The Greedy Hand of Government
Thomas Paine said, "Beware the greedy hand of government, thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry." Too bad we have ignored his wisdom, as we have ignored the collected wisdom of our founders. Of course, most taught in public schools never hear much of what our founders believed, those who fought to create this nation where every person was understood to be free as a natural gift from God.
Instead, people have turned to government for just about everything, and the "greedy hand of government" is more than willing to "provide." Except that that greedy hand is better at taking than providing, after using the rhetoric of promise, hope, and change. Our government with a totally unopposed Democrat majority and Democrat President has worked overtime to take as much as possible as quickly as possible.
Nearly every Congressman and Senator should be put out of office for the worst kind of malfeasance, after passing the huge "stimulus plan" that no one read, though in fairness to minority Republicans, they weren't given much time. Now they've done the same with "cap and trade," another huge bill, passed largely unexamined for lack of time. Worse, its ostensible purpose is to stave off climate change, despite increasing indications that the global climate is cooling, not warming. Of course, this is no climate bill; it is a bill designed to increase the cost of energy, destroy American industry, especially the industry in the heartland, and weaken the American economy competitively with the rest of the world.
The President has interfered with the financial and auto businesses, despite his lack of experience in either. Indeed, he lacks experience in anything but being a professor and community organizer. Why would someone with so little knowledge be in such a rush to do what he has done and seeks yet to do? No, he is not a genius! I doubt he is any smarter than I, except as a politician, and politicians excel at doing one thing--gaining and keeping power.
His next target is health care. The government has run Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid into the ground, and now they would "fix" health care. Nonsense! Anyone who believes that is an idiot (Sorry!). Forget, for a moment, that "greedy hand." Consolidating any endeavor into one large bureaucracy increases costs because it increases the number of people it takes to manage the huge system created. The education system demonstrates this well. The enormous federal bureaucracy is filled with the highest paid officials, who do not teach a single student. They create mandates, collect money to Washington to then dole out as they choose, increase the necessity of larger administrative departments in both the states and in each school system. By supporting unions, this has also increased the cost of teachers without a corresponding increase in performance. As all of this has developed, our American kids' educational competence has fallen.
I contend that this is unavoidable in the best of all possible situations. Big is not better! However, this is not the best. Those in charge have highly suspect motives. Forget their overt ideology. Their haste tells the story. They move quickly and in the cover of darkness (like the three hundred page amendment to Cap and Trade, this morning at 3 a.m.!). Speaker Pelosi demands her troops fall in line, and most do. Furthermore, this bill is designed to hold off some of the worst provisions till 2012, after the President runs for a second term. So much for the "urgency" of climate change!
I'm old enough that what happens may not bother me so much, although the increased costs of living, driving, etc. may not be easy for me as a tutor. I don't relish dealing with a government bureaucracy for medical care, even though I have lived without health insurance for six years. I fear that none of those government programs will offer much to me as an aging "baby boomer." Still, it troubles me far more to think that the many young friends and family I care for will suffer the devastating effects of this government's greedy hand, of these politicians' greedy hands.
Why are they doing it? This President does not see himself as a leader. By the Constitution, his job is to carry out the laws passed by Congress. He sees himself as a ruler, which the media support by treating him like royalty. Frankly, the leaders in Congress are either stupid or crooked--Pelosi both, Reid, Frank, and Dodd crooked, Kennedy, well words fail me, but he's not half the man of either of his brothers! Speaking of crooks, how many tax cheats did the President appoint? How many of his promises has he broken so far? Even the Left has noticed, and I wonder how many of the more conservative among us now realize his infidelity?
With all of that, it's still not clear why. Is it a power grab? Yes, it certainly is. This greedy hand seeks to control our country and its people, while leaving only themselves free. They seem to wish to re-create the noble elite who enjoy privilege while condemning the rest to servitude. They already send their children to private schools to avoid the messed up public system they've helped create. They will exempt themselves from the health care they would provide the rest of us. Their salaries and benefits will protect them from the economic chaos their stimulus, cap and trade, and TARP will bring down onto the country.
