A little too long! Ironically, I have received praise from strangers and friends alike for my writing. I really appreciate it because it's something I enjoy! My only problem is that it takes a lot of time to put ideas on paper so it's something that I would have to make a conscious effort for. I have some things that have been brewing in my subconscious. Hopefully I'll be able to share something soon.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Saturday, September 12, 2009
What is this???
By now everyone has heard Joe Wilson's words, "You lie!". What is that? It's obviously disrespectful but, I wonder would he have done this if this were a Democratic, white President? Would he have done this if this were a Democratic, woman President? What has happened in our society that the office of the Presidency is publicly disrespected? Sure I've heard people say "George Bush??? He's not my president!", but I highly doubt that these same people would threaten to take their children out of school if the President were scheduled to speak at their child's school. If you really know me, I'm the very last person to pull the race card but, when it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, what do you call it? Lefties aren't free of guilt either. When George Bush's name was spoken at Obama's inauguration many booed. I also thought that this was disrespectful. That though was an entirely different context. George Bush wasn't giving a speech. What do you think?
By the way, please don't compare this to Bush's shoe throwing incident because it doesn't even compare.
By the way, please don't compare this to Bush's shoe throwing incident because it doesn't even compare.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Great Redistribution of Wealth
There once existed a time in American history where consumer debt was very high, there was little to no regulation of the markets and the inequality of the nation's wealth increased. What's kind of odd is that the time which I'm referring to isn't exactly the time we are currently living in. It is actually the Roaring 20's (1920-1929). The 1920's were a decade of American prosperity. The Great Depression of the 1930's punctuated the end of this era of growth. What is interesting is one direct parallel that exist between the current economic climate and the time of prosperity during the 1920's. Last year it was reported that, "Income inequality grew significantly in 2005, with the top 1 percent of Americans — those with incomes that year of more than $348,000 — receiving their largest share of national income since 1928"1. Our economic policies have allowed the income gap to widen considerably. I have always believed that the more the scale tips in favor of one group, the more problems are created within a society. When 20% of the American population controls 80% of the wealth but only pays 67.1% of the taxes, is that a problem? The chart below gives a snapshot of an economic trend of the last 20 years:
Source: Executive Excess 2006, the 13th Annual CEO Compensation Survey from the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy.2
As the economy has thrived so has the stock markets and the CEOs of America. This unfortunately has not translated over to the salaries of production workers, federal income tax or federal minimum wage. This is a problem. I'm no economist but I do believe this has more than helped to put us in a hole. If anything this does nothing but enhance my view on the flaws of trickle-down economics.
Personally I do not believe in the redistribution of wealth. I believe in the redistribution of opportunity. I do not believe that paying more taxes as a result of amassing more wealth is a punishment. If anything, it's a privilege; a blessing for being financially able. The more those who are able contribute, the more they are likely to gain. We often hear that without those with the resources having opportunity there won't be any jobs. I think the more those with resources invest in those without resources, the better it is for everyone. After all there is a direct correlation. The more wealth generated within a society, the more consumers you will have within that society. There is a reason that this current economy could never work in a place such as Haiti. In general, the citizens of Haiti can't afford to live our lifestyle. If things don't change, Americans won't be able to afford the "American" lifestyle either. In closing I'll leave you with this quote from Marriner S. Eccles, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve under Franklin D. Roosevelt. In his biography Beckoning Frontiers, Eccles describes the American economy that led to the Great Depression. Eccles states, "The United States economy is like a poker game where the chips have become concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, and where the other fellows can stay in the game only by borrowing. When their credit runs out the game will stop." How long can we play this game?
Source: Executive Excess 2006, the 13th Annual CEO Compensation Survey from the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy.2
As the economy has thrived so has the stock markets and the CEOs of America. This unfortunately has not translated over to the salaries of production workers, federal income tax or federal minimum wage. This is a problem. I'm no economist but I do believe this has more than helped to put us in a hole. If anything this does nothing but enhance my view on the flaws of trickle-down economics.
