The bottom line is: this is supposed to be the UNITED States of America. As such, we are supposed to find solutions to common problems. We are not supposed to be advisories – but brothers and sisters, UNITED in a Republic with common interests. WHY ElSE are we born or immigrated in this nation.

If the parents of the 80′s and 90′s did not teach their children the value of being a citizen of this great country, then we will reap the results of their discontent, disenfranchisement, and neglectful attitudes – which will lead, eventually, to the demise of America as we know it today.

THAT INCLUDES the advance of Socialism (as advocated by our current president) and the expansion of egalitarianism to LEVEL “the playing field” – as seems to be the disire of those who are currently protesting in the streets of NY (et al).

If we are not willing to talk, understand the problems, and reach a commen resolution – we will – as other democracies, FAIL as a Republic. And will wind up with radicals all over the place who will ONLY “Inherit the Wind.”

Then. this (dis-inherited) United States of America as founded, will cease to exists, as founded. FOr the radicals will have had their field day, and the end-result will not be what they, or any of the “silent majority” wanted.

God bless America – I hope.

Trouble is, you cannot tell the difference just by looking at them, and even working people work the system.

For example, I know someone who has milked Worker’s comp twice and went bankrupt to avoid a mortgage. His timing was perfect, of course, setting claims right after the bankruptcy. A whole collection of guys at a local bar brag about how the work UECC, then talk about their new trucks sitting right outside.

Up the ladder, the lower middle class works the system, too — They know exactly how to get money for college, mortgage loan modifications, and much more.

The upper middle class, well, they just have to pay cash.

Above that, it doesn’t matter, because they’re wealthy, and they just don’t care anymore.

What we’re seeing is the end of America’s benefit of having won WWII and the Cold War. The pie is shrinking, and now there will be a fight over slices of that pie.

While we were prospering, we got complacent as government sold out, piece by piece, to big money donors who have only one interest: to make more money.

We’re not done yet — It isn’t as bad as it may seem. But we MUST stop harming ourselves.

The Tea Party could get real traction if they changed their slogan to “Americans FIRST” Not ‘only’, but FIRST, in all policy. The sub-text is really pretty simple: (1) Stop ignoring systemic theft-like behavior of trading partners (2) Stop ignoring the costs of ultra-liberal immigration policy (3) Fair tax means minimum tax; nobody rides for free; min % federal tax, national 1% sales tax (4) Trust but verify: all benefits, especially disability claims and welfare (5) Trust but verify: make penalties for getting caught taking money under the table so high that it stops (6) Raise all fees to reality: Government fees for land rights, minerals and even patent applications are stupid-low (7) Raise all fines to reflect the cost of the system it burdens and, perhaps most importantly (8) launch a moon-shot style program to federally back businesses which are the next generation of employment, just like our ‘fair’ trading partners have (8) cut defense spending by removing free protection for others around the globe; they either pay us, or we leave (9) Outsourcing labor tax (10) non-US student tax at about 5X tuition, funnel the money to US students

I know this is a very conservative BLOG, but look carefully — That’s tax fair, fee fair, nobody rides for free, spend to build America’s future first.

>“God helps them who help themselves” …Were we not founded on Christian beliefs?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but that is not a Bible quote, nor is it found in Christian philosophy / Theology. That form of the quote comes from Ben Franklin, though earlier versions exist, (in Aesop, and in Greek / Roman philosophers for example). Search as you will, it will be in vain: You cannot find it in scripture. Indeed, the opposite is true in Christian and Jewish scriptures. The opposing philosophy is also behind the Muslim practice of Zakat (giving of alms), one place where all three are in agreement.

As quoted above, Investors’ Business Daily wrote “A dependent nation is a nation that cannot last long.” Although this is indeed eloquent, I would rephrase it as: An independent nation is a nation of independent individuals. A nation of people who are dependent (upon tax-based subsidies extracted from others) is no nation, but a dependent upon other nations, and therefore controlled thereby.

There are many who are exploring good old-fashioned politically-incorrect independence (as opposed to “it takes a village to raise a child” communist dogma). The Burning Man community exists for only a few days each year, created from nothing, all people, materials and supplies imported, and at the end, it returns to wilderness. The foundation upon which all the exuberant art and expression is built is self-sustenance. Each participant is individually responsible for supplying his or her own sustenance. Beyond the level of basic independent self-maintenance, magic happens.

Most of the participants of Burning Man identify with the “liberal” end of the political spectrum, as the limiting jargon of the mainstream media would express their beliefs. They would find they have much in common with many “conservative” or “far-right” people politically, based upon our currently-fashionable, limiting and deceptive classification vocabulary.

There is another way of categorizing political thought: “left” and “right” only serve to identify by which methods corporate governance will subjugate the populace. Orthogonal to this spectrum, there are those who buy into the arguments in favor of controlling their fellow man, and those who recognize that freedom flows from individual responsibility, and the many in between. Most people accept some level of governmental control over their lives in return for predictable behavior from their neighbors. Just where that live is drawn separates people in the spectrum orthogonal to “left” and “right”.

Burning Man regulars may find they have more in common with ranchers in rural Arizona than they ever imagined, if only the discourse would abandon the limiting two-dimensional political spectrum of “left” and “right”. Independence versus dependence is the “other” spectrum, and ALL Americans should consider well toward which end of that spectrum they lean.

An independent nation is a nation of independent individuals. Dependency as individuals leads to dependency as a nation, which leads to a loss of nationhood.

You really think Americans will be in trouble if we no longer have the Walton family or Bill Gates? Get real.