Our Shadow Government

From time to time in my writings, you have seen me refer to “Our Shadow Government” or to the “Power Elite”. Originally, I came up with the former title, borrowing it from the Final Report of  President Obama’s National Commission on the  Financial and Economic Crisis of 2008, wherein the report referred to our Shadow Banking System (I have since seen it in book titles and other places, however). I thought that title to be very appropriate because, although I couldn’t see or clearly understand what was happening at any given time, I could see their shadows.

Ultimately, I borrowed and came to use the latter title from the book, Who Rules America, by G William Domhoff, an in-depth study of who really wields the power in America–an excellent book which should be used in our schools. The title, Power Elite, is much more definitive in defining the real power governing our nation. It is referring to the very powerful, very wealthy, and the elite; who, in one combination or another (they don’t always agree among themselves) exercise almost complete control over the direction of our nation. They finance our elections, and they even write many of our laws, sometimes going so far as to, through their special interest representatives, sit down in the offices of our elected representatives and write the laws themselves. They are among those behind the infamous tax cuts for the wealthy enacted during the administration of George W. Bush and recently renewed. Their greed and “screw-ups” are behind the financial crisis of 2008. Their greed and desire for even more power has contributed to our huge national debt and their desire to do away with safety nets for our people, i.e. Social Security, Healthcare, etc. Their greed is behind the massive redistribution of wealth from the poor to the rich in the past thirty plus years, including the diminution of the Labor Sector of our populace.

Mr. Domhoff tells us that the power elite have ruled us since the beginning of our nation. They wrote our Constitution and, after agreeing with its content among themselves, put it to the people for their approval. For the most part, they ran our government then and they run our government now. Mr. Domhoff goes on to tell us, also, that corporate and business interests are those most usually pursued and agreed upon–interests that protect and perpetuate the wealth and power of the power elite.

Our elected government has the complete power and authority of our Constitution to govern our nation, but they have relinquished their power to the moneyed interests–the power elite. Elections are enormously expensive and they need the money. Where this is obvious in our government, where it comes from the shadows or from under the table is seen in the exercise of power by their representatives, the special interest lobbyists on K Street in our capital. These people buy and control our politicians through campaign contributions, threats and intimidation, luxury travel, jobs after they leave office, and on and on. How many of the candidates for the presidency in the primaries of 2012 went on to work for special interest groups on K Street afterwards? Think about it. We are told our elected representatives spend half their time on the telephone raising money in order to finance their campaigns and get re-elected. Wow! If you take that time spent out of their schedules, how much more time would they have to get work done for their constituents?  Maybe, even, we would see them in the chambers of the House and Senate during debate time for a change. Doesn’t the word debate mean or imply that all parties to the debate are present for the process?

The only way we the people can ever take back our government from these people so that it can become what it is supposed to be, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, is to take the money out of our politics. We need federally financed elections. All support toward the election of political candidates, federal, state and local, should be government financed and controlled. No political support of any kind (personal, family, business, friends, or acquaintances) should be allowed under any circumstance, whether in the form of money, assets of any kind, jobs, privileges, or whatever, should be allowed. Campaign expenditures should be capped, and campaigns should be significantly shortened. In conjunction with this, we should develop uniform voting laws in every state throughout the nation which will readily enable a multi-party system as opposed to the two-party system we now have. Obviously, strict internal controls and penalties should be enacted to insure enforcement and accountability. All candidates should be elected based upon the issues in conjunction with their abilities and character–not their wealth. Maybe even a qualified poor man can be elected. It’s past time to put truthfulness and veracity back into government. It’s past time for our government to represent the good of all the people.

In reality, our elected representatives have the power to do this on their own if they would. As a matter of law, they are the only one(s) who can effect such a change, but they haven’t. Without our insistence, I don’t really think they will. Do you? It is up to “we the people” to exercise sufficient political action to bring about change. There are more of us than there are of them. Do you really think we can remain on our present course and remain a Democratic Republic if we don’t act?

