Somewhere in the beginning of this nation, several people got together and wrote a Declaration of Independence and later on a Constitution. When looked at in the light of day, the Constitution was found wanting and there was a Bill of Rights passed to address the failings of the original document. Let no man or woman say that everything that needed covered was written in any of the Documents. In fact, we had a War between the States because of the things that needed said and weren't.
As we moved forward, many issues that needed discussed were added. Yes, we needed some form of an Income Tax, yes we needed to address the rights of Blacks and women to fully participate in our Government. We needed to have FDR's myriad of programs step in to help make our country not fail. There have been a bunch of other programs that failed and have been pushed to the way side.
We are currently standing at a point where there are many that fear that we have gone way too far, way too fast. First the Bail out, then the stimulus. Only History will finally call these programs what they are. We as a nation are too divided right now to make that call. The President and the Democrats in our Congress are standing firm on the need to revamp the National Health Care. I think there are a lot of us out here that think we have a great system that could use a little help but not a complete revamping. At least we need to wait until the economics of our country improve
Most of us want to see if the President and Congress mean what they say about any new initiative standing on its own and anything that requires a new dollar will have to tell us where that dollar will come from. Half truths or cover ups of the real source will be seen for what it is. If the Congress expects to look like it does after the elections of 2010, they had better come awake to the fact that we are watching. I have a saying that children are like snakes, they watch our feet not our words. What we do is a lot more important than what we say. Congress had better understand that the American people are getting more and more like that. Eloquence in our speeches won't have any weight if it isn't what we do.
I won't say we need more Conservatives or Liberals. We need more people that hold our Government accountable for what it does and un-elect those that screw things up. Telling a State that they don't have to pay or will get more in a bill to get a vote is wrong!
MUD
I knew there was a reason I liked you MUD.... You summed it up nicely.
ReplyDeleteI respect actions far more than words any day of the week. That is what I prefer to follow.
MUD, I think you're mostly right, but I'm a little confused (which is nothing new, btw).
ReplyDeleteMy understanding of the Constitution is that it really wasn't designed to cover very much.
It was just to confirm our God-given rights, confirm that Congress couldn't steal them from us, and leave the rest of it up to the various States to thrash out the details.
We had a War between the States because Lincoln refused to adhere to the spirit of the Federalist Papers, which assumed secession was cool, if a State decided to go that way.
I don't believe we needed an income tax, either. I find the income tax to be the greatest hindrance to economic expansion that we have. The framers NEVER envisioned such a thing as it works...where the more someone made, the higher rate they paid (and folks that don't pay anything get money back...'welfare'). In truth, they never entertained the thought of an income tax, period.
FDR's myriad of programs kept us from succeeding, not from failing...and still dog us to this day. I'm one of those that despise Roosevelt's New Deal programs that were surely to be unsustainable (and, they are). FDR II, Johnson came along and added insult to injury with his Medicare, Medicaid, welfare crap...there is no way our kids and grandkids will EVER be able to bear the crushing burden of those programs. They're gonna curse us one day for leaving the dookie pile in their path. They will. And, I won't blame them.
Heck, I'm 50. I'll qualify for all that crap before I know it. I really don't want the junk! Just leave me alone. Let me get sick and die at a reasonable age...don't stick me in a hospital, or nursing home at $10,000 a day (bill sent to my kids...or yours).
I'm VENTING here, MUD. Thanks for the trigger... nyuk!