Chris Belland's - "Hindsights & Insights"
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The older we get, the smarter our fathers -- and forefathers -- become

By CHRIS BELLAND Citizen Columnist

You know, as we get older, we start to realize how our fathers weren't such the out-of-touch old fogies we thought at the time. To those who might think that doesn't apply to the fathers of our country, think again. These days we ought to remember the words of the fathers of our country more than at any other time, for the power of wisdom is not just of an age, it is for the ages. Maybe it's time to go to the man himself -- Thomas Jefferson, architect of the Constitution. Give a listen and consider, for somewhere between the peak of the age of reason and the bailout of AIG lies some pretty compelling logic.

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property -- until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." Thomas Jefferson.

We just spent billions of dollars to compensate for the excesses of Wall Street's greedy invention of derivatives, packaging of subprime loans to be sold to the unwary, mismanagement and just plain theft that nearly brought down our country. It was nothing less than a rape of the masses for the benefit of a few insiders who have grown fat at the public trough while shareholders saw their investments evaporate, workers saw their retirement plans become worthless and homeowners watched as the equity in their homes turned to humiliating short sales and foreclosures. It was, indeed, a rapid inflation and deflation of value that caused many to "wake up homeless on the continent their forefathers conquered." If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe." Thomas Jefferson.

We are facing the greatest challenge since the inception of our country, which is the question of immigration reform. Four point five billion of the world's population are poorer than Mexico, which is one of our largest origination points of immigration. If we let in those from Mexico who wish to come, whom shall we deny? The conundrum of our time is how to honor the promise written at the base of the Statue of Liberty in the context of today's reality, and manage not to be smothered in a tidal wave of immigrants that we cannot sustain. To help the rest of the world, it is imperative that our country stay strong.

"It is incumbent upon every generation to pay its own debts as it goes, a principle which, if acted on, would save one-half of the wars of the world." Thomas Jefferson.

Right now, not years in the future, we are witnessing a potential global economic crisis of unprecedented proportions. With the impending debt-induced potential fall of Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain (PIIGS), we may well see the collapse of the European community. When I was born in 1948, our national debt was $252 billion. Today, it is over $13 trillion and growing. Who will determine our future, those we elect or holders of our debt?

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." Thomas Jefferson.

We have just seen the largest export of jobs in our history. Whole industries have abandoned our shores for the wage labor advantage of developing countries. The definition of a colony is when a country exports raw materials and imports finished goods. We send off our scrap, timber and ore and buy back cars and gadgets. Although this country still dwarfs most economies of the world, we are facing a neocolonization of one of the greatest political experiments in history. I pray we do not become a footnote to that history.

"I predict future happiness for America if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." Thomas Jefferson.

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." Thomas Jefferson.

The questions of abortion, universal health care, the homeless and care of our elderly will not be answered by a series of mandates for entitlement that will beggar the producers of our nation. As well, we must understand that these things do not happen in a vacuum defined by national borders. These same problems are now being faced by former agrarian-turned-industrial economies in China, India, South America and, to some degree, Europe, and what was once the great hope of globalization may well turn into global economic disaster.

Perhaps it would be well for not only us, but other countries, to also remember, "A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have." Hmmm, I wonder who said that?

Chris Belland's Hindsights & Insights column appears here on Sundays. Belland also writes a biweekly column on environmental issues, which runs in our Sunday magazine, Solares Hill. All of his previous columns are available on his blog: hindsightsandinsights.blogspot.com. Contact Chris at cbelland@keysnews.com.