America, America, Wherefore Art Thou?

Posted by Frankly Francis on February 21, 2010 under Social Issues/Politics | 3 Comments to Read

Recently, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll found that 84% of Americans do not think that Congress has done enough to create jobs.

I’m reminded of:

“There’s no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you” – Will Rogers

But this is no laughing matter.

I would submit that if Congress had anything to do with jobs, it took them away from the working people in order to bail out their rich friends.  That’s right, I said it.

Here’s how I see it: The relationship of business and government is like that of a sports game.  Business is represented by the players on the field.  The referee of the game is government.  The problem is that government is not content to just play the role of referee – it also plays in the game itself.  Sometimes it plays for one team, sometimes it plays for the other team, and often times it plays for both teams.  And no matter how well intentioned, if you play in the game, you cannot be truly unbiased as a referee.

The President (as the Executive Branch) has a duty to regulate national commerce and the Congress (as the Legislative Branch) has an oversight duty to see that the Executive Branch is doing its job.

Had the government done its job of enforcing its own regulations, this economic mess that we are in may not even have happened, or at the least, been substantially minimized.  Government officials should be sued for gross negligence.

Do you see the sick spin in all of this?  Government didn’t do its job in the first place and then it is acting like it is coming to the rescue.  And Americans are obviously buying into it.  Yeah Government!

For me, it’s like being stuck inside of a Woody Allen movie…

Time to bring out the ”those that don’t learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them” line.

Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman detailed how the American government was complicit in the Great Depression and further went on to show how through its actions and inactions, the American government worsened and prolonged the Great Depression.

But again with the spin, who got blamed?  Evil Unbridled Capitalism, of course.

However, there is nothing wrong with American business – there never has been.  In reality, American business is the most powerful economic engine in recorded history.  Our lifestyle and standing in the world prove that.

Business creates wealth.  Government cannot create wealth – all it can do is take away wealth from one and transfer it to another.

“A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul” – George Bernard Shaw

And it is taking a lot away from a lot of folks.

As citizens, we are forced to buy from the government store.  Expensive prices and poor product are what we get in return for our hard earned money.  On the other hand, we do make some pretty, pretty good bombs and weapons…

How about we stop giving in to the temptation of all pervasive government?  We must instead require government to be a good, responsible servant, within its defined role.

So I would suggest that government get out of business and return to its Constitutional duties before the American Dream becomes something that our kids learn about in history class.

And if you vote for the same old, same old politicians who promise you the same old, same old things, you will continue to get the same old, same old.

I want real change – you can depend on that.

Frankly,

Francis