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

The State of Our Economy

Current news reporting notwithstanding, economically, as the rich among us become increasingly richer, our middle-class is disappearing and our underclass is rapidly expanding. Wages and income (in real terms) is decreasing, and the preponderance of our people is in debt up to their ears (personal as well as national debt). Real unemployment is exceedingly high with around twenty million (my best estimate) people out of work and jobs (and money) flowing profusely from our country to nations around the globe as we rapidly clamor to borrow it back. Many just cannot make ends meet. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of our people, go to bed at night hungry. Even more is on some form of welfare or another– our welfare roles have literally exploded. Then, lest we forget, there are the very many among us who are homeless. The standard of living for our economy as a whole is in long-term decline, a trend I anticipate will continue for many years, due to many contributing factors; and, as you might expect, worry, unrest, and discontent among our people is rampant. The sale of firearms and ammunition in our country has increased significantly, and the establishment of internment facilities and massive purchases of ammunition by our government’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a matter of record (Ref: infowars.com). Does this surprise you? Did you already know what I’m saying to you? Well, I’m sorry, but it has been happening all around us and doing so for many years–from my viewpoint, over thirty. This is my synopsis of our problem(s) in a “nutshell” without all the political propaganda attached. The question is, what are we going to do about it? Just as important, when?

Isn't this enough to motivate a responsible citizen of this great nation to wake up and take an active part in government? We've been apathetic too long. Get hold of your Congressmen. Make them really represent you.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

The Purpose of a Business

Businesses were created by man for the sole purpose of providing a product or service to the people, to fill a need, to serve man–not to rule him. The sole justification for the very existence of a business is that purpose–none other. If a business does not provide that product or service for which it was established on an honest and competitive basis; if a business does not fulfill a need; it cannot justify its existence. The perpetuation of a business for any other reason is a travesty and a distortion of the economy. Profit, contrary to popular thinking, is not the purpose of a business. Profit is an expense of doing business, the same as the electric bill, the rent, insurance, payroll, etc. Profit is the rent payable to the businesses investor(s). If it doesn't pay its bills or make a profit to pay its investors, it will not be able to remain in business. The business investor must receive his pay, too. You don’t claim that the purpose of a business is to pay a landlord. Neither should you claim that the purpose of a business is to pay the utility company or the investor. Satisfaction of the customer’s or client’s needs is its ultimate purpose.

In arguing this very important anomaly with those who vehemently insist that the purpose of a business is to make a profit, what I just said may seem to be a silly play on words, but it certainly is not. There is a difference. There is a significant difference between profit being the goal or purpose of a business as opposed to the purpose of a business being to provide a product, service, or to fulfill a need being such–a difference that is the major cause of a critical problem in our economy and in our government today. The whole focus of the economy is distorted. As such, business today (admittedly, not all) has become a tool of the corporate oligarchy, the power elite, used to dominate and take advantage of the people they are supposed to serve. There is a difference between earning a profit for one’s investor(s) and profiteering for excessive power and gain.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Six Blind Men

I have copied, below, a centuries old tale for you to read and think about, as it portrays the essence of many of the opinions we form in our deliberations of today. Many of you have read this before, but many have not. I think the lesson is worth the reading.

John Godfrey Saxe's (1816-1887) version of the famous Indian legend,

There is an old, old story of long, long ago of the blind men and the elephant, you know

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approach'd the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, -"Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he,
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

MORAL.

So oft in theologic political wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

National Health Care

Refusing to be drawn into just another pseudo-intellectual and probably un-winnable discussion as to what is or is not our natural right in this country, I will point out to you one undeniable fact of life, using our driver’s license as an example. It is said that ownership or possession of a driver’s license is not a right. It is a privilege. Rubbish! It may be a privilege, legally, but I submit to you that, for a significant majority of citizens in this country, possession of a driver’s license is an absolute necessity, if for no other reason than for the purpose of maintaining employment–i.e. making a living. One has only to ask the many that have had their licenses taken from them. In the same vein, I submit to you that adequate health care, also, is an absolute necessity. Not only is it a necessity of life for our people, it is imperative for the well-being and security of our nation–social status notwithstanding.

