Where Did It Go?
Please tell me what country I’m living in now. I was born in the United States of America. It was sometimes called ‘the USA’, sometimes ‘the good old USA’, but mostly referred to simply as ‘America’. Funny thing is – I haven’t moved, but it appears that my country has.
In America private property was private property. The government couldn’t take your house or land without a very good reason, say for a much needed highway. In this country the government can take my home for as silly a reason as someone else is willing to pay more in taxes for the land than I do.
In America you were free to say whatever you wanted about the government, or anything else. It was a right guaranteed by one of our sacred documents, the Constitution. If people didn’t like what I said or the words I used – they didn’t have to listen. In this country you have to be careful for fear that if you displease the ‘powers that be’ you will be harassed with tax audits, have your whole life scrutinized for any possible mistakes or wrongdoings, and smeared in the press that, apparently, has become the propaganda machine for the government, etc. If you use ‘politically incorrect’ phraseology or terminology you are subject to economic and other sanctions – such as being publicly castigated or even fired.
In America colleges and universities were islands of free thought and experimentation. A free discourse was encouraged. All points of view were discussed and considered. In this country if you don’t spout the appropriate verbiage you are labeled as a ‘radical’ or ‘troublemaker’ and shunned.
In America there were traditional families. You had a mother and a father who were married, and likely some children. When the parents aged and needed assistance, their children took care of them. In this country girls (too young to be women) have children and expect the government to support them. Here few marriages last. It’s too easy to simply say ‘screw you’ and leave. Responsibility for your family is a dying tradition.
In America people worked for a living. They had jobs, took pride in their work, and raised their families with values. In this country vast numbers sponge off the government (in reality us – for where does the government get it’s money other than from us). They produce nothing, they contribute nothing… they are sponges.
In America a company succeeded or failed, based on the public’s perception of and support of that company’s products or services. If it succeeded the investors (stockholders) made a profit. If it didn’t then the investors lost all or part of their investment. The incentive to succeed was to avoid a loss and make a profit. In this country a small firm is allowed to fail and no one cares (as it should be). However, a large company is considered to be ‘too big to fail’ and is bailed out by the government. This completely changes the economic paradigm as it encourages gross failure – gross enough to be covered by the government. Here, the government often picks winners and losers, not the public.
In America a man who made a large profit (legally, of course) was looked up to as a success story and a role model. In this country such a man is considered to have cheated the deserving poor by stealing their rightful property. He is pilloried in the press and castigated by politicians.
In America your life was your responsibility. If you got sick your insurance (if you chose to have insurance) paid for it. Otherwise you paid for things yourself. If you couldn’t afford to pay then family, friends, or private charity would help. Only as a last resort did the government sometimes chip in. You could choose any doctor you wanted, or you could choose an insurance plan that worked with the doctors you knew and trusted. In this country we are being forced to have government run and/or controlled health insurance. Doctors will be chosen by government bureaucrats who will have neither the prerequisite medical knowledge nor the knowledge of our specific needs and history. Bureaucrats will decide at what point my life (or your life) is no longer ‘economically viable’.
In America the elected officials were people of honor and integrity (for the most part, there were some exceptions) who cared about the people’s rights and freedom. In this country the elected officials are self centered, egotistical, greedy, power hungry people who are more interested in their own power than in the people or their rights.
In America, the government existed to keep the country safe and to protect the rights, property, and liberties of the citizens. In this country the government believes that money earned by the public is really government funds and only by their grace and generosity are we allowed to keep a fraction of what we produce and earn. Instead of protecting our rights and freedoms the government wants to control our every action, deed, and perhaps even thought.
Please tell me where America went, and how I can get there – for I don’t like this country and wish to return home.
Shelby Moore
