What Does America Want?

To all of you who know me fairly well, you know that I'm very political, but what I am not is someone who wants to bother, or annoy, or piss off other people. Whatever political party or ideology you follow, as long as you are respectful and knowledgeable, you are adding to what makes America a democracy, and that's great. I write these notes because I feel like America is quickly spinning into extremism. Blame the Media, or politicians or just our culture. I feel that people are becoming more and more extreme with less and less knowledge, and the only way to defeat that is by having knowledgeable, respectful discussions. So, let's talk.

Big Government vs. Small Government.

If you ask almost anyone, they will tell you that Republicans (or Conservatives) want small government, and Democrats (or Liberals) want big government. I've been taught that since Middle School, but when you actually apply it to today's politics, it means absolutely nothing.

The Patriot Act, Secret overseas prisons that completely disregard habeas corpus, terror alert levels. These are all programs created by a Conservative administration, and they are eerily big government. Big Brother kind of stuff. Completely the opposite of everything "small government". Spying on journalists? Especially on the ones who publicly disagreed with the previous Conservative administration? All of these things amount to a monster that could eat Watergate for Breakfast. Oh yeah, Watergate, another Conservative ordeal involving espionage, bribery, and threats.

I understand that most of those programs listed above were created to keep America safe, but to quote one of my favorite Founding Fathers, "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. " Thank you, Mr. Benjamin Franklin.

Now let's talk about another area Conservatives claim to be "small". Taxes. The first "five-letter" four-letter word. Taxes. The word of death to all politicians. The single most hated thing in this country. Taxes. Now, don't get me wrong, every time I see how much money comes out of my paycheck and goes straight to the government, I get angry. "Wait a second! That's MY money!", but then I take two seconds to just think. Let's say we end taxes in America. No more taxes. Done. Public Education is now Private, and now you're paying a few thousand dollars a month, on top of book fees for all of your children. We need to build some bridges! Let's have some corporations build them?

If we eliminate government and leave it all to the private sector, we end up where we are in real estate. Corporations got greedy. People decided to live FAR beyond their means, and made bad decisions. We all got screwed. After all of this went down, every Republican was screaming "OVERSIGHT!" at the top of their lungs. Too little too late.

If we choose to not reform healthcare, and leave this system as it is, America will be completely bankrupt. The recession we are going through now will be a full blown depression. Our healthcare system is the single most expensive healthcare system in the world, and one of the least efficient. Why are we waiting to get screwed, only to say "We won't let THAT happen again!". Let's not let it happen ever.

Many of you will say, "of course companies screw us! But the government screws us too!". Of course it does, but we can hold the government accountable. We can reelect. We can run for office. We can protest. It's not in the best interest for the government to screw us. And let's get real here. Do you think these Senators and Congressmen get their paychecks from tax payers, and happily whistle back home? These guys are not employed by the people, they are employed by corporations. They are paid millions by healthcare companies. Republicans, democrats. Almost everyone. And we want government to be smaller? To have less control over these corporations?

What do you want, America? You want to be left alone by the big bad government, and let the free market take care of us all? You want all of the services but you don't want to pay?

I was taught to share with others when I was a kid. Why is it that we forget that common courtesy when we grow up? I am by no means rich. I am a broke college student, but I pay taxes. I donate to homeless associations constantly. I know, I know, I know. "Donating is great! I just don't like it when the government reaches into MY pockets, into MY money, and spends it". I know. It sucks. Your money is going off to pay for things you don't agree with. I look at my taxes, and I know that my money is going off to pay for the Iraq War, and trust me, it KILLS me. It hurts me to know that my money is paying for bombs to be dropped on innocent people. But I also know that my money is going towards schools, and amazing public programs that make a difference in people's lives, and THAT makes it worth it.

So think about that when you pay your taxes. Think about how you're giving back to this country. Before you dump bags of tea into a body of water, ask yourself, "What the hell am I fighting for?". Are you fighting for tradition? Are you fighting for an old political ideal that no longer exists?

What do you want, America? Do you want a country filled with greedy, isolated, and skeptical people? When we were kids, Robin Hood was a hero, so why is it that everything changes when we grow up? Why is "One for All, All for One" a good thing in fantasy, but a bad thing in reality?

More than ever, it's time we actually think about who we are, and where we stand, and why. Think about if you would disappoint a younger version of yourself. Think about the labels you've given yourself and others, and question whether or not they mean the same thing you think they mean. Think about what it is that you want.