I have looked extensively at Barack Obama's ideas and the legislation he has supported and I could not disagree more with his ideas about how to run the US. I do not think that more government is better, ever. I honestly believe that if you want a government, that penalizes achievers and risk takers to pay for the rest of society you should vote for Obama. Because that is exactly his plan.
I do have a few questions. Why should the wealthy (a.k.a. successful achievers) be made to pay for people who have not worked as hard or been willing to risk as much? What is so bad about achieving? What is so noble about being poor and why should we reward it? Why is the government better suited to spend the money I have earned than me? Surely the government is not wiser than me. I believe we all have an obligation to help those who are truly in need. That is our calling as Christians. But I do not feel any obligation to enable laziness or financial irresponsibility.
What is that really creates the prosperity we all enjoy? It is risk-taking entrepreneurs who have worked hard and risked much to create companies that create jobs and opportunity for people. That is what drives the economy and creates prosperity. It is those same companies that provide jobs, health insurance and pensions etc., for their workers. If you take away the incentive to achieve, by placing a huge tax burden on more successful individuals, why would they risk their time, effort and money to invent, create, and solve problems? Why is it that people risk everything, their lives, families, etc., to come to America? Because the opportunity exists here to work hard and be rewarded fairly for that work.
I believe that Obama preys on class envy and fear to drive his message home. Are you really doing so poorly? How many people do you know personally, that are suffering in the current economy? If you really scrutinize your family, friends and acquaintances, the vast majority are doing fine. But the media drums daily about how awful it is. Hmm.
How many of your successful friends are greedy S.O.B.'s that have taken advantage of the downtrodden? Or are they perhaps, interesting, intelligent, risk-takers that through their ingenuity have improved their part of the world, created a successful business, law practice, small business or medical practice that has improved the lives of its employees or members of the community it was built in and give generously to the charity of their choice?
Are there exceptions to this, are there some who do take advantage of others? Of course. The questions boils down to whether you think it is worth the risk of having some that do not have the betterment of society at heart, in order to allow others the freedom to achieve, improve their cornerof the universe, or even the society as a whole and be rewarded accordingly without penalty.
I choose freedom and hope that as a country we protect that freedom which we have worked so hard and sacrificed so much for.
Carroll Pawlikowski (Jasper's sister who lives in Pennsylvania)
(c) 2008, Four Corners Media, Jasper Welch www.jasperwelch.org
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