My Blog

A Flowery Path?

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:22:29 -0600

It’s been awhile since I wrote on this blog - but that doesn’t mean I’ve not been following things. Thought I would add a couple more thoughts as we’re seeing things develop.

You know, I’ve heard it all my life when people take office that it will take time to clean up the mess that was made by those who went before them. Even Obama has stated something to this effect. Yet, I have to wonder, especially now, if it will EVER be possible for anyone to follow this mess and have ANY hope of ever cleaning it up? We’re digging a TREMENDOUS hole and going down a slippery slope of Socialism and it is nothing short of scary to anyone who recognizes it. Those who don’t recognize it are simply fat, dumb and happy without a brain in their heads, entitlement-minded (which means socialistic) and so on. I think we are witnessing the decline of the USA, unfortunately. And these days, things don’t take as long to develop as they used to so it’s very likely to get MUCH worse before it gets better unless we stop this fast moving train quickly.

The Romans taught us a lot of things. In many cases (in their latter years), what NOT to do. We are SO mirroring their actions in so many ways that it’s not even funny. It starts with the changes in the education system — particularly the universities. It used to be that universities taught you HOW TO THINK (not WHAT to think but basically TO think for yourself). Probably in the late 50’s or early 60’s, somewhere around that time frame, things shifted. Instead of teaching you how to think for yourself, things became more specialized — you went to school not so much to be able to think but to have a degree that would allegedly help you get a job. That manner of thinking is really rather new. It’s rather a Roman way of thinking — looking at education for the sake of DOING something in particular rather than the Greek approach which is one of learning for the sake of knowledge itself. Then we have the moral decline that the Romans went through and arguably we are going through that as well. Where does it stop? Well, the Roman Empire fell...and endured a sort of “bailout mentality” on the way as well, getting government involved with all of their industries and essentially putting those people who had previously been very successful on the government dole until there was no government left. And apparently, too many of us in high places are “fiddling” like Nero and ignoring all of the smoke and warning signals. And we’re skipping along, merrily, down this very ugly path, mistaking a putrid smell for what too many believe (probably like the Romans) to be the path to Utopia.

Just my view.

SUPPOSE SOMEONE WENT INTO POLITICS TO MAKE CHANGES…

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:34:46 -0500

Running on that platform, right away you’ve made friends in high places (not)! So let’s say you get elected to a position – let’s say it’s a “state” representative just for illustration purposes. And let’s ignore which party you’re in because it doesn’t matter. They do run considerably the same, oddly enough.

So, you go to the capital and you want to make a difference. In your campaign, you talked about how you wanted to do this and do that – none of which is your party’s idea (never mind that the “people” liked the idea and elected you on it – let’s just address “reality” of what you’re up against). You show up and you have these “radical” ideas for changing something. You write it all up and it’s a thing of beauty. Where does it go?

That is the point. It will go nowhere, in either party, because you are SEVERELY outnumbered. You’re a “freshman” in this group and will be treated like one. Your ideas will likely be heard and presented (you’re being patronized) but the proposal, especially if it’s radical and makes sense, will likely NEVER get out of “committee” and see the light of day! You’ve offended the more senior members by suggesting you (and the people) know more about the right way to do things and now they will show you – by not allowing your legislation to see the light of day.

So, in this way, many people actually DO go into politics for all the right reasons and QUICKLY find that they cannot get anything (anything) done until they scratch other politicians’ backs. It’s sick when you think about it. It’s not about what’s right or wrong; it’s about “power” and having control. When one person goes to “clean up,” they’re really being taken to the cleaners! They are doomed to fail, OR they will go through some “change” of their own and begin to see things a lot differently IF they intend any of their legislation to see the light of day. And essentially, they become a part of the problem because they MUST jump through these hoops to get something done.

In the meantime, they have “handlers” who start telling them what the “powerful” people (those who made contributions to his campaign have placed these handlers on his staff) want him to hear so his decisions become “warped” toward the information he has at his disposal (he has no time to do his own research – too busy jumping through hoops) and ultimately his decisions don’t tend to make sense to the people that sent him there. He has become just like the rest – another puppet. He goes to the party caucus before votes are taken and is “encouraged” to vote a certain way so that “maybe” he’ll get something in return when it comes up his turn (if it ever does). And he sees how it works and begins to pump in his own “pork” so that he, too, will be re-elected and be able to come back and TRY to get something positive done… and it’s just a vicious circle, isn’t it?

Who is elected President WON’T make a hill of beans worth of difference! What has to change is how we do business in the legislative branch – term limits would go a long way toward limiting that cycle of insanity – doing the same things and expecting different results is one very good definition of insanity!