In view of this, I propose that a national single payer health care plan modeled after our present system of Medicare be established for the health care of all legal citizens of The United States of America, excluding active military personnel covered under the military system. In the design and development of this system, the interest and wellbeing of our people should and must be our first and foremost priority–not that of business or politics. In putting forth this proposal, I readily recognize there will be those who will complain and object to no end. They will find all kinds of imperfections and faults with its implementation. Again, Rubbish! I don’t want to hear it. I submit to you that there is no imperfection whatsoever–none–that cannot be foreseen, tweaked and/or corrected by an intelligent and conscientious legislature with the “Good of the People” and the nation in mind. I tell you now. This subject has been studied to death, and every aspect, good and bad, is known. Any unknown that might exist should be minimal and can be corrected. Healthcare is one of the most important and urgent issues in our nation today. We should resolve it and resolve it now.

In conjunction with this, our government must be honest with our people, and let them know healthcare is not free. A major problem with our current system seems to be that everybody wants healthcare when they need it but don’t want to pay for it. Everybody should and must be willing to pay their fair share based upon their ability to pay. To this end, I propose that this plan be financed (as is in the case of Social Security), using a stand-alone fund, separate and apart from the national budget, a must for effective cost and budget control. Payments into this stand-alone fund should be made by the implementation of a surtax on income based upon a percentage calculated at the beginning of each year by dividing the year’s projected total health care expense for the year by projected total taxable earned income for the same period. That percentage, so calculated, should be adjusted at the beginning of each succeeding year so as to adjust for surpluses or deficits in the prior year, thereby effecting a pay as you go plan. Again, separation of the fund from the national budget is imperative.

The two largest objections to this proposal will come from two arenas of the populace, those who expect something for nothing, and those who will cry “Socialist”. To the former, I say you are unworthy of discussion–the best interests of the nation are more important than your selfishness. To the latter, you may rest assured I am not proposing Socialism. An individual system does not have to be Socialistic. Deng Xiaoping (a socialist leader of China in the 1990’s) said, "It doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice" (he chose state capitalism for China). My proposal “catches mice” for the citizens of the United States of America. It provides for the health care of our people; and it pays for itself on a continuing basis without contributing to the national deficit, ultimately contributing to the reduction of our national debt. Under my proposal, all those under the age of 55 can relax.

If my proposal is adopted, a fine health care system will not be the only benefit. Listed below are others:

1. We will not be spending millions upon millions of dollars arguing as we do now. 
2. Healthcare will be “off the back of” business. They can plan and operate their businesses without worrying about the hours in a work week, unplanned cost increases, etc. 
3. The change in hours in a work week and its impact on national income need not become a national economic problem.
4. Healthcare costs can be more easily controlled. 
5. We will be able to move on to resolving other urgent national problems.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

 

 

My Country

Philosophies and ideologies aside, probably the greatest determiner of one’s quality of life is the country or nation in which one is born and raised. My country is the United States of America and I must tell you. I think it is the greatest country in the world (I confess. I have only visited three other countries [Japan six years after WWII, Korea during the Korean War, and Canada–I once visited Niagara Falls]). I think it is the greatest, my government tells me it is the greatest; and, therefore, it must be the greatest–I believe that. Politically, we are a democratic republic (are we?); economically, we are capitalistic and believe in a free market (really?); in terms of standard of living, we consist of 5% of the world’s population and consume 25% of the world’s production–all other countries of the world considered, that’s a really big piece of the total pie in spite of today’s economic condition; morally, well, as I said in the beginning, “philosophies and ideologies aside”. In total, my observations are that in all of these areas, we are going downhill rapidly. Will we come back? That is in the hands of you the people. Do you remember? “We are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people”. 

Bottom Feeders and Top Feeders

There are bottom feeders and there are top feeders. They will always be with us. With neither dignity nor bluster, the bottom feeders go about their day, gleaning for whatever will sustain them. Some very few lie, cheat, and steal; others work at very low paying jobs (many work more than one–just to get by); many (very many) are unemployed; and, yet others, are forced to rely on the charity of the community–they are disabled in one way or another. On the other hand, there are the top feeders. In terms of numbers, there are a lot less of them than the bottom feeders; they are but a very tiny minority; but, in terms of their consumption of society’s total productivity, they are the greatest. Day after day, they lie, cheat, and steal, hiding behind the trappings of dignity, power, and prestige, and slowly sap the strength of our economy far beyond their real contribution to its productivity, ever increasing the gap between them and the lesser of us, with no regard for morality, the sanctity of life, the environment, or our nation. You hear it said every day, “The rich are getting richer, and the poor are becoming poorer”.

