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Posted by Kris Krieger on May 2, 2008, 7:45 pm
>
>> news:7d6dbb74-c7ab-4aa5-
>> 930b-282e8b0f8f83@t12g2000prg.googlegroups.com:
>>
>>>>
>>>> > Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
>>>> > A. It is money that the federal government will send to
>>>> > taxpayers.
>>>>
>>>> > Q. Where will the government get this money?
>>>> > A. From taxpayers.
>>>>
>>>> No, the money will not come from taxpayers. Bush is running a
>>>> deficit. He's borrowing it to give to you. So you are taking out
>>>> a loan to pay for your high-def TV. It's your grandkids that will
>>>> pay for it.
>>>
>>> Yeah, Enron Economics, pay big dividends
>>> based on creative imaginary accounting.
>>
>> Exactly - you hit the proverbial nail on the proverbial head.
>>
>> Smoke and mirrors specifically (and cynically) designed to maintain
>> the status quo of the power elite.
>>
>>> Every American get's a bonus for running a $trillion
>>> trade deficit.
>>
>> And most allow themselves to be duped into beeliving that it's a good
>> thing...
>
> I'm not so sure thats the case.
I was primarily referring specifically to the "incentive cheque".
> Seems that most people are aware things are completely awry but don't
> know what to do about it.
Most people know things are awry, I agree; I don't observe, however, that
all or even most people simply don't know what to do - it seems to me
that people have been, for many years, *unwilling* to mkae necessary
individual changes.
> The default method I see everywhere is to vote out the offending
> parties which is dubious at best.
> Besides, all that does is present an opportunity for a new and even
> more nefarious contender to stick it to the people.
> If only there was a way that the citizenry could somehow extract
> offensive politicians quickly and legally, singularly or in
> group......
Part of the problem is that, although elected officials *technically* are
the employees of the taxpayers/citizensm, what happens in practice is
taht people readily and willingly relinguish responsibility and effort,
giving it up to elected officials and basically allowing, or even
*asking*, those officials to take control.
Control is a hard thing - it requires a willingness to (1) learn about
*all* sides of the issues, (2) accept the burdens associated with making
decisions that will inevitably make *someone* unhappy, and (3) accepting
responsibility for one's own errors, and I don't mean irrelevant crap
like "I made the mistake of smoking one joint when I was 17", I mean for
the important adult decisions.
It's similar to people who put all of their trust in medical personnel to
the extent of questioning nothing whatsoever, and don't do any sort of
self-education about their own health so as to ensure that they, and
their loved ones, are being correctly treated. I'm seeing this right now
woth family members - one relative had to have emergency surgery, and has
been confused and delerious for over a week since the surgery - only one
erlative is even *thinking* about the possibility of a stroke, while
everyone else is just not posing *any* questions. It seems to me that the
same exact thing tends to occur with politicians.
At the same time, people are part of the problem, because they spend so
much time and energy and hot air jumping up and down about silly and/or
minor things that the issues which actually impact *everyone*, and even
ones that have global importance, are glossed over.
One thing that is needed is individual involvement/action, from the
tiniest things to the most major.
At the same time, an "activity book" might be a good idea - something
like one of those "For Dummies" series books, "How to improve the world -
and your own life - for dummies". THe problem is that a lot of people
don't *want* to consider making any changes in their world outlook or
attitudes. They want things to be fixed by "Them"/"somebody else"/"those
people who are responsible". Plus, what you get is alot of bickering,
because too many poeple are moer concerned with having thier "special
case" seen to, than with trying to work together with others who are
different.
Usually, all of that means gov.t is designated the "problem solver". But
gov.t isn't necessarily the best vehicle for "fixing things" for solving
problems or making changes, because gov.t is a bureaucracy - any action
requires the "stamp" so to speak of a passel of offices. SO change has
to start form the roots, and work upwards. Individuals have ot make
changes, and then also not only demand, but see to it, rather than the
other way around.
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