The Season to Be Hoodwinked

Okay, so I haven't been political too much on this blog. Sheesh, I'm a storyteller, right? A philospher. Not some talking head who publicly touts a political ideology. As well, many of my readers are younger and likely bored to death by such a discussion. This is unfortunate. Never in U.S. history, it seems to me, should we be teaching our children to be more attuned to politics and public events. But I have no control over that. All I have is this tiny blog.

Those who know me know that I am a staunch conservative. Perhaps I should start a new blog that discusses politics and leave this blog for fans of my creative works. But for now please allow me to break with my typical routine on Frost Cave and dabble a bit in politics. I'll judge the response later.

The news over the last few days regarding this new Tax Bill working its way through Congress has been at times humorous and at other times jawdropping. Humorous because I've never seen a political game played so transparently. Jawdropping because so many people appear so hoodwinked by it.

The "news" has been that President Obama has accepted an incredible compromise by agreeing to support this tax deal. We've been sold the notion that his actions have, at last, transcended his partisan political character. He has been represented as backpedaling on a campaign promise that he made to "roll back" the Bush era taxcuts for folks with incomes over 250K per year. Everyone has appeared awestruck that he would do this. Great hooplah has been made by the media regarding those in his party who are "angry" and feel "betrayed" by such backpedaling.

It's all a joke. It's such a con that I still don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Several weeks ago, in a historic mid-term election, the Republican Party trounced the Democratic Party and took back control of the House of Representatives and greatly increased their power in the Senate. Conservatives like me celebrated this victory. Then, right away, we began to bite our nails regarding what actions the "lame duck" Democrat-controlled Congress might take before the newly-elected Representatives and Senators took their seats in January. Rupublicans appeared (at first) to dig in their heels and demand that ALL tax cuts implemented by President George W. Bush would be maintained before any other legislation came to the floor. In other words, all that the Republicans wanted was a continuation of the "status quo." They weren't asking for anything new. No new restraints on government spending. No new tax cuts. No new anything. Just maintain the status quo.

Then, almost in the blink of an eye, new legislation is presented by the Democrats asking for huge increases in government spending. The figures I have heard range from 300 billion to 850 billion (sometimes I think the math is deliberately obscured and kept confusing). Remember, the Republicans have asked for nothing--"Just keep what we already have." The Democrats, however, are asking for a half trillion or so in new spending.

And this is being sold to the American people as a compromise??? I guess I don't understand the definition of that word anymore. And the media now lauds Obama as a brilliant and astute poltician because of his sudden willingness to work with Republicans??? Is America on Candid Camera?

Today I heard again the most dreaded words that I have ever heard Barack Obama speak. He said them last Christmas when he pushed through the new Health Care legislation. He said them the year before when the totality of stimulus debt tripled. Those words are: "Hurry and act quickly." Today he told the Senate and House of Representatives to "Hurry and act quickly" to pass this new Tax Bill and turn it into law. We're being told that if Congress does not "hurry and act quickly" that all America will suffer, the middle class will be reduced to poverty, and Santa Claus will not come down the chimney. To me those all-too-familiar, oft-repeated Obama words alone should cause Americans to throw on the brakes, take a deep breath, and think. Don't be fooled by all the babble suggesting that if we don't act now the world will come to an end. Heck, what's the harm in waiting for the new Congress to take their seats before we act at all? The media and the President are all telling us that if we DON'T "act quickly" ALL of President Bush's established tax cuts will irreversibly unravel. This is, of course, ridiculous. A new congress could easily make any new tax laws retroactive to the first of the year. But I haven't heard a single soul tell us the truth about this yet. Instead it's all "Hurry and act quickly."

I hope and pray that we don't allow this Christmas, like the previous two, to become Christmases wherein Americans are once again hoodwinked by our elected leaders into ballooning our national debt, further weakening our economy, making us more beholden to foreign debt-holders, and sapping the strength of America.

My voice is so small. What do I have?--a little over 300 subscribers? Yes, I can increase that reach by using Facebook, Twitter, and my other websites. Still, I feel terribly powerless. So few political conservatives have even recognized the deception.

Hoodwinked again. It's becoming an annual tradition.

A few are starting to recognize the deception. But very few. And by the time it's fully revealed, the legislation likely will already be passed and Obama and his administration will have a hard time suppressing the laughter as they sneak behind closed doors and toast another incredible victory. I guarantee you, if this legislation passes, in a couple of months every talking head on the airwaves will be discussing the utter foolishness of this supposed compromise--a "compromise" that ended up costing Americans another half-trillion dollars. But by then it will be too late.

All I can ask, I guess, is that if you have a voice, try to make it heard. Right now I feel like a very tiny Who down in Whoville, desperately trying to make myself heard with an insignificant "yalp." But maybe, with a little more help, that "yalp" can break through the clouds.