Rich elite - Socialists?

In one of the boards that I frequent and am an administrator a member brought up the issue that Democrats are the party of the rich and another brought up the fact that the Republican's are not much better. No surprise to me I have been saying this for years.

 Does anyone ever wonder why those that are the richest people in the world promote socialism? Everyone from Warren Buffet, to the Hollywood elite, we see a continual assault on the free market economy and promotion of socialist policy.

 Many people are confused as to the difference between capitalism, socialism, and free market economies. Most assume that free market is capitalism but that is not true. Capitalists may have gained their wealth through free market, but they are not one in the same. Once many (not all, such as those like Forbes and a few others) have gained the financial where with all to be able to control whole countries they are dedicated to maintaining that power by locking the door behind them and the method of doing this is the new feudalism called socialism.

Socialism contrary to common belief does NOT tax the rich to balance the books sort to speak. The theory of “redistribution” in an of itself makes sense, but in fact those that make the decision as to who should be “taxed” are those that are in power already and typically it is those that are wealthy.  They are not about to give up their wealth, and therefore their power to this altruistic “redistribution” of wealth.

What has ALWAYS happened whether it be the Soviet Union, China, or here in the Socialist States of America is that the middle class is the one paying the bills. The elite tell us that we need to give to HELP those in need, they structure taxation so that they have the loop holes to avoid paying while we all sit here year after year trying to figure out how we can make ends meet.

The sad part is that these uber-rich have the money to promote programs that sound good and play on our sympathies where we feel obligated to follow their lead. However they have the money to throw out a thousand here, and thousand there, where we are looking at just making next months mortgage or rent.

Each election year we are faced with a decision in this country as to who will do the best for the common good. and each year we are confronted by politicians that float in circles. and hobnob with these rich elite, if not one themselves. The old saying of a "chicken in every pot" is quite telling here because we have a group of politicians most of which are playing to the new “downtrodden” the illegal immigrants, and trying to make them the new voting block that will get them elected, or at least keep them in power.

Truth be told most people haven’t the time or the patience to sift through the machinations that our politicians weave their way through it is time we had a third of fourth party that at the very least hold the feet of the other two parties to the fire.

He's Our Uncle Not Our Dad

Once again we the citizens of Massachusetts are facing more tax increases. As the cost of home heating oil increases, due to the stock market speculator frenzy, and oil company greed, both domestic, and foreign, our state government wants to increase our gas tax by another 11 cents a gallon. This will not only affect the individual, but town operating budgets, as they have to pay the going rate for fuel used in police cruisers, fire trucks, and ambulances, highway, and park department vehicles, etc.

I for one want to know just where the hell our money is going to, on not just a local level, but state and federal as well. Our roads, and bridges country wide are crumbling, our health care system is in shambles, and getting worse, with cuts being made in Medicare, and Medicaid, which only exacerbates the issue, doctors, and hospitals are having to increase their fees to a point where even the average middle class can’t afford it, let alone the poor.

The question I asked above was intended to be rhetorical, as I DO know where the money is going. What we are seeing today is the result of the let Daddy Sam, (once Uncle Sam, but elevated by liberals, neo-cons, Republican, and Democrat alike to parent status), be in charge of our financial “well-being” from cradle to grave. It is also the folly of both parties that have allowed undocumented (illegal) immigrants to come into, and remain in our country, draining our health care, and S.S.I, not to mention filling our jails with murderers, thieves, and drug dealers, again costing us the law abiding tax paying citizens even more.

Add to this the plain, and simple fiscal reality that sending a dollar to a central organization (IRS) that then has to hire thousands of employees to re-distribute the wealth, as well as handle the reams of paperwork and bureaucratic red tape required to manage, staff, and execute this socialist redistribution of wealth, only comes back to us as a dime. We also have the Fed (Federal Reserve Bank – a private corporation) that manipulates our market, and usurps the governments role in printing, and distributing our currency, all the while charging us interest on those same moneys that they neither incur cost for printing, distribution, or backing.

This is a rather simplistic laundry list of reasons for our current situation, but the bottom line is that our politicians from both parties are moving us from a free enterprise system to controlled socialist/capitalist market. I know that sounds contradictory, the use of socialist and capitalist together, but it is not. The system we are now heavily entrenched in is much like the fascist socialism of Nazi Germany. It is a system where the middle class is reduced to a working class poor, the poor are subsidized to maintain a voting block to keep in power the wealthy elite, and further entrench, and protect the uber-wealthy.

