Before voting, seek the truth

Before voting, seek the truth

EDITOR:

The following is a list of truisms that may help guide the thinking voters of the Mahoning Valley with the decision they are about to make. Of course, if you are not a thoughtful voter, feel free to ignore them.

Truism 1: You cannot enslave a productive person.

This is the primary reason that the Soviet Union failed and all communist/socialist systems fail. Remember this the next time a politician tells you he/she is going to tax the rich.

Truism 2: Nothing in this world is free.

What is free to you is work for someone else. The free apple you eat must be picked, the medicine you take must be formulated, the electricity you use must be generated by someone. And they expect to be rewarded for their effort. If they are not, their efforts will cease.

Truism 3: 80 percent of everything comes from just 20 percent of the sources.

I’m not sure why. It just always works out that way. That’s why 80 percent of taxes are paid by just 20 percent of taxpayers and 80 percent of the crime is committed by just 20 percent of the people and 80 percent of the wealth is in the hands of 20 percent of the population. You can rail against it, as politicians often do, but it never seems to change.

Truism 4: There are only two kinds of politicians in the world: governmentalists and nongovernmentalists.

Forget Democrat and Republican. The only meaningful distinction between politicians is whether they seek to advance the interests of government (i.e., themselves) or whether they seek to operate within the limits of the U.S. Constitution.Dennis

Truism 5: Companies or politicians don’t send jobs overseas. Consumers do.

Just look at the GM parking lot. How many foreign cars do you see? How many UAW members are wearing Korean-made clothes, playing with Chinese-made toys and watching Japanese-made televisions. We could stop the job loss tomorrow if we would just buy American.

Truism 6: Materialism is good.

It’s actually better than good. It’s necessary. Without it, the world would be immersed in poverty. Without materialism, waste, extravagance and opulence, 80 percent of the American work force would have nothing to do. (See Truism 3)

Truism 7: It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.

I stole this one from Upton Sinclair. It is the reason we talk past one another. Once we have invested in a lie (financially, psychologically or emotionally), we will not listen to the truth.

So as we enter the political season, you will be called upon to understand by some, to follow by others and to vote by all. You can vote your prejudices, or you can seek understanding and vote your intellect.

THOMAS MASKELL

Poland

Hold president to account

EDITOR:

I and many others think that George W. Bush has broken the law. He has put himself above the Constitution. I am not really interested in seeing him go to jail, but his affront to the laws of this land must not stand unchallenged.

If his administration gets away with this it sets a precedent for all future presidents. Sometimes the better good of our country is more important than politics. If it takes till the last day Bush is in office or beyond, it is important that justice and the law be served.

PAUL SHANABARGER

New Springfield