Is Government The Problem

Many of us have mixed feelings about how much government should intervene in order to help us out of the economic crisis we face, and how much it should stay out of the way and allow things to fall how they may.

In any case, communities need to care for their own and help people take charge of their own destinies. By nature, this is a Republican point of view. Republicans are adamant that government stand back and allow the people to solve their own problems. That means churches and communities need to step up to the plate and take care of people and help out where they can. 

On the other hand, Democrats think government needs to take care of it’s people and intervene into our lives in a variety of ways. It’s truely a difference of opinion, but history proves that letting people help themselves has greater benefits. It is not healthy to make people dependent on others for what they can do for themselves, along with a little helping hand.

For example, if someone is hungry you take them fishing. You show them how to catch a fish so they can feed themselves instead of giving him a fish for free. One way enables a person to care for himself, and the other disables him and makes him dependent on you to keep providing him fish.

People helping people is much more rewarding, and has a greater impact on the soul, than government stepping in to solve the problems that make us suffer. When government becomes involved, people can loose their self-reliance and become dependent on their benefactor. 

People loose self-reliance when they become dependent. They become more and more demanding of their benefactor for what they need and want. People no longer see that they can do things for themselves or on their own, and so they expect government to do it for them.  In other words, they become crippled and unable to care for the basics by themselves anymore.

A perfect example of what I’m saying is described in the excerpt below from the Patriot Post . US.

 

Excerpt from PatriotPost.US 08-31 Brief

Markets often get blamed for conveying a reality that was not created by the market.

Markets were also blamed for the Great Depression of the 1930s and New Deal politicians were credited with getting us out of it. But increasing numbers of economists and historians have concluded that it was government intervention which prolonged the Great Depression beyond that of other depressions where the government did nothing.

The stock market crash of 1987 was at least as big as the stock market crash in 1929. But, instead of being followed by a Great Depression, the 1987 crash was followed by 20 years of economic growth, with low inflation and low unemployment.

The Reagan administration did nothing in 1987, despite outrage in the media at the government’s failure to live up to its responsibility, as seen in liberal quarters. But nothing was apparently what needed to be done, so that markets could adjust. The last thing politicians can do in an election year is nothing.

So we can look for all sorts of ‘solutions’ by politicians of both parties. Like most political solutions, these are likely to make matters worse.” —Thomas Sowell

Do you agree that Government has its place? If you do, that means we must recognize this fact whenever we ask government to get involved in our business.

Keeping all this in mind, the question is what should government do now that we face a depresssion? That’s the big question, isn’t it? It’s this question that divides the parties and the people these days. Somehow, we need to find a way to bridge this gap in government and the people. 

We’ve made the mistakes, and now it’s going to be painful to rectify what’s been  created. It won’t be easy, but we need to do this with the right kind of help from government; that would be what allows self-reliance and free enterprise.

Do you see this economic situation as a political problem, based on party divisions? Do you think that business and economics, if left alone, can fix it? Keeo in mind what happened when Congress gave out massive bailout money. The money went to banks buying banks, giving CEOs big bonuses, and sneaking in pork like condoms. Politicians just don’t get it. And they keep digging us into a deeper hole. 

What do you think is the solution?  Do you think Obama can do what it takes to fix the problem?

Return to Patriotism

There sure is a lot of excitement these past few days about our new president. People are saying things like, “I didn’t vote for Obama but I got a real feeling of patriotism as I watched his inaugural.” This person exactly expresses the feelings of many Americans. She also stated that she had not felt so patriotic in years. She is not the only one who has expressed these feelings, so this report will focus on the subject of patriotism.

We’ve really missed seeing a natural display of patriotism in the United States over the past two decades. Over the years, we’ve slowly lost our ability to feel patriotic in this nation. Clearly, patriotism strongly exists in the Boy Scout program, and that’s why we should be supportive of them. However, with that being said, we rarely see patriotism exhibited in this nation on a regular basis; at least as much as we saw when we were young. 

Perhaps one reason for a lack of patriotism is that youth and young adults today have little respect for the flag and their country. This is true in many other nations as well. In addition, we notice that patriotism is greatly lacking in the public school system over the past two decades.

It is also possible that people feel unpatriotic today because of negative politics, especially during the elections. These negative feelings transfer to the younger generation when they see how nasty people become during that period. Young people are too inexperienced in politics to know that it’s just politics as usual and that it doesn’t mean anything.

Yet, the youth and young adults want to trust politicians and their government but learn at election time that they cannot. This is an injustice to those who believe in patriotism and our country. These people are now closely watching politicians and paying closer attention to what is said and done in government.

Patriotism begins in the home,  because of parent’s own patriotic attitudes. If people are angry with their government and/or politicians, and they discuss these feeling within ear-shot of their children, these feelings transfer to them. When children grow up hearing their parents constantly complaining about the country, about the government, about what government should be responsible for, they become jaded in their perception of what government should be doing for the people.

