I don't really spend all my time in the basement on this computer attempting to turn over rocks that are way too heavy for me to lift. As rational human beings it is sometimes difficult for me to understand how emotion trumps reason. We seem to encompass fear and while maybe not understanding an argument at all we entrench and get into our camps, unmovable and hunkered down. On occasion and you might think too often, I talk politics on this blog. We live in a political world and all issues have a direct effect on us.
I try my best to encourage conversation because I think in talking we will know more about these issues.
I try to not use emotional catch phrases like "liberal" and "conservative" or "socialism". These are all designed to get emotional responses and cloud the issues. The truth of the matter is that I don't know exactly where I stand on a lot of issues. I am exploring. I know what seems to be never is and there are consequences to everything. And, to be honest, there are just some things I do not understand.
I have had every life experience to make me a Republican. I have never "used the system", never been to the ER without paying for it myself, never been on food stamps, never collected unemployment, never had subsidised housing or assistance with a utility bill, did not relie on government assistance for my education, have never filed for bankruptcy. Most of my life has been as an employer not an employee. I have great private health insurance and have paid into it for over 35 years. I have never received a dime of public money for anything. All of this should make me a Republican, shouldn't it? It is kind of a self-righteous position: I got mine, go get yours!
These are the issues that nag at me and cause reflection.
European countries, especially Ireland and England have been confronting their national debt with austerity programs, basically curtailing programs for the poor, cutting back on assistance of any kind, raising taxes on the middle class and those lower and it is simply not working! It is not working simply because that is not how money works. Money only works when it is in circulation. Someone has to spend it in order for another person to get it. Think about food stamps (or whatever they call it these days) for a minute. What would happen if you got rid of them? Part of me is in favor of this. I think the free hand outs discourage
people from working! But what would happen to Safeways? to the packaging industry? to the farmers?
to the jobs that are created or maintained from this benefit? We NEED that circulation of money!
We have become piranha in a fish bowl and think our survival is bent upon pulling down those above us!
Now we are attacking pensions and collective bargaining. This won't be a good thing for my business at all.
I sell my art to people who have more money than I do.
How can anyone be against National Health? That just makes no sense to me at all. Sure, I imagine there could be a better way to do it, but to be against it? That's nuts! We have it already!!!!! We have the best, most inclusive health care in the world...IF you are over 65 years old! We are amongst the worse if you are younger. That is not an opinion. It is verifiable. We have a pretty decent, although not perfect, National Health Care for Veterans. Why would you want to get rid of this? Some jobs, although fewer every day, actually come with health benefits as part of the pay package.
Money has to circulate or nothing works. That again is real, it is not an opinion. We are not burning it, it is still out there somewhere. So the question becomes where is it? Maybe off shore accounts? Maybe in FIVE BILLION DOLLAR BONUSES!? One economic difference from the 1960's to now is the rich are getting richer. That is not an opinion. This might have worked (trickle down theory) when it was spent but it is difficult to spend $5,000,000,000 dollars. It is not just one guy. 40% of American wealth is controlled by just 2% of the people. Is this really what we want?
Another thing I think about is the idea of a society, as a concept. How do you judge a society? Do you judge a society on the amount of billionaires it produces? Personally (and this IS an opinion!) I think a society should be judged on how it treats its elders, its children, it infirm and less able. Most of my life one misstep and I could have been there. Some of my accomplishments I attribute to just plain luck.
Enough of that crap for today, right? What do I really do?
This past week I have been working on this project, and yesterday I installed it. A deer fence to protect the back yard plantings! The total height is about 8' and the whole trick to it is to make it so it isn't a dominating barricade to the backyard.
Most of the structure is designed to develop a rust patina except for the leaves which are stainless steel, I hope a shinny reminder to the deer not to jump!
More of what I do HERE
I try my best to encourage conversation because I think in talking we will know more about these issues.
I try to not use emotional catch phrases like "liberal" and "conservative" or "socialism". These are all designed to get emotional responses and cloud the issues. The truth of the matter is that I don't know exactly where I stand on a lot of issues. I am exploring. I know what seems to be never is and there are consequences to everything. And, to be honest, there are just some things I do not understand.
I have had every life experience to make me a Republican. I have never "used the system", never been to the ER without paying for it myself, never been on food stamps, never collected unemployment, never had subsidised housing or assistance with a utility bill, did not relie on government assistance for my education, have never filed for bankruptcy. Most of my life has been as an employer not an employee. I have great private health insurance and have paid into it for over 35 years. I have never received a dime of public money for anything. All of this should make me a Republican, shouldn't it? It is kind of a self-righteous position: I got mine, go get yours!
These are the issues that nag at me and cause reflection.
European countries, especially Ireland and England have been confronting their national debt with austerity programs, basically curtailing programs for the poor, cutting back on assistance of any kind, raising taxes on the middle class and those lower and it is simply not working! It is not working simply because that is not how money works. Money only works when it is in circulation. Someone has to spend it in order for another person to get it. Think about food stamps (or whatever they call it these days) for a minute. What would happen if you got rid of them? Part of me is in favor of this. I think the free hand outs discourage
people from working! But what would happen to Safeways? to the packaging industry? to the farmers?
to the jobs that are created or maintained from this benefit? We NEED that circulation of money!
We have become piranha in a fish bowl and think our survival is bent upon pulling down those above us!
Now we are attacking pensions and collective bargaining. This won't be a good thing for my business at all.
I sell my art to people who have more money than I do.
How can anyone be against National Health? That just makes no sense to me at all. Sure, I imagine there could be a better way to do it, but to be against it? That's nuts! We have it already!!!!! We have the best, most inclusive health care in the world...IF you are over 65 years old! We are amongst the worse if you are younger. That is not an opinion. It is verifiable. We have a pretty decent, although not perfect, National Health Care for Veterans. Why would you want to get rid of this? Some jobs, although fewer every day, actually come with health benefits as part of the pay package.
Money has to circulate or nothing works. That again is real, it is not an opinion. We are not burning it, it is still out there somewhere. So the question becomes where is it? Maybe off shore accounts? Maybe in FIVE BILLION DOLLAR BONUSES!? One economic difference from the 1960's to now is the rich are getting richer. That is not an opinion. This might have worked (trickle down theory) when it was spent but it is difficult to spend $5,000,000,000 dollars. It is not just one guy. 40% of American wealth is controlled by just 2% of the people. Is this really what we want?
Another thing I think about is the idea of a society, as a concept. How do you judge a society? Do you judge a society on the amount of billionaires it produces? Personally (and this IS an opinion!) I think a society should be judged on how it treats its elders, its children, it infirm and less able. Most of my life one misstep and I could have been there. Some of my accomplishments I attribute to just plain luck.
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| "Not tonight deer" a deer fence! |
This past week I have been working on this project, and yesterday I installed it. A deer fence to protect the back yard plantings! The total height is about 8' and the whole trick to it is to make it so it isn't a dominating barricade to the backyard.
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| Funny how we like nature and move to where the deer live and then attempt to fence them out! |
More of what I do HERE
