political Archives - A Boomer's Thoughts

WAR!

psteik — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 21:09:09 +0000

WAR! Huh, what is it good for, absolutely nothing! Say it again… (As sung by Edwin Starr in 1970).

So, there you have it. A simple answer to an age-old problem. The song was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for The Temptations but didn’t become a big hit until Starr’s version in 1970. In that song Starr sings of how “War can’t give life, it can only take it away…”

It seems our country has been at war since I was born. The Korean War had just ended in 1953. The US started supplying aid to the French to assist them in Vietnam in 1950 and the first US troops were killed in Vietnam in Saigon in 1959. The major US involvement did not start until President Johnson took office after Kennedy was assassinated. Vietnam started winding down under Nixon from 1969-1973 when the Paris Peace Accords were signed but, while the US troops were departing the North Vietnamese were still plotting to overtake South Vietnam.

After Vietnam the US was involved in The Persian Gulf War (1990-1991), The War in Afghanistan (2001-2021), The Iraq War (2003-2011) with other conflicts in Grenada (1983), Panama (1989) and interventions in Somalia, Libya, and ongoing counter-terrorism operations in various locations (Per Google AI).

A strong argument can be made that many, or at least some, of the wars the US has become involved in were not necessary. I can’t say that I am convinced that every military action taken by the United States was necessary.

I felt the pain of war in many ways. As a child, I was told that my mother’s cousin served in the Navy and was lost at sea. His ship was never located. I knew my dad served in India and various aunts and uncles served in WWII. Naively, I did not expect war to interfere with my life for, surely, we had learned our lesson as a country.

I was told that two of my three older brothers planned to enlist to serve in Vietnam when I was in 8th grade. They chose the week of my birthday to sign their papers. One signed the day after my happy occasion and the other went in the next day. My parents drove them both in on their fateful days and, as I recall, there was no birthday party for me that year- the whole family had something much more important to think about.

After they shipped out, I spent a lot of time climbing as close to the top of a tree in our front yard as I could and just watching the house as I thought of my brothers and prayed for them. Pete was in Vietnam and Pat was stationed in Thailand. Pete seldom speaks of his time in Nam. He was assigned as an IT repairman and, in that assignment, drove alone in a Jeep from one town I heard about on the daily national news to another.

I was writing a book, and I begged him to give me some story about his time in Nam. He then, hesitantly told me that he experienced enemy mortar attacks and, on one occasion, lost the only other member of his unit. They were assigned as AM & PM workers. On one gruesome day his PM partner was late returning the Jeep they shared, which was not an unusual occurrence. Pete took another vehicle from the motor pool and started on his assignment. A short distance away from the base he observed what was left of their Jeep lying on its side after being hit by an enemy mortar round with his partner lying close by. After determining his partner was beyond help, he called his supervisor and was ordered to complete his assignment.

The draft ended after my 17th birthday. I told my brothers I would still enlist, and they explained to me that there would be thousands of troops returning to muster out and, basically, more hands on deck than were required. Pat warned me, “You’ll be cleaning sidewalks with a toothbrush” just to keep you busy.

I am not in favor of war.

As much as I hate war, I believe, that it is foolish to be unprepared for that eventuality.

If we look at the history of the world as we know it there has always been violence; from the very first siblings on! If you think about it, Cane and Able could be considered the first World War- because half the known residents of the world, at that point, were involved in combat.

I feared for my brothers’ lives for the 4 and 5 years they were gone. I don’t want anyone going through that. I don’t want anyone to lose a child, sibling, relative or friend of any kind to war!

I understand that there is evil in the world. I understand that we can’t be Switzerland. I fear for our safety and have for years. Iranian leaders call the US and Isreal “The Great Satans” I don’t want to see them with a nuclear arsenal, do you?

Trump bombed Iran’s nuclear facility recently to prevent them from building a nuclear arsenal and I’m glad he did. There are mixed reactions about that decision largely along party lines- Who’d a thought?

Will that action bring us closer to yet another war? Were we already at war with Iran? Listening to their rhetoric, it seems we were! Is it possible to stay out of war?

I think since Iran first started calling the United States the Great Satan they have been at war with us. For that reason, I don’t think its possible for any action we take to bring us closer to a war we are already in!

I believe staying out of war is an impossible goal.

I will readily admit that the US has gotten in more conflicts than it needed to. Every fight is not our fight, and I voted for Trump because that was his stand. With that being said, I’m glad he helped Isreal out with this.

I quoted Edwyn Starr’s lyrics on war above and, I feel I must disagree with those lyrics. War can’t give life, but it certainly can preserve it. What if Iran were to declare war on us and we refused to participate?

I’m pretty sure that, believing we are the great Satan and all, they would have their war anyway. Have you seen how they treat people they don’t like? Did you miss the coverage of the unprovoked attack on Israel in which Hamas took hostages, raped & murdered citizens? It was reported that they even raped corpses and tortured and killed old people and children! I ask again, how do you think we’d fare if they came after us and we refused to participate? Have you seen any of their public beheadings?

China and Russia both got aggressive during Biden’s administration by threatening to attack lands they had their eyes on Tawain and The Ukraine. China held off, but Russia did not. I believe that both of those countries are prepared for war and, unfortunately, we are not!

America was once the greatest military power on Earth. I do not believe that is currently true. Per recent reports our nuclear weapons have not been upgraded since the 1940’s. Our navy is in a similar situation. In the last four years our armed forces have put more emphasis on becoming culturally diverse than preparing for the possibility of war. To make it worse. When it was necessary to “gear up quickly” during WWII we were an industrial giant and had no problem taking care of that business.

Currently we are not that prepared. Most of our steel mills are closed. The bulk of our manufacturing is now done overseas, and our workforce is not what it once was- I hope I’m wrong, I’ll bet I’m right!

I’m hoping President Trump can Make America Great Again real soon because I’m not sure we have as much time as we need.

Thank you for reading, please comment

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WELFARE! (Can be sung to the tune of DOWNTOWN BY Petula Clark in 1964)

psteik — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 04:00:08 +0000

I wrote this song when Biden was president, but, unfortunately, the song still makes sense if you consider the “sanctuary states and cities” that are welcoming illegal aliens and giving them more tax dollars than they give veterans, needy citizens, and retirees. Those who can afford it are fleeing these areas and leaving the tax burden created by foolish political moves and corruption to those who could barely survive before the foolishness began. Unfortunately, when they leave many of them continue to vote as they did in the states they deserted!

