Wit or Wisdom

Americans have a lot to be thankful for. A lot that they don’t deserve. Now, before you stop reading because you think this is going to be a raving screamfest against the holidays and America’s past injustices and etc. Don’t. It’s not. It’s actually completely unrelated to thanksgiving. And it’s not a rant. (So, yes, I mistitled my post.)

However, America, as a generality, has become a lazy nation. We aren’t as bad as some people would have you to believe. We still have a five day work week… we don’t give employees three months out of the year off… and you generally have to work to be successful.

Regardless of what some of my history-revising friends would like you to think, America does not have an evil heritage. Yes, there were people, including very powerful people, who had huge shortcomings. Yes, slavery and some elements of western expansion were evil. What makes America so great is of course not those things. What makes America so great is that there were inevitably people who fought these injustices and conquered them. What makes America great is that she stands for freedom and is willing to make the sacrifices to do so.

Or should I say… stood for. It is precisely because she does not stand for freedom any longer that Barack Obama was elected earlier this month. Now, America stands for being as comfortable as possible.

We first saw this exhibited during Vietnam. Now we’ve seen it exhibited in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Good, generally right-thinking people who are bright on a whole lot of other things have turned against these wars. If you hear a lie enough times, then you’ll start to believe it. People I know who once would have been appalled at the government intervention that is taking place are smiling and nodding, even though they are clearly uncomfortable with it. People are willing to accept a little less freedom if they can get a little more comfort. The problem with such thinking is the slippery slope that we are now on. A little can change into a lot in a very little time.

There was a time when an American president, a liberal Democrat nonetheless, called Americans to “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” The hundreds of thousands who packed Obama’s rallies were not interested in any sort of proposition. In fact, if he had said something that clear cut about sacrifice, he would have been met with confused expressions. Most Americans today have no earthly idea of such a concept. They don’t understand the sacrifice that gave them freedom.

That’s why we have these bailouts. It’s not because corporate greed is sky-high. It’s not because politicians are any more corrupt than before. It’s not because we’re fighting to keep two fledging democracies going. It’s not because of the stock market. They are all contributing factors. But none of them are the main reason. The main reason is that we live in a society that wants capitalism when you succeed (I keep my profit) and communism when you fail (others pay for my own laziness or hard luck or whatever).

The federal government is banking on the future success of the American economy. They’re borrowing against money that doesn’t exist. And anytime you try that, it inevitably falls apart, because government has proved itself incapable of restraint. So don’t expect success. Hope that things truly do change. But don’t expect it. It’s not going to happen.

Nothing new or exciting to say… just wishing all the readers a Merry Thanksgiving… which is not usual, I know, but Happy Thanksgiving gets so old.

It is becoming increasingly popular and easy for people to feel anger and frustration with the CEO’s of major corporations in America, and they probably should. Much of corporate America have grossly mishandled the resources they have control over. However, the blame goes around. And around and around. And it’s pretty easy to say that corporate America is not the only group mishandling this “financial crisis.”

1. The people are irresponsible. There is absolutely no bigger cause of the financial meltdown we are having than the irresponsibility of the large majority of Americans. People who should never have owned a home allowed the lenders to fudge figures so they could, even though they knew they couldn’t repay the loan. Budgeting 101: if you don’t have the money, don’t spend it. The truth is, most of America practices what big CEOs practice, simply on a smaller scale. What is millions of dollars in overspending by the people of the skyscrapers is thousands of dollars of overspending by the people of the suburbs. The truth is, the people don’t deserve a bailout any more than the corporates do. Think about it. If a person has a home loan that he can’t pay… that he knew he couldn’t pay when he got it, how does he deserve a bailout anymore than the people who gave him a mortgage. Irresponsibility is rampant. We live in a society of capitalistic success, and communistic failure. If I succeed, I should keep my profits. But if I fail, someone else should give me money for failing. And it’s not just in the realm of people who make seven figures.

2. The government is irresponsible. Just as the blame goes all around the private sector, it also goes all around the public sector. At the risk of sound like Ron Paul, the federal government was created to do one thing and one thing only: protect the people from threats foreign and domestic. Not to educate. Not to fund banks. Not to preserve the forest. Not to fund abortion. Not to do a whole host of other things that it does. When a president makes that his highest priority, he is ridiculed. People think the federal government exists simply to keep us comfortable. That’s how Barack Obama won. People want comfort. Which leads me to another coming post…

It’s time for a revamp of this site. Obviously, I’ve allowed it to die despite repeatedly saying that I was going to resume posting. Most of my former loyal readers are probably long gone by now, but with a little hard work and luck, maybe we’ll get back together again and I’ll drag a few more in. I’ve been poking around this evening, realizing just how outdated most of what I’ve got on here is. I daresay several of the blogs I link to are no longer active, my about page is completely inaccurate.

However, as inactive as it may be, my old post on expletives, cuss words, etc. still gets a lot of traffic. Interesting. I didn’t know that was such a hot topic.

Anyways, watch for more in the coming days.

Could someone please take the time to explain to me how in the name of common sense the people of California can pass an amendment to their constitution, then the homosexual advocate groups can challenge the constitutionality of said amendment in court? That makes no sense to me.

But maybe I’m just strange that way.

Dear Mrs. Koch,

I know you used to read my blog regularly. Of course, since I don’t update it very often anymore, you might not read it very often anymore either. However, this is a part of my attempt to reestablish contact with you. I have news for you… news that will please you very, very much. In the event that you still check my blog, call me. My phone number hasn’t changed.

Sincerely,
Harrison (The One You Tortured)

and coming up with blanks. Bummer.

WORLD posted an article talking about how conservatives are in the minority. Nonsense. There are a lot of conservatives who won’t vote for people who pander to the “middle.” As we saw in 2004, when conservatives govern like conservatives and campaign like conservatives, good things happen. When we nominate John McCain, an honorable man, no doubt, but by no means a “staunch conservative,” we lose to socialism.

The larger point, of the election, however, is that the American people need to be reminded that being American is not about being comfortable. Being American is about making sacrifice so that others might be comfortable. You know… responsibility. Won’t hear that as a buzzword in any campaign anytime soon.

And so now we move on.