seeknulfind wrote:First a few kudos since my last post...
@Oleman +1
@zepyhp +1
@allingeneral+1
@pnkmdfnky +1
@Kreutz Your broad statements about people blaming the current administrator for events before his birth do not at all add to your credibility. Neither does your apparent assumption that someone who does not care for the current chief administrator necessarily embraces everything the opposing party does or has ever done.
I do believe I've been reasonably consistent about spending. I grew up in a one parent family where that one parent never made more than ten cents above minimum wage. I was conservative then and I'm conservative now.
I watched much of the TARP proceedings - it was the most television I watched in years. I screamed loud enough at people from both sides that they might have heard had they been listening. After all, I was only a couple hours away from D.C..
My biggest objection to the TARP program, was I felt they were panicking rather than taking careful consideration. I also did not like the wording of the document. I felt it was far too broad.
I haven't kept track, but it seems most,if not all, of the money was paid back. So what did our thoughtful representatives do when they happened? They looked to see where they could spend it. This money was BORROWED for a purpose (unspecific as it was) and should have been PAID BACK.
Even so, when it comes to spending, I believed Reagan did the right thing and I believe it now. If I had lived during the WWII years, I would have supported that spending also.
Generally speaking though, I think our nation would be far better off if we practiced pay-as-you-go spending.
The story about the $5 capacitor says a great deal. It is evidence of what's wrong with Washington. The capacitor isn't grossly overpriced because one supplier is crooked - it's overpriced because the entire system is corrupt. Have you ever tried to dine in D.C.? Better bring your bank account. Why? Because the city is grossly overpriced. The entire culture among the movers and shakers in D.C. is one of privilege and excess. This is nothing new - watch "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" sometime. However the culture, the attitude in this city is arrogant and self-serving. Did you HEAR that? SELF-SERVING not "serving the PUBLIC".
This country has changed so much since I was a boy and yet much of the things that went on then are still going on. I've grown up watching my country self destruct. It is falling apart before our eyes and all we do is point fingers.
Face facts - WE are to blame. WE send these fools to Washington, allow them to wallow in the corruption built up over decades, and then whine about how bad things are.
Starting years ago, I've advocated sending a simple message to our legislators: STOP. Stop throwing money around like it is confetti. STOP micromanaging our lives by passing idiotic laws.
These words fell on deaf ears.
Just this week the Dept. of Transportation was thwarted in an attempt to force farmers to adhere to commercial trucking regulations to operate farm equipment. The one question I never heard asked?
By what authority did they think they could do this?
We no longer ask the basic questions. We just assume "the authorities" have whatever "rights" they want to seize. Sure, they were beat back this time but they at least managed to plant the seed that they have some sort of jurisdiction here. And as far as I can tell NOBODY CONTESTED THIS.
This example may seem random but it indicates how rampant our government has become.
People are starting to wake up again. The rights we are used to enjoying are being usurped at an alarming rate. This didn't start with this administration, but it has snowballed with it. I have seen nothing to suggest this administration in any way opposes this trend. Indeed, the first major task the chief administrator undertook was a plan to seize control of our health care system - a task his Secretary of State failed at when her husband was in the White House. He hasn't stopped there by any means and many citizens have taken notice.
I liken the current situation to a coming hurricane. We knew the season was upon us and ignored it. We were warned of a potential storm and yawned. When told the storm was headed our way, most went about their business - we've weathered such things before. Some got worried when the winds started picking up. Some prepared early but most stormed the supermarkets only hours before the storm hit. Now it's obvious this is a major blow and many are scrambling en mass to survive it. And yet, curiously, there are those who insist on holding "hurricane parties". They are either oblivious to, or welcome the coming winds. They almost seem to happy in anticipation of the coming destruction... even if they are swept up in it themselves.
Andy
+1,000,000