I owned a small (Four bay) mechanical repair shop before it got terrible, but it was bad even then. I needed a business license, paid extra “business” taxes and my portion of social security and Medicare for my four employees. I gladly worked 80-hour weeks and gave myself a small salary while putting whatever profits the business made back in to pay for inventory, tools, and the new diagnostic equipment that was necessary to properly diagnose the new model cars and small trucks. Currently, politicians are talking about billions and trillions in spending rather than the hundreds of millions they were spending in the 70’s and 80’s.

Well, whatever your politics, here’s my two cents worth!

When you are broke because of government blokes you go on

WELFARE! WELFARE!

When businesses close because the guys that we chose are changing all the rules

WELFARE!

Look at all the politicians begging for your votes now!

They’re the ones who made it bad with rules and regulations, we didn’t need!

Survival’s much tougher now, we have limited options and limited jobs

We’re on WELFARE! We didn’t choose this path, WELFARE! We’re taking it in the A$$, WELFARE! Small businesses closing each day.

If you’re a person with pride, but all your options subside you go on WELFARE! WELFARE!

The price of groceries is rising with paychecks same sizing check out WELFARE! WELFARE!

Look at all the people who are living in the street now!

They would like to have some jobs, but options are so bleak now!

Can we survive?

Our lives are much tougher now-

‘Cause the governments entered where it should not be

We’re on WELFARE!

We can’t afford to eat

WELFARE!

We’re taking it to the street

WELFARE!

While public “servants” are counting their dough!

Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoyed it!

Phil

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POLITICS AS USUAL?

psteik — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 03:50:44 +0000

I believe political races have morphed into more of giant ad campaigns than debates on how our country should be run.

I also fear that many people are ignoring their obligation to know the facts before casting their vote; it seems voting, for many, is as simple as painting by numbers. If the candidate has a “D” (or “R”) after their name, punch the ballot.

I speak from personal experience and about 50 yeas of studying candidates, with an added 6 years of writing occasional articles on specific candidates or races.

With that being said I readily admit that I am no expert. I do have opinions and fears, but don’t we all?

I don’t know if the “downhill slide” of politics began when Maxine Waters encouraged her followers to harass Republicans in restaurants and other public places, “When they were relaxing with their families” and nobody condemned her for saying it. The deterioration had probably begun long before Maxine’s tirade, but her words certainly did make a bad situation worse.

My family, siblings and parents, weren’t very political. We did have some discussions at the kitchen table and other venues around election time. They were more “fact finding” discussions than debates.

I awoke, politically, when I was in my early 20’s or late teens. Jimmy Carter was the first politician I strongly disagreed with. I often voiced my opinion that if a Russian task force was spotted enroute to America and intelligence had confirmed they carried nuclear weapons, Carter would probably hold a straw poll to determine the most acceptable action.

The thing that was so different then was that I had friends who supported Carter, and we would have lunch and some beers discussing our opinions without yelling, or “unfriending” anyone.

In the family I raised, I did not push my agenda on my children, but I did let them know where I stood when the subject would come up.

Fast forward to 2015-16. My kids were grown and many lived out of the house. I had written some pro-Trump views on Facebook before I realized a daughter living in Chicago was offended because she was strongly behind Hillary. I know my children, and I figured she, and one of my boys, were probably going to vote that way. I respected that and, I guess naively, I expected them to respect my right to have my own opinion. It wasn’t the first time I was wrong as a parent, but it was definitely the most “off base” I have been.

When Trump won, that daughter posted, “I don’t know what I’ll do!” I was concerned about just how upset she was. I called her immediately and she said she was OK but needed to talk to me. We decided I would drive out to the city and buy her breakfast the next morning.

I enjoyed the breakfast with no political discussion. As we were finishing, she asked why I voted for Trump and not “The female candidate.” I explained that Clinton’s gender had nothing to do with my decision and voiced that I was disappointed that my daughter would ask such a question. I pointed out that in all the time she has known me there has not been one time that I have minimized the value of females.

I decided to defend my position by naming reasons I thought Donald Trump would be better for America than Hillary would have been. I started out with how disappointed I was in the way she handled Benghazi, listing details of the failure there.

While I spoke, I was watching for hostile reactions. I saw her facial expressions change to anger and stopped talking.

She took a deep breath and questioned, “Is that all? She made one mistake in four years, so you refuse to vote for her?”

I knew I was heading downhill quickly. I had walked into her trap, and she was preparing to spring it. What are my options? Stop talking and attempt a graceful retreat? Name some of the other reasons I questioned Hillary’s ability to serve, and hope my daughter was mature enough to accept this difference of opinion as just that, rather than a failure in parenting.

I knew I was doomed. I was sitting in a diner in Chicago, a block from my daughter’s apartment. Deep in the deepest blue part of the blue state I live in, and my daughter had insisted I defend my decision to vote Republican, out loud, in a crowded restaurant! I quietly prayed this discussion would not be overheard!

She was through with me. Our relationship has not recovered! I have only seen her a few times in the 8 years since the first Trump victory. Our family is mostly conservative. We have eliminated all political talk when the liberal daughter attends a party, which is a rare occurrence.

After our “incident” I called several times and she didn’t answer _DARN THAT CALLER ID! I text every week or so and she responds if she feels like it- about one response per 4 or 5 texts.

This child, our fifth of seven children, used to be daddy’s girl. She attended Sunday mass with me when the rest of the family chose not to. When I went on errands or asked if anyone was interested in taking a ride with me, she was up for it. I was invited to all of the plays and choral programs she performed in while she was in high school and college. And then, sometime when she was away at school- she drank the cool aid!

The day after Trump’s second victory my ex-wife let me know that our daughter had called her and queried, “Who did you vote for?” The phone was disconnected as soon as my ex answered, “Trump.”

I received the same call a short time later. I gave the same response and I was hung up on in the same way.

My daughter’s nieces’ and nephews’ who once gave her great joy have been blocked, dropped and whatever else means “cut-off” in the same way my entire family, my wife’s family, my wife and I have been removed from her life.

It’s sad that, as Christmas approaches, my daughter won’t have a family with her. We still love her and, I feel, she still loves us, but, somehow, she can’t bring herself to hear our side.

Who knows when this craziness happened. I guess it doesn’t matter.

I know I’m not the only one going through it. Some friends have shared similar stories with me. I have heard more on radio talk shows.

My thoughts on this craziness are, when you have no decent argument, you resort to emotional blackmail. What confuses me is- If they can’t defend their position, why don’t they change positions?

