Gotcha Again America - Salem-News.Com

Looks like those days we have feared, where China takes the US without a single shot, may have begun.

(HARRISVILLE, N.H.) - Have you heard that little voice in the back of your head whispering “Gotcha Again America”? Well, you should have.

Considering the state of the U.S. economy, the true unemployment rate, the record-high rate of foreclosures and short-sales, the number of businesses going under, and the general failure of the economy to respond to economic stimulus the likes of which we have never seen before in this country, wouldn’t you think that the President and Congress would jump at the chance to spend taxpayer dollars on infrastructure projects that would put U.S. companies and workers back to work? I certainly would!

I have heard President Obama telling the country about how we have so much work to be done on our infrastructure and what a great opportunity this is to put America back to work. Actually, I have heard talk about shovel-ready jobs, infrastructure, and stimulus from President Obama so frequently, I was beginning to think “How can we miss?” Then I ran across the following ABC News clip which, I had apparently missed when it aired last September 23rd. Just in case you missed it as well, I am including a link below to that broadcast:

Once you have watched and listened to the video, see if you can come up with answers to the following questions:

Why would the President and Congress throw away what appears to be a golden opportunity to get the ball rolling on infrastructure job creation?

We were told that the vast amounts of stimulus monies that had been set aside and earmarked were to be dedicated to bringing our economy back from the brink. Why then have those funds been used to pay bonuses to the very banks that created the problems? Why are these funds being spent to help Chinese industries and to provide jobs to Chinese workers when U.S. industries are hurting so badly and U.S. workers are losing their homes? Why is it that U.S. unions are not up in arms about this?

Time and again, the U.S. taxpayer gets little more than lip-service and double-speak from those we have elected to office. At what point do we say ENOUGH ALREADY?

Our very political structure not only promotes greed, it rewards it! It seems that both of the major political parties in our country count on the U.S. citizen to be either mentally numb or extremely forgetful. For the most part, this belief appears to have been well founded. If you don’t think so just look tendency of the U.S. voter to put members of Congress back into office again and again regardless of how little they do or how badly they do it.

When will the U.S. citizen start giving greater consideration to an individual’s accomplishments than to his or her party? When will political rhetoric and finely polished but empty speeches take a back seat to an individual’s actual historic track-record? Until (and unless) these things happen folks, we are almost certainly guaranteed to continue on a downhill slide . . . but, that is just my opinion!

Writer Robert Collinsworth is an American who isn't hesitant to talk about the good side of his country, and that is a welcome thing in this day and age. Salem-News.com admittedly, is very critical of both American politics, as well as those of other nations that we perceive is being wrong in their motives and actions. At the same time, within these structures we criticize, are many outstanding people who make each day a better place for all those around them. They embody and personify the American spirit that is sometimes fleeting, but always present. These are some of the things Robert takes into account when writing commentary that is designed reach people, to "get them thinking" in his words, and indeed it does. Salem-News.com's goal is for all people to be on the same page, we appreciate Bob's more conservative approach toward that same goal."

You can write to Bob Collingsworth at this email address: colli2@webryders.net