Consent Withdrawn
17th June 2009, 14:01
Have you ever wondered why some people are so on edge and downright rude these days? I mean think about it. The road rage we hear about and people going "postal" over what seems like a trivial inconvenience. It seems like there is a ticking time-bomb inside so many of us just waiting to explode at the slightest provocation. We give someone an obscene gesture because they cut us off in traffic. We fume when we have to wait in line at the grocery check out. The examples are numerous.
Why are people’s tempers so incendiary lately? My theory is that it is a case of misdirected anger. Let me explain. I believe that most people focus their anger at the easiest and most accessible target. For example, if you have a complaint about, say, the rising cost of your cable bill. You call the customer service department of your cable company and let the representative at the other end of the line have it. You take your frustrations out on that person and it makes you feel a little bit better. You feel like you’ve done something. But is your cable bill going to go down? Absolutely not. Why? Because the customer service representative is not the person who controls the price of cable. They are paid to listen to our complaints and maybe even endure some of our verbal abuse. The end result after we hang up the phone is that we usually feel better because we made ourselves heard. But, have we accomplished anything other than to relieve a little pent up frustration? I would have to reply with a resounding "No!" Our cable bill will not go down and more than likely those who determine the rates will never even be aware of our complaint.
What it comes down to is that people are frustrated by the entities that have power over them and are a major factor in determining both their financial and personal destinies, the greatest of which is the government. People feel as if they have so little control over their lives and finances because of the usurpation over them by the government. The government, like a cancer, has managed to metastasize itself into so much of our lives until we find that our vitality has been completely drained and we resign ourselves to the palliative of apathy and passivity. Why do we choose this pain management approach instead of serious invasive surgery of the malignant tumor that is our government? Because we are overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness and despair that we can make a difference and regain control over our lives and destiny. But, the anger and resentment is always lurking right under the surface, ready to rear its ugly head at the slightest provocation.
What we need to realize is that the government does not have our best interest in mind, but the best interest of themselves and the big businesses who can afford to send lobbyists to Washington to "appeal" to Congress to pass laws that benefit them. Think, for example, of the seatbelt law. I hate to sound jaded and I know that the government would hope you would write my ideas off as such, but if you think about it, this really is a country for the wealthy. The government likes to remind all of us that we have a voice in how our government is run. Well, they are right about that. We all do have a voice, but we have little or no influence because we have no financial backing. The laws imposed on us by the government are for the most part passed to benefit those in power and those with money and influence. In fact, on the hill those words are synonymous. Money is influence. Does congress want to prove me wrong? Here’s how they can: I challenge Congress to refuse to entertain lobbyists and their payoffs right now and prove to us that big money doesn’t run this country. To give every American subject, I’m sorry, citizen, an equal voice. Whether I earn $15,000 dollars a year flipping burgers or $200,000 and own my own business. Folks, it’s not going happen and for the most part, we will not do anything about but complain and misdirect our rage at the most convenient target as we have been. Rudeness and road rage will continue and the level of violence will continue to increase. People will find release more and more in alcohol and drugs to escape the reality that they have had so much control over their destiny taken from them "for their own good" and to "protect them from themselves" And the vicious circle will continue as more laws are passed to restrict us and lull us into an ever deeper stupor of passivity.
The government’s true vocation is in fact not to pass laws, but to create criminals. Let me explain: Ordinary Joe Citizen is a decent law-abiding and taxpaying citizen. He has no criminal record. He votes in every election because, in his naivety, he believes it still makes a difference. He’s never stolen or cheated on his taxes. He’s a quiet, God-fearing man and a model citizen. Now, our Mr. Citizen enjoys bungee jumping off high bridges. It is his way of feeling young and vibrant and a diversion from his daily routine. He takes several bungee jumping excursions per year and looks forward to each one with great relish and anticipation.
