Since I started this blog nearly a year ago, I have noticed a trend developing in the subject matter of my posts (ramblings, musings, out and out nonsense..... you decide). I don't think I intended to focus so much attention on just the federal government. Clearly there is plenty to write or complain about within the State of Colorado and there are human interest strories that I could give my two cents worth on. I think there are a few reasons for my compulsion to cover national government events. One: I'm comfortable with the subject matter. This is due in part to the fact that most of the media that catches my interest is of the goings on in our nation's capital. Two: People are closer to the state and local governments, so I feel that they are more informed and don't need to hear me blather on about things that they know all to well. I do not mean to say that you three (or am I up to four?) people who put up with my ramblings are uninformed. Quite the opposite. I am grateful for those of you who regularly comment. You are well informed and I love sharing with you my opinions. And my wife is thrilled that I have an outlet so she doesn't have to constantly be harangued. Three: And most importantly, I feel that the greatest threat to our freedom comes from our own federal government.
We, the American people, in our desire for security, are trading in our freedom - this monstrous health care bill is the biggest assault on civil liberties we have seen in our lifetimes. The dumbing down of the populace has had a deleterious effect. Civics classes are almost non-existent in the public schools and let's not even go into the drivel that is taught as history.
Today we have the tools to turn this trend towards socialism around and, let me be clear that socialism is an anathema to freedom. With the advent of the internet, we have unbelieveable access to information and it is information that is our greatest weapon against the enemies of our great nation.
A well informed electorate is the cure for what ails us, That and God is the only thing that will turn our nation back to it's former greatness.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
A History Lesson - The Legacy of Argentina
The following is from an Email I recieved. As far as I know, the history is correct. Of course, the conclussions are debatable but the parrelels are frightening. The author is unknown.
A History Lesson....Cry for Me, Argentina
In the early 20th century, Argentina was one of the richest countries
in the World. While Great Britain 's maritime power and its far-flung
empire had propelled it to a dominant position among the World's
industrialized nations, only the United States challenged Argentina
for the position of the world's second-most powerful economy.
It was blessed with abundant agriculture, vast swaths of rich
farmland laced with navigable rivers and an accessible port system.
Its level of industrialization was higher than many European countries:
railroads, automobiles and telephones were commonplace.
In 1916, a new president was elected. Hipólito Irigoyen had formed
a party called The Radicals under the banner of "fundamental change"
with an appeal to the middle class.
Among Irigoyen's changes: mandatory pension insurance,
mandatory health insurance, and support for low-income
housing construction to stimulate the economy. Simply put,
the state assumed economic control of a vast swath of the
country's operations and began assessing new payroll taxes
to fund its efforts.
With an increasing flow of funds into these entitlement programs,
the government's payouts soon became overly generous.
Before long its outlays surpassed the value of the taxpayers' contributions.
Put simply, it quickly became under-funded, much like the United States'
Social Security and Medicare programs.
The death knell for the Argentine economy, however,
came with the election of Juan Perón. Perón had a fascist
and corporatist upbringing; he and his charismatic wife
aimed their populist rhetoric at the nation's rich.
This targeted group "swiftly expanded to cover most of the
propertied middle classes, who became an enemy to be
defeated and humiliated."
Under Perón, the size of government bureaucracies exploded
through massive programs of social spending and by
encouraging the growth of labor unions.
High taxes and economic mismanagement took their inevitable toll
even after Perón had been driven from office. But his populist rhetoric
and "contempt for economic realities" lived on. Argentina 's federal
government continued to spend far beyond its means.
Hyperinflation exploded in 1989, the final stage of a process characterized
by "industrial protectionism, redistribution of income based on
increased wages, and growing state intervention in the economy."
The Argentinean government's practice of printing money to pay off
its public debts had crushed the economy. Inflation hit 3000%,
reminiscent of the Weimar Republic . Food riots were rampant;
stores were looted; the country descended into chaos.
And by 1994, Argentina 's public pensions -- the equivalent of our
Social Security -- had imploded. The payroll tax had increased from 5% to 26%,
but it wasn't enough. In addition, Argentina had implemented a
value-added tax (VAT), new income taxes, a personal tax on wealth,
and additional revenues based upon the sale of public enterprises.
These crushed the private sector, further damaging the economy.
