{"id":85,"date":"2018-09-17T16:21:43","date_gmt":"2018-09-17T23:21:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/allsolutionsnetwork.org\/blog\/?p=85"},"modified":"2018-11-16T00:59:46","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T08:59:46","slug":"does-politics-matter-should-you-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allsolutionsnetwork.org\/blog\/does-politics-matter-should-you-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Everyone Vote? Does it even matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get the vote out!… but let’s make it an educated vote!<\/em><\/strong><\/span>
\nWhat Does Your Vote Mean?\u00a0 Should Everyone Vote?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If a person doesn’t really know<\/em><\/span> what they are voting for; what it means, what policies will be furthered by that vote…\u00a0\u00a0Should they\u00a0even <\/strong><\/em><\/span>vote??<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 I would never advocate taking away the right<\/em>\u00a0of anyone to vote, but might they and the country be better off if those who are so uninformed<\/strong> that they can’t even name the vice president, just stayed home?<\/em><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0 Think about it… If one votes for “X”<\/span><\/strong>, because\u00a0of a clever smoke and mirrors propaganda campaign that fooled them and they and the rest of the country, actually get<\/strong><\/em> “Y<\/span><\/strong>“, didn’t they just put their support behind something they don’t even\u00a0believe?<\/span> \u00a0<\/em> \u00a0What does that do to the country when it happens 50,000,000 times?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t get me wrong… I WANT EVERYONE TO VOTE!<\/em><\/span>\u00a0 But I want them to know why<\/span><\/strong> they are voting<\/em>, what they are really voting for and\u00a0what<\/strong><\/em><\/span> their vote actually<\/em> leads to…\u00a0 Is an uninformed vote really a free\u00a0exercise\u00a0 of choice and participation in the democratic process?… \u00a0Or is it is simply a vote that was subtly manipulated\u00a0by propoganda, persuasion and yes, even coerced by a fear mongering bureaucrat or political party\u00a0seeking election? \u00a0I believe that an “uninformed<\/em>” vote is just that. \u00a0I believe those votes should NEVER occur…<\/em><\/span> \u00a0but their prevention should be accomplished, not by Prohibition, but rather Education.<\/p>\n

How do you vote… and why?<\/span>\u00a0 What are you trying to accomplish?\u00a0 What kind of country do we want our children to inherit?\u00a0 A country in which no matter how much or how little we do, we\u00a0are each economically equal?<\/p>\n

But if\u00a0no matter how much we work we all receive the same benefit, doesn’t history show we all do less and become a less productive or inovative society?\u00a0 (This is exactly<\/em> what happened with the USSR- it has been relegated to the dust bin of history<\/span>)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Do you prefer a\u00a0country in which the opportunity to succeed exists; a world in which, if you, your son or daughter builds that “better mouse” trap they will be rewarded?<\/p>\n

There really is no wrong answer.<\/em><\/span> \u00a0Each world view has many brilliant people that support it. \u00a0I happen to believe that equal opportunity with a social safety net is preferable to attempting to create a society that forces equality of result. \u00a0First off, in the history of humanity equality of result has never worked<\/span>.<\/em><\/span> \u00a0We’ve seen the failed results of the USSR and Cuba. \u00a0We are seeing it now in the bloated government of Greece, wherein, they are on the verge of collapse due to the incredible overspending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). \u00a0(the fact is that the US is fast approaching a similar proportion of debt to GNP… this does not bode well).<\/p>\n

Government vs Private Solutions<\/span><\/strong>
\nNorth Korea<\/strong>, all is controlled by the government. \u00a0People are basically the property of and “taken care of” by the state. \u00a0North Korea can no longer even feed itself!<\/em>
\nSouth Korea<\/strong>, same geography, same resources, same opportunity… the only relevant striking difference between the two? \u00a0In one, the engine of progress is government NK, in the other SK,\u00a0it’s the individual.<\/em><\/p>\n

In North Korea, the state runs everything… and fails. \u00a0Whereas, in South Korea, the government is limited,\u00a0capitalism\u00a0thrives and so does it’s people and economy. \u00a0Is it perfect? \u00a0Of course not! \u00a0But the differences between the two identically positioned countries is beyond staggering.<\/em><\/span> \u00a0Night time satellite pictures of the 2 countries show the north as virtually blacked out, the south looks like a Christmas tree! \u00a0See the following satellite picture. \u00a0Can you guess which is which?<\/em><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n
Korea at Night<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

That is the difference between the stagnation of a society controlled by a centralized government that thinks it knows best, how to do everything, has all the solutions and makes all the decisions\u00a0vs<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>a system fueled via free enterprise where progress within the society is the result of the decisions, choices, ingenuity and innovations of MILLIONS of free individuals. \u00a0The genius of the US is derived not from\u00a0bureaucrats\u00a0but rather from individual citizens. \u00a0\u00a0History shows again and again that more government takes control, the less free and productive citizens become.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

