Littlestuff Weekender-7-2-2011

This Monday we acknowledge the anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Two hundred thirty five years ago the Founders sought to create a new nation where liberty would reign. The empowerment of the individual, unique in the eyes of God and state, was the cornerstone of their affirmation of their desire to break away from the crown. It seems their dream of a new land with a form of government that protects and encourages personal freedom may have run its course. The people appear to be brain dead and indifferent. To many of them, liberty is an alien concept…unworthy of notice, not valuable enough to protect. The clamoring mass of looters seeks to suckle the teat of the nation’s bounty until the Nanny is dry, and the dream will die. At this moment Nanny is on life support and fading fast.

Yesterday we asked for your input regarding the future format of this column. Please respond via the email at the bottom of the page if you wish to share some thoughts. If you haven’t yet read the Friday column, the title is “Minoosha Reflections, Littlestuff Directions.” I do value your opinion.

The Monday June 27th Weekly Crop Report by the USDA indicates that around 50-60% of the nation is expecting a “good” yield this harvest season. The glaring exceptions are North Carolina, Texas and Ohio who’s expected production numbers are all lower than normal. Regular and reasonable rainfall is critical for the crop as we edge through the hot summer towards fall.

This will be a shorter “Weekender” than we typically write because there is too much crap to condense into one day, and many of you are too busy to read it. J

It seems that the United States may have “technically defaulted” yesterday. The debt amount exceeded the legal limit, and the cash-on-hand balance was not enough to offset the difference. Wall Street didn’t crash. Commerce did not come to a screeching halt. This incident tells me two things: The Administration is blowing smoke about the dire consequences of not raising the debt ceiling…if chaos ensues, it is because of which obligations they CHOOSE to pay with the available cash. Second: our ruling elitist clowns now know with certainty that they can exceed the debt limit anytime they wish without Congress pulling the plug on the country. More creative bookkeeping ahead! We are doomed.

Today is July 2^nd. On this date in 1776, 12 colonies ratified the Declaration of Independence. New York abstained. On the 4^th, the necessary unanimity was achieved after revising Jefferson’s original draft. Have a great weekend. Pause for a time on Monday, read the Declaration and ponder what we have squandered away.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com    or    www.littlestuff.blogspot.com

 

Happy, Happy, Happy

My two year old grandson, Sully, belts out an exuberant “happy, happy, happy” when he thinks things are going well. He usually has a reason for his joyous enthusiasm. Many of our citizens, however, seem to be walking around in a cloud of happy when things are going to the dogs. They may grumble about higher food costs or the high price of fuel, but many of them are oblivious about what the government’s role is in the increased cost of living. They seem to view government as a benevolent, kind old uncle who wants to care for his charges. They fail to understand that government is faceless and heartless. As Thomas Jefferson wrote “government big enough to supply every need is big enough to take it away.”

Church attendance is beginning to slip according to data from the Barna Group. In addition people feel less compelled to attend a church. Furthermore, various studies have indicated that ethical behavior and integrity are not valued as highly as they were in the past. In my view, these phenomena blend together to suggest that many of our people have more faith in an impersonal government than they do in individuals (the integrity issue) or the formal church. It appears that for many of our citizens have substituted government power and control for civil communities and reliance on a Higher Power.  As a believer, I have my preference, but even if I were the most adamant non-believer in the history of humanity, I would not place my faith and trust in government. Those who do must suffer from a version of the Stockholm syndrome wherein a hostage begins to identify with and share the values of the kidnappers.

Little Sully’s “happy” refrain is a realistic reflection of his view of life at that particular moment. People who look to government to provide and insure their happiness are trapped in a warp of self-delusion. Even the Wizard of Oz was a more identifiable and locatable element than is “the government.” The government consists of thousands of bureaus, agencies, departments and offices “manned” by millions of disgruntled public employee union members. When a citizen seeks to get a definitive answer about a specific perplexing problem, she or he can find herself embedded in a never ending game of “push the paper.” At some level I can understand why a lazy person might prefer government largesse and all its frustrating inefficiency to having to fend for oneself. That must be a conscious choice, however…a trade-off of some sort. My concern is with the people who are blissfully unaware of the gross unreliability and unresponsiveness of many government offices.

