BILL AND BILL'S "TRUISMS" - Part I

When one has political views and a viewpoint, be it liberal or conservative, and when one expresses said views and indicates a political viewpoint, one gets responses, not only from members of the choir, but from those who disagree with both your views and your viewpoint.  So I get e-mails.

I am presenting today the gut of one e-mail I received from “Bill”, an internet acquaintance of mine who expresses views and the viewpoint of the far right.  What Bill sent me is clearly not original thought, and I assume he picked it up from some conservative blog (Free Republic chat board, perhaps?) and he passed it along to me.  Based on other e-mails I have received from Bill, he regards these items as basic truisms – that is, statements that are true on their face.  With the exception of one of these statements, Bill, to my mind, is in error.  Here is what Bill sent me:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealth out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

A word or two about Bill before getting into the heart of my response:  Bill is a guy who is now in his 50s, and he grew up in Los Angeles.  While I do not know what his socio/economic status was prior to hitting it big, I do know that he was essentially Middle Class and/or upper Middle Class, and that he is White.  I don’t know, but I do not think Bill attended college -- the language of his communications with me does not suggest a college education.  After fumbling around for a few years (as did I, after I graduated from college), Bill came up with an idea for a computer/internet service and worked very hard at going into business for himself and promoting/selling the idea. 

It was a good idea and this, combined with Bill’s hard work and attention to detail he has done very well financially as a result.  I do not know how wealthy Bill is, but he now lives in Florida in a very nice home – I have a photo of his house with a luxury car parked in front of it, and my guess is the home is valued at over $1Million, but I could be wrong.  As Bill’s company is not a huge corporation (as far as I know he owns all of it), he is, to the best of my knowledge, a highly successful “small business” owner/operator, and while I do not know just how wealthy Bill now is, I do know that he is living far higher on the hog that I ever did in my best years.  Kudos to Bill for having an idea and making the idea work and achieving upward financial movement.

Bill is a classic example of the “self-made man”, and his communications all are loaded with the smugness that such folks often have, as Bill suffers from what I call “The Self-Made Man Syndrome”. 

Two outstanding elements of the Self-Made Man Syndrome are that one suffering from such hold the position that (1) The did it all themselves – eschewing factors beyond their immediate abilities and hard work – such as friends who lent a hand or luck, and (2) any person of REAL worth can do what he/she did – that is, hard work, a sense of responsibility and attention to detail results in financial stability, if not considerable wealth – with the clearly implied notion that people who are not financially stable and/or wealthy, are in such a condition because they are lazy and irresponsible – that is to say, it is their own damn fault.  Such thinking is the legacy of America’s love affair with Social Darwinism during the years of The Gilded Age, and while the premise of Social Darwinism has long ago been proven bogus, it still echoes and reverberates because it sounds good – especially for those who have made a bundle of boodle. 

Bill, like many who espouse conservative talking points/truisms, denies that he is a Republican.  And, in spite of the fact that his thoughts, when deciphered, are often right out of the book of libertarianism, denies being a libertarian.  He is, he says, an “Independent”, and proudly so.  He feels that he is an independent because he realizes that some of the things said by some Republicans are baloney – but alas, this acknowledgement does not prevent him from agreeing with the positions taken by the Republican Party as a whole.  The prime Republican/libertarian element that he agrees with is that because government interferes with the operation of business (those pesky business taxes and regulations) government causes more damage than good, and thus must be limited in its size and scope – which results, alas, in the over-simplification that business = good, government = bad; bad in the sense that government, especially a liberal government (Bill would call it “Socialist”) all too often oppresses business.

This arises, of course, out of Bill’s knowledge, such as it is, of economics.  Bill’s economic concepts are based on the economics of business and the economics of the home.  Like most of us, his concepts arise out of what he KNOWS, and I have no reason to question that Bill KNOWS how to run a business.  Bill’s knowledge of economics is “hands-on” knowledge, not academic knowledge:  I am quite sure that Bill would not know the difference between Ludwig Von Mises and Thorstein Veblen for the simple reason he has never heard of them.

What Bill and those like him fail to appreciate is a government is not a business.  The whole point of operating a business is to make a profit; such is not the aim of any government, and most certainly the government of the United States (the aims of the U.S. government, by the way, are spelled out in the Preamble to the Constitution).  But Bill, like Calvin Coolidge before him, is of the view that the chief business of the American people is business, which is one of those particularly misleading half-truths politicians are famous for, and he is of the view that the prime concern of American Government is properly that of doing what business feels is best for business (expanding profits). 

Be that as it may be, I find I rather like Bill.  He is honest (if inaccurate) in his opinions and he actually tries to discuss ideas rather than sending me rants that call me names.

Well, so much for talking about Bill.  I have used up a lot of space in talking about Bill, so I will bring this posting to an end.  In the next few days I will discuss Bill’s “truisms” and why they appeal to him and why they aren’t necessarily true.

