AMERICA'S AGENDA
The 20th century has witnessed massive social changes in America. The most notable among them are the decline in traditional moral values, creation and growth of synthetic rights and privileges invented in Hollywood and legislated into law by the legal industry, the division of Americans into special interest groups, the transformation of the mainstream press into a subsidiary of the democrat party for promoting social causes and the complete loss of political power by individuals.
The most far reaching change of all is the cancerous growth of government and its bureaucracies into an eighteen-million-strong occupational army which is now wrecking the lives of average Americans through excessive taxation, reckless spending and wasted dollars measured in billions.
But we cannot blame the politicians and the social engineers solely for what America is today. The entertainment industry has done a superb job in keeping millions of Americans off balance, glued to TV, thereby enabling them to escape the real world where actions take place and decisions affecting their economic future are made. Many people totally tune off politics and do not participate in the political process allowing crooks, thugs and thieves to take over.
Today, many Americans, especially those under thirty years, decide what is good or bad, or right or wrong based on what they saw on TV. We have political and social institutions which thrive on what should be called “stolen money” but they have been recognized as divine organizations legitimized by legislation.
While many traditional, well-paying jobs are getting extinct or exported to other countries for cheap labor, organized labor unions have taken over government as a source of great wealth. They bribed the politicians, expanded government beyond its legitimate purpose and transformed it into a monster that eats away tax dollars at the rate of almost 10 billion dollars a day. As Reader’s Digest March 1996 issue described, government employees have become the new class of wealthy in America. This tax-financed, privileged class has become the greatest threat to America’s middle-class.
As private sector workers struggle to make a living, they are taxed savagely to accommodate the life-style of “the bureau class.” According to the Census Bureau, the average hourly pay in state and local government is $ 28.33 but in the private sector it is only $17.05. At the federal level it is even higher - $32.83 per hour. And on top of that government employees are paid another 30% tax-free benefits. While their paychecks are heavily taxed to support the current social security retires, private sector employees see their savings siphoned away by the teachers’ unions, thanks to the school tax system.
Meanwhile, with the supreme court’s reckless Kelo decision in June 2005, many Americans are now afraid that money-hungry politicians at local governments might even take away their homes, under the guise of eminent domain, and auction them off to the highest bidding developer. Is making money life’s primary goal? Haven’t our politicians and social engineers learned any lesson from the collapse of the Soviet Union where government was in complete control of people‘s lives? Is America going insane?
While all these things, which will have far-reaching consequences in the lives of all Americans, are taking place what does THE PRESS do? They absolutely have no interest in reporting the truth. They play to the emotions, divide Americans and make them hate each other so that they can make money. Have you ever seen a report on the front page of New York Times or a lead news item on NBC stating that “SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND IS JUST AN ILLUSION” or “ONE-FOURTH OF ALL GOVERNMENT SPENDING IS UNNECESSARY OR WASTE?” All they are interested in is how to destroy Republicans and help Democrats get back in power.
This is the context in which we should re-evaluate the role of government in a free society in the 21st century. We must take a good look at our current excesses and set an agenda to make America, a civilized, fair and decent nation for all Americans, not just the wealthy and the 18 million strong bureau-class. Here is what needs to be done:
1. CHANGE THE MIND-SET OF A “SOCIALIST AMERICA” : Almost half of all Americans seems to have adopted that imported, European, soviet, socialist idea that government is the supreme authority, with power to give or take life, decide what is good and bad for people, and that people should surrender their freedom to government for freebies and an easy life with no personal responsibilities. This dangerous notion which has destroyed the Soviet Union is largely responsible for our moral decay and crimes. Unless we part company with this false notion and try to appreciate the greatness of the legacy that our founding fathers left for America - freedom, free institutions and a an affordable government - we are a doomed nation.
2. NORMALSIZE GOVERNMENT: Our politicians from both parties have been supersizing government for the past fifty years, requiring massive amounts of tax dollars to run its operations. The rich does not feel the agony of excessive taxation because, at least, they can afford it. The poor does not know the devastation caused by over taxation because they are shielded from most taxes and even the social security taxes they pay are offset by a “refund” called “earned income tax credit.“ The politicians and social engineers have carefully crafted a tax system to minimize the chances of a tax revolt. The most pressing need for America’s middle class private sector workers earning between $40,000 and $100,000 before tax assault is “normalsizing” governments at all levels. When government is cut to affordable level taxes will come down.
In order to make governments affordable to those who pay taxes, three important reforms are needed. First, recognizing the fact that in a free society government’s role is limited. Government should not engage in running individual families, personal care and other similar activities simply to create thousands of government jobs to help labor unions collect easy money and live happily ever after. Second, there should be a ratio of not more than 400 government workers to every 10,000 population. Currently it is 500 or more in many states. Third, no government employees shall be paid more than the average pay for similar jobs in private sector. Currently the average wages in private sector, state and local governments and federal government are $17.05, $28.33 and $32.83 respectively. Government cannot be used as a gold mine.
3. PRIVATE WORKFORCE TO GOVERNMENT JOB RATIO: Another measure of a manageable size of government is a ratio of private workforce to government workforce, which currently is 87:13 and it is grossly out of balance. An affordable ratio, in a highly developed, free society like ours is 10:1 and no more. And when the private sector workforce dwindle by outsourcing, lay-off and closing of businesses, a proportionate reduction should take place in government. The union-manufactured, unrealistic, self-serving practice of transferring the additional burden to existing taxpayers when one source of tax dies is totally unacceptable. In stead, the government should cut the size of its workforce to a new level and keep the same 10:1 ratio.
4. UNIVERSAL PARTICIPATION IN TAXATION: There is absolutely no justification for any able-bodied American to be excluded from taxation. As you may know, 97% of the federal income tax is paid by the top half of all taxpayers. The other half pays just 3% and then in most cases they get several times that amount in some form of refund, which is money taken from other people who badly needs it. We need to change the American mindset of government care and adopt the principle of One man/woman, one vote and ONE TAX.
5. RECOGNIZE FUNDAMENTAL, NATURAL TRUTH: There is nothing that comes free. If you got something free that means somebody else paid the price. All men, and that goes for women too, are created equal which means they all have 24 hours of time every day. It is by utilizing this non-renewable resource that people earn a living and make wealth. In a free society it is the duty of every man and woman to take charge of their lives. Running your life is not “the government’s” responsibility. After all government is you, me and the other people!
It will be hard to change America within a short space of time, since millions of people addicted to free money and a life without responsibility will vehemently oppose any change. But this is a medicine Americans have to take, otherwise America will cease to exist within the next decade.
Drew Jackson/The Blogtrotter, Jan:29, 2006
Drew Jackson/The blogtrotter : Jan 30, 2006 : 8.00 p.m. EST
Drew Jackson/The blogtrotter : Jan 30, 2006 : 8.00 p.m. EST
