A few days ago at lunch after golf I was listening to a good friend talk about his views of where America is today relative to some of the other great Nations, Kingdoms and Civilizations in history. His comments are not new to you I am sure but they did stir in me a new perspective about the current state of affairs in the Congress – both House and Senate – of the USA. He reads and follows history and spoke of the shift in Nations, Kingdoms and Civilizations past as the majority of their citizens and subjects became more and more enchanted with “Big Government” and their desire for it to provide them with more benefits, transfer of wealth – and their willingness to trade these benefits for Big Government making more and more decisions that effect the daily and long-term lives of the population.

He opines this shift in thinking about the role of government is not restricted to Democracies but has also been seen over time in the fall of Kingdoms, Dictatorships and Countries run by One Political Party. Why did they fail? It’s inevitable! The shrinking productive minority can not sustain the growing non productive majority and the result is economic collapse.

Many reasonable people believe that today in America the majority of the population – both legal and illegal – have clearly adopted the view of our current President and many Democrats that Government needs to “do more” for the people, to provide them an ever-increasing amount of benefits. To achieve these goals there are at least three givens: First, The Federal Government must grow and become even more powerful and controlling. Second, there will be an escalation in the transfer of wealth in the USA through increased taxes in various forms and finally, Three: This big Government will make more decisions for the entire population – thus reducing personal, financial and religious freedoms. A Nation can not have it both ways. If the minority is going to carry the majority things have to change and not for the better.

My friend reached back in history to the foundation of our Nation. Other than a few criminals that were thrown out of King George’s prisons to found the Georgia Colony – my personal heritage – this nation was founded by people who wanted three freedoms: personal – financial and religious. These three desires are the core of what made America great and how it became the “land of opportunity” like none that ever existed in history.

How? People took individual responsibility for their needs, wants and actions. Those who were so inclined worked hard and started the backbone of what is still the engine of today’s American economy – the creation and growth of small business and free enterprise. There was a connection between these entrepreneurial “pilgrims” and their Creator and they were free to worship Him without Big Government interference.

So where does that leave us today and what does this have to do with the stalemate, rancor, bitterness and political fighting in our Congress? It’s obvious to many of our citizenry where President Obama stands on these issues – who his supporters are – and where he wants to take the country. As I see it the only hope we have is that one leg of our Federal Government – The Congress – will see this grab for benefits and power for what it is and will do the only thing they can do – draw a line in the sand and say “no more” – we will not budge past this point. We will not give any more ground than we have already lost and in fact are looking to take back lost territory and correct bad decisions.

It seems obvious to me that many or at least the super majority of the members of the Democratic Party stand with President Obama in this movement towards effective governmental socialism. Sadly that leaves only a few Democrats and The Republican Party to draw this much-needed line in the sand and fight for principles they know are right.

What are the natural results of this type of political, philosophical and world view differences? Stalemates, rancor, bitterness and political fighting in Congress.

I used to be upset and disappointed that the members of Congress could not get along – could not have a greater spirit of compromise. Like my vote for Obama in 2008 that was faulty thinking. My view now is that our only hope is that wise and discerning members of Congress – both Democrats and Republicans draw the line in the sand – saying no more compromise and sliding towards Socialism. We will have stalemates and what ever else is necessary to prevent this great Nation from going the way of the Nations, Kingdoms and Civilizations of the past that pursued a Big Government policy that was their economic undoing.

Uncle Larry