Made in China...

You see it everywhere you look these days. Flip over your coffee mug (when it's empty of course) and you will most likely see it written on the bottom. What ever happened to made in America and the feeling of pride that came along with it. I'll tell you what...commercialism. America is the worlds largest consumer and this is not an accident. From the time we can understand a television commercial we are bombarded with ads. As adults, we have been conditioned to want the best technology available to us no matter the cost. Once you have your own children, guilt comes into play (you parents know what I mean). Is it really necessary to have an xbox, wii, PlayStation and every other gaming console available at the same time? Games for these consoles average $50 a piece!! Do we really need HD TVs in every room with 3000 channels? No we don't. I admit, it is nice to have nice things and those of us who work hard for them deserve them. My point is that we are a culture driven by marketing. We have let all of the products be outsourced to China, India and Mexico. This is done because it is cheaper for a company to have their product made there by a person who will most likely never be able to purchase the product. Then, pay for it to be exported back into the country and sell to us at an incredibly inflated price because (we demand it). Soon the tables will turn on us and we will not be the consumer anymore, this pattern can only last for so long. Especially with a 9 trillion dollar deficit that our government will leave us holding after it collapses. What will happen when we can no longer buy (well, with I-owe-you's anyway) the worlds products? What can be done to bring jobs back to America? Why is this not possible? Can someone please give me a reason that does not include greed?

Welfare qualifications...

Why are most of the states adopting a policy of raising the acceptable income level for qualifying for welfare and other government assistance programs when the system is already going bankrupt? Doesn't this directly conflict with any solution to unemployment? Instead of doing whatever it takes to create more jobs, we are just going to make it easier to get welfare?!?!? This is insanity!! Clearly, there is no desire from the government to halt this, as 38 states have adopted the policy without any difficulty. This sounds like a vicious circle to me. We are losing thousands of jobs (contributing taxpayers) while the money (or non-existing money) paid in by those who are still working is being handed out to people paying with food stamps and then climbing into a Denali in the parking lot!! I have heard several people tell me that they get more money from welfare and unemployment than they would working a full-time job. And now, with Obamacare you don't even have to work for a company that provides benefits. As a matter of fact, there is already speculation that companies are going to start dropping insurance beneifts all together.

So, what do we do about this problem? Answer...JOBS!!! It's very simple. Instead of passing Obamacare, they should have been putting the skids to "free trade". Now instead of bringing jobs back to America, we are condoning a socialistic society that will be controlled by the government. This is the intent of the Feds, as they make most of our countries decisions as it is.

QE2 and it's essential take down of the American economy.

Ben Barnake has a plan for our bloated deficit and crashing credit market...print more money. This is essentially going to lower the value of the dollar, making you, the consumer have to use more of them when buying your food, gas. clothing and all of your other day to day items. This is going to cripple the lower and middle classes, as the upper classes will be the only "average" citizens capable of maintaining their current lifestyles. This will also create friction between the social classes. The "haves" and "have nots" if you will.

Why can we not instead of creating more money, create more opportunity for earning it? The more "money that isn't there" that is given out to the poor by means of welfare and unemployment, the deeper our grave gets. QE2 is just a way for the rich at the top, who have the most money, to keep themselves from taking a hit on this deal. With the global economy spiraling down the toilet, the feds will have enough of their own money to survive, but what of us? The average American citizen who's focus has been their family and the "American dream".

Instead of passing 2600 pages of budget-breaking healthcare legislation, why not pass legislation stating that we will no longer compete with foreign markets and labor pools? Bring our jobs back to America and tell greedy, corrupt corporate America that we patriots will no longer stand for this madness. We will not go quietly and let you make all of our hard work and love for our families be forgotten. We need leadership who truly think of our future generations, not politicians who claim education is their platform. I want to see someone who will practice what they preach...don't you?