You didn’t build that

What he actually said

Last night I received an e-mail with a link, alerting me of another LTTE that was full of distortions. This morning I reread the letter and decided to address the issue and only mention the letter writer (without using his name) for background information. The letter writer's logic is not unique, so my response is to all who hold his views. I don't do "cold turkey" but I thought it was pretty good advice not to mention locals who chose not to participate in this venue...It's my version of a  12-step program...:-)

It's funny because I hated diagramming sentences when I was in high school, but I suspect it was because I didn't know what I was looking for, and the "compound predicates" confused me into submission...:-). Today that's what I do with a post, letter, or an article when I want more clarity. Hey, it only took 45 years for me to get some use from it.

The very first sentence told me that the letter writer was a red- baiter who still fears the socialists of the Cold War, and it was yet another us vs. them(government) letter. You read this letter in our fine hometown newspaper, The Victoria Advocate, or you can read it here.

I didn't need a clarification of Obama's speech because I understood the context on the day he gave it. The ad Mitt Romney aired- cut out the part where Obama emphasized that infrastructure, friends, teachers, parents and relatives helped everyone of us along the way. The Romney campaign knows that because Mitt Romney told the 2002 Olympians, “You Olympians, however, know you didn't get here solely on your own power. For most of you, loving parents, sisters or brothers, encouraged your hopes, coaches guided; communities built venues in order to organize competitions. All Olympians stand on the shoulders of those who lifted them. We’ve already cheered the Olympians; let’s also cheer the parents, coaches, and communities."..You tell me the difference between the two speeches.

The letter stated that everyone paid taxes to provide the necessities, but that's only partially true. Ask the residents of Cuero, Yorktown and Kennedy if the big Ford Shale trucks are paying proportionately for what their damage has done to the roads. The letter goes onto define success in a limited sort of way because even the guy in the Romney ad had several thousand dollars available to him in government grants and loans. Its equivalent of someone getting into the front door because of affirmative action and then denying others by saying, “I did this all on my own."

How quaint, the writer stated, “the rich should pay taxes at a reasonable higher rate but Obama chooses to ignore reason, the economy, and the jobs provided by the rich." A quick look at the stock market and corporate financial reports will tell you that the corporations and the rich are doing reasonably well in this economy. The jobs are not there because there is no demand that justifies a lot of hiring. The 2001 & 2003 Bush tax cuts benefited the rich but did not produce jobs, and that's a matter that cannot be disputed. He can call it demonizing the rich all he wants but this weekend; they'll be out on their yachts not worrying about the problems of the middle class.

The last paragraph of the letter emphasizes the need for understanding economics' instead of repeating partisan talking points. Turn off the television when a political ad comes on because like all the other advertisements, they are meant to prey on the uninformed. I don't think the informed are stupid; they're just occupied with more important things in his or her life. That's too bad because politicians know that and will take full advantage. We need to know that outsourcing started 30 years ago and it had nothing to do with President Obama, Mitt Romney or Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric. How ironic, quoting Albert Einstein saying,” The difference between stupidity and genius is genius has its limits."... If someone is getting their information from political television ads, then they don't know politics or anything about the issues because the 30-second ads are subliminal messages designed to fool the uninformed.

I've decided since "Mohammed cannot go to the mountain. I'm going to bring the mountain to me" meaning that my main mission at Vic Ad was to present my side of the issues; I can't do that anymore because I refuse to join Facebook. I wish that I had more opposition because that's the only way that we can turn the corner. Too many people take it for granted that the sole thing the left wants is government intervention to protect the interest of the poor and disadvantaged. That gives the right the chance to put portray progressive and liberals as wanting to tax the winners in society in order to reward the losers, and then they can put on a charade as being the champions of a hard work and innovation. Progressives and liberals in Washington are starting to make inroads now, by accusing conservatives for pushing the agenda of the wealthy. Liberals and progressives need to continue the narrative because the rules governing the markets are written by the rich and powerful and they are meant to redistribute the wealth upward.

In the coming months, I will give my version of how the game is fixed to benefit the affluent. The wealthy will complain about the Federal Reserve but will use it for their advantage, and conservatives will always portray themselves as free marketers, but they aren't. A free market does not need “Free trade agreements or patents and copyright protection." As always, I will welcome contradiction.