Pondering "The State of Illusion Address"

I have been pondering "The State of Illlusion Address" of last night, and have a question. Does President Obama believe we're either not hearing him, or we're really that stupid?

Let's take the first point that stuck out to me. He kept saying Warren Buffett should not pay less than his secretary. Also, one of his main themes is that millionaires and billionaires should not be paying less than you are.

Now if he had been honest, he would have used the words "tax rate" when comparing Buffett to his secretary. Even then, he would have still been being dishonest.

1. Warren Buffett pays FAR MORE in taxes than his secretary! We're talking TAX MONEY here. He makes far more than she ever will, and he PAYS far more than she ever will.

2. She pays 35% tax on her EARNED money (salary). Buffett already paid 35% on his money a long time ago - his EARNED money (salary). Then, as he saved, he was able to INVEST that same money, and it's on THAT INVESTED money that he must now pay 15%.

So 35% + 15% = 50% Buffett is paying on the same money.

The rich pay TWICE - once when money is earned and again when it is invested. The top 10% in the world of "rich people" actually pay 70% of the cost of running this inflated government.

The next thing I'm pondering is President Obama's declaration that America is doing better than ever before - it's NOT declining, he says. I think it would be wonderful if the President could appear on the CBS show "Undercover Boss". He would be given $15 a day and have to feed his wife and two kids on that amount. He wouldn't be able to tell anyone who he is, so he could curry neither favors nor special treatment. THEN let's hear him declare America is in great shape.

Does he think if he declares it, Americans will blindly accept his word as Truth?

OK, this next one is a biggie, yet you hear crickets chirping when it comes to this statement. The President said, “The executive [President/Vice-President] branch also needs to change. Too often, it’s inefficient, outdated and remote. That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy [aka POWER] so that our Government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people.”

So let's ponder this statement together. Our forefathers deliberately set up our government as a three-leg stool. Three branches of government to keep The President from becoming a King. Remember: they had left the King/Queen in England so they knew what that kind of power could do to a people with NO VOICE.

The Legislative, Executive, or Judicial are EQUAL but SEPARATE, making sure no ONE branch gets too powerful. Yes, it causes arguments, but it also keeps The President from turning into a dictatorial King.

President Obama is right about one thing - the government would definitely be leaner and quicker if the other two branches were non-existent. He would have absolute power!

Think about that last statement. Your life depends upon it as an American.

2012 April Lorier Perspective