Every Thanksgiving for at least the last few years I try to make it a point to watch Frank Capra's classic "It's A Wonderful Life". This year, while allowing my turkey and stuffing to properly digest I sat down with my girlfriend to begin watching this timeless classic. The movie, was entertaining as always, however, it made me start to think.
I began pondering how this movie relates today. The character of George Bailey played by Jimmy Stewart can be see as both the general citizen who is hurting from this economic crisis, or even can be seen as an auto company or financial institution (after all he was the Executive Officer of the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan) looking to the government or the cranky, wealthy old man Mr. Potter who is played by Lionel Barrymore, (yes Drew Barrymore's grandfather) to bail him out.
Sure George Bailey is an upstanding citizen who just got caught in a pickle, just an accident that could end up in a jail sentence for misappropriating $8,000, which was a lot back then. However, as I was thinking about whether or not he could be compared to the auto companies asking the government for a bailout which as I mentioned he did go ask the mean old Mr. Potter for some help, who crankily turned his back on poor George Bailey, he even called the police to have them issue a warrant for his arrest.
With nowhere left to turn, George Bailey considers suicide, only to be shown what the world would look like with George Bailey. It looked horrible in his eyes. I am sure that the auto companies think the world would be horrible without them too, however the nation would get over it and a new one would come along.
In the end however, (I hope I am not spoiling the movie, if you haven't seen it you must be living in North Korea) George Bailey is not saved by the government, or the wealthy Mr. Potter, he is saved by his friends. His friends give/loan him the money needed to pay the lost amount of money.
The end of this movie epitomizes what capitalism and conservatism are truly about. Friends, neighbors, fellow citizens help out the man in need. Throughout the movie George Bailey is always lending a helping hand, even loaning out his own wedding money during the depression. It wasn't the government that came in and fixed the problems; the neighbors did.
Conservatives don't think that a single mom with children shouldn't be helped out, we just don't think that government should be doing it. Wouldn't it be great, if instead of going on welfare or going on unemployment when one lost his job, his neighbors would invite his family over for a meal or two. Or the community pitched in to help supplement the bills. That is what conservatism is about, allowing for people to do the work.
As Clarence the Guardian Angel inscribed in Tom Sawyer in the end of the movie "No man is a failure who has friends". Helping out fellow man is what we are supposed to do and we are supposed to actually do it, not be lazy and let the government throw a check and some government cheese at him; we are supposed to help out - with however much or little we can.
12.01.2008
11.19.2008
America on the Road Toward Socialism
America has just elected its first President with socialistic tendencies, Barack Obama has said he "wants to spread the wealth". Our government is bailing out financial institutions and in return the government is getting a stake in the banks-and we are talking a share where they actually have a say in how the bank operates. Now, our government wants the same for the automobile industry. They ("they" being Democrats and some Republicans) want to give the auto industry somewhere to the tune of 25 billion dollars (insert Dr. Evil pinky to mouth and evil laugh) and in return get a share of the auto industry as well.
Now, the Democrats are smart, they know that the American public would never allow for Congress to pass legislation that would give them a stake in any private company; yet these tricky tricky people are slowly taking over private enterprise in this country.
I heard Glenn Beck say on the radio this morning that letting the auto companies die out is like having surgery. It may hurt for a while, but eventually it is for the better. Do I want Michigan to go under? Absolutely not. But should we the tax payers be allowing the government to give out my money to a private corporation, which in turn will hand over shares of itself to the government-I think not my friend.
This is a scary time that we are living in, and I don't mean that because people are losing their investments, homes and jobs-these things can rebound, but once this nation is headed down the road of government controlled enterprise it is very very hard to get back toward free enterprise.
Ironically enough Herbert Hoover said these two quotes that I found last night, the first is "Every time the government is forced to act, we lose something in self-reliance, character and initiative".
The second quote reads "The course of unbalanced budgets lead to ruin."
Now as I mentioned there is some irony here, because some claim that Hoover's financial policies were responsible for the Great Depression, but both of these quotes ring true. We are on the verge of handing our individualism, our private property and with that our liberty to the government.
To all of those who wanted "change" from Obama and the Democrats you sent to congress, just be careful what you wish for.
Now, the Democrats are smart, they know that the American public would never allow for Congress to pass legislation that would give them a stake in any private company; yet these tricky tricky people are slowly taking over private enterprise in this country.
I heard Glenn Beck say on the radio this morning that letting the auto companies die out is like having surgery. It may hurt for a while, but eventually it is for the better. Do I want Michigan to go under? Absolutely not. But should we the tax payers be allowing the government to give out my money to a private corporation, which in turn will hand over shares of itself to the government-I think not my friend.
This is a scary time that we are living in, and I don't mean that because people are losing their investments, homes and jobs-these things can rebound, but once this nation is headed down the road of government controlled enterprise it is very very hard to get back toward free enterprise.
Ironically enough Herbert Hoover said these two quotes that I found last night, the first is "Every time the government is forced to act, we lose something in self-reliance, character and initiative".
The second quote reads "The course of unbalanced budgets lead to ruin."
Now as I mentioned there is some irony here, because some claim that Hoover's financial policies were responsible for the Great Depression, but both of these quotes ring true. We are on the verge of handing our individualism, our private property and with that our liberty to the government.
To all of those who wanted "change" from Obama and the Democrats you sent to congress, just be careful what you wish for.
11.12.2008
A government large enough...
