Ask any Republican what they mean by shrinking government and they will usually hand you a list of government programs that need to be dissolved or reduced so they do nothing that people really need. They have forgotten who pays them and who pays for the programs we all need. My son observed years ago that it appears they are deliberately trying to dumb down Americans. Public education has become a primary target as we have been seeing with all the Republican leadership at the state level. They are screaming about Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid but without those programs poverty would be a raging epidemic--unstoppable and deadly. They don't want taxes increased on those who can most afford to pay their fair share because the wealthy would benefit the least from the 4 previous programs--however, they do benefit from fire, police, military, primarily National Guard, roads and other infrastructure that have been neglected because of efforts to restrict spending in all these areas. Shrinking government is not beneficial unless it's cutting things we can afford to do with out. When your home budget gets tight, you get another job to supplement the income and then you start cutting things from the budget that you can absolutely live without--either permanently or temporarily until you can go back to normal. What you don't do is cut the things you absolutely need like food, shelter and transportation. So why do they all seem to want to cut what is necessary, never supplement the income and remove agencies that protect our air, water and food supplies--not to mention medical prescriptions. I get what they are doing because they hint at it every day they get a chance to do it. They call these programs "socialism" and from the standpoint that we all give to these programs and generally speaking benefit from one or all of them at some time or other--they are social. What they aren't is "socialism" nor are they a good fit for a society that runs on capitalism.
Capitalism is the system our economics is based on. And Capitalism is good because it can provide a way for business to grow and provide jobs. Unfortunately, when greedy people take control and game the system to make profits for themselves and their friends, we have what happened in 2008. That didn't happen because people made mistakes. Oh no, that happened because people knew what they were doing and they didn't care about the consequences for our country. We were headed for a cliff (a depression not unlike what happened when the Great Depression hit in the 30's) but a wall was thrown up at the last minuet to keep everyone including those who got us into this mess from going over that cliff. Many Americans are still suffering because of the greed of the few. And while investigations are ongoing into what crimes were committed, no one was really punished. So we limp along with the few safety nets our social programs provide. Capitalism nearly killed us again but all hail the Capitalistic Society--we must not keep it from going forward or from preventing the criminals from doing it to us all over again!
So here we are in another election cycle and the Republicans are pointing fingers in all directions but themselves. They demand smaller government as if "big" government caused all our problems. And in nearly every state they are trying to cut everything people really need, especially education. Their solutions to "big" government seem to involve making laws that are invasive to our private lives, which is the big hypocrisy. Their definition of big government is taking our money and giving it to undeserving people. The truth is they want control over every part of our lives that is not the business of any government. Our government protects us from such intrusions, or at least it should. It's totally obvious that Republicans exercise their own kind of "big government" demanding that we give up our privacy, our right to collectively bargain in the market place, our right to make health care decisions with our doctors and our insurance providers and our right to keep any religion out of any private citizens daily concerns. So which is it? Is big government collecting taxes and helping us survive in emergencies or is it demanding to control every part of our private lives?
If government is "overspending" on programs that people really need, then let's cut things we need less of like Military spending (which is way more than we need). How about Congress getting a stipend instead of a pay check, no health insurance and no pensions based on how long they have been in Congress. For that matter, we need term limits for these people if we are going to get back to small government. Let mothers, who balance their budgets at home, take a wack at balancing the Federal Budget. These are supposed to be our best and brightest and I don't see them doing anything but what serves their own interests. If you are going to collect tax dollars from Americans then you need to use that money for things WE need--do you need a list?! And if you cut us off, then we'll cut you off...we'll provide the term limits come election day! Are you with me?
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Gossip is.....
If you were born and raised in a small town or were then or are now the brunt of it in High School, then you know where I'm going with this...plainly put, gossip is the preferred weapon of cowards. Yes, that's right, it is a weapon and one mainly used by the cowardly among us!
