Passing the Buck, again and again

After twenty eight months of being in office, I am a bit confused about what President Obama’s goals are. What are his goals for the economy? What are his goals for helping those out of work? And my big question is who is in charge? Is it Obama? It seemed to be Pelosi and Reid but they have been demoted, so who is now? I wonder and why, because not much has changed and certainly I cannot feel any improvement, have you? Fact is even those on the left are beginning to bicker and complain about Obama. He did not close Guantanamo; he has not ended either Iraq or Afghanistan. And his goal to revitalize the economy is MIA. What is the outcome? What is he going to change to make things “really” better for Americans? I am not sure are you?

Why is this administration so afraid of dealing directly with the economy, the goals and hopes of our allies across the world, the international monetary policies and the threat of religious and political upheaval from the adversaries that dislike America? Why, well, let me explain. I think it is because fundamentally Mr. Obama does not understand how business works or why business works. He has spent most of his life with the belief that corporations are not the source of wealth or good in the US but they are a problem. They are a problem and they need to pay for the problems they have cause. And do not get me wrong, but when you say corporations those are the people who sell you things. Everything from sub sandwiches to airplane tickets. From Grocery stores to ship builders. They are the bad guys. Yet, what Mr. Obama does not understand his future rest with their success.

We have entered a time when the financial future of America is at risk and not only are politicians lying about the reality of such things but are kicking the proverbial “can down the street”. A few weeks ago, Paul Ryan a Republican came up with a number of suggestions that put into place would at least address the issues at hand. What is the public result on TV and in the Newspapers, Obama and his minions calling those who are doing their best to actually address these issues as thieves who are trying to take away the very provisions the US Government may very soon be too broke to support if we follow his policies. Crazy, it gets crazier.

Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk which said, “The Buck stops here”. In the 1930’s it was a saying that politicians would pass the buck as far as they could to avoid having responsibility for anything. The origins of this phrase come from the 19th century and pioneers playing poker. Instead of a chip indicating who was to be the dealer, often a “buck” knife would be used to identify whose turn it was to deal. By “passing the buck” the responsibility could be passed to the next person in line.

President Truman, a Democrat from Missouri who followed Franklin Roosevelt, was a no nonsense pragmatist who was faced with extraordinary issues following World War Two. He was challenged with the decision to drop the Atomic Bombs upon Imperial Japan in 1945, how to rebuild Europe and avoid the chaos and confusion following World War One, with the rise and hunger of the Soviet Empire following World War two and Stalin’s desire to conquer the world. All of these handled in a manner which backed up his simple sign on his desk.

Paul Ryan, in that same mind set as Truman, set out a complete proposal to attempt to deal with all of these issues. In his proposal the Congressman attempts to preserve Medicare, give tax breaks for the purchase of medical insurance and to personalized the social security program to preserve this program. It would allow investment in an individual’s retirement through the stock system giving American citizens the right to choose how they invest in their retirement. It would be a boon to investment, savings, business, the economy and would turn around the very nature of our retirement process into a win-win experience. It would make Social Security permanently solvent; translate that as to keep it alive. Why wouldn’t anyone support this? Well, 1st it takes the control of this from politicians and gives it back to citizens, you know as well as I that none of us can be trusted with anything. And secondly Senators and congressmen would not have Social Security to steal from anymore, Oh my gosh!!

This plan also attempts to reorganize the tax code to prevent theft and illegality with the goal of simplifying this system while giving the Corporate Tax Rate a break and bring it in line with the rest of the working world. You and I work for, buy from and realize most of our investment growth from Corporations when they succeed and compete in the World Markets. So, we ought to give them and us every opportunity to succeed, yes? Retirement plans and IRA’s, mine and yours, need to be given the chance to succeed and not be vilified. Corporations make the economic world go around and America needs jobs and jobs are created by those who do business. Making the businessman evil is in direct contrast to job creation.

Why are we then so inept in 2011? The dirty secret most politicians know is that the social commitments, called entitlements (social security, Medicaid, Medicare) will consume our entire tax base by 2025. What is not being told to the electorate is that we are on the edge of the US Dollar being devalued and the dollar becoming a second rate currency. In addition, this Obama administration is making an attempt to answer all these questions with the response that the richest Americans do not pay enough and we need to expand and raise the tax rate.

Raise taxes,why is that the first and only answer? Well, most Americans are not rich, and in our hearts we are fully convinced that most got rich like the Kennedy’s, that they inherited. Most Americans who have some money work as small businesses to make ends meet. Tax rich guys more? The top 50% of all taxpayers pay 96% of all of the taxes already. Did you know that? Rich guys pay a lot of our taxes already. Give people back their money and guess what? They do what you and I do, they spend it. And when they, those guys, the rich guys, spend, they spend a lot and when they spend a lot the economy gets good! Sshhhh, it is a secret, apparently to the Democrats.

Millions of Americans count on the government for the social network set up under Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1930’s, namely Social Security. The expansion of Medicare and Medicare, a health insurance program, under Lyndon Johnson set a new health quality level and insured those with Social Security for health concerns was expanded even more under Republican George Bush. Tell seniors these benefits are being adjusted is risky. Fact is Obama Democrats are telling American that Republicans want to end all of these protections. In reality and this is the part that is crazy, if the United States does nothing these programs WILL go away. A dirty political trick is to accuse your adversary of the very thing you seem to be doing to mask the good sense your opponent holds.

We could raise taxes on everyone. Raise rates such that for every $100.00 a person makes the treasury comes and takes, say 50%. Rich guys don’t need more. They can spread it around to the un-rich. The problem is rich guys have businesses and when you tax them they pay their taxes like good citizens and do not reinvest in more workers, more expansion and more equipment and the country enters into a depression. Oh, we are close to that already. Well, maybe we should change course then!!

Why does he, Obama, do nothing about international status of the dollar? How, by not balancing the budget like every household in America must do. A weak dollar has a huge impact at the cash register. What would happen to the American economy if gas prices hit $6.00 to $7.00 per gallon at the pump? What? You say that would cut down on the frivolous use of the automobile and lead to America actually confronting its need for fossil fuel. Wow, we could go green. Americans believe in preservation. Look around you; see how many National Parks and preserves within miles of your home exist. When it comes to fuels, you better slow down comrade, the exchange rate affects the purchase of oil, which affects the price of everything shipped anywhere in the US. We are now dependent upon oil from around the world. It goes up and the price of everything rises. And soon, even the middle class folks are poor and cannot afford the simple things they used to afford, like health care. So, am I to become dependent on the Government for more…….maybe, I have discovered the underlying goals of Mr. Obama. I might need to be dependent upon government. I don’t like it, I don’t. I do not want to be dependent upon anyone who does not see the provisions for success we have been given in the United States. I like my freedom and I do not want the rest of my world turning into the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Post Office. Sorry, most of what the Federal Government does sucks. My problem is twofold: The Buck does not stop with Mr. Obama; fact is he has just stopped the buck from moving period!!