the valley, sometime two hours away, to the mountains. They are taught sixth grade science concepts, but not in the classroom. They are taught in a hands-on approach. The school has a planetarium, an animal room with animals the children can hold, they hike every day. They are taught how to build shelters in the forest, about reptiles and amphibians, about Native American history, they pan for gold at the creek, it's nothing short of amazing. The kids stay all week, in cabins/dorms, away from their parents with kids they don't know. So they learn about socializing, making friends, being respectful. They all have to help in the kitchen at some point. I am beyond thrilled. I hike about a mile and a half through the forest to get to school. And it is perfect for me. I can't believe that not only do I get the opportunity to work at this school, but it's also my first teaching position. I am also humbled by this experience.
So things are looking up. Husband is still out of work. That's not really surprising though. He's a carpenter. The economy sucks. The housing market sucks. But, don't worry about a recession kids. Everything's under control, situation normal. So prayers are appreciated for him. He hates being out of work, most guys do. He feels useless and he's depressed.
I can't wait to begin writing about my school and life experiences. I can't wait to have things to write about again. As much as I love writing, I couldn't torture all of you with my depression, writing about what I watched on tv or how long it took to do laundry. That's just not fun to read.
For all of you who are experiencing difficulties, HANG IN THERE! Don't succumb to the darkness. Maintain some hope, no matter how small.
KB is still living with us, and that has helped. Last July he cut his leg with a chain saw. It was as bad as it sounds. He cut some tendon in his knee, but thankfully not all the way through. Because of the accident he could not work for a while either.
At long last there is light through the darkness. KB is working again.
And for me there is not only light, there is a miracle. My long unemployment forced me to deal with my life. I considered many decisions I had made, I should make and what I am passionate about. I refused to take a job again that was just going to be a job. I wanted to love what I do, to effect people in a positive way. I decided I wanted to teach.
I took the CBEST and passed the first time. I arranged a visit with the principal of an outdoor school within walking distance from my house. This outdoor school is one of only three in California that uses credentialed teachers. I have secured a position as a substitute teacher at this school and began training two weeks ago. I also started school again. I will obtain my full teaching credential in February and I will have my Master's by June. This all happened in a span of two months, if you can believe it. I hardly can. I'm proud of myself for working hard and doing my part, but mostly I'm thankful to God for opening doors that I didn't even know existed.
Husband and I have been living here for almost three years. We were aware of the school, but I didn't really know anything about it. A family friend, who I have known since I was a very young child, told me that I should talk to the principal of the school because it would be perfect for me. She was right. Every week a new group of about 200 kids come to the school on buses. The group consists of mostly sixth graders from several different schools, although sometimes there are fifth and seventh graders. They come from the valley, sometime two hours away, to the mountains. They are taught sixth grade science concepts, but not in the classroom. They are taught in a hands-on approach. The school has a planetarium, an animal room with animals the children can hold, they hike every day. They are taught how to build shelters in the forest, about reptiles and amphibians, about Native American history, they pan for gold at the creek, it's nothing short of amazing. The kids stay all week, in cabins/dorms, away from their parents with kids they don't know. So they learn about socializing, making friends, being respectful. They all have to help in the kitchen at some point. I am beyond thrilled. I hike about a mile and a half through the forest to get to school. And it is perfect for me. I can't believe that not only do I get the opportunity to work at this school, but it's also my first teaching position. I am also humbled by this experience.
So things are looking up. Husband is still out of work. That's not really surprising though. He's a carpenter. The economy sucks. The housing market sucks. But, don't worry about a recession kids. Everything's under control, situation normal. So prayers are appreciated for him. He hates being out of work, most guys do. He feels useless and he's depressed.
I can't wait to begin writing about my school and life experiences. I can't wait to have things to write about again. As much as I love writing, I couldn't torture all of you with my depression, writing about what I watched on tv or how long it took to do laundry. That's just not fun to read.
For all of you who are experiencing difficulties, HANG IN THERE! Don't succumb to the darkness. Maintain some hope, no matter how small.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Raining and pouring
Well, the good news is that our internet is turned back on. At least there's that.
The bad news is everything else going on in our lives. There's a light through the darkness though, and Husband and I are getting through the hard times.