Thanks for reading this. Please comment, let me know if you agree, disagree, or have other feelings or comments!

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QUICK HITS; oCTOBER 29th 2024

psteik — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 03:14:09 +0000

If there is no election fraud planned, why are we hearing that it could take days to determine a winner in this presidential election? When all of the ballots were hand counted, we got the results in a day or so; now that we’re computerized it takes many days or even weeks? Something smells here- what do you think?

The top 1% of earners in our country pay 37.3% of the taxes, compared to the combined lower 90% of earners paying 30.5% of total taxes. This leaves a tax burden of 32.2% for the remaining 9% of the wage earners to cover. In my opinion, that shines a light on the divisive politicians who continue to say that the “Rich should pay their fair share.” How much do they want them to pay. They have lots of money, let’s just take more from them!

I live in a Democrat controlled state. For years politicians here have been touting the fact that they would tax the rich to pay this, or that social service or giveaway. Now, oddly enough, I have heard that my state has lost a net of over one million residents over the last 10 years. Added to these taxpayer losses many large employers are also fleeing my state, some that had been here for many years. I heard on the radio today that, as a result of the state winning a lawsuit to take even more money from them, Pepsico is leaving. Maybe the politicians will have to finally start balancing budgets instead of taking more money in taxes.

I have spoken out about how ridiculous I find it that many Democrats fight against mandating that anyone who votes in a US election prove they are registered by showing an ID. The Democrat apologists who read my blog and Facebook posts have risen up against me at those times. Their arguments range from, “ID’s are always required.” to, “You are a racist because many minorities can not acquire ID’s.” In an attempt to “head off” these objections I submit, per California SOS (Secretary of State) on their website, “In most cases, a California voter is not required to show identification to a polling place worker before casting a ballot.” Per the “National Conference of State Legislatures www.ncsl.org” only 36 states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls.

In response to the claim that many minorities are not able to obtain ID’s I submit that the states that have passed laws requiring voters to show an ID have included in those bills the opportunity for legal voters who do not have ID’s to get them free. Also, there is the “common sense” knowledge that ID’s are required to buy alcohol, go to age restricted movies, drive a vehicle, buy prescription drugs, board most commercial airlines, get medical attention and many more everyday activities. I think we would have seen a boatload of protests if any notable percentage of the population was effectively prohibited from those opportunities due to an inability to produce legal identification.

Kamala Harris has called Donald Trump’s campaign ad’s stating that she cleared the way for inmates in the California prison system to obtain elective sex surgeries at taxpayer expense “disinformation or misinformation.” She says this even though she took credit for doing just that in a taped interview that Larry Elder played in his syndicated radio show on October 29th, 2024.

Speaking of “disinformation,” do you remember when the Hunter Biden laptop scandal was kept secret for months so it would not interfere with the 2020 election (The thought I expressed at the time was, “How is the truth election interference?”). Then, when the news did break, it was called Russian disinformation by some in the government and the Main Stream Media (MSM). As most people know, it was later proven to be 100% factual.

By the way, neither Hunter nor Joe Biden (The big guy) have been indicted as a result of the many crimes that came to light as a result of information held in that computer. Oddly enough, former president Donald Trump has been indicted at least 4 times since these obvious crimes were uncovered (Per Wikipedia). The charges were, in my opinion, mostly obscure, seldom used, charges. I believe that shows the democratic prosecutors involved in those indictments were involved in what is often called “lawfare” (Legal warfare) what do you think?

I was reminded of a quote attributed to Mark Twain recently. “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” I like that quote!

Is there truly evil in the world? I think there is a lot of evidence to support the affirmative, what do you think?

Thank you for reading. Please comment on what you liked or what you disagreed with.

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ON DIVERSITY…

psteik — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 01:55:32 +0000

I want everyone to have an equal chance to succeed- all things being equal.

All things being equal is a very important point. That means that color, race, creed, sexual orientation should have no part in a person’s ability to succeed, or be the reason they fail.

I am tired of hearing pandering politicians demand that we need a certain percentage of minorities in the senate, house, police force, a certain college, workplace or anywhere!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have more female police officers? Well how do we go about getting more women in law enforcement? Is the plan to advertise about job opportunities in media with a majority of female users? That’s acceptable- as long as there is a legitimate need to increase the number of females in law enforcement and male applicants are also sought. Should we insist on at least a percentage of police hires being large enough, or skilled enough, to win a one-on-one altercation with a very large person? If that is a reasonable concern, how do we make sure the large person hired is on the scene when needed? Or should we higher small people and send two or three to every call, because you never know when a situation will become violent. If we do higher diminutive people, and opt to send two or more to every call, would that be a form of intimidation?

If we hire smaller people (At one time police applicants were required to be 6′ tall in many jurisdictions) are we taking a chance that there will be more instances of lethal force? Every fight a police officer is in is, essentially, a gun fight. I say this because an “On Duty” police officer is required to wear their weapon as part of the uniform. Certainly, there are exceptions such as some undercover operations- but they are rare. I say the fight is a gun fight because if the officer is rendered unconscious, or overpowered, the offender could then take control of the officer’s duty weapon.

Maybe making the country diverse is more complicated than it seems?

How do we choose, “Who is more equal?” Who is in charge of determining what applicants need a boost to make life in America fair? I drove through a very wealthy area in the suburbs of Chicago recently, a beautiful Black woman passed me and pulled into a driveway of a building that, at first, appeared to be a multi-family home, but turned out to be a single-family residence commonly referred to as a mansion. As she was exiting her BMW I saw a Black man and two children come out to meet her. Does she deserve reparations? Does he deserve a government contract based on diversity? Who knows, maybe he or she already has one!

Are you aware that there were Black slave owners in America? Can their descendants collect reparations while my family- that never owned slaves- will be forced to pay?

How about Hispanics? The government has spent millions, probably billions, of dollars to add a Spanish version of brochures, signage and other devices that are used to direct or instruct. Private industry has been ordered to do the same thing, in most cases, also at great expense!

Inevitably, the question comes up, “What about all the other languages spoken by immigrants?” That was dealt with, but not to the satisfaction of many who complain regularly that The U.S. has not done enough.

