Dear President Obama,

Congratulations on becoming the 44th President of the United States and as a citizen of this great nation, our beloved America, I wish you the very best in the coming four years.

First of all let me introduce myself to you and explain who I am and why I am writing to you. I am one of the sixty million (59,934,786 to be exact) Americans who voted for the other Democrat who ran on the Republican ticket.

I am a naturalized, ordinary American citizen with an extraordinary thirst for knowledge and information about America and Americans who influence or mess up our daily lives. Communicating with them is one of my hobbies. I have been engaged in this quest for the last fifty-five years of which thirty-five were spent here in America. When I came to America I had eight dollars with me and today - after thirty-five years - I may have four dollars and some change after paying off all “toxic assets” that accumulated during the past several years because of massive taxation and progressive politics of a criminal class who holds the majority shares in our public corporation called The United States of America.

I am an AMERICAN. That means I consider FREEDOM as my birth-right and that freedom comes from GOD, not GOV. That is why I "hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal (and that goes for women too), that they are endowed by their CREATOR, (not their elected representatives) with certain inalienable rights, that among these are LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT of happiness." And I also completely agree with Thomas Jefferson that "to SECURE (not PAY FOR) these rights governments are instituted," and that "whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it and to institute new Government."

In the past thirty-five years I have lived in America I witnessed the gradual erosion of these basic truths, not because they are no longer valid, but because men with power will always subjugate their fellow-men, blackmail them and steal their freedom, their labor and their belongings.

In the past we called this this theft of other people’s rights and resources slavery. Today it is big, intrusive "government" which is destructive to the hopes, ambitions and dreams of millions of Americans. Those of us working in the non-government sector do not have any protection from the constant assault from 87,000 different forms of "governments" where 23,000,000 people have found a refuge for life-time-guaranteed jobs.

Those who run “the government” seem to hold on to a view that to protect this privileged class of bureaucrats governments are instituted, exactly opposite of what the Declaration of Independence states. Can you protect me and millions of others like me from obese governments whose primary function is to rob one group, count the money, keep a big chunk for themselves and re-distribute the rest to a permanent class of dependents.

I have a feeling that you, Mr. President, deep in your heart, is a true American, even though some of your past associations with certain Americans and their sermons leave some doubts in my mind. But when I read the letter that you wrote for Malia and Sasha in which you mention the importance of the words in The Declaration of Independence, I realize what a great father you are.

Mr. President, America is facing very serious, unprecedented challenges. You have just taken the pilot’s seat of US Air Flight 1549 and the plane is rolling on to the runway. Those sixty-nine million voters who put you on the captain’s seat were told by New York Times, CBS, TIME magazine and others that you are Captain Sully. I hope and pray you are. But when you promote trillion-dollar spending programs just keep one thing in mind, those Canada geese you see ahead, they look innocent but they are deadly. They represent free-loaders of all kinds, from big businesses to professional government-dependents. You can let a few into the engine - America’s economic engine - but too many, you are in peril.

I wish you the very best, Mr. President.

Sincerely,

The Blogtrotter

TODAY IS THANKSGIVING DAY, November 27, 2008

AMERICA is a country of 305 million people.  Some people are smart, some are not so smart, some are generous, some are selfish; some are kind, some are cruel, some are noble and some are evil.  Some are very, very rich and they pay a lot in taxes, while some others are “statistically poor” and they use the taxes the rich paid and curse them for not paying more in taxes.

AMERICA is a land of opportunities.  America's "promise" is FREEDOM.  With freedom, opportunities, knowledge and talents you create "wealth" - things that you need to live the good life.  Life is GIVE and TAKE.  Nobody owes anyone anything.  But we can always give to others voluntarily.  Everybody has something to offer.  We all need each other.  Let Thanksgiving day be the day to remember this.

THANKSGIVING day is when you should thank our founding fathers, all 56 of them, who signed that Declaration of Independence and sacrificed everything they had to create a nation in which people can live free.

And when they signed the Declaration of Independence they pledged THEIR LIVES, THEIR FORTUNES and THEIR SACRED HONOR for that noble cause - F R E E D O M.

But what do today's politicians do? They auction off OUR LIVES, OUR FORTUNES and OUR SACRED HONOR to the highest bidder - The Chinese, The Saudis, The Sultans and The Emirs so that they can buy votes and stay in power for ever.

No matter what, America is unique, America is a great country and THANK GOD FOR America.

Drew Jackson
Nov: 27, 2008

AMERICA’S AGENDA

The following essay was written on January 29, 2006.  And now after the Obama election and the promise of "change" it is absolutely essential that America's middle-class, those who work hard and create wealth, make its case to all Americans who care about their country. The change soon-to-be-President Barack Obama has in mind may not be the change that America really needs.  And that is the reason why I decided to publish this just before the new President takes charge.