Now why would I write this? What I have said is obviously controversial, argumentative, and divisive. My answer is that, once again, I find myself disappointed and impatient with the single-mindedness of so many. Every day, we talk about welfare–a really serious issue within our nation which we surely must resolve; but we always discuss it in terms of the poor, the unemployed, and the needy; and our viewpoint or context in the discussion is almost always in the negative, focusing only on the cheaters as opposed to concentrating on the truly needy among them. Those lowlifes are always on the take–why don’t they find a job and go to work? How many times have you heard that kind of talk? Our emphasis is effectively focused on how those on welfare are leaches on the productivity of others. I’ll write more on this aspect of today’s posting at another date under the title of “The Underclass”; but, for now, I wish to discuss another aspect of welfare–the top feeders.

I don’t have the specific statistics on this. I confess. So, please permit me to generalize, and you can form your own viewpoint. Generally speaking, welfare is negative productivity. I have to believe we can all agree on that much. However, welfare can and does come in many forms. If income is equated to productivity (and it usually is), are not taxes from which welfare is paid, negative productivity? In this same vein, are not favorable tax rates allotted to favored companies or individuals tantamount to welfare? Are not special tax loopholes welfare, also? How about wages paid to top corporate management, bankers, educators, etc.? Within the past twenty or twenty-five years, salaries of top managers, as a percentage of the average income of the workforce within their companies, has increased 400% (or something like that). From where did this increase in worthiness come? What created it? Did their productivity really increase that much in that relatively short period of time as compared to the average worker in their company? Is not that a form of welfare, also? I submit that it is. They really got something for nothing, and they weren’t even hungry. They had food on their table. Their efficiency and/or productivity didn’t increase any more than yours–yet they take home millions. One, it was reported, had $4,000 shower curtains in his bathroom, yet they complain about someone in need getting $100 in food stamps. I tell you. God will deal with people like that one day.

Let us look at wages, income, and wealth in our nation. It is a well known fact: the rapid disparity in the distribution of productivity and wealth in our country has literally exploded in the past thirty-plus years. Why? How did it all get from you and me to someone else–that fast? I personally believe that all real wealth either came from the ground or was produced from the blood, sweat, and tears of the people. I submit to you that a large part of your productivity got to someone else via welfare–welfare to the top feeders; and, in the final analysis, that welfare, by far, is significantly greater than any other that dribbled down to those at the bottom.

It is unquestionable truth that the rich and elite among us contribute immensely to our economy and to the world. We need them. We need them mightily (and they know it). We need their gifts of intelligence, skills, and leadership. We also need them to be an example which we can all look up to and follow–an example of integrity, truthfulness, and veracity. This is imperative for the good of our people and our country. Accordingly, they should receive benefits and remuneration commensurate to their contribution–much more than the lesser of us. I don’t think anyone disputes that; but, also, we the people–everyone–need and deserve our fair share of the pie. 

In conjunction with this, it is absolutely imperative that everyone carry their fair share of the load in conducting the affairs of our great nation according to their abilities, including their ability to pay–our rich do not need to be on welfare. They should be American. The United States of America and its people should and must be the first priority of everyone from top down and bottom up–all should contribute and all should participate. This is not just about any one of us. If we don’t, I’ll just say this; throughout history there have been those who have created wealth by “bloodsucking” the productivity of slavery. Is this what we want? Is such to be our ultimate destiny? Are we to become slaves? The decision is ours. What's your decision?

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Who Is Going To Pave The Road?

Once upon a time, there was a community of approximately eighteen people living along a private, long and narrow unimproved dirt road off the main road in the country. The road was rugged, wash-boarded, full of potholes and somewhat obstructed by brush on either side. Consequently, it had to be frequently scraped or dragged lest it would become almost inaccessible. There were frequent complaints by various service providers such as UPS, Fed Ex, the mailman, and/or delivery vehicles; and, in the event of a medical emergency, it was inaccessible by ambulance. Since it was a private road, local government disclaimed all responsibility for its maintenance. They declared that the road was the responsibility of the landowners, who would do nothing towards its maintenance.

