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Chapter 2
The department store is busy, and
prices seem real high for this big box discounter that promises low
prices. Everything is imported
these days, and having a lot of friends out of work, not sure I can
comprehend that with our own country starving for jobs.
What is this, the Senator, Douglas is going to be here today?
So that is what all that commotion was outside the store when I
came in. I thought I saw
camera equipment. I will have
to check that out when I get done. The
prices here changed fast. I
paid half that a couple of months ago for this same package of shipping
tape.
“And we saved lots of money in the
budget this year” the senator barks out continuing, “we cut the number
of locations for government offices, reducing the staff, the overhead, all
to keep your taxes low! With
our tax cut plan, your economy will grow again, and if you get a Democrat
in there as President we will work to keep them low, and the new economy
will pave the way for a future that you and your kids will enjoy!”
“Senator, all it means is I have to drive further to get my farm
assistance and the lady working there doesn’t even know what we grow in
our area!” “Yes ma’am,
but for the few times a year you drive up, we saved the government 110
million dollars. You sir,”
Do you have a question?” He’s
pointing at me! “Uh…
well… yes Senator. Many of
them actually; let’s start with the economy.
How do you believe the
US
economy will grow when the trade deficit is increasing, our manufacturing
is going overseas, and our productivity is low in comparison?
How do you believe it is going to grow when our economic system is
spending more than it is earning, relying on information as a product and
value added food; and the entertainment industry is our leading export
now. We aren’t making
anything that we can earn this living with.
How do you believe when we are so far of the simple norm of
productivity, and perceived wealth of cheap goods, how do you believe
Senator, when the system is getting so far out of kilter from the
fundamental laws of economics that any successful small business with cash
flow can see, that cutting taxes will be the fix for our problem, and our
kids?”
There was drop dead silence.
The senator was speechless. The
cameras, the crews, the people that assembled were totally silent, all
standing there staring at me. This
was on a day that would have thought to be pretty normal.
This was not normal. The
silence was finally broken by the Senator.
“Well what kind of answer do you have to fix the problem might I
ask?” I thought for a
minute, “It’s simple. The
free enterprise economy started long before money.
It started with the bartering system.
Folks grew their food, crafted goods, and traded for things they
needed. If they offered a well
built item, or had a good sustainable crop, they would have plenty to
trade for anything they wanted. The
wealth was there to provide for their cell of economy.
Every business in
America
is like that too. You do well,
you have things, and some people with successful companies have lots of
things! This is the
fundamental free enterprise system Senator.
Your economy with world trade is a giant bartering community, a
giant conglomerate of companies if you will.
I am just wondering what your giant conglomerate company called the
United States economy is making as a whole, and if it is more than it’s
spending. We have a trade
deficit, not surplus. World
trade needs to be “brought in”, not throw us out of business!
Combine our free enterprise system with all other systems at once
is jeopardizing our entire fundamental system!
We have no plan, yet the opportunities and needs of the world are
apparent and abundant. We have
been out of kilter for a really long time Senator.
There is also a fundamental need for us of recirculation of that
money within our system to share the level of success more evenly for the
free enterprise system to work, Senator Sir.
A reasonable percentage of goods that are sold need to be mandated
for big box stores as one example to be American products in
America
. It is the logic of the
economy! It is also the big
box store’s responsibility to the system they participate in, of
recirculation of that money. If
it all comes from outside the country, we are their biggest customer, but
we are just buying items, and have nothing to show for it ourselves.”
Again there was drop dead silence.
The media was staring, the senator was staring, and the group that
gathered was all looking at me. I
figured I had done enough for one day, so I politely said, “thank you
very much for fielding my question Senator Douglas.
It would be good for you to work on that…”
I walked off, and thought, take that…
I never had much respect for
rhetoric. Politicians have so
many canned speeches. I wonder
if they realize why they are politicians, rather than just for that
healthy paycheck and that easy executive life.
Well off to my little piece of this wonderful economy I go.
At least I can work on my part it.
God help the country…
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