April 2, 2009
(Upstate, SC) - This guest editorial is self-explanatory.
It is beautiful and sad at the same time. Rick Mahler has a great story to tell. So,
kick back, and spend a few minutes. Trust me, it's worth it.
Americans are a very diverse group. No surprise there. Remember the melting pot? What can sometimes be a surprise is the types of diversity we show. American people have many differences. But isn't that what makes this country so great? The fact that we can all co-exist without fear of the government intruding in our live because of our race, religion, or beliefs.
I am the child of Brazilian immigrants. My paternal Grandfather was born in Siberia, Russia and moved to Brazil with his family as a child after his father was murdered by socialist government officials for not giving up his land for "the greater good of the people". His mother and siblings joined another farmer and his children whose wife had been murdered by the same officials in an effort to escape to the US.. They fled through China and soon found that money did not allow the voyage. Brazil became the only option as subsidies were being offered for farmers. You would think that the rest is history but not quite.
Fast forwarding to the late fifties my family prospered in Porto Alegre, Brazil and became very well known. It seemed that the sky was the limit. At that time, south Brazil had an economy that was very similar to the US. The region was full of hard working European immigrants that had developed what was once jungle into major metropolitan areas. Kind of reminds you of the US doesn't it? Well here's where it gets scary. In the early sixties, the Brazilian government which had been mostly hands off and happy with the fair amount of tax revenue it was receiving suddenly had "change" voted in. North Brazil with it's corrupt politicians and military police was near bankrupt (Chicago? Detroit?) and needed a way to stay solvent. The "change" that came about in their eyes was a perfect solution. The south is full of wealth. Increase tax rates and the problem will be
solved, right? WRONG! What resulted was threats of civil war and secession. ( sound familiar? ) With that, the North stepped in and enforced the new rules using the military police. What resulted from this was the more enterprising people left the country. ( my Father, Mother, and Grandparents) Some of the wealthy that stayed invested in things in other countries and banked there as well, and the middle class disappeared. Now, all that remains are the very wealthy (mostly politicians and high level military) and the very poor. Businesses are required to give credit lines at grocery stores for employees, health care, and a 2 hour lunch each day. Yes, I said 2 hour lunch. Most small businesses are gone now. The unemployment rate is astronomical. Poverty reigns supreme.
With that story being told I want you to understand that this was a gradual process in the name of economic stability... They took over the banks that were at risk of failing. They invested in private enterprise that is no longer private. The 40 year process has led to many Brazilians begging for socialism in the hopes that they can eat tonight. I lived in Brazil for a year when I was about 10 years old. The memories I have are good ones. I returned in 2005 to visit family that I had not seen since 1981. What I found was not the Porto Alegre I remembered as a child. My Grandmother's apartment building is surrounded by iron bars and the owners pay a security firm to have armed guards at each corner. I wanted to walk 6 blocks to see the school I attended and was told I may get killed for the sneakers on my feet. I walked those blocks everyday as a 3rd grader and there was never a concern.
In the eighties and nineties there was an uproar in this country over the fact that our government was spending $500 for each hammer they purchased and $2000 for a toilet. America is the best country in the world. I thank God everyday that my parents came here and that I had the privilige to be born here. Maybe the insight that I am afforded by this is what makes me a conservative. I have seen first hand what happens when the government controls things. That $500 hammer used to make people use terms such as "government waste", "political red tape", and many more. Where is the uproar over government slowly taking over private enterprise? Why is it okay to spend millions on helicopters for the Mexican Army but not buy a $500 hammer? Fire the bums!!! Yes all of them. If anyone has been in for more than 1 term vote them out. Sure some good ones will get kicked out. There has to be a couple...right? But overall we can only gain from it.. If they know we are watching... maybe, just maybe, they might represent us and not themselves. We need to be self sufficient! We need a balanced budget! We need the US Constitution to mean something again! Freedom is not FREE, you cannot stay free by watching a sitcom. Spend time with your kids, read a book, read the constitution. Learn and understand why we are free and maybe you will see why it's slipping away.
Frankly, Rick, I think we should keep Jim DeMint, but you're right-on otherwise!
Rick Mahler can be reached on his web page and at his Facebook account. He lives in Campobello, SC.
- Dick Anderson
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