At 9pm Eastern this evening, President Obama gave his second State of the Union address.
One positive moment in Obama's speech occurred as he stressed the importance of the family in raising and shaping a child.
Obama also stated that America should "out-innovate, out-perform, and out-build" other countries. It seems to me that this statement of encouraging America to surpass other countries in what it produces. It seems a little strange that he would make such a statement encouraging the United States to be the best when near the beginning of his presidential term he dismissed the notion of American Exceptionalism.
While he showed some semblance of desiring to cut spending (e.g. no more government subsidies to gas companies, no earmarks on legislation), his language supported further spending with regard to building high-speed railways and giving money to those who produce clean energy.
Another subject of current public interest, the status of healthcare reform, did make a cameo in Obama's speech. His remarks regarding the Republicans effort to repeal healthcare were quite telling. He approached the issue with the usual mantra of willingness to work with people on both sides of the aisle with good ideas for improving the healthcare reform bill. However, he made it clear that he was very much in opposition to the idea of repealing the current bill. He exhorted Congress not to repeat the battle that had been waged over the past two years, but to move on. Apparently he does not believe that the 2010 midterm elections indicated the American Public's disdain for the healthcare reform bill passed by Congress in the spring of 2010.
Republicans must not be in agreement with Obama's sentiment, since it appears that those in the Senate appear to be making a push to bring the health reform repeal up for a vote.It should be interesting to watch this play out in the days ahead.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Now's the Time for Some Audacity
As the new session of congress begins, there is already talk of the potential effort to repeal the healthcare legislation passed in 2010.
While it is questionable as to whether such efforts would be successful at this time, given the democratic majority in the senate and president, a move in the House to repeal the healthcare bill would send a message of discontent regarding the bill's contents.
As a 23 year-old grad student I am enjoying being able to stay on my parents' health insurance plan for the time being. However, this small source of financial aid is not worth the loss of freedom that will take place as government gains further control over America's health care system.
Some of my concerns regarding the bill include its provisions of healthcare for illegal immigrants as well as the probability that employers will be more inclined to put their employees on government-run health insurance rather than paying additional money to retain employee insurance plans from private health insurance companies.
Will conservatives have the courage to push forward with a repeal? We shall see.
As this new session of congress, I will be praying that God will grant the members of congress courage and wisdom as they approach issues such as the repeal of the 2010 healthcare legislation. Will you do the same?
While it is questionable as to whether such efforts would be successful at this time, given the democratic majority in the senate and president, a move in the House to repeal the healthcare bill would send a message of discontent regarding the bill's contents.
As a 23 year-old grad student I am enjoying being able to stay on my parents' health insurance plan for the time being. However, this small source of financial aid is not worth the loss of freedom that will take place as government gains further control over America's health care system.
Some of my concerns regarding the bill include its provisions of healthcare for illegal immigrants as well as the probability that employers will be more inclined to put their employees on government-run health insurance rather than paying additional money to retain employee insurance plans from private health insurance companies.
Will conservatives have the courage to push forward with a repeal? We shall see.
As this new session of congress, I will be praying that God will grant the members of congress courage and wisdom as they approach issues such as the repeal of the 2010 healthcare legislation. Will you do the same?
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Republican Senators Serious About Preventing Tax Hikes
Today, Republicans made it clear that they are dead serious about tax cuts for all Americans.
Senate voted to prevent tax increases for middle-class Americans; Republicans voted against such a measure excluding the wealthiest Americans.
Democrats are taking this opportunity to depict Republicans as being only interested in protecting the wealth of the rich.
This good move on the part of the Republican senators, shows that they understand:
1. Wealthy Americans should not be punished for their hard work by having their money confiscated by the government.
2. Wealthy Americans are essential in providing private sector jobs for Americans. Take away their money and perhaps the small business owner will decide not to hire that additional employee for his business.
Senate voted to prevent tax increases for middle-class Americans; Republicans voted against such a measure excluding the wealthiest Americans.
Democrats are taking this opportunity to depict Republicans as being only interested in protecting the wealth of the rich.
