Where Do We Go From Here?

          In short, when we get down to it, we are said to have two different and opposing political points of view in our nation. On the one hand, we have those who believe in life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and very limited government, within an economic system of lais-sez-faire capitalism, pursuing a philosophy of survival of the fittest, letting the devil take the hindmost. On the other hand, we have those who, also, believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but they differ from the former in that they believe in a strong central government with an emphasis on the social rights of equal opportunity and justice for all,         

   

The former wants little or no government over and above that necessary for national security and protection of the civil and political aspects of citizenship of the people; and, the latter, in addition to providing for national security and protection of the civil and political aspects of citizenship wants a government large enough for the fulfillment of the social needs of citizenship, i.e. a right to employment, economic security, education, healthcare, and security for the elderly.

What both, it seems, have in common is the unwillingness to pay for what they want, i.e. taxes. I believe the last assertion was evidenced by The Declaration of Independence, a war, in effect, against taxation and The Articles of Confederation, written and approved without providing for payment of the war just won, leading to the adoption of The Constitution of the United States of America under which we are allegedly governed today.

          We have been fighting this tax war among ourselves since we begun, two hundred thirty-seven years ago, and it is past time to stop. There are many reasons for taxes; but, the most important is to pay for the government we need. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. is said to have said, “Taxes buy civilization”. The price of government must be paid; and, in order to be fair, it needs to be based upon the principle of “ability to pay”.

          Where do we go from here? I’ll tell you this. If our great nation is to remain great and/or survive at all (believe me, that is in question in light of our present status) as a democratic republic of the people, by the people, and for the people, we must set politics aside and get down to the business of managing our country’s affairs. We need leaders who can manage–not self serving politicians. We must take back our government from the Shadow Government that now controls us. We must stimulate our economy, bring back jobs, and get our house in order. We absolutely must close this immense gap between the income and wealth of the haves and have-nots. What does that mean? We must change our mindset about money and living standards, i.e. we the people and our government must start living within our means. We must get out of debt, build savings, and live within our income, a feat we will not accomplish until we do change our mindset.

          That having been said, we must, also, change our thinking toward each other and society as a whole. Our view toward others is that everyone has equal abilities and opportunities in life. Therefore, unless they are disabled or something like that, if they fail, it’s their fault. This is not true, absolutely not true. Of course, there are always those who, in one way or another, are misfits; but, as a whole, it is not true that everyone has equal opportunity and abilities. As a whole, our twenty million unemployed are not dead beats with their hands out, seeking something for nothing. They really do want to work. Those who are greedy and want more than their fair share of the income and wealth in our nation would have you think that; but, you must understand, they are those who make up the robber barons among us. Our nation is in serious trouble–now, and for the foreseeable future; and our people did not cause this problem. They did not bring this upon themselves. Then who did? I have already answered that question in other postings; and, if you will look with an open mind, you too, will see the answer, our Shadow Government, the power elite, and our elected representatives who are on their payroll and have sold themselves to them.

          If all this shakes out and our nation does survive, we will continue to be a capitalist society–but without the lais-sez-faire. We will have taxpayer financed elections. Corporations will in no way have a vote. We will have fair taxation. Our national budget will be in balance and our national debt will be paid in full. We will have Education Reform with upgraded standards. We will have safety nets for our people–Social Security, Single Payer National Health Insurance, Unemployment Compensation, and Welfare. And yes, unless we are stupid, we will manage them efficiently as stand-alone, self funding funds on a pay as you go basis paid from taxes, specifically ear-marked and paid in full each year outside of our regular national budget, creating zero deficit spending for each. Our productivity in this country is quite sufficient for all of us as the Lord provided, if some of us weren’t so greedy. The experts among us can decide whether to fund these programs with an income tax, national sales taxes, or whatever; but, for Social Security and National Health Care, I suggest we enact two specific national sales taxes, a separate one for each fund so that the people know what they are paying for. This will take us a long way toward achieving our goals.