One day, Congress passes a law that bungee jumping is now illegal. This law is the result of several years of lobbying by the insurance industry in which one million dollars was spent. The insurance companies have had to pay way too much in claims because of injuries and even a few deaths as the result of bungee jumping accidents and it was really beginning to cut into their bottom line. So the time and money expended on the lobbying effort was considered to be a worthwhile investment by the insurance industry. Incidentally, the increase in premiums as a result of the bungee jumping accidents will stand despite the fact that bungee jumping is now illegal and claims for such will drop considerably. A nice additional benefit for the insurance companies, huh?
This reminds me of what is being done with gasoline prices, but that’s another article my friends.
Okay, let’s return to our friend Joe Citizen. He has a much anticipated bungee jumping trip planned for the day after the new law goes into effect. What to do? Today Mr. Citizen has no criminal record, tomorrow if he takes the trip, he will in fact become a criminal. See how the government, with the help quite often of big business, creates criminals?
If Mr. Citizen goes on the trip, he is in fact a law breaker and subject to criminal punishment. If he scraps the trip and all future trips, a very enjoyable part of his life will forever be changed. Our Mr. Citizen may even become very angry and resentful that his one form of recreation that he really enjoys has been taken from him. He may become irritable and take it out on his wife and children. He may start to drink now because he doesn’t want to be a law breaker and go bungee jumping. No way, he needs to be a good citizen and obey the laws.
This is just one example of how resentment is created by the overbearing oppressiveness of the government I hesitate to use the following illustration because I don’t want to be mistaken as a member of the religious right. The fact is, I am not a religious person at all. However, since it is my belief that the majority of this nation’s citizens do believe in God, I think the following illustration is appropriate and worth any risk of me being labeled a religious fanatic. If God almighty believed that only ten commandments are sufficient to regulate and guide human conduct, why does the government think we need thousands of laws to keep us in line? I believe most of these laws were designed for no other purpose than to keep the government in power and to ensure that every cent that is earned by the hard work of each American is accounted for and taxed. That’s right, my friends, the government just can’t bear the thought that maybe we might earn a few bucks that they haven’t gotten their "share" of by taxation. Take for example property taxes. Suppose you live in a home that you inherited from your parents. A home possibly that has been in your family for generations and has long ago been paid for. Now, lets say through no fault of your own, you came upon some hard times. Perhaps you’ve just lost your job because the company decided to pack up shop and move to Mexico where they can hire cheaper labor and continue to sell their products to Americans at the same price they charged when they were paying more for production. Or, maybe a huge corporation bought the small company you worked for and then restructured and your loyal services were no longer required. Suppose it takes awhile to find a job that can allow you to live the kind of lifestyle you were accustomed to and as a result you were forced to make choices as to what you can afford and what needs to be given up. Perhaps it comes down to paying your property taxes or buying groceries or medications since you no longer can afford health insurance. So you default on your tax bill to buy the necessities and one day the government comes in and puts your home up for auction. After all, they need the tax money to fund public education. But, you need a roof over your head! My question is twofold: Firstly, If something you "own" can be taken, how can you really be said to own it at all? Doesn’t ownership imply that the thing owned belongs to you and can only become someone else’s property by your agreement of sale or by theft? Well, when the government takes your property, I don’t think it was an agreement of sale, so it must be theft. Secondly, if the government feels justified to steal your property and sell it to recover lost tax dollars, why can’t you apply the same justification to your own actions and steal someone else’s home because after all, you need a roof over your head? Or maybe you can go to the local supermarket and steal some food because you have to eat. And, as important as public education is, it is not a necessity to survival like food and shelter are. Do you see what happens when you apply that kind of justification to theft? Or is it only okay for the government to steal from its citizens because they are more powerful? That kind of "might makes right" philosophy is for savages and not the enlightened, but, we are talking about politicians here.
So my request to all in congress is this: Kindly back down and leave us Americans alone to get by in an already difficult economic climate. Keep your hands out of our wallets and quit trying to regulate our lives. Simply, go find some other way to exercise your lust for power, or offset your sexual inadequacies, or whatever your motivation is for forcing all your unnecessary laws and restrictions on the population.
