Among the issues most commonly discussed are individuality, the rights of the individual, the limits of legitimate government, morality, history, economics, government policy, science, business, education, health care, energy, and man-made global warming evaluations. My posts are aimed at intelligent and rational individuals, whose comments are very welcome.

"No matter how vast your knowledge or how modest, it is your own mind that has to acquire it." Ayn Rand

"Observe that the 'haves' are those who have freedom, and that it is freedom that the 'have-nots' have not." Ayn Rand

"The virtue involved in helping those one loves is not 'selflessness' or 'sacrifice', but integrity." Ayn Rand

For "a human being, the question 'to be or not to be,' is the question 'to think or not to think.'" Ayn Rand

05 November 2008

John Smith the Creator

One of the really good things to come out of this election was the rise of Joe the Plumber, Tito the Builder, and Cory the Well Driller. Each has built or intends to build a business and each is making or doing something that responds to the needs of others. None of them want handouts from government. They just want to be allowed the freedom to work incredibly hard to produce and create things that others want to purchase from them.

They all have the temerity to think that no one deserves to receive the wealth they created and Obama wants to spread around to others who have not worked as hard and taken the risks they have. I like the fact that each has been identified as a producer and creator of wealth and jobs. These are good men and many people seem to have responded positively to that. There are still good Americans who are not bent on mooching off others and are proud of their ability to be productive and creative.

One of the tragedies in America is that we do not call the parasites who want to receive the money Obama wants to spread around, Sally the Parasite, Joan the Moocher, and Greg the Bloodsucker. We are a nice people who rarely assume that those who produce and earn little most likely deserve to earn little. In reality, there often are good reasons why some Americans earn little.

Of course, many who earn little are also learning the skills or developing the business that will one day allow them to have a very good income. Our upward mobility in America is largely unheard of in other countries around the world. Many of the poor are on their way to wealth. If we spread the wealth as Obama wants to use force to do, then many Americans who want a chance to become wealthy will never be able to do so.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

We will be diminishing the American dream by "spreading the wealth". I grew up in a family that was very poor. I wanted more for myself and my family so I made some tough decisions, worked long hours, attended class at night, racked up tens of thousands in student loans and worked hard for several years. Now the hard work is paying off and my income is reflecting my hard work. I refuse to feel guilty or apologize for my success. The opportunity is there for anyone. They just have to want it bad enough.

Charles R. Anderson, Ph.D. said...

We seem to have lost the concept of the deserving poor. Those who have worked hard, but were hit by unusual levels of chance bad luck, which might happen to any of us. These people are few enough that most of us are happy to help them with private charity.

Obama and his socialist followers have decided that anyone who works and is not wealthy deserves a handout. Of course there are so many of them that only the government preying upon the wealthy can provide any plausible chance of providing enough handouts. Of course, it could simply be that this is a way to buy votes!