According to Wikipedia (2023), English is the only language spoken in 77.5% of U.S. homes. Surprisingly, the United States federal government does not have a declared national language, however, 32 of the 50 states and all 5 U.S. territories have declared English as their official language. Spanish is spoken by 13.7% of the U.S. population according to the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau. Other languages include a variety of Native American languages including, but not limited to Mainland Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Additional languages were brought from Europe, Africa, Asia, other parts of the Americas, and Oceania including multiple dialects, creole languages, pidgin languages, and sign languages plus others.

Can you imagine how big a highway sign would have to be to present a simple message like, “Chicago 10 miles” in all of those languages with a readable font?

According to the site, English Raven, there is an English language proficiency test in the citizenship process, but it is not an absolute requirement. An applicant must prove proficiency in the English language by passing sections on speaking, reading and writing English. The test is designed to assess practical English skills relevant to everyday life and citizenship. If an applicant has difficulty learning English, there are exceptions to the rule including age waivers and disability waivers.

I have digressed, back to diversity!

As I have pondered the pro’s and cons of diversity my main problem with the process is the question, “If someone who would not have been given the job, contract, scholarship etc. is allowed in, thanks to a diversity bill, or ruling, who is pushed out?”

If it is prejudicial, and a violation of constitutional rights to discriminate against anyone based on their race, color, or creed- how can our government make quotas as to how many minorities must be hired? How can our government adopt a policy of preferences for minority businesses?

I am a White male. A member of the most influential group in America, if not the world! But, in my humble opinion, I have not reaped any treasures from my status. Before you start yelling at the screen, let me explain.

Even though both of my parents worked at a time when most women did not. My family still struggled financially. We got everything we needed, eventually, but we did not get everything we wanted. I struggled to get jobs. My dad was a midlevel manager, and my mother was a secretary. I had no pull anywhere! If there was a diversity place needed, I would very likely be let go or pushed aside in favor of the diversity hire!

I have an army of friends in the same position as me. We are mostly White, we are all hard workers. Some of us are college graduates, some worked in the trades and a few held delivery and service jobs. Most of us have worked closely with a variety of minorities. We have worked in union and non-union shops, a few of us owned our own businesses at one time. We are Americana.

I have worked side by side with females, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and others. I consider all of them friends to this day. I have been supervised by the same diverse group. I never had problems with any of them as co-workers or supervisors!

One of my closest friends was a male Black, Johnny/Musa, had a background similar to mine. He was from Joliet, I was from Elmhurst. He had 5 siblings, I had 5 siblings. His mother worked most of his life. My mother worked most of my life. He was searching for a religion that was a “good fit” for his belief’s. I was a devout Catholic. He had been raised as a protestant and was looking for something else. While we worked out after work he would “interview” me as to why I was the way I was and if I felt religion had anything to do with who I turned out to be.

I tried to convert him but failed. He chose to enter the Muslim faith, but we remained close friends until we both retired, and he moved out of state.

Johnny, who turned his name to Musa when he converted, said he was against affirmative action and diversity quotas and added he felt they were insulting. In his words, “I’m every bit as good as any White guy and I would be insulted if I was offered a job, or a promotion based on my color.

Another question I have, sort of related, is: If it is wrong on every level to say, “The N word” why is it common to call White ladies “Karens” and to demean the “founding fathers” as “Rich Old White Men.” I don’t disagree that the “N” word should not be used, but why can demeaning words referencing Whites be said regularly? And just some additional food for thought, in 1776 James Monroe was 18, Andrew Jackson was 8, The Marquis de Lafayette was 18, Aaron Burr was 21, Alexander was 21, James Madison was 25, John Paul Jones was 28, Thomas Jefferson was 33, John Hancock was 39. George Washington was about the oldest one I could find- he was 44.

Maybe it’s time to do a modern age- reset. Maybe we should start looking at everyone as equal. Doing so would be embracing the writing of those “Rich Old White Men” who founded a nation without a monarchy in the hopes that we could enjoy freedom and liberty!

Thank you for reading to the end. Please comment on what you liked and what you disagree with. I look forward to hearing from all of you.

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A DIFFERENT LOOK AT: WELFARE!

psteik — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 02:47:41 +0000

I was listening to Petula Clark’s hit “Downtown” from 1965 while I was worrying about the country’s future. I was musing about the plans to tax our social security while inflation is not yet under control. My mind was troubled while I was filling out job applications. I retired in 2020 and had a strong pension with a modest savings account and social security income to back it.

I was musing about the fact that less than four years ago, my future looked so bright. I was able to add a small amount to my savings account every month; while going on vacations and enjoying the life I had planned to live in retirement. Now, a short time later, I am looking at an enormous credit card debt and trying to plug the hole in my financial boat by getting the third job I have had in retirement.

The party in office has said, officially, (Jared Bernstein-Chair of the United States Council of Economic Advisers) that the US can’t go broke because we can print money.

In an attempt to quell my anxiety I wrote a little ditty that changes the words in Petula Clark’s song. I hope you enjoy it!

When you are broke, because our country’s a joke and jobs just can’t be found

Welfare!

When businesses close because the guy at the top, has changed all the rules,

Welfare!

Look at all the politicians begging for your votes now.

They’re the ones that made it bad with rules and regulations.

Can we survive?

The country’s much tougher now, we have limited options and limited jobs!

We’re on Welfare!

If you can’t work, you choose Welfare!

We’re governed by jerks who give Welfare!

They think they’re buying our votes.

If you’re a person with pride but all your options subsided,

go on Welfare!

Look at all the people who are living in the street now!

They would love to have a job, but options are so bleak now.

How can we survive?

Our lives are much tougher now.

since the government’s entered, where it should not be! This brings us Welfare!

Oh, what a frightful sight!

Welfare!

We must join in the fight!!

Welfare!

Hoping we get a change, now!

Welfare, Welfare, Welfare….

Let me know what you think of it. Thanks for reading.

Phil

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SECURITY HAS TO BE A TEAM EFFORT

psteik — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 04:58:41 +0000

When you were growing up, did you ever get in trouble for not locking a door? I’ll bet the answer is yes.

As children we’re not aware of many dangers that surround us. Our parents try to instill awareness and safety procedures in us, that’s their job. They tell us about looking both ways before crossing streets, not taking candy from strangers, they warn us about the dangers of putting items in electrical outlets and petting dogs we are not familiar with. We are taught to swim or given lessons. We are told to be careful when running or riding our bikes. It’s all in the name of safety!

We’ve all learned some, or all of these lessons. As kids we perceive many of the warnings as tiresome and intrusive (or some smaller word that means the same thing).