Welcome to Claimsman's Book of Amos

July 25, 2011

This is to introduce you to my blog, first issue being today, July 25, 2011, named THE BOOK OF AMOS.  The name derives from two sources:  (1) my last name, which is Amos, and (2) The Book of Amos in the bible. 

For those that are not active Christians (I am an agnostic), here is some information about The Book of Amos:

The Book of Amos is a prophetic book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah,^[1] was active c. 750 BCE during the reign of Jeroboam II,^[1] making the Book of Amos the first biblical prophetic book written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah but preached in the northern kingdom of Israel.^[1] His major themes of social justice, God's omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy.^[1]

The Book of Amos is set in a time when the people of Israel have reached a low point in their devotion to YHWH(the God of Israel) - the people have become greedy and have stopped following and adhering to their values. The wealthy elite are becoming rich at the expense of others.

More here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Amos

Being an agnostic, I make no claims about God talking to me, but I do make note that in the Bible’s The Book of Amos one of the main themes deals with greed and how greed has caused the people of Israel to not adhere to their values. 

As a liberal/progressive I am of the view that America has once again lost its moral compass (it has happened before:  The Gilded Age, for example, as well as The Roaring 20s), and that the primary factor of what is happening today in America, which is political activity based on what is good for a Political Party trumping concern about what is best for our nation, is, when all is said and done, greed; specifically the greed of America’s oligarchs, the mighty corporations and the wealthy individuals that make up the top 1% of the holders of wealth in our nation.  I make essentially the same plea to America that the Prophet Amos made to the people of Israel in his day; return to our basic values: transparency, honesty, integrity, decency and fair-dealing.

I will not, most of the time, be posting daily, for the simple reason that it takes time and effort to decide on a topic, write the essay, and then edit and re-write (polishing) the essay.... and I am no longer a spring chicken full of energy.  I will try hard to post twice a week (sometimes more).  Forgive me my typo's and sometimes strangely constructed sentences, as editing your own writing is very difficult -- it is far easier to edit someone else's writing.

To get things started, I will use an essay I wrote yesterday (and, as it deals with the current debate on raising the debt ceiling, is already out of date – but I think the basic points I make are never-the-less relevant).

Paralyzed with Fear

I have come to the realization that I am paralyzed with fear. I am terrified that within six months I will have no funds available to pay the rent and buy groceries, because the Radical Republicans are determined to ruin the American economy.

I have, in the past few days, been jumping from one displacement activity (photography, reading detective novels, just driving around, etc.) after another – not out of enjoyment, but rather, to get away from the thoughts that have me feeling like a deer caught in the headlights of an on-coming semi tractor/trailer.

What is driving me bananas is the obvious; that the Republican Party is well past the tipping point of ruining the economy of this nation. I feel like a helpless spectator who is watching a car speeding towards a sharp curve in the road, knowing that the car full of loved ones (my fellow Americans) is going far too fast to make the turn and seeing that the car will burst through inadequate barriers off the side of a mountain. The only response I can come up with is a sense of horror…. and the realization that when that car goes off the road and down the cliff that it will be taking me and my family and friends with it. Though my viewpoint is one from outside that car, the fact of the matter is that I am IN that car.

Do I hope that our politicians will come to their senses and raise the debt limit? Yes. Do I think it is actually going to happen? In no meaningful way.

Basically what we are looking at is one of two scenarios:

(1)       The Republicans (and the Tea Party folks are Republicans, do not doubt that for a moment) will remain recalcitrant and refuse to raise the debt limit if the deal has anything that smacks of a tax increase, including refusing to let the Bush Tax cuts come to an end. Their aim is simply to “save money” by ending every possible social program that involves payments made by the Federal Government (the same for State Governments, but that is another story), holding to the purposely incorrect notion that American business and the wealthy pay too much tax (heh – out of the 40 top industrialized nations, the USA is 37^th in this regard -- in 36 of the 40 top industrialized nations corps pay MORE than the those in the USA). Indeed, not only to the Republicans refuse to increase tax rates in order to increase revenue, they want to LOWER the tax rates for the large corporations and wealthy individuals. The result: no deal by August 2^nd with the world economy then taking a nose-dive (which the Republicans pooh-pooh, in spite of the vast majority of economists, along with Wall Street, saying that just a thing will happen). The Middle Class will be virtually eliminated and working Americans will find themselves, for the most part, working for little better than minimum wages, which the Republicans will later legislate out of existence. Many retired Americans will see their IRA accounts destroyed and thus their means of subsistence removed prior to 2012, to be followed, should the Republicans gain majorities in both the House, the Senate and the White House in 2012, by the “privatization” of social security (privatization = elimination of); expect the suicide rate to increase dramatically among the elderly, as they realize that their off-spring is not wild about the idea of taking them into their own homes – and that their off-spring, for the most part, will not have the money to support their parents – they will be fighting to support themselves and their children.

