Jim’s State of the Union-OMG

The day before President Obama’s inauguration, the average price for gasoline was $1.83 per gallon. Today, in the Birmingham area, it’s running between $3.14 - $3.39 per gallon, that is a 78% increase in three years and there is no relief in sight. Do you remember Obama promising you “skyrocketing energy prices”, well you can’t say he doesn’t keep his promises. Not only is it costing you more to drive to work but it’s driving up the cost of everything that involves fuel, like corn, eggs, milk, bread, peas, paper towels, underwear, socks, shoes and everything else you can think of, it’s INFLATION. But wait you say, the Gov says inflation’s under control, yeah because they don’t include things like gas prices and food cost in their calculations, just like they don’t count those that have given up looking for work in the unemployment figures. We’re just little common people and they just need to make the numbers simple so we feel better. Well I don’t feel better because I’m watching three things that I like a lot evaporate before my eyes, those being LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS.

One can define America’s greatness in many eloquent ways but let’s not forget the simple concept of something called “disposable income”. That’s that little bit we have left after the bills are paid, the fruits of our labor that we can enjoy. It’s our cell phone, a vacation, money given to charity or maybe a meal out once in a while. Why do I mention “disposable income”, because just where do you think these inflationary increases in the cost of living are paid from, at least until its gone. After that it will come from a reduced standard of living but don’t worry, if we’re lied to and don’t know the truth maybe it won’t hurt so much. Speaking of lying, have you heard any of this in the media, even the vaunted Fox News seems to be missing quite a bit lately, like the massive credit downgrade of Europe last Friday. Europe is on the verge of collapse and that collapse will drag our markets down with them but is anyone other than GBTV telling us about it? We’re getting lots of primary news and BS stories of the lost dog that found its way home but there’s lots going on in the world that we’re not hearing. Why?

Speaking of news coverage, does anyone remember last Novembers ouster of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and installation of his unelected successor Mario Monti, a EU technocrat. This sounds a lot like the beginnings of Fascism, something that Italy has a history of with tragic result. We heard very little of this when it happened and certainly nothing of what it means for the freedom of the Italian people. Those of you that read Von Hayek’s “Road To Serfdom” may feel this situation familiar.  Von Hayek, in 1944, warned the Europeans that their infatuation with Socialism would end badly as Socialism, Communism, Marxism and Fascism all end in totalitarianism. Only Free Market Capitalism is compatible with personal liberty and freedom. Are we now seeing Von Hayek’s prophecy coming to fruition, the end of free markets and personal freedom in Europe, I don’t know but I know no one in the media is asking the question.

Another little issue that’s not being discussed in the media is our national debt. This 15 trillion (soon to be 16 trillion) dollars of debt is not the government’s debt, IT IS OUR DEBT. We will pay this debt, as will our children, our grand children, our great grandchildren and their great grand children.  We will pay this debt through direct taxation or by the government inflating our economy, meaning we will pay at the cash register. What do you think this debt will do to our economy and by extension to our Pursuit of Happiness. Can anyone really pursue happiness without the economic means to bring that pursuit to reality. Well, maybe if we just don’t think about any of this it will go away and won’t hurt us, yeah and I believe in unicorns too. The media is talking about this Novembers election all day long but the question that’s going unasked is “will there be anything left to govern when the election's done"?