As we age we take on responsibilities of our own, some of us marry, have children, get supervisory jobs, own our own businesses or homes. At these times many of the lessons we learned as kids take on a new and stronger meaning. We really start to appreciate where our parents were coming from when we have kids of our own and feel the pain of every skinned knee or broken bone they suffer.

These lessons about safety and security are important and kids who weren’t taught them often suffer by learning them in a more difficult way. As a cop, unfortunately, I was assigned a case of a kid who rode his bike into an on-coming car. The driver said the kid raced right in front of her. The neighbors said he was always doing that. The coroner said he died of blunt force trauma and multiple broken bones and internal injuries. In 35 years as a cop, that was one of my worst assignments.

I understand, and I am glad, that tragedy is not the end result every time we forget about the rules that make us safe and secure. I am also someone who acknowledges that I am “tempting fate” if I willfully ignore safety procedures. I have driven thousands of miles in my 35 years as a cop. I can count on one hand the number of times I have not worn a seatbelt and I can attest that I had my ballistic vest on every time I put my uniform on.

You never know when your seatbelt will save your life, and a cop never knows when the issued ballistic vest will prove what a good investment it was.

I was driving to work on a bitter cold February day. The windchill was well below zero and the actual temperature was near -10. I had my uniform on, so I was wearing my vest. I was hit head-on by a much larger car. The impact actually broke the frame of my little economy car in half. That released my seatbelt from its mount, and my chest then forced my steering wheel up to the ceiling of the car. With the seatbelt mount broken I landed in the passenger seat. I broke my upper and lower left leg, shattered my kneecap into 8 pieces, fractured my skull and lost a few teeth. I am now listed as confirmed save #670 of the “SECOND CHANCE BALLISTIC VEST” Company- and my family and I are very glad that I take safety and security seriously! I am very thankful that I had my seatbelt (For as long as it lasted) and my Second Chance Ballistic Vest on!

As a person who has been saved by prioritizing safety, I can’t believe that our government is not doing the same, I am even more alarmed that the compliant press is doing nothing, the opposition party is doing nothing effective, and we citizens are doing nothing. It has been confirmed that over 10 million illegal aliens (I call them illegal aliens because they are aliens- foreign citizens- who have entered our country by disregarding and violating the lawful entry procedures- illegally) have entered our country since the current president took office. Ten million is a low estimate of how many have actually entered the country because it does not even try to account for those who did not encounter border guards or those who have entered by some other ruse.

The same party that orchestrated this invasion is now, in many states, making it possible for these invaders to vote, have government funded housing, receive free phones, food vouchers, and more! Politicians and concerned citizens who demand that only people who can prove that they are U.S. citizens registered to vote be allowed to cast their ballots are being called racists!

Obviously not the Southern Border

The definition of “Racism” is: 1. “A belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usu. involving the idea that one’s own race is superior. 2. a policy, system of government, etc., based on such a doctrine. 3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races….racist n., adj. (RANDOM HOUSE WEBSTER’S COLLEGE DICTIONARY copyright 1998).

I include this definition because I have been hearing politicians who, in my opinion, are selling out our nation’s security in hope of political gain using the argument that asking a person to prove they have authority to vote, is racist. As you can see from the definition above, a racist action must single out a race, or races, for special treatment based on a belief that one race is superior to another.

Voter ID laws are merely assuring that those given the ability to choose our representatives are legally entitled to do so.

I have believed from the first time I heard that ludicrous argument that it is without merit, basis, or foundation. My initial thought was. “I am carded (asked to show an ID) to buy alcohol, when I am stopped by a police officer, to buy cigarettes (For my girlfriend at the time- I know, it’s a nasty habit), to cash a check or make any bank transaction, to take out a library book, to watch an R-rated movie, to fly on a trip, to go to college functions, and many more things.

It is a, generally, unmentioned fact that most of the states that were proposing voter ID laws offered free IDs to individuals who needed official identification.

Our founding fathers allowed the federal government limited enumerated powers in the constitution. They are: The power to coin money, to regulate commerce, to declare war, to raise and maintain armed forces, and to establish a post office. In addition, there are “implied powers” introduced in Article 1 Section 8. Congress is given the right to “…make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and other powers vested in the government of the United States.” The point is, by my interpretation, our government has grown well beyond what was intended, or considered beneficial for “we the people!”

While growing so large, large enough to accumulate a 35 trillion-dollar debt, our government is neglecting its’ basic, foundational, responsibilities. The government that I used to, irresponsibly, trust. Has outgrown its’ boundaries by leaps and bounds and is ignoring the few responsibilities it has been assigned.

How can a government that is concerned about the safety of its citizens allow 10 million unknown aliens to enter in a three-year period? Is it acceptable to allow 10 million people to enter our country without being vetted or monitored? – I say NO!

Why does our government then, in way too many instances, supply these invaders with food, phones, housing and spending money? Is this a bad joke?

These people who have entered our country illegally are being treated better than our needy veterans!

According to Ballotpedia.org Pew Research Center reported that the US had 25 million non-citizen residents in 2020. Fourteen million of those 25 were documented permanent residents, visitors, or students. Since that report it has been confirmed that over 10 million additional illegal aliens have entered, that comes to over 21 million illegal aliens currently in the US. The same article documented that as of June 2024, The District of Columbia and municipalities in three states are allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections. WOW!

What could go wrong? Let me just think out loud for a minute….

Here’s a thought, if you were in a country illegally and foolish people in that country gave you a chance to vote in their elections would you vote for the candidate who ran on a platform of reforming the out of control spending, or would you vote for the guy who promised free cell phones and lodging with no questions asked or responsibility? Another way of saying that is, as an illegal alien with no “horse in the race” would you vote for a platform that will save the country in the long run, or for a candidate who promised giveaways with no strings attached?

How many of these illegals are murderers? Nobody knows, they haven’t been vetted. Most states don’t keep separate statistics for citizen/non-citizen crime. Texas does; and an article in “City Journal” (6/24/2019) reported that illegal aliens were charged with more than 298,000 crimes from June 1, 2011, to the end of 2018- an average of over 39,000/year. Those numbers included 624 murders, 1,911 robberies, and 3,955 sexual assaults (Which, under Texas law, include rapes).

In my opinion, we deserve much better than we are getting from our government.

We deserve a secure border! We deserve secure streets! Our country is worth fighting for! Security of our elections is worth fighting for! I was raised in Chicagoland. We have joked about dead relatives voting in Chicago elections for years- I can not stomach joking about that now because the reality of it is destroying our country!