This good move on the part of the Republican senators, shows that they understand:
1. Wealthy Americans should not be punished for their hard work by having their money confiscated by the government.
2. Wealthy Americans are essential in providing private sector jobs for Americans. Take away their money and perhaps the small business owner will decide not to hire that additional employee for his business.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Now What, President Obama?
Elections are over. The last vote totals are being updated, but the results look pretty clear. Republicans claim major victories in the House (dethroning Speaker Pelosi), several seats in the Senate flip from Democrat to Republican, but Democrats retain the majority in the Senate.
Now what? How does this change things for President Obama? Time will tell, but here are my predictions.
1. He will not follow in former President Clinton's steps and move to the center. From what we've seen of him so far, we know that he will not move to follow the wishes of the country as long as he believes he knows better.
2. He will continue to push his socialist agenda. The difference will be that now, with the Republicans controlling the House, it's highly likely that much of legislation of which he is in favor will be blocked. Likewise, with Democrats still holding the majority in the Senate, conservative pieces of legislation may be stopped upon arrival in the Senate, or at least when it comes time for the President to approve it.
3. Due to this situation, it will likely seem that not much is getting accomplished. With everything at a standstill, he'll still be able to complain that Republicans aren't willing to make the needed compromises (aka vote to pass liberal legislation) to move this country forward in the right direction. This will put Republicans in a bad light.
4. However, now that Republicans have control of the House, it will be more evident to the public that Republicans are proposing solutions to the various crises facing the nation (unless, of course, the liberal media downplay this, which is also likely).
5. Additionally, this upcoming "lame duck" session of Congress could be pretty frightening to watch. There's no telling what extreme pieces of legislation the liberals will force through as they enjoy their last few days of control in both houses of Congress.
Well, here goes...
Now what? How does this change things for President Obama? Time will tell, but here are my predictions.
1. He will not follow in former President Clinton's steps and move to the center. From what we've seen of him so far, we know that he will not move to follow the wishes of the country as long as he believes he knows better.
2. He will continue to push his socialist agenda. The difference will be that now, with the Republicans controlling the House, it's highly likely that much of legislation of which he is in favor will be blocked. Likewise, with Democrats still holding the majority in the Senate, conservative pieces of legislation may be stopped upon arrival in the Senate, or at least when it comes time for the President to approve it.
3. Due to this situation, it will likely seem that not much is getting accomplished. With everything at a standstill, he'll still be able to complain that Republicans aren't willing to make the needed compromises (aka vote to pass liberal legislation) to move this country forward in the right direction. This will put Republicans in a bad light.
4. However, now that Republicans have control of the House, it will be more evident to the public that Republicans are proposing solutions to the various crises facing the nation (unless, of course, the liberal media downplay this, which is also likely).
5. Additionally, this upcoming "lame duck" session of Congress could be pretty frightening to watch. There's no telling what extreme pieces of legislation the liberals will force through as they enjoy their last few days of control in both houses of Congress.
Well, here goes...
Friday, October 29, 2010
4 Days Away!
The mid-term election is right around the corner.
While all elections are important, this one has the potential of halting America's drift towards socialism, at least for awhile.
It's been exciting to watch long-time congressmen (e.g. Barney Frank - MA) fighting to retain their seats. Many, being challenged by political novices, such as Frank's challenger, Sean Bielat.
Conservative Republicans such as Nevada's Sharron Angle, have garnered significant financial support as the grassroots Tea Party movement have rallied around her and like-minded conservatives. Conservatives are poised to claim victories in races across the country.
Supposing that the Republicans take control of one or both houses, time will tell what happens during the lame duck session that follows the election. Will die-hard liberals use this as an opportunity to push questionable pieces of legislation through? Seems likely.
Regardless of what may ensue post-election, conservatives, such as this writer, remain hopeful that the inevitable victories will serve to cut spending on government programs that should not be taxpayer funded and lowering taxes that prevent businesses in the private sector from making improvements and hiring additional employees.
As the election draws near, what remains to be done?
Vote...and pray.
While all elections are important, this one has the potential of halting America's drift towards socialism, at least for awhile.
