Here’s the podcast.
If you want to read along, here is the script.
HI EVERYONE.
TODAY IS THURSDAY October 25, 2012.
COMING TO YOU FROM THE BEACH IN SUNSET BEACH, NORTH CAROLINA.
THE TOPIC TODAY.
THIS AN ELECTION OF FEAR AND FIRING.
LET’S TALK ABOUT FIRING.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE IN A FIRING MOOD.
IN 2000 – THEY WERE FED UP WITH BILL CLINTON’S ANTICS IN THE WHITE HOUSE. SURE, THEY FORGAVE HIM YEARS LATER. BUT REMEMBER, THE ECONOMY WAS BEGINNING TO SLOW IN 2000 – AFTER THE TECH BUBBLE BURST. THAT DIDN’T HURT CLINTON, BUT IT DID HURT AL GORE.
IN 2006, VOTERS WERE UPSET WITH GEORGE W. BUSH. INSTEAD OF FIRING HIM, THEY FIRED THE GOP – AND GAVE THE DEMOCRATS CONTROL.
THEY CONTINUED CLEANING OUT THE GOP BY ELECTING BARACK OBAMA AND GIVING HIM CONTROL OF BOTH HOUSES.
BUT THE DEMOCRATS STUMBLED. SURE THEY PASSED OBAMA CARE BUT THEY DID IT AT THE TIME WHEN JOBS AND THE ECONOMY WERE REELING.
SO, VOTERS FIRED THE DEMOCRATS FROM THE HOUSE – AND BARELY LET THEM HOLD ONTO THE SENATE – THUS CREATING GRIDLOCK AND ACRIMONY.
TO ME, THE VOTERS HAVE BEEN SAYING WORK TOGETHER OR WE GET RID OF YOU.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES DON’T GET IT. THEY PANDER TO THE SPECIAL INTERESTS AND THE MONEY THAT IS USED TO BRIBE THEM.
A NOTE HERE: I USE THE TERM BRIBERY WHEN IT COMES TO MAJOR DONORS.
WHAT’S WORSE FOR VOTERS IS THAT YOU CAN’T FIRE THEM ALL. WE FEEL LIKE THE OLD GENERAL WHO SHOOTS EVERY TEN SOLDIER IN THE HEAD TO DISCOURAGE DESSERTION.
THAT SHOULD SCARE POLITICIANS, BUT IT DOESN’T. THEY GET PAID; GO ONTO CUSHY JOBS; AND HAVE THEIR POWER. PLUS IN HOUSE SEATS THEIR DISTRICTS ARE GERRYMANDERED TO KEEP THEM IN POWER.
INSTEAD, WE – THE PUBLIC – TAKE ON THE FEAR.
ON THE FEAR SIDE OF THIS EQUATION, I WILL REFER TO SOME PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE AND CONVERSATIONS HERE.
FIRST, MY WIFE TERI. SHE ADMITS TO FEAR OF A ROMNEY WIN OR A REPUBLICAN TAKE-OVER OF CONGRESS – BECAUSE OF WOMEN’S ISSUES. SHE IS LIVID AT THE REPUBLICAN DISDAIN OR DISMISSAL OF WOMEN – AND THE SOMETIMES STUPID AND IGNORANT PRONOUNCEMENTS ABOUT ABORTION, CONTRACEPTION, AND FAIR PAY. SHE FEARS A MALE DOMINATED WORLD WHERE WOMEN ARE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS GETTING BACK-ALLEY ABORTIONS BECAUSE THEY WOULD GO TO PRISON OTHERWISE.
ANOTHER FRIEND, JOE, IS AN ACTIVE 70-YEAR-OLD WHO SOLD A NUMBER OF HIS RETAIL COMPANIES FOR GOOD MONEY A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. HE IS RELATIVELY WELL-OFF DESPITE THE GREAT RECESSION. STILL, HE SEES RED WHEN HE HEARS OBAMA’S NAME.
