"The most significant threat to our national security is our debt," Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, August 27, 2010


Thursday, January 30, 2014

Getting/Taking Good Advice

Hi.

What we observed, even though we did not watch/listen to the SOTU speech, was the connection between the disgust with this president and our disinterest in the speech.  He does not seek much less follow good advice.  Our problem with him is the repetitiveness of his rhetoric – we described it simply as a 5 year running into an 8 year commercial repeating the same message – about jobs, the economy, government programs, entitlements, etc.
The most frequently asked question we receive is – does he really believe his message or is it just politics?  We used to think it was his lack of experience – real world type – in other words a job in a private competitive business where you either compete or you fail.  We still think this is a basic void in his background but it does not answer why anyone would keep following an agenda that does not work.
So it could be politics, couldn’t it?  What we mean by that is a deliberate departure from reality with a message designed to rally enough voters to secure and then maintain power.  This is, of course, the big new problem with democracy, at least American style democracy.  Democracy is not a meritocracy.  It is a popularity contest – think high school – and the American style has now evolved to one big constant vote buying process.  Ergo, message and media management ala Axelrod.
So back to jobs.  America is now – an endless unemployment line.  And that line has grown more in the five years of Mr. Obama’s lack of leadership than anytime we can remember.  One in three Americans actually has a job.  Of those about half work in wealth creating jobs meaning, mathematically, we rely on one American to support five other Americans.  Now even if you are the most lucid anti- Luddite in history, we cannot imagine a thriving culture and society in which only one out of six citizens go to work.
Quick aside – regardless of the argument that those working in non wealth creating jobs (mostly government but not solely government) still pay taxes – yes, but they don’t create wealth.  And if you want a strong society; a strong military; a healthy citizenry; successful education; ladders to the middle class (we can only hope this rhetorical nonsense is short lived) and minimal local corruption – you need wealth creation.
Our points to this point:
  • No point in listening to Obama because his message and rhetoric are unchanged
  • His own party follows him, lemming like, but what else can they do?
  • Well they well could demand change but they too like their non wealth creating jobs
  • The opposition is fed up – we sure don’t blame them – so they get tabbed as obstructionists
  • Every day fewer Americans work; fewer Americans enter the middle class; fewer Americans stay in the middle class
  • And business, competitive commerce – those who engage in the wealth creating process – who must survive or disappear, are ignored
Please look up at the top of this essay and reread our title.
If you have a health concern, who do you go to for advice/information/solutions?
If you have a plumbing problem who to you to go for a fix?
If you wish to learn a foreign language where do you go?
If you want a good haircut what do you do?
In every case, of course, you go to someone who knows – who has done it before – or seen it before – or has fixed it before – or who has a reputation for satisfactory results.
You don’t go to a plumber when you have chest pains – or a doctor when your toilet leaks.

There are 50 million Americans, all of whom are engaged in competitive wealth creating commerce.  Any one of them could/would do a better job creating wealth; creating jobs; growing our economy here at home, than the lost soul in the white house.
Popularity contests work where there is nothing at stake – high school elections are a good example.  They stink when it comes to choosing leaders to compete against people who know how to get and follow good advice.  At least now.

These pages, right here at www.thefundamentals.us , are filled with the good advice of those who have been there; done it; succeeded; and are ready to do it again.  We will continue to favor their views on these pages.  But this democracy of ours will fail as we continue to ignore them.  And we will not be able to point a finger of blame at anyone – not the republicans; not the 1%; globalism; most certainly not the terrorists if we let that happen.
But those who refuse to get and take good advice will do exactly that – blame someone/something else.

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