I'm not big into politics, office or otherwise.
This presidential election has got me disillusioned on the heels of the recent market meltdown. I (like most people I know) lost a good deal of coin in recent weeks from various accounts. No one really has the basis for a good long-term plan in my opinion.
TV ads are a farse - it's all spin. It's hard to get the true scoop on anything nowadays and the internet doesn't help other than you can read every bloody newspaper in the country. You would have to read everything to get even 25% of the truth about either of the candidates. Most are biased one way or the other.
The debates were disappointing - nothing spontaneous, everything scripted right down to the questions at the "townhall" formatted debate. I say put the candidates in a room with REAL people with a moderator and let them answer REAL questions! What about MY best interests? What about Social Security, what about Iraq, what about a REAL plan on alternative energy instead of this crap with ethanol? Do the math - it's pretty simple... it doesn't work! Subsidised by tax payers with $$ going to farmers while everyone pays more for food.... oh - and did I mention the lack of equity in the gas mileage? Hmmm - let's get it straight - to get the same mileage as a gasoline engine, you've got to pay how much more in REAL money? BULLSHIT... politicians are selling us less for more... yeah - the American way... gotta love it.
What about the now-vanished middle-class? (I don't care what anyone says, there IS NO MIDDLE-CLASS anymore - there is the rich and the not rich). No one can put a number on "middle-class" anymore. Geographic differences and cost differentials have seen to that - not to mention crooked politicians everywhere.
I'm in the middle on this one ... I pay my mortgage and my car payment, don't have a lot of other debt (thankfully) and have managed to be relatively healthy along with the rest of my family. I will get nothing out of this election other than a bill no matter who wins.
I just finished reading Lee Iaccoca's book -
Where Have All the Leaders Gone? and he put it simply - no matter what happens, no matter what new programs are put into place, you've got to pay for it SOMEHOW. Either you give something up or you pony up the cash.
Enough of the pandering to the oil giants - they want tax breaks? Tell them to get us alternative energy! REAL alternative energy that we can afford in real dollars... for every breakthrough they give the American person, give them something... hmmm - pay for performance?? If we expect it from the working class stiffs like me, why not the high and mighty scum suckers running these outfits?
It is exciting though - especially seeing my kids getting interested... either way, it's historical.
Exciting and scary.
Hang on for your life it could get really interesting.