The press and politicians have been, successfully, dividing us. We had politicians openly recommending that constituents harass opposite party politicians wherever they see them. Is that what freedom of speech is supposed to be used for? I don’t think so. Could it be that those politicians are trying to bully people into voting against their conscience to avoid being attacked on the street?

We have politicians implementing tax increases directed at “the rich!” I guess we are supposed to accept it because it’s not us! I don’t!

Other politicians refer to “rich old white guys” in a demeaning way. I’m not rich, but I am old and white. Does that make me bad? Did they miss the point that- indicating color of skin in a demeaning remark is racist?

I love America! I feel, warts and all, this is the best country in the world! I miss the days I could talk politics with friends and later toast to each other’s health. I wrote above that I felt certain politicians were trying to divide us by race, economic status, ethnicity and whatever else might work. It’s not a bad plan. If we’re busy fighting each other, we won’t notice what they’re up to!

I have an alternate plan. Let’s remember we are all brothers and sisters. Let’s remember that all stories must be vetted. We can not just accept one news source. We have a responsibility as voting citizens to hold those elected to represent us do so honestly, while working in our best interest. We have to end the “tradition” of common people being elected to office and retiring as multi-millionaires, sometimes after only a short time!

Thank you for reading to the end. Please comment on what you liked, didn’t like, agreed with, disagreed with etc.

Phil

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A FEW THOUGHTS FROM A GUY WHO KNOWS ABOUT AS MUCH AS YOU DO!

psteik — Wed, 08 May 2024 05:20:30 +0000

Our country is 35 Trillion dollars in debt! How can this be? We are arguably the most powerful country in the world! Arguably the richest country in the world! Yet we have more debt than we can hope to pay off! Why do I say that? I don’t think most people realize how much a trillion dollars is.

I found a good definition/explanation of a trillion that helps me to visualize that vast number. Scott Shellady, who is an internationally recognized figure and Adjunct Professor at DePaul University (2015) explains a trillion dollars as follows: “If you take a clock face, and each second is a dollar, it will take 11 days to run a million bucks off that clock in seconds. If you try to do a billion seconds, it takes 31 years. If you run a trillion seconds off of the clock, it would take 31,688 years.” In case you were curious, 35 trillion would take 1,109,080 years- in seconds!

The definition of a trillion, found in Oxford Languages Dictionary: A million million (1,000,000,000,000 or 10 to the 12th power).

How could the greatest nation in the world, in my opinion, fall that deep into debt? I’ll offer one more opinion. We are in this deep of debt because we are being lead/guided by ignorant and arrogant people.

An example would be, Alan Greenspan, Greenspan was Chairman of the U. S. Federal Reserve Board from 1987 to 2006 (The face of the Federal Reserve Bank, which is the regional bank of the Federal Reserve System, arguably the most influential financial system in the world). In an interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press” that was originally published on August 7th, 2011, Greenspan answered a question about the United States credit rating having recently been lowered by Standard and Poor’s credit reporting agency, due to the extreme debt held by the United States at that time. Greenspan’s reply was, “The United States can pay any debt it has because we can always print money to do that. So there is zero probability of default.”

If one of my children or grandchildren had given that same answer, I would have quickly schooled them on the realities of life- but this was the one-time big money man of the U.S. Government! How could we not be in debt?

A basic moral and economic rule is debt accrued must be paid!

I can not remember the last time this country had a balanced budget, can you? What do you think would happen if any of us tried to run our households’ on “deficit spending?” My guess is that we would be on the street with all of our belongings while the new owners of our houses moved in! Who could argue with that outcome?

One last thing, Ronald Reagan’s successful plan to destroy The Soviet Union was to outspend them in the arms race. At that time, we had the resources. God help us if someone should issue that same challenge. Would you lend money to a country that was 35 trillion dollars in debt?

I hear people who should know better saying that we should support the “illegal aliens” we allowed to knowingly trespass on our soil. Others are saying we should “forgive” college government loans. I am saying we should stop spending like we just stole dad’s credit card and realize that we are closer to bankruptcy as a nation than is safe. Much closer!

We are the last lifeboat of the free world. We are filled overcapacity, and we are headed further into the ocean asking if anyone else needs help. We must turn around, head to shore and unload. We can not help others until we strengthen our foundation! We are, at this time, lacking the grown up in the room who needs to give some direction. Stop frivolous overspending!

If Greenspan’s way of thinking is acceptable we should find a country that’s willing to lend us a lot of money for bombs and ammunition. At some point, the countries we owe all this money to are going to come knocking on our door. I believe we would have to print a lot of money if we start with the knowledge that 35 trillion dollars, off the top, is not backed up by anything.

Sorry I started out with a tough one. How about this to lighten the mood a little?

I do not like social media posts that are not clear. I mean the one’s that show a picture of someone with a caption, “We are so proud!” or “I never thought this day would come!”

I joined social media, partially, as a way to connect with some of my many relatives who live out of town. I have seen some of them once or twice and thought it would be great to catch up in a casual way. I have also “Friended” some of my high school classmates who live out of town, friends who retired years ago and post occasionally.

If cousin Ricky, who I last saw at a reunion in 1989, posts, “This is the happiest day of our lives!” with a young female’s photograph my thoughts are. Is this a child who just got married? Graduated? Had a baby?… Will I seem uncaring to just hit like and move on. Would I be presumptuous to say “Congratulations!” Is this a younger picture of his wife? Is he married?

I’m sure that out of his 300 followers 25 or 50 know just what is going on. I wish that, for the rest of us, he would write a little more narrative. Just saying- as a disclaimer: I do not have any cousins named “Ricky” and the scenario listed above is made up. Any similarity to actual events is purely coincidental!

WE ARE SO PROUD!

I disagree with the big push by many politicians in many jurisdictions to raise the minimum wage. I live near Chicago and they recently enacted legislation to increase the minimum wage to $13/hr.

It’s apparent to me that these politicians never worked or owned small businesses. I owned a repair garage before I became a cop. I hired a kid to clean floors a couple of times a week. Business improved and I hired another kid. I paid them the minimum wage at the time, and they were thrilled to get some spending money in their pockets. If I had been forced, by the government, to increase their salary I would have laid one or both of them off and cleaned the floors myself.

One of the arguments for minimum wage increase is that people can’t live on it. Minimum wage is not supposed to be for heads of the household. It is for entry level workers like high school students or people looking to supplement income.