Our country needs a new contract with America. We (conservatives) need to show the nation that we are still here, and we aren't all moderates. We need to show this nation that the best way for freedom is to let the free market work, reduce governmental waste and regulation, and keep government small. As President Gerald R. Ford (who by the way was not close to being the most conservative president we ever had) said "a government large enough to give you everything you want, is large enough to take away everything you had".
We need to remember this, especially with the new liberal "mandate" that was given to the Democrats eight days ago. If they are going to require people to have health care, fine, but what are they going to take away? Money? Government Programs, what? Obama never said during the campaign what he was going to do. The want to raise taxes on the rich, ok, but if you do that, who is going to create the jobs that the wealthy create?
On the issue of taxes, Obama said he wasn't going to raise taxes on anyone who makes $250,000 then it changed to $200,000 then Biden said $150,000, the point is we really don't know the cap. However, what the media didn't tell you is that Obama is going to let the Bush tax cuts expire, which will make all (nearly every tax grade) taxes increase. How is that not a tax hike?
The point in this essay is, if the Republicans want to fight back, they need to create another contract with America. Let's not forget that the Republicans took over congress after Clinton was President for only two years. We need to pledge to cut the fat, lower people's taxes, and show the liberals who will be running the show that raising taxes and regulations won't create jobs, it will only harm the economy even more.
It is going to be one helluva rocky ride these next few years, but someone in the conservative movement needs to be the standard bearer who says "enough is enough".
We need to remember this, especially with the new liberal "mandate" that was given to the Democrats eight days ago. If they are going to require people to have health care, fine, but what are they going to take away? Money? Government Programs, what? Obama never said during the campaign what he was going to do. The want to raise taxes on the rich, ok, but if you do that, who is going to create the jobs that the wealthy create?
On the issue of taxes, Obama said he wasn't going to raise taxes on anyone who makes $250,000 then it changed to $200,000 then Biden said $150,000, the point is we really don't know the cap. However, what the media didn't tell you is that Obama is going to let the Bush tax cuts expire, which will make all (nearly every tax grade) taxes increase. How is that not a tax hike?
The point in this essay is, if the Republicans want to fight back, they need to create another contract with America. Let's not forget that the Republicans took over congress after Clinton was President for only two years. We need to pledge to cut the fat, lower people's taxes, and show the liberals who will be running the show that raising taxes and regulations won't create jobs, it will only harm the economy even more.
It is going to be one helluva rocky ride these next few years, but someone in the conservative movement needs to be the standard bearer who says "enough is enough".
Wanted: Conservatism
Under normal circumstances Barack Obama would not have been elected President, had people not been as dissatisfied with George W. Bush. The American public would not have elected a man as inexperienced or as radical as Obama, had the American people not been as upset about what has occurred in the last few years.
One can even disregard the Iraq War, as shown by nearly all of the exit polling, the issue was only important to less than 10% of those asked. Mainly the issue was the economy, people's jobs were being lost, prices were rising and families were losing their homes. John McCain, who was wrongfully, however successfully portrayed as Bush Jr. was not the person to bring us out of this economic situation. Neither is Obama for that matter. Come to think of it, there may not have been a single person running for President who could handle an economic situation. Romney maybe, because at least he'd run something in his life.
Many wrongly assume that Obama won because people were tired of republicans. I agree to an extent. People are tired of liberal republicans. People want elected officials who are going to do what they say they are going to do. If republicans run on small government platforms and then preside over the largest increase in the federal government since the Union's inception; of course they will be voted out of office. If republicans run on morals, values and ethics, and then act as if they were talking about everybody else and don't hold themselves to the same standards, then yes, they will be voted out of office.
What the Republican Party needs now is a true conservative to stand up and lead our party out of the wilderness that we have now found ourselves. We need to lick our wounds, rearm and head out into the fight. Believe me, most Americans are conservative they just don't know it. If the Republican party could get into people's minds again, that if you don't like your paycheck to be raped by the IRS, then you need to vote Republican. That is what we need. A new conservative leadership that will keep fighting for what is right in this country and not go back on the principles that makes us conservatives.
One can even disregard the Iraq War, as shown by nearly all of the exit polling, the issue was only important to less than 10% of those asked. Mainly the issue was the economy, people's jobs were being lost, prices were rising and families were losing their homes. John McCain, who was wrongfully, however successfully portrayed as Bush Jr. was not the person to bring us out of this economic situation. Neither is Obama for that matter. Come to think of it, there may not have been a single person running for President who could handle an economic situation. Romney maybe, because at least he'd run something in his life.
Many wrongly assume that Obama won because people were tired of republicans. I agree to an extent. People are tired of liberal republicans. People want elected officials who are going to do what they say they are going to do. If republicans run on small government platforms and then preside over the largest increase in the federal government since the Union's inception; of course they will be voted out of office. If republicans run on morals, values and ethics, and then act as if they were talking about everybody else and don't hold themselves to the same standards, then yes, they will be voted out of office.
What the Republican Party needs now is a true conservative to stand up and lead our party out of the wilderness that we have now found ourselves. We need to lick our wounds, rearm and head out into the fight. Believe me, most Americans are conservative they just don't know it. If the Republican party could get into people's minds again, that if you don't like your paycheck to be raped by the IRS, then you need to vote Republican. That is what we need. A new conservative leadership that will keep fighting for what is right in this country and not go back on the principles that makes us conservatives.
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