Take a look at this list of taxes, which by the way is not complete as it does not include numerous other taxes called fees, as well as county taxes that many areas of the country also have to pay out too, many of which did not exist fifty-sixty years ago when this country was experiencing the greatest growth of the middle class, as well scientific and manufacturing growth in the history of the world and none of which existed a hundred years ago and we were the most prosperous nation in the world, and we had NO national debt.


Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
Social Security Tax
Medicare Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax
School Tax
Sales Taxes (State and Local)
Real Estate Tax
Property Tax
Building Permit Tax
Well Permit Tax
Septic Permit Tax
Utility Taxes
Severance Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Accounts Receivable Tax
Privilege Tax
Inventory Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel permits tax
Inheritance Tax
Capital Gains Tax
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Telephone federal excise tax
Telephone federal universal service fee tax
Telephone federal, state, and local surcharge taxes
Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax
Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax
Telephone state and local tax
Telephone usage charge tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Trailer registration tax
Road Toll Booth Taxes
Toll Bridge Taxes
Toll Tunnel Taxes
Watercraft registration Tax
Gasoline Tax (state and federal)
Road Usage Taxes (Truckers)
Dog License Tax
Fishing License Tax
Hunting License Tax
Cigarette Tax

More than half of our pay goes to some form of tax, and if you are a union employee take out another 1-3 % for union dues, than take out your cost for health insurance, and what are you left with? Back when we did not have all these taxes it only took ONE person in the family to provide, now both adults and sometimes the children also need to work when they are of age or both parents need to work more than one job. Ask yourself if in fact the quality of life has improved with all these government programs. Ask yourself why the percentage of poor has INCREASED not decreased with all the so-called war on poverty programs that were initiated in the mid –sixties till now. Ask yourself why we have to work longer hours and why one parent can't stay home to raise the children.

One last thing we need to ask ourselves, why is it that the vast majority of the super-wealthy in the world support socialism and a socialist economy?

Mattel Recalls Toys Again

It appears that there is a lot of controversy in this latest recall of toys from Mattel. The talking heads from both sides of the political spectrum appear to be waving their particular flag expounding on the evils of one thing or another.

The purveyors of the “nanny state” form of government are of course issuing statements to the effect, “this is the result of capitalism”. Their argument is that due to the greed of corporations like Mattel they have ignored the potential hazards to our children. And of course they are also finding fault with the Bush administration because the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) has been under funded and hasn’t had a department head (commissioner) for months and the only candidate that the Bush administration has recommended was a former manufacturing lobbyist.

The other side of the political spectrum is arguing that this is the fault of many administrations, including that of Pappa Bush and Clinton as well. They feel that those who are advocating “global economy” and have pushed agreements like NAFTA and GATT are the culprits. Their argument is that by handing off most of our manufacturing to off shore plants quality has diminished because of the lack of oversight and good old-fashioned American know-how.

Both groups are in agreement that the bottom line is greed and avarice. The businesses, wholesale manufacturing and retail giants like Wal Mart and K-Mart/Sears et al are the cause of this malaise. However some are also pointing the finger at the consumer - you and I, as well.

I am one of those that agree with that last statement. My opinion is that all of the above mentioned is the problem. We have an agency (CPSC) that was formed in the mid seventies that has been steadily losing funding and has had little leadership, and the growing advocacy for a “global market” by our politicians, as well as corporations looking to “grow” their business (cute euphemism for make more money) are all at least partly at fault. But the bottom line and driving factor for all the above is us, yes, you, and I, the consumer.

We can sit here and admonish our politicians and crucify the CEO’s of business, but in fact we are the ones that are asking for cheaper and cheaper product, we are the ones that flood the stores at Christmas, and other times of the year as well, to buy the latest Barbie Doll or Game Boy, or other products that the Jones might have. We have to be the first on our block to own this thing or that, we don’t want our kids to feel “left out” because they don’t have the latest sneaker or hoodie or new electronic gadget.

