tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242783291316296809.post3206215142964214340..comments2024-03-13T04:33:33.182-06:00Comments on Neighbor Julia: And I have some political views...Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01038620914974981518noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242783291316296809.post-75972809537871121832012-07-27T21:22:22.651-06:002012-07-27T21:22:22.651-06:00I like your thoughts Julia, I agree....I'm not...I like your thoughts Julia, I agree....I'm not an extremely political person but I think that way too many people let the "party" they belong to do the thinking for them. There is good & bad on both sides of party lines and unfortunately if you are a politician and you happen to agree with your opposing side on certain issues you can't say so or you will be committing political suicide ...that's why I'm not a huge fan of politicians because it's rare to find someone who is truly honest but at the same time our system makes it that way...It's just frustrating because I know a lot of people have great ideas to improve our system but I can't see it getting much improvement until Men/Women are willing to put aside their personal agendas and pride and start working together and dare I say " Stand for Truth and Righteousness" :)Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11951113287393601116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242783291316296809.post-46717668160073044502012-07-19T20:50:45.404-06:002012-07-19T20:50:45.404-06:00Thanks for posting the entirety of his comment her...Thanks for posting the entirety of his comment here. Reading it, I agree with everything you said. I really like what you said about the fish, and agree that sometimes you need to "give a man a fish," especially in preparation to "teach him to fish." If people are scrambling just to make it there's no way they're going to be ready and open to improvement.<br /><br />However, when I listened to the clip of Obama actually saying this on the news the other night, though, he sounded really defensive -- maybe almost belligerent. I can see where people who have really tried to work hard were offended by his remarks, just from the tone of voice he was using.<br /><br />I don't know; I tend to be quite nonconfrontational (so I am doubly impressed with your well thought-out post!) ... but my nonconfrontationalness kind of makes me want to crawl in a hole until November. Aren't we, as you say, more alike than different? Look at the fights on my Facebook feed and you might think otherwise. :-(<br /><br />Anyway, I liked this post -- it was well-written and had lots of good thoughts -- so keep 'em coming. And the recipes, too (yum!)Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13870296621798497300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242783291316296809.post-48237977245258390252012-07-18T10:59:40.183-06:002012-07-18T10:59:40.183-06:00I am so loving that you posted this on here. You&#...I am so loving that you posted this on here. You're awesome, and an inspiration!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242783291316296809.post-6823352173107676672012-07-18T09:01:22.200-06:002012-07-18T09:01:22.200-06:00I believe inspiration and peace from the Savior an...I believe inspiration and peace from the Savior and living as the commandments direct is the greatest "help".<br /><br />I cannot help thinking about another phrase: It takes a village. Alone that is not a bad phrase, but as "A...mom" says, what is the intent? A village is helpful, but I vote for a family with or without a village. (The family is under a terribly strong threat from many places ... another topic.)<br /><br />When I was a kid a teacher warned us against wanting a section of the flag, when the person passing out those "pieces of the whole" was not really wanting to give everyone a small part, but really wanting to destroy the whole... with our help to cut it up... "here use these scissors, each take your part". (Was it a metaphor?)<br /><br />When I grew up Baptist I thought I needed someone to give me fish (though I'd prefer beef, since I literally choked on some bones). When I joined another church, I learned I could earn my own money and CHOOSE. I ate a lot of peanut butter, and I left behind the hope that someone would "give" me what I needed. I went to the mentioned school, I worked as a 4 am janitor for a while and I had a full time job while going to school full time. When my dad (a vet) died one summer between terms, I had heard I should be able to get some government college tuition help. I applied. There was a loop hole. I got nothing.<br /><br />(I did not learn / maybe still haven't learned that few get something with one asking... I do know, it takes lots of time and paperwork and patience to get something for free most of the time. I had little faith in government, or those administering government funds, to see me as a worthy recipient... still feel that way. I am grateful for a church, though, that will give me what I need when I hint that I have a need...)<br /><br />In college, I continued to eat as cheaply as possible and finished the degree. I appreciate all who sacrificed for me to accomplish that. I do agree there are lots of lots of people who helped. (I am amazed at the colonization accomplished by people who sacrificed without thinking government or the church would supply earthly needs and I would like to emulate them.)