Reality has hit me like a freight train FRiend as a widower at age 32. Life throws challenges to everyone and I know everyone has difficulties.
I did not realize your mom had alzheimers and bless you many times over for caring for her. We went through that with my grandfather and it was extraordinarily difficult. There were many of us and I don’t underestimate the toll it would take on a single person but appreciate what it means to you.
May God bless and keep the both of you and may you emerge stronger for the experience.
You sure have done a lot of complaining about just that.
One of the cornerstones of conservatism is self-reliance and individualism. That does not mean that we live our lives as hermits and fail to enjoy one of the most special parts of humanity - the connections with others. Again, social security is not a replacement for that and if people can’t maintain their own household they should find other options before the government borrows on the backs of my children.
Throughout this thread, there are numerous persons who illustrate their dependence on government. A government that has shirked it’s constitution, looted the treasury, and placed an immoral burden on my children. I have been voting for well over two decades and assume you have been voting longer than that. I realize that our candidates do not always win but we still must shoulder our own burdens and not shackle future generations with them. That is conservatism and the moral choice.
You can’t have it both ways.
It is, as I stated earlier, likely a purposeless argument that passes the time and satisfies our insomnia. This government and many state and local governments give me no reason to believe that we will restore discipline and fiscal sanity in the next decade. At the rate we are printing and borrowing money, as well as the numerous fiscal disasters we face in the near future, I have concluded that they will print money until that money is worthless. That way, those responsible can honor their promises despite the dire consequences.
I don’t just write about it. I acted on it. I moved my young family onto a farm. When that day comes when my paycheck does not go as far, I will have plenty to feed my family and help others. When our family or friends have no place to live they are welcome here. We will just make the garden bigger.
Social Security is simply one broken part of our government and culture. It allowed the government to take money today because some believed there would always be more money tomorrow. That is not true. Social Security is only as good as the government that guarantees it and that government is now 16 trillion dollars in debt and it grows worse each day with no sign of change. In my opinion, the likely outcome will be continual inflation. I hope I am wrong and my efforts will amount to nothing more than a hobby. However, if even one of my children or grandchildren benefits from the experience in the future it will all be worth it.
I would shoulder any burden if it meant my children would not have to bear it. It’s a shame, and rather un-conservative in my mind, that more people don’t feel the same. Was’nt that feeling the stimulus for the Tea Party?
Regardless, Goodnight and God bless!
Let me clarify my purpose, not necessarily for you but for all who are reading, I wasn't relating my story for sympathy nor am I in search of personal solutions for our individual situation.
My anecdotes were, as were yours, intended to illustrate a typical situation that is undoubtedly shared by millions of others. Some are in better shape and many are in far worse shape. While everyone has a story for each of us our lives are not merely a story but our face-to-face experience with reality.
Again I thank you for your well wishes though. I am not dismissing them as unimportant or unwelcome at all.