It's been exciting to watch long-time congressmen (e.g. Barney Frank - MA) fighting to retain their seats. Many, being challenged by political novices, such as Frank's challenger, Sean Bielat.
Conservative Republicans such as Nevada's Sharron Angle, have garnered significant financial support as the grassroots Tea Party movement have rallied around her and like-minded conservatives. Conservatives are poised to claim victories in races across the country.
Supposing that the Republicans take control of one or both houses, time will tell what happens during the lame duck session that follows the election. Will die-hard liberals use this as an opportunity to push questionable pieces of legislation through? Seems likely.
Regardless of what may ensue post-election, conservatives, such as this writer, remain hopeful that the inevitable victories will serve to cut spending on government programs that should not be taxpayer funded and lowering taxes that prevent businesses in the private sector from making improvements and hiring additional employees.
As the election draws near, what remains to be done?
Vote...and pray.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Preserve Freedom by Retaining Capitalism
Freedom. It is one of the treasures held by Americans. It is also in jeopardy today. Not due to any one particular action, but by various small decisions made by Americans and the politicians who represent them. These decisions slowly strip away the freedoms held by the individual and hand them over to the government. One arena in which significant damage to American freedom is presently occurring is with regard to capitalism. It is vital that Americans work to fight against current attacks on capitalism. However, various obstacles stand in the way of many Americans seeing the importance of this fight to preserve capitalism, and in turn, American freedom. Among these obstacles are government dependency, a positive attitude towards redistribution of wealth, and a negative view of capitalism.
One of the major obstacles in the way of ridding the free market of the meddling hand of the government is the fact that government dependency is ubiquitously present within the lives of most Americans. As long as an individual is receiving “free” money from the government, he will have little incentive to work proactively to elect candidates who intend to reduce the power of government and the number of government programs in effect. Instead, this individual will vote for elected officials who will support an increasingly socialistic government.
Sure, those who have absolutely no other recourse or means to care for themselves should be provided with needed assistance. However, many of those receiving government money are far from a state of destitution. From educational grants and subsidized loans to providing wealthy farmers with government subsidies, the government provides “assistance” to people across all walks of life. The fact that government money is available in so many areas of life most likely contributes to an increasing expectation that the government is there to provide for the people whenever they are unable to afford a particular item or service.
Where does the government get the money for these government programs? From taxes that are drawn from the pockets of Americans, especially wealthy Americans. Some would say, “But the rich have so much money! They should be forced to share their wealth with others.” This desire for redistribution of wealth sounds familiarly like a fight among young children over toys where one child whines to his mother hoping that she will take a toy from his brother and give it to him.
The American public also seems largely ignorant as to why adoption of full-fledged socialism would have deleterious effects on our society. In theory it seems like a good idea for everyone to receive an equal share of available resources such as wealth and property. However, who is going to be the one to be in charge of distributing the available resources? A group of politicians who believe they know what is best for people that they have never met? It seems strange that those who complain about the inequality of results which occurs within capitalism do not seem bothered by the inability to control and better their situation that would beset people within a system of socialism.
The acquisition of wealth and resources is one of the major motivators that drives individuals towards working hard in their particular vocation. An individual may attend several years of graduate and post-graduate study in order to obtain a career that he both enjoys and in which he will profit significantly. In doing so, he invests an enormous amount of time, money, and energy in pursuit of this goal. If distribution of wealth becomes the norm so that these careers requiring significant education and training garner a salary similar to that of an individual with some or no college, what will be the incentive to invest one’s money and several years of hard work and preparation towards such a career? Additionally, supposing that an American comes out of poverty to become a successful and wealthy businessman, it seems unlikely that he would be thrilled to contribute his hard earned money to the government. He may choose to contribute money to those organizations he finds worthy of his financial support, but should be allowed the freedom to contribute to the extent that he wishes.