A problem I see with increasing the minimum wage is that it causes all wages to go up. That sounds great, on paper. But, as a small business owner I lived on a tight budget. Had I been forced to pay my floor washers more, my mechanics would have complained. If the bottom wages are forced up by legislation, the low wage earners could be laid off because they are no longer affordable- as I would have done. Another problem is that the larger businesses with more capitol will find ways to eliminate low wage positions altogether. It’s already happening. Most of the large retail and grocery stores are installing “self-check outs.” McDonalds has equipped many of its’ restaurants with their own form of self-checkouts.

Raising a large family on a policeman’s salary I opted not to play golf. Now that I’m retired I’m trying to “catch up” and learn this game. I have heard that God created golf to keep humanity humble and now that I’ve tried to learn it, I believe that’s true.

I’ve been trying to golf for about two years. Once I feel I have a handle on my long game, drives. I realize my irons and putting are on life support. I try to work on those and my driving game suffers. I’m scratching my head so much I have just realized I’m bald- my kids and ex-wife have now assured me the baldness was there long before the poor golf game. At any rate, I enjoy golf and look forward to the time that I don’t feel compelled to burn my scorecard before any outsiders can see it.

Thanks for reading to the end. I hope you enjoyed it. Please comment on what you liked, what you agree with or what you don’t like.

Thanks

Phil

The post A FEW THOUGHTS FROM A GUY WHO KNOWS ABOUT AS MUCH AS YOU DO! appeared first on A Boomer's Thoughts.

SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

psteik — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 02:59:48 +0000

In the early days of our country the polls were open for only one day. People traveled on foot, on horseback, and in open wagons to their designated polling places, regardless of weather conditions. For some, the trip would take more than one day. Now, a large portion of our populace has the ability to get to a polling place in an enclosed “climate controlled” vehicle. Whether they choose an Uber, a ride with a friend, their own vehicle, a taxi, a bus or other public transportation- very few U.S. citizens are in a position that they can not get to their polling place on the designated day. But, for some reason, we are making voting a marathon process.

Polls open weeks before the election for “early voting!” Mail in ballots are available and, in many cases, sent out even when they haven’t been requested. Some politicians have complained because their electioneers are no longer allowed to deliver free food and drinks with their candidate’s name on the bottle to “potential voters” in line to cast their ballot. (Sometimes the voters are forced to wait an hour or two without water, unless they bring their own bottle).

People who assert that the longer it takes to count votes, the easier it is to commit election fraud, are marked as “conspiracy theorists” (A label that diminishes their credibility and standing in the community) even though what they say is factual!

Requests to re-instate, or enforce, voter ID laws are called racist by many politicians and media personalities. They claim these steps (Once common) are discriminatory towards minorities. Some of them claim that minority citizens do not have the ability to acquire an ID. These pundits ignore the FACT that identification is required to drive, buy tobacco, buy alcohol, enter some forms of entertainment, fly on commercial airlines and many other common practices for all Americans. The kicker is that where there is a voter ID push, it includes free ID’s to those who don’t have one. I wonder if anybody actually believes that ID’s are discriminatory?

The last 3 times I voted (In Illinois) I did not see anyone produce an ID prior to receiving their ballot. I don’t believe it is possible to vote anywhere else in the world without showing proof that you are a valid voter.

I hear, from both sides, that the 2024 election will likely be THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN OUR COUNTRY’S HISTORY!” I hear allegations from one side that the 2016 election was stolen, does anyone else remember Hillary and several others calling Trump an “Illegitimate” president? Then in 2020 we hear from the other side that the election was stolen.

Now that we’re coming up to the “most important election in our country’s history,” and both sides have expressed little confidence in our electoral system I can’t wait to see the big improvements in election security that I am sure both sides are working on (Sarcasm intended).

I must not be tuning in to the news at the right times because, as much as I have heard both sides complain about “stolen elections” and “election fraud” I have not heard either side pushing a plan to secure, or improve, the process. I, for one, will be very disappointed if my election experience in 2014 is no different from previous years. I won’t be surprised, just disappointed.

I went to my doctor recently and, reluctantly, checked in on their on-line data base. I am a boomer, a child of the 60’s, I hate computers! My doctor has been pushing me to use their “website built for my convenience.” For years I have been saying NO. On the last visit the push was even harder so, I tried to join the march to the future- or, at least, to present day.

I got on the initial site with no problem, a stupendous accomplishment for me! But then I faced more than computer problems. Questions 1-10 were about my sexual orientation. I do not mind answering a few questions of that vein, even though I fervently believe that, unless that’s the problem I need to address, they are out of line to ask personal questions.

I don’t know why they need to know if I am happy with my biological sex to treat my sore throat, but I complied, grudgingly. I answered the first question, (Are you happy with your “assigned” biological sex?). Then the second, which was similar, but more specific (Have you ever, or are you now considering changing your assigned sex?). The third question (Do you ever dress as a member of the opposite sex/ how often?) made me question why I was still on the site.

I started to wonder if I might be the only happily straight male who patronizes this practice. By the sixth question I started to reminisce about my police application tests which would ask the same question phrased several different ways to uncover deception. When I reached the tenth question, and the topic hadn’t changed, I gave up.

The next day, I entered the office, a half hour early for the appointment per their request. I told the cheerful receptionist that I had not filled out the online registration form. She said, “Oh that’s no problem I can take your information right here.” I told her that I wouldn’t be answering if the questions were the same redundant, intrusive, questions they had on-line. She smiled and told me she gets that same response from a lot of the patients. Not one to let a good question go unasked, I continued, “Why do they ask those questions then?” She replied that for people who have problems related to gender identity these questions are very important. I told her that I had written an article on that subject and learned, in my research, that under 5% of the population polled identifies as having “gender identity” issues (According to Wikipedia, currently, 6 to 7% of the population identify as LGBTQ in the latest polls). I then asked a follow up question, “Why don’t you ask about anger issues, homicidal and suicidal thoughts?” I added, as she was rolling her eyes, those are important to a larger percentage of the population than the gender questions.

I don’t think the doctor’s office is planning to change their protocol based on my complaint, I am currently in search of a new clinic in the Southwest Chicago Suburbs.