That includes those who receive it and pass it, maybe especially those because they are complicit in the LIE that is the basis for all gossip. What good does this lie do the perpetrators, especially those who just pass along what they've heard--they become the powerful (albeit in a very small way) over those who are libeled by the gossip. Who can stand against their lies? No one, because the lie is in effect asking the question "Have you stopped beating your wife ". You can answer neither yes or no! You cannot deny that which you have never done--for which you cannot possibly be named guilty except in the eyes of those who told the lie in the first place and those who pass it on thinking they are in on the dirty little secret given to them as the "truth". I have never been the brunt of such liars as far as I know, nor have I ever participated in the terrible game used against someone else. But I am old enough to recognize gossip when I hear and to advise people to seek the truth instead of trying to claim power by lying about someone else. It is a game with terrible consequences for both the lied about and the liars who perpetuate the lie even when forced to face the truth.
Those who have been the brunt of gossip live with the pain of knowing that their lives are being discussed by people who are lying about them. They, usually, don't know who these people are although today with computers and cell phones it's easy to see who might be behind it. That, however, doesn't help much nor does it seem to stop the use of this weapon by the cowards who use it. As a matter of fact, Gossip seems to have been lifted to an art in our society. There are news papers dedicated to gossiping about celebrities and gossip columns in other news papers that pry into people's private lives so the rest of us can feel superior to them. Gossip never starts innocently, it is a deliberate attempt to smear someone and now Gossip has been elevated to the status of "news". News is supposed to be the truth or at least the facts concerning an issue or what is happening in our world.
Unfortunately what we are getting especially from people at Fox News has nothing to do with facts or the truth. Just like personal gossips, their stories lead off with, "I heard..." "Did you hear..." "Did you know..." and then proceed to make sure you know the lie they are telling as if it were the truth. Their only intent is to make sure that you see things their way and pass it along to as many people as you can using the same phrase, "Did you hear....that Mr. Obama wasn't born in this country....he doesn't have a valid birth certificate...they can't find his certificate...it's not the actual certificate but one that has been tampered with...and on and on. Each time the gossiper wants you to know that they know something more about the lie, which they don't. If they did they would be telling you the truth and they would tell you that even if Mr. Obama was born in a foreign country, his Mother was an American and any of her children would be considered to be Americans too. We are or are becoming a culture of gossips, preferring the lies to the truth and condemning people who have no way of defending themselves against the lies---each defense is also condemned as an attempt to cover it up. Just like personal gossip, it asks a question about you or him for which no answer will suffice. You might say that the "news" people or commentators are right there in front of you---they wouldn't dare try to lie in such a public way! Really--REALLY? They are about power--and they use that power of "knowing what you don't know" to convince you that their lies ARE the truth. Once convinced of the lies, the listener then only hears the lies. "Obama is Un-American, a Muslim, a "terrorist" (coined by Palin for his paling around with them--untrue), he's an appeaser of our enemies (I hope you understand what that means--it's the same as treason but I hardly think the evidence shows that he gives in to our enemies in any way) not a Christian (REALLY?) a radical (also coined by Palin during her brief campaign--(Hope you've seen Game Change!); all being perpetuated among the professional radical Gossips as the truth.
The truth is out there but the gossips aren't listening or telling anyone anything but the lies they have come to believe as true. If you are with me then it is time to call them on what they are doing. If you know the truth, then tell them the truth--they probably won't believe you or may think that you have been blinded by liberal propaganda. Liberals don't use propaganda which is defined as telling a lie over and over until it is accepted as the truth--watch Fox for a day--each "story" is repeated with no deviation or variation. That is propagandizing the listener because they don't want you to think for yourselves!
The Founding Fathers were "liberals" coming from the same root word as LIBERTY. I am not ashamed of being called a liberal. It is also the root word of FREEDOM! Without liberals we would never have gained or kept our "freedoms". So I ask you, Are you with me?