Personally I do not believe in the redistribution of wealth. I believe in the redistribution of opportunity. I do not believe that paying more taxes as a result of amassing more wealth is a punishment. If anything, it's a privilege; a blessing for being financially able. The more those who are able contribute, the more they are likely to gain. We often hear that without those with the resources having opportunity there won't be any jobs. I think the more those with resources invest in those without resources, the better it is for everyone. After all there is a direct correlation. The more wealth generated within a society, the more consumers you will have within that society. There is a reason that this current economy could never work in a place such as Haiti. In general, the citizens of Haiti can't afford to live our lifestyle. If things don't change, Americans won't be able to afford the "American" lifestyle either. In closing I'll leave you with this quote from Marriner S. Eccles, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve under Franklin D. Roosevelt. In his biography Beckoning Frontiers, Eccles describes the American economy that led to the Great Depression. Eccles states, "The United States economy is like a poker game where the chips have become concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, and where the other fellows can stay in the game only by borrowing. When their credit runs out the game will stop." How long can we play this game?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
What influences your politics?
With this being a historic election year, I would like to ask what influences your political decisions. Is it birthright, political policies or something else entirely? Most of us inherit our political views from our parents, like our religion. What our parents were raised to believe, in most cases is what we've been raised to believe. It is a big misconception but, I have always felt that political beliefs were based mostly on financial standing. Piggybacking off of this misconception, I have always thought these beliefs were instilled by virtue of economic independence or dependence. It's true that your parents' wealth does not always translate to your own personal wealth. Many people, rich or poor, do not live as if their money and assets is all they have. We as Americans tend to live outside our means.
Many Americans from every social class believe that there’s always a safety net (i.e. your parents, credit cards or the government). I have always felt that if there were more people who were independent of these safety nets there would be more liberals - if the shoe were on the other foot so to speak. I know this is not completely true since conservatives mostly believe in self-empowerment. To them, the people should have control over their lives and personal possessions with little to no government interference. My political beliefs are very broad and do, to some extent, embody this belief. As in life, I believe there needs to be a balance. Government should not fully control our lives but should also protect us from potential hardships. The AIG bailout is a prime example. In a strictly conservative society (decreased regulation) the market would have to play itself out (laissez-faire). If AIG were not bailed out there would have potentially been a large crash in the economy. I’m no economist so I can not say this for certain but undoubtedly the effects would have been deeply felt across the globe and the fabric of American life would have been greatly altered.
My personal views were partly inherited from my parents but also shaped by life experiences. Help is always welcome but I'm not going to waste my time waiting on it. I have never believed in trickle-down economics. For those unaware of this policy, it's the belief that if you lessen the burden on those that have resources, wealth will trickle down to those that do not have any resources (through investments). To put this in perspective, the more food we have on the kitchen table, the more likely we'll have food fall off of the table for the "bottom feeders" to eat. What happens though when there’s no over abundance of food? Also, who's to say that those at the kitchen table will not eat more or horde the food when there is abundance? I believe George Bush's last 8 years have somewhat proved how human greed can takeover. Yes, the people with resources have the ability to create business but, I feel that the middle-class define this country.
You empower the middle-class, you empower the whole country. When they have money, the middle-class will eagerly invest/spend their money. The dollar will circulate. Not one, but all social classes will benefit from this. Those who control the resources will become profitable and will have to find ways to outpace the demands. As a result, jobs will be created. Having jobs gives those without resources a means to gain resources. Wealth becomes more tangible. This keeps the wheels of the economy churning. The whole “team” is moving in the same direction. Consumer confidence is up when the people have money to spend. The upper-class will always have money to spend. To them, the economy may currently be in decent shape. Truth be told, the economy is in the dumps and it doesn’t take Alan Greenspan or Ben Bernacke to tell us this. At the present, consumer confidence is very low and the middle-class is being crushed. The problem is finding a solution. I believe government should create opportunities for the middle-class, not stifle them. If this means I must pay more taxes than so be it. This is a fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives.
I trust that the government will invest my money in things that will better the country as a whole. Whenever I hear someone state "I don't want anyone sitting around being lazy and living off the taxes I pay," it makes me scratch my head. I feel this to be a cop-out. I wonder how many "poor" people are there that sit around and do nothing. I know it exists but then again there are also privileged individuals who squander opportunity. Some will make the most of opportunities (if given one) and others will take advantage. Maybe there are circumstances that have become a hindrance to the prosperity of that less resourceful individual. If he/she is working hard and doing everything within their own power to be successful, do they not deserve help? Is it just unlucky for that person to be tied to their current situation? Who's to decide what's fair? I don’t think we should look at it as paying taxes, we should look at it as pocket patriotism, a direct investment in American soil. This country after all is the land of opportunity. The scales tip when the opportunities are suffocated. This only creates more problems.