I welcome your thoughts. How far off base am I? This is non-partisan, is it not? Perhaps we need a REALITY PARTY to be formed (part of the "Reality TV" craze, perhaps)? Let people see EXACTLY what's going on and how things are influenced in the process? THAT would be good participative government, no? Watch all the candidates 24/7 through the primaries... Some get sent off the island! Then narrow it down to the last two and then watch the "winner" (and the people also) ultimately lose when he goes to the next higher level! Sounds like reality to me!

Sold in St Louis?

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:17:02 -0500

A friend sent me this and informed me that they seem “sold in St Louis.” That’s Senator Barak Obama on the stage.

I told him it reminded me of a “Hitler” rally in the 1930’s. Look at those people! Doesn’t it? Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will make this short.

People on BOTH sides of this election are voting too emotionally and are not thinking at all. It’s indeed a scary time for our great nation!

Spreading the Wealth

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:34:37 -0500

I would like to take credit for this thought, but I cannot - I give full credit to my old high school friend (now teaching in TN I believe) for this but am glad to see that we still have some of the same old-style upbringing with us. He said, concerning the idea of “spreading the wealth”:

”Ask any hard studying student if they want to give up a few points to a hard partying student so that person doesn't flunk out of college.”

I would encourage you to also check out HIS blog at http://www.ken-servative.blogspot.com/ because he has some insightful views...to include his view that “being a conservative in professional education is a bit like being a salmon...always swimming against the current.”