That includes those who receive it and pass it, maybe especially those because they are complicit in the LIE that is the basis for all gossip. What good does this lie do the perpetrators, especially those who just pass along what they've heard--they become the powerful (albeit in a very small way) over those who are libeled by the gossip. Who can stand against their lies? No one, because the lie is in effect asking the question "Have you stopped beating your wife ". You can answer neither yes or no! You cannot deny that which you have never done--for which you cannot possibly be named guilty except in the eyes of those who told the lie in the first place and those who pass it on thinking they are in on the dirty little secret given to them as the "truth". I have never been the brunt of such liars as far as I know, nor have I ever participated in the terrible game used against someone else. But I am old enough to recognize gossip when I hear and to advise people to seek the truth instead of trying to claim power by lying about someone else. It is a game with terrible consequences for both the lied about and the liars who perpetuate the lie even when forced to face the truth.
Those who have been the brunt of gossip live with the pain of knowing that their lives are being discussed by people who are lying about them. They, usually, don't know who these people are although today with computers and cell phones it's easy to see who might be behind it. That, however, doesn't help much nor does it seem to stop the use of this weapon by the cowards who use it. As a matter of fact, Gossip seems to have been lifted to an art in our society. There are news papers dedicated to gossiping about celebrities and gossip columns in other news papers that pry into people's private lives so the rest of us can feel superior to them. Gossip never starts innocently, it is a deliberate attempt to smear someone and now Gossip has been elevated to the status of "news". News is supposed to be the truth or at least the facts concerning an issue or what is happening in our world.
Unfortunately what we are getting especially from people at Fox News has nothing to do with facts or the truth. Just like personal gossips, their stories lead off with, "I heard..." "Did you hear..." "Did you know..." and then proceed to make sure you know the lie they are telling as if it were the truth. Their only intent is to make sure that you see things their way and pass it along to as many people as you can using the same phrase, "Did you hear....that Mr. Obama wasn't born in this country....he doesn't have a valid birth certificate...they can't find his certificate...it's not the actual certificate but one that has been tampered with...and on and on. Each time the gossiper wants you to know that they know something more about the lie, which they don't. If they did they would be telling you the truth and they would tell you that even if Mr. Obama was born in a foreign country, his Mother was an American and any of her children would be considered to be Americans too. We are or are becoming a culture of gossips, preferring the lies to the truth and condemning people who have no way of defending themselves against the lies---each defense is also condemned as an attempt to cover it up. Just like personal gossip, it asks a question about you or him for which no answer will suffice. You might say that the "news" people or commentators are right there in front of you---they wouldn't dare try to lie in such a public way! Really--REALLY? They are about power--and they use that power of "knowing what you don't know" to convince you that their lies ARE the truth. Once convinced of the lies, the listener then only hears the lies. "Obama is Un-American, a Muslim, a "terrorist" (coined by Palin for his paling around with them--untrue), he's an appeaser of our enemies (I hope you understand what that means--it's the same as treason but I hardly think the evidence shows that he gives in to our enemies in any way) not a Christian (REALLY?) a radical (also coined by Palin during her brief campaign--(Hope you've seen Game Change!); all being perpetuated among the professional radical Gossips as the truth.
The truth is out there but the gossips aren't listening or telling anyone anything but the lies they have come to believe as true. If you are with me then it is time to call them on what they are doing. If you know the truth, then tell them the truth--they probably won't believe you or may think that you have been blinded by liberal propaganda. Liberals don't use propaganda which is defined as telling a lie over and over until it is accepted as the truth--watch Fox for a day--each "story" is repeated with no deviation or variation. That is propagandizing the listener because they don't want you to think for yourselves!
The Founding Fathers were "liberals" coming from the same root word as LIBERTY. I am not ashamed of being called a liberal. It is also the root word of FREEDOM! Without liberals we would never have gained or kept our "freedoms". So I ask you, Are you with me?