As for the rest of us, next time someone is rude to you, give them the benefit of the doubt and realize that their anger is more than likely really directed at the government and its annoying habit of foisting itself into every aspect of our lives and robbing us of our vitality and resources. Then just go resume the position and take it like a good citizen
Why are people’s tempers so incendiary lately? My theory is that it is a case of misdirected anger. Let me explain. I believe that most people focus their anger at the easiest and most accessible target. For example, if you have a complaint about, say, the rising cost of your cable bill. You call the customer service department of your cable company and let the representative at the other end of the line have it. You take your frustrations out on that person and it makes you feel a little bit better. You feel like you’ve done something. But is your cable bill going to go down? Absolutely not. Why? Because the customer service representative is not the person who controls the price of cable. They are paid to listen to our complaints and maybe even endure some of our verbal abuse. The end result after we hang up the phone is that we usually feel better because we made ourselves heard. But, have we accomplished anything other than to relieve a little pent up frustration? I would have to reply with a resounding "No!" Our cable bill will not go down and more than likely those who determine the rates will never even be aware of our complaint.
What it comes down to is that people are frustrated by the entities that have power over them and are a major factor in determining both their financial and personal destinies, the greatest of which is the government. People feel as if they have so little control over their lives and finances because of the usurpation over them by the government. The government, like a cancer, has managed to metastasize itself into so much of our lives until we find that our vitality has been completely drained and we resign ourselves to the palliative of apathy and passivity. Why do we choose this pain management approach instead of serious invasive surgery of the malignant tumor that is our government? Because we are overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness and despair that we can make a difference and regain control over our lives and destiny. But, the anger and resentment is always lurking right under the surface, ready to rear its ugly head at the slightest provocation.
What we need to realize is that the government does not have our best interest in mind, but the best interest of themselves and the big businesses who can afford to send lobbyists to Washington to "appeal" to Congress to pass laws that benefit them. Think, for example, of the seatbelt law. I hate to sound jaded and I know that the government would hope you would write my ideas off as such, but if you think about it, this really is a country for the wealthy. The government likes to remind all of us that we have a voice in how our government is run. Well, they are right about that. We all do have a voice, but we have little or no influence because we have no financial backing. The laws imposed on us by the government are for the most part passed to benefit those in power and those with money and influence. In fact, on the hill those words are synonymous. Money is influence. Does congress want to prove me wrong? Here’s how they can: I challenge Congress to refuse to entertain lobbyists and their payoffs right now and prove to us that big money doesn’t run this country. To give every American subject, I’m sorry, citizen, an equal voice. Whether I earn $15,000 dollars a year flipping burgers or $200,000 and own my own business. Folks, it’s not going happen and for the most part, we will not do anything about but complain and misdirect our rage at the most convenient target as we have been. Rudeness and road rage will continue and the level of violence will continue to increase. People will find release more and more in alcohol and drugs to escape the reality that they have had so much control over their destiny taken from them "for their own good" and to "protect them from themselves" And the vicious circle will continue as more laws are passed to restrict us and lull us into an ever deeper stupor of passivity.
The government’s true vocation is in fact not to pass laws, but to create criminals. Let me explain: Ordinary Joe Citizen is a decent law-abiding and taxpaying citizen. He has no criminal record. He votes in every election because, in his naivety, he believes it still makes a difference. He’s never stolen or cheated on his taxes. He’s a quiet, God-fearing man and a model citizen. Now, our Mr. Citizen enjoys bungee jumping off high bridges. It is his way of feeling young and vibrant and a diversion from his daily routine. He takes several bungee jumping excursions per year and looks forward to each one with great relish and anticipation.
One day, Congress passes a law that bungee jumping is now illegal. This law is the result of several years of lobbying by the insurance industry in which one million dollars was spent. The insurance companies have had to pay way too much in claims because of injuries and even a few deaths as the result of bungee jumping accidents and it was really beginning to cut into their bottom line. So the time and money expended on the lobbying effort was considered to be a worthwhile investment by the insurance industry. Incidentally, the increase in premiums as a result of the bungee jumping accidents will stand despite the fact that bungee jumping is now illegal and claims for such will drop considerably. A nice additional benefit for the insurance companies, huh?