For a long time, the road maintenance which was done was done by a couple of the landowners who had their own tractors and the wherewithal to do so. The others along the road would not or could not contribute to its maintenance. There were still others who liked things just as they were and didn’t want to have the road paved. Eventually, the maintenance was discontinued altogether. Those who previously “carried the load” had enough. Needless to say, the road became more and more difficult to travel and the complaints continued to mount.

Finally, four of the landowners decided to have the road paved, the cost of which would be $40,000 per land owner. Once again, the other’s refused to go along. The question at issue is, “Given that the road needed to be paved, how should the problem be resolved”?

I submit to you that this is a prime example of the total condition of our country today–a microcosm of such, if you will. Parties on all sides of the issues have presumably legitimate arguments to support their views, ideological and otherwise. Many views are responsible and constructive and many more are not, with almost none taking the time to stop and look at the big picture, i.e. what’s good for all. Can you not see the need for all of us to work together?

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

The Informed Voter

I heard New Jersey’s Representative Bill Pascrell say on Washington Journal this morning that in these times politics is more “Celebrity” than politics. Isn't that sad? Isn't it sad that elections are won and lost because of one candidate’s looks and ability to be “entertaining” as opposed to his ability to govern, his knowledge, his world view, his character, and (also, very important) his work ethic–a character trait missing in so many? Yet, isn't that how so very many of us determine for whom we vote? My granddaddy was a Whig, my daddy’s a Whig, and by gum and by golly, I’m a Whig. No one is going to change my mind.

In his book, The Myth of the Rational Voter–Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies, the author, Bryan Caplan tell us that “In theory, democracy is a bulwark against socially harmful policies, but in practice it gives them a safe harbor”. He goes on to ask the question, “How can this Paradox of Democracy be solved? One answer is that the people’s ‘representatives’ have turned the tables on them….A second answer, which complements the first, is that voters are deeply ignorant about politics. They do not know who their representatives are, much less what they do. This tempts politicians to pursue personal agendas and sell themselves to donors”.

Think about this. Isn't it true as I said yesterday, “With freedom comes responsibility”? Where do you see responsibility when, in the course of our elections, voter (a citizens’) opinions vary from one day to another in the polls, swinging back and forth (not unlike the sword of Damocles) with the political commercials? How can political propaganda find a place in the mind of a truly informed citizen?

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net                                                                           

Personal Freedom

It’s my life. Just leave me alone. Let me live my life and you live yours. How many times have you heard that said? That sounds reasonable doesn’t it? It certainly does sound that way to me, but it’s not. It is not reasonable for a number of reasons. Your freedom to be left alone and do as you please ends where another’s freedom begins.

There was a day when the issue of personal freedom was less of a problem. In the beginning, we were primarily an agrarian nation–our population was less dense. We were born on a farm, raised in the city during the industrial revolution of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and graduated to the current age of technology in which we now find ourselves. In our highly industrialized and technically oriented computerized internet society today, most all of us live in urban areas. Whereas our neighbor now may be next door, upstairs, downstairs, or just on the other side of the wall, our  neighbor then was either over the hill, up the “holler”, or miles down the trail. Today, we continually bump into one another. We bump into one another when we breathe the same air, share the same water, travel the same roads, when our neighbor’s stereo or TV is too loud, and on and on.

The fact is our freedom comes face to face with others constantly. That’s why we can’t do as we please. That’s why our personal freedom must have its limits. With freedom comes responsibility, the need for self-discipline, and accountability. If we are to live in peace with others, we must understand and accept this.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

About Me

Putting together my composition for today, I want to tell you something about myself.

In order to have gotten off to a “right start”, perhaps I should have told you in my very first posting; because, I think at least, it is one of the most important things I’ll ever say to you. It is the essence of who I am and what I believe. You can’t always tell to hear me talk, and you can’t always tell when you see me in person, contrary to what we are taught, but I firmly (if not always so fervently) believe in God. I have no doubt whatsoever about Him; and, also, I believe in His only begotten son, Jesus. That word, begotten, is important because His was a virgin birth.

