A divide in the Georgia Republican Party – The fight for libery

Just in case you are interested in what’s going on in Georgia in the Republican party.

Why so much support for an establishment candidate it is obvious no one really supports?

The Occupiers and Me

So I ran across this article on Greg Mankiw’s Blog today and it got me thinking about the Occupy movement.

I’ll admit it, when I first heard about Occupy Wall Street movement I was excited.  Part of me wanted to get involved.  I thought it was a good thing.  I even agreed with their founding principals:

• Engaging in direct and transparent participatory democracy;
• Exercising personal and collective responsibility;
• Recognizing individuals’ inherent privilege and the influence it has on all interactions;
• Empowering one another against all forms of oppression;
• Redefining how labor is valued;
• The sanctity of individual privacy;
• The belief that education is human right; and
•  Making technologies, knowledge, and culture open to all to freely access, create, modify, and distribute.

I mean these are the things liberty are made of, right?  However, I quickly realized that while the Occupy Movement’s intentions are the best their principals and actions are conflicting.  It’s a case of people are pissed off, but they don’t know who to blame.

My Problem with Occupiers

The whining and lack of action combined with hypocracy.  Of course that’s not ALL of them, but the vast majority fall into this category.  Consider a girl I know from high school who is now attending NYU.  She is constantly posting things on Facebook with occupy agenda.  Ironically she comes from one of the most well to do families in our high school, is studying to be a actor or film critic, and is the stereotypical ”hipster”.  I wonder how many other Occupiers fall into that same category?

Change comes from the people and protest is good – that’s a fact.  So I’m not downplaying the important role that every occupier plays in the movement for the change they want, but what about the lives they live?  Its great to play the part, but what about when it comes to the things you buy, the careers you seek, and the stuff you do outside of protesting?

Like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jole – adopting children, making movies, speaking out about the ills of society with a $500,000 engagement ring on Angelina’s finger.  That is almost sickening to me.  People want to make a difference, but only when they are rich first.  Reminds me of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs where morality is the last level one becomes concerned with only after taking care of themselves.  Maybe that’s just the natural order of things.

Ideological Differences

Upon further examination I think I have some basic ideological differences from the occupy movement as well.  One major difference (surprise!) is the role of Government.

I think most Occupiers are grossly out of touch with who the poor are and what it is like to be poor.  Some poor people, as unpopular as the message is, are poor for a reason.  Sure, we all like that story of the guy who worked hard and conquered adversity, but lets be honest – there is a reason that guy made it and the other’s didn’t.

I can speak from experience.  My parents, cousins, aunts, and uncles all came from the same socioeconomic background.  9.5 of 10 of us are poor, under-educated, drug addicted, and/or content with their situation.  The 1 or 2 of us that did make it out, educated ourselves, work decent jobs, work hard and aren’t living off Government assistance. We did so out of our own initiative.  There are enough programs, educational opportunities, and people out there willing to help that if one seizes the opportunity they can make it.

If you want “equality” and you advocate for MORE social programs then you are either already poor and want free stuff or have never been poor.  More social welfare programs are closer to stealing than helping.  Those are just the cold hard facts.  I’ve lived it.

Having said that I fully realize being raised in a certain environment predisposes you to certain tendencies.  People deserve a chance.  A chance to be educated and opportunities for equal success.  I think we have that and what we are missing isn’t more Government, but the need for more help from the us – the people.  This is a social condition that needs to be solved by the people.  (As highlighted in Occupies values: Exercising personal and collective responsibility; and The belief that education is human right)

The Occupiers and Me

Young people, occupier and non-occupier alike, understand change is needed.  Improvements are to be made.  Ask yourself this: how many kids have you tutored lately?  How many times have you participated in neighborhood clean-up?  Take action into your own hands and stop demanding it from the Government!  Doing a good deed is something we can all agree with.

What happens when you work with a fucking idiot?

