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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