Cheap China Crap (CCC)

You can't believe how angry I am!

I just broke the handle on a brand new inch and a half PVC in-line water valve I recently had installed for our water well system. Now I have to replace the valve which is no easy task. I'm 82 years old. How is it that I, an old man, have the strength in my hands to break the handle of an inch and a half valve? Because it was a cheap inferior quality product from China.

When are we as a nation going to wake up and realize that first and foremost China does not have our best interests in mind? Second, because of our national policies the past forty years we've transferred most of our manufacturing base to China. Third, China, in its own self interests, does not make products of superior quality for export. They sell us crap and we buy it because it is cheap. They laugh all the way to the bank so they can then loan us money to sustain the profligate spending habits of our government. When deeply indebted to someone you have to cow-tow to their whims.

Who puts those politicians into positions of power to further our government's spending excesses? We do! Wake up, Folks! It's time to take action. Do not buy products made in China if at all possible. Do not vote for tax and spend politicians. If they are in office, vote them out.

America was founded and thrived for years on individual liberty, responsibility, and thrift. It's time we get back to those qualities and do it soon else all is lost. I don't want to die seeing my beloved America sucking tit from China. Make "CCC" a call to action (CTA)!

Socialism, the equal sharing of misery

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." ~ Anonymous

One of my favorite quotations. I wish I knew who penned this for whomever it was he certainly was a wise and insightful person. I truly have great difficulty understanding what it is that makes a person a socialist. The Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock first tried socialism and almost expired as a result. It was only when in desperation Bradford established property rights and the people were allowed to reap the bounty from their individual lands and their individual efforts that the colony became prosperous and bountiful, and were able to celebrate the first Thanksgiving.

So, why is it that many people who make their fortunes in the free enterprise capitalistic economic system become socialists? I have no answer. It's just a nagging perplexing question? Most people my age and older grew up in the Great Depression of the 1930's knee-deep in poverty (just look at many of the photos made during that era) and served in the military during WW II. Most had no more than a high school education and many no more than an eighth grade education. Yet almost all of us, at least the ones I know and have known, were strong advocates of individual responsibility, hard work, thrift, and your success in life depended on you and you alone.

Yet, we as a nation have been gradually drifting ever more since WW II into socialism with more and more government programs that create and perpetrate more and more entitlements. They can't be avoided. We elect political leaders that promise more and more, thus they tax more and more. The more they tax the more they spend, and the more they force us all into entitlement programs that eventually become overly burdensome for those citizens that bear the tax load. Much like the Pilgrims those that work hard to support those that don't work will gradually become more and more inclined to do less and less to contribute to society until we have achieved ". . . the equal sharing of misery."

Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

I think it appropriate that today we Americans read the original George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation. I especially implore our national leaders to read and re-read this proclamation to gain and reinforce in their minds the wisdom, insight and belief in the "providence of Almighty God" of our Founding Fathers and the reverence and ever allegiance to the Constitution.

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Where both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

G. Washington (his actual signature)

---

NOTE:

Shortly after the Thanksgiving Proclamation was written, it was lost for 130 years. The original document was written in long hand by William Jackson, secretary to the President, and was then signed by George Washington. It was probably misplaced or mixed in with some private papers when the US capitol moved from New York to Washington, D.C. The original manuscript was not placed in the National Archives until 1921 when Dr. J. C. Fitzpatrick, assistant chief of the manuscripts division of the Library of Congress found the proclamation at an auction sale being held at an art gallery in New York. Dr Fitzpatrick purchased the document for $300.00 for the Library of Congress, in which it now resides. It was the first official presidential proclamation issued in the United States.

What Ails America

This came to me via the Internet. I have no idea who wrote it or the source. I wish I had of been the author. It is so true of what ails our America today.

"Some people have the vocabulary to sum up things in a way you can understand them. This quote came from the Czech Republic. Someone over there has it figured out. We have a lot of work to do."

"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr.Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails American. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

America is resilient. I think we may have seen the errs of our ways, and I hope to see a coming tsunami of change that tilts our political will back to the ways of our founding fathers and our Constitution.

Inflation

Inflation! The most insidious tax of all taxation. Like a stealth lioness on the prowl it sneaks up on you, and when it strikes it is too late. Its much like the old chinese water torture treatment, one drip at a time until you are inundated, and its too late. Or, like the frog in the pot of water on the stove heating ever so slowly gradually coming to a boil and before the frog realizes it he is cooked, and its too late.

Ever since the 1930's our government in its infinite wisdom and complicit with its partner in crime, the Federal Reserve Banking System, has continued over the years to print more and more dollars increasing the amount of money in circulation, thus with each printing they devalue the dollar a little bit each time. At some point its going to be too late. I think the water is getting very hot.

In 1937, which I remember very well, a loaf of bread cost 10 cents, milk 42 cents a gallon, steak 49 cents a pound, and gasoline 12 cents a gallon. In 1937 the average annual salary was $1,368 and unemployment was 25%. In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act set the minimum wage at 25 cents an hour. That is $3.77 in 2009 dollars. Today a loaf of bread is $1.65, a gallon of milk is $2.45, steak is $2.98 a pound, and gasoline is $2.70 a gallon. Though we are in a recession the prices of goods keep gradually going up. Why? Because of the $$$$$$$trillions of national debt and the government printing presses humming.

Government with its profligate spending habits has only two ways to pay for its bad spending habit, taxation and inflation, i.e. print more dollars. They just create money out of thin air with ink and paper. Thus, they can pay their debts with dollars with less value. And, who is it that suffers the most, we the little people, the earners and tax payers. Government can never let the value of the dollar float downward, i.e. deflation, because then they would have to reduce their spending to pay their debts with dollars with less value.

Don't you wish you could legally print money?

Humble Apology

My humble apology to all my great readers. I recently undertook the task to create a family group chart of my mother's family. It turned out to be much more of a daunting task than I realized. Thus, I have neglected the duties of attending to my blog. I've now reached a point with the family chart where I've done most of the spade work and am waiting for input from various family members to check for accuracy, correctness, and omissions. I now have more time and can devote a little more attention to other things including my blog. Thanks for being true and dedicated readers.