Since I lost my job money has been very tight. We had our cable shut off for a while (our internet provider too), which thankfully is now back on. I'm sure many of you know how hard it is to get out of a financial hole. It sucks! It feels hopeless and defeating and embarrassing. But we're taking things a day at a time and we're becoming very resourceful at finding alternative methods for making money.
Husband, KB and I recently started cutting firewood to sell, and that is really starting to take off. Our only problem is getting enough wood. It's very hard work, but well worth it.
Husband's grandpa died two weeks ago. This was very hard for him as he was extremely close and fond of his grandpa. Roy was a cowboy, an actual cowboy. Up until two years ago (He died at 84), he still rode his horse regularly and tracked wild horses in the Ochocos mountains in Oregon. He was an amazing man who left an incredible legacy and led a full life. He will be missed terribly, and we are very thankful for the time we were given with him.
But, the death of someone and the money they leave behind tend to bring out the worst in people. Husband's dad is no exception. Unfortuately he has decided to dismiss the wishes of Roy and steal money from his own son. Husband's dad told him that he won't be dispursing the funds left to Husband in order to clear the "debt" that Husband owes him. The only debt I know of is that of Husband being raised by his parents. Husband had no debt to clear. So it's obvious that his dad is just being a prick and trying to punish him for not having the life that his dad wanted him to have. It's very sad because it's driving a huge wedge between them, and consequently me and Husband's parents. It's unthinkable to me that a parent would steal money from their own children. Especially considering the financial situation we're currently in.
However, Husband did inherit a truck and camper from his grandpa, which we are selling. So hopefully that will help some.
As for me, I have been exploring options for a new career. I am strongly considering becoming a teacher. The more I look into it, the more it excites me. So I'll keep you posted on that.
Our little puppy is now as big as our almost two year old dog, Ben. Samson is six months old now and so much fun. He's enormous though. He's going to be a giant dog. I love it!
I can't believe that it's been two months since I posted here last. Dealing with all the shit that's been going on has taken much of my time and energy. When you're struggling to keep the power and water on the last thing on your mind is writing. But things are getting better and hopefully now I'll have more time and energy to write more.
I hope things are better with all of you. I miss you guys!
The picture, if you can make it out, is my most recent injury. I burned my hand very badly while making dinner last week by spilling boiling hot gravy on my hand. Can you say accident prone? My middle finger got the worst of it. It's healing, slowly, with only mild infection. Should be a great scar for my collection!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Changes
First let me say that I had no intention of taking so much time between my posts. I really appreciate those of you who are interested in what I write, and I'm sorry that I haven't posted in so long. I am actually just starting to wade through my emails and comments. I haven't even checked them in about a month.
This is the primary reason for my absence of late. This is our new puppy Samson. He is 10 weeks old and already a big toughy. His mom is a German Shepherd/Husky mix and his dad is a Rottweiler. We love him tremendously, and even Ben is starting to accept him into the family. As you know, puppies are a shit ton of work. Fortunately I have had the time to be with him because I don't have a job anymore.
I'm over it, the job thing. I really hated it and wanted to leave and appartently my boss decided to downsize. Whatever. It's very strange being out of a job for the first time in, gosh, at least 10 years. I'm not sure what I want to do, and it's kind of scary to be honest. That is another reason why I've been MIA. I decided to just take some time to consider my life, my career, my decisions, all of that heavy stuff. I have not been in the frame of mind to write like I usually do, or draw. Perhaps a bit of depression sunk in while I wasn't looking.
Anyway, I'm back. I feel good about myself, my life and I'm looking forward to the next chapter. I've got more of a housewife routine now, which makes it nice for Husband. He gets to come home to a clean house everyday, I make him lunch now, his clothes are always clean, it's nice. And there's the puppy training. Between the housework, walking the dogs, training Samson, cleaning up his shit and piss when he goes in the house, I remain pretty busy. Probably more busy than when I was at work. Just a different kind of busy.
I was working on a post that I intend to put up tomorrow, more back to normal. I really enjoy writing and my time with all of you, so I look forward to getting back into it.
In the meantime, I need to catch up on all of your lives, which I can't wait to do!
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