This Independence Day, Americans should think about how dependent they really are.
For one, our dependence on foreign goods is much greater now than in the past. We have outsourced millions of jobs and closed thousands of factories; and we now consume much more than we produce collectively.
Our second dependency is on an ever-growing government. Our government grows at local, state and national levels much faster than the population growth. The mantra now is: “Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country can do for you!”
And lastly our dependence on future generations to bare the consequences of the first two dependencies. We continue to borrow from them and it appears that very few citizens are upset enough to contact their elected officials. Our acceptance of these dependencies is evident in how we vote for the same candidates decade after decade. They must believe they are doing their jobs, because we continue to hire them and let them increase their wealth!
Happy Fourth of July! Our nation’s 247th birthday!
Tom Turner
China
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