A Breath Taken Away

"Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take but by the moments that take our breath away," a quote by William Davies who is long remembered by the simplicity of the life he led. The beauty of ones life is always reinforced by the moments of astonishment and wonder that seem to linger forever captured in the minds of man. I am constantly astounded by the sheer majesty of some of the places I have visited in my life. for surely in those instances the scope and the depth ness of some of the wonders of this world actually did take my breath away. Then there are other moments that deeply sadden and mortify my realm of existence.  

The world today is filled with those whose vile contempt for the wonders of life itself propels wonton destruction while rendering misery to so many. The despicable appalling acts and atrocities against man and nature continues to underscore the need for equality and balance in every country around the world. The brutality and savagery of individuals and organizations who willfully hide behind cloaks of deceit and deception continues in carrying out their heinous intentions for unlawful gains.  

The endless suffering in Somalia is the very antitheses of what moments that take ones breath away. There again the catastrophic magnitude of the amount of suffering and heinous crimes inflected against so many just so that a few gain their selfish ends, ones breath is taken away. The cold blooded carnage in Norway, in Mexico, in the United States and any other country where lives are lost thru acts of violent terror are becoming more frequent all because an atmosphere that brings about an environment that produces equality, justice, liberty, education and morality has been shrouded over by years of malicious, callous, deceitful, and deceptive manipulation of certain individuals to gain more power and control over the multitudes less fortunate.  

When I was young it it was in a totally different era. The optimism that prevailed during by coming of age years was so profound that nothing would have prepared me for the harsh realities of today. The largest portion of our society now are the generation of my youth. Those of us nearing retirement or now of retirement age have transformed the demographics of our society so drastically that the majority, this generation, are no longer able to settle into any semblance of a"comfortable" retirement. For just to survive now in 2011 going into ones "Golden Years" means continuing to work that's if you are able to find work, holding on to you existing job, and being physically able to work. Because of this, my breath is taken away.  

There are so many instances that are imprinted in the minds of men that just because of selfishness of certain individuals our breaths are taken away. It seems like the Four Horsemen Of the Apocalypse have descended upon nations all around the world. From imposed Famine, to the continuing threat of pandemics, to the wonton destruction of life, to the blatant pollution that continues to destroy more life forms and the self serving bureaucrats that held the American public hostage just so a piece of legislation was forced down the throats of the American public that does nothing to improve the calamity of our economic crisis all are signs that just maybe the Four Horsemen have now arrived.  

The reality of today does take ones breath away, but not for the reasons that one would like it to be. For the last 3 months while our "most benevolent" legislatures were only concerned over the debt ceiling and the countries balance budget American companies were busy increasing the nations unemployment rate at an alarming pace. Not one piece of legislation that has come out of Washington has created any job growth. All indications point to the return of more mass layoffs. The economy is steadily moving in reverse. A 60% surge in unemployment just in the month of June in industries that had seen steady employment figures are now experiencing deepening financial hardships. As a result they are forced to reduce payrolls in order to compensate.  

What congress has done is unconscionable to the American Public. When there continues to be more than 400,000 workers losing their jobs per week for the past six months alone guarantees that the poverty rate will only push governmental agencies like Food Stamps, and all the other organizations that help the poor will continue to increase governmental borrowing. This is to keep pace with the increasing number of individuals now forced into receiving governmental assistance just to keep from starving. What happens when an increase in poverty occurs is more health related costs are now incurred which also means more governmental spending. The cycle of poverty keeps getting wider.   

When this past debt ceiling bill was passed there was no mention nor was their any consideration for the millions of Americans who are unemployed to keep them from falling into that abyss of poverty where once one falls into it, it is almost impossible to climb out of. Without extending unemployment benefits millions more will fall into that abyss of economic depravation. When this happens the inequality in America only gets wider between the smallest percentage of the population attaining more wealth at the expense of the largest percentage of the population now falling into poverty levels. This only brings about a domino effect in total economic retardation while pushing the United States even further away form ever achieving economic stability and security.  

One is reminded of that old tried and true business acronym "It takes up front funding or capital to increase capital." That same analogy still holds true today. What congress has done in effect is eliminate any amount of up front funding to keep the economy afloat. When governmental funds are no longer available programs that keep economic activity moving forward go in reverse as in the case this economy is headed now. It just takes my breath away!  

