We live in some very interesting, or maybe a better adjective would be confusing, times. For those of us born during or just after World War II and raised by parents who lived through the Great Depression and World War II, the world seems to be turned upside down.
Just look at some of the old cliches. They seem completely outdated now, but we heard them repeatedly as kids.
Yesterday: Your word is your bond.
Today: You better get it in writing.
Yesterday: It is not whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game.
Today: Winning is everything.
Yesterday: Loyalty is a virtue that will be rewarded.
Today: If you get a better offer, take it.
Yesterday: If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it.
Today: Just put it on the card.
Yesterday: Pay your debts, no matter what.
Today: Bankruptcy is the answer.
Yesterday: A man’s responsibility is to take care of his family.
Today: Abandon your family, the government will take over.
Yesterday: When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Today: When things get tough, bail out.
Yesterday: A person is responsible for their actions.
Today: It is society’s fault.
The examples are endless.
What was once considered to be wrong is a common lifestyle today. What once was divided into black and white, now exist in gray. Now, it’s more about choosing from the whitish gray or blackish gray.
The simple fact is what was wrong is now right and what was right is now wrong. This is very difficult for a lot of people to process. But the politicians have learned how to process this fact and turn it into a way to buy votes.
Is it a coincidence that just before the primary and general election, everybody in New Mexico is going to get up to $250.00 from the state? This is billed as a tax rebate to help people in inflationary times.
Is it a coincidence that people who did not pay taxes are getting the same tax rebate? For some this will be more than they paid in taxes; for others their tax bill far exceeds this amount.
Can you say, “Redistribution of Wealth”?
Yesterday: A person is entitled to everything they earn; not a penny less, not a penny more.
Today: You are entitled to other people’s money and the government will see that you get it.
Yesterday: America is the land of opportunity.
Today: The government will guarantee your success.
Yesterday: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”.
Today: You are entitled to be guaranteed happiness and the government will make sure you get it. Because after all if you are not happy it certainly is not your fault.
Do our rights come from the Creator or the government?
Think about how many freedoms your government took away during the pandemic. Will we ever get all those freedoms back? Unless you get involved the answer is NO.
Tom Vaillancourt is a U.S. Navy veteran and retired small business owner. He is married with two children and two grandchildren