Townhall.com ^ | June 3, 2013 | Terry Paulson
On Memorial Day, tears were shed as programs across the country honored and
prayed for those men and women who sacrificed their dreams in order that we
might live out our own. Some Americans who had lost a son or daughter, a spouse,
or a parent never got to see their loved one reach their full potential. Those
soldiers who died left their dreams in their graves.
Their loss is made even worse by an administration that is doing all it can
to kill the dreams of Americans they fought to preserve. President Obama's plan
for creating jobs takes more and more money from private citizens and companies
so that his administration can hire more government workers and fund more
government projects. This funds President Obama's dream, not yours.
Many complain that conservatives only want to protect "the rich." It's not
the rich that conservatives need to protect. The truly wealthy will take care of
themselves. They can move resources, relocate companies, and shelter income to
avoid the worst machinations of Washington's tax policies.
Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary because he receives
no salary. He doesn't need a salary. His extensive investments feed his
lifestyle and fund his future investments. Government taxes investment income at
a lower level to encourage savings and the capital investment all economies
need.
President Obama's assault on the top 2% of wage owners is not a punishment on
the truly wealthy; it's an assault on the "new rich." His taxes hit those
successful entrepreneurs who invested in their own idea, worked hard, created
jobs, and reaped the benefits of their success. Instead of being honored and
rewarded, they watch as Washington takes more and more of their earned reward.
At a time many would want to expand their companies, ObamaCare and increased
government regulations have just increased their costs.
The gap between the average "rich" and "poor" American may have grown, but
the "new rich" do not easily stay rich. In the 2007 Treasury Study--"Income
Mobility in the US from 1996 to 2005," the biggest losses in income came not
from the poor but from the wealthiest income earners. The top 1% of income
earners in 1996 had their incomes halved by 2005. They were not getting ahead at
the expense of others; many lost ground.
Those aspiring to reach their dream, the top 20% of wage earners watched
their income increase a mere ten percent. Those Americans originally in the
bottom 20 percent saw a 91 percent increase in income. This is missed in many
statistics because such increases move people out of the lowest 20 percent. In
short, there is no permanent underclass or overclass. People can still succeed,
but President Obama is doing everything he can to punish those Americans who do!
He isn't punishing "old wealth”; he's punishing "new wealth." He doesn't
bring down the wealthy; he keeps out those trying to become wealthy. Abraham
Lincoln knew the value of preserving the American Dream: “I don’t believe in a
law to prevent a man from getting rich; it would do more harm than good. So
while we do not propose any war on capital, we do wish to allow the humblest man
an equal chance to get rich with everybody else.”
Though often wrongly attributed to Abraham Lincoln, it was William John Henry
Boetcker, an American religious leader and influential public speaker, who first
penned "The Ten Cannots:" "You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging
thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help
little men by tearing down big men. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling
down the wage payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot
establish sound security on borrowed money. You cannot further the brotherhood
of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more
than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's
initiative and independence. And you cannot help men permanently by doing for
them what they can and should do for themselves."
Lincoln and Boetcker understood what President Obama and his fellow class
warriors just don’t understand. In a country that is built on personal
achievement and free enterprise, there need be no war between capital and labor.
When America is working its magic, capital and labor are the same people at
different stages of their lives. Workers work to save, then to invest, and
ultimately to become owners of capital themselves. They want opportunity not
more government programs designed to keep them dependent.
Though we should never forget those who gave their lives that we might have
the freedom to dream, may we do what we can to ensure that this and future
generations can still profit from the dreams those soldiers died to preserve.
DIOGENES invites you to pull up a chair on this fine day and read posts from around the world. The writing may lean to the right...but that's the way Diogenes wants it! You may leave your opinion, but Diogenes rarely changes his! WELCOME!
-
Free Government ^ | 1997 | Sraff Free government assisted cell phone programs have become more popular, in part, due to the poor economy ...
-
The Dems went down to Georgia They was looking for a seat to steal They were in a bind, 'cause they were way behind They were willing t...