What do I get?

Hi there. Norton here. Every once in a while I find a need to hijack this guys blogs and facebook accounts so I can make sure he remembers to think about important things going on in the world.

As you know I declared myself Emperor of these, the United States of America, a little while ago. I disbanded the decision makers in Washington. They didn't go home. Along the way, however, we had a national election.

You all know the outcome. The country made sweeping changes at moving our country from a left moving agenda, at least fiscally speaking, towards a right moving agenda. The debates on the social issues that so deeply divide the Far Right and the Far Left are still yet to come. But, fiscally speaking we seem to be coming to a consensus.

We must improve the economy. We must create jobs. We must control the ever expanding national debt (it went over 14 trillion, that's 14,000 billion, this week). Higher taxes and increased regulations limit the expanse of the economy. Again, raising taxes will slow the economy. Therefore, we must reduce government spending. Once the economy improves revenue for the Government will increase. That extra revenue must be well spent. The debt is an issue for all.

I have heard different news organizations ask various incoming members of the Congress where exactly these cuts should fall. Wisely, none of them answered the question. What a bombshell. Do you honestly believe any of these folks want to be the first person to say who is getting a pay cut this year?

A bunch of the decision makers went back home following the elections that took place last November. They went back to their mansions. They went back to the country clubs. They went back to their property in the islands. They jumped into their limos for the disappointing ride to the airport. They had failed.

America seems proud to recall that this country was created, and served as such for over 200 years, to be the greatest single country in the entire world. Our founders came here to be free. When the monarchy in England became too obtrusive our founders revolted.

The 112th Congress was just sworn in and is due to have a reading of our Constitution. I have heard from some that this is a waste of time. Is it? How many of you have read it, lately, and had it explained to you? Do you know what's in it? Do you know the history of the of it all?

I know less of it than I would like, truly. I'm pretty sure Joy Behar knows less about the Constitution than most Americans. That may not be true, how would I know what she's read of the Constitution? But, she sounds ignorant when she says reading it in Congress is a big waste of time. Her questioning if the reading of the Constitution is Congress's way of bowing down to the Tea Party is rather rhetorical. I'll answer it for her... YES.

The Tea Party is an loosely held together organization whose members all seem to have one thing in common. They all believe in, and wish to more closely follow, what is written in the Constitution. I think the Congress is also starting to figure it out. So yes, their reading of the Constitution today is sort of bowing down to the wants of the people who elected them. Imagine that, doing what your constituents wish. A novel idea.

Some have been so bold to say that the Constitution is a racist document written by racists for racists. They site the 3/5ths compromise as proof. How could our founders put in writing that slaves equal 3/5ths of a person if they weren't all racists?

Remember something. They had to remain together because divided they would surely fall. Not all of the founders were racists. Some abhorred slavery. I could quote a bunch right now, but I won't, google it, it is fact.

Back in 1787, when the Constitution was being argued, the southern slave holders wanted the Constitution to stay out of the issue of slavery, that it was not a national issue. They would not ratify the Constitution without some sort of compromise. So, the Constitution we ended up with included provisions to protect the institution of slavery, as well as provisions to hopefully keep it from spreading.

It allowed slaves to count as 3/5's a person for the purpose of counting how many delegates a state could send to Washington. It also meant that those slaves would be counted as people. at least 3/5's of them, for purpose of a state's obligation to taxes. It also denied Congress the ability to halt the importation of new slaves until 1808, as well as forbid free states from enacting laws to protect fugitive slaves (both compromises for the south).

Now listen, at face value this sounds like we were a bunch of racists. Without these compromises we never would have remained a country. From 1787 onward the country moved closer and closer to abolishing slavery altogether until finally we had a terrible war to decide the issue once and for all in 1861.

Reading the Constitution is not enough. Today, those folks in Washington should be made to learn the history behind the words. Give them some material, provide them some time to study, and test them all. Members of congress work 123 days per yer. Read that again if you wish. 123 days out of 365. Two thirds of the time they are doing something other than what we pay them to do. I guess they use that time to get re-elected. I don't really know.

As Emperor I hereby decree one thing. Start by discussing what it is the national government is supposed to do for the American people.

Here is an example. I agree the National government should regulate private business to a point. Should the government shut down oil drilling off the coast of our states because of an accident? Of course not.

Listen, we still need oil. Oil drilling and the transport of said oil is still going on in the rest of the world. We haven't decreased our use at all. Shutting down those offshore oil wells did nothing but put a lot of Americans out of work. You overstepped your bounds, plain and simple. You did it using rash decision making at a time when you had no idea what to do. Big business is not the enemy.

Believe me, if you don't know what to do it is better to do nothing. Stay out of it. It's not your problem to fix. BP handled it through apparently no help from you. They admitted fault and completely paid for the clean up. You even kept foreign clean up ships away from the gulf. Why are you meddling?

The National Government is supposed to take in 2.57 Trillion dollars this year. How about you try to first figure out the bare necessities before you begin your cuts. Let's see... Military, yup, food to be sure your people don't starve, yup, basic shelter, yup, a meaningful education, yup, running water, yup, some sort of transportation, yup. I can go on if you wish.

"We hold these truths to be self evident. That all Men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".

Recognize that? It's the preamble to our Declaration of Independence. It's what we sent King George to tell him we are pissed off and not going to listen to him any longer. We have a better way. Now, ask yourself Congressmen, what do you need to do to meet those criteria? Because I'll tell you there is the another line that reads...

"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the RIGHT of the people to alter or ABOLISH it".

It's not going to be pretty. There will be riots in the streets and maybe worse. If you reign in the long arm of government spending there will be many unhappy folks. It will be necessary, however. Otherwise we will just be passing the problem on to our children or grandchildren the same way our parents have done.

If you live in the slums of some major city, I apologize to you for what you will experience. If you live with your mom, and your dad is nowhere to be found, you must understand that is not the country's fault. That is your parents fault.

You have food, and you have shelter, and you have a school to go to and a way to get there. Now, get out there and do something with yourself. We talk ourselves blue in the face claiming anyone, with enough hard work and determination, can become successful in this country.

The feelings of entitlement have to go away. You're not entitled. Your unlucky that you were born into the situation you are in but there are avenues available to you to get out. You have to want it. If you don't make it, and instead think you and yours are entitled to some free ride you are mistaken.

I know that sounds rough. But it is a far better shake than you will receive in most other countries. Other places like Cuba, N Korea, The European Union, and the former Soviet Union are finding out or have already that government can't be all things to everybody. They are failing, miserably.

Life (don't kill me), Liberty (don't arrest me for no reason), and the Pursuit of Happiness (give me attainable avenues so I at least have a chance in this life). The rest is up to me.

Norton out.