So we hired a women that I am fairly sure is retarded.  The problem is she’s old, changing careers, and used to a different pace.  I commend her for trying, but my frustration builds with every less than appropriate action she takes.  She moves slow, asks bad questions, is horrible at reading the client, and doesn’t listen when I give clear advice.  Honestly, its not working out.  So just for fun, during lunch, I created a comic.  Enjoy.

The Irony of Death

My Mom called me about six times last night before I finally answered.  I wasn’t screening her calls I just left my cell phone on vibrate.  I didn’t notice she had been calling until she finally called my wife and left a voice message.

“Your Mom sounds really upset, you should call her.”

Normally I would wait until morning to call my Mom back, but if she is sounding really upset I call back immediately.  I’m just never sure if its an emergency or not.  I call my Mom back and she doesn’t sound that upset so I’m a little relieved.  I was dreading the thought of possibly having to drive an hour at midnight to handle a situation.

“Mom has breast cancer.” Mom in this case is Grandma.  She’s in her early 60′s and found out yesterday that she has early stages of malignant breast cancer.  Her sister, my great aunt, just passed away within the year from the same disease so I gather everyone is concerned.

What struck me wasn’t a feeling of dread about my Grandmother’s potential death, but a lack of empathy and a strong concern and realization about my own death.  That is horribly selfish I know, but I have always had a difficult time feeling well, what you are supposed to feel.  I was more concerned about my lack of raw emotion than concern for my Grandmother having breast cancer – that seems potentially narcissistic.

The other thing that bothered me was my own death.  I don’t dwell it, but occasionally I think how strange it is that one day I will have to face my own death.  I’m not sure how it will come and that is just as weird.

There will be a time where things happen on this earth and I will not be here to witness them.  I will be no more.  I will one day lay in a  hospital bed and count down my own passing.  Or I’ll die instantly in an accident – who knows.  It might be painful or it might be quick – but I will face death.  Strangely, there is some comfort in knowing that every single person on earth and every person who has ever been has and will experience the same thing.  That is one thing we all have in common in the human experience.

Thinking about my own death I thought about the things I would want.  I think I would want to know that people cared for me, that people were rooting for me, and to be prepared.  So I think its only right that I give my Grandmother that same respect.  To let her know I’m rooting for her, that I care for her, and to help her in any way possible to be prepared if it comes to the point where she does have to face death.

I will lie to her if needed.  I will pretend I care more than I do if I have to when the time comes.  I’ll even give in to her religious comforts when inevitably I find myself in a room full of people praying over her sick body.  I’ll even nod my head and put up no fight when people tell her she’s going to a better place, a magical place.  Why?  Because if religion makes her passing easier, provides her comfort, who am I to take that away in her last moments?

I’m being morbid.  They caught this early.  She’ll probably come out fine, but the rules about death still apply – or at least they will someday.  Death, I think it’s just a part of life.  You recognize it’s there, ignore it, prepare for it, hate it, but it’s a gift.  Death is the one thing holding you accountable for life – it’s your term limit – in a way it’s what makes you enjoy life the most. Maybe that’s the irony of death.

Is the Death Penalty Wrong? A Conservative opinion.

I never cry in movies, but no matter how many times I watch “Dead Man Walking” I feel like a pregnant women I’m so emotional inside. It evokes emotion and forces you to question your very beliefs about religion, good and evil, the death penalty, and the nature of man itself. If you have never watched this movie I strongly suggest you get a box of tissues and give it a go.

I’m reminded that men, despite their most evil actions, are effected by factors one cannot understand unless they have gone through it themselves. Though their actions are not justifiable this movie does associate unique and human qualities with a person we may otherwise view as a monster.

At what cost should we put a man to death?  At the cost of losing our own humanity?  At the cost of emotionally damaging everyone involved the in the procedure?  I’m not sure and though I have never experienced the loss of a loved one at the hands of a criminal I can’t help but feel it is wrong.  Not the desire for revenge, not the desire for closure, but the fact that our Government – the supposed shining example of justice for planet earth – has the power and desire to put any human being to death.  Cooler heads should always prevail when given the option to preserve humanity.