In my opinion, our government has thrust many, unnecessary, problems upon us; open borders, treating illegal aliens as honored guests with food and lodging taken care of on the taxpayer’s dime, ignoring shoplifting of up to $1,000.00 (causing many small businesses and some large ones to permanently close their doors), ignoring vandalism to public property (burning down police stations and defacing statues during the George Floyd riots with few people charged and less required to pay for damages caused) allowing our national debt to skyrocket to over 35 trillion dollars by ignoring the need for controlled spending and a balanced budget and many other things (You are encouraged to add problems I missed in the comment section). It seems that our government is trying to destroy our country. If that is true, I have a few suggestions. Here are some things that might help seal the deal and end the great experiment which is The United States of America:

Submitted for your approval:

How about placing random stop signs on all of the superhighways- just to mess with us a little more.

I also suggest that the government eliminate all police as some politicians have been suggesting.

What if our “Leaders” in Washington and the state capitols continue to disregard any restraint in their spending? They could design a payoff plan for the debt. I suggest they implement the OPM plan. This plan would be detailed in a 5,000- page bill- after all, nobody reads those.

In summary OPM (Other People’s Money/A new name for taxes) could be projected to pay off our debt in 25 years- That would be completely impossible but hey! We’ve bought all the other cow manure they’ve sold us- it could work. And while “We The People” are fighting on the internet about which party is really to blame, they have another couple of terms of unrestricted spending.

At some point our country would implode, but isn’t that in the cards anyway?

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed my view of life in these United States. Please comment on what you like or disagreed with. I look forward to your input.

The post SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT appeared first on A Boomer's Thoughts.

WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE?

psteik — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 22:47:32 +0000

Peter, Paul and Mary were one of the groups I really enjoyed when I was growing up. I still do listen to their stuff as a matter of fact!

When I think of the government scam, they call social security, I think of the Peter, Paul and Mary song written by Pete Seeger in 1955, WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE? That song was used to speak out against The Viet Nam War in the 60’s, perhaps, a similar song could be penned to speak out against big government in the 21st Century?

Maybe someone, with a voice better than mine, could sing a song that questions how a program that has mandated that a percentage of money be taken out of almost every payroll check written in the United States, with the employer also obligated to contribute on behalf of the employee, since 1937 (Source: Fifty Years of Social Security by Martha A. McSteen- Acting Commissioner of Social Security) and put in a government fund dedicated to retirement and disability protection could go wrong? Keep in mind that this is something private pension organizations have done very successfully for a very long time.

Everyone pays in. The money should be earning interest for years and then is returned in small monthly payments upon retirement or disability.

Brilliant! What could go wrong?

I am not an accountant but, if I could get that much money; and keep it to invest over that amount of time, over 50 years in my case, I don’t see any way I would not make that pile of money grow!

Margarette Burnette wrote, in her article (“Best High-Yield Online Savings Accounts of November 2023) that 4.5 percent is the best current interest rate for a High Yield Savings Account. Keep in mind that larger investments, generally, yield larger percentage returns. Now, imagine what kind of a return would be amassed if the total social security payments the government received between 1937 and present day was deposited as it was collected. The original rate withheld from payroll checks was1% in 1937 and rose over the years until 1990 when it topped out at 6.2%. As they say on the game shows, NO! We are not going to stop there! We are going to add to that mandated matching contributions from the employers. Now, the enormous sum of money you pictured in your head is doubled!

The average worker in the United States earns &1.7 million dollars in their lifetime after working 25 to 30 years (Per Reference). Imagine how much money the Social Security Administration takes in during every pay cycle. I ask myself, “How could they be going bankrupt?” Do you have the same question?

It seems that one thing that went wrong is that it is administered by the government. The same people that bring us The US Postal Service and Amtrack. Neither one makes a profit but, oddly enough, transportation, freight and expediting businesses in the US are thriving in the private sector (Amtrack has never made a profit per Investopedia.com, The U.S. Post Office losses doubled to 8.8 billion dollars for the year- Per MarketWatch in a post from 11/14/2019).

I believe that the government budget is based on the open spicket theory of financial management. That theory is one I invented, which declares simply that if the cost is born by others, there is no need to limit it. In the event that the money required is not available, open the spicket (Tax payer dollars and loans) and harvest the additional revenue required. If the budget is challenged close the spicket completely and publish “worst case scenarios” to encourage the masses to demand the spicket be re-opened. Repeat yearly, or as needed.

The National Government, in my opinion, should not be involved in retirement programs. The National Government, in my opinion, should be responsible for securing our borders, printing currency, and maintaining our infrastructure only. Our national debt is currently, as of November 21, 2023, $33.74 Trillion, If you start counting now, many of us will be dead before you come anywhere near that number. If the wealthiest1% in America were taxed at 100% of their assets- that would not pay off the current debt.

Marco Rubio was right when he said, “It’s easier to sell cotton candy, than it is to sell broccoli to somebody, but the broccoli is better for you, and it is the same thing with a limited government.”

John Stossel said, “I’m an American. I’m for prosperity. I’ve discovered, from 40 years of reporting, that what creates prosperity is limited government.”

It seems to me that every year we have a budget battle. One party argues that we need more money to properly serve the citizens. The other party argues that we are too far in debt and must rein in spending or there will be dire consequences. Both parties rattle their sabers and argue that the other party must give in “For the good of the people, before the budget deadline!” We are bombarded with public service announcements (PSA’s) throughout the “crisis” telling us that if the budget is not passed payments to our military, social security recipients and many social services with be stopped causing catastrophies galore!!

I’m not sure how old I was the first time I heard that warning. I do remember that it caused me great concern. How will we function? Will there be no military guarding us? Will foreign countries see our weakness and attack? How long can those who need government checks hang on without them?

Have you all heard the story about the boy who cried wolf?

For anyone who hasn’t it’s a fairy tale with a message. A little shepherd boy is lonely and bored. He falsely cries out, “Wolf, Wolf!” Everyone from near and far runs to his aid. He is smothered with love and attention but, no wolf is found, and no signs of a wolf’s presence can be located. The townspeople are suspicious. The boy does it again, less people respond, and suspicion grows. Finally, one day, a wolf does come. The boy cries for help, and nobody comes.

Our politicians cry wolf every time the budget issue comes up. We, their townspeople, continue to respond- usually aligned behind our respective parties. That needs to stop. We need to join the smart townspeople and require a balanced budget. I think the line, “Don’t re-elect anyone!” appeared in the 1972 movie, “THE CANDIDATE” starring Robert Redford, that doesn’t really matter. My suggestion is, however, that we don’t re-elect anyone until this garbage stops.

Thanks for reading to the end. Please comment on whatever you liked or didn’t like and follow me @ aboomersthoughts.com if you liked this.

Phil

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