(2)        A deal will be cut with the Dems and (wheewww) the debt level will be increased. But that deal will be only if there is a massive cave-in by the Democrats who are desperate to avoid immediate disaster, and hoping that there will be a voter backlash against the Radical Republicans in 2012. In any event, there will be massive cuts in social programs with only some cosmetic “increases” in tax revenue via cutting some tax loopholes, but very few. Seniors, the middle class and working class will be able to breathe a bit longer – up to November, 2012. For the nonce the Republicans will hold off on eliminating Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Healthcare Act, in an effort to win majorities in the House and Senate, as well as win the White House. Should they be victorious most social programs, both State and Federal, will be eliminated and taxes for the corporations and wealthy individuals will be reduced.

(*Why are the Dems so willing to cave? Because Team Obama and Harry Reid (and even Nancy Pelosi) have counted noses and realize that they do not have the votes to get a bill passed that would save many social programs and increase tax rates – along with the Radical Republicans there are simply too many “Blue Democrats” that will not support them.*)

Many Democrats and liberals, alas, assume that with either scenario there will be a massive backlash against the Radical Republicans in 2012 and that (1) Obama will easily be re-elected and (2) that the backlash will be so strong as to give the Dems not only the White House, but control of both the House and the Senate – with the remote chance of dominate control of both the House and the Senate.

This is, in all likelihood, a pipe dream. Consider that for Obama to be re-elected and for the Dems to take majorities in both the House and the Senate not only must every registered Democrat go to the polls and vote a straight party ticket, but that the so-called “independent voters” will also have to largely (not barely) vote Democratic. Please note that Team Obama and that Democratic Central Committee are not “center-left” – they are “center-right” and only “left” in comparison to the Republican Party, which is off the scale to the right.

The simple fact of the matter is that in all likelihood many, many Democrats will throw up their hands and either stay home on election day or vote for a third party or Bernie Sanders (Sanders is painfully aware that many on the left might write his name in on election day and is loudly stating that he is NOT interested in being President). The liberal/progressive wing of the Democratic Party is tired of being thrown under the bus by Team Obama and will highly inclined to not vote for Obama or ANY Blue Democrat.

Also consider the impact of the Citizens United decision. This, in conjunction with the incredibly well-financed Radical Republican propaganda machine, means that the flood-gates are wide open for corporate advertizing against Team Obama and all Democrats. They, and the media outlets they control openly (and those they not so openly control) will unleash a tsunami of negative messages (proven to work) attacking Obama and all Dems.

While Republicans are supposedly behind the Dems in collecting campaign money at present, that does NOT include the money the corporations will spend in generic anti-Democratic advertising or their financial support that will be hidden behind the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Karl’s Rove’s outfit. Believe me, when all is said and done, the money spent in getting the Republican message across will make the Democratic campaign funds look like chump change. With the Repubs, they can rely on their base (while, as I explained above, the Democrats cannot), they only need to hold onto a slim majority of the so-called “independent voters” to win most of their races.

The outlook is that in 2012 the Repubs will hold on to a majority in the House, gain a narrow majority and the Senate, and possibly gain the White House.

What will prevent the Repubs from gaining the White House? After all, Obama has an approval rating that is several notches under 50% -- why would he win? Because nobody, but nobody, so far, likes ANY of the possible Republican Candidates. While Romney appears to be the most mainstream Republican who would appeal to the so-called “independent voters”, he is simply not far enough right for the Republican base to support – and as much as I think that Herman Cain is a nut-case, I think he has a point when he says that many Southern Baptists will not vote for a Mormon.

Against the likes of Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Ron Paul, Gov. Rich Perry (R-TX), Newt Gingrich (who seems to have self-destructed), Rick Santorum, et al, I would venture to say that , when the independents go to the ballot box, they would reject them all in favor of Obama, a known quality. The Republican base will vote for almost any candidate the Republicans nominate (with the possible exception of Mitt Romney, the Republican with the best shot at winning), but the independent voters will not.

However, as long as the Republicans (and the infotainment-directed news media) keep the majority of the electorate convinced that America’s main problem is the deficit and not job creation, the Republicans have the edge; at least as to House and Senate elections.

Another consideration: Democrats work to defeat the Republicans in elections; Republicans work to eliminate the Democratic Party – a significant difference in approach.

Meanwhile, a word for senior Americans who think in Republican terms: If the Radical Republicans prevent raising the debt ceiling your savings, if they are not under your mattress, will dramatically lose value – what you lost in 2009/09 will be peanuts compared to what you will lose in 2011/12. The problem is that there were be no safe place to put your savings (except under the mattress or to buy gold – at $1,600+ an ounce and sure to rise – the problem with buying gold is that it is not liquid so you can’t draw a monthly check against it – and you have to pay to keep it safely stored).

Oh, and did I mention that things don’t look too good for America’s economic future?

Claimsman