When Sully says “happy, happy, happy,” he has a reason. Things are looking good for the little guy. When so many of our citizens are blissfully contented with a growing tyrannical government, one has to seriously question their powers of observation or their mental acuity. So many, too many of our fellow citizens trip through life expecting more from government…more protection, more security or more care. They do not recognize the reality that your own .38 arrives faster than the police. They don’t understand that if there is a hazardous material spill in your front lawn, the government keeps the fine…not you. Ask any veteran how the government healthcare stacks up against what is currently available in the private sector. Just because something is provided by government, doesn’t make it better or even satisfactory….often it is much worse than we can do for ourselves. So, I’m truly puzzled by those who would welcome government control over so many aspects of our lives. Do they lack the confidence or the will to make sound decisions on their own? Perhaps they have not yet seen through the misty myth of government competence. They may view government as a neutral and unbiased provider whereas the private sector representatives, in their view, are deceitful salespeople.

They fail to detect that big government represents the biggest lie of all. Our individual liberty is more valuable than any coercive government oversight. Our unaware fellow citizens may be happy in chains and straitjackets, but they will miss the unmatched joy of freedom. True, they will not be burdened by personal responsibility and difficult decisions. They will however have to obey the government in all things… large and insignificant. My little grandson, Sully, has the typical two-year old assertive nature. He wants to call his own shots. When he thinks he is controlling his own destiny, he is “happy, happy, happy.” Unfortunately, Sully is much wiser than many of our citizens. He knows when his liberty has been restricted.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com       or   www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Every Little Thing

An anomaly is something that is extraordinary or abnormal. In a nation of 312 million people we have a huge government apparatus which slinks into action whenever there is a freak occurrence in an attempt to regulate it or prevent it from happening again. The nature of government agencies is too attack the problem for which they were created then identify or “create” additional issues requiring their intervention. Freakish things happen, and it is not a necessary rule of Natural Law or Biblical Law that government has to ride to the rescue. Where is it written that every mishap that we encounter during the day-to-day living of our existence has to be pristine and hazard free? Because we live in a democratic republic, where and when has government been given or assumed the power to micro-regulate every facet of our lives?

When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was created did the legislators anticipate that every aspect of food consumption and remedies for ailments (including the natural, organic ones) should be minutely regulated? Certainly we do not want our medicines to cause us harm, but many natural products are beneficial without the many side-effects that plague the artificial pharmaceutical industry. If we assume that the human made products may be stronger and more beneficial than the products of nature, shouldn’t the choice be left to the consumer…the patient whether or not to ingest or inject the artificial compounds? As long as full disclosure is available for artificial and natural products, the FDA has no valid interest in preempting the choices of consumers. Nevertheless, a growing arrogant bureaucracy feels compelled to limit the freedom of consumers in order to justify its budgetary existence…and increases.

Individual liberty requires that we exercise personal responsibility. When we implement our unalienable rights to their full measure, we may mess up or choose unwisely from time to time. Government has no responsibility or mandate to prevent our making unwise choices. By eliminating the opportunities for our bad choices government, in essence, unnaturally restricts our options. The regulatory effort to “do good” in effect does harm by curtailing our freedoms. The underlying assumption for overreaching government rule making and regulation is that government is privy to the best and most useful information. The reality is that government is constantly besieged by special interests and weirdo advocates whose efforts to direct the bureaucratic focus often result in rules that endorse unproven and unreliable methods. Big government regulation is not benignly committed to saving the citizens from drastic consequences of nefarious corporations and scam artists. The regulatory regime dedicated to identifying products, services and remedies that it approves, and forcing the people to be limited to those choices under penalty of law. If you WANT to chew dandelion leaves to ward off the heartbreak of halitosis, by what natural or supernatural right does the government deny your freedom to do so?

The Nanny may be well-meaning although something as huge and impersonal as a government agency or program has no feelings. Good intentions can never replace our freedoms. The Nanny State’s desire to control (limit) our lives so tightly may lead to the government conclusion to ban all sharp objects…just in case we might be silly enough to run while holding them. Of course, a ban on sharp things could limit our ability to fend off tyranny, too. It could become a simple little side benefit for Big Brother to consider. Government’s decisions about what may be a better choice for us may be correct. On the other hand their determinations may not be the best ones for us as individuals. Whether the government’s assessments are right or wrong isn’t important. The key element is that as reasoning individuals who have natural rights and unalienable rights assigned from our Creator, critical choices are ours to make. Government has no right or duty to usurp our rights…our liberty.

