A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m sitting in Eileen’s high school classroom writing this blog post. She starts back to school on Monday while the kids come the following week. We came today to get the classroom ready. You may wonder what I’m doing writing if I came to help Eileen. Well, I’m glad you asked. The reason is simply that we’ve already moved all the desks, hooked up all the projectors and electronic media, and reoriented the classroom 90 degrees from the way Eileen has had it for the past several years. Now she is working on things that my contribution is just too many fingers in the process. It appears that the tasks which don’t require too many brain cells or too much brawn are complete!!

So, Monday will begin another year of Eileen teaching high school math. She will teach two honors geometry classes, three regular geometry classes, and one algebra class. Eileen puts her heart into everything she does and I suppose her students would have to look far and wide to find someone who cares as much as she does and who stands before them with as much character. She seeks to do a great job teaching all those students entrusted into her care.

I will miss not having Eileen home as much. We’ve enjoyed the summer together. Eileen will also reconvene her final year of classes for her master’s degree. This fall will be an extra heavy load for her while the spring will be a bit lighter, but the whole year will be busy.

I wish all teachers and students much success in this new school year.

PUBLIC SERVANTS

It’s laughable that Congress calls itself “public servants.” They make more money than most Americans; they have the best insurance plans; they have the best retirement plans; they have the best vacation plans; and they have all kinds of perks and other fringe benefits. That is not a “servant” in my view. In fact, all these taxpayer funded “servants” are greatly insulated from the perils of the real economy. Too many of them have a skewed view of real life in the American economy. Many have been in government most of their lives and have been made wealthy and powerful by government. Thus, they think they (government) are the center of our economy. Even so, while the economy is in crisis, they are on vacation.

There are a lot of people in dire straits right now. If the government can affect good changes to the economy, it seems they’d be burning the candle at both ends to get it done. It gives the appearance that the “servants” have little connection with the plight of millions of Americans. It just seems odd that our “servants” are on vacation while the engines of our economy, businesses, are dying. The goose that lays the golden eggs is being smothered, largely by government, and our “public servants” seem content to watch the asphyxiation while on vacation. It seems like a doctor going on break while his patient is dying. It doesn’t sit too well with me.

MIMIC

It can’t be emphasized enough that the example we set for our children is critical. It may appear to be clever for parents to utter, “Do as I say, not as I do.” However, our example is one of the greatest trainers of human behavior there is, especially in children. While it is cute to watch our granddaughter mimic her parents in everything from walking to talking on the phone, it’s good to note just how much she learns from observing her parents. This observation and mimicking will continue through her whole life. She will be open to learn good or bad traits by watching her parents and others.

While some of our traits are genetically influenced, we seem to never stop mimicking what we see. Some mimic singers and movie actors while others mimic characteristics they find to be funny, lovable, successful, or adorable. We are just natural mimics. This lifelong tendency to mimic is one reason why parents must always act like parents. Our children’s subconscious minds never stop observing and integrating what they see from us. This is especially true as it relates to values, temperament, work ethic, prejudices, character, and faith. Once we have children, the responsibility to set a good and proper example never leaves.

This is the age of all types of partying, cohabitating, and subjective value systems. We see these compromises of traditional moral and ethic values go from generation to generation. While our kids may not compromise themselves in the same way we may have, or even know what we did, they will still compromise themselves in other ways if they observe ethical and moral deficiencies in us.

Even if we have lived the most horrendous life in the past, it is never too late to set a new example for our kids. It may not be as effective as always having a strong life as their example, but setting a life straight is a great testimony to the redemptive powers of man through God. A parent who used to rob convenience stores can still have the moral standing to teach his children that it is wrong.

Life is not lived in a vacuum. We are in constant interaction and influence with those around us, especially with our children who naturally seek to mimic us.

BLOG POSTS

So, can you tell what has been on my mind lately? Well, these blog posts are much more than a discussion about the economy to me. I don’t want my blog to turn into political chatter. However, this is beyond politics. This is real life and a real life tragedy and hardship. This is looking at the problem squarely in the eye. I seek to write my blog about what is right and true, letting the political chips fall where they might. As I alluded to, this is beyond politics. This is about the lives of real people. Further, I continue to write about what is on my mind. In that regard, the plights of so many people who are unemployed and who have lost so much in the stock market are indeed on my mind. It’s one thing for such things to occur in the natural swings of the economy. It’s another thing when the problems are made by the lack of fiscal discipline and the purposeful government centered agenda of those we elect.

Look, a lot of Americans have been doing more than playing by the rules; they’ve gone the extra mile to be responsible in making sure they provide for their financial futures. Yet, through the undisciplined spending of those in Washington and a movement toward government centered economy, their nest eggs have been assaulted and evaporated. Again, they’ve played by the rules but the elected people in Washington have been poor stewards.

President Obama is seemingly impervious to the travails of the economy and the stock market. In fact, he dismisses the volatility of the stock market in most of his remarks and seems to think that it’s the rich who are in the stock market. But that’s not true. Factory workers, government workers, employees, firefighters, and people in general have invested in the stock market, which is investing in the business of America. Yet businesses are afraid of adding employees for the cost of ObamaCare; the rich aren’t buying for fear of taxes; banks are afraid to lend because of onerous Dodd-Frank regulations; and industry is afraid to expand because of carbon taxes and endless new regulations. It’s no wonder the free market economy is suffering. While business is screaming that the government is choking them and the jobs they produce, the government scoffs and keeps growing its own self. The fact that government continues to grow at a torrid pace while the free market stumbles is the design of a government centered economy.

