Today's Social Security: Another Welfare Program

I'd have to disagree with how people assume today's social security benefits really are still effective. There are several factors that prove what worked in the past, does not match up to the function of social security today. In a video with Neil Cavuto, he raises some basic questions that challenge the effectiveness of today's social security.

For one, people are so dependable on social security benefits and use as a primary income. Retired men and women are living much longer past age sixty-five. At some point one has to wonder when what is taken out of every paycheck of working American is outweighed by social security payouts.

FDR's New Deal program provided Americans with too much dependency to bail them out. In theory, it was a good idea but today, welfare programs are outrageously used as primary means of aid. Government should not be established to take care of it's people. It surely makes one wince at the phrase "Chasing the American Dream," when modern Americans take advantage of today's handout government.

Where Do Government Bailouts End?

I was reading up on a Fox News article today. It stated Obama and House of Representatives passed another "$26 billion bailout for teachers, police officers, and other public workers from unemployment." I couldn't agree more with Conservatives saying that, "the bill is a giveaway to teachers unions and an example of wasteful Washington spending." There really isn't a need for unions these days and this is another example of endless bailouts this Administration is synthetically pumping into the economy.

With some state government's budgets becoming in short supply, I would hope these states didn't come knocking on the White House's door asking for a handout like many of the bailouts occurring since Obama set foot in the door. As a firm believer in adopting business-like operations and trickle-down economics, all this bailout provides is an inflated sense of hope for these states being able to fund teacher and police officer salaries. What happens once this bailout funds are spent up and how responsible are these states going to be allocating it properly?

Surely Texas has nothing to do with this bailout for public workers. As a state stronger economically than it's own nation, it is frustrating to stand by and watch this dramatic change in how our country is functioning and the perception Obama is giving the country. Americans seem to feel like if I stick my hand out for help, someone else will take care of me. As critical as Democrats were of Bush's spending during his Administration, taxpayer dollars are going to sky rocket nonetheless and the added deficit is through the roof with the expectation that American taxpayer dollars will alleviate all Obama's spending problems and loopholes.

Pop Culture Ruins Politics- A Response to "US Government's Blog"

In a response to Alexandra's Blog on Reality TV.

Alexandra- I agree with your statement about how it distorts television viewers perception of the real world. It really is amazing what the media will show on air these days. I would take it even a step further and elaborate on how reality television ruins American's perception on politics.

I feel that reality television and all the pop culture involved, severely bombards America's perception. My favorite example I use, is all the effects of American Idol and how people use pop culture to influence their political knowledge and decision-making. All the flashy media interaction where you text in a vote, log online to get behind the scenes footage, and absorb all the catchy headlines on the cover of magazine about the latest interview, is how America believes it should delve into expanding one's understanding of government.

Today, you see the Obama family in magazines and Entertainment Tonight shows, books, and advertising. It starts to make you wonder what's more important to this President, helping America with economic growth and prosperity, or extend his marketing scheme to up his image and popularity? Sure he is a charismatic speaker, but swaying American's emotions distorts true objective understanding of what the people should follow in government to make educated and informed voting decisions.

Health Care Law Hangover

I've been seeing in the news, the past couple days, some after effects of the new health care laws so I decided to read up on it a little bit. According to an online article from Fox News, " the (health care) law requires 40 million businesses in the U.S. to file more tax forms in order to prevent underreporting of income to the IRS." This has nothing to do with health care and addressing the situation head-on. It creates more unnecessary paperwork the government won't be able to handle. Apparently the House is trying to get rid of the form filing requirement that was supposed to generate the prospected "$19 billion in a decade," but both parties are trying to approach it from disagreeing ways.

This seems like the start of a long string of events that the government will pass laws without thinking it entirely through and require patchwork-amendments to fix mistakes. The alleged era of "change" is certain, yet Americans have yet to see any significance or affect in everything this Administration touches. The Democrats wish to find every possible way to tax, tax, tax business and consumers. Who in their sane mind would believe that this would be the correct way to generate aid towards the national deficit? There are some unbelievable creatures out there in Washington DC.

As I've said before, the more taxes and regulations government impedes American business, the more employers fire their employees, and the less they put into growth for themselves as a business and consumers. The more you tax consumers, the less likely they will invest in the economy such as home buying, stock market, the auto industry, tourism, even groceries. My only hope is that Americans continue to become more aware of what is going on with this Administration and a way to recover in the future before America suffers.

