17 October 2008

Kill The American Dream?

I have a full-time job.
At that job I work 42 hours per week.

I own a personal business.
It's hard to put a finger on how many hours I devote there.
Some weeks it's a lot. Some weeks, depending on weather and other factors, I do almost nothing. Over a year I probably average 20 hours a week trying to keep this business in the black.

I work part-time as a flight instructor.
Again, this work is spotty, but looking back over the last year I estimate I average another 20 hours per week in flight and ground instructing.

I own a rental property...
There's another few hours per week devoted to keeping the bills paid and organizing the inevitable required tax information.

On top of all this, until recently I've found time to be on a couple Boards-of-Directors... presiding over one of them for a year.

Weekends?
Holidays?
You're kidding, right?!!

Don't get me wrong... I'm working over 80 hours per week not because I'm forced to, but because I want to. I enjoy the work.
I enjoy the people I associate with. I like the things I can afford because of the income my work brings me. It gives me pleasure to know that several others make a little extra cash because of my efforts.
I think I'm exactly like "Joe the Plumber"...
The guy Obama wants to tax so that he can "spread the wealth around" to others that aren't willing to work 80+ hours per week.

Want to "change" the world?
Do like the Soviet Union and so many other Socialist governments from the past have done...
Make it unpalatable for me and others like me to pursue this American Dream.
HOPE will go out the window, but you'll certainly see CHANGE.

Be very careful what you wish for.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hope will never go away. Change will always happen. Fear is all you have left.

Autorotate said...

The whole goal of the new-age socialist democrats is to kill the will and incentive in America.

It makes becoming totally dependent on the state so much more appealing then.

But at least you can feel patriotic now for sharing your wealth, right?

wksaz said...

Hello Greybeard, similar situation here, and my sentiments exactly. I'm actually thinking about laying off my people for the summer and just shutting down my seasonal business so I can spend more time with my family. Good for me and my family, bad for my employees, but I refuse to "pay to work" any longer.

The employees have been the only reason I have stayed open. This type of decision will become the order of the day should this charlatan Obama become president.

People that have nothing to lose, should not be able to punish those who aquire wealth through hard work.

rodolfo, I have been lurking in GB's blog for a while and your comments have me puzzled. If you think this country has such an imbalanced system, why don't you move somewhere better suited to your view of nirvana?

You will change this view in time. After many years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears maybe a child or two. Then you will understand the things that are bothering you. You must go through them to understand the other side. I really hope it will not be too late by then, but I fear this to be true.


Being forced to share with those who refuse to work should be required training to prevent this kind of thinking.

Best Regards,
wksaz

Anonymous said...

wksaz-Thanks for your comment and concern. We obviously have our disagreements. Believe it or not I care less about the *redistribution of wealth* debate than others. I believe that if our workers produce products of value then the money will roll in for everyone. But that isn't happening because as a whole we've lost our competitive edge. But I'm excited to learn what type of new jobs will be created in the coming Green Revolution. I want America to lead in this area the same way we lead with the creation of the auto and aviation industries.

But one of my real concerns is Al Qaeda. Republicans have shown me no serious political will in this fight. Our excursion into Iraq was a distraction and it has cost us an unnecessary amount of resources. I believe that Obama is correct to say that the main battleground in this fight is in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. WE MUST FINISH THIS FIGHT. Destroying Al Qaeda will not eliminate all terrorism but I will have peace of mind knowing that those bastards that attacked us on 9/11 are brought to justice.

This whole socialism diatribe is a stunt. How can Obama be the reason businesses all over the country are suffering WHEN HE'S NOT EVEN ELECTED YET!

CJ said...

Rodolfo -

I feel like a broken record but I guess I'm a glutton for punishment because I feel compelled to try one more time...

The economic mess we are in - in fact that the whole world is in - can be traced back to the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the subprime mortgage fiasco.

Congress, the Democrats in Congress, allowed Fannie and Freddie to cook the books, engage in stupid policies, and incur an outrageous amount of debt all without oversight.

Fannie and Freddie lobbyists were frequent visitors to Capital Hill.

The top people to benefit from their lobbying were Democrats - and Barack Obama was second on the list. He made over $100,000 by turning a blind eye to the abuses. He, and the others like him, refused to do anything to rein Fannie and Freddie in, dispite warnings from President Bush in 2001 and 2003 and from John McCain, Elizabeth Dole, and two other Republicans whose names I can't remember in 2005. They drafted a bill to retake control of Fannie and Freddie. The Democrats refused to bring it up for a vote.

Now, there are also Republican names on the Fannie and Freddie money list and if it were up to me, I'd vote the bastards out of office. It's not, however, because I don't live in their states.

Yes, I'm simplifying things but the basics are there. How is Obama NOT responsible for this mess?

cjh

Greybeard said...

CJ-
Now don't get me wrong...
I LOVED my Mother-in-law!
But dealing with her I had to coin a phrase:
"Don't confuse me with the facts, I already have my mind made up."
Appropos here I think.

Anonymous said...

There's blame to go around CJ. You're trying to make this all about Obama. Read the findings in this link:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/who_caused_the_economic_crisis.html

You and I can spout off partisan talking points all day long but it's a little bit disingenuous to claim that this is all Obama's fault. Get real.

Greybeard said...

CJ-
Some reinforcement for your position. But it will only make sense to rational, deductive thinkers.

wksaz said...

It is obvious to me that rodolfo indeed has nothing to lose by voting away his independence.

I personally have much to lose, if the unthinkable happens and we have a democrat super majority that turns this capitalistic country on its ear then some of us may need to consider something rash.

I think all of us "rational and deductive thinkers" will at least need to consider the historical perspective and where our duty lies as REAL patriots.

If we see ourselves as true patriots, it is our responsibility to act out against an oppressive enemy either foreign or domestic. I cannot think of a time in history when this has been more true, but I am not that old yet.

On a brighter note, my 80 year old father and mother, both life long democrats, decided very early on that Obama would not get their support. Nor would any other Democrats in this race. It is never too late to wake up!

wksaz

P.S.
Great blog Greybeard,
Thanks and keep it up!

Anonymous said...

Seriously folks you guys are starting to sound like Democrats.

wksaz said...

Hows that work rodolfo?

Please explain in a reasonable manner so this undereducated old libertarian could understand......

thanks,

wksaz

Greybeard said...

Agreed, Rodolfo, provided you're talking about JFK-era democrats!
(He absolutely would not recognize the party today.)

Unknown said...

Greybeard and CJ --

I think the Doobie Brothers had it about right when they (along with Michael McDonald) sang:

"What a fool believes, no wise man has the power to reason away..."

Rodolfo, bless his scrawny little brain, doesn't respond to reason. See above.

Andrea

CJ said...

Rodolfo -

Sorry to be coming at this late but you need to go back and read what I actually wrote, not what you think I wrote. I didn't blame JUST Obama. In fact, I said there were Republicans involved. But for you to claim Obama had nothing to do with it? How do you figure? Oh, and btw, factcheck isn't as independent as you'd like to believe.

My father was active in local politics - he ran as a democrat several times and won several times. He would not recognize nor support today's version of a democrat.

And Andrea, you're probably right but there's this masochist gene within me that makes me want to keep trying...

cjh