Nov. 20, 2011
COLUMBUS: This is Thanksgiving week, a time when Americans give thanks for a bountiful harvest, a full stomach, and an overflowing Christmas shopping cart. The farmers came through for us again, with a big assist from the Lord. We are generous folks, so you won’t find anyone going hungry on Thanksgiving. About the only crop that came up extremely short was peanuts. Now the price of peanut butter is so high the poor vegetarian may have to feed their kids meat. While the rest of us are poised to celebrate our blessings, Washington is tied up in knots over the deficit deal. They appointed 6 Republicans and 6 Democrats to come up with a so-called compromise. Each side was hoping one of the “opponents” would switch sides, thereby committing political suicide. President Obama was supposed to referee, but he went to Australia get away from the fray. (And you can’t get any farther away than Australia.) The whole deficit reduction angle is a hoax. Even if the Republicans raised taxes as high as the Democrats want, and the Democrats cut spending as Republicans desire, the debt in ten years would still be higher than today. The solution is for more people to pay taxes, and fewer people to live off taxes. It’s that simple. Congress figures what the country needs are more millionaires, so naturally they start with themselves. Did you know they are allowed insider trading of stocks? Yes, Congress can get in a huddle, agree to buy a certain stock, then pass a bill that causes it to double. If you wonder where their big campaign contributions come from, if one of these scoundrels gave you a stock tip, wouldn’t you agree to donate half to get him reelected? If the Super Committee fails to reach a deal, don’t blame them. It was the rest of Congress, blessed by the President, who pawned this impossible task off on ‘em and then went back to their office and watched the ticker tape. Historic quotes by Will Rogers: “This is Thanksgiving. It was started by the Pilgrims, who would give thanks every time they killed an Indian and took more of his land. As years went by and they had all his land, they changed it into a day to give thanks for the bountiful harvest, (if) the boll-weevil and the protective tariff didn’t remove all cause for thanks.” DT#417, Nov. 23, 1927 “Thanksgiving Day. In the days of its founders they were willing to give thanks for mighty little, for mighty little was all they expected. But now neither government or nature can give enough but what we think it’s too little. Those old boys in the Fall of the year, if they could gather in a few pumpkins, potatoes and some corn for the winter, they was in a thanking mood. But if we can’t gather in a new Buick, a new radio, a tuxedo and some government relief, why we feel like the world is agin us.” DT#2594, Nov. 28, 1934 |