          These programs are an absolute “must”, folks. There should be no compromise on this. Come hell or high water, stand your ground; and to hell with the Shadow Government. We neither need nor want a Shadow Government, a World Government, or any of that crap. We want and need a government of the people, by the people, and for the people; and, if those we elect don’t want to serve under those terms, let’s get rid of them–vote them out of office. Also, we need and want corporations that are loyal and patriotic to this country and people, rather than to the power elite.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@comcast.net

Shutdown

          What do you know? Our sixteen day (or whatever) shutdown of government is over–at least for now anyway–at an estimated cost of twenty-four billion dollars and, I don’t know how much, misery and discontent for our people and our country. Do you really think it was worth it? Really? How utterly stupid has this whole circus been? Winston Churchill has been quoted as having said that “a democracy is the worst form of government there is, but I know none better” (or something to that effect). This debacle has to be a shining example of what he said. This event has to be criminal, but it isn’t. We only have laws for the “little people”. We’re the only ones, it seems, that ever go to jail. Of course I know differently, but it certainly appears that way at times.

          I have discussed with you before, our Shadow Government, our real government that controls all of us from behind the scenes, the power elite. What you may think notwithstanding, I haven’t been talking about some deep mysterious conspiracy theory or the likes of that. Our Shadow Government is real–very real–and this shutdown validates it. If you have been following this event, then you are already aware of the part played by the so-called Tea Party movement, a small part of the Republican Party–just a small minority. Where did they secure the immense power to hold the whole government hostage? Let me introduce you to Heritage Action, a 501(c)(4) “social welfare” political action group (an off-shoot of the Heritage Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) charity) organized to “harness the rising tea party movement and provide a vehicle for Heritage to press its arguments without having to register its analysts as lobbyists”, something the Heritage Foundation couldn't do as a 501(c)(3) [Google Washington Post article, “With New Grass-Roots Muscle, Heritage Foundation Stirs the Base and Alienates Allies”]). This is just one part of our Shadow Government–there are many more. No one voted for it or them; but, nevertheless, they have the power. They have the money and power through which they control our elected officials. The Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court of the United States cinched that for all of us. How much power do you have, American people, with your “one” vote?

          Well, folks, I can tell you this. They have the money and the power, but there are more of us than there are of them. As long as we have the right to vote, every elected representative in the government is, in the final analysis, dependent on our vote in order to keep their job. Most spending by the Shadow Government on politics is spent on influencing our vote through advertising propaganda, campaign contributions, i.e. bribes, etc. That’s the furthest they can go. Our elected representatives vote in Congress according to his or her perception of how we might vote under that influence. In the end, however, the final decision remains ours (for now, at least) unless they commit fraud in the voting process–an act more likely to be done by them than by us at the polls. The trick is, if we can do it, for us to not let ourselves be influenced by these lying propagandists. That means we must keep abreast of current events and “read up” (pronounced “red”)–the responsibility of every citizen in a democratic republic such as ours. The irresponsible element in our Congress, both the house and the senate, must be voted out of office. Just remember. There are no problems in our government, financial or otherwise, that weren't created by Congress. What just happened to us was no act of God.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@comcast.net

            

 A Thought to Consider

                I might be on a football field wearing my baseball suit (a favorite expression of mine); I’ve been there before; but, from my perspective, it is my observation that if the top five percent of the people (an estimate of the rich and powerful–aka the power elite) in our country has their way and remains on the same path they are currently following, the remaining ninety-five percent of us will be relegated to the status of serfs or slaves. The irony in this is that a significant percentage of the ninety-five percent will have voted for them–either unwittingly or having erroneously identified themselves as one of them (ego gets its desserts). Sadly, another ever increasing percentage of that ninety-five percent, our underclass, thinks the world owes them a living. In some respects, but not for the same reason they think, perhaps it does. We all have been so exploited, especially the underclass, they may have reason to feel “owed”. However, that too would be in error.

            Every able body is called upon to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow–that is, to produce, to be productive. In the same vein, every living person is called upon to “Love their neighbor as themselves”. That certainly includes being fair to our fellow man in all respects. Serfdom, slavery, and exploitation are beyond the pale.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Negotiating the Reopening of Our Government

Our elected officials are in the midst of negotiating the reopening of our national government,  a noble endeavor indeed. I don’t know what they’re doing as their talks are behind closed doors, but they’re probably in the process of incorporating my opinions in their decisions. Yea! You can bet on that. Not! If I may, however, please let me share them with you anyway.