Though I am not religious this scene always evokes emotion.

I’ll admit it.  Years ago I was in support of the death penalty.  I thought that keeping an inmate on death row was a terrible drain on tax dollars and dangerous to other inmates and the guards.  That part is still true.  After watching this movie my ideas changed though.  I do not think killing a man helps anyone.  It certainly can’t do the families of the innocent any good emotionally, it destroys the guilty party’s family, and is cruel overall.  What should we do with people like this?  I do not know.  Maybe we should work harder to stop it happening in the first place.

Sure many of these men never become reconciled and never feel sorry for what they did like in this movie, but that changes nothing.  Why do we turn ourselves into murderers to punish one?  What is the right course of action – I have no idea.  I just feel like for our own humanity’s sake – the death penalty does us as individuals no good at all.  I know all the reasons to support it, but a lesson in humanity, forgiveness, and love is enough for me to feel like the death penalty isn’t worth it.

If you still disagree or just want to hear someone say it much better check out what Ron Paul has to say about the death penalty in his book liberty defined. Another great advocate of liberty who’s views about the death penalty changed over time.

Rich Guy Says “Tax the Rich”

I’m only for a higher tax for the rich if:

1. The Government also lowers taxes for the middle class and the poor equally to the revenue received.
2. The Government makes it policy that all additional tax dollars collected from the rich will directly benefit the people. No money will be given to war, military spending, intelligence agencies, nor political districts.
3. An outline of directly where ALL tax dollars will be spent and made available to the public before approval.

My fear is that additional taxes will be just that. More revenue given to our Government.

Big Government, Big Consequences

Most people want to the do the right thing, I feel.  Almost everyone wants to make the right decisions, help others, help themselves and their families.  Almost no one is pure evil.  We just have different ideas about how things should work.

How do we take care of the people?  Who should do it? Some people advocate for a more and more social role for the Government.  More welfare, more wealth distribution via taxes on the rich, more Government control of healthcare, the list goes on.

I get that.  In some ways I even agree.  I agree that wealth inequality needs to be addressed, healthcare and education should be better, and the poor should be helped, but is more Government the answer?  The truth is Government has in many ways become too large, too corrupt, too debt prone, too powerful, and too entangled into our everyday lives to help.  There are too many alliterative motives in place.  The worst part is that many of us have invited it, begged for it even.

The Price of More Government is too High

The more we accept from Government, the more dependent we become, the more the Government can get away with.  This is happening already.  Already the Government is building the biggest data center in history aimed at tracking and monitoring every phone call, every email, every Google search, and every other piece of electronic communication there is.  All in the name of fighting terrorism, really?

Additionally we see legislation almost daily, sneaking by on major holidays, giving the Government control over internet communications, ability to kill and detain Americans without trial indefinitely, and more.  (SOPA, PIPA, NDAA)  There are even rumors of the Government using Google and Facebook to gather information on US citizens.

Two issues come to mind when I think about all this.  One, how can give so much responsibility to a Government that is doing all of these things?  Two, what are the dangers of becoming completely dependent on the biggest and most intrusive Government in world history?

Higher taxes doesn’t mean giving to the poor, it means giving to the Government

I’ve argued before that higher taxes do not address wealth inequality.  I hear over and over that the rich should “pay there fair share”, but what I never hear is the Government promising that money to the poor.  Why are advocates of higher taxes for the rich so adamant?  In truth 95% of those additional tax dollars will likely go toward war, pet projects, and pork barrel spending.  Why do we deny this?  Money from the rich will surely be transfered directly or indirectly to the pockets of the rich all the while financing more war and more sacrifises to our liberties – data centers aren’t cheap.

Smaller Government, not Anarchy

Having said all that, I’m not against the Government.  I still enjoy my roads, I appreciate public parks, I am thankful for our national defense, and all the other legitimate services the Government provides.  I just ask for a balance.  A balance between every individual doing their part and accepting responsibility for themselves, their family, and their community – and not passing the buck or expecting the Government to take care of it for them.

