Dare I Speak?

Dare I speak until after the Super Bowl has been played February 1st? Does anyone care about serious questions until then? I have a few questions for our new President, Barack Obama, and my fellow citizens, about the new administration, but I fear that even after the January 20th inauguration, I still couldn’t be heard because nothing can prevent diehard Americans from a mind-numbing, soul-satisfying party.
First, I would like to question the validity of what reporters, politicians and our President-elect continually refer to as TET’s ( tough economic times). I’ve noted that coast-to-coast bowl games, playoff’s, local sports’ match-ups and practice sessions on a grand scale have not been canceled. Before academics in schools and short of death, athletics always go on.
I would like to ask Obama what he means by the "crisis unlike any faced in the history of this country." Are these TET’s if the new administration can afford to charge taxpayers billions for bailouts? The names of Obama’s programs sound like double speak right out of the novel 1984: the " Troubled Assets Relief Program" (TARP), the "Equalization of Opportunity Act," the 700 billion dollar "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act," the "Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act," and the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan now expanded to 1.2 trillion dollars. I think there’s a crisis when Obama talks about ridding politics of earmarks, but he just replaces them with special interest pet projects (pork) to the tune of a 1.5 trillion dollar stimulus package.
Dare I ask if 1.2 trillion dollars will be invested well? Here’s one example of planned reconstruction and infrastructure. A town of 194 people will be helped to the tune of 375 million dollars. That averages out to 2 million dollars per person. If each citizen received the money directly, he could be set for life (like winning the lottery) but no, the dollars will convert street lights to solar power, provide solar panels on the town hall, build solar panel re-charging stations for golf carts and cars and install water pipes under the road to soak up heat. And let’s not forget the Renewable Energy Museum. The town’s major approves. Do I the taxpayer? Other investments in Obama’s stimulus plan around the country include museums, water slides, walking trails, sports facilities and zoo exhibits. Government always seem to possess more money than brains. Even today on the radio I hear about a ‘program’ sponsored by a ‘grant’ to "relieve the needs of student mothers."
There is a genuine crisis when the anti-war candidate now plans to wage war on achievers. Those who strive to ‘get rich’ (earn over say $300,000), will be punished by higher taxes. Obama plans to retain the estate tax which discourages anyone from accumulating wealth because wealth will be taxed twice - once when earned, once at a person’s death. Dare I ask why Obama speaks about one America in which hard work will "again" be rewarded?
The media - to use a football analogy - has run cover for their man throughout the campaign games up to his election in spite of his vague message of hope. The media continue to facilitate his plans for change. Who would guess that the present economic crisis in sub-prime lending was originally conceived and enshrined by the Democrat party into law beginning with President Carter? Who knows that for decades the process of risky loans has been encouraged and expanded by Democrats (and wobbly Republicans) until now it’s like an iceberg. Today we see a huge iceberg, not just the tip, that accounts for the sinking of many economies around the globe.
Ayn Rand in 1957 published what would become a famous novel, "Atlas Shrugged." The theme of the story is that when profits, wealth and creativity are discouraged in society, they start to disappear, leaving everyone the poorer. Politicians in Rand’s book, invariably respond to crises, that in most cases they themselves created, with new government programs, laws and regulations. These often fail but they then inspire the politicians to create more programs and the downward spiral repeats itself until productive sectors of the economy collapse under the collective weight of taxes and other burdens imposed in the name of fairness. Does any of this sound familiar? Rand foreshadowed and parodied the economic carnage which will be caused by big government running amok. Ayn Rand’s big brother government would certainly not have been her choice for MVP.
For all Americans, Obamabots or not, change is around the corner in the coming year. After recovery from the Super Bowl, some voters may discover they have been deceived. Others who wanted to be deceived may disapprove of new, discarded liberties. Many Americans already understand that equality under the law is being redefined and re-engineered. It’s a long time until another big game day, election day, but not it’s not too late to ask questions.