The first thing we should do is center the talks around the overall good of our country, i.e. the needs, concerns, interests, and well-being of our people, and our sovereign nation as a whole to the exclusion of politics and individuals, with their personal greed, avarice, and selfish ambitions.

Secondly, our Congress should pass the proposed “clean CR” and get our government back into operation, performing its daily operations. In conjunction with this, they should either eliminate or increase the debt limit, preferably eliminating it. This mush should be done before proceeding any further with the negotiation. Both issues are imperative to the successful governance of our nation.

Third, Congress needs to take back its power and responsibility to govern from The Shadow Government of the power elite which is now governing our nation through “think tanks”, propaganda, and lobbyists, their “hatchet men” who bribe our elected officials with campaign contributions, intimidation, and harassment of those who refuse to succumb to their control. Three major efforts should be effected to accomplish this: (1) Overturn the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Citizens United v. FEC–corporations are not people and, therefore do not have the right of free speech. (2) Enact a law (or amendment to the Constitution) eliminating campaign contributions in any way, shape, or form and insure that all political campaigns be financed by government, i.e. the taxpayer. (3) Enact national voting rights legislation, establishing standardized voting and legality of multiple parties.

Fourth, develop a national plan to eliminate our deficit and pay off our national debt. The plan should be in writing, planned over the next ten or more years (if necessary) and “stuck to”.

This is for starters; but, in addition, I must say, also, in no way should we have an amendment to balance the budget. Neither should we have a debt limit. This limit has done nothing for the good of our nation except to precipitate dissension, argument, and cost tons of money. We should not hire school children to fill positions in Congress whom we must constantly send “to the corner” for chewing gum in class. This is ridiculous. At times our elected representatives act like clowns in a circus. It’s past time for them to grow up. There is absolutely no reason why grown intelligent men can’t manage our finances prudently without someone or something holding their hand.

That’s my say for today. What’s yours?

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Are We Having Fun Yet?

          Well, folks, our illustrious government is still at it; and the bad part of it all is that this charade is costing us a whale of a lot of money and misery. Even worse, they don’t give a damn–most of them anyway. So that I don’t confuse anybody, I’m talking about the Republican Party, who has sold themselves and our nation to big business and the elite (Unfortunately, some Democrats have done that too) in their pursuit of a false and obsolete ideology, their self-interests notwithstanding (No! I can’t tell you who; but, in your search for an answer as to whom, perhaps you should begin with anyone who accepts a campaign contribution [or bribe–what’s the difference?] from a lobbyist). To further inform you, I’m not a Democrat. I am an American, and all I care about is the American people–all of them, top to bottom, rich or poor–and our country. I want a “fair shake” and decent standard of living for everybody. Right now, we are being “taken to the cleaners”.

          In spite of all the bad news, surprise! Some good has come from all of this. They have exposed themselves and their false ideology. Allow me to ask a question. Our real losses are just beginning to be exposed; but, are you missing your government yet? Are you beginning to see how important it is to you and our economy? You bet. All this talk about eliminating government, downsizing it, is a bunch of bunk–trash talk to win elections. The truth is, we need our government. How much do we need? We need as much as our people require and are willing to pay for. We need Social Security. We need national healthcare. We need to help those less fortunate among us. We can discuss its cost (taxes) another time; but, for now, we can surely see our need for government and its importance to us. Of course, it’s easier to see when you lose it–like now.

          Should we balance our budget and pay off our national debt? Of course we should. Let’s get on with it. In reality, however, we should have done that before we “ran it up”, back in the eighties and, especially during the administration of George W Bush. As I have said before, our debt when President Carter left office was under (less than) one trillion dollars. Our deficit when President Clinton left office was zero with a surplus forecasted for years to come. Does anyone remember, “A stitch in time saves nine”; or, “A penny saved is a penny earned”? Certainly, at the time, it wasn't the Republicans. Our official national debt now is rapidly approaching $17 Trillion.

