Sunday, May 20, 2007
You only deserve what you earn. No one owes you a thing.
Amazingly, many Americans are dumbfounded and utterly confused over these simple truisms.
Because of the culture of entitlement many Americans have embraced since the mid-1960s, we have created generations of Americans addicted to the government handout machine.
They are ballast in this experiment in self-government, solidly in the liability column simply because they choose to be.
Even more amazing are the politicians who would further want to entrench into our cultural and economic fabric the very system that has stripped people of their work ethic, pride and self-esteem.
The pathetic so-called Great Society of President Johnson didn't eliminate poverty as he claimed it would. Rather, it destroyed individuals, families, businesses and entire communities while flushing hundreds of billions of hard-earned tax dollars down the drain.
Only a hapless idiot or bottom-feeding politician trolling for votes would dare advocate more destruction through more bloated and ineffective government programs. Yet they do, calling for universal health care for all Americans, including many who obviously don't care about their health.
Nothing is free. Nothing. Someone has to pay for universal health care. That someone is you, the taxpayer. Call the newspaper and leave a message for me if you believe you are not taxed enough.
It sickens me when I hear a disconnected, soulless political advocate make the socialist claim that because America is a wealthy country we should redistribute earned income from the hardest of workers to pay for the health care of Americans who cannot afford health insurance or who choose to spend their money on other things.
The latter opt for things like blingbling, custom wheels, fashionable attire, I-pods, stereos, cable TV, deadly fast food, movies, pets, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, meth and hair-dos, ad nauseaum.
Of course, with such expenses they can't make ends meet. They think waste and gluttony are their rights. God help us all.
All Americans should benefit from our capitalistic health care system. Our health care system is envied around the world because it has been fueled by profit.
If you want better health care, more effective treatments and better high-octane medicine, make it more profitable for the companies that produce and provide it.
Up by their bootstraps
Americans addicted to the welfare state need to take stock in their own lives and pull themselves up by their bootstraps just as their forefathers did.
If one job doesn't pay the bills, work two jobs. If you want health insurance and don't believe you can afford it, disconnect the cable television, quit smoking and drinking, get rid of cell phones, don't eat at restaurants or go to the movies, sell your bling, get rid of your pets, etc.
You will be amazed at what you can afford if you prioritize. Only the guilty need feel guilty.
In conjunction with Americans taking stock of their own lives, our politicians should pass tough tort reform that will limit how much damage manipulative legal sharks can continue to do to our health care system.
Lawyers, not doctors and others in the health care industry, are to blame for the high cost of health insurance.
I fully believe that 99 percent of Americans who do not have health insurance could do much in their own lives to pay for it if they cut out the excess and actually cared about their health.
Taxing hard-working Americans even more to pay for the health care of careless others ultimately will erode the high standard of health care Americans enjoy.
Socialized medicine sucks. Those who advocate socialized medicine suck even more.
Pay your own way. It's the American way.
Ted Nugent is a Waco-based musician and television show host.
Comments
By The Phoenix
May 23, 2007 6:11 PM | Link to this
Like I said. Ted is the speaker and we are his audience. Monkey see, monkey do.
By John
May 23, 2007 5:59 PM | Link to this
Phoenix,
I guess my main disagreement with what you're saying is that if a person doesn't wish to be judged, it would be best not to put his/her opinion out in a public forum.
Once that opinion is out there, it's fair for anyone to comment on it. By all means, limit the personal attacks and strawman arguments, but comments on opinions is definitely fair.
By The Phoenix
May 23, 2007 8:31 AM | Link to this
It might seem there is a 50/50 ratio of most people who would agree/disagree with Ted concerning his articles he writes. But let us all not forget one important factor.
Judge not that ye be not judged.
Is the article Ted is expressing passing judgement on others? Is it right for anyone to pass judgement on another person when we need to make sure our own house is clean before we clean someone elses?
Just because one individual has the means to live a higher standard than the other person does not constitute passing judgement on the lesser person who is struggling or simply thrives to rob Peter to save Paul. A monkey see monkey do situation.
Why is it so hard for us to not simply mind our own business? Though sometimes Teds articles can be diplomatic, is his articles fact, or judgemental? As Ted speaks we as readers have become his audience. Does anyone know why Ted writes his articles? Is his articles justified because he is an American idol?
Let us all be reminded to be careful in passing judgement on others. Would we want others to pass judgement on us?
By Jeff
May 23, 2007 7:30 AM | Link to this
Ted,
I agree with you 100% on the related issues at point,however the tax is gotten way out of hand, it has for a long time since I was a wee lad, the cost of living raises up but for the majority of the people they dont seem to get raises to compensate for the increases, thus putting them on welfare,And then they get into the this " let the government Pay for my Wheels,Cell phones,Beer,Drugs And so on " Like the saying goes And I am a firm beleiver of this "keep your job millions on welfare depend on you "....
