Thursday, January 29, 2009

Peevish on Spending Packages


There, I went and did it. Politics AND religion, and all in the same post.

Run, run away now....(
I already hid the rotten fruit)

-------
I've written and written. And deleted and deleted.

Here's what's left...(if you're feeling prickly or might be easily offended, just skip this post) ;-)

We're a spoiled nation and not used to working together.

We're separated by an ideological Mason-Dixon dividing line of differing paradigms.

We're being told as a nation that our future survival is an End Justifying The Means scenario...we are bidden to close our eyes and take a leap of faith into a morass of further debt in order to save the economy ...for the purpose of further bouts of spending???

Does the word Trillion even have a meaning? I can remember when people could not conceive of the term Billion.

Somewhere in here is a lesson we have not learned yet, and may be destined to keep repeating till we change at some very elemental levels.

I'll tell you this, though. I'm not comfortable with our extremes.

And I'm not enjoying seeing people being pressured to drink the Koolaid. I'm enjoying even less watching so many enthusiastically queue up for their turn at it.

It's too early for anyone to be an expert...we've never been down this road before. Some humility is in order. Some caution, trepidation, admission we're all on shaky ground together.

Stop the guilt appeals, the loathesome analyst-and-expert parade, and the hero worship. We need to LEARN the lesson rather than wallow in despair. If analysts and experts were always right, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. And we don't need to start speaking in tongues and falling down in worship whenever the word Obama is mentioned. I somehow think he would agree.

There is business to get down to doing just yet.

First, we have to refuse to turn our brains off. We have to make decisions based on what is wise and right from our own experience, not because of manipulation. We're not always going to agree.

I do not care what movie star gushes Hollywood's version of unity sermons; those people do not live in my reality but in an artificial high-school popularity-contest world. I don't make decisions based on "peer pressure." I voted for whom I wanted, and you were not my deciding factor either way. Do you honestly think I listen to you?

Grow up, Hollywood. You don't represent me or my views no matter how much Botox you've had or how young your latest husband is.
So tired of them.

And the other extreme? (Can we never agree on anything?) The Far Far Right..IS there even a far right any more, anyway? I feel so burned out by Bush. Burnt. Crispy. And am wary of those who would still have voted in someone like him. And anyone who would have led on with Business As Usual in his footsteps.
So very tired of all that, too.

I'm not fearful, or hopeless. But I'm very concerned.

I'm tired of the media blitz sensationalizing fear of this and fear of that, when the average family is already combatting the daily fear of how to keep their house or pay the bills after losing a job.

I feel like our nation is being offered immature solutions to adult problems and there is no wise elder to turn to for sound counsel.

The good news? I see so many of us forging deliberately toward self-sufficiency, simplicity, and responsibility...don't underestimate this resolve, this spirit, this foundation we're building against the tide. We're a small group, though, a minority as yet. But whether through necessity or desire, a growing group.

I see the majority of Americans still chasing an illusion that a leader or an economy can be their security, instead of their own choices, values, and self-sufficiency being the primary factors. I don't see our president insinuating himself into that role, but I see plenty of disciples in a misplaced messianic frenzy rushing to ascribe that sort of power to him. And speaking of things in this vein, God takes a bad rap. It's so popular today to bypass any mention of God and His role, too...or on the other hand to claim Him as a political endorsement. No one wants to claim Him when it's not politically correct, but His titles get used a lot to put the shine on speeches or public addresses.

Well back to presidential promised lands....No American president is my messiah. And he's not my pariah, either.

I do disagree with the spending package being put forth. I am bewildered at how I will be asked in the future to help pay it back. I reject embracing the bad advice to bankrupt my country further by borrowing more. Stock market, housing market, banking institutions, insurance companies...are not our salvation. I know no one wants to hear that.

I'm peevish about my nation rushing headlong into further financial disaster.

There are no easy answers for a nation or any network of interconnected world economies dependent on constantly consuming more and more. At some point growth hits a ceiling. Even the earth's own atmosphere has a ceiling. Even the fabled magic bean in the tale of Jack-and-the-beanstalk achieved its fullest height.

My Jack and I have to deal with reality, not risk-it-all experiments, in our own personal finances. I resent any outside force taking on exorbitant debt and expecting us to further "pay our dues" when we didn't contribute to it in the first place. WE did not leave any of our creditors unpaid or do things irresponsibly. Here at home, no matter what, we have to remain resolved about staying the heck out of further debt and paying off what we have left. Yes, with losses. Even if we lose it all.

We'll still learn and operate differently. But in time, I am confident come what may, Jack and I will have the payoff of freedom rather than the futility of a perpetual spending cycle we have to waste our efforts and life to maintain.

Well, enough of my little mood. I feel like someone just took all the hard work we've been doing trying to get out of debt, and mortgaged us back to the hilt and then some.

Oh, did I mention our lifelong insurance company just bailed on our ENTIRE STATE? Thank you so much, State Farm. I'm not sympathetic to your lame excuse that you'd have to increase our premiums 47% to stay solvent. I'm glad Charlie Crist told you to not let the door hit you on the way out. You should have factored the potential for natural disasters in before you ever set up shop hin this state...which is, after all, Florida, and we DO have hurricanes, hello??

I go now, to do as many of us are trying to do, and see if I can squeeze blood out of a turnip.


I am ready for self-sufficiency, simplicity, and sound reason to be our nation's target GNP.


P. S. Be careful out there... don't be carried away by the lemmings rushing to jump over the Cliffs of Insanity...
Photo copyright unknown. If I am infringing on a copyrighted image, I will gladly remove it!

19 comments:

Tim Appleton (Applehead) said...