What About China?<\/strong><\/span>
\nAbject failure had even been\u00a0the state of affairs with our “banker”, China. \u00a0\u00a0Economic stagnation was the norm even in China\u00a0until some farmers illegally “experimented” with the right to “reap what you sow<\/span>“<\/span> i.e. capitalizm..<\/em>.<\/p>\n

One day in 1978, the farmers got together and came up with a plan to illegally<\/em> divide the farms up into plots; they all had to give food to the collective, but the farmers that met a certain quota could keep some food for themselves. They then signed a secret contract formalizing the agreement, and included a clause saying that in the event a farmer got arrested for the practice, the other villagers would raise their children.\u00a0The result of this risky enterprise that season\u2019s harvest was more than the previous\u00a0five years COMBINED<\/em><\/span>. \u00a0<\/strong>Capitalism in action! \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Where free people can reap the rewards of their labor and ingenuity, productivity and innovation becomes the norm.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When the government eventually got wind of what they were doing, the farmers were hauled in front of officials; but since you normally<\/em> can\u2019t argue with results, the government decided that instead of punishment, they deserved praise. \u00a0That was the beginning of the economic powerhouse that we now see today<\/em>. \u00a0It wasn’t what government did<\/em><\/strong>, it was what they stopped<\/strong><\/em> doing…\u00a0THEY GOT OUT OF THE WAY! \u00a0 \u00a0Here is the difference, the incredible growth when it was controlled by people, not government…<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Less<\/a><\/dt>\n
Government in action<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

The graph shows decades of stagnation that continued until the experiment. \u00a0What do you think this graph would look like if the\u00a0bureaucrats still micro manged the economy?<\/span><\/em> \u00a0Shouldn’t US leaders take hint?<\/p>\n

Fairness\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nBut equality of result vs equality of opportunity, doesn’t that lead to unfairness? \u00a0Wouldn’t that\u00a0mean some would have less and some would have more?\u00a0 Some would be rich,\u00a0would be poor? \u00a0Yes<\/strong><\/em>, but success and accomplishment is a choice, like the Chinese farmers that worked more and produced more. \u00a0Shouldn’t I or anyone else be able to work 20 hours a day, to give their family a better life? \u00a0If I do so, \u00a0is it really “unfair” that I actually have more than my neighbor whose idea of a rough day is watching an “Oprah” marathon?<\/p>\n

Remember, with few exceptions, the “unequal” rich, weren’t born that way. \u00a0Most worked insane ours, put everything they had at risk, even failed repeatedly before they achieved the status of wealthy. \u00a0Most of had similar opportunity… Usually, what separates the haves and the have nots… is simply the choices they made. \u00a0please also see our success principles.<\/p>\n

Throughout the ages it has been known and taught that “we reap what we sow”.<\/em>
\nHistory shows that when we reap\u00a0less<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>of what we sow,\u00a0we just sow less<\/em>. \u00a0That doesn’t make us bad or lazy… just human.<\/p>\n

As was stated by one of the\u00a0original Chinese “capitalist” farmers\u00a0Yen Jingchang…
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u201cWork hard, don\u2019t work hard \u2014 everyone gets the same,\u201d he says. \u201cSo people don\u2019t want to work.<\/span>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

If the system changes so that we reap, whether or not we even get out of bed,\u00a0won’t most stop “sowing”?<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0If we receive the same reward regardless of our effort, won’t most do less? \u00a0This may seem like a great deal for that individual,\u00a0<\/span>but it is CANCER to the society<\/span>. \u00a0<\/em><\/span>That is what happened in the USSR, Cuba, N. Korea,\u00a0was<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>happening in China and is happening now in Greece and other European countries. \u00a0Quite frankly, the US is heading down that road.<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Simply put, history has shown that wealthier, more productive societies are created when individuals have the “right” to succeed, to progress and to become “unequal”. \u00a0 I believe that as a society,\u00a0we always need a safety net…\u00a0but we also need opportunity.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Which Do You Prefer? <\/strong><\/span>Equality or Result or Equal Opportunity
\nEvery time we vote or support a politician or philosophy, to one degree or another we are promoting one of these world views.\u00a0<\/em> It’s up to each of us to understand which of the political philosophies actually lead to the society we prefer… And THEN<\/strong><\/em><\/span> throw our support and vote in that direction.<\/p>\n

I believe that most would want our children to have the opportunity to succeed.\u00a0 Actually, most of want just about the same things…<\/p>\n

A simple truth:<\/strong><\/span>
\nVirtually all people, conservative and liberal alike have similar goals.<\/p>\n