When people become less self-reliant and more demanding on government, we have a problem; it’s called socialism. Because people don’t get from government what they feel government owes them, they become more and more demanding and complain more loudly.  Then Congressional Representatives start to pass laws they shouldn’t because they want to please constituants in order to stay in office. Soon patriotism is left at the door when our representatives meet; when greed, political power and positioning, and politics become their passion.

For the reasons just mentioned, it seems today’s generation of young parents miss out on events and teachings that lead to patriotism in the past. It also seems qualities that nurture and cultivate feelings of pride and admiration for government, president, and politicians are being replaced with liberalism and socialism.

These observations suggest that the inability of people to express patriotism like we had in the past is sorely lacking in today’s society because families do not practice patriotism at home. They don’t practice patriotism in the home because what facilitates these emotions are being replaced with practices that surpress these emotions.

If you don’t understand what I’m talking about, please watch this video below and see if you relate to what I’ve been saying.

A New President

 

What an exciting day we had today. We have a new president and a new family in the White House. History is being made today, and that in itself is exciting.

What happens after the honeymoon is over and the “talking head” start making their “talking-points” about what’s wrong in government? You know it’s going to happen; it always does. That’s the nasty side of politics that I really dislike.

Now I will admit that I was NOT for Obama as president. I have great concerns about his policies and plans to leave America open and helpless for another 9/11 attack, when he closes down the prison in Cuba for the really bad guys and puts them right here in America. I don’t think that is very smart. I also worry that Democrats in general do not believe we are really in a war on terror; in fact, they’ve stopped using the term “war on terrorism”.  I also have a huge objection to God being removed from everything we hold dear, as well as abortion at any part of the term when it’s “ON DEMAND”. 

With all this being said, I do support our new President. I want to have hope that most of America will do the same, even if we don’t all agree on his policies. We really do need to unite. I’ve been saying this for years. I was appalled by the 2000 and 2004 elections, where DEMOCRATS played the race card and tried to tell people that Republicans were racists and that Bush hated blacks. What made me really angry is when the Associated Press reported Democrats were encouraging people to say anything, true or false, to infer that Republicans were obstructionists at the polls. How dare they use the eniquities of race as a tool in their political arsenal? Race is only an issue when we let them (politicians who have something to gain) get away with it. Only we can end the race war when we refuse to participate.

Okay, now we have a beautiful black man and a lovely family in the White House. Let’s give him the respect the President of the United States deserves and forget about the race of this man. Do you think we can get over that fairly soon; after all the celebrations are over? I hope so. Can we all be of one race, the human race?  Can we all be Americans with an American President? I truly hope so, because united we stand but divided we fall. 

Goodbye President Bush

I am proud to say that I supported President Bush throughout his presidency.  Although I disagreed with some of his policies, I always support his desire to do the right thing. He did have courage to stand his ground when people around him disagreed with his stance, but he stuck to what he knew was right anyway. However, I do think he gave up his standards when he didn’t protect us from illegal invasion from Mexico.

I want you who appreciate what President Bush did for us as a nation, to please let him know your feelings. I do have one blog that I copied that says everything I feel about President Bush and President Elect Obama.

http://kimnelmark.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/thank-you-mr-president/

I just want to take a moment to say thank you to a man who has served our country as our President for 8 years. Although he remains very unpopular in the polls, I must say that I am proud to have him as our President and a representative of our country worldwide. He stands for the kind of conservative morals that I can support wholeheartedly. He has undoubtedly made his share of mistakes as well, but I believe him to be a good leader, a good man, and a good President. So, thank you, Mr. Bush, for all you have done for our country in the past 8 years. Your hard work has been very appreciated, and you will be dearly missed and fondly remembered (at least by us gun-toting, religion-clinging, small-town AMERICANS!)

As for our incoming President, Mr. Obama – although I disagree with you both morally and politically – thank you for the years of service that you will give our country.

I know that many things will happen in the next four years that I greatly disagree with, and it saddens me to think of some of those possibilities. But, I know that God has a plan and a purpose through all of this, and He works all things together for good in His own time.

Whether you agree or disagree with me politically, I would urge each and everyone of you to pray for Mr. Obama and our country daily. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective!!!

To those of you who now suspect that I am racist, please have a chat with my BIOLOGICAL grandmother about what it was like growing up in the 30’s and 40’s with a Black father and a White mother. Yes, I am proud to be 1/8 Balck (with a booty to prove it), and I am proud that our country has come far enough to elect a Black man President. I still respectfully disagree with his policies and agendas, regardless of his race.

President Bush’s Final Speech

Watch this video of  Fox News Report on President Bush’s Final Speech. Do you think President Bush should take the major part of the blame for the recession he leaves to President Obama, or do you think other factors, including Congress ignoring the problem years and years ago, is to blame?

