Stop Pulling the Wagon

I DON’T MAKE JOKES.  I JUST WATCH THE GOVERNMENT AND REPORT THE FACTS.

WILL ROGERS

When I started this blog it was with the view that there are fewer and fewer of us who are pulling Societies Wagon and more and more who are simply willing to ride in the wagon and let someone else do the work of pulling the wagon along the road of life.  

My goal was to perhaps inspire myself and others, with some goodwill and humor, to find ways to spend less time pulling an overloaded wagon while encouraging others to spend more time pulling their own wagon.

However, in the last five years I have noted that the number of people riding in the wagon has grown  significantly, while the number pulling the wagon has shrunk by an equal or greater percentage.

Some of this change is no doubt a matter of choice.  It is well documented that many have simply taken an “if you can’t beat-em, join-em attitude”.  I remember some years back that I owned a T-shirt with the slogan “I have given up in my search for reality and am now seeking a good fantasy”.  

Others have diligently searched for work and opportunity only to find there is little of either available in the environment created by the Clowns, Criminals and Lunatics running an overbearing, overreaching and corrupt government in Washington D.C. that wants to regulate every aspect of life while taxing any kind of success into oblivion.

Many of these folks don’t really think in terms of wagons, pullers or riders and instead have gone into a survival mode where they are not looking to ride in my wagon but have become simply willing to vote for whoever will give them a free ticket for a ride on the gravy train without worrying about who will pay for the ticket.  It is hard to blame them.   

The problem with the above is that what looks like a free ride is in reality often a one way ticket into a form of slavery.  Any time we surrender our independence to the supposed good will of others providing for our needs we become dependent and a kind of slave.

We see this in signs at National Parks that tell us not to feed the animals.  This is because if we feed them they become unable to feed themselves.  We see examples of this in our society in multiple generation Welfare families.

Think about it.

Bob Bandy

Years ago I had a car that was ugly but wouldn’t die.  I finally put a bumper sticker on it that said “please steal this car”.   I am beginning to feel the same way about my identity.

I have always suspected, but we all now know as fact, that our government cannot be trusted at any level.

The IRS can and will target you for any reason they choose including, but not limited to, holding political views not shared by their labor union.  And, lets remember the IRS will be the chief enforcement arm for the “(un)Affordable Healthcare Act”, aka: Obamacare.  And, they get (taxpayer paid) bonus dollars for making our lives miserable.

The National Security Administration has the capability of monitoring virtually all forms of communication we use.  Cell phones,  email, web browsing, land line phones plus they claim they can observe our movements with the use of the millions of observation and security cameras everywhere.  They brag that they can determine not only where you are but often what you are doing.  Is that really just a “regular” mirror in those public bathrooms?

Its like living in a fish bowl.

I am working on a plan to become a 21st century “Invisible Man”.

A first step would be to duct tape my cell phone to the bottom of a Greyhound Bus departing for a Mexican Border city in Texas.  After doing that I would use only disposable cell phones purchased while in disguise under an assumed name at Walmart stores.

After that I have a question.  If someone steals my identity would that mean that the IRS, NSA, Justice Department and a whole host of other government agencies that take joy in making my life miserable would  now pursue the new “owner” of my identity and leave me alone?  Could I just claim to be an undocumented  person seeking a new life in America?

Maybe I could just let not one, but many, people steal my identity and really drive the “Feds” crazy.  Maybe I could form an identity exchange where like minded folks could trade identities every few months or weeks.

How about having an identity “Swap Party” where everyone comes in and puts their identity in a big fish bowl and at the end of the party they are blindfolded and pick out their new “identity” before leaving?

Hey, this could be fun.  Sort of like cluttering up a crime scene with several bucket loads of evidence leading investigators off on a hundred or more “rabbit trails”.

If called in for questioning I could just do what IRS Director Lois Lerner did and state that I have done nothing wrong and broken no laws but will take the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer any questions.

It could even reach the point where even I no longer know who I am.  A truly Invisible Man.

Am I Bob Bandy?

I remember in the movie “The Godfather” when the son Michael killed the “bad” cop and the opposition mobster, how the male members of the Godfathers organization “went to the mattresses”.  Lying low and staying out of sight of their enemies.

I believe that if things continue on their present course in this country with business stifling regulations, high taxes and an all powerful and oppressive government we may see the “producers” in this country simply get fed up and go to the economic mattresses.

Large numbers of former taxpayers may just decide to adjust their lives in such a way as to remain below confiscatory tax thresholds and live simpler lives with lower  economic resources.

I remember a happy young father who worked for me once.  He had a large family and a stay at home wife.  I once asked him how they “made it”?  He told me that they did just fine.  Had an older but serviceable car,  a modest residence and that they lived their lives with a basic but wholesome diet using discounted and coupon items as much as possible.  They rarely bought new consumer items.  They felt no need to impress anyone.  Whenever possible they shopped at thrift stores, yard sales and the like.  When they did shop for “new” items they generally only purchased items at discounted or “sale” prices.   Not a lifestyle for everyone but they were happy, had lots of time for each other, content with their lives and had no debts.  They also paid very little in the way of taxes.  Were they “poor”?  You decide.  It seems to me that they had figured out a way to “Stop Pulling The Wagon” to a large degree.