The 20th century has witnessed massive social changes in America.  The most notable among them are the decline in traditional moral values, creation and growth of synthetic rights and privileges invented in Hollywood and legislated into law by the legal industry, the division of Americans into special interest groups, the transformation of  the mainstream press into a subsidiary of the democrat party for promoting social causes and the complete loss of political power by individuals. 

The most far reaching change of all is the cancerous growth of government and its bureaucracies into an eighteen-million-strong occupational army which is now wrecking the lives of average Americans through excessive taxation, reckless spending and wasted dollars measured in billions. 

But we cannot blame the politicians and the social engineers solely for what America is today.  The entertainment industry has done a superb job in keeping millions of Americans off balance, glued to TV, thereby enabling them to escape the real world where actions take place and decisions affecting their economic future are made.  Many people totally tune off politics and do not participate in the political process allowing crooks, thugs and thieves to take over.

Today, many Americans, especially those under thirty years, decide what is good or bad, or right or wrong based on what they saw on TV.  We have political and social institutions which thrive on what should be called “stolen money” but they have been recognized as divine organizations legitimized by legislation.

While many traditional, well-paying jobs are getting extinct or exported to other countries for cheap labor, organized labor unions have taken over government as a source of great wealth.  They bribed the politicians, expanded government beyond its legitimate purpose and transformed it into a monster that eats away tax dollars at the rate of almost 10 billion dollars a day.  As Reader’s Digest March 1996 issue described, government employees have become the new class of wealthy in America.  This tax-financed, privileged class has become the greatest threat to the economic well-being America’s middle-class.

As private sector workers struggle to make a living, they are taxed savagely to accommodate the life-style of “the bureau class.” According to the Census Bureau, the average hourly pay in state and local government is $ 28.33 but in the private sector it is only $17.05.  At the federal level it is even higher - $32.83 per hour.  And on top of that government employees are paid another 30% tax-free benefits. While their paychecks are heavily taxed to support the current social security retires, private sector employees see their savings siphoned away by the teachers’ unions, thanks to the school tax system and irresponsible judges who step out of their jurisdiction and take over the legislative branch. 

Meanwhile, with the supreme court’s reckless Kelo decision in June 2005, many Americans are now afraid that money-hungry politicians at local governments might even take away their homes, under the guise of eminent domain, and auction them off to the highest bidding developer.  Is making money life’s primary goal? Haven’t our politicians and social engineers learned any lesson from the collapse of the Soviet Union where government was in complete control of people‘s lives?  Is America going insane?

While all these things, which will have far-reaching consequences in the lives of all Americans, are taking place what does THE PRESS do?  They absolutely have no interest  in reporting the truth.  They play to the emotions, divide Americans and make them hate each other so that they can make money.  Have you ever seen a report on the front page of New York Times or a lead news item on NBC stating that “SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND IS JUST AN ILLUSION” or “ONE-FOURTH OF ALL GOVERNMENT SPENDING IS UNNECESSARY OR WASTE?”  All they are interested in is how to destroy Republicans and help Democrats get back in power.

This is the context in which we should re-evaluate the role of government  in a free society in the 21st century.  We must take a good look at our current excesses and set an agenda to make America, a civilized, fair and decent nation for all Americans, not just the wealthy and the 18 million strong bureau-class. Here is what needs to be done:

1. CHANGE THE MIND-SET OF A  “SOCIALIST AMERICA” : Almost half of all Americans seems to have adopted that imported, European, soviet, socialist idea that government is the supreme authority, with power to give or take life, decide what is good and bad for people, and that people should surrender their freedom to government for freebies and an easy life with no personal responsibilities. This dangerous notion which has destroyed the Soviet Union is largely responsible for our moral decay and crimes.  Unless we part company with this false notion and try to appreciate the greatness of the legacy that our founding fathers left for America - freedom, free institutions and a an affordable government - we are a doomed nation.


2.  NORMALSIZE GOVERNMENT:  Our politicians from both parties have been supersizing government for the past fifty years, requiring massive amounts of tax dollars to run its operations.  The rich does not feel the agony of excessive taxation because, at least, they can afford it.  The poor does not know the devastation caused by over taxation because they are shielded from most taxes and even the social security taxes they pay are offset by a “refund” called “earned income tax credit.“ The politicians and social engineers have carefully crafted a tax system to minimize the chances of a tax revolt. The most pressing need for America’s middle class private sector workers earning between $40,000 and $100,000 before tax assault is “normalsizing” governments at all levels.  When government is cut to affordable level taxes will come down.

      In order to make governments affordable to those who pay taxes, three important reforms are needed.  First, recognizing the fact that in a free society government’s role is limited.  Government should not engage in running individual families, personal care and other similar activities simply to create thousands of government jobs to help labor unions which collect easy money and live happily ever after.  Second, there should be a ratio of not more than 400 government workers to every 10,000 population.  Currently it is 500 or more in many states.  Third, no government employees shall be paid more than the average pay for similar jobs in private sector.  Currently the average wages in private sector, state and local governments and federal government are $17.05, $28.33 and $32.83 respectively.  Government cannot be used as a gold mine.