Home Buyers Hang on to That Money!

With all the government bailouts and illusional economic fixes, consumers are catching on that things have yet to turn up since Obama promised so much "good and hope for change" to this country . In reality, consumers these days are reluctant to invest in the economy and the confidence is drastically low in this Administration.

In an article from Drudge Report via CNBC, "sales of new homes in June, reported on Monday, surged 23.6 percent but remained at the second-lowest level since the Commerce Department started keeping record in 1963. High unemployment and wage cuts are keeping many potential buyers at bay."

This explains that Americans are having to cut back on expenses and are fearful of spending their money because tax-payer dollars, unemployment, and bad decision-making in the White House have increased more and more rapidly. This article's intended audience is American's who are fearful about investing in the economy such as homebuyers. The main idea is to inform readers that consumer confidence being this low is detrimental to the American way of life. In my opinion, in order to re-instill the "American Dream" and the pursuit of happiness, what is the very thing necessary to get Americans to invest their money back into the economy? It is less taxes, and the promoting of free-enterprise. Businesses need money to hire employees and homeowners need money to retain a way of living. If these people are being taxed and heavily regulated by government interference, then there is no way these goals could be achieved effectively.

What success in the White House?

In an article written by Kimberley Strassel, About That Financial Reform "Victory," of The Wall Street Journal, she discusses the significant American's disapproval with the White House and the Obama Administration. She has been writing for the Wall Street Journal since 1996 and graduated from Princeton in 1994 studying Public Policy, (Wiki, 2010). Strassel's intended audience might very well be the majority population of the country, who no longer have faith in the current Administration, to own up to false guarantees and misleading politics.

Strassel states, "(the White House) just launched a new campaign to convince Americans that its stimulus bill- which it promised would keep unemployment below 8%, is working. It's the same White House struggling to explain why health-care costs continue to rise, and benefits continue to disappear, after grandly promising that it would stop all that." This explains why people are getting frustrated with Obama directly hurting the economy and free-enterprise. Small-businesses are struggling to keep up with heavier regulation and added government expenses. People are paying the price for government interfering with health care and in turn, costs are increasingly rising. The unemployment rate is over 1% more than promised by Obama.

Somehow, the Obama Administration is trying to tell America it is pro-business, pro-healthcare, pro-creating jobs. Strassel states that a CBS poll found "86% of Americans believe Obama's policies have hurt them or had no effect." The country is fed up with Obama and his unqualified Administration. Once again, Obama is proving that the more government interferes with the economy and policy, the more the country suffers and does nothing to stimulate the economy.

Two Thoughts on Cynical Politics

I wanted to point out a Wall Street Journal article that caught my attention a couple days a ago. Karl Rove uses the example, in 2001 and 2002, of how despite Democrats and left-leaning politicians backed the Bush Administration's campaign to end Saddam possessing weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, decided to flee to a defensive position against the Bush Administration four to five years later. Making statements that, "the commander-in-chief intentionally lied America into war," is what Karl Rove feels "is the most serious accusation that can be leveled at a president...this accusation was false and opened the way for politicians in both parties to move the debate from differences over issues into ad hominem attacks."

What I don't understand is what such drastic measures some "career-politicians" will take to get re-elected and "appease" the American people. Such statements made primarily by Democrats have sent politics into a whirlwind of wishy-washy stances of important issues and has become a real problem.

Karl Rove goes on to say, "we in the Bush White House discussed responding (to false accusations by Democrats) but decided not to relitigate the past. That was wrong and my mistake...what Democrats started seven years ago left us less united as a nation..."

In relation to this specific example of how Karl Rove feels this was his biggest mistake in the White House, I would agree. During the Obama/McCain race for the Presidency, the Democrats continued to point out how McCain is just another "Bush, 3rd Term." I feel that this was detrimental to the Republican's image. John McCain and the Republicans for some reason did not create a response exposing these flaws and false accusations, nor did they distinguish the difference in how the McCain Administration is not another "Bush, 3rd Term."

Both political parties have disappointed me and politics have become very emotional and less objective. I'm tired of seeing "career politicians" ruin the foundation of the American Way. The Left-side needs to take a stance on a policy and be held accountable for their actions if they are wrong. The Right-side needs to take a stance on a policy and stand up against false accusations and hold liberals accountable for their wild actions over the past ten years. I feel the general population of Americans are finally starting to catch onto this cynicism.

-Karl Rove's Wall Street Journal article