I wish I could write something funny about this week's headlines. I can't. Rioters in London are upset someone is cutting their benefits...and they hate rich people or something. Here in America, taxpayer money went to provide guns to Mexican drug dealers that ended up killing a border guard. Even members of the supposedly "grown up" party refuse to seriously look at evidence that the chief executive to enforce our laws - is himself a forger-er and identy thief. The world is so much in debt that the lenders would default if they actually foreclosed on those debtors. And a mom gets off with 1 year probation for either killing her little girl - or covering up the fact she was killed. Meanwhile, our own government and media yell and scream and demonize those who merely want to balance the checkbook.
Many of us have the look of our grandparents trying to figure out WHY people WATCH Snoop Doggy Dog, much less try and figure out what the heck he is saying.
It seems incomprehensible a Wisconsin union member would LET the state go bankrupt trying to pay ALL of their personal health expenses - rather than pony up a fraction of what others pay so A) Other necessary teachers won't be laid off and B) their own jobs won't be in jeapordy. Never mind that they will actually have less resources to do the job they kept!! And the rest of us shake our heads and we dont' understand how this decision can take longer than ordering a Chalupa at Taco Bell.
It's like 8 year olds have taken over all of the powers of the world..... And they need a beatin'.
You heard me. A good, bare butt, belt induced, red welt whipping!
This is what the whole Dr. Spock-self-esteem-no competition-permissive-'do what makes you happy' crap has gotten us. A world that is so worried about how things "look" or how they or someone else "feels," that common sense has become a concept instead of a lifestyle.
(why do I sound like Grumpy Old Man right now?)
My parents did a lot of amazing things for me. I only remember my dad saying more than one sentance to me when he (painfully) tried to explain the facts of life to me. But the man took 2 and 3 jobs his entire life so that I could be in Boy Scouts, 4-H, and have pucca shells and a silk shirt for my high school dance. (I know - I'm old enough to be part of the disco duck generation.) My mom got caught up in the whole "Dr. Spock" mass-hypnotism of the 70's which seemed great when they were telling me how I could run the universe someday - but really sucked when I got to college and couldn't balance a checkbook.
It took me a week to realize the bank wouldn't cover my checks for pizza stromboli's and blue jeans like my parents did. WTH!?? My battle with money skills has been a life-long campaign but I have no problem jumping into projects that would intimidate Donald Trump. Why? it's how my parents trained me. (Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it!)
I was already too long gone into rebellion when they tirelessly failed to coerce me into the army - likely suspecting that they'd missed the boat on creating discipline in me. But hard knocks, and and a loving God who allowed me to get banged and bruised in life helped me to cobble together some sense of integrity, discipline, hard work and propriety. All elements that are badly needed in the world today.
I'm jealous of a number of friends of mine who are not insolated from the troubles of life, but they have a built in 'sense' about risk taking and propriety. They KNEW it was better to wait until they had a nest egg before considering going into business themselves, rather than 'rolling the dice' with no safety net. All these friends had strong fathers who INTENTIONALLY made them work hard and deprived them of "fun"many of their classmates had growing up.
Do you remember the TV ad campaign for FRAM OIL FILTERS back years ago? (http://bit.ly/quU0Hf) It showed an auto mechanic explaining to some nitwit (like me), that although it wasn't an emergency - it would be wise to pay a bucks now for preventive maintenance on the car instead of having to pay thousands when it inevitbably would fall apart. The tagline was epic. "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later."
Our society for 60 years has been focused on the "pay tomorrow but take it home today" mentality. Someone who suggests you postpone a purchase until you have cash for it is dissmissed as a "radical" or "extremist." But they don't stop to think that although they are enjoying that new "mattress" or HD TV the 'same day' as their credit approval, they've often paid TWICE or THREE times it's real value! They could have bought a SLEEP COMFORT bed for the price of their SEALY or bought a 72" HOME THEATER instead of their 32" Flat Plasma! Only with a little patience.
Whether it is PERSONAL or NATIONAL money management - it's NOT just that the liberals don't understand they are robbing their children's lifestyle and safety - IT IS THAT THEY DONT WANT TO! When I deprived my 6 year old daughter of ice cream before her birthday dinner I was "MEAN." But she eventually got her ice cream AND pizza AND had the proper energy to stay up for 4 hours playing with her Barbie Space Station (or whatever it was.)
There is almost a demonic addiction all around us to instant gratification. When one casually suggest a calm, objective look at spending ONLY what we have (and not robbing future generations), you are met with vulgar, emotional outbusts of rage in some quarters. (Yes. That is THE symptom of "demonic.")
And we WILL 'pay' one way or the other. Every society that has fallen into a lack of moral discpline - whether sexual, financial or behaviorial - crumbles. ALWAYS! Wars are ALWAYS started because of some perceived injustice. Whether it is through lust of acquiring something that is NOT rightfully theirs (Hitler) or, to cast off immoral control (Revolutionary and Civil wars) - there is always a battle for enforcing what is "right." And you notice after the 'evil' side looses (eventually) - there is a period of growth. Just like after spanking our children, they behave themselves until their litlte thoughts get back out of control!