When Everybody Wins, Everybody Loses

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:28:36 -0500

When a game is played, there are winners and there are losers. It’s a fact of life. But we have become a society that wants everyone to win. You can even see it in how we rear our children these days, making sure that ALL the kids who play soccer get a trophy…everyone from the kids who outscored the other team massively to the kids who sat the bench the entire time. We even see it where multiple (5 or more is not uncommon) Valedictorians are named in the graduating classes of high schools... It’s not reality to fabricate such a mindset…that you will always win and that someone will be there to be sure that you do, no matter what. What happened to rewarding the REAL winners? Where’s the incentive to excel in such a world? What happened to letting those who excelled come out on top? Losers aren’t losers if they strive and improve themselves…or is improvement outdated too? The more we give to “losers” the less we can reward the winners with, so the winners do lose.
It scares me the way people feel entitled to success. The very word ‘entitled’ makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up as our society continues to rush headlong into a more socialistic state. Our government is becoming more and more involved in our lives and we now expect safety nets. A safety net is fine (to a degree) but I’d far prefer seeing a church or some charitable organizations filling some of the gaps our “social welfare” programs are currently filling instead. Yet, there’s a huge difference between quenching the thirst of a hungry man to help him get on his feet again versus giving him a bottle of Dom Perignon.
The truth is, our government doesn’t owe anyone the right to success. We have only been guaranteed to have the right to pursue happiness. Nowhere have we ever guaranteed success for every business or any person or group of people...or industry. If you fail, you fail and to the WINNERS go the spoils. If anyone bails you out, it should be your competitors who were apparently doing something better than you. It CANNOT be the government…that¹s not capitalism! It simply isn’t fair to the companies that are truly doing the right things. Now they must compete with not only their rightful opposition, but also the government and its endlessly deep pockets.
Why does it scare me? Simply because the outrage is so minimal! Where is the REAL outrage? Why aren’t people SCREAMING and hyperventilating about the government getting into their business? Jefferson and Adams would have put aside their differences, taken up arms and united in defiant outrage to combat such abuse and graft. What RIGHT have we to sit in utter complacency and do nothing? WHY AREN’T PEOPLE MAD AS HELL!?! It’s baffling! This could be a moment that Democrats and Republicans unite and clean house together.
I grew up in an America where work was its own reward…where true effort yielded the necessities of life and often times, very much more. Now we all want something for nothing… we’re becoming a socialist welfare state where not only the poor and distressed are protected, but the corporate elite as well. It’s clearly wrong on all the most basic and fundamental levels. So wrong, much of it should actually be criminal by my estimation.
So, who’s next? Already, we are seeing STATES come forward and tell the federal government they need a loan (to be bailed out) and they’re citing this bailout as the precedence for it. Will we be bailing out industry after industry, finally even taking on the last frontier (healthcare) as the final warning sign when it will already be too late? And just how close are we to that one already? Why can’t we see how we’re becoming a socialist state and why do we think this is the panacea? It smacks of ‘wrong’ to me no matter how I look at it. It’s even more wrong that the few of us who DO see it are not being heard.  The warning bells are ringing! The democratic republic many of us grew up to love and cherish (and fought for) has found a new enemy and it is US! We need to get our heads on straight and do what is right.  In a year of Presidential politics, the issues are clouded over by ‘spin and the focus is on the two candidates. The fact of that matter is that NEITHER of them will be able to be our nation’s “savior” in this instance. With the legislative arm currently bent towards socialism and “pork” for their constituents, it becomes apparent they are attempting to “buy” their seats back rather than serve the country. Such graft will doom us. What is the cost to the nation? Few seem to care so long as their state gets a slice of the pork!
We really need to “change” or somehow regulate congress…in a BIG way. Regardless of political affiliation, these “Representatives” are bleeding our country of its stature in the world…our children hang in the balance. Where we were once the preeminent world leader, we now borrow from our enemies to pay off debts we incurred years ago. Where we were once a major player in manufacturing quality goods, now we make all our money by speculating on oil futures? Everything is made somewhere else. Because of such speculation, “Made in America” is a thing of the past. We have created a whirlpool of debt and yet we still keep borrowing more. Where will this $700 billion be conjured from? What about the next time? When does it end? Do we just print more money and continue to watch that impact inflation?
I find it hard to believe that either Presidential candidate can make much difference. In fact, if our nation’s success or failure hinges on one or the other being elected, we are certainly doomed! It¹s time for a revolution and the ballot box is the place for that to happen! I am a strong advocate of term limits. Whether by the people, or by law! If they won’t limit themselves, VOTE THEM OUT!!! Show them the outrage that’s missing. Don’t re-elect a soul, regardless of his or her party – and especially regardless of what he or she might have brought back to your state! That should be a red flag, for certain.  Professional politicians don¹t know anything about “leadership” but they do, however, know a lot about misleading. It’s time we show them the door and get some people in office who will be committed to the big picture – to a Capitalisit America – rather than their own re-elections. We need people who are committed to making the hard decisions…not politically correct or politically biased decisions. Our founding fathers would roll in their graves if they knew the mess we have gotten ourselves into. Sheer apathy which we are all responsible for…ALL OF US. I, for one, am tired of paying for people and businesses who failed to plan. THEY DON’T DESERVE A TROPHY! It’s time for those people to start living within their means like those of us in the heart of America do. If their means changes, they have to make adjustments just like the poor and middle class have done for decades!
As we start down this long road of recovery, we need responsible leadership… Leaders with conscience…Leaders with backbone…Leaders who are willing to make the tough decisions which will be necessary to get us back on track to be the most powerful nation in the world in every sense of the word!
Rewarding bad behavior and poor performance in our youth, teaches them to expect nothing of themselves. It’s time to recognize (or remember) the things made this country great…it has a lot to do with naturally overcoming adversity; not from being down and lifted up by big brother every time we fall! Every time a CEO drives his company into bankruptcy and walks away from the crash after landing under his golden parachute, literally with millions in his pocket, there should be outrage. That kind of “loser” laughing all the way to the bank is revolting to me and should send a tremor through the soul of this country. Every time we bail out a company, or entire industry in this case, we strike a blow at the very foundation of the republic. When we allow these things to continue, we all lose. Until we revolt and change the status quo, we will continue to lose.
A populace that is under-educated (and we’re struggling with education, too – “No Child Left Behind” isn’t making a group of “winners” but grooming mediocrity…more trophies for losers) can be so easily swayed by prevailing sentiment. We are becoming victims of our own success. We were all permitted to live as Kings in our own little kingdom and what better gift to give our descendants than the keys to the castle. The problem is that the model doesn't work. If one doesn't have to develop one's own self-determination because it's already given to them, there's no opportunity for growth. Consider the caterpillar – it must struggle as it comes out of its cocoon to become the beautiful butterfly. If you try to help it, you only cripple it. Bankers can tell you stories of families that piss away inheritances and piles of money given to them because the general rule is that you never value what you didn't have to earn for yourself. We all hate to see things like that happen but at least it's done of their own volition – and it does happen, a lot. What we have is exactly this type of phenomenon but it has spread to a macro scale. The only saving grace in all of this is that we will have serious challenges in the future because the market cannot and will not be fooled. Then, and probably, only then will we, as a society, wake out of our slumber and realize that others (government) controlling and dictating our future is not what we want.
If we continue to stand by idly while socialism marches insidiously into our lives, and apathy consumes us, America will not long be the place where dreams come true. It will be a place of nightmares. Wake up America!

First Entry - Intro

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:12:25 -0500

I wrote a little piece about our economy and couldn’t find anybody to publish it but everyone who’s read it (regardless of their political party) seemed to agree with what I said in it.

So, how do you get the word out? You BLOG, I guess (these days)! So I started this blog (and closed another that wasn’t really doing much). I called it “Mental Meanderings” because I expect it to be my thoughts; but that title is something I borrowed from my past -- back in high school or middle school (can’t remember which) at Pike Central High School in Petersburg, Indiana, there was a column in the school newspaper that was of this title and I always enjoyed reading it (thanks, Brian Mahoney!). And while I may not (?) get as loose with my comments as those I enjoyed reading there (I might), I hope you will find it enlightening to your own thoughts (and respond). I look forward to seeing how others think, too.