What would happen if large numbers of  hard working, tax paying members of our citizenry were to adopt similar lifestyles?

Bob Bandy

The great statesman and humanitarian  Mohandas K (Mahatma) Gandhi gave us:

THE SEVEN DANGERS TO HUMAN VIRTUE

1. Wealth without work

2. Pleasure without conscience

3. Knowledge without character

4. Business without ethics

5. Science without humanity

6. Religion without sacrifice

7. Politics without principal

To which I would humbly add a number 8:

8. Democracy without self discipline

Use the above as an ethics and values scorecard and watch Judge Judy as well as many other of the courtroom shows plus an array of the many “reality” shows (Jersey Shores, etc) and observe the antics of groups such as Occupy Wallstreet.  Add to this a thoughtful examination of what goes on in our national and state capitols.

Are we on the right road following the right roll models?

Something to think about.

Bob Bandy

I once heard California referred to as the “land of Fruits, Flakes and Nuts”.  

A couple of examples:

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) is suing the State of California to stop all death penalty executions.  They also support  abortion, even late term abortion.  Lets see if I have this right.  According to the ACLU it is wrong to execute a person convicted of mass murder but its okay to abort an unborn, late term (7th or 8th month)  fetus (baby).

Here is my question for the ACLU:  Instead of executing convicted mass murderers would it be okay if we just abort them?

Another example:  Do you remember the Tobacco Settlement of 1998?

California’s State and local share of that settlement was established at an estimated $25,007,000,000. (thats 25 Billion with a ‘B’ Dollars) through 2025.  (Source: Legislative Analysts Report 1-14-1999).

Money was to be paid out to the States on an annual basis through the year 2025.  This payout was termed a “Tobacco Revenue Stream”.

California sold their Tobacco Revenue Stream to a SPE (Special Purpose Entity) established (created) for the purpose of issuing bonds backed by the settlement funds.

As J.G. Wentworth advertises – “Its your money, use it when you need it”.

California apparently felt they needed it right away.  They “sold” (at a discount)  the anticipated revenue settlement money for cash and…. you guessed it, spent the money… a long time ago.

California Government is an addict.  You could tax every resident of this state  at 100% and give the State Legislature and Governor every dollar that was taxed or could be borrowed and they would spend it all and claim it wasn’t enough and want more.

These are only two examples of the “Flim Flam” that we residents of this once great state of California live with every day.  I could go on and on.

Bob Bandy

Yesterday was our day to go to the State Fair.   My wife, myself, our daughter and one of her friends.  We planned the day so that  after we all had enjoyed  the animals, county exhibits,  some food and bought a few souvenirs, my wife and I could find a shady place to sit and people watch and the girls could go off to the fun of the Midway and the Rides.  It was a pleasant day with a light breeze and we found a bench in the shade and just rested. 

Relaxing there on that bench I remembered something I heard on the radio a couple of days earlier.  It was a news report that in preparation of implementing the new Government Run Health Care Plan, the Administration has issued instructions and guidelines on a new data base to be built.   Over the next couple of years they plan to collect information on each of us as individuals.  This will include our name, address, height, weight,  body mass index (BMI), whether or not we smoke, consume alcohol, etc. etc.  

The plan is that with this information they (the government) can develop healthy living plans for each of us.  Are you scared yet?

After “people watching” (and  looking in a mirror to include myself), I came to the conclusion that there was a whole bunch of  us folks that might not meet the governments guidelines on the Body Mass Index charts for “ideal” or “normal” weight to height ratio.  This applies across all age, racial, ethnic and social lines.

Coming home and doing a little on line (Google)  research I found a whole lot (too much) information and charts on the Body Mass Index (BMI) but I will include here one of the simplest to understand charts that I could find.  Keep in mind that what these indexes attempt to do is develop an “ideal” (and narrow) weight range based on height.  The ones I found do not take into consideration the fact that some people have smaller/larger  bones and body frames than others.  

Looking at this chart I realized that the only time in the last 25 years that this chart would not have considered me on the upper end of overweight or obese was after I discovered that I had a serious health issue.  Among other things, I went on a very strict diet to the point  that my doctor directed me not to lose any more weight and my family and friends told me I had become  emaciated and looked like an escapee from a concentration camp.  I didn’t believe them until I got my new drivers license picture and realized they were right.  At that lowest weight point, based on the BMI Chart, I was still a couple of squares into overweight  category and the government would have considered me still “fat”. 

I am not positive but I would guess that a whole lot of us Americans are going to get really “ticked off” when the “Feds” come knocking on our door and tell us that we are too fat and since “they” will be paying for our health care,  “they” have the right and the power to tell us what and how much we can eat and drink. 

I don’t know what kind of approved government foods I could have eaten at the State Fair.  I didn’t see any food vendors offering  boiled Rutabaga stew.

Now,  are you scared yet?                                          …….Bob