          A study of Economics 101 and Business 100 will tell you in a heartbeat that we should get our financial house in order. If you study closely, it will, also, tell you that now is the time to spend–that is, when, as now is the case, we are in a recession on the verge of a depression. President Obama inherited a financial crisis with twenty-one million people out of work (The figure remains, even now, on or near twenty million). Of course he spent money. He should have spent more. The time to eliminate the deficit and pay down (or off) the debt is when we have recovered from our current financial dilemma.

When we do reduce our spending, we should begin with all this duplication and wasteful spending our politicians have been talking about for all these many years and done nothing. We should begin by imprisoning all those people who have been committing the waste, fraud, and abuse we continually talk about and do nothing. We should install an accounting system in the Department of Defense with books that can be balanced. Maybe we should stop buying drones and airplanes only to  store in the desert and never use. One doesn't have to be a Rhodes scholar to know that spending as much or more on defense as the rest of the world combined is sheer nonsense (those who profit excepted). Maybe our illustrious Congress should go to work for a change. It’s difficult to believe all their talk in the legislature is sincere when they are preaching to a bunch of empty seats. That’s not real debate. They are wasting their time and our money.

It is long past time when we should begin to work together with one another in the interest of our great nation. We should get with it lest we lose our democracy, if we haven't already done so..

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Energy

I have neither heard nor read, recently, anything about the use of hydrogen as an unlimited source of energy for our nation–even in face of the many discussions of renewable energy, from our president on down. One would think hydrogen would be included in our public discussion(s) when we discuss alternative sources of energy, i.e. windmills, nuclear, etc., especially in light of today’s current high prices of oil and gas. We know the technology is available. Hydrogen fueled automobiles have been designed and placed on the market for sale to the public for years (Honda announced their new all hydrogen powered automobile over three years ago for sale in California). And yet, relative to automobiles, only electric cars or hybrids using gasoline and electric are discussed.

I can’t help but raise my eyebrows. Something is funny here. I distinctly remember when Honda first announced their new hydrogen fueled vehicle. Only a few days later, Exxon Mobile announced they were going to exit the retail service station business and sell wholesale only. I thought that strange–very strange. It would seem to me that the lack of infrastructure would present a huge problem to the introduction and sale of a hydrogen car, the development of which infrastructure would be imperative. Otherwise, how could one drive from one city to another? Wouldn’t it be much easier for a huge multibillion dollar company such as Exxon Mobil to develop such a nationwide infrastructure than it would be for thousands of relatively small business people to do so?  

It is my personal belief that we, The United States of America, needs and should take the lead in the development and implementation of hydrogen technology in the world, if we want to remain a superpower and leader on this planet. The European Union has already announced its intention to be the first fully integrated renewable-based hydrogen superpower of the 21^st century, and it has already committed itself to making the transition from fossil-fuel dependency to a renewable energy future. Iceland has announced that they, too, are going to a hydrogen economy

Political ramifications notwithstanding, both foreign and domestic, it is time for the age of fossil fuel energy to be over. It is my feeling that we, The United States of America should be thinking of a hydrogen economy and complete independence from oil, especially foreign oil. Naturally, this should be done carefully and well planned because of its economic and political impact over the world, but we should begin now. It is my understanding that hydrogen can only be produced in conjunction with the use of other energy. I am certain that much political pressure exists to the contrary from producers of fossil fuels, but the transition to hydrogen can be much faster by using renewable energy to produce hydrogen as opposed to the use of fossil fuels. Financial considerations as well as those of efficiency would lead us in this direction.

Beyond this point in the discussion, is beyond my pay grade; but, to talk about energy and leave hydrogen out of the picture is either disingenuous or myopic or both. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to believe it might be disingenuous because we are fully aware of the dominance of “big oil” over the world. We know it to be myopic because hydrogen is too big to ignore. I think a good book to read on this subject is The Hydrogen Economy by Jeremy Rifkin.