Jesus walked the dusty streets of Israel just like any other man of his time. I can understand why so many people don’t believe him to be the son of God. If someone knocked on my door today and said he was Jesus, I wouldn’t believe him. I might be scared as “all get out”, but I wouldn’t believe him. What I can’t understand, on the other hand, is why people–anybody– wouldn’t want to follow His teachings–at the very least, try. Everything He says are words of love, forgiveness, peace, helping your neighbor, and so on. Arguably, our world may not be coming to an end anytime soon, but it is certainly sick, miserable, and in, oh, so very much pain. One may think he doesn’t need Jesus. One may not believe; but, he surely needs to follow His teachings.

I can’t know for sure, of course; but, if Jesus returned to this earth this very moment, I think He would be neither a Republican nor a Democrat, the protestations of the so-called right wing evangelicals notwithstanding.

But there is one thing I do know. When Jesus came to this earth and lived among us, He came to the people–all of us. He didn't come to just the elite, the rich, or the powerful; he came to the poor, the tired, the hungry, all of us–the masses. He dwelled among us; and, in His eyes and the eyes of God, we were all equal. Until the day He died, He showed his love for the people. His very life was a life of love. His death was a death of sacrifice and forgiveness. He preached love. He lived love. He died with love–for the people. He was no prude. He turned water into wine. When the woman was caught in adultery, He forgave her and sent her on her way (Unlike today, in those days adultery was a big deal, a very big deal. They stoned you to death. They really did.). The only time He ever lost his temper and struck out was when He chased the money changers from the temple. He abhorred lying, cheating, stealing, and hypocrisy. His whole life was dedicated to the masses–to love and honesty. My personal beliefs, my business beliefs, and my political beliefs are predicated on this, my many weaknesses notwithstanding. I’m human too–another need for Jesus.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Listen Up America!

Listen up, America! Listen to Old Ron. You are fiddling while Rome is burning! Don’t let the propagandists fool you. They have axes to grind and chess to play. They are running for election. You are their pawns. They have robbed you blind. They have robbed your children and your grand-children and your great grand-children and your….while they have grown rich. They are crying laughing all the way to the bank while you are being repossessed, you have lost your jobs, and many of you–far too many– are on the streets and your children are hungry. Then they have the audacity to call you lazy loafers, deadbeats, ne’re-do-wells, worthless, and not wanting to find a job. I say again, “Listen Up”! Do you think this is a bunch of bunk? You are under attack! Open your eyes. Have ears to hear and eyes to see. Read your newspapers. Listen to the TV news. Read between the lines. Look closely for their distortions, half-truths, misinformation, and omissions.  What they say is important, but what they omit has much to say, also. 

Having said that, do not believe everything they have to say. Do not believe everything I, Old Ron, have to say either. See for yourself. Always question everything. Question, study, and learn, but most of all, listen up. Be awake. The fate of your country is at stake.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Social Security

I am sick and tired of misrepresentation and misinformation of social security by people who otherwise ought to know better.

Social Security, along with healthcare, unemployment benefits, workmen’s compensation, and other benefits are imperative to the social well being of our nation. They are an absolute must. Social Security is not part of our national budget; money spent for Social Security is not part of our national deficit; and spending for Social Security did not contribute to our national debt–unless investing in our country is considered as such. Those who tell you differently are either ignorant or propagandizing in order to facilitate their own political ends.

The Social Security fund is a stand-alone, self-sustaining employment benefit fund, maintained and financed by payroll deductions and employer contributions. It is one of the most, if not the most, effective and efficient program operated by our government with the lowest administrative cost. At present, this fund is “in the black” with a balance of approximately $2.5 Trillion. However, do not be confused. For the first time in its history, disbursements from this fund have begun to exceed receipts. A combination of increases in disbursements to the newly retired “baby boomers” that have now come of age, a decrease in receipts due to massive unemployment caused by the crash of the financial markets in 2008, and the fact that people are living longer has led to this drain on the fund. Now, there are more people relying on the fund than there are those who pay into it.

The fund is not a lock-box fund. Rather, it is an account on “the books of The United States of America”, the balance of which at any one point in time amounts to the net difference between monies taken in and the monies disbursed since inception of the program. There is no cash in the fund as all money received is immediately invested in securities issued by the government and earns interest at current rates in effect. These securities bear the full faith and credit of the government of The United States of America and are stored at the facilities of the Bureau of the National Debt in Parkersburg, West Virginia (on Avery Street).

