The Fate of the Timid

Torre del Paine National Park - photo by JoAnn Sturman

by Mike Burnaugh


One wonders at the news out of Congress. Not just today’s news, but every day’s news. Our latest story is that of the reduced withholding tax for FICA. The Republicans in the House passed it for a year with the pipeline rider. The Senate passed it for two months with a caveat that the President had two months more to decide yes or no on the rider. Excuse me? Thirty nine Republicans voted for that? And the Republican House voted to continue reduced contributions AT ALL?

If people do not pay, the system has less money. Is the system solvent? No! Here we have let a socialist President get us used to the idea that “workers” shouldn’t have to contribute at all, while the rich should pay more. Do any of you in Congress think Mr. Obama will change his spots in two months or twelve?

Why has no one remarked that every dollar less in individual contributions means a lower payment at retirement? Do we believe there will be no system? Do we believe it will be “free”? Are you all quite mad?

The last such display of stupidthink was over the Committee of Twelve’s inability to do anything at all. Gosh, they were going to “cut” spending by a trillion dollars. Oh, yes, that was to be over ten years starting next year, yet spending would go up and the deficit would go up every year. They just “cut” imaginary dollars from an imaginary ten year cost stream. No one in either party in a leadership position ever intended to cut the deficit in any significant manner, if at all. This is very scary. They are making Ron Paul look good. Off with their heads!!!

To most Americans this is the Christmas season. As an Episcopalian, I am on an Advent high, counting down to a Christmas season of two weeks until Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. I would rather not have to waste valuable ecclesiastical time worrying about MORONS too timid to state the obvious: We’re Broke! Out of Money! Tapped Out! Dryer that a beached whale!

Why is everyone too timid to state the obvious corollary to the above? If we don’t have it, we can’t spend it. This means you and me and every passenger on the Great American Victim Train.

Which brings us to the second corollary: We can no longer pay you to BE VICTIMS. Yes, you will all have to get off your victimized asses and go to work. Yes, even your quadriplegic granny and Little Timmy: Off to the sulfur mines under Mt. Etna, and say hello to Ben Hur.

I feel much better, having sent victims off to further victim hood. That is the fate of the timid. Cheers!