Who's gonna pay my bills?

With the news of William Jefferson's indictment on bribery charges*, and the fact that in the midst of his scandal coming to light in the latter portion of 2006 he was re-elected by the people of New Orleans by a wide majority, I'm reminded of an event and some recent comments that are worth sharing on XEKE.com because they illustrate Conservative principles quite well.

My wife and I were vacationing in Maryland when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and we were not aware of the destruction until a day or so later. While getting ready for work on Monday morning we were watching The Today Show's coverage and commentary (we didn't have cable or satellite at the time) of the tragedy and what it revealed about America. As you'll recall, it didn't take long for the networks to politicize the natural disaster. First we sat through Matt Lauer and Katie Couric talk about how this "revealed the lack of a safety net for the poor" in New Orleans. Then we watched video clips of helicopters suspending rescuers from cables to pull citizens from their roofs; long lines of elderly, sick victims at shelters; and footage of acres and acres of devastation from Mississippi and Louisiana.

And then a clip and sound-byte was played that will stick with me for the rest of my life. In fact, a synapse formed in my brain that connects directly to the cells that store the names "New Orleans" and "Katrina" so that whenever those words are mentioned within earshot of me this synapse fires and the sound-byte replays in my mind. Read very carefully not only what the woman said, but the underlying philosophy that is reveals:

It's about time ALL Americans started working for America.

A crowd of displaced, depressed, scared and angry people stood in front of the television camera and a woman of about 60 years of age yelled into the camera with an idignant bayou accent: "Who's gonna pay my bills?!"

The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that the particular video clip completely turned me off to the sense of entitlement that was portrayed by so many in New Orleans and so many in the media, allegedly on behalf of the victims in New Orleans. Sure I felt compassion towards the families who had lost everything. But the woman's insinuation that she was entitled to my wallet because of her circumstances rubbed me the wrong way.

"Who's gonna pay my bills?" Let that sink in.

My initial reaction was, "Who's been paying your bills?" And in a matter of seconds I realized that in some small way I (and you) have been paying her bills. (And over the course of time, Congress has shown me that I'm going to continue to pay her bills.) This woman was 100% dependent on the government. Why? There is so much opportunity in America, why was this woman unable to provide for herself in any way? Why was her first response to turn to the government and not to a family member, a charity or a church?

The answer is simple: The culture of New Orleans was such that over the course of decades of Liberal Democrat rule, the citizens had been promised that they'd be taken care of by their elected leaders/the government with little cost to themselves. They continued to elect politicians that would deliver the goods, tax them minimally (if at all), and require nothing of them in return for the provisions they were given. (See: Ray Nagin)

So on one hand we can look to Hurricane Katrina and the "Who's gonna pay my bills?" environment (Liberalism) to illustrate what is wrong with America. And on the other hand we can turn to a multitude of examples around the country (and the world, for that matter) throughout history to see that when citizens are expected to work, develop skills and create goods that their fellow citizens want and need, provide for themselves and their family and improve their own lives that despite hardship, they can rise up out of any and all negative circumstances (Conservatism). So why, given the two opposite perspectives does Hillary Clinton say on her campaign trail,

"I prefer a 'we're all in it together' society. I believe our government can once again work for all Americans. It can promote the great American tradition of opportunity for all and special privileges for none."

Is she kidding? The "we're all in it together" society gave us, "Who's gonna pay my bills?" Our government is currently working for all Americans: We have a military, our roads are maintained, public education is available (click here for XEKE.com's thoughts on the state of public education), national and state parks are thriving, etc., etc. How about, "It's about time ALL Americans started working for America." That would have been a good line, but it sure doesn't fit with her worldview, does it? And by the way, there is opportunity for all, and the special privileges are reserved for those who work harder, either physically or mentally, than the others. That's the American dream.

A correct description of Hillary's philosophy, and the culture that gave us "Who's gonna pay my bills?" is Socialism (Liberalism's end goal). Capitalism and personal charity, a.k.a. Conservatism, are what has made America great. Clinton and her crew would have you believe that collectivism and government, a.k.a. Liberalism, have made America great. Don't buy it. Socialism, Liberalism, Marxism, collectivism . . . call it what you'd like, but they're all bringing America down, and the scary part is that when the percentage of Americans who receive a net government hand-out passes the 50% mark, we're in deep trouble. That majority will elect politicians like Hillary Clinton and William Jefferson, the politicians who will promise more and more hand-outs to the "Who's gonna pay my bills?" public. What's even more frightening is that the 50% line will be much closer to reality, if not passed if/when Bush signs the McCain/Kennedy Amnesty bill.

Have I hit on enough subjects for you? It's all tied together, folks, because we're talking about the underlying philosophy that has made America great (Conservatism) and the philsophy that is attempting to re-shape America (Liberalism).

* You may recall William Jefferson's trip via military escort back to his house in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to retrieve a small refrigerator/freezer that held $90,000 of sting money in the freezer.

6/6/2007