America's Agony: "Burn, Baby, Burn"

Super-blogger Nancy Hayhurst ("ChicagoBluesGirl") asked me to comment on a superb American Thinker article that says America is in much worse trouble that even ardent Tea Partiers believe. Here's the link to the article, followed by my response.

"American Thinker: Let It Burn"

Here are two excerpts from this profoundly important article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/05/let_it_burn.html

"Passage of the health care bill has sparked a revival of small-government thinking, causing many to predict significant Republican gains in Congress this fall. But despite some short-term success, this small-government revival is doomed to fail. The depressing truth is that the only way to regain the full measure of those freedoms proclaimed in our Founding Documents is for our current federal government to completely collapse under the weight of its own excesses."

"'They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety.' This quote by Ben Franklin is often used by civil libertarians in opposition to government security programs such as the Patriot Act. But this sentiment is equally applicable to those who would give up economic liberty to obtain economic safety. The economic attitude of the nation has shifted. We are no longer a nation of self-sufficient, rugged individualists; we are now a nation of addicts, hooked on a politician's promises of economic safety."

In general, I agree with the article's thesis on our addiction to Big Government. I say that with sadness, Nancy.

One solution to our spending problems would be to put a cap on Social Security, perhaps for at least five years. I am on Soc. Sec. and so is my wife. It would hurt us, but not kill us. Any politician who recommended such a thing would probably be defeated.

On Medicare, my wife has been disabled since 1991 and has been on Medicare since 1994. In all but two of those years, she has "paid" more into Medicare than she's taken out. She's taken great care to make sure she's not raiding Medicare. But she's the exception. There are zero incentives to encourage people to take good care of themselves (as my wife does). She does so because she's responsible and, to the degree possible, self-reliant.

I've been on Medicare for several years now, and I have NEVER spent more in a year than I've paid in premiums. We need a national commitment from people not to overuse Medicare. But that won't happen if most Americans remain clueless about the economic dynamics of the nation.

I believe we MIGHT be approaching a revolutionary situation. So many people want, want, and want, but the "government" (taxpayers) are running out of money to pay, pay, pay for those wants. A demagogue like Obama is making promises it will be financially impossible for the nation to meet.

Nancy, one reason I support Christine O'Donnell so strongly -- and hope you will also -- is that she tells the truth, as I'm trying to do in this piece. Maybe there's little room nowadays for truth-tellers, but I'm more optimistic than I was in 2006 and 2008 that there MAY be a market for truth-tellers.

Christine's point is that the government has been "stealing" (and using) the payments Americans have made into Social Security. And she's absolutely right. The feds have been stealing the money and using the money to make people more dependent. It's shameful. Obscene.

Will people, activists of modest means, contribute enough to ensure that Christine O'Donnell wins? I sure hope so. "Attagirls" for Christine will not be enough. If we don't provide financial support to people like Christine, we're just kidding ourselves.

Somebody told me this week that he can't contribute to Christine because he's "saving every cent for [his] family." He's living in fantasyland. All the money he's saving will be taken (literally or through inflation) by Obama and friends. It will be "redistributed" to those who didn't save a nickel.

The TeaParty and 912 movements are a sign of hope. But even they may not have grasped (Glenn Beck does) how dire our situation is. This may be the first time in history that we've experienced both deflation and inflation. It's like somehow getting fat and thin at the same time.

P.S. I hope you'll pass this e-mail on to as many friends as possible. Also, put it up on your blog(s). Let the life-and-death debate begin! Love to hear your thoughts . . .


American Thinker, Christine O'Donnell, Glenn Beck, TeaParty, 912 Movement, Barack Obama, Nancy Hayhurst