Is some of this market driven by advertising and other modes of “peer pressure”? Yes most definitely, but the decision to buy or not to buy, to prioritize what is REALLY important lays with us. The way capitalism works is that there has to be a market for things, the consumer DICTATES the market not the other way around.

Parenting - Government or Parent Responsibilty?

The Chinese government has passed a law that would require Internet Gaming companies to implement a program that would force all users under the age of 18 to register an ID code to play Internet games. If the child goes over three hours the game would be interrupted and give them a message to go end the game and do something physically active and constructive. If they do not than their scores would be wiped and/or other disruption of the game would occur.

For the last several years we have been hearing more and more about the relative inactivity of our young, and the resulting weight and health issues. Apparently this is becoming a problem in China as well and they have approached this problem with the usual Daddy government response. Obviously we would not want that kind of government intrusion on our lives but how long before our government will see the need to step in because parents aren’t doing their job?

The question comes up is this strictly the fault of the parent and I say no not entirely. There are numerous factors that play into this “condition” for lack of a better term. Let me try to list them and you can figure out if my conclusion as to the causes of this malaise is accurate.

One: Around the mid sixties women were being indoctrinated to think that they were less of person if they didn’t go out into the work place and compete with men. Today nearly every household has both parents working with little to no real supervision of the children.

Two: Income tax and taxes in general have increased to such a degree that it is now virtually necessary for both parents to work to maintain a household. Again leaving the children under supervised.

Three: In addition to taxes, the “desire” to have the newest fanciest Suv or two, the huge multi-room house, the latest fad clothing, video game, wide screen TV, etc. also has parents not only both working, but some two or more jobs. This avarice, greed, materialism whatever you want to call it has also played a role in absence and under supervision of our young.

Four: Technological advance at a break neck speed and the accompanying advertising has also created much of the foundation for this problem. The latest gadgets in the electronics world are a “must” for the materialistic society we have become. $500.00 for a cell phone and people were waiting some for days on sidewalks in front of stores to be the “first one” to own one. Does anyone else besides me see a problem with this?

Five: Societal attitudes such as the aforementioned materialism and prideful jealousy or simply put need to outdo the Jones, as well as this spare the rod spoil the child indoctrination we have experienced over the last few decades also serves to corrupt the very basis of discipline so lacking with today’s young.

Six: Diet is also a result, as well as a factor, in this upside down family structure. Due to the work schedules and lack of supervision, many kids, eat at the local fast food joints, snack on high sugar, high sodium, “munchies” and drinks and the parents wonder why their youngin’ has ADHD. So instead of recognizing the lack of activity and sugared out chemistry at play we would rather feed them Ritalin or some other drug.

I am sure that we can all think of even more of the factors at play, but lets just take a look at those that we have listed here.

The underlying culpret appears to be “greed”. Greed by the corporation to sell, sell, sell, greed by the adults that buy, buy, buy, and that transferred to the kids that have to have the latest Play-Station, and $150.00 fad sneakers. Add to this a general attitude of self worth which relegates the needs of the community to the garbage heap - unless of course it directly effects us personally.

So what are we to do you say? The answer although simple may not be very easy to accept by most of us. Adults need to re-evaluate what is truly important; we need to realize that it isn’t necessary for Jimmy-Joe or Sally-Sue to have what the neighbors kids have. We have to start realizing that there just may be too many structured “events” that they and their children are involved in. We need to look around ourselves and ask the question “do we really NEED that”. Have someone stay at home to raise the children, and maybe God forbid, do without as our parents did. Put the children first instead as just being another “item” on our list of wants in our home budget. Set rules for these young people, they need and WANT to be guided and if we don't someone or something else will.

I know that one of the items I left off the list is probably the underlying factor to all of this and that is to give our children more than our parents gave us, to live better than our parents, but again we need to evaluate what truly is “living better” and “having more”, is it really the material that will make for “more and better”, or might there be something else?

If we do not change the way we function and deal with our children, than someone or something else will, as I said. How long before daycares become government controlled and our government has to take the draconian messaures that China has taken, not only with the Internet but with other aspects of "raising" our children? Sounds all too Orwellian I realize. but if we remain unaware or hide our head in the sand about the crisis we are in, it can, and will happen. There will come a time that we will not be the major factor in the raising of our own children unless we change our direction on what is important.