Americans have such a short memory. They forget all the good that transpired over the past several years, after September 11th sent us into a tailspin. I believe President Bush did a fine job in uniting the American people and keeping them focused on the problems we faced back then. I also believe he did more for this country in keeping us safe from another attack than probably any other president in our history.

So why can’t Americans remember the good things President Bush has done, and instead, make fun of him and blame him for everything wrong in America today? I don’t like what that says about America, do you?  It seems to me that President Bush is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn’t protect America by going to war in other lands. It also seems fair to say that most of the blame should be put on the oppossing political party and biased media for too much emphasis on the negatives of war and ignoring the positives that we have enjoyed and that Iraqi’s enjoy.

It seems we are acting like spoiled children when it comes to complaining about what we don’t have and forgetting the blessings. We are happy when we get what we want and everything goes well, but then cry and say things we shouldn’t when things don’t go as well as planned. As if spoiled children when we have to go without in order to fund a war, we relentlessly complain until Congress or the President gives in to our demands…even if those demands are not what is good for us. 

Now here we are at the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. Will we learn from our past mistakes or will we continue to demand more than we should from our government?  Will we run ourselves into a deeper hole because, like spoiled children, we demand too much and give up too little to have what we want?

Obama is going to be in a difficult position when he takes office! He will need our support and our willingness to do what it takes to get out of the mess Wall Street, Congress, Politicians, and Corporate CEO’s greed put us in these past ten years.  

I realize that many of the programs we want the President to push through Congress are goodones. However, that won’t help if we can’t really afford them or we put the security of our nation at risk by cutting the military and weapons.  If we don’t control spending and we don’t protect America from future attacks, we will be in a bigger mess than we are now.  What good is gained to trade our protection for programs if we get hit again by terrorist?  Their targets are our communications, transportation, and financial institutions! What good are programs if these systems are taken out?  In other words, what good is a loaded down wagon (i.e., government is the wagon loaded up with expensive programs) if there is no horse to pull it or no place to take it?

 
Also see: 
Having a Sense of Entitlement

The Market Is Blamed

Congress Knew About Fannie Mae in 2004

I’m Ticked Off-Yahoo Personals

My brother posted a profile on Yahoo Personals that was rejected. They said he used a word that was objectionable (the word was possibly GOD) and that his picture was rejected too. That picture is of Christ and the one in this article. Do you think this picture is objectionable to have in your profile of pictures? Do you think it should have been rejected?

Please go to my article on this subject by clicking on the link below.

http://blfconsulting.com/wordpress/2009/01/03/christianity-and-anti-christian-movement/

Welcome In The New Year With Gratitude

Can you believe it’s 2009?  Does it seem as strange to you as it does to me?  It probably doesn’t seem that odd to the youth, it’s just a new year to them.  To the old timers like a few of us, it seems really strange. I remember, as a child, thinking about what it would be like to live in the 2000’s; now it’s 2009 and soon it will be 2010. 

Do you remember the funny things we thought would exist in the 2000’s?  Some of those things have come to pass and some are still left to the future (like cars that drive on air and eventually in the sky). We used to watch cartoons that depicted a future to be like the Jetsons. 

We never could have dreamed of what computers would be doing today, or that they would be as small as they are now. Can you imagine living life now without the technology we have today?  There would be no Blackberries, iPods, cell phones with a camera and the Internet, no Internet for that matter, and no watching things on the other side of the world in real time. 

I love the world we live in today. Of course there are some things that are not so great: like pornography, teen sex, the number of  children being born to teens and raised without fathers in the home, and all the perversions we see now.  However, so much good is also going on that we may not recognize because all we can see is the bad going on around us.

We really do live in extraordinary times! I hope you will take the time to notice those things you should be grateful for and excited about experiencing this life.  For instance, the Internet has brought me many wonderful blessings. It has connected my husband to his past through genealogy. It has connected me to our children who live all over this nation. The Internet has connected me to you (you who are reading this article), no matter where you live in the world; that’s been a huge blessing for me. 

These times bring us great joy and satisfaction. Religions have learned to use the Internet and technology to make us more spiritual as well. Those who are searching for more meaning in their life can find it by wisely using the Internet, and those who have been lost have been found also. 

I love these times we live in right now, and I love how my life is blessed because of it. I hope you will take the time to consider how your life is blessed by living in these times too. I suspect you will be telling those you love how much you appreciate what they do for you to make your life more meaningful and complete. I also hope you read my article in this link http://blfconsulting.com/wordpress/2009/01/02/new-year-resolutions/about making resolutions, and http://hubpages.com/author/BLFConsulting/hot about living your life with more meaning and purpose.

 Let us make this new year a great one by appreciating our blessings and putting things into better perspective.