By Jamie
May 22, 2007 12:34 PM | Link to this
Mr. Nugent,
First I have to say I am no fan yours. Much to my dismay, I have to tell you that you are right on brother. I feel that you fall short on one issue, TAXES. The average working American pays around 25% in taxes, while the rich who collect no wages and live on capitol gains only pay around 12%. Our tax system is broken beyond repair. I am not opposed to taxes, I welcome them. I am just opposed to the way we collect them. There is a way to fix this it is called "The Fair Tax". I would love to hear your opinion on this matter.
It pains me beyond description to have to say that I actually agree with you sir. I guess as we get older we become what we hate.
By Richard
May 21, 2007 6:39 PM | Link to this
Great Ted, ya got my vote for President!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Ann
May 21, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this
Ted, you are so right. No body wants to work anymore. They all expect things to be given to them. Your first two statements are not a declaration, they are facts. It is funny to see how many people come in for a job, and talk about how much they need to work, and how they have no money for anything. Then they go to take their physical, and fail the drug test! Drive through a high school parking lot, and see how many nice cars are there... how many of those students are paying for their own car and insurance? A few, I am sure, but the majority of them still get money from their parents... along with the cell phone, and the credit cards. We have become a lazy society!
By Paul
May 21, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this
The biggest flaw in Mr Nudget's argument is the attempted reversal of moral priorities of the reader in order to make himself the clear victor. While he downplays the universal need to stay healthy by placing it in a category on par with Nike sneakers, he blames poor for being poor by suggesting that rampant consumerism is the reason why the they cannot afford healthcare. If only they could stop spending all of their money on crap like i-pods then they could rightly afford their basic needs.
This is basically just another version of "the poor are poor because that's what they want and deserve" argument that idiots like Limbaugh, O'Riley, and Hannity transparently (or blatantly in O'Riley's case) use. True, poor people have, and will, make bad financial decisions, just like everyone else. But, that doesn't in any way mean that the poor are poor because they enjoy it.
In reality many people just can't afford to go to the doctor while already forgoing most of the luxuries that many Americans lust for. Just because the majority of America's poor do not live in delapitated huts (like they do in Brazil) doesn't mean that the American poor is not suffering.
As for debasing the basic human need for health I propose the following scenarios:
If my house was burgled or my wife raped, I would feel safe in knowing that I can call the police and use their services because my taxes pay their salary.
If my house caught fire, the fire department would extinguish my house and save my children because that is a public service paid for by taxes. My neighbors also benefit because now the fire won't spread to their house.
However, if I get hit by a car, shot by a stray bullet, hit by lightning, fall down the stairs, get the flu, or suffer any other form of ailment, I have to pay for that service out of my own pocket, whether I can afford it or not.
The difference among these three examples is that the police and fire services were once private enterprises that we as a society have deemed necessary to socialize for the public good. These services are essentially free. I say essentially free because that service exists without direct payment. Even if I don't pay as much as another person in taxes or if I fail to pay taxes at all, I can still use these sponsored services.
How all three of these things are the same is that no one wants these scenarios to happen to them. Nobody wants to have their house robbed or catch fire. Certainly, nobody wants to fall down the stairs and break their legs.
However, sadly, healthcare was never seen as being necessary enough that everyone should have equal access to it even if it benefits society as a whole; as in the example of early detection of patient zero in a disease epidemic.
In fact I don't believe that we as a society can move forward and become great again without some form of healthcare guarantee.
By Kyle Deers
May 21, 2007 10:37 AM | Link to this
@ Kate
This is one of the most important points here. Although we should be a secular society, we shouldn't forget what our roots are, where our MORAL roots are, which clearly is the Bible. Ted Nugent thinks that a selfish society will make it very far, I think, we will rather make it straight to hell that way. The Great Society, the New Deal and a compassionate social welfare system will help us do what God wanted us to do. Of course he wanted us to be hard workers, but he doesn't want us to ridicule the poor who think they will be cool when they wear blimblims and have new rims because the advertisemnet industry tells them that this is American. That is NOT American. God wants us to be compassionate and enable people to help themsleves.
By Kate
May 21, 2007 8:32 AM | Link to this
You have identified one of the earthýs greatest problems. Next to global warming, the consumer lifestyle is an epidemic, a disease of our times.
The concept of looking out for yourself and getting ahead, is selfish. It is not Christian. Jesus died so that others could live. If we follow the Christian path, we too will make sacrifices in our daily consumptive lifestyles so that others that are less fortunate can have what they need to survive.
The consumer lifestyle is all about keeping up and getting ahead of our neighbor. And the consumerism disease is not limited to just those who can afford it. The planet cannot afford it. The planet cannot support everyone living the best life they can afford.
It will have to be a choice among the wealthy and the rich to share the resources, so you Ted are part of the problem. The good life for one is not the good life for all. There is not enough planetary resources for all to share in the same lifestyle as even middle class Americans.
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