Those who thrive within the system of capitalism do so because of their hard work and creativity. The production of items that are high quality and cost effective brings about competition between businesses who compete with one another in order to gain consumers who will choose their product over that of another business. Such competition drives prices down and also benefits the consumer who is able to purchase lower priced goods. If businessmen grow rich as a result of their hard work and ingenuity, they will be able to expand their businesses by hiring more employees. This benefits those of a lower socioeconomic status by providing them with jobs, which has the possibility of bringing those individuals to a position of greater opportunities.
It is terrifying to think that Americans would unknowingly forfeit their freedom. However, the growing number of government programs aimed at redistribution of wealth, misconceptions of government’s role in society, and ignorance of the deleterious effects of socialism on a society contribute to the possibility that America may follow in the footsteps of many other nations and take further power from the individual and hand it over to the federal government. It is vital, that Americans take the initiative to work towards the election of candidates who treasure freedom, especially that provided by capitalism, and will in turn vote to preserve this freedom for the generations of Americans to come.
One of the major obstacles in the way of ridding the free market of the meddling hand of the government is the fact that government dependency is ubiquitously present within the lives of most Americans. As long as an individual is receiving “free” money from the government, he will have little incentive to work proactively to elect candidates who intend to reduce the power of government and the number of government programs in effect. Instead, this individual will vote for elected officials who will support an increasingly socialistic government.
Sure, those who have absolutely no other recourse or means to care for themselves should be provided with needed assistance. However, many of those receiving government money are far from a state of destitution. From educational grants and subsidized loans to providing wealthy farmers with government subsidies, the government provides “assistance” to people across all walks of life. The fact that government money is available in so many areas of life most likely contributes to an increasing expectation that the government is there to provide for the people whenever they are unable to afford a particular item or service.
Where does the government get the money for these government programs? From taxes that are drawn from the pockets of Americans, especially wealthy Americans. Some would say, “But the rich have so much money! They should be forced to share their wealth with others.” This desire for redistribution of wealth sounds familiarly like a fight among young children over toys where one child whines to his mother hoping that she will take a toy from his brother and give it to him.
The American public also seems largely ignorant as to why adoption of full-fledged socialism would have deleterious effects on our society. In theory it seems like a good idea for everyone to receive an equal share of available resources such as wealth and property. However, who is going to be the one to be in charge of distributing the available resources? A group of politicians who believe they know what is best for people that they have never met? It seems strange that those who complain about the inequality of results which occurs within capitalism do not seem bothered by the inability to control and better their situation that would beset people within a system of socialism.
The acquisition of wealth and resources is one of the major motivators that drives individuals towards working hard in their particular vocation. An individual may attend several years of graduate and post-graduate study in order to obtain a career that he both enjoys and in which he will profit significantly. In doing so, he invests an enormous amount of time, money, and energy in pursuit of this goal. If distribution of wealth becomes the norm so that these careers requiring significant education and training garner a salary similar to that of an individual with some or no college, what will be the incentive to invest one’s money and several years of hard work and preparation towards such a career? Additionally, supposing that an American comes out of poverty to become a successful and wealthy businessman, it seems unlikely that he would be thrilled to contribute his hard earned money to the government. He may choose to contribute money to those organizations he finds worthy of his financial support, but should be allowed the freedom to contribute to the extent that he wishes.
Those who thrive within the system of capitalism do so because of their hard work and creativity. The production of items that are high quality and cost effective brings about competition between businesses who compete with one another in order to gain consumers who will choose their product over that of another business. Such competition drives prices down and also benefits the consumer who is able to purchase lower priced goods. If businessmen grow rich as a result of their hard work and ingenuity, they will be able to expand their businesses by hiring more employees. This benefits those of a lower socioeconomic status by providing them with jobs, which has the possibility of bringing those individuals to a position of greater opportunities.
It is terrifying to think that Americans would unknowingly forfeit their freedom. However, the growing number of government programs aimed at redistribution of wealth, misconceptions of government’s role in society, and ignorance of the deleterious effects of socialism on a society contribute to the possibility that America may follow in the footsteps of many other nations and take further power from the individual and hand it over to the federal government. It is vital, that Americans take the initiative to work towards the election of candidates who treasure freedom, especially that provided by capitalism, and will in turn vote to preserve this freedom for the generations of Americans to come.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)