Issue #2

5/13/09

My theme this week I'll call, "Facing simple truths and using simple math." Often I see something that I find incongruous and it gets me to thinking. Obesity in America is becoming an alarming problem. Diabetes is a hideous disease that causes much misery and suffering, and directly related to excess weight. Both also add stress to the heart and shorten our lives. I saw a news clip where the airline industry wants to charge people that take up two seats, twice as much. That creates quite a stir of protests from heavyweights, but a little objectivity and simple math tells me that only so much cargo or weight per airplane design will allow the plane to get off the ground. It will also require more power and use more fuel (think profitability). Each unit of weight (person + luggage) should equal one fare, and that should simply be the end of any
controversy; but it never really is. There will be lawyers (and human suffering) soon to follow.

I want you to know that I am writing about morbidly obese people who just eat far too much, not those among us with medical problems or struggling with some excess pounds. Most of us are there, and I intend to offend no one. We are just not as active as we use to be, and food is too plentiful, especially sugar and fat calories. I know you have seen these unbelievably obese people on T.V. that cannot even get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Beyond the sadness and degradation I see, I still have to ask the hard, seemingly insensitive questions that come to mind. How did this person get to this state? When this person can no longer rise to get or prepare their own food, hasn't it gone on long enough? I say, (sorry) when they are hungry enough they will find the strength. And who brings the food to the house, and why? Who pays for all that food, and the ensuing medical care? I think we all know. But is it right? Are we doing this poor soul any favors? What about tough love? Isn't this probably just the end result, or extreme example of an entitlement program being abused?

Countless books have been written on dieting and billions of dollars have changed hands exploiting something that has not, and will not ever change. Simple math says, for every calorie you ingest you must burn a calorie to maintain an even weight. Primitive man didn't eat 24/7 -sometimes he didn't eat for days, so mankind evolved with a fat gene that will curse us forever, and store leftovers. Deal with it. It is fact. Don't eat it, or enjoy it, knowing you must work it off, or you may pay dearly, later.

Now I get to my main theme; Budgeting 101, and our stupid, irresponsible, idiotic government spending. The simple truth is you cannot, repeat cannot, borrow your way out of debt, Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Obama! I don't care what great and noble causes you think must be attended to. You (all Washington dummies) have no money! None! You are way, way in the hole. What part of none don't you understand? For every dollar you spend you must have a tax dollar coming in or you get sick (depression/ bankruptcy) and die as a country. Deal with it. It is fact! Or we all pay dearly, later.

China, who likes us about as much as the Arabs, is tired of buying up our treasury notes (I.O.U.s + interest) even though we buy most all the junk they produce (much with child labor) using those funds. That's probably the only reason they have let our debt grow to this much. They must enjoy the irony and have a great sense of humor. First, they watch us get in bed with the Arabs (who hate us) because of our lust for oil. Now, China is our bedtime buddy in our lust for cash. Sleep easy. They've got our back. Oh yeah.

What happens, Mr Obama, when our dear Chinese friends want to cash in those treasury notes? Are you going to play the, "We are too big to fail!" card? Or is our failing possibly on their agenda? It seems though, even they have a limit for now, and don't want to play anymore, because we just won't curb our incessant spending. Incidentally, has anyone seen or heard of any plan showing how this outrageous debt is all going to work out? I mean, where is the Treasure Map? We once again have Pirates, maybe they know. Grown Senators are certainly too old to believe in the tooth fairy. Besides, it may be out of her range. Folks, there is no plan, and will never be until we fire them all. We are just spending astronomical sums fast and wild, trying to keep people smiling and happy (and distracted) for as long as the good times last. Obama keeps smiling and taking his bows while Pelosi runs the show. The dike is springing hundreds of leaks and we have but ten fingers. If those are congressional fingers, most of them are in various pies (metaphorically speaking) and of no help plugging leaks.

So anyway, we had to find someone else to continue our financing; someone that doesn't care how much we borrow to spend on campaign debts, bailouts, entitlement programs, earmarks and global warming, and on and on. Gosh, I didn't even mention health care for all, and the continuation of Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. I hear those could be a concern, especially with all the aging "boomers" about to leave the taxation stage to enter retirement. Nah, or they wouldn't be cutting taxes for the 48% (meaning give cash to) that don't even pay income taxes. Yes, simple math for simpletons - Washington style. Guess whom would be stupid enough to buy our treasury I.O.U.s while looking squarely into this train wreck? Why, the United States! WE ARE BUYING OUR OWN NOTES! This can't even be legal, in a common sense world. Talk about creative financing! It would be laughable if we weren't hemorrhaging. Toss us a Band-Aid. People, China won’t have to kill us financially; our leaders in Washington are doing just fine.

True leaders would acknowledge that we are in very serious trouble, and must take drastic action, starting right now. They would state, "There can be no more free lunches!" Americans are tough and can take the truth, if we could just find someone who would tell us the truth. We are resilient and will bounce back in time, however long it takes, stronger and a whole lot wiser than before. It will be extremely hard considering how soft we have become, but we can do it. Family would take care of family, like it used to be, and needs to be. Yes, we can even grow our own vegetables again, if need be. And it is time to put the idiocy of not burning coal on the back burner, so to speak. We may need to burn it in stoves to stay warm after national bankruptcy. Do you really think the BILLIONS IN CHINA AND INDIA give a hoot about OUR AIR when they burn THEIR COAL? And they burn a lot more of it making junk for us; funny how that works. Government is not the answer. Never has been and never will be. GOVERNMENT IS THE PROBLEM! The bigger the government, the BIGGER the problem. And boy, is it getting bigger!

But if it was against the law for any government to spend more that it has in tax dollars, there would never be that problem. It is as simple as that. If the people wanted something for the government to do or provide, they would know it was going to cost them more in taxation - IF the majority voted for it. They would be reluctant and slow to ask, and also demand accountability for every dollar, thus keeping everything in check; simple truths and simple math. Politicians that put us in red ink would be put in jail, or at least put out of office! I'm really not all gloom and doom, folks. I am actually a pretty upbeat and optimistic guy. But when I see government officials placating the populace, and the multitude with their hands out, seemingly all the time, I see something dreadfully wrong. History has shown us that there is not one thing (ever), government controlled, that has worked and run smoothly. If so, name it. It is almost immediately EXPLOITED and ABUSED, WASTEFUL and CORRUPTED; and WORSENS WITH TIME! Read that last sentence over a few times, and digest it, please. It is also human to want something for nothing, when everyone knows it is wrong. Read that a couple of times, please. Any politician can get votes, or hold their office if they promise everyone, everything, for doing nothing, and money is no object; and sell it convincingly! Politicians do it all the time; promise anything to get in - then do what they damn well please; government at its worst. Maybe I have exaggerated to an extreme to make a point. Today? Maybe not. Consider it tough love.

Anyway, it's One American's View. Thanks for listening, Phil Faustman