Ludicrous

I was just thinking about - - -

It's fair to have the aspiration and commitment to be honest, and to have the expectation that people with whom one has contact will be truthful. The Daily Mail of London released an assessment regarding the integrity of men and women. In today's issue, their unscientific assessment indicates:

A new survey shows the average person tells four lies a day, or 1,460 a year for a total of 88,000 by the age of 60, and the most common is: "I'm fine."

It's men who tell the most fibs, coming out with five every day compared with women, who lie three times..."

It lends itself to the concern of the reliability of people and the authenticity of what is communicated. Do the politicians of today any longer discern what truth is, or are they caught up in the semantic of “it all depends on what is – is”? The parsing of words has become a politicians art. They are mostly wordsmiths of the highest order. When a politician is asked a simple “yes or no” question, when is the last time one has declared “Yes! Or “No!”? One would be hard pressed to find such an occasion.

I have long had a "pet peeve" when politicians cite "The American People" as the basis of their Bloviation on the one hand, and their reason for expenditure or tax increase on the other. The truth may actually be that they don't have even a slight idea of what "The American People" feel or think - nor do they care. Their Job Preservation seems to be first and foremost. Term limits would generate a greater concern for "The American People" than the career potential for Politicians who have become part of the problem rather than of the solution.

Part of the concern should be in the area of Government spending. This is where the LUDICROUS comes front and center. The Office of Management and Budget indicates the US Senate Bill Earmarks designated for 2008 are: “59 earmarks totaling $559,339,000; the final bill would have 191 earmarks totaling $1,181,061,000.” This accounts for such things as the infamous “bridge to nowhere” that cost close to $240 million dollars. Another part of the "ludicrous" is the current discussion of a tax rebate to stimulate the economy. The divide in the debate occurs when some believe a "Tax Rebate" of an equal amount should be given to those who paid No Taxes. Ludicrous? Yes! Sensible? No!

A clear and simple direction from the Holy Scripture in Romans 12:17 & II Corinthians 8:21 (KJV) is:

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

Most politicians place their hand on The Bible and Swear/Vow they will uphold the US Constitution, etc. And then, they set forth on their career and agenda, seldom looking back at the Oath of Office, and without too much concern about the electorate who elected them to their lofty position.

One other area that strikes one as being “ludicrous” is in the area of Presidential aspirants. Are we to believe that out of a population of 300,000,000 – this is the “best” we have to select from to represent and lead our nation? The pundits seem to think the best hope for one party is one who is approaching his 72^nd birthday. The candidate appeals to the fact that his Mother is 95 years of age. The implication is that he will match her years. Just a personal word: My Father had two sisters who both lived in excess of 100 years of age – but – he died at age 41.

It behooves one to separate the practical from the ludicrous. It takes effort but the end result brings benefit and reward. Edmund Burke uttered: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Be a person who tries to make a difference and, if you fail, you will at least have the satisfaction of having tried your best to maintain a commitment to that which is right and good!

Think About It!