Man, I agree with so much of that Chilly Willy that you can't even imagine. But there's so much more on the 'social' side of things that need fixing that I think doing one without addressing the other is an empty proposition. Mind you, I'm not one of the believers in the 'America is going to hell in a handbasket' philosophy. Granted we have deep, deep waters to navigate and obstacles to overcome but America is still the greatest force economically, politically, and (in my mind) morally in the world. Or maybe ethically is a better word for morally, at least more precise.

I'm turning 60 next month and this is a big milestone for me. I'll use the same worn out thing you hear all the time and say that I actually never expected to make it to this age. Given how I've spent my personal health capital over the course of my life a lot of folks would say I was of the 'live fast, love hard, die young' philosophy. At least I did until I turned 50, and since then I've spend a lot of my energy trying to atone for it and make myself healthier. Well, to a point anyway. I don't think people fundamentally ever change and I've never met a good time I didn't like. So it goes I reckon.

Anyway, turning 60 has made for some interesting conversations with friends and relatives and work associates about the whole aging thing and those conversations have led me to one inescapable conclusion. The whole goddamned world is on disability of some sort. Government paid disability I mean. Certainly the majority of people I've discussed retirement with are to some degree disables and receive a government check for that disablement. Given that most of my friends and family are of the conservative ilk, these are the same people that will cuss a blue streak at people who get money and don't work as being the 'rot' in our society. I don't say this to call them hypocrites because most of them are fine upstanding people. I only say it to point out (and quite frankly point it out) that a good many really awesome Americans I know think that we are all deserving of every thin dime we can weasel out of Uncle Sam as long as you are a: retired or b: a veteran. I have a first cousin who is 100% disabled and draws a huge Social Security check for it. He's an active hunter, fisherman, and outdoorsman and I'd have a difficult time keeping up with him on just about any physical activity. In other words, THERE AIN'T NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM. But he's retired and because he paid in for all those years, he feels like it's just fine and dandy to say he's disabled when in all reality, he isn't. apparently a doctor has said so. somehow this has become a part of acceptable behavior in our culture because he ain't the only one.
People in this country are also of the opinion that if their vocation or profession serves the public in some way that they are due some sort of extra security. Truckers, airline pilots, farmers, telecommunicators, IT people (ESPECIALLY IT PEOPLE), energy company employees, you name it, all do critical things that none of us could live without. Which ones of those do we want to spend a shitload of our tax dollars protecting so that we also protect their vital services? Who decided which was most most important to protect? Did we vote on it? the bottom line is there really aren't any free markets anywhere in America. And the belief in the myth that our economy and marketplace is a free market capitalist one is one of the things holding us back from reforming the stuff that is totally upside down. Like food prices, for one. Gas prices for another. INSURANCE prices for another. None of them free market. The only free market thing I can think of is the guy I buy my weed from. If weed is scarce its more expensive. Go figure.

those are just a couple of fundamental things that I think are root causes of a lot of our economic woes. the deficit and the national debt aren't the problem. they are the symptoms of the problem. the real problems go a lot deeper.

BKB