Many Americans from every social class believe that there’s always a safety net (i.e. your parents, credit cards or the government). I have always felt that if there were more people who were independent of these safety nets there would be more liberals - if the shoe were on the other foot so to speak. I know this is not completely true since conservatives mostly believe in self-empowerment. To them, the people should have control over their lives and personal possessions with little to no government interference. My political beliefs are very broad and do, to some extent, embody this belief. As in life, I believe there needs to be a balance. Government should not fully control our lives but should also protect us from potential hardships. The AIG bailout is a prime example. In a strictly conservative society (decreased regulation) the market would have to play itself out (laissez-faire). If AIG were not bailed out there would have potentially been a large crash in the economy. I’m no economist so I can not say this for certain but undoubtedly the effects would have been deeply felt across the globe and the fabric of American life would have been greatly altered.
My personal views were partly inherited from my parents but also shaped by life experiences. Help is always welcome but I'm not going to waste my time waiting on it. I have never believed in trickle-down economics. For those unaware of this policy, it's the belief that if you lessen the burden on those that have resources, wealth will trickle down to those that do not have any resources (through investments). To put this in perspective, the more food we have on the kitchen table, the more likely we'll have food fall off of the table for the "bottom feeders" to eat. What happens though when there’s no over abundance of food? Also, who's to say that those at the kitchen table will not eat more or horde the food when there is abundance? I believe George Bush's last 8 years have somewhat proved how human greed can takeover. Yes, the people with resources have the ability to create business but, I feel that the middle-class define this country.
You empower the middle-class, you empower the whole country. When they have money, the middle-class will eagerly invest/spend their money. The dollar will circulate. Not one, but all social classes will benefit from this. Those who control the resources will become profitable and will have to find ways to outpace the demands. As a result, jobs will be created. Having jobs gives those without resources a means to gain resources. Wealth becomes more tangible. This keeps the wheels of the economy churning. The whole “team” is moving in the same direction. Consumer confidence is up when the people have money to spend. The upper-class will always have money to spend. To them, the economy may currently be in decent shape. Truth be told, the economy is in the dumps and it doesn’t take Alan Greenspan or Ben Bernacke to tell us this. At the present, consumer confidence is very low and the middle-class is being crushed. The problem is finding a solution. I believe government should create opportunities for the middle-class, not stifle them. If this means I must pay more taxes than so be it. This is a fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives.
I trust that the government will invest my money in things that will better the country as a whole. Whenever I hear someone state "I don't want anyone sitting around being lazy and living off the taxes I pay," it makes me scratch my head. I feel this to be a cop-out. I wonder how many "poor" people are there that sit around and do nothing. I know it exists but then again there are also privileged individuals who squander opportunity. Some will make the most of opportunities (if given one) and others will take advantage. Maybe there are circumstances that have become a hindrance to the prosperity of that less resourceful individual. If he/she is working hard and doing everything within their own power to be successful, do they not deserve help? Is it just unlucky for that person to be tied to their current situation? Who's to decide what's fair? I don’t think we should look at it as paying taxes, we should look at it as pocket patriotism, a direct investment in American soil. This country after all is the land of opportunity. The scales tip when the opportunities are suffocated. This only creates more problems.
Enough about me! Again I ask, what influences your politics? It's true that the cream of the crop rise to the top. Why fear change? Why fear the status quo? The best of the best will thrive in any climate. I feel though that keeping things at a constant will only favor those who are benefiting from it. Change is good! If there were no change we wouldn’t have had a Revolutionary War, slavery would still exist and civil rights would be a non-issue.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Welcome to the American Mirror!
To all, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to visit this site. This site was intended to question Americans about our own American self perception. How do we as Americans view ourselves? We will attempt to cover any and everything under the sun (i.e. religion, prejudices, politics etc.). We are Americans, and like any large assembled mass we do not agree on everything. The beauty of being American is that we have the FREEDOM to voice our informed/uninformed opinions just as long as we do it in a civil manner. While I do believe in everyone having the right to voice their opinion, I will not encourage hate. I encourage all who visit to keep an open mind and to be respectful of all views, even those that may oppose your own. This site serves as a forum to voice one's opinion on the present, past and future of this fledgling country that we call America!
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