Maggie's Farm

The problem will so many polls like this one---and there are tons of them that claim Americans are fed up---is that the Left and the Right are "angry" for very different reasons. The Left thinks the country is on the wrong track because Obama is not radically transforming the country fast enough to suit them. The Right thinks the country is on the wrong track because the Democratic Socialists in Washington are forsaking the values and principles on which this great country of ours was founded. The politicians and the press are very adept at diffusing the blame for fights like the one we just went through over raising the debt ceiling, and so the average John Q. and Jane Q. Citizen is likely to say "a pox on both political parties." A poll that finds most Americans are unhappy with the performance of public officials, but doesn't make it clear WHY that's so, is therefore hardly worth mentioning. Our elected officials will continue to do nothing different from what they have always done because they know how to keep from being called to account by a very polarized and often confused, uninformed public.

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I think these days the Feds DO classify ketchup as a vegetable (where do you think the farmers' overripe tomatoes go?), IMHO I don't see why juice made from fresh squeezed oranges should NOT be classified as fresh fruit, and although I like a good steak every once in awhile, I also like veggie patties and all sorts of variants on the same idea. After all, there ain't no HAM in HAMburgers, so why not soy? If these ideas were indeed Stockman's, then a lot of nutritionists these days would probably agree with him. That's the kind of forward thinking we need in government.

16 Stats that prove Americans are angry overlooks the 1 stat that personally matters to me: the stadiums at NFL football games continue to be jam packed with fans---as usual---which shows that a lot of Americans still put their pleasure and immediate gratification before their long term financial security. Until the day comes that the stands at professional sports games are nearly empty, I will shed no tear for people who say they are "struggling" but have never demonstrated the will power to save for the future. You want my sympathy? Show me that year after year you didn't blow your dough on pop concerts, ball games, unlimited cell phone service, designer jeans, exotic wheel covers for your car, or private schools for your kids. The key to riding out troublesome times like now is to be frugal when times are good, always preparing for when they are bad. My parents taught me that. That's what my wife and I have done. Self-discipline....it means everything.