Yet, with all of that, what kind of leaders will destroy their own country? Greedy hands, indeed, but hands that seem, at the same time, capable of crippling and tearing down what generations have built. Stupidity, corruption, power-seeking--none of these seem adequate to explain what they are doing. I find myself wondering, though I'm no conspiracy buff, if a "Manchurian Candidate" seeks to weaken us so that our enemies might prevail.
I am, by nature, an optimist, but it will take more than optimism to deal with this. I hear too many voices accepting defeat and despair. It is time for a concerted effort to slap that greedy hand! It will take more than voting; that's only one piece. We need to set our sights on defeating every person who supports this crazy agenda. That means we must talk to our neighbors, relatives, co-workers, and any person we can engage in constructive conversation. Ideological warfare won't do it! We need to inform ourselves, be able to ask solid questions, and provide thoughtful explanations. Empty rhetoric is not the way. We must avoid angry, polarizing conversations. Instead, we must engage lovingly, thoughtfully, and substantively.
American Christians have fallen into materialistic comfort. As a result, we have lost our voice. Too many who do speak, speak harshly ("God hates fags," indeed!). When did God exchange "Blessed are the peacemakers" with "Blessed are the angry agitators?" The world has become a scary, dangerous place because of some who use religion to gain power, and our nation has become an angry, contentious place for reasons too numerous to list here. We Christians must step up and make our gentile, wise voices heard for faith and for freedom.
Paul told Timothy," I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" We dare not neglect to pray, even for those I've called ignorant and dishonest. It's clear from Scripture that their authority comes from God, and that he can and will deal with them as he sees necessary, including the blessing of our efforts to remove them electorally.
The people of this country have been generous and compassionate, helping when the rest of the world was in need, whether from tyrants or from natural disaster. We haven't stopped. I personally do not believe he is finished with the United States. Right or wrong, I know we have things we must do, not just for our own personal good, but for the good of future generations and for the rest of this world that has looked to the U.S. for hope and freedom. It is our duty as citizens of both this earthly nation and the kingdom of Jesus Christ to fight the good fight, resting in the eternal confidence we have in God.
Instead, people have turned to government for just about everything, and the "greedy hand of government" is more than willing to "provide." Except that that greedy hand is better at taking than providing, after using the rhetoric of promise, hope, and change. Our government with a totally unopposed Democrat majority and Democrat President has worked overtime to take as much as possible as quickly as possible.
Nearly every Congressman and Senator should be put out of office for the worst kind of malfeasance, after passing the huge "stimulus plan" that no one read, though in fairness to minority Republicans, they weren't given much time. Now they've done the same with "cap and trade," another huge bill, passed largely unexamined for lack of time. Worse, its ostensible purpose is to stave off climate change, despite increasing indications that the global climate is cooling, not warming. Of course, this is no climate bill; it is a bill designed to increase the cost of energy, destroy American industry, especially the industry in the heartland, and weaken the American economy competitively with the rest of the world.
The President has interfered with the financial and auto businesses, despite his lack of experience in either. Indeed, he lacks experience in anything but being a professor and community organizer. Why would someone with so little knowledge be in such a rush to do what he has done and seeks yet to do? No, he is not a genius! I doubt he is any smarter than I, except as a politician, and politicians excel at doing one thing--gaining and keeping power.
His next target is health care. The government has run Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid into the ground, and now they would "fix" health care. Nonsense! Anyone who believes that is an idiot (Sorry!). Forget, for a moment, that "greedy hand." Consolidating any endeavor into one large bureaucracy increases costs because it increases the number of people it takes to manage the huge system created. The education system demonstrates this well. The enormous federal bureaucracy is filled with the highest paid officials, who do not teach a single student. They create mandates, collect money to Washington to then dole out as they choose, increase the necessity of larger administrative departments in both the states and in each school system. By supporting unions, this has also increased the cost of teachers without a corresponding increase in performance. As all of this has developed, our American kids' educational competence has fallen.