<br /><br />... I dislike the thought process, the line of thinking, that the President is presenting because it gives a false illusion. I try not to think about what percentage of my pay goes towards all the taxes; I continue to contribute a large additional percentage to charitable contributions with a willing and happy heart and give my time as well.<br /><br />But, I believe, we need someone to lead who will help each of us become more independent and institute programs to get the whole economic systems growing and healthy again. I think it takes a paradigm shift.kBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07154497477253419037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242783291316296809.post-38054266348234507302012-07-18T08:13:10.009-06:002012-07-18T08:13:10.009-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.kBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07154497477253419037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242783291316296809.post-91307556551574508312012-07-17T23:10:19.305-06:002012-07-17T23:10:19.305-06:00A wonderful sentiment, Julia, especially your admo...A wonderful sentiment, Julia, especially your admonition to "try to look for the good in one another." One serious threat we as a nation face, is the tendency to impute ill motives to those we disagree with politically. (The previous commenter provides an example.) How often do we hear that Democrats want to implement "socialism" or Republicans want to protect shadowy corporate overlords? Or that the other party is trying to take away our freedom? At bottom, I think Republicans and Democrats share the same core values - I think you'll find more or less unanimous agreement that everyone should have a fair shake in life, no one should starve to death, everyone should be as free as practical in an ordered society, etc. There's a lot of disagreement about how to achieve our underlying values, but all too often people talk past one another and think they have different value systems entirely! <br /><br />And yes, I think if people are to be honest, they'll acknowledge that there's no such thing as the self-made man or woman; we all owe a parent, a teacher, a mentor, and, yes, even government. Any society that is not ruled by marauding motorcycle gangs armed with shotguns has some form of effective government that provides the stability necessary for personal success (well, at least for the non-shotgun-wielding-motorcyclist - they'd obviously be more successful the other way). Government regulations prevent fraudulent practices that could bankrupt your business; government regulation of banks ensures a comparatively stable financial market in which depositors needn't worry they'll lose everything if the bank fails; state and local governments educated the workforce you'll employ to make your company successful; social safety nets prevent levels of income inequality that led to genuine fears of Communist overthrow during the Great Depression; unemployment benefits ensure that the workers are in a position to return to work when jobs are available. I could go on nearly ad infinitum. There's plenty of room to debate how robust that government should be and how local it should be, but there's simply no room to argue that it is unnecessary to personal success.Karl Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13718050091013713562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242783291316296809.post-39476973935009627912012-07-17T21:45:26.553-06:002012-07-17T21:45:26.553-06:00You do make some good points...however, if that we...You do make some good points...however, if that were only what he really meant. The real point, and the things he really believs are that you can't succeed with out the government. I pay taxes for the roads and the bridges, but those things do not make me get up in the morning and go to work and work hard all day long -- we pay for those things as part of the social contract, which is seperate from the individual's desire to work and the outcome of that work. I went to the same school as you, but in the end, it was me and me alone that did the work, that made the grade and that typed all of those dang papers --- I did make my own sucess, and I also made my own failures on occasion. The reason he's saying this is to set up what he wants to do...which is redisribute wealth, demonize and tax "the rich" (who are just really hard working people), and scadalize the sucessful. If everyone paid for your sucess, then it's easier to take your money and the things you've worked hard for in the end. It's all part of his anti-capitalist rhetoric. I've lived in 2 communist countries, both shortly after the Berlin Wall fell, and I've seen first hand the devistating effects of this kind thinking. Sure everyone in East Germany and Bulgaria were equal -- equally poor, and miserable, driving equally bad cars and eating equally bad food, to the point where no one had the desire to do anything extraordinary because the govt would come and take it away. In the end I just think this kind of statment goes against the American ideal of the Individual.The Atomic Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11898486879415952446noreply@blogger.com