You Can't Keep Hiding in the Closet

Not all of America went gaga over the Revolution of 2009. The swearing in of a mixed race President was groundbreaking. Yet, his Socialist tendencies, the crux of this reform, were met with general ignorance typical of so many Americans. In some corners of the land warning flags went up, as the foreshadowing was ominous.


When early on in his Presidency, Barack Obama smiled and shook hands with Hugo Chavez and received happily the Venezuelan’s gift, no great concern came over America. After all, he had promised in his election campaign that the world would see a new America.  Obama the Quixotic would attempt to repair the purported damage done by his predecessor over his eight year reign as the most powerful man in the world.

That moment of utter glee was truly the most foreboding image for America.  Today, it is difficult to differentiate between Chavez and Obama. Chavez is a declared Socialist who rallies the downtrodden by attacking the well-off with threats, taxes and the government takeover of industries. By increasing the size of his government and making people either reliant on or fearful of his government, Chavez guarantees his power.

President Obama, in the span of one year, has rallied the less fortunate of America to his side under the guise of healthcare. He has given special consideration to unions. Obama has taken over the General Motors, student loans and has made no secret of his desire to strangle the financial sector with greater regulation. He is rapdily growing the breadth and reach of government and the people's reliance on it. This is a powergrab to ensure his party's power.  Barack Obama's villains are those that he defines as rich.  There are known and soon to be known taxes that will continue the choke hold on anyone who makes over $150,000 per year. Obama’s Health and Human Services Secretary has threatened the insurance agencies to not find loopholes in the new law. Just yesterday, Obama warned his critics to lay off.

Hugo Chavez has consistently ignored his country’s constitution.  In passing the healthcare bill and relying on parliamentary procedures, President Obama has disregarded America's Constitution. Nowhere in our Constitution is healthcare mentioned. Every school child learns in civics classes that whatever is not enumerated in the Constitution is left to the states. Constitutional scholars should have a field day with the disregard for freedom of speech, government not being able to force something upon the people which they do not want, unreasonable search and seizure, and giving preferential monetary treatment to any state in the act of regulating commerce. In addition, we have lately seen President Obama approve new laws without the consent of Congress (automobile fuel efficiency, lead paint, ships in ports).

From a distance, President Obama’s blatant ignorance of the Constitution may be taken by some as acceptable for a greater, socialistic good. His passage of these new laws may seem innocuous. But, it is the underlying current driving these changes that is of grave concern. This second American Revolution was not the election of a mixed race President; it was the beginning of the deconstruction of 233 years of the greatest country and society created by man and the quick alignment with one of the world's flagbearer for socialism.

The reality is that Barack Obama’s gaga moment with Hugo Chavez foreshadowed what only a few people screamed about in 2009. The one main difference between the two is that Chavez is an avowed socialist and Obama is a closet socialist. Yet, their actions mirror each other and one cannot deny that today the parallels between the two are uncanny.

A philosphical attempt at improving our lot

Americans, whether Democrat, Republican or other, seek the same goals. No one likes stress, discrimination or crime. We all want to improve our economy and ensure our defense. It's amazing a criminal said it best, "Can't we all just get along?" As we hope for these ideals year in and out, we seem to get further away from them. We just don’t seem to advance much; what we seek we left behind years ago.

There was a one year time stamp, in each of our lives, when there was no wrong and we lived ideally. These 365 days now belong to the ages. Most of us cannot remember being three years old, although our parents can tell stories and show pictures. So, observe, when you get a chance, those who are three. You will see an accurate portrayal of what it is we seek as adults.

At three years old the world and all in it is right. There is no peer pressure. It does not matter that your feet lack the essential Nike's. You are not laughed at if you are have to ride the bus, have braces, glasses or are fat. Other three year olds play with you regardless if you are black, purple, brown or Martian. There is no finger pointing. No one cares if you rent or own; if you have a Caddy or a Kia.

At three years old you are oblivious to the constant bombardment by the American media on cholesterol, global warming, low approval ratings, car-jackings, corruption, homicides, plane crashes, incompetent politicians, teenage pregnancies, or a down stock market. You don’t care whether Lindsay or Brittney has divorced, checked themselves into a clinic, or became lesbians.

In this live quick, die quick society, anyone over three has become overly stressed. Is it the media's fault? Well, they only expose what happens outside our windows. But, at three all you could see through the glass was fun and wonder. As you got older, wonder was replaced slowly with reality. At a certain stage in aging, somehow, physical and material appearances begin to be used as criteria for determining how important you are in the pecking order and eventual ostracism. If, as a youngster, you are sentenced to the outside to look in, the reality of an unfair and cruel world set in early.

It is a tough and unforgiving place out there. Naturally, we all want it better and we feel like we fight for the ideals of when we were three. As things get worse and time trudges along, it is apparent that Americans become more exasperated and focus on the dangers around us. Our economy is in a crisis and we want change, fight crime, give me healthcare or give me death.

