Posted by
Dave Kooker on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 12:04:25 PM
The older and more successful I become, the more I begin to realize life is becoming a never-ending hot potato game. The entire country seems to be obsessed with who is going to be stuck holding the hot potato. Everyone wants the financial rewards of being on the receiving side of Liberalism (Socialism) but no one wants to be subjected to the consequences of their life or the financial burden of the wealth re-distribution. It is always the other guy (which is me) that must surrender my financial resources to remedy the unfavorable consequences of someone else’s poor choices or bad behavior in life. Too many are trained by the government schools to feel good about themselves no matter how far the behavior strays from the behaviors or thoughts that increase one’s chances for success. We are to feel good about ourselves even if it is self-destructive. If there are bad consequences, don’t worry the government is here to help and enable you.
Just this weekend, I was enjoying a nice cigar at a local Tobacco shop while I was in the middle of my property management supply rounds. I always have to give careful thought of my route since my pickup truck gets only nine miles to the gallon. I am not ashamed of my pickup truck because it is the correct tool for the job so I am more efficient. A City of Jacksonville employee acquaintance of mine also stepped into the tobacco store. Since he knows my political worldview he always has to instigate political digs at my expense. City employees are not known for their work ethic, you can probably guess the political orientation of this low achiever.
The stories kept coming out how his son could not pay for health insurance for his family of 3 with one child expecting. He had to rent because he could not afford to purchase a house. Because his son did not have the same level of lifestyle and acquisitions of the average family, someone else must step-in to help him. When I asked the father of this son why he wasn’t willing to help out by lending/giving his own money, the father’s money was not available for his son’s assistance. His son’s life’s choices were not open for discussion but this father had no problem expecting public assistance for his son. We need Nationalized healthcare. We need assistance to help people buy homes. The father was not willing to accept the notion that the sub-prime lending problem was caused because of the same government initiative that he just suggested. It is the bank’s fault with their greed.
As more and more people buy into government dependency, more hot potatoes are thrown into the air:
- * The low achiever throws the responsibility to government.
- * The government creates new regulations and taxes and throws the responsibility to the high achiever.
- * The high achiever throws demands tax cuts and deductions and throws the responsibility to the government.
- * The government creates new regulations and taxes and throws the responsibility to the middle-class.
- * The middle-class throws the responsibility back to the high achiever.
- * The high achiever throws the responsibility back to the low achiever.
- * The low achiever throws the responsibility back to the middle class.
The cycle seems to be never ending. One day these hot potatoes cannot be entirely juggled and will fall to the ground. I am afraid this Liberalism (Socialism) is the terminal cancer of this Republic. I hope to have acquired enough wealth to cash in my chips and run before this Ponzi scheme collapses.
I look into the eyes of my seven-year-old son and smile. My mind is at ease that I have not thrown any hot potato that I have created. I know that I have lived my life on my nickel and not on my son’s nickel or anyone else’s. I hope that I have done every thing possible to teach him high-achievement and self-sufficiency. I do have a lot of concern for my son’s future. Today’s generation has no shame spending the financial resources of their children and grandchildren but to only leave them a past due bill with accrued interest.
What ever happened to personal responsibility? Did it become to be extinct in the 1960’s?
Instead of the motto, Home of the Brave and Free. Let’s change it to: Work harder millions on welfare depend on you.
For more articles of my worldview
[ Go to the main blog of Dave Kooker at http://dmkooker.townhall.com ]