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States assigns seventeen enumerated powers and responsibilities for the federal government. That portion of the primary legal document of our republic does not mention any little things, so why does our ineffective, inefficient government insist on regulating every little thing? I suspect that if we are compliant with the little things, government can violate the important duties with impunity. By conceding authority to regulate the small stuff we have lost our standing to challenge the government’s gross misfeasance and malfeasance when the greater issues are mishandled. We have a duty as citizens to reject the government’s overreaching into every little thing, and we must forcefully express our displeasure at government’s failure to fulfill its constitutional mandate. Rejection, resistance and restoration must be the patriots’ path.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com       or    www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

 

Skule Daze

Last week I had a column that was a discussion opener about the role of higher education in our state and nation particularly considering the present budget problems (“Dire Education,” 4-7-2011). Today I would like to move the issue along and examine some other factors surrounding education at our colleges and universities. In the earlier column I referred to a piece by Neal McCluskey that suggested that federal government in the form of the Higher Education Act was a major cause of higher education inflation. His premise was that the government’s willingness to lavishly spread taxpayer monies around contributed to colleges and universities failing to seriously attempt cost controls.

Charles Hugh Smith of  www.OfTwoMinds.com  has written an interesting article entitled, “Students: You Are Exploited Debt-Serfs.” He describes what he calls the “Education Cartel” wherein the banks reap immediate profits at the moment they issue a loan. In addition, the college or university can receive bundles of funds from the government and the designated banks every term. Roughly 10% of those who receive direct government school payments or bank generated guaranteed payments do not graduate. So, in a sense it’s a scam that uses taxpayer dollars. The banks and the schools benefit, and students either leave school or graduate with huge debts. Added to the loan scheme is the government grant shuffle.

If a student does graduate, then he or she may end up with a $100,000 debt that cannot be eliminated via a bankruptcy. In other words, the government, the banks and the “schools of higher learning” scheme together to place the young and hopeful people of America in a situation of inescapable debt . Meanwhile the smoke and mirrors public relations campaigns continue to browbeat young people into deciding for a college education when that may not be the best choice for certain individuals. Even if college is the proper path for someone who has aspirations, why not educate and encourage the students to pursue a fiscally responsible path? A serious student can begin with a community college, take nine (9) hours per term, and work at waiting tables, serving Happy Meals or any other menial starting position and perhaps complete a degree in six or seven years with little or no debt. Who is better off…the 25 year old with a freshly minted degree and no indebtedness, or the 25 year old who has struggled in the work force for three years and continues to have the $100,000 debt plus interest hanging over her or his head? Which one has the greater peace of mind? Which of the two has the most freedom for making life’s decisions? Plus, one of the two has the certain knowledge that she or he earned the degree.

Carrying the argument forward, I submit that government involvement in the subsidization of students (through banks and schools) is unconstitutional, immoral, fiscally irresponsible, discriminatory and stupid. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution makes NO allowance for subsidizing education—higher or otherwise. It is immoral for the government to be the prime impetus for inflationary educational costs and the subsequent result that students are saddled with massive personal debt. The fiscal irresponsible factor comes into play because government overreaches, over commits, over promises and overspends. Too many of our national obligations must be met with borrowed funds because of government irresponsibility. Underwriting college educations when students should be able to devise a method for obtaining a degree without government “help” and its ultimate debt is gross fiscal irresponsibility. Funding only those who choose to go to college is discriminatory. Providing varying plans for government involvement based upon demographic factors is discriminatory. By participating in the cabal to loan money to the young so they may attend college, government becomes a major contributor to the extension of adolescence in the United States. Government dollars and Nanny State intervention help to delay the maturation process for many of our youth. A politician may like the idea because uninformed and immature voters are either indifferent or “easy picking,” but as a national policy, it is stupid and potentially deadly.