Maybe I'm on a football field wearing my baseball suit–completely out of it. Maybe the subject has been discussed extensively, and I have just missed it. Let me know. I'm not always right. What is your take on this subject? I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Personal “Gumption”

          Our nation’s many problems notwithstanding, there is one, above all, which is discussed very little; and, the solution to which is absolutely imperative if we are to effectively resolve the others. That is the lack of personal “gumption” within so many of us–so very many.

“Gumption”– what does that mean? Wiktionary.org, your free encyclopedia, tells us “gumption” means “energy of mind and body, enthusiasm (synonyms:  gumph or chutzpah)”. It, also, can refer to “boldness of enterprise; initiative or aggressiveness, i.e. guts, spunk, initiative.

In my August 8^th posting to this blog titled Our Underclass–The Bottom Feeders, I discussed those among us who are able to work but will not do so, i.e. don’t or won’t. There are those who can go to school but drop out, turning their backs on and refusing this golden opportunity. There are, also, those who are, or have become unemployable due to behavioral shortcomings, a lack of values, inability to relate to their fellow workers, credit problems, and so on. Now, it’s a no-brainer. It goes without saying. These folk have to eat. Their children must be fed; they must have a roof over their heads. What can they do?  They turn to crime, sell drugs (to which many become addicted), join gangs,–all these things, all bad, resulting in extreme poverty, broken homes, children out of wedlock, and discontent in general.

This having been said, I’m sure every one of you will agree that “the whole is the sum total of its parts”. Our country–any country–is the sum total of, and no better than, the sum total of its people. Therefore, it calculates just as in algebra, these people are a negative to the well being of our country–a detractor from the prosperity of our nation, and their condition must be eliminated. A way must be found to move these people up and into the middleclass. If this is done, they, you, I, and our whole nation will be much happier and well-off. So, what can we do?

There are many things our nation can do. First and foremost, for those who will accept, a strong faith in Jesus Christ will go a long way. Secondly, an immediate need is for jobs. It’s absolutely imperative. Third, a formal education is a must. Given our immense growth in technology, even a minimal high school education is no longer acceptable. You may not like it, but face it. If we want a prosperous and free country with liberty for all, our people must be able to sustain themselves. If everyone is on welfare, who will pay the bills? To this end, we need a law that mandates an education for everyone, beginning early when their learning ability is the greatest, pre K through grade 12. We should begin educating children with the teaching of values, how to read and write, arithmetic, multiplication tables, English language skills, personal budgeting, paying one’s bills, and how to reconcile their checking account; we should teach them responsibility. For some dysfunctional families, it may be necessary to go so far as to remove children from the home. All graduates must attain either a skilled trade, enabling them to qualify for employment or an academic certificate qualifying them for advanced education in college. The one given is, again, jobs.

Given the availability of work, all of the other suggestions should work. However, there is one missing element in the above solutions, personal “gumption”. I told you the definition, above; but I have my own. I call it “get up and go”. It’s a bald fact of life, folks; you can’t push a wet noodle up an inclined plane. I’m afraid I don’t have an answer to that question. I just know one thing. A country wherein a significant percentage of the people are on welfare, living off “the other half” just can’t prosper and remain stable. There are some things a person must do for himself. In the final analysis, however, this is a problem our nation must solve if we are to hold our place as a world leader.

This is my take on the matter, folks. What are your thoughts? I really would appreciate your comments and/or suggestions.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Energy

I have neither heard nor read, recently, anything about the use of hydrogen as a source of energy for our nation–even in face of the many discussions of renewable energy, from our president on down. One would think hydrogen would be included in our public discussion(s) when we discuss alternative sources of energy, i.e. windmills, nuclear, etc., especially in light of today’s current high prices of oil and gas. We know the technology is available. Hydrogen fueled automobiles have been designed and placed on the market for sale to the public for years (Honda announced their new all hydrogen powered automobile over three years ago for sale in California). And yet, relative to automobiles, only electric cars or hybrids using gasoline and electric are discussed.

