Douglas Gibbs of Political Pistachio @
Political Pistachio: Rush Limbaugh: The Real Story of Thanksgiving gives us this treatise on thanksgiving that's really worth reading:
"Well, let's allow our real undoctored American history lesson to unfold further. If our schools and the media have twisted the historical record when it comes to Columbus, they have obliterated the contributions of America's earliest permanent settlers, the Pilgrims. Why? Because they were a people inspired by profound religious beliefs to overcome incredible odds. Today, public schools are simply not teaching how important the religious dimension was in shaping our history and our nation's character. Whether teachers are just uncomfortable with this material or whether there's been a concerted effort to cover up the truth, the results are the same. Kids are no longer learning enough to understand and appreciate how and why America was created.
The full piece available at above link. Enjoy!
Dear Longknife: Happy Thanksgiving to you and thanks for posting this.
In short, the Pilgims found out the difference early on by experience between:
* scarcity mentality
* ABUNDANCE mentality
There are books written about this, the most commonly recommended I know being:
* Rich Dad, Poor Dad
* Conspiracy of the Rich
The difference is not only between people who are AWARE of this difference
in mentality, which otherwise keeps people separated by class between those who
feel empowered and don't depend on govt/welfare and those who feel victimized and
depend on political party or govt to "protect their interests" instead of exercising their
inalienable rights directly and enforcing standards that way;
but also
people who "hold this difference" AGAINST the upper classes, and expect to bridge the gap by taking from the rich or abusing govt to "redistribute wealth" instead of using the SAME METHODS of the wealth/independent to organize resources and generate/circulate wealth WITHOUT depending on party or govt to do this for them.
This issue of addressing "scarcity mentality" vs. "abundance mentality"
is the root of the issue facing the country right now, where on one hand the GOP has been skewered by accusations of pandering to the wealthy at the expense of the middle and lower classesn while Democrat Party leaders are abusing govt to redistribute wealth instead of investing in EDUCATION and TRAINING to break people out of the poverty/welfare cycle, and how the different classes of people, some seeking independence from govt while others seeking greater dependence on govt, is skewing the voting base in a politically abused division between wealthier/more independent classes of business people vs. the poor/more dependent populations.
It is sad because instead of forced redistribution of wealth, that goes against the nature of people, of govt, and of free enterprise, we could set up educational programs (through community centers and schools) to redistribute KNOWLEDGE on a VOLUNTARY basis, where both the contributing sponsors and the participants could benefit.
Successful models such as the Grameen Foundation and Bank, already exist, which use microlending (NOT handouts) and business training and planning to uplift poorer sectors of the population per community by investing in small business ownership.
By REWARDING wealth experienced investors for lending and training more people to become financially independent, such as through tax breaks or exemptions, both the very wealthy could contribute on a VOLUNTARY basis (instead of being unjustly penalized for their wealth, or force to pay into any welfare system enabling poor to continue the scarcity and victimhood mentality) while the middle and lower classes would also be required to pay back loans by working in a supervised educational environment, to learn how to manage finances and property, matching business mentorships with internships, to create a system that cuts the cost of poverty and generates revenue to cover the next level of growth and investment.
The ABUNDANCE mentality of investing is what generates positive growth; and we don't
need to kill that by pushing this fear of the "scarcity mentality" that cuts off the flow.
The President and other people trying to get a hold or control of "other people's wealth" is the scarcity mentality; as are the people who want to fight for govt control on EITHER side of this debate going on, if it is the rich or the poor that are killing the economy by taking too much at the expense of others.
The people who are investing in BREAKING the cycle of poverty are the ones keeping the economy going, so those are the programs and solutions we should be investing in and modeling govt after; and all the programs I have found that are successful, cost-effective, and sustainable work on a VOLUNTARY basis, based on the ABUNDANCE mentality.
We are clearly going in the opposite direction, if we keep pushing the scarcity/victimhood mentality.
