When I was a young child I was given an allowance. $3.00 a month. Half of that went into the back for savings. I knew that if I wanted anything, I had to save my money, and buy it myself. I remember wanting a nintendo and begging my parents to get one for me. But all they would say is that I had to save my money and buy it for myself. I remember mowing our neighbors yard, and making $5.00 a week. I knew that if I wanted that nintendo I would have to mow his yard for 25 weeks. I always found things came up that took my money faster than I could save it. Mainly baseball cards, candy, movies, things that I realize now should have and could have been putting money aside for the things that I really desired. I eventually did get that nintendo but in the end it just wasn't what I had hoped it would be. It wasn't worth the pain of saving up for it.
Now please understand that I am not an economist, but it seems to me that the simple things seem easier. As a teacher I follow the motto: "Keep-It-Simple-Stupid" or K.I.S.S. Money is a touchy subject for a lot of people, it is like a monster and needs o be taken seriously. Now let's take a brief look at my distorted look on fiscal responsibility. It seems to me that you can't spend money you don't have. I can't walk into a car dealership and tell them that I want a car, and tell them not to worry and I'll pay them for it, but I won't pay for it for another 10 years. Go ahead, see what happens. Or I have another scenario. Try going into Best Buy and buy a flat screen television. When they ask for payment just give them the richest guy in the neighborhoods name and address and tell them that they will be paying for it. But it seems to me that this is the exact way the U.S. government seems to work. The money that is brought in doesn't come close to matching the amount that is going out. But this doesn't stop them from spending it. It doesn't matter who is in office. Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, they all do this. Try this...go take a credit card out and use that to pay off another one, and when that one comes due, pay that one off with another one. At some point those notes are going to come due. You have to pay your bills. Every credit card user knows that. But our elected officials seem to think that doesn't apply to them. Seems simple to me...if you don't have the money, you don't get it, whatever it is. Or better yet, you don't have Bill Gates pay for the things you want just because he has more money than you do. He worked hard for that money and doesn't owe you a dime of it. Whatever happened to the expression "There is no such thing as a free lunch." We need someone in office that can make the hard choices, the tough ones...the ones where if you don't have the money, you don't get it. And you don't take more money from the rich to pay for the things you want. I am not rich by any means, and shockingly I don't think I deserve their money. The things that are promised to us by our government are "Life, liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness." No where does it talk about that flat screen or nintendo that I want. This nation has a huge miss perception of what is a 'want', and what is a 'need'.
The war in Iraq:
Just a couple of thoughts really quick in this area...
Again a story growing up. Don't you love those? I remember growing up and being a smaller kid. I was picked on, and thrown into lockers. I even remember being too scared to go to school because I was threatened with a 'swirly'. For those who don't know what this is, this is where guys will pick you up, turn you upside down, and place your head in the toilet. Then they would flush it, hence a 'swirly'. I remember a guy, we'll call him Todd, he was much bigger and would stick up for kids who were picked on. We didn't ask for his help, and he didn't expect anything in return for his aid.
This is the way that I see our involvement in the wars. The people of Iraq and Afghanistan are the ones about to get a 'swirly' and the U.S. is Todd. Do we NEED to be there, of course not. But I heard a saying one time that made a lot of sense: "Those that have the ABILITY, also have the RESPONSIBILITY to help." Were there W.M.D.? Who knows? Who cares? Were we lied to...probably. But let's not focus on the fact that only congress can go to war, which happened to be democratically led, when Bush was in office. Let's focus on the fact at hand. The world, like it or not, is a safer place without Saddam Hussein in it. I love to hear people say that the only reason we got into the war was for the oil. That's funny, after 10 years, I am paying almost twice as much as I did in 1999 at the pump. Where is this oil...I know, probably the same place as the W.M.D.'s. There is no perfect way to get out of the mess we are in, and yes there are still dangerous people in the world, but maybe we should do what we can to rid ourselves first of people that want to rid the world of us. Just a thought. Here's the fact...people are not going to get along. I have had enough discussions trying to get people to see things from my point of view, to no avail. We have always been a country based on REactive thinking rather than PROactive thinking. Which is one of the reasons that Clinton, who had Osama Bin Laden in his sights, didn't give the order to fire. We waited until two buildings came down, another was crashed into before we took action.
With all this serious talk, I thought I would post a comic that doesn't have ANY political humor, but I saw the funniest "Wizard of Id" strip and had to post it. Enjoy and we'll see you later. You know...another day, more issues. =)
Be blessed...and be a blessing
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