Our government has been accused of robbing this trust fund. This accusation is either a downright lie or the result of gross ignorance on the part of the accuser(s), depending on his (or her) motivation. In either event, it is blatantly false. A recent reduction in our nation’s credit rating notwithstanding, the full faith and credit of the United States of America are the highest of any country in the world. Our currency serves as the world’s reserve currency. If you were the manager of $2.5 Trillion dollars in cash, where would you invest it? Would you invest it in a corporation with a lesser credit rating? Would you put it in a safe and just let it sit? Or would you invest it in US Government bonds like is done presently? Other countries of the world invest in our bonds. Why wouldn’t you? It’s the best and safest investment in the world.

In light of the current negative difference between receipts and disbursements of the fund, it is obvious that contributions into the fund need to be increased in order to maintain the fund and secure the future of our elderly and disabled. Of all our many problems in this country, this is the easiest to fix; and the sooner we fix it, the less painful the solution will be. This has been a known fact for several years (the last fix having been done during the administration of President Ronald Reagan), but our elected representatives have been irresponsible and not done so since. What it takes is to completely set aside politics, the bane of our civilization, and just do it. This is a major necessity for the general well-being of our people.

In fact, there are those who want to eliminate Social Security entirely as a function of government and privatize it. These people who think this way are not on your side folks. They are not working for your interest regardless of what they tell you. To no small extent, our nation is in its present financial condition because some planned it this way. They starved the beast. They run up the debt. On the verge of national bankruptcy and in a state of emergency, we are more vulnerable and susceptible than ever to bargaining away our safety nets which are so essential to our nation and to our way of life. I’ll pursue this no further for now, but I ask you to think about something. Where would our country be this very minute if we didn’t have Social Security and these other safety nets? Where would we be at this point in our “Great Recession”? I’ll tell you. We would be in a depression far deeper than our present condition. We are in a great chess game folks; and, in this “behind the scenes” game, we are being taken to the laundry by the power elite, our “Shadow Government”, and our problem is, we don’t know how to play the game.

To fix Social Security, payroll deductions need to be increased and the earnings cap extended to whatever extent is necessary in order to correct the funding. It would be a serious mistake in judgment to cover this expense by any other tax than payroll taxes because to do so would only muddy the water. However, the important thing is to maintain the fund as a stand-alone fund that stands on its own and is not incorporated into the overall national budget wherein it would affect the budget and deficit–as it is now.

Benefits must not be cut and should be adjusted annually for changes in the cost of living–they are barely adequate now. Also, I believe it is imperative that we should not increase the retirement age. According to the report of the FCIC (Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, issued January 27, 2011), there were 21 million people out of work at that time. I submit to you that many, if not most, of them will never find meaningful work for the remainder of their lives. Now, over two years later, total unemployment remains close to that number (It has been difficult to determine the exact amount); and, frankly, I see little hope for significant improvement in these numbers in the near future. If they can hold out, Social Security will be a life saver to them. . Extension of the required retirement age is very short-sighted in that light.

There are those who want us to go to individual retirement accounts managed by the individual. Any knowledgeable person knows that this simply will not work for the country as a whole. As we now stand, everybody–bar none–are presently free to save and manage their savings at will. In fact, Social Security was established as a supplement to established retirement accounts. The reality is that most people do not save. They don’t make enough money. They plan to save next week, then next month, then soon, but tomorrow never comes. There is always an excuse not to save. Many of those who do save perform poorly at managing their investments or cash them in far too early. They lack sufficient skills or personal discipline. In addition, those cognizant of the markets know their volatility too. There are always a multitude of reasons and/or excuses for not saving; but, in the final analysis, the overall fact is the saving doesn’t get done. We get too soon old and too late smart. Without a safety net such as Social Security, there is only a life of poverty and misery for most to look forward to in their final years. Many will say that’s their fault. They should have better sense. They should have known better. I say to you that that attitude doesn’t help our people, our economy, or our nation. It stifles growth and precipitates poor health and social unrest.

There is never something for nothing. It will cost us; but Social Security is absolutely imperative for the well-being of our country. The alternatives are unacceptable. As I have said, it is not part of our national debt, it is not part of our national deficit, and we should never allow it to be. Social Security has served our country well, and we need to keep it. Let's gitter done people. Let's gitter done now.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net