3.  PRIVATE WORKFORCE TO GOVERNMENT JOB RATIO:  Another measure of a manageable size of government is a ratio of private workforce to government workforce, which currently is 87:13 and it is grossly out of balance.  An affordable ratio, in a highly developed, free society like ours is 10:1 and no more.  And when the private sector workforce dwindle by outsourcing, lay-off and closing of businesses, a proportionate reduction should take place in government.  The union-manufactured, unrealistic, self-serving concept and practice of transferring the additional burden to existing taxpayers when one source of tax dies is totally unacceptable.  In stead, the government should cut the size of its workforce to a new level and keep the same 10:1 ratio. 

4.  UNIVERSAL PARTICIPATION IN TAXATION: There is absolutely no justification for any able-bodied American to be excluded from taxation.  As you may know, 97% of the federal income tax is paid by the top half of all taxpayers.  The other half pays just 3% and then in most cases they get several times that amount in some form of refund, which is money taken from other people who badly needs it.  We need to change the American mindset of government care and adopt the principle of One man/woman, one vote and ONE TAX.

5.  RECOGNIZE  FUNDAMENTAL, NATURAL TRUTH:  There is nothing that comes free.  If you got something free that means somebody else paid the price.  All men, and that goes for women too, are created equal which means they all have 24 hours of time every day.  It is by utilizing this non-renewable resource that people earn a living and make wealth.  In a free society it is the duty of every man and woman to take charge of their lives.  Running your life is not “the government’s” responsibility.  After all government is you, me and the other people! 

    It will be hard to change America within a short space of time, since millions of people addicted to free money and a life without responsibility will vehemently oppose any change.  But this is a medicine Americans have to take, otherwise America as we know today, will cease to exist within the next decade.

                           The Blogtrotter/Drew Jackson,  Jan:29, 2006/On the Blog - Nov:20, 2008

 

One could define politics in countless different ways. After many years of research and observation I have come to the conclusion that there are only two reasons why people engage in politics - (1) TO PROTECT WHAT YOU HAVE, and (2) TO TAKE WHAT OTHERS HAVE! Either way your success, your happiness, your future and even your survival in America, in this 21st century, depends on whether you understand and get actively involved in the political process.

So let us examine how we should "practice" politics in a civilized society founded on the principle that "all men (and that goes for women too) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.."

We should never forget that THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE is the "birth certificate of our nation" and it is the fundamental document from which all other documents derived. So the most important fact of life in America is the recognition that our freedom comes from "the Creator"/God/Mother Nature or whatever name we attribute to that super-force that can wipe out a city in a minute with a category-5 tornado or make the Sun warm up the ocean and order the wind to carry moisture and sprinkle it over a 600 square mile area so that life can sustain on this planet.

Over the years some clever men, and women too, in their hunger for power and control over their fellow-men/women, drifted away from this fundamental truth and have been successful in convincing a large number of people that "government" is that super-force and our primary purpose is to surrender our freedoms and our possessions to that government and obey its commandments.

These clever men and women are found in government, the academia, the press industry, entertainment industry, "trial lawyering" and various other professions. Together they should be called "the tax racket" because they either feed on tax dollars or their occupation depends on transfer of wealth from those who create or earn it to those who have a synthetic "right" to other people's money or wealth.

Many people in America these days hate words like Exxon, Pfizer or Halliburton - corporations that produce goods and services that humans need and sell them for a profit for those who invest money in a risky venture. But the same people have an arousal of hope and awe when they hear names like Internal Revenue "Service," State Housing "Authority" or Environmental Facilities Corporations - all of which are what should be called "taxporations" engaged in wealth acquisition and redistribution.

Our politics today are dominated by "the tax racket" and they are responsible for the problems we face today. If we continue to allow politics as usual, within the next decade we will be the largest banana republic in the western hemisphere.

Rather than allowing the political candidates to sell you "POLITICAL PROMISES," the 21st century snake-oil, by turning this earth into heaven, giving you everything free and helping you to live happily ever after without TOIL, you should tell them that you need AFFORDABLE TAXES and a government that requires all citizens, not just the rich and the middle class, to pay their fair share in money or in time to pay for the kind of government that they desire. We should stop our politicians from confining millions of Americans into the "the plantation of government dependence."

We must change our politics by electing only those who embrace free market forces, create opportunities to work and earn a good living, and defeat every candidate who try to buy your votes by offering freebies. When we do that, America will continue to remain the best hope for all people.
 
Let us hope in this new year -2008 - we can introduce civility into our politics and everything else we do, show our gratitude to this country and treat our fellow Americans with respect, appreciation and admiration. Let us end our soviet, socialist dreams and replace them with genuine American dreams.  Let us end our politics of hatred and division.

The Blogtrotter

January 1, 2008