This reminds me of what is being done with gasoline prices, but that’s another article my friends.
Okay, let’s return to our friend Joe Citizen. He has a much anticipated bungee jumping trip planned for the day after the new law goes into effect. What to do? Today Mr. Citizen has no criminal record, tomorrow if he takes the trip, he will in fact become a criminal. See how the government, with the help quite often of big business, creates criminals?
If Mr. Citizen goes on the trip, he is in fact a law breaker and subject to criminal punishment. If he scraps the trip and all future trips, a very enjoyable part of his life will forever be changed. Our Mr. Citizen may even become very angry and resentful that his one form of recreation that he really enjoys has been taken from him. He may become irritable and take it out on his wife and children. He may start to drink now because he doesn’t want to be a law breaker and go bungee jumping. No way, he needs to be a good citizen and obey the laws.
This is just one example of how resentment is created by the overbearing oppressiveness of the government I hesitate to use the following illustration because I don’t want to be mistaken as a member of the religious right. The fact is, I am not a religious person at all. However, since it is my belief that the majority of this nation’s citizens do believe in God, I think the following illustration is appropriate and worth any risk of me being labeled a religious fanatic. If God almighty believed that only ten commandments are sufficient to regulate and guide human conduct, why does the government think we need thousands of laws to keep us in line? I believe most of these laws were designed for no other purpose than to keep the government in power and to ensure that every cent that is earned by the hard work of each American is accounted for and taxed. That’s right, my friends, the government just can’t bear the thought that maybe we might earn a few bucks that they haven’t gotten their "share" of by taxation. Take for example property taxes. Suppose you live in a home that you inherited from your parents. A home possibly that has been in your family for generations and has long ago been paid for. Now, lets say through no fault of your own, you came upon some hard times. Perhaps you’ve just lost your job because the company decided to pack up shop and move to Mexico where they can hire cheaper labor and continue to sell their products to Americans at the same price they charged when they were paying more for production. Or, maybe a huge corporation bought the small company you worked for and then restructured and your loyal services were no longer required. Suppose it takes awhile to find a job that can allow you to live the kind of lifestyle you were accustomed to and as a result you were forced to make choices as to what you can afford and what needs to be given up. Perhaps it comes down to paying your property taxes or buying groceries or medications since you no longer can afford health insurance. So you default on your tax bill to buy the necessities and one day the government comes in and puts your home up for auction. After all, they need the tax money to fund public education. But, you need a roof over your head! My question is twofold: Firstly, If something you "own" can be taken, how can you really be said to own it at all? Doesn’t ownership imply that the thing owned belongs to you and can only become someone else’s property by your agreement of sale or by theft? Well, when the government takes your property, I don’t think it was an agreement of sale, so it must be theft. Secondly, if the government feels justified to steal your property and sell it to recover lost tax dollars, why can’t you apply the same justification to your own actions and steal someone else’s home because after all, you need a roof over your head? Or maybe you can go to the local supermarket and steal some food because you have to eat. And, as important as public education is, it is not a necessity to survival like food and shelter are. Do you see what happens when you apply that kind of justification to theft? Or is it only okay for the government to steal from its citizens because they are more powerful? That kind of "might makes right" philosophy is for savages and not the enlightened, but, we are talking about politicians here.
So my request to all in congress is this: Kindly back down and leave us Americans alone to get by in an already difficult economic climate. Keep your hands out of our wallets and quit trying to regulate our lives. Simply, go find some other way to exercise your lust for power, or offset your sexual inadequacies, or whatever your motivation is for forcing all your unnecessary laws and restrictions on the population.
As for the rest of us, next time someone is rude to you, give them the benefit of the doubt and realize that their anger is more than likely really directed at the government and its annoying habit of foisting itself into every aspect of our lives and robbing us of our vitality and resources. Then just go resume the position and take it like a good citizen