It is an important fact that every ounce of responsibility we allow the Government to accept for us is another ounce of opportunity, privacy, and liberty we willingly forfeit.  That’s the trade off.  ”There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

The Thoughts of the Simple Minded

I hate to keep bombarding the loyal readers of this blog with garbage from Facebook, but wow does it give me a lot of good material to complain about – which is also the sole factor preventing me from deleting my account and all of these good ole’ boys right along with it.

In any case, below is a lovely conversation between a village idiot I went to high school with and happily a few people that seem like they might actually have a brain in their head.

Yes, this is life in the South at times.  There are some good guys, some bad guys, and a lot of idiots.  Enjoy shaking your head and wondering to yourself if the world is doomed after all.  Just in case you were wondering – no I didn’t comment.

Mom Looks Old – Is this a signal I should start being a better son?

My Mom is getting old.  I’m starting to notice for the first time.  She’s only about 50, but I can see it in her face. The sun spots, the wrinkles, her lack of health, and her emotional instability that a lifetime of difficulty so ungraciously molder her look.  Even talking to her sometimes I can tell she can barely hold it together.  She cries almost instantly – from feeling abandoned, by everyone, and maybe even from guilt.

She came over to my house Saturday for the second time during a family get together.  We didn’t talk much and I regret that.  I have a hard time talking to her because honestly I don’t have much to talk about with her.  She stays at home 99% of her life.  It’s quite sad.  She is handicapped, has no car, and lives in project housing.  She and my Dad do not live together, but are still married, so she only gets out when someone takes her.  She also lives over an hour drive from me so I rarely venture to see her.

I could say that she’s done this to herself and in a large extent she has, but honestly that shouldn’t keep me from being a good son.  Any negative feeling I have toward my parents I need to put behind me.  I know those feeling will only be magnified and stacked on top of guilt after she dies.  I know she doesn’t have long left.  I know that’s terribly morbid, but I have to be honest here.  It is completely possible she will die within the next decade.  She may never meet my future children.

Maybe its my job as a decent human being to intervene.  I’ve actually considered helping her buy a house, but at 25 is it fair that I put my dreams, my wife’s dreams, on hold for her?  Maybe it is.  At very least I could make a better effort to spend time with her on a regular basis – even though seeing her means listening to her problems and feeling guilty the entire time.  She doesn’t even try to do it – her life really is depressing.

Why the fuck do I have to have Mommy and Daddy issues?  It’s almost laughable.  I go to work and excel.  I’m confident and manage teams of 20 for milti-million dollar projects at times, most of my friends and acquaintances don’t have a clue about my upbringing, but the issues with my Mom and Dad leave me at a loss.

I know I have to step it up and be a better son.  Not for my parents, but for me.  They may or may not deserve it, but its really the only way I can prevent doing permanent damage to myself.

Sometimes I honestly feel that I could forget about them and be fine.  Even right not I feel totally detached from them, but I feel that tiny tug at the bottom of my heart telling me they brought me into this world and I have been given this gift of life – avoid guilt and regret – and be a good son.

What the hell are these feelings?  Is this Evolution’s way of making me take care of the elders in my tribe?  Is this God?  What strange sensation is this!  Yeah, I’m laughing to myself.  Despite all of my desire for logic and using my brain rather than heart – some sense of my moral code of ethics tells me taking care of my parents and preserving the relationship is important.  Even if they are pathetic people and did a terrible job raising me for the most part.

Anyone else have Mommy and Daddy issues they overcame?  What’s the right way out here?  Lessons learned?

Should Women Shave Their Pits?

To each their own and I’m sure there are some very good lessons in teaching your children about not forcing themselves to fit into the gender roles of society, but I have to say – this conversation kind of weirds me out.  I love my free and liberal friends though.

My final verdict?  Ladies, if you don’t want to shave your pits – or any other body part for that matter – don’t.