Can We Save This Country From Ourselves?

When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you think about? For some people it’s “Damn, do I have to go to work again?”, hit snooze and roll over for another 5 to 9 minutes. Sadly, for many more people in the world it’s the fear that they may be next. Next to be forced to do horrible things against their will, next to be killed merely for a belief they may have, next because someone who can do harm, does… Is that the world you want to live in? Not Me! For many, they live with a real fear of what will happen to them, Always. Many Americans live with a fear, but is it real fear? For some it is. What will happen to my children or myself today after we leave the house? How will I feed my family, how will I get the rent paid, why can’t I find a job? There seems to be a lot of places looking to hire. How can the unemployment rate “number” be so low, yet there are so many looking for work at places who can’t find labor? The unemployment rate may look low on paper, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. It leaves out people who have stopped looking, those stuck in part-time jobs, and the fact that many available jobs don’t match the skills of people seeking work. That’s why so many businesses struggle to hire, even while official numbers claim everything is fine.

Here’s where I lose some readers. Most of whom say they have an open mind and welcome new opinions. Some leave if their feelings get hurt, they get mad and throw a tantrum. Toughen up Buttercup. This is life and you aren’t really living it! GASP! How can I say that?!! Allow me to explain. You don’t live in reality if you can’t see how well you have it in the USA! Some neighborhoods suck, suffering from real hardships. I get that. Although for many in this country, life is easy, maybe too easy? Many Americans enjoy comforts and conveniences that would have been unimaginable a century ago — and are still rare in much of the world. In some ways, American lives have become so comfortable that it risks breeding complacency. That could be the problem!

Compare idealisms in the US to other countries for which there seems to be a lot of young (and some older, surprisingly) persons wanting to emulate. Personally, I enjoy my remaining freedoms that get fewer every year. If the people who wish to live in other countries really knew how good they have it — they might stop complaining and start building where they are. And yes, you will have to work no matter where you live, NOTHING is truly free. ** Don’t know what I mean? look up “The Declaration of Independence” or maybe even elaborate on “The Constitution of the United States”. Perhaps you want to read more about “The Bill of Rights”, maybe you would like to understand what Civil Rights really are. Please read some, if not all of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. It takes a while to read and comprehend, I’d do it over several days. There you will find a bunch of words, superbly put to paper, that should be known and understood by ALL Americans!!

So, where am I going with this ramble? Socialism. How many people REALLY know what it is? Are you upset because you have to work for what you have? (I use work loosely for many young people, most under 35). Sadly, they would rather have it given to them for free. But if large-scale “free” programs expand unchecked, someone has to foot the bill — and often that burden falls unevenly. Too many seem to prefer the idea of “getting” rather than earning. But nothing is free — it comes from someone else’s pocket. Remember, Socialism often hides behind promises of ‘free’ healthcare, housing, or education. Unlike our system, which values individual responsibility and opportunity, socialism shifts power to government planners. And every time it’s been tried on a large scale, the result has been shortages, decline, and collapse.

That does not mean the rest of us should accept their so-called ‘logic.’ We like it here the way it once was… There are plenty of socialist countries who would love to accept you into their culture! Although Russia isn’t per se socialist, I hear they need citizens! Dreaming of life under big government? Head to Russia! They are fast-tracking citizenship — but only for those willing to join the army and fight. That’s not a land of opportunity. That’s desperation dressed in propaganda.

Seriously — do they think getting “stuff for free” now means everything gets better later? What if the rest of us who do work just walk away? THEN WHAT? With nobody left to run the corporate hamster wheel, who will pay for all that free stuff!!?? Hmmm. Can you see that grim, dim light? We’ve seen it all before in those “other” countries — forced labor, decay in housing, rationed food — under regimes that grew too powerful and unchecked. Under heavy-handed systems, people aren’t free — they’re forced to work where told, live in sub-standard housing, and eat whatever poor excuse for food they can get. And once the government monster grows, who will be left strong enough to rise up and stop it? And those who succumbed to the system will have the nerve to whine about their fate. What will really happen when there is nobody left to stop the monster from eating everything in which we all used to feel so warm and fuzzy about.

That’s what I believe will happen. If we refuse to preserve what we love about these UNITED States — our heritage, our freedoms and traditions — we risk losing them. Much of our history, honor and culture is already under threat. Let’s not wait until it’s gone. Much of our heritage is on the verge of disappearing (some of it already watered down in classrooms and curricula). Our history risks being diluted, if not become obsolete, when we don’t actively preserve it — and I worry how much of our heritage will be forgotten, the same way pieces of our history and culture have been quietly removed from classrooms over time. That’s when we will all suffer a tragic fate that could have been prevented!