Can You Recognize A Hypocrite?                                       

 I don't often publish entire blogs ....... but here is an exception.  It is by my friend Dan Uffner. [clipper]

 

September 1, 2014

“Hypocrite:  A person whose actions belie stated beliefs.”  The definition comes from the Random House Webster’s College Dictionary.

For many years, a popular and quite effective political mantra has pointed out the unfairness between income of the rich vis-a-vis the poor.  It is said that it is grossly unfair for the wide gulf to exist between the two groups.  The answer proposed is that income of the rich needs to be taken, via high taxes, and distributed to the poor with no consideration being given as to what any individual contributes to the betterment of society.

The proponents have no qualms about using the government’s strong arm to effect that action and mandate taking assets from the rich. However, it never seems to satisfy those in favor that they could take the action themselves, voluntarily, to give of their own resources to the poor without forcing others to do the same.

For example, the median income in the U.S. is under $50,000 a year.  Therefore, to follow through with their publicly declared convictions, all Congressmen/Congresswomen of that mind set could contribute $125,000 of their salaries to be used to add income to those earning less than the median up to that level while reducing their own income to the median.  

Some years back, Senator Ted Kennedy, an outspoken leader in the Civil Rights movement and a strong advocate for businesses to hire more blacks, was found to never have had blacks on his senatorial staff.  This embarrassing public revelation was quickly corrected.

President Obama, Ex-Mayor Bloomberg and other power brokers continue efforts to minimize the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution - the right for citizens to own firearms - while our president has 24-hour protection from armed guards - the Secret Service - and will have that protection for the rest of his life.  While in  office, Mr. Bloomberg had similar protection. The Founders of our country made clear that all citizens in America should be treated equally with the same set of rights and protections.

Equalizing income for everyone might have some merit if everyone were exactly the same, like all Hershey’s kisses coming off an assembly line.  But we are not.  Everyone is different --  some more so, some less -- but definitely different.

Inequality starts with human nature and IQ (Intelligence Quota).  Some of us are smart, others are less smart and still others are just plain dumb.  Some are industrious; others lazy.  Etc, etc, etc.  

There are as many differences as there are individuals; we are, all of us, unique.  What’s more “Cookie Cutter” solutions are demeaning, and they don’t work. There is absolutely no justification to advance equal income for everyone, except to attract votes from those who can’t or won’t think about the subject with some degree of thoughtfulness.

[Dan Uffner]