"The culture of selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is not what builds up and leads to a more habitable world: it is the culture of solidarity that does so." Pope Francis
Last week was one filled with populist messages by two of the most powerful men on the planet. President Obama talked of inequality and morality just as Pope Francis was making a similar message in Brazil. President Obama has presided over an anemic economic recovery where indifference is raising faster than jobs, wages, and prosperity. On the other hand, the Pope has gotten off on an amazing start, rebuilding the Catholic Church, which has lost millions of followers and credibility around the world. The thing is the Pope is attracting millions with his sincere message of love and opportunity.
I think everyone should help each other whether rich or poor, and that includes helping yourself first and foremost. In fact, it's selfish to suck up all the government programs possible to every expiration date while never trying to improve your circumstance. There is also a big difference between encouraging people to help others and using the notion of an unfair system to get extra money from those that have worked hard for success-money that will largely go to fund an agenda and never make it out of the grinder of federal government. Moreover the beauty of America is choice so if someone wants to chill out on extended unemployment and look for a job with a week of benefits left it's on them.
It's really on them, and it would be extremely unfair for others to feel guilt or take a financial hit otherwise.
I wish the Pope luck on his campaign to encourage the wealthy to do more. I'm proud of the fact America is already the most generous nation on earth, and the wealthy do so much in so many ways beginning with job creation to charity. As for corporations, first and foremost, they must make sure they stay in business in good times and bad. Corporations can't print money like the federal government. It's sad that banks, GM, AIG and so many others were bailed out as their fate should have been the result of poor planning or excessive risk-taking. Still, they are the exception although deliberately lumped in with all businesses to attack capitalism.
So, it's pretty clear in America that the Commander-in-Chief is going to continue to rip people apart and pit Americans against one another.
I don't think it's going to work, but politicians in general and on both sides of the aisle are mostly clueless and gutless, so this nation could become more tinderbox than land of milk and honey. The best thing the nation has going for are citizens that are willing to carry the load beyond the call of duty. Yes, this is a shrinking pool of people, but they've carried us this far, and I think that would make the Pope proud even as they are demonized by their own president.
Health Care Law Kicks in- At Sports Store
I never got the impression Nancy Pelosi was much of a hunter, which might explain how sporting gear is cobbled together with medical devices. There are so many surprises in the health care law, but one shouldn't be surprised targets include pastimes of those that might not share the same ideology of ditching the first, second, and fourth amendments. So it stands to reason that the place free people go to purchase legal guns and other items for hunting and fishing has somehow become purveyors of medical devices.
I got this receipted tweeted to me last night along with IRS rules governing what can be taxed and what cannot. It's a very interesting list to say the least.