This'n'That; November 3rd[Moron-Millionaires;Quote]

Are They Like Us?

[Not NO, but HELL NO!!! Even though almost half the senators can't gain membership into the "Millionaire's Club," the vast majority are considerably better off than you or I. PHOTO AT RIGHT: The 535 member "Congressional Moron Caucus"]

Nearly half the Senators now in office don’t qualify for the chamber’s famed “millionaires club.” But they’re still probably wealthier than you. A Roll Call analysis of Senate financial disclosure forms filed in 2009 shows 48 of the chamber’s Members fell short of the $1 million mark, but nonetheless nearly all reported minimum net worths above the typical American household. The remaining 50 Senators record minimum net worths of at least $1 million or more. The survey included 98 Senators:

• Sen. John Kerry (d-Mass.) — the richest Member of Congress overall — who tops the list with a minimum net worth of at least $167.55 million,
• Overall, the chamber claims a combined minimum net worth of nearly $651 million, or an average of about $6.64 million per Senator. The median value of the Senators registers at $1.06 million, falling between Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) at a minimum net worth of $1 million and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) at $1.12 million.
• There is a great deal of concern because the Senate does not reflect the demographics of the country as a whole.
• Roll Call’s analysis of Senators’ wealth is based solely on the information lawmakers must provide in their annual 2009 financial disclosure reports, which cover calendar year 2008. Two senators- Max Baucus and Debbie Stabenow; each recorded a negative net worth; most probably some version of "fluffy math." Even without the added value related to major assets, 92 of those Senators reported net worth above that of typical American households.
• According to a U.S. Census Bureau report issued in 2008, the median net worth for households headed by 55- to 64-year-olds reached $133,000 — or just $34,000 excluding home equity — in 2002, the most recent data available.

A 1770 Quote Applicable To Today's America

[This quote goes a long way to explain how and why the Lion "Clown Prince" is what he is....]

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over lousy fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average of the world's great civilizations before they decline has been 200 years. These nations have progressed in this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependency back again to bondage. Alexander Fraser Tyler, Cycle of Democracy (1770)

Although I hate to admit it, the quote seems to have validity! Let's have a closer look at it-line-by-line:

"From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury....."

There have always been crooked politicians, just as there are today. In the 19th century, the politicians pacified the largest companies with contracts, advantageous tax policy and "under-the-table" largess from the public coffers. In the 20th Century the crooks' antics evolved to a more direct "vote buying" tactic: It began with all the "alphabet" programs and the inherent government growth of the FDR era. While putting more and more of the public on the federal dole, FDR's bungling of the largest economic downturn in history, caused vast economic devastation-lasting until the outbreak of World War II. Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" did nothing more than put large number of democRAT voters on public welfare. Each successive president continued to enlarge the welfare program. "Slick-Willie" Clinton performed his usual slight-of-hand in reforming the welfare program[s]. Rather than actually removing any voters from the rolls, he simply "slid" them over to SSI-how clever is that!! Now, obama is on track to "trump 'em all!!!" His Trillion dollar bailouts; his Trillion dollar fluffyCare reform; his proposed multi-Trillion dollar "Crap and Tax" program; his ownership or control of over 30% of the economy; his nearly forty czars and czarinas making decisions on every aspect of American life-all done WITHOUT constitutional authority; WITHOUT or congressional approval!!

".... with the result that a democracy always collapses over lousy fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship."

The "lousy fiscal policy" is no more evident than the Lion "Clown Prince's" current path into American economic destruction! He's currently proving many points;

• Point One: An inexperienced, immature puppet with an immense ego has no place in guiding a multi-trillion dollar economy; in formulating domestic policy; in guiding the foreign policy of a nation long consider 'the lone super power.' And a puppet, he is!!
• Point Two: When the public followed this egomaniac's "Campaign-of Fluff," they were lulled into believing that they would be voting for the Lion "Clown Prince" .....NOT SO!! They were voting for Fluffy's handlers: George Soros, John Podesta, Rahm Emanuel, Andy Stern, Oprah Winfrey, the Hollywood elite, ACORN, SEIU, The Working Families Party among many, many others!!

The "Clown Prince" will remain insolated and isolated from any input from the American populus, remaining free to take the country further along the downward spiral toward fascism!!

"The average of the world's great civilizations before they decline has been 200 years."

Given that this great country actually began with the revolution in 1776; was actually constituted in 1781, it seems that we Americans have been "living on borrowed time" either from 1976 or 1981!! That means our federal government should have been "hitler-esque" for the last 28 to 33 years-not just now starting on January 20th, 2009!!! These nations have progressed in this sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;

This step actually started prior to the pilgrims arriving on the shores of the new world. King George III and his predecessors had so dominated ever facet of a serf's life-they brought the westward migration out of Europe upon themselves. These future pilgrims had such a desire to worship in their own ways that they rose up enmass-though relatively peacefully-to quietly act on their desire for religious freedom.

From faith to great courage;

The pilgrims' faith led to the great courage necessary to cross a vast largely uncharted ocean to a land of unknown assets as well as dangers. They suffered greatly with illness and fear!!

From courage to liberty;

Upon their arrival in the new world, the pilgrims' courage not only continued but grew exponentially!! They faced starvation, hostile natives, hostile environements and, wild animals. But herein lie their liberty; freedom to do pretty much as they liked; freedom to make their own decisions, be they economic or religious or the structure of their government..... EVERYTHING--whole new, unknown, untold responsibilities!!!

From liberty to abundance;

From this new liberty was born abundance. Using the liberty of making any and all their own decisions, they could be wealthy or a pauper; they could live in a grand mansion or a hovel; they could worship constantly or not at all; they could build great businesses or continue their serfdom; they could aid their fellow man or horde their accumulated wealth.

From abundance to selfishness;

Whether families amassed great fortunes, were just average or were "poor as church mice," they tended to hold onto whatever they had earned and accumulated. Fear of the future had bred selfishness.

From selfishness to complacency;

Continued selfishness had walled the individual family off from the community at large. They basked in the contentment brought on by their accomplishments, isolated from the very society that put them where they are.

From complacency to apathy;

This contentment further bred a disinterest in anything of importance.

From apathy to dependency;

Given the disinterest, they refused participation in anything that required the least bit of attention or action. Right under their noses, other forces had slowly, quietly guided government at all levels into areas not beneficial to the common citizen. Fortunes were lost, work ethic was replaced by feeding at the federal largess.

From dependency back again to bondage.

The more that benefited by the federal giveaway programs, the more that became nothing more than "yes-men" for whatever government leader was in power at the time. "Yes-men" who lived in fear that any negative word would cut off their benefits and they'd have to go back to "workin' for a livin'!!" These "yes-men" are now in bondage to the welfare check and the food stamps!!! The welfare and food stamp recipient is nothing more than a "slave" to the federal "massa'!!" BONDAGE: 1. The state of one who is bound as a slave or serf. 2. A state of subjection to a force, power or influence. Til Nex'Time....