Good evening Americans.
Tonight I come to you with a lot on my mind. I don't understand some of the things our country is dealing with right now. I don't understand why we let some of the things we allow to happen. I want to address some of them tonight.
To start with, our economy is certainly in a critical and fragile state. Its hard to believe that with a country that has the economic diversity that exist in the United States, we could ever get in the situation we are in. It is unbelievable that so many occupations, so many professions, and so many industries in general are tanking but I do not believe any one person or one group is to blame.
We have had incredible success as a nation. To think that 1776 is the official beginning of our nation, its astonishing to consider what we have accomplished. We are one of the youngest industrialized nations in the world and we have found vast success. However, if some things do not change, society as we know could change considerably in the years to come.
Multiple factions of our economy is in shambles. Look at the auto industry; now think about how often you hear someone say, "I'm getting me a Ford Focus or a Chevy Malibu". No, they are debating a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord. So, here is the pitch from the "Big 3"....
"We have made an inferior product for the past 25 years and we knew it. Many faithful Americans have grown weary of many of the models that we produce and now buy foreign automobiles. Although, our vehicles have advanced in almost every way, we have not been able figure out a way to get considerably better gas mileage. We really feel bad about that, so could you please give us $50 billion?"
I have not bought anything in Wal-Mart in five years that says "Made in America". Is that because we are not capable of producing these things? No, its because other countries pay their workers .50 an hour and we pay people $65 an hour to press a button all day. Now, with the various "free-trade" agreements, we are losing jobs everyday. You can go on EBAY right now, order a pair of shoes from China that would cost you $125 and buy them for $20. Even with shipping and handling being $25, you still get them for less than half. I bought a pair of Air Jordans several years ago and paid $15 for them. The point is, if you can pay $20 for a pair of shoes, what are they paying to make them?.....$3?
The industry I like the best is banking. Now I know a lot of bankers that are good people to do business with. But seriously, we bail out a bank and they give everyone a bonus or take them on a trip? They are getting ready to beat a 75 year old widow's ass in Saudi Arabia because she had two young men to bring her a loaf of bread. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29601858/ I mean really, what in wide world of sports is going on? Bernie Madoff was being punished by staying in an $7.5 penthouse while he worked out a deal to tell every damned thing he knows. You know what Bernie's new nickname is since he has been "allegedly" laundering money for organized crime, including Russian and Italian mob?? BULLSEYE You know that $62 million that his wife wants to keep because she so wisely invested her own money to build up her own investment portfolio? They need to divide that money up, along with any other money they find around the world,then based on the percent that each individual lost, and give them all some money back. Let Bernie be the damned greeter at a grocery stored for $8 an hour, instead of some poor guy he duped.
Another issue at hand is the criticism of our president. Now, I am not saying that we should agree with everything each president supports or proposes. However, I do not agree with every issue becoming politically partisan. Are you 100% against the stimulus package? Ok, but I don't think doing nothing is the right thing either. Do I believe that we should have spent $95 million going back 2 administrations for the study of what products that can be produced with trees? Not a chance. But I do believe in spending money domestically before I believe in this: http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home The sad truth is, it has become apparent to me that no bill is passed without multiple senators getting grants or funding for pet projects in their respective states. "You want me to vote for a bill?....Ok, we need $15 million to study the exact path of several species of birds that fly through our state going south." Often times, you find out there is a REASON the senator wants that grant. You later find out it was for a contributor, or a cousin, or a buddy etc.
I am 100% in support of our troops. They should be commended for the sacrifices they have made in the last 8 years. Their families should also be commended. Many of them have also made a lot of money as a result of the war; combat pay, no taxes, re-signing bonuses etc. However, thousands of the heroes that serve our distinguished military have come home severely injured or not at all. But has any military official, soldier, brigade, or even division come close to what some of the companies in the private sector such as Halliburton have made?
I am tired of the CRAZY RIGHT and I am tired of the LIBERAL LEFT. If the majority of American citizens are somewhere in the middle, they need to continue to implement the policies for America. I know there is considerable debate concerning stem-cell research. But I can almost guarantee you this, if someone who is opposed to it develops Parkinson's disease or Multiple Sclerosis, they will gladly take any medication that is created from the use of stem-cells. That does not mean that I believe in killing children or cloning human beings. Hell, two of me would be the end of civilization as we know it.
People want to make political parties for America the issue. But, I am here today to tell you that politics is not the issue at hand. Our issue is the categories of rich and poor are spreading further apart. The middle class is working harder, making less, and shrinking every day. I disagree with any American paying 28%, 33%, or more in taxes on what they make a year. That is freaking ridiculous. It should not cost each individual in America 1/3 of what they make for this country to operate. I also think there needs to be some compromise with the health care system.
I hear people all the time say, "Well, wealthy people should not have to pay for the health care of everyone else". I agree 100%, but guess what, at most state supported hospitals, people are not turned away because they don't have any money. Therfore, we are all paying for it anyway. I have a good friend that took his mother to the hospital a while back. She met with two doctors, they took blood, and she had an MRI. They knew she was eligible for medicaid and her damned bill was $10,000! Things like that are really what is wrong with health care.
I will just be glad when we see a measurable and sustainable glimmer of hope. I look forward to looking into the faces of so many people I know and NOT seeing overwhelming anxiety. We will get through this. The world is pulling for us. Except for Iran, which is a nation possessing nuclear weapons but still have poverty, polio, and wipe their asses with their hands. Oh, and North Korea, which is led by an angry midget who has watched the children of that country decrease in size on average of 5" per child. Maybe he thinks he can eventually be the center on the Korean Olympic basketball team. Other than that, I think the rest of the literate world realizes that it is imperative for us to succeed. And we will. We are the the United States of America. We have been down before and gained recovery. We will be back again. But for now, we all just have to hang in there, hope for the best, and pray for God to indeed, bless the United States of America.
