Okay, first a bit of housekeeping. I will be updating the blog every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday that I am in town and some when I am traveling. The basic premise will be that on Sundays, except this one, will be devoted to Faith and Community topics, Wednesdays will be devoted to Government, Politics, and my philosophies associated with these, and finally Fridays will be devoted to be self reliance, self defense and being prepared for what life might throw at us. But enough of that.......
As for to today, let's talk more about the basic principles that guide me and what I hope to express more clearly for you going forward. It has been my thought process for a couple of years now that we should go back to the basics by which the founders of our country and other generations past have lived. My grandparents lived during the great depression, WWII, and the following decades with a self reliant, local community first, simpler lifestyle. I dare say that had we followed their lead the last 25 years, we probably would not have seen the economic disaster we have the last two years. They lived by a principle called living within their means. What a concept! So that said lets discuss the basics.
Lets start with the basic principle that government should not have an open checkbook for everything and anything that strikes the fancy of some congressman. The government should not be the provider of last resort for everything from abortions to cell phones. Give me a flippin break! Who thinks it makes sense to pay for the health care, education, housing, etc of anyone who comes from anywhere, legally or illegally, for any reason? Using that logic, if someone breaks into your home, you should feed them if they are hungry. I realize people will say well they are just trying to make a better life or take care of their family. Fine just, just don't ask me to pay the bill. Simple as that!
Then you get to the subject of welfare. I can give you true story after true story of multiple generations of the same family living in apartment complexes with their rent being paid by housing, getting utility allowances, SSI, free health care, food stamps, etc and so forth. Are we helping them or dooming future generations to living off of the government hand outs? What is their motivation to get to work and contribute anything to society? Why are we asking the working people of America to continue to pay for someone else to live without any of the worries, stresses or responsibilities they have? Simply put - this has to change. We as a nation have to get tough and make tough decisions. We have to tell these people enough is enough and we can't afford to give everyone a living anymore. We have to limit welfare to a specified time period with staged step downs dependent on signs of progress with regards to going to work. I would rather spend that money of helping pay for the daycare for these families when they go to work. At least then, it is going to something productive and they are producing as well.
While I am on that note, when does 99 weeks of unemployment transition into being welfare and no longer being unemployment? Really? 99 weeks? At some point we need to encourage the unemployed to take something that produces instead of just consumes. Go ahead and call me harsh. Call me insensitive. But I think its called realistic. I understand taking six months to look for something that pays what you want and does what you want. But at some point necessity kicks in and you have to go to work where you can. That doesn't stop you from continuing to look for the perfect job. Again, just don't as us to pay for it while you look!
Not lets talk about us as individuals. Maybe its time we went on a collective spending, convenience, luxury, and just about anything else you can think of diet! Think about it, do we really need TV with cable in every room of the house plus outside. Especially if we are butt deep in debt? It has always amazed me that my generation has always wanted everything our parents had after 30 years of work. But we wanted it as soon as we left the nest. So how did we do it? Did we do like our grandparents? Nope. We did it with credit card debt.
We failed to realize they did it through sacrifice. They didn't eat out every day. They didn't eat steak every day. They planned out things and saved for them. They shopped out of necessity not desire or convenience. They certainly didn't say "Charge it Baby!" They also would never expect the government to do a anything for them other than secure the national defense, build some roads, and provide a base level of security.
We need to go back to that. We need to go back to being a faithful people who value community, neighbors, hard work, saving , personal responsibility, charity through your church/community, honesty, and humility. We need to simplify, simplify, simplify! Some will scoff and say that I am advocating going backwards. Yes and No. Go back to simplicity, but lets keep the medical advances, air conditioning, etc.
We just need some basic common sense and values. Because as you know, "We Can't Go Outside In the Rain."
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