The time has come to remove the government from underwriting or funding students who wish to go to college. The costs of schooling will go down as colleges compete for private dollars from parents and students. The costs for four-year schools will drop radically as they compete with one another and with community colleges for students. The students will not face the specter of massive debt as they don their caps and gowns for a final stroll down the 50 yard line on a beautiful June day. The federal government will take one tiny step back into its constitutional box. Oh yes, Miss future lawyer, I do want fries with that.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com     or    www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Last Private Sector Worker

Biff Buffer: Hello, Everyone, welcome in to tonight’s “Spotlight on Oddity Show.” This program will be a special treat for you as I interview the last private sector worker in Amerika. He has been living under the radar and out of government scrutiny in the little decrepit village of Toledo, Ohio. Our producers have done an amazing job of investigative work to discover tonight’s subject for our interview. He was reluctant to speak on mic with us, but Guido and Tony, our Associate Producers, were quite persuasive.

We’ll be right back with tonight’s scintillating interview after this time out from your friendly, caring Government Health Service and Sexually Transmitted Disease Warehouse:

Biff: Welcome back. As promised, our guest today is the last private sector worker in the United States. Please tell the folks at home your name, Sir.

G.A.C.: My name is George Armstrong Custer the Ninth.

Biff: Interesting. I find it fascinating, George. May I call you George?

G.A.C.: I prefer to be called “Nine.”

Biff: Well enough. Nine, many of our listeners are surprised that there is a private sector worker in this country because the most benevolent, benign and loving government is providing employment for all. How did you miss out on the wonderful and secure opportunity for government employment?

G.A.C.: Well, I never applied for the mandatory government employment control subsidy because I was too busy with my small business when everything was nationalized.

Biff: Just what is your “business,” Mr. Nine?

G.A.C.: Just call me Nine. No “Mr.” needed. I am a handyman. I clean gutters, repair windows, fix bicycles…all kinds of useful things that the government workers never get done.

Biff: Is it a lucrative business? It must be difficult to carry on without the government worker card or the tattoo of approval. How much do you earn?

G.A.C.: It is somewhat difficult dodging all the inspectors and regulators, but my services are in great demand because the government agencies never fix anything. My earnings average around 27 million dollars per week, but with gasoline at 42 dollars a gallon, it’s becoming more and more difficult to get by.

Biff: You use gasoline? Are you an environmental sloth, Nine? Do you not care about the planet and your fellow citizens? Twenty seven million dollars per week makes you a rich person. Does your wealth matter more than your fellow citizens and the health of our planet? You must be the sole remnant of the greedy selfish capitalist class of bygone days. With your me-first attitude, how can you justify being alive?

G.A.C.: Well, I have to use gasoline to operate my 1977 Chevy 1500. It has never been converted to burning food like the other vehicles have. Rich? Yes, I earn 27 million dollars per week, but I receive no free housing, no free food, no free healthcare, no free transportation, no free cable and no free censored internet, or any of the other benefits the government forces on the citizens.

Biff: You sound just like all the robber barons we learned about in school. You are the richest man in Amerika, and you have managed to duck the system while avoiding paying your fair share. You are a disgrace. You violate the very structure of our society, then complain because you’re not receiving benefits like the honest people are.

G.A.C: I’m not complaining. I’m explaining why I’m not rich. And I do pay my fair share. My weekly tax bill is 26 million, 999 thousand, 988 dollars and 87 cents which leaves me with $11.13 per week. How can that be interpreted as my not paying my fair share?

Biff: But YOU ARE RICH and you are ignoring your responsibility to the less fortunate in our society. Besides…something is odd here. How can you survive on eleven dollars a week?

G.A.C.: You’ve got it all wrong. I do help the less fortunate. I do their work for free. As for how I manage to live. Well, I’ve been drawing down my savings.

Biff: SAVINGS! Savings! There you go. You rich people hiding money from the government. Wait a minute! Where are you going? We aren’t done yet.

G.A.C.: (climbing into his truck). I’m leaving. I can’t live here any longer now that you’ve put me on the air. I am going away forever.

Biff: You can’t leave. There’s no place to go.

G.A.C.:  “Galt’s Gulch.”

Summary:  Those two words were the last ones that anyone heard from George Armstrong Custer, IX.

Biff and his crew saw the old truck fade away into the distance until the two tail lights merged into one red dot. And there was no more private sector to pay its fair share.

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