"Reagan redux" - No Comparison

Below is an email I wrote a correspondent at MSNBC.com in response to this article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29388258/

Hello Mr. Fineman,

I just finished reading your current article: “Reagan redux”. While the article is full of enthusiasm for President Obama's sweeping changes and hopeful rhetoric, I take issue with the content, especially with the comparison to President Reagan. As your article points out, Reagan expanded the federal government with increased defense spending and cut taxes, which lifted us out of the deep recession we were in, because of historically tested economic methods … not simply a mysterious booster shot of “optimism”. Unlike Reagan’s plans to reduce the overall scope of the Federal government while expanding our military force, President Obama has decided to support unprecedented, massive expansions in entitlement programs, along with agencies and policies which rob aspiring Americans from the precious autonomy which drives our most productive citizens and businesses. It is highly unlikely that these gigantic “entitlement” programs will ever be shrunk, once the general public has gotten a taste of the numbing elixir which dulls the desire to work, given the paltry reward for the sacrifice or risk.

Your subheading declares that “Like the Gipper, Obama offers hope”. I don’t see how the comparison can be made. Reagan based his hope on the time-tested model of free-enterprise capitalism. It was his belief and understanding that a strong America emerges when those daring enough to produce, risk and succeed are allowed to keep more means (lower taxes) with which to do so. Obama has built his hope on a time-tested model as well… one which history has shown leads to lower productivity, higher unemployment, and less reward for those willing to TRY. The funny thing with “hope” is that it doesn’t really count for much unless the correct actions are taken. I can “hope” that my loved one’s cancer will disappear by their simply wearing all purple clothes, or other such nonsense, but unless this actually yields the desired result, my “hope” produced nothing more than a warm feeling. We are all being told that historically proven methods for economic growth do-not-apply in this case, and that a government with a horrific track-record for governance now magically has the answer...one which has been historically proven to stunt economies.

I agree that both Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama are dynamic figures who clearly move the country to action. I pray that President Obama’s departure from the proven ideals embraced by Reagan will not lead us down the road to American mediocrity, resulting in a country Karl Marx could only dream of. I like hope…just not false hope.


Regards,


-Cameron Akrami

Glendora, CA

Tower of Terror

My life is full of minute decisions, which have a cumulative effect on the overall outcome of my life. It isn't the hamburger that I eat that makes me fat, or the assignment that I miss which causes me to fail a class. It is the culmination of dozens of burgers and scores of missed assignments which renders someone a fatso with a 1.0 GPA. It's about deciding in the small things that you want to make a difference, and replicating that small wise decision many times which brings the results you desire. And then, there are those "biggies" in life. Marriage, committing our lives to God, buying a home... decisions which don't average out over time for a result. Decisions which have a swift and immediate implication, which place demands on your life; demands which insist on being foremost in your priorities.

Michelle and I are embarking on an adventure, the beginning of which resembles standing in line for a roller coaster and watching the car pull into the gate. The anticipation, and ultimately, the commitment you make to the topsy-turvey road ahead of you. The commitment which says, once you're seated and the coaster gets moving, you're in it till the ride is over. Sure, you can jump out prematurely and be dashed against the tracks (as some of my friends horrifyingly witnessed at Knotts Berry Farm 14 years ago). The rational person inside me asks why I would embark on such a stomach turning endeavor, with no guarantees of a smooth ride or personal gain.

Buying our first home brings with it, the sense of the unexpected, the financial committment, the looking into each other's eyes and declaring "here we go!". Just the thought of owning and being responsible for our own home is breathtaking, sending bursts of adrenaline coursing through our veins, imploring us to choose between "fight or flight". The next few days will tell us whether our offer for purchase has been accepted, and we look forward to choosing to fight for victory in making this work. To have a piece of the "American Dream"; a place to call our own. To not just sit on the roller coaster as a passive, terrified rider, but to thrust our hands in the air as if to say "bring it"!

We are placing an offer on a home that we both like, and are waiting to hear back with an answer.

From the back of the house looking up


Me, contemplating living in a house with a purple room.