Last month we took a brief look at what transpired throughout 2009. That was a combination of shocking, frightening, maddening, amazing, scary, and frustrating. For me there was one big lesson in reviewing last year: in every single problem from last year, there was a major amount of influence and meddling in people’s lives.
Most of the influence and meddling came from our government – either directly or through corporate regulations. Some of the influence and meddling came from major institutions that, while not controlled by a single individual or entity, tend to act in unison (think mass media, educational institutions, labor union leadership, etc.).
Regardless of the source, these influences had two major impacts on the citizens of this country. First, they continue to erode our freedoms and our liberty. And second, if that wasn’t bad enough, in every single instance these entities only made our problems worse. That’s the kind of ‘help’ I do not want or need – not only do you restrict my freedoms, but you do so while making my life harder. It gives new meaning to the phrase ‘I’m from the government (or pick another entity), and I’m here to help.’ Yeah, right.
This month I want to consider what might be ahead for our Country, and the impact on all Citizens of Liberty. Let me say at the outset that I am NOT a prophet – the penalty in the Old Testament for being wrong is rather steep (death by stoning). The following are merely some observations of what is transpiring and asking a few ‘What if…’ questions.
Domestic Issues
Economy – While the stock market has picked up nicely from its lows, I am not convinced it can sustain these gains. Unemployment is still relatively high throughout much of the country, and I don’t think the layoffs are over yet. There is a huge amount of corporate real estate loans coming due in the first half of this year, and the credit markets are still very tight. This means tough negotiating to refinance these loans – and several are probably going to default and force companies into bankruptcy. This only makes the unemployment problem worse, or will slow down the re-employment of those already laid off.
Another factor that has to re-appear at some point is inflation. The government has printed a staggering amount of money to pay for the stimulus bills and entitlements. This will ultimately drive up the pricing on everything. At that point the Federal Reserve has a tough choice to make: do they keep interest rates low to encourage individuals and companies to borrow and spend; or do they raise interest rates to keep inflation in check? This delicate balance can be maintained, but it will be very difficult to do so with the massive amount of money we recently printed.
Washington Politics – I predict that the rhetoric will become even more shrill and aggressive in the coming year. This is partly because those currently in charge are pushing their personal agendas regardless of what the American people think (health care) or what the research shows (global warming).
The current administration’s promise of ‘Hope and Change’ had been described by some to be more appropriately captured by the term ‘Hoax and Chains.’ It will be interesting to see if the collection of frauds, cheats, liars, community organizers, and inexperienced individuals that surround the President will be able to navigate our Country through one of its most challenging times. Given what has occurred to date, I don’t like the odds.
Both parties are full of progressives. My definition of a progressive is someone who thinks that they, or a group of individuals, knows what is best for me and intends to force me to act according to their wishes. Generally this means big government that directs my actions. In some parts of the country the grassroots Republicans are starting to weed out the progressives – although the higher level Republican leadership still doesn’t seem to understand that the people want true conservatives. This coming election cycle should be very interesting. One of the big keys will be how much involvement you and I put into engaging our fellow citizens.
Homeland Security – Washington’s myopic concern about what the world thinks of us, and the current administration’s coddling of terrorist regimes, do not bode well for our Country’s safety and security. We still have not closed our borders, our front-line security personnel live in fear of being a part of a discrimination lawsuit, and we are bringing terrorists to our soil – and giving them the same rights as United States citizens.
We had a huge wake-up call with the Flight 253 bombing attempt. Our lines of communication among the various agencies are still not where they should be, our guard is down, and individuals we released from Guantanamo are back at work training others to carry out these types of attacks on us. So far the only response has been more programs and paperwork, and little – if any – real ability to deal with the threat being given to our front-line personnel.
International Issues
Economy – While America struggles economically, other countries are making gains. China and India are still growing, although they were impacted by the global slowdown. Brazil appears to be the first country in the Western Hemisphere to come out of the economic doldrums.
International Relations – I think this year will see clarifications of what countries are our friends and which ones are not. Those countries that forget that America, even when she has taken a couple of tough hits, is still a Superpower will ultimately regret their amnesia. They fail to realize the key component of America’s greatness is because deep down, in the fabric of her society, she is good. Alexis de Tocqueville recognized this in the 1830’s. Those countries on the fence would do well to remember this.
Terrorism / Insurgency – This theme will continue well into this next decade. The individual citizens of countries, and their leadership, must make hard decisions to stand up to the terrorist/insurgent influence in their midst – or see their countries taken over by the terrorists/insurgents. Obviously this is true in Iraq, and it is also true in Mexico. This same battle for the heart and soul of a country is being played out in several countries around the globe. Yes, it is a difficult and messy battle. And YES, the freedom and security are worth the cost, especially compared to the fear and slavery that comes with losing.
Bottom Line
For me I think this will be a year of increased self-reliance. For countries this means they have to step up and take control, because nobody else can do it as effectively or efficiently, or with the same level of detail and care, as they can do for themselves.
For individuals it means the same thing. It is up to me to provide for myself and my family – not a government handout. It is up to me to hold my elected representatives responsible for the laws they pass and how they spend my money – not a group of political activists. It is up to me to instill morals and values in my children – not a group of teachers or pastors. It is up to me to confront evil whenever I see it – not to ignore it or pass off the responsibility to somebody else.
Despite the challenges in front of us as individuals and as a country, I am actually looking forward to what the year will bring. The challenges are large, and so are the opportunities. Have a great year, everybody!
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THE TEA PARTY MEANING
America was founded on individual liberty and local government no more than one day’s horseback ride from the governed. The 19th century Democrat was the staunch defender of state’s rights, which, under Federalists, Whigs and Republicans was assigned the role of slavery’s justifiers. The civil war cost us local government, the laws affecting behavior rising to the states and then the Federal government, way outside the one-day horseback distance rule that worked so well. The vigilante movements in the West and South were remnants of local home rule, where citizens concerned with the way they were governed took action to right the wrongs. The Tea Party Movement is another example of citizen participation against the governing elite centered far, far from the folks. It demonstrates the founding ideals of America are still the dominant tradition. The 20th century Democrats have declared war on Tea Parties as vigilantes and on America’s founding traditions, as cited in THE CHANGING FACE OF DEMOCRATS on claysamerica.com.