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TROUBLING: A COLLAPSING AMERICA Amidst Personal Gluttony

Gluttony is one of the seven great sin, which is usually not spoken of in our society.  It is normally applied to excessive consumption of food and drink by the ancient Romans.  But, I can’t help wondering if it is being inadvertently committed, more often than we realize, in front of our very eyes. 

I don’t want to make well-intentioned people feel guilty. Nonetheless, I’m referring to the destruction of perfectly good homes – in fact, highly attractive homes, right here in my local community – so that bigger and “better” ones can be constructed in their place. 

One guy that I know sold his home for $1,100,000.  A few days after the sale, it was knocked down – to be replaced by a $3,500,000 structure.

Yes, I know all about the laws of economics – that buildable land is scarce – but somehow, demolishing attractive and perfectly functional dwellings, just doesn’t seem right.  99.9 percent of the people in this country would have been overjoyed to have the $1.1 million home that I referred to in this example.  But it was destroyed to satisfy the desires of a well-intentioned individual and family. 

Frankly, had the new, more expensive home been built on a vacant lot and the older, lovely home, left standing and occupied, I wouldn’t feel this way.  But that isn’t what’s happening. 

Perhaps I am stretching the definition of gluttony by applying it to the destruction of perfectly functional housing – but it seems wrong – and I don’t know what else to call it. 

Please understand, I do not want to cast aspersions on individuals or families living in upscale homes – but I do wonder about the buying, destroying and building practice outlined above.

What do you think?

Meanwhile, amidst this personal “gluttony”, America at large Is falling apart – slowly, gradually, imperceptibly in the present – via gradualism.

Our roads, bridges, trains, airports, schools, education systems, government productivity, labor participation rate, etc. are substandard and in serious decline, when compared with other leading nations . . . or when compared with our past leadership positions.

Not only have we squandered our national resources on wars and foreign nation building – but we have squandered money we didn’t have – that we had to borrow or print – on socialistic entitlements the extravagance of which the world has never seen before.  Our poor are wealthy by global standards. 

America has made Communist countries look like Socialistic conservatives. Interestingly, most formerly Communist countries have abandoned that antiquated ideology and adopted the American model – Competitive, Free Market, Free Enterprise, Capitalism.  As a result, they are now thriving. 

Unfortunately, hard-core Communist/Socialist countries like Cuba, North Korea, Argentina, etc. are still suffering in vain attempts to effect Marxist/Socialist/Radical-Leftist outdated theories.

America has obviously forgotten what made it great.  Obama promised to bring our diverse nation together.  Instead, he and his radical-leftist Progressive administration and appointments have done just the opposite.  Eric Holder, for example, is unquestionably the most racist Attorney General in history and he has seriously tainted the Obama administration and its legacy.  And, as obvious as this seems to be, President Obama apparently doesn’t care or is oblivious to the failure of his administration.

The Obama handout society has delivered a fatal blow to American prosperity and Exceptionalism.  Blacks, who put him in office, are worse off today than when Obama entered the White House, and they are increasingly anti-white in this sixth year of his presidency.  Obama’s administration has focused unsuccessfully on liberal social causes such as abortion, school prayer, feminism, gay marriage, handout entitlements, racial divide, police brutality, and – most important of all – downsizing the American-Way* and America’s leadership in the world.  Obama seems to be willing to gradually ghettoize America at the expense of American Exceptionalism.

There can be no question about it!  America is indeed falling apart – slowly, gradually, imperceptibly – as it squanders its resources on de facto Marxist/Socialist/Liberal-Leftist/Progressive/Democrat-Party theories that have been tried elsewhere and, without exception, have failed.

*The American-Way ― *The American Prosperity Machine:   Traditional Judeo/Christian principles and values . . . the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness . . . freedom of speech, action, religion and family governance . . .  an educated and informed society . . . freedom from gender and racial discrimination . . . affordable healthcare . . . the rule of Constitutional Law . . . the peaceful settlement of disputes . . . honest elections and presidential leadership . . . patriotic, truthful, checks-&-balances, limited government  . . .  a strong military . . . cost-effective national defense . . . secure borders . . . the right of citizens to own and bear arms . . . free, competitive markets and institutions . . . properly-regulated, free-enterprise . . . balanced trade . . . private property rights . . . low cost, domestically supplied energy and natural resources . . . controlled immigration . . . individual responsibility and ingenuity . . . entrepreneurialism . . . a strong work ethic . . . full employment . . . fair pay . . . appropriate safety nets . . . low taxes . . . a strong, reliable currency . . . financial availability, mobility, and responsibility (balanced budget, minimal debt) . . . Competitive, Free-Market, Free-Enterprise, Constitutionally Limited Government  . . . and American Exceptionalism.

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/5432675084/

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William Pauwels

William A. Pauwels, Sr. was born in Jackson Michigan to a Belgian, immigrant, entrepreneurial family. Bill is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and served in executive and/or leadership positions at Thomson Industries, Inc., Dow Corning, Loctite and Sherwin-Williams. He is currently CIO of Pauwels Private Investment Practice. He's been commenting on matters political/economic/philosophical since 1980.