Monday, March 21, 2011
Five Things I want from my Government
I am very patriotic and believe that my country is the best place to live on the planet. I have honorably served in one of the finest government organizations to ever exist (United States Coast Guard) and believe that the potential of the American spirit will continue to let our great nation thrive. Yet, somehow I still feel bankrupt because my government continues to forget the fundamentals. Today, I am asking my Government to consider five things...
You turned politics into a dirty word. I could care less about the dime's worth of difference between a Democrat and a Republican. I want authentic, deep democracy where everyone has the opportunity to choose their leaders. Choice is at the heart of any government worthy of followership and shouldn't be based on either how much money a candidate has or doesn't, nor should it be based on how politically connected one is, but should be based on giving a variety of differing options.
Unlike the assclowns in the media such as Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh or even Glenn Beck, I have no belief one way or another as to whether Barack Obama is good or bad for America. What I do know is that our government's financial practices not only make zero sense, and are harmful to me, my family and my community. Why can't we have economics that makes sense for common people — not just banks, Wall Street or CEOs. While I agree we should eliminate welfare, I don't think eliminating it from the poor and shifting it to the rich is the right answer. Is it too much to ask for a little bit of fiscal discipline?
I believe in capitalism and was taught that capitalism exists to make society at large better. Is society now only comprised of those who care only about shareholder value? I want real value, built by people with character, dignity and courage. Make it easier for CEOs to care about the people in this great nation by finding ways for them to hire American's and not just focusing on making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Society thrives when we all truly have the same opportunities which are now under attack by the enemy within.
Stop telling me about the need for growth! I bet if you substitute the word greed, your intent would be exposed. I want to slow down — so we can all become better. We don't need to increase consumption but need to utilize the resources we have in a more responsible way. Does every household need multiple flat screen televisions hanging on the wall? I bet society could benefit if we built less cities and focused on providing healthier food to the general population. When the poor can only afford to eat McDonalds, we end up ingesting more salt and fat than we need. Happy meals aren't making us happy. Why worry about oil and rising gas prices when the focus should be on our food supply. Ever heard of Maslow's hierarchy of needs? Do some homework.
I could care less about modern debate of what constitutes marriage. I do however care deeply about the definition of family and how the government is allowing it to be destroyed. When people spend more time at their jobs, flying on airplanes to remote destinations, they aren't just ignoring the environment, they are also attack civilization. I laugh and cry at the same time as I watch many of the consultancies remain blissfully ignorant to flying their people every Monday hundreds of miles and conveniently ignoring the 2,000 gallons of jet fuel used only to ask them to carpool the last fifty miles.
There are obvious solutions to the environmental challenges that many aren't even willing to consider. What if there were incentives for employers to encourage telecommuting? This could relieve some of the congestion on our highways, reduce the dependency on oil from the Middle East and most importantly allow families to be families.
It would bring joy to my heart if Barack Obama asked executives as part of his next state of the nation to encourage executives who are divorced to remember why they got themselves into that situation and how they should help others avoid. Civilization starts with being civil and I need for my government to help people remember why we are still a great nation...
| | View blog reactionsYou turned politics into a dirty word. I could care less about the dime's worth of difference between a Democrat and a Republican. I want authentic, deep democracy where everyone has the opportunity to choose their leaders. Choice is at the heart of any government worthy of followership and shouldn't be based on either how much money a candidate has or doesn't, nor should it be based on how politically connected one is, but should be based on giving a variety of differing options.
Unlike the assclowns in the media such as Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh or even Glenn Beck, I have no belief one way or another as to whether Barack Obama is good or bad for America. What I do know is that our government's financial practices not only make zero sense, and are harmful to me, my family and my community. Why can't we have economics that makes sense for common people — not just banks, Wall Street or CEOs. While I agree we should eliminate welfare, I don't think eliminating it from the poor and shifting it to the rich is the right answer. Is it too much to ask for a little bit of fiscal discipline?
I believe in capitalism and was taught that capitalism exists to make society at large better. Is society now only comprised of those who care only about shareholder value? I want real value, built by people with character, dignity and courage. Make it easier for CEOs to care about the people in this great nation by finding ways for them to hire American's and not just focusing on making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Society thrives when we all truly have the same opportunities which are now under attack by the enemy within.
Stop telling me about the need for growth! I bet if you substitute the word greed, your intent would be exposed. I want to slow down — so we can all become better. We don't need to increase consumption but need to utilize the resources we have in a more responsible way. Does every household need multiple flat screen televisions hanging on the wall? I bet society could benefit if we built less cities and focused on providing healthier food to the general population. When the poor can only afford to eat McDonalds, we end up ingesting more salt and fat than we need. Happy meals aren't making us happy. Why worry about oil and rising gas prices when the focus should be on our food supply. Ever heard of Maslow's hierarchy of needs? Do some homework.
I could care less about modern debate of what constitutes marriage. I do however care deeply about the definition of family and how the government is allowing it to be destroyed. When people spend more time at their jobs, flying on airplanes to remote destinations, they aren't just ignoring the environment, they are also attack civilization. I laugh and cry at the same time as I watch many of the consultancies remain blissfully ignorant to flying their people every Monday hundreds of miles and conveniently ignoring the 2,000 gallons of jet fuel used only to ask them to carpool the last fifty miles.
There are obvious solutions to the environmental challenges that many aren't even willing to consider. What if there were incentives for employers to encourage telecommuting? This could relieve some of the congestion on our highways, reduce the dependency on oil from the Middle East and most importantly allow families to be families.
It would bring joy to my heart if Barack Obama asked executives as part of his next state of the nation to encourage executives who are divorced to remember why they got themselves into that situation and how they should help others avoid. Civilization starts with being civil and I need for my government to help people remember why we are still a great nation...
