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How did America Become a Nanny State?

‘How Did We Get to This Point?’

By Lt. Col. Allen West
Tuesday, May 12, 2009

How did we get to the point where we are told that “only government” can remedy our current economic situation? Last time I checked it was government that placed us in this situation. Our founding fathers guaranteed us the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not the right to happiness. When government made the fateful decision that everyone in America was entitled to own a home this terrible crisis was born.

Home ownership is a privilege, something achieved through dedication and hard work. It should be earned. However, those in Washington brought forth legislation, which lowered standards for mortgage lending. It also pressured financial institutions that tried to maintain appropriate lending standards and levied fines against them for non-compliance. Dwight Eisenhower once said, “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” When government places entitlement over empowerment you will head down the road to perdition, which is where we find our America heading.

Five months ago, we were told that our financial system would collapse and were sold a bill of goods in the Troubled Asset Recovery Plan (TARP), aka bailout, which turned out to be nothing more than a big government spending spree. When did our country, which was paid for by the blood of revolutionaries that sought to create their own nation far from the grips of a strong and tyrannical government, become one that looked to government to solve all of our problems? More to the point, when is the last time “more government” ever fixed a problem for you or the ones you love? Government is not the answer to our financial woes; the answer lies with the ingenuity and spirit of the American citizen. President Obama continues a fear-mongering tactic to get us to believe that this plan is what is needed. A recent Congressional Budget Office analysis, and many top economists, stated that we could do nothing and be better off than with this plan.

How did we come to the point where we no longer respect the indomitable American spirit to be resilient and push past this crisis? When did we lose faith in realizing that putting money back into the pockets of the American citizen is the way to restore an ailing economy? When we focus on empowering the American taxpayer, our small businesses, and entrepreneurs then our economy will grow.

Why not simply say we are going to eliminate capital gains, dividend, and death taxes. We should no longer tax social security benefits. We could freeze employer and employee payroll taxes for six months to a year and create wealth for our families. Why not establish a flat tax rate with standard deductions for individuals, corporations, and businesses and provide tax credits to those who stay in America, hire Americans, and produce American goods and services? We need to look towards stimulating investment, innovation, ingenuity, and economic growth… not bloating government and increasing our deficit.
And do not forget, there is no provision for use of e-verify in this stimulus bill, how many of these “shovel ready” jobs will go to illegal immigrants?

How did we come to the point where we do not re-assess our foreign aid spending and perhaps make the cuts there? One place to look is the $925 Million we send to the UN and say, we are cutting back. Why do we not hear anyone in the federal government; President Obama, Sen Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi say, “We are going to examine how government can cut back, reduce spending, and shift money to paying off our debts”? Instead we have, at last count (7) seven new government positions called Czars…welcome to the United Socialist States of America.

How did we get to the point where our government is now in ownership of financial institutions? This concerns me because it resembles one of the mandates from the Communist Manifesto, which prescribes for the state to gain control of banks and financial institutions.

How did we get to the point where, a new President would make his first call not to allied leaders but to a Palestinian group leader, Mahmoud Abbas? Where, his first interview was to Al Arabiya and his tone is apologetic and appeasing to the Muslim world.

How did we get to the point where President Obama felt the most important first executive order was to shut down GITMO, cease military tribunals, and seek to offer our precious American constitutional rights to our terrorist enemies? How many families of those who lost their lives on the USS Cole had their hearts ripped out when charges against these murderers were dropped?
How did we get to the point where our Second Amendment constitutional rights are again under attack with a bill, dated 6 Jan 2009, floating around in the US House of Representatives? Be very aware and remain vigilant my fellow Americans.

How did we get to this point? The answer is simple; we grew complacent, apathetic, and lazy. We have now allowed the inmates to run the asylum, speaking of Washington DC. All that should have mattered during the 2008 Presidential election is now starting to matter. We have strayed so far away from our foundational principles of governance and free market capitalism that we are in danger of losing the essence of America.

We have been taken advantage of by a media that was complicit in hiding the truth, and as Goebbels in Nazi Germany, they just kept telling us the “Big Lie”… which then became truth. America is a Republic, meaning there is a limit of power for the government. It means that “We the People” are the stakeholders and that the rule of law must reign supreme. We have separation of powers and should always be on the lookout for consolidation of power. We must reemphasize the preeminence and strict interpretation of our Constitution, the embodiment of the America way of life.

Shall there be a new “tea party”? I say yes, and that is because the American people and not the mindless lemmings, who are dead from the neck up, shall stand and demand their Country back. I know what my purpose is, do you?

How did we get to this point, well, that is evident. The real question is, “How do We the People recommit to our principles, restore our Republic, and regain our American spirit”?

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/11030Lt. Col. Allen West

Lt. Col. Allen West Most recent columns
Lieutenant Colonel Allen West (U.S. Army Ret.) has lived his life in service to America. In 2004, when it was time to retire from more than twenty years of service in the US Army. He then returned to Afghanistan as an advisor to the Afghan army, an assignment he finished in November 2007.

Col. West has been honored many times, including a Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals (one with Valor), and a Valorous Unit Award. He received his valor award as a Captain in Desert Shield/Storm, was the U.S. Army ROTC Instructor of the Year in 1993, and was a Distinguished Honor Graduate III Corps at Fort Hood, Texas Air Assault School.