A government-controlled "privatization" effort to rescue senior's pensions
was attempted. But, by 2001, those funds had also been raided by the
government, the monies replaced by Argentina 's defaulted government bonds.
By 2002, "government fiscal irresponsibility induced a national
economic crisis as severe as America 's Great Depression."
In 1902, Argentina was one of the world's richest countries. Little more than a hundred years later,
it is a poverty-stricken country, struggling to meet its debt obligations amidst a drought.
We've seen this movie before. The Democrats' populist plans can't possibly work
because the government will bankrupt everything it touches. History teaches us that ObamaCare and
unfunded entitlement programs will be utter, complete disasters in the future.
Today's Democrats are guilty of more than stupidity;
they are enslaving future generations to poverty and misery.
And they will be long gone when it all implodes.
They will be as cold and dead as Juan Perón when the piper must ultimately be paid.
This is a very good perspective on where we are headed
unless we very quickly change that bunch of idiots in Washington !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A History Lesson....Cry for Me, Argentina
In the early 20th century, Argentina was one of the richest countries
in the World. While Great Britain 's maritime power and its far-flung
empire had propelled it to a dominant position among the World's
industrialized nations, only the United States challenged Argentina
for the position of the world's second-most powerful economy.
It was blessed with abundant agriculture, vast swaths of rich
farmland laced with navigable rivers and an accessible port system.
Its level of industrialization was higher than many European countries:
railroads, automobiles and telephones were commonplace.
In 1916, a new president was elected. Hipólito Irigoyen had formed
a party called The Radicals under the banner of "fundamental change"
with an appeal to the middle class.
Among Irigoyen's changes: mandatory pension insurance,
mandatory health insurance, and support for low-income
housing construction to stimulate the economy. Simply put,
the state assumed economic control of a vast swath of the
country's operations and began assessing new payroll taxes
to fund its efforts.
With an increasing flow of funds into these entitlement programs,
the government's payouts soon became overly generous.
Before long its outlays surpassed the value of the taxpayers' contributions.
Put simply, it quickly became under-funded, much like the United States'
Social Security and Medicare programs.
The death knell for the Argentine economy, however,
came with the election of Juan Perón. Perón had a fascist
and corporatist upbringing; he and his charismatic wife
aimed their populist rhetoric at the nation's rich.
This targeted group "swiftly expanded to cover most of the
propertied middle classes, who became an enemy to be
defeated and humiliated."
Under Perón, the size of government bureaucracies exploded
through massive programs of social spending and by
encouraging the growth of labor unions.
High taxes and economic mismanagement took their inevitable toll
even after Perón had been driven from office. But his populist rhetoric
and "contempt for economic realities" lived on. Argentina 's federal
government continued to spend far beyond its means.
Hyperinflation exploded in 1989, the final stage of a process characterized
by "industrial protectionism, redistribution of income based on
increased wages, and growing state intervention in the economy."
The Argentinean government's practice of printing money to pay off
its public debts had crushed the economy. Inflation hit 3000%,
reminiscent of the Weimar Republic . Food riots were rampant;
stores were looted; the country descended into chaos.
And by 1994, Argentina 's public pensions -- the equivalent of our
Social Security -- had imploded. The payroll tax had increased from 5% to 26%,
but it wasn't enough. In addition, Argentina had implemented a
value-added tax (VAT), new income taxes, a personal tax on wealth,
and additional revenues based upon the sale of public enterprises.
These crushed the private sector, further damaging the economy.
A government-controlled "privatization" effort to rescue senior's pensions
was attempted. But, by 2001, those funds had also been raided by the
government, the monies replaced by Argentina 's defaulted government bonds.
By 2002, "government fiscal irresponsibility induced a national
economic crisis as severe as America 's Great Depression."
In 1902, Argentina was one of the world's richest countries. Little more than a hundred years later,
it is a poverty-stricken country, struggling to meet its debt obligations amidst a drought.
We've seen this movie before. The Democrats' populist plans can't possibly work
because the government will bankrupt everything it touches. History teaches us that ObamaCare and
unfunded entitlement programs will be utter, complete disasters in the future.
Today's Democrats are guilty of more than stupidity;
they are enslaving future generations to poverty and misery.
And they will be long gone when it all implodes.
They will be as cold and dead as Juan Perón when the piper must ultimately be paid.
This is a very good perspective on where we are headed
unless we very quickly change that bunch of idiots in Washington !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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