I contend that this is unavoidable in the best of all possible situations. Big is not better! However, this is not the best. Those in charge have highly suspect motives. Forget their overt ideology. Their haste tells the story. They move quickly and in the cover of darkness (like the three hundred page amendment to Cap and Trade, this morning at 3 a.m.!). Speaker Pelosi demands her troops fall in line, and most do. Furthermore, this bill is designed to hold off some of the worst provisions till 2012, after the President runs for a second term. So much for the "urgency" of climate change!
I'm old enough that what happens may not bother me so much, although the increased costs of living, driving, etc. may not be easy for me as a tutor. I don't relish dealing with a government bureaucracy for medical care, even though I have lived without health insurance for six years. I fear that none of those government programs will offer much to me as an aging "baby boomer." Still, it troubles me far more to think that the many young friends and family I care for will suffer the devastating effects of this government's greedy hand, of these politicians' greedy hands.
Why are they doing it? This President does not see himself as a leader. By the Constitution, his job is to carry out the laws passed by Congress. He sees himself as a ruler, which the media support by treating him like royalty. Frankly, the leaders in Congress are either stupid or crooked--Pelosi both, Reid, Frank, and Dodd crooked, Kennedy, well words fail me, but he's not half the man of either of his brothers! Speaking of crooks, how many tax cheats did the President appoint? How many of his promises has he broken so far? Even the Left has noticed, and I wonder how many of the more conservative among us now realize his infidelity?
With all of that, it's still not clear why. Is it a power grab? Yes, it certainly is. This greedy hand seeks to control our country and its people, while leaving only themselves free. They seem to wish to re-create the noble elite who enjoy privilege while condemning the rest to servitude. They already send their children to private schools to avoid the messed up public system they've helped create. They will exempt themselves from the health care they would provide the rest of us. Their salaries and benefits will protect them from the economic chaos their stimulus, cap and trade, and TARP will bring down onto the country.
Yet, with all of that, what kind of leaders will destroy their own country? Greedy hands, indeed, but hands that seem, at the same time, capable of crippling and tearing down what generations have built. Stupidity, corruption, power-seeking--none of these seem adequate to explain what they are doing. I find myself wondering, though I'm no conspiracy buff, if a "Manchurian Candidate" seeks to weaken us so that our enemies might prevail.
I am, by nature, an optimist, but it will take more than optimism to deal with this. I hear too many voices accepting defeat and despair. It is time for a concerted effort to slap that greedy hand! It will take more than voting; that's only one piece. We need to set our sights on defeating every person who supports this crazy agenda. That means we must talk to our neighbors, relatives, co-workers, and any person we can engage in constructive conversation. Ideological warfare won't do it! We need to inform ourselves, be able to ask solid questions, and provide thoughtful explanations. Empty rhetoric is not the way. We must avoid angry, polarizing conversations. Instead, we must engage lovingly, thoughtfully, and substantively.
American Christians have fallen into materialistic comfort. As a result, we have lost our voice. Too many who do speak, speak harshly ("God hates fags," indeed!). When did God exchange "Blessed are the peacemakers" with "Blessed are the angry agitators?" The world has become a scary, dangerous place because of some who use religion to gain power, and our nation has become an angry, contentious place for reasons too numerous to list here. We Christians must step up and make our gentile, wise voices heard for faith and for freedom.
Paul told Timothy," I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" We dare not neglect to pray, even for those I've called ignorant and dishonest. It's clear from Scripture that their authority comes from God, and that he can and will deal with them as he sees necessary, including the blessing of our efforts to remove them electorally.
The people of this country have been generous and compassionate, helping when the rest of the world was in need, whether from tyrants or from natural disaster. We haven't stopped. I personally do not believe he is finished with the United States. Right or wrong, I know we have things we must do, not just for our own personal good, but for the good of future generations and for the rest of this world that has looked to the U.S. for hope and freedom. It is our duty as citizens of both this earthly nation and the kingdom of Jesus Christ to fight the good fight, resting in the eternal confidence we have in God.
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