The Death of The American Dream: Part 1

No one can deny that our economy is hurting and has been for some time now. How long is often debated because no one wants to take the blame for the down turns and what caused them. Regardless, there is no denying that the most recent moves by our government are killing the free market and from this there may be no returning to the prosperity that our whole country enjoyed just one year ago.

That last sentence probably got some readers' attention because they would contend that the housing market had already crashed and stock prices had already plummeted to levels that lost a lot of people a whole lot of money. But that was still a very different time because our market is made to fluctuate.

The resulting panic combined with a carefully orchestrated attack on the intelligence of the American voter to create the most dangerous enemy to our freedom that this country has known since the American Revolution. The Soviet Union was a mere irritation compared to the struggle we now have because we are being attacked from within. Obama's administration is the most destructive force against the American Dream to ever hit our country. Let me explain.

First, let's define the American Dream and why it is envied all over the world. Anyone, regardless of race, creed, experience, background, education, religion or genealogy, has the same opportunities to start a business with little more than an idea and find prosperity if they are creative enough and willing to work for it. Even illegal immigrants are realizing this, but that's a separate discussion, because I want to focus this posting on those who contribute (paying taxes) to our economy legally. The irony is that the rest of the world thinks the American Dream is that there are a few people who find a miraculous way to make it rich while others starve and fight for a chance just to survive. Nice try, but that's their countries.

And why fight too hard for their way of life? They pay outrageous taxes to their governments so that they can get below standard health care (if they are deemed worth the expense to the government) and free or subsidized "higher" education. Their education ends up meaning nothing because it's not based on competition so they accomplish only what they need to to receive their taxpayer funds. But lets say that "the common man" manages to stay healthy enough to not need the free health care (he can thank his lucky stars) and receives an average or even good education in his country. So what? He doesn't even entertain owning his own business because he knows that the extra work is not worth the effort; he will never see the results of his hard work because they will be swallowed up in taxes. He knows his lot in life is to contribute to the population's mere survival instead of his own prosperity.

Is that bad? Not in all respects. It just means that there is no innovation. Life goes on only to survive. Have you been to Europe recently? Have you ever been out of the US? People are shut down all over the rest of the world. They lack any real drive or inspiration. They move from day to day to pay for their daily lot accomplishing little more than procreating and trying not to die. That may appeal to some, but I (and those I represent) want more. We want quality of life and to enjoy our work and the pleasures of its finished product.

So you ask, "what about contributing to the quality of life of the population?" Good question. That's the beauty of our economy. When a dreamer sets out to start a new venture, he is going to need employees / partners to help him succeed. Real entrepreneurs employ others so that they can work on the business and steer it to prosperity. That creates jobs, and he will only have happy employees if he pays them a reasonable wage for their work. That creates prosperity for his employees. His venture will only be successful if he turns out a product or service that is desired or needed by his prospective customers. That creates a possible market for him, and the possibility of an improved quality of life for those who use his company. "Possible", because he needs to set his prices at a reasonable level and treat his customer in a manner acceptable to them. But what does the government do if his company starts charging prices too high or he starts treating his customers or employees poorly? NOTHING! That's the beauty of it.

If an employer treats his employees poorly, they leave and he will be working alone until he learns that prosperity needs to come to all of those involved in pulling off his company's objectives. Failure is the result. If a company charges too high of a price for what they are offering, people go elsewhere or start their own company to compete, and the original company fails. If a company treats its customers poorly, same deal. The prospective customer either does without the product or service, or goes to a competitor, who will no doubt see the opportunity to provide what the customer needs with a smile (and sometimes for a higher price). The original company will either change or fail.

The system is the strength. We are not dependent on certain industries, resources or businesses, and we certainly are not reliant on the government to step in and "fix" these problems. The market is self healing and will reward those companies who meet a need for a reasonable price and reward their employees on successful completion of their responsibilities.

Now, if you were paying attention, you picked up on the actual importance of failure in our system. When a company fails, we start looking at why it failed. What results is innovation. Sometimes research and development is responsible for innovation, but usually it is the result of failure, which spawns many smaller ventures who learn and get it right. The result is a better quality of life for those who set out to get it right this time, all who join him, and the customers who receive the improved product/service.

Now, why is it that our government doesn't understand this? Well, for one thing, our current president has never taken part as a contributor in our economy. Instead, you can trace his steps through higher education straight into community coordination. He has never had to work for his money, it's always been handed to him. But more importantly, there are those who DO understand this, but don't like it. This is very important, please don't miss it. What you are seeing is a power struggle. The free market system is not controllable enough for those who are elitists. They want to rule more like a king than a president.

So what is the proper role of the government in the free market and what happens when they do it right and when they do it wrong? What responsibility does private industry play in getting us back on track in this country? Is there a role in the modern economy for the church and other non-profits? Are there improvements that can be made to our educational system to create an even better free market? What happens to the responsibility of the individual to make room in this economy for those who can't work or need a leg up to get moving, or just to survive?

Well, that's where I'm headed with my postings, so tune in later to find out.

The Ericator