When television is flooded with those obtrusive ads about raising taxes, no more government spending keeps reminding me that the Republican party is so vindictive toward an Administration that inherited one of the worst economic catastrophes since the Great Depression. All of which has seen the greatest eradication of middle class wage earning jobs in the history of this country.  With-out government spending and raising taxes on the people and corporations that can well afford to contribute more to the stability and security of the United States the future of this once great nation is indeed in grave danger. The facts are this: Since the Bush tax cuts were enacted there has only been less than 2,000 jobs created within the United states. And, of those jobs the wages were not even close to being of middle class stature.The inequality today is too great. The gaping hole that was once filled by a robust middle class has only solidified the fact that the United States is faced with continued economic calamity.  

America's economy was built by small business and entrepreneurs. They provided most of the much-needed jobs and tax revenues that helped support this nation which contributed to the over all  prosperity of a society. The entrepreneur spirit provided the innovation that has created some of the world’s most important inventions, such as electric light, computers, space travel, medical advances, entertainment. Unfortunately, for the past 35 years America has lost many of its core values which led to the demise of so many millions of middle class jobs. So today, we not only are faced with massive unemployment but their are numerous barriers in rekindling and achieving economic forward mobility. In essence to achieve the American Dream and all that’s associated with it is no longer a reality for millions of Americans.  

Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is clearly out of reach for the large majority of would-be home buyers.  Job losses, tight credit, or non-existent credit, have made it next to impossible for potential buyers. And for those unfortunates who are owners and want to sell, it’s even worse.  Homeowners have seen their property values sink, and are often simply throwing the keys in the air and walking away because the properties are so upside down it simply makes no sense to continue to pay for it. Small and medium businesses are impacted too. The idea of having a vision for a new product or service and developing it and growing it has always made America the land of opportunity. Unfortunately, today there are many major hurdles for anyone seeking to accomplish this goal.  Regulatory agencies, taxes, legal, and credit woes, etc. make the idea of starting and growing a business in the United States a complicated affair.    

The ramifications of this budget deal that was incorporated with raising the debt ceiling is horrendous to say the least. Our most "Benevolent" members of congress still can't get it right and continue to miss the boat on all the legislation that has been coming out of Washington. The answer to any budget woe is the plan and simple fact that for over 30 years of government intrusion, regulations, and all the mandated expenditures that are required now have helped major business as well as small business from ever achieving any forward expansion and momentum that is pertinent for any business to grow. These policies along with trade agreements that were passed all have made it more beneficial for corporations to shrink the American workforce and increase their foreign investment where greater profits can be made. All of this by shutting down American based firms in exchange for opening foreign located facilities. Consequently for the last 25 years America has lost millions and millions of middle class wage jobs. By the way, not one American middle class wage job has been created by all the tax breaks that major corporations now enjoy and that the top tier of the wealthiest individuals now pay so little in income taxes has only created the greatest riff between incomes today. It is pretty obvious that drastic change is needed to narrow this ever widening gap when a person who makes only $35,000 a year pays almost twice in taxes as much as any corporate CEO who makes 7 figure incomes. The greatest threat today to economic security and stability is when a society only has two income class distinctions. The great inequality today only solidifies an economy in serious trouble. These statistics alone also take ones breath away.  

All the budget concerns can be solved with reforming policies that created the vast eradication of middle class wage jobs, instilling a 10% flat tax, across the board, and implementing Universal Health Care. Education is paramount in showing the public that achieving a 4% unemployment rate nationally is attainable, ushering in a flat tax is viable, and implementing Universal Health Care is critical. The way to achieve this end result is through education using National Economic Reform as the tool, the guide and the plan of direction that ensures economic stability, security, and prosperity,for every American now and for the future.  

What congress has continued to fail to recognize is that only complete and total reform of policies, mandates, laws, regulations and yes, even Cabinets of Government will bring about the required results which creates an environment that produces more equality in our society, ensures economic growth, secures national security, and brings in an era of stability and prosperity for every America. This can only be achieved by implementing National Economic Reform. Once this is accomplished the American public will actually have their breath taken away by the sheer majesty in which a downtrodden society and economy will rise like the Phoenix to unprecedented heights of prosperity and equal opportunities for all.