I don’t know what topics the blog will render in the coming days but if these economic posts help increase the economic awareness and activity of those who read it, then it is well worth it. In the meantime, we need to stay strong; educate others; support & elect righteous people, and pray for this nation.

ECONOMIC BATTLE

President Obama blamed the credit downgrade and stock market crisis on the debt ceiling argument in congress. He must be hoping America isn’t paying attention. Both the downgrade and the market losses occurred after the debt ceiling was passed and signed, not during the argument. In other words, the gridlock was over before the downgrade and market collapse occurred. The “credit” downgrade is because we have bad “credit” - - - too much borrowed as compared to our GDP. Further, to blame the Tea Party for the credit downgrade is idiotic. Only in politics, with a complicit media, does the group who fights against raising the overall debt get the blame for the debt getting raised!! The fact is, if it wasn’t for those opposing the increase in our debt, our debt ratio would be even worse.

There is a battle for the economic direction of this country. On one side are those who want the government and its programs to be the center of our economy. On the other side are those who want our traditional free market economy. Both types of economies are masters and they do not work well together. The Bible teaches us that we can’t serve two masters; this is an earthly example. For a government program based economy to exist, the free market economy must decrease. On the other hand, for the free market economy to prosper, the government programs must decrease. There is very little room for them to both coexist without greatly affecting the other. A strong government is the basis of Keynesian Economics which says, “Active government intervention in the marketplace and monetary policy is the best method of ensuring economic growth and stability.”

It is so important to understand that whichever system flourishes, the other system suffers. As we see today, for the government economy to flourish the free market must suffer. How does the free market suffer? It suffers with unemployment, economic stagnation, and stock market weakness etc. I believe that is part of the reason why we are being told to get used to 9-10% unemployment. It’s also the reason for the cold-shouldered government response to the stock market crisis, despite thousands of Americans losing their retirement plans and savings. Again, a weak free market system is the consequence of a strong government program system. In a way then, we can say that all this economic mess is the predictable side-effect of creating a stronger government-centered Keynesian economic system. The leaders who are backing this Keynesian economic system know what happens to the free market system when it is accosted by the Keynesian system. In other words, those wanting a government centered system know that unemployment and stock market turmoil is part of the price to be paid for the switch to government control. Although they perhaps miscalculated the degree of incompatibility of the two economies, they knew the free market must suffer in order to strengthen the government…and suffer it has.

Where does that put us? President Obama and his people are willing for the free market to suffer in order to strengthen their government hand. While we can’t really say all of this economic distress was done on purpose, it was done with foreknowledge and consent. Did you catch that?! Anyone with an ounce of economic knowledge knew that the free market would suffer with unemployment, economic malaise, and stock market calamity to one degree or another as the price to pay for the switch to a government centered economy. They knew it but they thought the price and risk was worth it. It was part of President Obama’s promise to “fundamentally change America.” Again, a government economy and a free market economy are a major clash. One prospers at the expense of the other; one suffers at the expense of the other.

Despite the bad economic times of the past few years, the government has continued to grow at an astounding rate. It continues its outpouring of rules, regulations, and proposed taxes which are stifling business and industry. The move toward a more socialistic economy (government economy) is destroying this nation as we know it. While that is tolerable to those who want to rebuild and transition us into a government centered economy, we must resist the move for the good of America and the world. We are not like any other nation and the attempts to make us as such need to be countered. We shouldn’t throw down our blessings to be trampled upon. We should stand tall and bright as the beacon of freedom for America and for the entire world.

FOREIGN AID

The United States is about to announce another 100 million dollars in aid to Somalia. A top U.S. official said, “Hundreds of thousands of Somali children could die in East Africa's famine unless more help arrives.” I could write what happens to a country’s people when dictators run that country. However, I want to stick to the theme of our economy.

Whether you agree with most foreign aid or not, what will happen to that foreign aid if this country becomes insolvent? It’s not just the American economy that is at dire risk. The whole world and all the aid we give is at risk too. Just because we are the most generous nation to ever exist on this planet, don’t think our recipients are immune from our ineptitude. This has gotten so bad that even countries like China are lecturing us about our debt and its world effect.

Have you ever asked yourself how many countries will be extending us aid if we go off the deep end? There won’t be many. Not only that but if we can’t afford ourselves, who else can afford us?! Who then will step up and provide aid to the world in our stead? China? Russia? Iran?

IN A BIND

Well, I was going to move on from the economy but it looks like the economy is continuing to be an impact player without bounds. I suppose the recent downgrading of American credit is evidence that consequences can happen to the government too. We all know that if you continuously spend more than you have, you will eventually run into financial trouble. The government has escaped it for a long time but has pushed its credit too far this time. Meanwhile, far too many people are still out of work and the economy is having a difficult time gaining any footing.

Not only is all of this a good financial lesson for us, but it is a spiritual lesson too. We tend to take our faith for granted, assuming that we will always have enough faith to draw on. Yet, as life continues to draw and draw from our faith, our spiritual life can run a deficit too. The same is true with our character.

Taking our blessings for granted, whether that is in finances or faith, is a mistake that often has delayed effects. Yet when the effects hit, the consequences can be very hard to deal with and recover from. As bad as the economy may be to recover from, recovery from a faith crisis can be even tougher. We are now at a place to where if we confiscate all the money that billionaires and millionaires make a year (240 billion), we would only have enough money to run the government for three weeks. We don’t have a lot of good options with our government spending. We need to make sure that we don’t also box ourselves in with our spiritual life by taking our faith blessings for granted, or that will become overdrawn as well.