I can’t help but raise my eyebrows. Something is funny here. I distinctly remember when Honda first announced their new hydrogen fueled vehicle. Only a few days later, Exxon Mobile announced they were going to exit the retail service station business and sell wholesale only. I thought that strange–very strange. It would seem to me that the lack of infrastructure would present a huge problem to the introduction and sale of a hydrogen car, the development of which infrastructure would be imperative. Otherwise, how could one drive from one city to another? Wouldn’t it be much easier for a huge multibillion dollar company such as Exxon Mobil to develop such a nationwide infrastructure than it would be for thousands of relatively small business people to do so?  

It is my personal belief that we, The United States of America, needs and should take the lead in the development and implementation of hydrogen technology in the world, if we want to remain a superpower and leader on this planet. The European Union has already announced its intention to be the first fully integrated renewable-based hydrogen superpower of the 21^st century, and it has already committed itself to making the transition from fossil-fuel dependency to a renewable energy future. Iceland has announced that they, too, are going to a hydrogen economy

Political ramifications notwithstanding, both foreign and domestic, it is time for the age of fossil fuel energy to be over. It is my feeling that we, The United States of America should be thinking of a hydrogen economy and complete independence from oil, especially foreign oil. Naturally, this should be done carefully and well planned because of its economic and political impact over the world, but we should begin now. It is my understanding that hydrogen can only be produced in conjunction with the use of other energy. I am certain that much political pressure exists to the contrary from producers of fossil fuels, but the transition to hydrogen can be much faster by using renewable energy to produce hydrogen as opposed to the use of fossil fuels. Financial considerations as well as those of efficiency would lead us in this direction.

Beyond this point in the discussion, is beyond my pay grade; but, to talk about energy and leave hydrogen out of the picture is either disingenuous or myopic or both. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to believe it might be disingenuous because we are fully aware of the dominance of “big oil” over the world. We know it to be myopic because hydrogen is too big to ignore. I think a good book to read on this subject is The Hydrogen Economy by Jeremy Rifkin.

Maybe I'm on a football field wearing my baseball suit–completely out of it. Maybe the subject has been discussed extensively, and I have just missed it. Let me know. I'm not always right. What is your take on this subject? I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Let Us Understand

Day six of the shutdown of our government is upon us, another day in the trenches. Let us understand. This country is in desperately serious trouble. As a whole, our people, after three quarters of a century, living under a false prosperity fostered by exorbitant debt and extravagant living, have become fat, spoiled, lazy, and passive sheep, preyed upon by a “Shadow Government” consisting of the “Power Elite”, pulling the strings from behind the scenes, and a body of elected officials whose primary concern is serving their own interests and perpetuating themselves in office by selling themselves to the former. In conjunction, a major segment of corporate capitalist power in our nation, resorting to slave labor abroad, tax avoidance and evasion at home, and bribery of our elected representatives through campaign contributions, intimidation, and other, has focused their purpose and priority on power and profits, to fill their coffers to the detriment of our people whom they are supposed to serve and their standard of living. The words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt come to mind: “We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics.”

Are we ever going to learn? We didn’t learn in 1929; and, it seems, we aren’t learning now. It is déjà vu, all over, again.  

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Entitlements

I turned on the news channel this morning and the first thing I heard was talk about negotiating a reduction of entitlements in order to “reopen” our government. I don’t really like that word, entitlement. For one thing, it is ambiguous. I am not always quite sure what that means. For now, however, I’m going to assume they are talking about Social Security and Medicare. What do you know? Isn't that what I have been telling you? This is the strategy they have been pursuing all along–to get rid of Social Security and Medicare. See?

I don’t know how successful I have been, but I have tried to write my postings to this blog in a discussion mode and not preach. This, however, is one instance when I feel I must. From the viewpoint of one who feels strongly in favor of a strong and prosperous nation with equal opportunity and security for all the people, Social Security and national healthcare are absolutely imperative. We should NEVER let anyone talk us out of or take from us that belief.

I frequently hear from young people, “Social Security will not be around when I retire”. I’ll tell you something folks, Social Security will be here if you want it, but you must be willing to fight for it. It is still true that WE VOTE. That much hasn't changed–YET. In the same vein, so, also, must we continue our fight for national healthcare. We will have nothing if we continue to remain passive and apathetic, looking to others to carry on our citizen responsibilities of governing.

