Selected Essays – Politics

Two men were awarded the Noble Peace Prize.

One was named Nelson Mandela. He was imprisoned for twenty-seven years by a nation of white supremacy. It was against the law to photograph him during those years. Nelson Mandela emerged from prison to become President of his country. He preached and demonstrated forgiveness. His country prospered. He became a loved leader worldwide.

Mandela, at the age of 95 died in December 2013. He was mourned by world leaders and the world. Four United States Presidents and leaders of many countries attended ceremonies in respect for him.

The other man who received the Nobel Peace Prize was Barack Obama, President of the United States. He was re-elected in 2012 to a second four year term. He is now in his sixth year of office. He has led his country to record levels of national debt, over eighteen trillion dollars and unemployment was over seven percent continuously during his first five years as president. He claims it is under six percent but still we have fifteen million unemployed Americans and over forty-seven million Americans are receiving food stamps and a record millions are on welfare. He has blamed the Republicans.

He promoted his health program called Obamacare by saying “if you like your insurance policy you can keep it and if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor.” Neither claim was true when he said it and neither claim is true today. In addition the insurance of over five million Americans has been cancelled because their policies did not comply with the new rules of his health program. He also said his new health program will reduce insurance cost to the average family by two thousand five hundred dollars. This too is untrue. He is blaming the insurance companies.

Our ambassador to Benghazi was killed along with three other Americans. He blamed a television show. He claims to have ended war in Afghanistan and Iraqi. His policies have us deep in war with Islamic militants. The Veterans Administration awarded bonuses while veterans died waiting to get a doctor’s appointment.

His administration has been riddled with embarrassing scandals in the IRS, fast and furious, lines drawn in the sand, the Obamacare website and too many more to mention. He confirmed the beheading of an American journalist and then he went golfing. Our enemies are laughing at us and our friends don’t trust us. There are riots in the streets and policemen are being shot. We can only wonder if America can survive two more years of Obama.

Those who selected the recipients for the Nobel Peace Prize should be ashamed.

And the world still mourns Nelson Mandela.

*****

Congress – Shame of America
By
Dennis C. Orvis

When did Congress stop serving the American people? Congress with an approval rating in the “teens” goes on vacation. I can’t even imagine what kind of person would say they approve the job Congress is doing.

Our Country is drowning in crisis. We have an energy crisis. We have a jobs crisis. We have a housing crisis. We have banks in trouble. We have business in trouble. We have industries in trouble. We have education in trouble. And Congress goes on vacation.

Fifty years ago, President Johnson declared “War on Poverty.” Did we win that one? Forty years ago President Carter called for an energy plan to free America from foreign oil. Did anything happen?

Meanwhile Congress votes itself pay increases and fairytale pensions. Meanwhile, Congress fills the Congressional Record with millions of words spoken to empty chairs. Meanwhile our Country’s deficit soared while Congress takes millions of dollars through earmarks. This used to be called “pork.” Today it is called earmarks. It should be called “stealing.”

When will the public learn that the money government “gives away” is taxpayers money? Government doesn’t have money, it only prints money. Government doesn’t earn money; it only collects money from taxpayers.

Do you really believe the person who can vote his/her salary will ever be satisfied with his/her salary? Do you believe the person, who gets paid according to the number of people they supervise, will ever have enough employees? Of course not, and that is why government gets bigger and bigger and bigger.

Partisan politics is only irrelevant when Congress votes on its own salary and/or benefit package.

The system is designed to perpetuate all the wonderful perks Congress enjoys regardless of which party is in the majority. It is designed to protect the incumbent. This is the system that refuses to take retirement and/or benefits from colleagues who are felons, serving time in jail. You know those good ole boys in stripes.

Is it too late to save America from Congress? Probably. I’m sure I won’t see any meaningful improvement in my lifetime. Those elected to make important changes to the system get pigeonholed and are never heard from again. Eventually they “join the club.”

Maybe Will Rogers was right when he said, “Any politician who can’t steal enough in one term doesn’t deserve to be re-elected.”

But there is a consolation. A democracy is an awful form of government except it is better than all the rest. Somehow, in spite of Congress, it works.

I think it is time to reduce the number in the House of Representatives by half. The representation would remain the same and we would save billions of dollars. It is long past time for the line item veto. And it is time to get everyone’s hands out of the cookie jar, no more earmarks.

Unfortunately, the public fails to realize that only Congress can spend money. What is even worse, only Congress can change the system. Where is the “remote?”