Posts Tagged ‘Business’
The Welfare State
“A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”
~ George Bernard Shaw
Shouldn’t those advocating the United States continue its ever-expanding welfare state look more closely at what is happening in Europe under the staggering weight of its “cradle to grave” welfare mentality? Though it sounds charitable and caring, is “cradle to grave” welfare possible? How long can you sustain giving people more than they earn? When you pay people to do less, don’t they do less and continually demand more?
Gratitude is a burden
“Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure.”
Tacitus, 56 AD – 120 AD, Roman historian
Does this sound a bit too much like today, suggesting we may have progressed little this past 2,000 years? Is gratitude still a burden? Is revenge still a pleasure? Is complimenting difficult? Is complaining easy?
Think of the signs in stores pointing to the customer service department, the successor to the original complaint department. Have you ever seen a sign for a compliment department? I haven’t, and even if they existed I doubt people would stand in line waiting to offer a compliment.
The fixer-upper
A fixer-upper – a project, usually a home or a piece of property that needs money and substantial sweat. It needs some maintenance, some redecorating, some reconstruction and some redesign; it is a real project, not just a weekend outing.
The project you selected could take years to finish, maybe a lifetime. But you knew that when you agreed to it. You knew you would occasionally wonder if you took on more than you could handle, if you got in over your head.
The ‘ism’ elixir?
“Bad officials are elected by
good citizens who do not vote.”
George Jean Nathan
American drama critic and newspaper editor
I watched a 1948 cartoon produced by Harding College, “Make Mine Freedom,” which tells the story of Ism elixir. If you have already viewed this, my apologies. If not, let me share the tale of Ism.
The cartoon starts with a reminder of our good fortune to live in America with the freedom to work, freedom of speech, freedom to peacefully assemble, freedom to own property, protection from unlawful search or seizure, the right to a speedy and public trial, protections against cruel punishments, the right to vote and to worship God in our own way.
Move to the sound of the gun
“Let’s roll.”
Response of Todd Beamer, one of the heroes of Flight 93, just before he and fellow passengers rushed the cockpit upon hearing that three other passenger planes had been used as weapons on 9/11.
Have you ever watched a sheepdog working with sheep? Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, author of the book “On Killing,” discusses sheep and sheepdogs, drawing comparisons between sheep, sheepdogs and us.
The sheepdog herds the sheep, keeps them where they belong, makes them follow the rules, and nips at them when needed; all a bit irritating to the sheep. Moreover, the sheepdog is always nervous, always sniffing the air, always watching, always on the alert.
Thank you Chance Phelps
Are we too complacent, not realizing the price of our freedom? I watched a movie about the cost of this freedom.
In fact, I watched the movie four times, each time with tears. The movie is a simple look at the price of our freedom, a simple reminder of what we have, a simple thank you.
A world away, a day in Iraq, a suicide vehicle, a convoy attacked, a long drive in the middle of the night, a knock on the door, and an “I’m sorry to inform you.”
Responsibility and self-respect
George Bernard Shaw said, “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.” Are we willing to abandon self-respect for a handout? Are we willing to surrender risk and reward for indentured servitude to the government? Are we willing to exchange freedom and opportunity for a welfare state?
We condemn the woman who recently gave birth to eight babies; eight babies the taxpayers will have the privilege of paying for. Do we have the right to disparage her? Is she really that different from the rest of us? Might she actually be a mirror, a mirror showing us ourselves? What do we see in that mirror? Do we see responsibility? Do we see self-respect? Why are we able to criticize other people’s irresponsibility while failing to recognize our own?
You’re Beulah’s son, aren’t you?
Several years ago my wife and I were in Arrick’s Fly Shop in West Yellowstone, Montana. She was wearing a sweatshirt from the Bolder Boulder 10k Memorial Day Road Race, which my brother founded in Boulder, Colorado, in 1978. An older man working in the shop came over to my wife and asked about her sweatshirt saying he used to live in Boulder. When he learned that Steve Bosley was my brother he wanted to tell me a story about his mother and the Bank of Boulder, where Steve was president for over 25 years before his retirement. The story reminded me of why I admire my “big” brother and some of the things he’s done that are absolutely one-of-a-kind, like the Bolder Boulder race.
The fraud of socialism
Leicester University in England recently ranked Denmark as the happiest country. What is their secret? By their own admission they are a socialist, welfare state providing everything for everyone from birth to death. And they freely, almost proudly admit they pay for it with the highest income taxes in the world.
Were we wrong to fight the Revolutionary War with the British Empire to free us from the bonds of a government that decided what was best for us? Were we wrong to die for freedom and opportunity, rejecting government servitude? Were we wrong to want the freedom and risk of independence rather than the safety and security of a paternal government?
The little-known link of Levis to yodeling
Some important information needed in life is left out of our educational system. One such bit of information is the history of Levi Strauss and the copper rivet.
How should we refer to such extraneous information? Years ago when I was in medical school, acronyms were already taking over. Everything had an acronym — “PMC” is used to refer to Portneuf Medical Center. One of my professors spent far too much time considering the right acronym for this category of information. He came up with LKFAWGAD (pronounced lick faug ad), an acronym for Little Known Facts About Who Gives A Damn. Since the story of Levi Strauss is truly an all-American story, I would venture to say this is an important LKFAWGAD.
Let’s work together to balance civil rights and national security
The Sikh man felt violated when asked to remove his turban by a court bailiff in Dallas, Texas. Was that discrimination? Was he treated any differently than anyone else entering the courthouse? Should his faith have allowed him rights other individuals do not have?
The airline captain removed six Muslim imams from the flight. He was told the imams were saying the words “U.S.,” “killing Saddam,” and chanting “Allah, Allah.” He was told they were “acting angry.” Was his decision ethnically motivated or religiously biased? Were the imams treated unfairly, singled out because of their nationality or faith? Would a reasonable person with the same information have made the same choice?
Is the Hippocratic Oath no longer relevant?
The Hippocratic Oath has endured for more than 2,400 years, penned 400 years before the birth of Christ.
G.E.R. Lloyd described the Hippocratic Oath as “an ideal gold ethics standard representing a clear dividing line separating healers and killers, a commitment that physicians make to protect life, and never to deliberately take life.”
