22 October 2008

Just a few thoughts from ole' JB2D....

So I've been listening to talk radio more frequently over the last year and a half. It has been mostly Rush, Sean and the occasional Dr. Savage when I was able to catch him.

And there is one thing that I've noticed since the beginning of the "Joe the Plumber" event, and it is this:

But when he was questioned by "Joe the Plumber", Obama was quoted as saying, ""It's not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success too..... My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody ... I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."

Now, I'm no economics professor from Harvard/Yale, I never even finished college! But something about this statement bothers me.

Now, hang in there with me as this will be a little on the long side.

We (America, the beautiful) practice what I guess is called "Free-Market Capitalism" or something like that. From my understanding, that means if you have an idea, and turn that into a successful business, you DON'T NEED THE GOVERNMENT TO SPREAD MONEY AROUND TO YOU. YOU ALSO DON'T NEED THE GOV'T TO GIVE YOU ANY OF SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY AS YOU ARE MAKING YOUR OWN! Right?

Say I'm Joe the Plumber. I'm putting a bathroom in a new home. I go to XYZ Plumbing retailer and look at the merch. Their stuff is good quality and fairly priced. I go to ABC Plumbing retailer. Their stuff is crap that is 3xs the price as XYZ.

Who am I going to go with?

XYZ, right.

What happens to XYZ?

They get MY MONEY THROUGH MY BUSINESS. NO gov't interference needed.

What happens to ABC Plumbing?

They don't run a good business, they fail.

Now, here's where Obamas plan bothers me. He wants to take money from Joe the Plumber and XYZ Plumbing and you and me and give it to ABC when ABC didn't earn it, doesn't deserve it and will use it to prop up their failing business.

And where I come from, which is Southwest Wisconsin, right on the Mississippi, that is the textbook definition of socialism/Communism. The gov't taking what is created/earned by the people and redistributing it to the general population regardless of their participation.

I also have enough common sense to know that America was founded by the successes of people who took the risk AND SUCCEEDED. Not those who took the risk and failed.

It's economic natural selection.

The weak fall and the strong go on to create a new generation of success. By keeping the weak businesses on life support as it is, you are basically creating a form of business well fare.

Business crack, these failures will have no reason to actually become successful, profitable, or productive as they are on the business crack.

And there is just something DAMN WRONG with the gov't taking MY money and "spreading it around".

My money will spread itself around by me spending it at businesses that EARN MY DAMN BUSINESS. You don't need to spread a liquid around, it spreads itself.

So, the way that I figure it, the gov't doesn't need to take Joe the Plumber's money and spread it around. He will spread it around himself by spending it on businesses that earn his business.

Doesn't it make more sense to lower taxes across the board?

Think about it, the rich are the ones who own businesses, right? And who are the customers of these businesses?

The middle/lower classes.

Cut ALL taxes; the middle class have more money to spend (and spend it they will) and the rich/upper class will have more money to pump into their successful business. They will hire more of the middle/lower class and probably be able to get a substantial number of people off well fare.

Consumer spending goes up, jobs are created, the poor become un-poor. The middle class grows. People buy homes with loans they CAN AFFORD. The American Dream is taken off life support and is moved into the recovery room with basic cable and a cup of jello with lunch.

Rich people own the businesses. That's just a fact. They will stay rich. That too is a fact. It doesn't matter how much you have the gov't tax them. They will fire you in a heart beat to keep there profits. And they will, you watch. The way I see it, the economy is a symbiosis between the upper and middle classes.

The rich get their riches from us (SURPRISE! I'm middle class!) and our spending habits. We buy their products. The business gets revenue and they use that to either offer a better product or hire more people to make that product. Who do they hire for that job? The middle class guy who wants his "piece of the pie". Middle class makes money. Middle class spends money.

And the circle of money life goes round.

And maybe, just maybe, Average Joe Six-pack/the Plumber gets an idea. He makes that idea into a business. That business becomes successful and a new circle begins.

The rich and successful are not baby punching monsters that you hear about. They hire us, they train us, they contribute to our 401Ks, they hold our company picnics where we win the three-legged race and pie eating contest.

I know, no one likes to give the rich a break. Who wants to say, "Cut taxes for those who can wipe their butt with $100 bills." Let's be honest, if I could wipe my butt with a Franklin, you bet your ass I would and so would you don't you dare lie to me.

The American dream is to make a metric butt load of money.

Thus end the sermon.

JB2D out.

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