This is going to be the first installment of the Ross for President series. Enjoy!
I am tired of hearing about tea-parties. Tea-parties are something that little girls participate in with their stuffed animals and baby dolls. I appreciate the fact that people are exercising their freedom of speech, but I say do your talking at the polls...VOTE!
After recently stating my disdain with this tea-party mess, a friend from Mississippi (a very conservative friend) stated that I should support them because, "...you are going to be even more tired of paying taxes." That point is debatable. Nobody likes paying taxes, especially for things you don't agree with. Then, I had a brilliant thought. What if you could pick and choose how your tax money was spent? Would it make you feel better to know your taxes were spent on the things you felt were worthy? And if taxes were increased, would it bother you as much in this scenario?
What if you were provided with a gigantic list of all the agencies and agenda your tax money goes to, and you had the opportunity to CHOOSE which you supported? You fill out your form for your tax money: 8% goes to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, 10% to the Harris County School District, 5% to Save the Whales, 10% to Social Security, etc. Maybe you want your money going to The Navy, higher education, cancer research, and AMTRAK. Now, I know the budget would be thrown a major curve ball. I imagine we would end up with schools having more money than they knew what to do with, highways crumbling to pieces, and the war budget being...almost nothing. But, would this be so bad? The people would be spending the money where they felt the priorities lay. You want money for high-speed rail funding? Beg the people to allocate their dollars to you. Government employee pay raises? Convince me to take my money from the National Park Service. YOU pick where YOUR money is spent. Tired of the war? Stop giving them your tax money.
I'm no fool, and I know this would never happen. But, in the truest sense of the word, the PEOPLE would get to make the decisions...and isn't that what we like to think this country is all about?
ROSS FOR BOSS! :)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Culture of Communism vs. Culture of Materialism
Growing up, what is one of the main things we are taught in America to hate? What is something that is "against" everything America stands for? Communism. From Cold-War USSR to today's China, we are taught that Communism is everything that is anti-American.
Growing up, what are we always told? Go to school, do well, get an education, graduate college. Then, you get a good job, get married (if you legally can), and...you can buy stuff. That Lamborghini can be yours. The new Gucci purse can be your next new accessory. Two-story house? Make that three-stories. You can have all of it in our economic system...that's how it "works" and how it thrives.
What prompted this?
Last night I sat down with a friend of mine that is from Volgograd, Russia. He has lived in the US for 10 years and is 32 years old. I've always been fascinated by other cultures and how America differs from them. The more people I talk to, the more I realize just how different we are.
Communist Culture
As I asked questions, one thing I was interested in learning more about was life under communism in general. As previously stated, we're taught that communism is a 100% bad thing. So, how was it to live life under communist rule. Americans, it seems, like to paint a picture of starving peasants longing to overthrow government oppression in a Marie Antoinette style drama. But, the picture was painted much differently by my friend.
Imagine you're guaranteed a job and a wage. All of your basic needs are met. You have food on the table, clothes on your back, and a roof over your head. Your neighbors, and everyone else for that matter, are basically on the same level economically. You're no better or worse than anyone else. My friend was quick to point out that in Soviet Russia, the longing or "need" to have the nice new car, Prada pumps...nice new stuff...wasn't present because those items weren't present. Basically, you don't know what your missing if it's not there. Fair enough, I say. People were content knowing they were alive, their basic needs were met, they had a job, and they had enough money. My only question is...where is the motivation?
In the US we are motivated by the need to have stuff and have nicer stuff than we already have. Think about it. Why do we have to have leather seats in our cars? Or, why do we need a sunroof in it too? Isn't the point to get us to point A and point B? Why do we need a 6 bedroom house when there's only 3 people living there? Does that Prada watch tell any better time than a cheap watch? Furthermore, why do we even care?
I find the paradox between the idea of, "You don't miss something or long for it if it's not there" vs. "You're constantly aware of what you don't have and are always striving to get it" very interesting. It makes it all seem very pointless. What it does is make the sense of entitlement different. In the US we feel as though we are entitled to have the opportunity to have whatever we want if we "work" for it. But, in this example of communism, you're only entitled to what everyone else has...so there is no sense of entitlement. Basically, it's all in your head. It's a cultural thing.
Point is?...
I say all that to say this. It proves it's not about whether communism is bad or good, or a free market, democratic society is better or worse, it just proves that it's all cultural and how you view things. Do you like knowing you have the opportunity to have that Lamborghini and three-story house, or would you trade that in for the guarantee of a job, wage, home, food, and clothing for the rest of your days?
Growing up, what are we always told? Go to school, do well, get an education, graduate college. Then, you get a good job, get married (if you legally can), and...you can buy stuff. That Lamborghini can be yours. The new Gucci purse can be your next new accessory. Two-story house? Make that three-stories. You can have all of it in our economic system...that's how it "works" and how it thrives.
What prompted this?
Last night I sat down with a friend of mine that is from Volgograd, Russia. He has lived in the US for 10 years and is 32 years old. I've always been fascinated by other cultures and how America differs from them. The more people I talk to, the more I realize just how different we are.
Communist Culture
As I asked questions, one thing I was interested in learning more about was life under communism in general. As previously stated, we're taught that communism is a 100% bad thing. So, how was it to live life under communist rule. Americans, it seems, like to paint a picture of starving peasants longing to overthrow government oppression in a Marie Antoinette style drama. But, the picture was painted much differently by my friend.
Imagine you're guaranteed a job and a wage. All of your basic needs are met. You have food on the table, clothes on your back, and a roof over your head. Your neighbors, and everyone else for that matter, are basically on the same level economically. You're no better or worse than anyone else. My friend was quick to point out that in Soviet Russia, the longing or "need" to have the nice new car, Prada pumps...nice new stuff...wasn't present because those items weren't present. Basically, you don't know what your missing if it's not there. Fair enough, I say. People were content knowing they were alive, their basic needs were met, they had a job, and they had enough money. My only question is...where is the motivation?
In the US we are motivated by the need to have stuff and have nicer stuff than we already have. Think about it. Why do we have to have leather seats in our cars? Or, why do we need a sunroof in it too? Isn't the point to get us to point A and point B? Why do we need a 6 bedroom house when there's only 3 people living there? Does that Prada watch tell any better time than a cheap watch? Furthermore, why do we even care?
I find the paradox between the idea of, "You don't miss something or long for it if it's not there" vs. "You're constantly aware of what you don't have and are always striving to get it" very interesting. It makes it all seem very pointless. What it does is make the sense of entitlement different. In the US we feel as though we are entitled to have the opportunity to have whatever we want if we "work" for it. But, in this example of communism, you're only entitled to what everyone else has...so there is no sense of entitlement. Basically, it's all in your head. It's a cultural thing.
Point is?...
I say all that to say this. It proves it's not about whether communism is bad or good, or a free market, democratic society is better or worse, it just proves that it's all cultural and how you view things. Do you like knowing you have the opportunity to have that Lamborghini and three-story house, or would you trade that in for the guarantee of a job, wage, home, food, and clothing for the rest of your days?
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