We all went through it, didn’t we? Our loving parents spun the yarn about good old St. Nick, who traveled through the sky, being pulled by his trusty reindeer, with a bundle of presents for all the good little kiddies. He came down the chimney, ate the cookies and milk you left for him, and presto! The next morning, the presents were all under the tree, and the glee and happiness abounded. Mom and Dad, after spending a lot of money and time, thought it was all worth it to see our faces light up. I think it worked on me till about age five, or maybe a bit less. I remember looking out the window at night, hoping to see the jolly old guy with his long beard, flying through the sky. After all, wasn’t there a Santa in the department stores? Didn’t we sing about him in some of the carols, and wasn’t the “Night Before Christmas,” standard utterance? It was absolutely wonderful! But of course, untrue.
OK, here we go now people. Who has been Santa to Americans? Obviously, it has been, and still us “Uncle Sam,” that wonderful guy who was invented about a hundred years ago. Isn’t he wonderful? Why, he creates wonderful things, and helps out all the needy, doesn’t he? He can write checks to everyone, bail out the poor and needy, fight wonderful wars, build highways, airports, and grand buildings. He does this, as does a real life Santa, doesn’t he? SFN as I call it in my book (which is still available free, BY E-MAIL ONLY. E-mail me if you wish it) or “something for nothing.” Myth abounds in the world about SFN, be it those magical chemists who can turn lead into gold (alchemy), or a government who can provide and be all things to all people. Isn’t it really about like a belief in Santa Claus? There is no cost in all those gifts, other than being good, but no one was ever denied because they were bad, were they? Just freebies for one and all. Got an earthquake or tsunami? Don’t worry, Uncle Santa will be there. Need help paying for your heat or electricity? Uncle Santa will be there. Need a mortgage? Does your farm seem to be unable to break even? Not to worry, because Uncle Santa will be there with farm subsidies in the hundreds of millions every month. It is all so wonderful.
Well, my belief in Santa Claus lasted but five years, and I imagine it was actually less than that, because after all, how can a toddler of less than a year or even two, understand Santa Claus anyway? The wonderful belief in that grand old bearded guy with his elves and reindeer, lasted maybe three years of consciousness to the average child. Fair? Unfortunately, the faith and belief in the impossible, must always come to an end. It has to, because belief in impossible or illogical things, is always exposed for what they are, and that is impossible and illogical. No, I will not involve myself with religious beliefs, of whatever denomination or faith, except to say that I doubt that those suicide bombers ever really did get instant paradise and 70 virgins. Let’s stick close to what we can see, hear, and place our hands on, as far as impossibility and illogic. Yup, it’s economics again.
Just like most kids have an actual belief in Santa for a brief few years, and while it was so great, the absurdity of it all, eventually dawned on us, usually by kids older than us, who sneered at our faith, and brought it to a quick end. My belief and faith in Santa was crushed by my cousin. I wasn’t upset much, because I then realized how great my parents were. No suffering on my part just a bit of enlightenment. I then began to realize how foolish it all was in the first place. How could Santa come down a chimney? How could he fly through the sky? How could he live at the North Pole, surrounded by elves? How come there were so many Santas? It made no sense at all, once I saw through the fantasy and impossibility of it.
Well now kiddies, let’s carry this on through our lives, shall we? How is it that Uncle Santa can do all these marvelous things, and no cost to us, or anyone else? How can he fight all these righteous wars, (sic), and pay everyone in their hour of need? How can he build dams, highways, subways, airports, and help all the farmers, at no seeming cost to anyone? How can Uncle Santa pay, pay, and pay some more? He must be able to do so, because after all, when someone or community needs something, don’t they get it in the form of a grant or appropriation of some kind? Can’t we all expect “help from the government?” Isn’t Washington DC, the place where all the goodness and goodies come from, when we need them? There really is no cost to a government handout is there? Isn’t Uncle Santa and his North Pole equivalent, Washington DC, the place where we can have our needs met?
This fake belief, has gone on for far longer than it should, and it’s time more people wake up to the impossibility and lack of logic of it all, before it eats us alive. Actually, it almost has eaten us alive. Figure it out for yourself. The illogicality of it all, first of all. How can some government or entity produce something at no cost? It can’t. Any more than Santa Claus can travel effortlessly through the sky, while being pulled by 12 reindeer, can a government provide endless freebies, and fight war after war, without a cost to the citizenry. It is an impossibility, besides being a silly assumption. Those who glom “grants” to build something, or save something, always fail to realize that these grants, have indeed been paid for by someone else, or even by the grantees.
Take the Colorado grants for restoring historical places and buildings, as just a classic example. These grants, come from the LOSSES experienced by gamblers at the three legal Colorado gambling towns, which are Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek. A percentage of the losses (profits to the casinos) are taxed by the state government, and these losses (taxes) are given to various groups as grants. The State of Colorado has taken the losses from one group, and given it to another group. Is this a good thing to do? Maybe it is, and I love to see history preserved. Those losses by the gamblers were all voluntary, and they must have known the risks they entailed by placing those bills in the slot machine or on the crap table. The casinos knew they had a lot of fees to pay to government when they built their places, so it is all voluntary. We won’t get into the libertartian philosophy of no government, because while that is fine, we are talking about SFN here, or “something for nothing.” Since neither the State of Colorado, nor the casinos, gamblers, or recipients of the largess can print money, this example doesn’t degrade the currency, of forcefully collect taxes from the unwilling or un-represented. “Taxation without representation, is tyranny,” supposedly said by James Otis.
On the other hand, since at least the inauguration of FDR, an Uncle Santa has come into being, which has dispensed untold goodies and privileges upon its citizenry, and to such an all encompassing degree, that the citizens have come to expect them as a matter of course, just like kids expect lots of presents at Christmas. Also like the kids at Christmas, there seems to be an unlimited ability by Uncle Santa, to pay. By far, the large majority of American citizens, actually believe there is no limit on Uncle Santa’s ability and even desire to pay limitless bills and projects, regardless of merit. Look at the latest omnibus spending bill, and that fact is all too clear. Joe Sixpack actually believes there is an Uncle Santa. Joe Sixpack, who saves his dollars in a bank, or who buys US, or any bonds for that matter, indeed does believe that Uncle Santa’s dollars are as safe and sure as the sun rising or the moon becoming full every 28 days. He has no doubts about his future, if he saves his dollars, even at a 1% interest rate, which is taxable. If informed that the dollar has declined against the euro by about 40%, he could care less, as he buys his beer and pizzas with dollars, not euros. He pays his mortgage and car payments with dollars, not euros, and he becomes quite belligerent, if someone tells him that the dollar has no actual value, other than because of legal tender laws. Shucks, I have reached my word limit, so I’ll have to continue this next week. Protect yourself! Closed Monday.