IN EMAILS TO ME, HE SEEMS TO THINK THAT OBAMA WILL END MEDICARE FOR ANYONE OVER 76. HE HAS HAD A KNEE REPLACEMENT AND SOME BOUTS WITH CANCER. THOSE MEDICAL CONCERNS, HOWEVER, SEEM TO OVERRIDE WHAT I I KEEP TELLING HIM. THERE IS NO CREDIBLE SOURCE THAT CAN DOCUMENT THAT MEDICARE WILL BE GONE FOR ANYONE OVER 76. HIS RESPONSE, AT TIMES, RESORTS TO RACISM – INCLUDING LINES LIKE – I WANT TO SHOVE THAT OBAMA CARE UP HIS BLACK… YOU GET THE MESSAGE.
IRONICALLY, HE IS NOT SOMEONE I WOULD CONSIDER OVERTLY RACIST. IN FAIRNESS, I THINK WE ARE ALL RACIST IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER – NO MATTER WHAT OUR COLOR.
BUT TO ME, I HEAR HIS ANGER – AS FEAR.
AND I HEAR IT IN MY WIFE’S VOICE TOO ABOUT WOMEN’S ISSUES.
THE REASONS FOR ALL THIS FEAR – AND FIRING – ARE THE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY IN THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS AND THE MEDIA’S APPETITE FOR THAT MONEY.
THE GROSS AMOUNTS OF MONEY HAVE LED TO DISTORTED ADS – ON BOTH SIDES. AND THOSE ADS ARE PICKED UP AND RUN BY THE MEDIA – WITH NO THOUGHT OF VETTING THEM.
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN AFTER THE ELECTION?
I HAVE NO IDEA. I DOUBT ROE VERSUS WADE WILL BE OVERTURNED. I ALSO THINK SENIORS WILL STILL HAVE MEDICARE WELL INTO THEIR LATE LATE YEARS.
HOWEVER, THERE IS CHANGE COMING THAT NEITHER OBAMA OR ROMNEY ARE DISCUSSING.
THE FIRST THING IS THIS. TAXES ARE GOING UP. WHETHER YOU ARE RICH OR POOR, YOU WILL BE PAYING MORE. YOU HAVE TO – THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS REVENUES. AND YOU CAN ALSO KISS THOSE DEDUCTIONS GOOD-BYE.
THE SECOND THING IS – YOU WILL BE SEEING LESS FROM GOVERNMENT. SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE WILL PAY OUT LESS AND REQUIRE YOU TO BE AT A HIGHER AGE WHEN YOU RECEIVE ANY BENEFITS.
A COALITION OF CEOS TODAY PRODUCED A WORKING PAPER ADMITTING THAT THESE TWO THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN – AND THEY’RE WILLING TO PAY MORE.
LET ME GET MY PET PLUG IN HERE – IT’S ALL ABOUT SIMPSON-BOWLES. WHOEVER IS PRESIDENT IN 2013 WILL ENACT IT. HE HAS NO CHOICE.
THE THIRD THING IS – IF SIMPSON-BOWLES IS ENACTED — WE WILL THEN SEE A SURGE IN TECHNOLOGY TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. A PLAN WILL BE IN PLACE SO BUSINESSES CAN AT LEAST SEE A PATH FORWARD. AS A RESULT, CREDIT WILL BE FREEER. THERE WON’T BE A DRASTIC TURNING OF THE CORNER. THERE’S STILL PLENTY OF DEBT TO PAY DOWN. NO, IT WILL TAKE TIME. BUT WE WILL START SEEING SOME CHANGES – AND A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
I AM AROUND TOO MANY NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND I SEE SO MANY LEADERS AND THINKERS WHO WILL BECOME THE NEXT BELL, EDISON, FORD, AND GATES.
SO, I DON’T THINK WE NEED TO BE OVERLY FEARFUL. BUT BEFORE WE HAVE TO FIRE THEM ALL – LET’S GET THE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS, SO THE FIRINGS WILL BE LEGIT.
THANKS FOR LISTENING.
CATCH YOU NEXT TIME.
STAY INFORMED.
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