THE WORST POVERTY !

Usually the word poverty refers to an individuals lack of money or material possessions. However, in my opinion, a hybrid form of poverty worse than being hungry or homeless is gripping America. It is a poverty of hope, spirit, and initiative.

When impoverished Americans from our inner cities, rural communities, or Appalachia are depicted in the media or by our government I see few skinny people. I see well fed people with cell phones, cars, televisions, shelters, and adequate clothing.

People in real poverty from third world countries are the shoeless, gaunt, cardboard hut living, food scrap eating, and raggedy clothed poor souls who genuinely lack money or material necessities.

As the US government spends more and more in social welfare schemes, private charities raise millions more in donations, and churches increase their help to our poor, the only thing that happens in America is the number of people claiming poverty INCREASES. By world standards, Americans claiming to be impoverished are blessed with things and social services far in excess of the truly poor people in other parts of the world.

Let me be clear that it would be wrong and unfair to broad brush all Americans on relief as opportunists gaming the government and other charities for free goodies. There are people who genuinely need and deserve help. However, far too many people observe the ease of a government dole or lining up for giveaways and the number of cheaters steadily increases year after year.

Because it has become so easy to be lazy and live a decent life at others expense, many people have traded their hope, and work ethic for bags of free food, rent subsidies, and all the other things offered gratis by government and charities.

I believe the greatest poverty in America is the loss of pride and initiative among a growing segment of the population who have the minds and bodies to do better than live on handouts. Unfortunately, The government will continue to buy easy votes with their charity, and private charities will always do the good works their belief systems direct.

Ultimately, the children and young adults of family groups living unfairly off the benevolence of others must break the cycle that is slowly eroding the treasure of our nation and hopes for our healthy economic future.       

GOVERNMENT LIARS

How often does our government legalize and promote something "in the best interests of the people", and then come along to undo the disaster of their own making ? Both republicans and democrats with long solemn faces and in the most serious tones lie and dodge accountability on a regular basis. Didn't Reid openly lie when he proclaimed that Romney didn't pay taxes, didn't Obama lie when he told Americans his health care scheme would be cheaper and provide better coverage than private health care plans ? Didn't Mr. Clinton lie when he told the world he did not have sex with the young intern ?

Slavery was legalized by our government centuries ago, and then undone after over 600 000 Americans were killed in a civil war. Politicians made the civil war happen because they could not compromise and follow the Constitution. The Korean and Vietnam conflicts were undeclared wars supported and funded by incompetent and lying politicians. While thousands of young men and women were slaughtered and maimed, Congress lacked the courage to make formal declarations of war. When the body bags and terribly injured combatants come home politicians stumble and make excuses for their lies and errors. Why are we expected to celebrate any peace treaty arranged by politicians that caused war in the first place ? We must seek out truth because our institutions sleep in the same bed as politicians. Contemporary historians back away from telling the truth to protect their government grant money and political pals. The MSM, so called intellectual elites, and entertainment crowd long ago dropped objectivity in favor of a left leaning bias.

Obamacare is a great example of why we must demand more honesty and transparency from our elected representatives. Like Johnson's "War on Poverty", Obamacare was crammed down the throats of taxpayers without many lawmakers reading and explaining the legislation and costs to the American people. Trillions of taxpayer dollars are wasted on secret deals and legislation designed to win votes for one party or the other. Too many times poorly informed voters become suckers drawn in by political ideologues and crooked lawmakers spewing out lies to promote their agenda to satisfy their lobbyists and political contributors.

Everyone makes mistakes, but the very least we should demand is more transparency, a whole lot more truth telling, and communication from our federal lawmakers. Unfortunately, too many politicians are blinded by MSM glory and are unwilling to do the hard work of vetting new legislation and constantly communicating with citizens. Perhaps a new twittering president with "breaking news" and news conferences every few minutes may seen a strange new phenomena, but it beats the hell out of secrecy and reading the ACA after it is passed by Congress as Pelosi famously declared.

Citizens who refrain from holding their Washington representatives accountable are assets to government liars. We the people must firmly continue the bloodless revolution at the ballot box to dismiss the men and women who shamelessly lie. They protect bad programs and cling to the assumption that they can continue to fool "we the people" indefinitely.     

If the American people continue to blindly trust politicians and remain ignorant of our Constitution,  laws, and their responsibility as informed and aroused citizens, our republic will crumble within the next few generations.