Very nice. I don't think I could have put it any better.

It's me said...

You said a mouthful.

All I can say is that politicians aren't there to help US, they're there to help themselves. Which they do time and time again.

I've called my Congresspeople and yet they still do exactly as they please and as the lobbyists please.

I'm retiring from the system, as much as I can. I just wish I were as squared away as you, but baby-steps it is.

Peace to you my friend.

Dr. White said...

Thank you for voicing what so many of us are feeling. Who are these people who go out and spend MORE when we are in financial trouble...clearly they've never had to live on a budget or pay off debt. It's too bad we can't get more people in office who know how to handle a simple household budget.

Anonymous said...

Hear hear! You hit the nail on the head. I could not have said it better myself!!

The Thinker said...

pfffft... me too.

Lilla said...

Wow, Robbyn! I don't know how many revisions of this you typed, but what you ended up posting was right on, and stated so well. I especially like your line about self-sufficiency, simplicity, and sound reason becoming our nation's target GNP. I will join you in the happy dance when that day comes.

Judy T said...

Well said. My teenage daughter was doing research on micronations a few weeks ago. I would love to collect a group of like-minded people and declare independence from the whole mess. Oops- I might be branded a trouble maker for saying that.

LOL- My verification word is sinned!!!! How appropriate!!
Judy

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Excellent post! Wonderfully well written, too.

I'm always shocked at how so many folks believe and expect one person/President to change the world. Change Schmange.
What kind of change do these lemmings and sheep really want? If you remember, Hitler was loved and admired by many.They didn't even realize, until too late the changes taking place in Germany and around the world.....
Yes, Hitler changed the world, too.

We can't sit around and wait for that to happen. I love what you said about becoming self-sufficent. I'd like to add 'aware' and 'responsible' of ourselves and what is going on around us too.

~Lisa

Deb said...

Well said. I've written my congressman and senators. They've done their best but they are in the minority. I feel like we've stepped through some weird looking glass. Everything is backwards. Where are we headed? I have two children. What will be left for them? Where can we escape to, because I think individual freedom is doomed. There will be more and more government intrusions into our lives. They are taking advantage of a so-called 'crisis'. God help us all.

Robbyn said...

Tim, thanks :) I'm not even sure how to say it, just so so concerned and frustrated

Meadowlark, I'm not sure we're very squared away as far as having it together and being prepared to deal with this all, but we sure don't want to go backwards after working hard to dig out and make important changes!

One Acre, sometimes I wonder how our world became centered more around offices than the home, and wonder if that's the beginning of modern society's disconnect?

Annette, thanks :) I think the steam just escaped to the keyboard this morning...usually I steer clear of writing about this, much

Thinker, lol, welcome to the grumpfest :)

Lilla, thanks :) My family and I have so much to learn about these things that are our ideals, but we don't want to return to the futility of being "back on the wheel" for sure

Judy, lol...I think they're getting more creative with those verification words!

Lisa, hey girl...I think of you in your tower and your knee every day! We do have a president who has never run on a platform of hatred, whereas Hitler was all about that from the very start,and I like a lot of things I'm hearing from Mr. Obama. I'm very concerned that we're in a rut, though, and that as a nation we're easily led into a deeper spiral of trouble financially. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I so very much don't think more and more debt is the way to go.

Deb, I think change comes over time and that we've been changing a lot over many decades, but now there's in a sense a day of reckoning or maybe fruition. The way back may take a long time, too, but I hope we can change at a very fundamental level in order not to "be here" again

Anonymous said...

Absolutely brilliant post!!!

warren said...

I agree with your good news part. It will take individuals just doing the right thing. Government doesn't have to force people to do things if we'll only do them ourselves. Of course, we don't all agree on the right thing and not everyone would do it even if we did agree. Still, enough people can make a difference, even if it is for themselves and their offspring. We don't need to live bigger and bigger!

MamaHen said...

Very, very good post. Well written and I couldn't agree more. I fear that it is going to take far worse times to beat the greed and avarice out of many people though and the notion Hollywood has that they make even an iota of real difference to anyone in this world.
You said it all very well though.

Mindy said...

Robbyn...today is the first day I found your blogsite and while perusing, I came across this article which so beautifully expresses how I feel. I too find it frustrating that so many people have given President Obama a messiah complex. I think he could help our country but I don't think that everything will suddenly be better with him in office. Also, I too am struggling with this 2nd set of stimulus money that is being discussed...the first set hasn't helped and I don't really see how the 2nd round will. After this next set, we might be so destitute as a country that we'll have to be bought by China or some other well-to-do country. Wouldn't that be something? Thanks for your thoughts!

It's me said...

Mindy, if you do some research I think you'll find that a "well to do" country is going to be pretty hard to find. China is have some major economic struggles as well, GB and Germany both (If I remember correctly) are both looking at "stimulus" like stuff. It's a scary place out there.

But you're right... the first one didn't do anything except pad the pockets of the higher ups. This one won't be any better. $650 million for TV vouchers. GRRRRRRRR

Anonymous said...

Amen

Gina said...

Well said, Robbyn! I don't want to be one of those Lemmings!

O, don't get me started on Insurance. Rip-off artists (the lot of them). I just got a letter from one of the ones insuring one of the properties and my rates are increasing not because I've made a claim (knock on wood), but because of storms in other areas of the country. I don't understand the 47% thing if they are spreading the cost of Hurricanes, Tornados and such across the entire US.

When I add all the insurance costs I have, it is many times higher than my mortgage.

I agree with so much of what you have said here!

Gina said...

Judy (we need a secret word), I'm there!

Unknown said...

Amen, sister! Amen!