I don’t know how aware you are of this, but we are literally sitting on an economic and social powder keg in this country. I don’t know the exact figure; but, what our illustrious politicians tell us notwithstanding, there are close to twenty million people out of work. And, they continue to remain out of work. Furthermore, they aren't going away. For all the jobs we create, there are just as many (approximately) coming new into the market every day. Many of our unemployed are down and out, hungry, with some living in their cars and on the streets. This isn't light stuff.

If it weren't for Social Security, we would be in a depression right now; and some of our leaders, aka politicians, want to reduce it (i.e. eliminate)? Angrily, I might call them “nuts” or “stupid”. Truthfully, I know they aren't “nuts” or “stupid”.  They are, for the most part, really intelligent people, or they wouldn't be where they are. It’s their integrity I question–even, at times, their patriotism. They know exactly what they’re doing. They know what they are after, and they have a plan to attain their goal. I don’t know what their ultimate goal is, but one can rest assured it isn't for the benefit of your or my interest, the common people in this nation. Neither is it for the benefit of our nation. I submit to you, folks. We are productive in this country–we produce; and we produce everyday enough gross domestic product (GDP) for us to do what we have to do and pay for what we need to pay in order to remain strong, prosperous, and with equal opportunity for all within a balanced budget, if we only will. We produce the money, folks, the only question being who receives it–into whose bank account it goes. The numbers are there for all to see. The growing inequality of income and wealth, and to whom it is going is no secret either. Guess what! It ain't us!

I see these bumper stickers every day that say, “Take back our country”. Oh? What does that mean? Who is going to take it, and from whom is it going to be taken? How? When? I’ll tell you this. It is going to take more than a bumper sticker to get our affairs back in order; but, whatever, it has to begin with YOU.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Negotiations–Government Shutdown

We have arrived! We are there, folks! We have come to the place where the leaders of the Republican Party have been manipulating our nation for these past years, i.e. to negotiate away our safety nets of Social Security and healthcare (Medicare and Medicaid), under the threat of bankruptcy of our nation. They squandered our surplus, ran up our debt and, through deregulation and intentional neglect, put our nation on the verge of financial failure. I’m scared folks–really scared. These people, a minority, are trying to destroy us and our future generations.  Social Security is a must. Healthcare is a must. To reduce the benefits or either will be a disaster for our country. Please, Mr. President, don’t give away the store.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net

Government Shutdown

The bars in Washington, D.C. were full last night; our government is shut down again; and whom do you think are the losers? Of course, it’s the government workers; and, ultimately, the American people. The children play, and we pay. Are we having fun yet?

I want our Speaker of the House, John Boehner, to answer a question for me. What are he and his people trying to accomplish and why? I just thought of a second question. Are they out of their minds?

Let me give you my take on this from the “gitgo”. This whole thing is a game of political chess with no real issues involved other than a grab for political power which I don’t think will be successful. Maybe I’m wrong. We’ll see. I do know this, however. As this circus plays out, the American people will pay dearly for it in wasted money, lost jobs, and an increasingly faltering economy.

Nevertheless, let’s talk about it. Let’s suppose the issue is to rid ourselves of “Obamacare”, which, if so, it is one whale of a very expensive charade. No way will shutting down our government solve that issue. Does anyone, politics notwithstanding, really think it will? I submit to you, President Obama couldn't approve elimination or, even dilution (for that matter) of his healthcare plan if he wanted to. His whole political heritage is vested in that program. Beyond that, what other issue might there be?

You know my view of the Patient Protection and affordable Care Act (PPACA), i.e. Obamacare. I want to see it replaced by a single payer National Health Insurance (NSI) plan run by the private sector, financed through government (armed with the ability to negotiate prices, eliminating the insurance companies from the picture along with their horrendous administrative expenses and excess profits), on a pay as you go basis by a national sales tax. I outlined the whole concept to you in my blog posting of September 30^th. The benefits of such a plan are exponentially better for our country. But, shutting down our government is not the way to accomplish anything. Doing that only puts on display, for the entire world to see, the ignorance and myopia of those who propose and support such tactics.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net