Forgive us our debts....

So, we've weathered a debt crisis for now. Standard and Poor's has been demonized for lowering our previously perfect credit rating and much of the public and politicos are bashing S&P.  Isn't that just like us?  I mean S&P stated, and I paraphrase, that the US credit rating was lowered do to the lack of long-term planning and the contentious nature of our Congress.  Is that not true?  Japan just received similar notice for the same general reasons.

How do we fix this?  Demand Congress acts long-term and with the best interests of the United States rather than political platforms in mind.  Demand our elected officials get out of the trough, stop filling bills with pork, end the practice of pensions and healthcare for themselves.  Go to work!  You should not be career politicians, you should be career employees of other companies or your own businesses and SERVE the public, not keep pulling dollars out of our pockets.

While we must be careful to look after the neediest of Americans, namely minor children and the aged, we must also stop supporting "poor people" who live in single family homes, have satellite television or premium cable, existing government health care, either through Medicare or Medicaid, get food stamps and always manage to buy cigarettes, weed and booze, and are able-bodied and able to work.  Now, I know times are tough job-wise.  But you can find work out there that will pay at least what is received in assistance.  It's just lowering one's standards to work at Wal-Mart or McDonald's or some job that is below your personal standards, which include taking money for nothing from the government coffers (my pockets) and many times living in places which are best described as hovels.  You know, the average "poor" person in America is still among the top 10% or so of the income earners in the world.  You could look it up.

How about if all of us go out and vote for any politican in a party other than Republican or Democrat?  You can't do Communist, either, because their platform and the Democrats are too similar.  No Tea Party either, too similar to Republicans.  So you have Libertarians, Green Party (ugh!), Independents and others.  Hey, I like Joe Lieberman as an independent, he'd make a pretty good President, I think.  A true American who looks at "what is right" rather than "who is right".

How about if many of us decide to run for office in our cities, our counties and beyond?  Yeah, you need some money, but the internet is a great way to drum up interest and dollars.  You can even Tweet your way to office if done properly.  (You probably have to hire Steve Martin or Robin Williams).

Americans have to decide if all our pet projects that we want the government to subsidize, including global warming, government funded abortions, able-bodied welfare recipients, unions (see stimulus funds), oil company tax breaks, lifetime health care and pensions for Congress members (Presidents are okay, tough job even if you suck at it) are really worth selling our futures, and our childrens'.  We have to look at public employee pensions, our state and civic leaders' deals and the rest.

It's true that everyone will have to take a hit to right the boat.  Yup, that means we probably gotta pay more in taxes, at least for a time. Yup, that means most of the free rides will have to end.  We might have to end our desires to try to legislate that everyone gets to share in wealth, we will always have poor.  We have to demand that elected officials do something constructive for the city, state or nation they're elected to serve.  And we have to decide if we want to do anything to make the changes, or end like so many sheep, or lemmings or turkeys. I once read that turkeys are so, stupid, I guess, that they will actually look up to the sky when it rains, open their mouths and drown.  Now, that might have been in National Geographic or Mad Magazine, I'm not sure which.  Lets' not be turkeys.