Is it inherent in human nature to find the easiest solution? We do seem to be like water, always seeking out the path with least resistance. Problems are not being resolved, vote them out! Like the oft seen showdowns of the devil vs. angel on cartoon characters' shoulders, life tempts us to go in appealing, easy but usually misguided directions. Underneath, is that desire which plagues Americans on the whole. Do we want the seemingly easy way or the tough path? We have made avoidance and blame habitual hobbies.

The source of greatest frustration is knowing that all Americans agree on what is a problem. But, we do not circle the wagons and win any of these battles because so many of them are internal. As a people we find it easier to fight the symptoms than the causes. We’ll yell and scream at each other while the house burns. Cancer patients choose to go through excruciating radiation treatments because they know awaiting them, after the pain, is health. If America were that patient, it would be taking pain killers for the cancer and avoiding the chemotherapy.

We used the power of the vote to kick Democrats out of town and replaced those seats with Republicans. Now, it looks as if we are going to boot out the Republicans and replace them with Democrats. The ferris wheel goes round and round.

Democrats and Republicans have different ideas on how to solve America's problems yet sometimes they don’t even agree on what is a problem. The economy; we all know we are in a crisis. If Obama wins and somehow, magically, he parts the waters and rights the economy, he’ll bask in the glory. If he can’t, then he’ll shrug and say, “What did you expect with the mess that was left to me?” Fingers point everywhere but at the self.

We were three once and all was right with the world. Today, we are not inside looking out in wonder. You and I live in a harsh world where the road to solving problems does not lie in Democrat vs. Republican, but within each one of us to get us back to when we were three.

The dilution of individual responsibility

There are two weeks and two days to go before the electoral college decides who the next President will be. The one most critical issue, deeper than the every day dissections and discussions, does not appear in any mainstream newspaper, magazine or talk show.

Let me bore you for thirty seconds and repeat the other popular topics in no particular order: foreign policy (Iraq, Afghanistan, a resurgent Russia, Iran, North Korea, world relations, etc.), the economy (financial crisis, recession, unemployment, jobs, inflation, national debt, etc.), healthcare (coverage, costs, quality), social security. These are important, in differing degrees. But, at the core exists individual responsibility.

It seems a forgotten topic for the Democrats; Obama and Biden have paid it no attention. CNBC, CNN, ABC, Boston Globe, NYT, the Washington Post, have but dismissed what is the base for all decision making: individual responsibility. This is insulting. Do the media and Democrats feel I am too limited in my mental capacity to grasp the meaning and act as a responsible individual?

Individual responsibility means that I am in control and should be responsible for my actions, thoughts and well being. This can translate to infinite things: for whom I vote, where I spend my money, how hard I work, what I want in life, what I can and cannot buy, and to live with the consequences of my abilities and decisions.

Senator Obama wants the federal government to be a surrogate for my own thinking process. Most media support this and it insults me. Obama feels that I am not capable, intelligent or experienced enough to make my own decisions. So, he wants to help me out and tells me not to worry. Somehow, he knows what is better for me. Through his proposals (including the tax increasing), he will take more of my money and apply it where he feels like it can best be used. It will be given to other individuals, programs and organizations based upon his criteria and not mine. With my money, he will, for example, give healthcare coverage to everyone, regardless of quality, efficiency, or bureaucracy.

When taxes go up, people will have to cut elsewhere - like charities. I currently donate money to a few, such as Make A Wish, St. Jude's, DAV, and various others. There are millions of people who voluntarily donate money or time to the charities and causes they feel represent their beliefs. As an aside, the states that give more to charities are also the poorest and vote Republican, but let's leave that for another day.

So, I will not vote for Obama. He thinks he is smarter than me, he thinks he knows what is best for my family and I, yet we have never met. I will vote for McCain mainly for this: he will allow me to make my own decisions and accept responsibility for them. And another reason is because we still live in a harsh world where 40 years of sacrifice, experience, toughness and a steady hand help.

But, here comes Obama. He wants to take over as he feels I am not smart enough. As taxes go up - and they undoubtedly will under his stewardship - I will have no choice but to cut back on everything, so other "worthy" causes can be funded by him.

If you can't think for yourself and would rather not be responsible for your actions, then you will need the government to do it for you. Vote for Obama. If you want the government to improve your life, instead of relying on yourself, vote for Democrat.

If you are a plumber, financial analyst, secretary or sales person and are happy and have no desire to improve your lot, that's fine. That is your choice. If you want to excel and own a plumbing company, manage a fund, be an office manager, or sales director, great! That should be your choice and the government should encourage that. If we elect Obama, we will begin peeling away more layers of individual responsibility and give that power to the government to make decisions for us. First, it will be our money. Then with our professional growth (wait...if I become office manager, I will have to pay MORE taxes, work harder and I'll get less handouts...ok it may not be worth it; if I hire one more person, my company will make more money but pay more taxes...hmm...may not be worth it!).

Individuals should be able to choose what to do with their lives, their money, their future. That's why I support McCain. At the end, a vote for Obama is a vote by those who don't feel they can administer their lives well enough. They want the government to step in, give them and guide them, while offering up a new source of blame - instead of oneself.