How do you know WHICH is the "right" and which is the "evil". Pretty simple. Look at the outcome of their decisions after 20 years. But we are in a time when people call "good" bad and "bad" good. And I'm not just talking about Michael Jackson (you know it). A BUSINESS jouranlist - called Michelle Bauchmann's statement that she was vindicated in her desire to NOT see the Boehner bill passed as a lie. WHAT? We were told that passing the Boehner bill would keep us from defaulting. (a lie). It would keep us from being downgraded (a lie). And that Republicans we be well thought of if they just went along and compromised. Hmmm. Seems now everyone admist there would NOT have been a default, we were still downgraded and the Republicans are STILL evil the eyes of the main stream media! Even the noted economist Thomas Sowell, retracted his "pro-Boehner" deal position this week!
It just astounds some of us that Harvard educated "enlightened ones" - and those who are too lazy to do their own reserach - can't see this pattern.
In his book, Money, Greed, and God: Why Capitalism Is the Solution and Not the Problem, Jay Richards talks about the seduction that socialism or communisim is more "caring." (and not in the @KurtSchlicter way). Without an understanding of the "laws" of economics, that argument seems right. Why should someone suffer without the guarantee of medical help or the fear of not having money for groceries in a country that creates 25% of the world's wealth? Are we not caring? If we are Christian, are we not commanded to "love" one another?The problem is that those of us who are maturing - understand 2 things. First, there isn't enough financial, emotional or time capital to 'help' on a continuing basis. Those who have had friends ask for a loan find out quickly - that if you don't say 'no' YOU are the one who will need help! Ask MC Hammer! Now he really does mean, 'Ya Can't Touch This!" And second, welfare will addict a person to the point they have NO control or freedom in their life. They become a slave to those who be their source without an ability to create and sustain others - like their OWN family.
Richards says that he initially bought into the socialist argument, but as he studied 3 more years, the evidence was indisputable in the real life fall of the USSR. And, like many of us, he thougth the argument was over. Capitalism gives a much better life in every way to those in "it's" society than any other form of governmnet. It is stunning to see we are fighting the same battle Ronald Reagan argued all over again.
But too many are too sheepish to realize WHY this argument has come back. Jefferson, Adams and others made it VERY clear. Adams wrote,
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Like the small print about backing up your computer data, we think that is for OTHER people who might use their computer for frisbee practice or something. Then when it happens to us - we realize we weren't all that wise in "paying" at the start so we didn't have to pay now! (and that reminds me I haven't run Carbonite for 2 weeks.)
This statement by Adams wasn't a casual religious sacrifice by an old fuddy duddy who wasn't 'enlightened.' In truth, Adams and Jefferson might have been more well read than any thousand modern economists, philosophers or college professors. They both had a burning desire to figure out WHY some civilizations succeeded and why many great ones failed. They spent more brain power studying the cause and effect relationship of human nature and it's governance than almost any modern day pschological researcher or anthropologist. And others have had similar motivations and education, but their track record is pretty damn good - suggesting they actually WERE right.
What they learned was that people would need to trade immediate comfort for future security. They would need to trust in a God that would not only be merciful where they 'missed' it, but they would strive for moral 'right' to not incur the inevitable discipline that would create affliction.
For whom the LORD loves he corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights (Proverbs 3:12)
God isn't this mean guy waiting to swat us like a fly when we screw up. He is loving and merciful. However, as we know with our children, if we don't TRAIN THEM to self regulate themselves - they will suffer WORSE pain down the road.
I have not followed the Casey Anthony story excpet for a few headlines and the observation of my 'tweet-stream' - but I gather that most are appaled she would go dancing the night of her daughter's appearance. I don't know anything about her upbringing, and it still very possbile with parents who whipped her butt at a young age - she still might be bent toward evil. By it is guaranteed it is much less likely.
And God in His wisdom understands this. Greece, Italy, France and even Great Britain could completely collapse. And out of that horrible pain, discipline will be learned. A large number of people will not want to go through that again, and will at least - temporarily - put in the work necessary. When those "on the dole" no longer have a government check, they will keep stealing or be killed doing so. Most others will adjust to finding a way to farm or earn SOMETHING the honest way and life will go on.
DIdn't we learn this during welfare reform? Weren't we told how AWFUL it would be to force this pressure on the poor - but instead even THEY began proclaim how much more self-worth they had?
Any GOOD parent will do everything they can to TRY and get their child to listen to how to avoid it - and EMBRACE it as a lifestyle.
And some parents are much more instant and severe in their discipline in hopes that they will 'self govern' themselves later in life.
The world needs that Daddy. And the world needs to be listening to Him now.
0 comments:
Post a Comment