My Take on Recent News

Has it been a month since I last posted? Much has happened in that time which troubles my thoughts.

Our president toured parts of Europe and The Middle East and made a number of speeches. He apologized for what the US has done in the past. I suppose we will no longer seek to free enslaved people, or feed the starving, or stop cruel dictators especially if they are Muslims. That might be good!

This administration "bailed out" two of the big three auto companies. OOPS! They went bankrupt anyway.

The president claimed the government had made a profit on T.A.R.P. money "loaned" to banks because a small percentage had been paid back with interest. REALLY? I thought accepted rules of accounting required all loan monies had to be paid back before claiming a profit.

Two acts of terrorism occurred within our borders. One was the shooting of a "late term" (read viable baby) abortion doctor while in his church by a right wing Christian gun fanatic. The second was the shooting of a security guard while on duty at the Holocaust Museum by a racist white supremacist. OH YEAH! The shooting of two uniformed soldiers outside an US Army Recruiting Station is not to be included as a terrorist act because the shooter was Muslim.

I do so wish I did not care about the future of America. Maybe if I was a minority or at least had a college degree I wouldn't. Hey, come to think about it I am a minority. I'm "elderly". I'm freckled. I'm still married to the same woman after 52 years. I'm a practicing Christian. I'm a legal gun owner and none of my guns ever caused me to rob, threaten or kill anyone.

Mac

I WONDER?

I wonder about a number of things that happened since I last wrote on this blog.

I wonder how Marcus Luttrell was able to keep from pulling the trigger? He had the punks who shot his rehab dog D.A.S.Y. well within the reach of his 9mm automatic. They did not even know he was there and could have died laughing. Marcus is a highly trained and decorated Navy SEAL. He followed the punks in a high speed chase until he could get the proper authorities involved. He a real man of character. He is a real American. See "Lone Survivor" for his story.

I wonder why our Navy was prevented from firing on the life boat when the sailors aboard saw Captain Phillips jump over board? Why are our fighting men trained and equipped to break things and kill people and then prevented from doing so because either some of our friends or some of our enemies might take offense?

I wonder why American politicians have authorized spending 20 times as much, (3 trillion) to "stimulate" the economy, as Japan, the next most powerful country economically? Japan only sees the need to spend (150 billion)? After all this is money we do not actually have at the present time. I wonder how much money each of us should borrow to make our own personal finances solvent? I wonder how large does a company have to be before it is not allowed to go bankrupt? I wonder how many people are allowed to lose their lively hood before the government needs to step in? I think most people today think the answer is one if it is me, 2000 if it is others.

I do not wonder about some things. I mean COME ON! Companies fail because they do not provide the services or goods people want or can afford. The congress caused most if not all of the current "crisis" by interfering with how the banks loaned monies and how the automobile companies produced cars. Pure and simple.

I would not be writing this today if my plans had worked out. We had planned on leaving yesterday to spend Easter with our daughter and son in law. I needed to work yesterday. I do not have access to a military airplane like the Speaker of the House has,so we had to stay at home. Mary and I are enjoying each other's company for a shorter weekend than we had planned.

Jesus sacrificed his life for everyone. You, me and even the people who killed Marcus' dog, if we will just believe. Will I see you in heaven?

23 DAYS

I commented last right after the election and have kept my thoughts to my self regarding our new president. No longer! 23 days since he was sworn in (even that was botched?)and I am about to explode if I do not let some steam off.

Can you believe this spending package the administration is ramming through congress? Every day the news reports tell us how bad the economy is getting. Every day they tell us more and more about what this spending bill has in it.

Guess what? Many people are frightened about what might happen if the market gets worse or if the auto industry fails or if the banking industry fails or if more people lose their jobs. The stock market is afraid of what the spending bill has in it and falls further even faster.

So the fix is in to destroy the free market economy America was built upon. Government will regulate every industry and business which it bails out and props up. Cap what the CEO's are allowed to make and the next step will be to cap what any business owner can make. Pass that thought on down the line until it reaches either you or your children.

They say the money (taxes) will come from the BIG corporations and the RICH people.
Wait, are these the same people who hire us common people to do the work? Will the BIG corporations and RICH people still have money to pay you and me? OH, I forgot, I am one of the RICH people. I have a job and WORK for a living, so I have to pay for the poor people who have not worked for several generations and the illegals who work, but are "off the books" and thus qualify for assistance.

Some call this spending bill the New New Deal. I remember the WPA and the CCC. Sure the WPA (we called them "we poke along" and some of the methods they developed for leaning on shovel handles are still practiced today) built roads, bridges, and dams. Sure the CCC planted trees and built state and national parks. They were both still functioning (I could not bring myself to say working) when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and real jobs in real industry opened up. I wonder who we should credit for ending the depression, Tojo or FDR?

Folks it was WWII that got us out of the depression, not government created jobs.
Not the government paying farmers to NOT grow crops which caused us to have to import instead of export food and fiber.

This spending plan which is coming just 23 days into the Obama administration will worsen the recession and eventually bring about another depression.

It looks like it is going to happen, so as a common little man I suppose I should say, "Go ahead and bring it on so we can begin to get it over with."

By the way, I didn't watch the town hall meetings he held this week. Did anyone hear a single intelligent question asked of the president. I only heard what the news reported and they were all gemme gemme questions. I understand that one of the questions came from a mother with a grown son. Neither of them has worked in 7 years
and they want the government to provide them their own place to cook and go to the bathroom.

Whew! Now I have to decide do I feel better for having let off steam or not? Right now I think not> Maybe next time I can be more positive. I really hope so. Maybe someone else can tell me something good about the current state of affairs in DC.
Mac