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I remember
When you were down
You would always come running to me
I never denied you
And I would guide you through all of your difficulties
Now I’m calling on citizens from all over the world
This is Captain America calling
I built you up when you were down on your knees
So will you catch me now I’m falling
—The Kinks, Catch Me Now I’m Falling
True caring involves sacrifice. You willingly surrender your money, time, or safety to help someone out. “Caring” without sacrifice isn’t caring; it’s posing.
Now let’s turn to Ukraine and its war with Russia. Do I care about Ukraine? In one sense, I do. Few people on earth are more deserving of being humbled than Vladimir Putin. But in another more meaningful sense, I don’t. I’m certainly not willing to shed my blood for Ukrainian freedom, and I’m certainly not willing to forego a large chunk of the one federal “give-me-that” I’m currently receiving. If the federal government decided to place the burden of defending Ukrainian freedom on the backs of Obamacare recipients, I would be out over four thousand dollars (see chart below).
| Program | Recipients | Average Annual Benefit | Annual Cost to Each Recipient of Providing $60 Billion Worth of Military and Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine | New Average Annual Benefit if Recipient Really Cared about Ukraine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACA Insurance Premium Subsidies | 14,511,077 | $4,809.48 | $4,134.72 | $674.76 |
But let’s suppose that the cost of defending Ukrainian freedom wasn’t the sole responsibility of Obamacare recipients. Let’s suppose instead that the federal government wants to hit every single taxpayer in America with a “Screw Putin” surcharge (see chart below). Would I be willing to accept a tax surcharge of $353.60 to aid Ukrainian freedom? It’s a very tantalizing proposition—especially when you consider that the Ukrainians, unlike our shit allies in Iraq and Afghanistan, don’t need us to do their fighting for them. But in the end, I would still say no. And it’s not about the money. It’s about another aspect of caring that steps beyond the realm of sacrifice and is equally as important. Let me explain.
| Number of Taxpayers (Pre-Pandemic) | Cost to Each Taxpayer of Providing $60 Billion Worth of Military and Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine |
|---|---|
| 169,684,000 | $353.60 |
Do you trust our leaders? I don’t. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Never in the annals of human history has there been a leadership class so full of themselves and so impotent when it comes to fixing serious problems. The “Screw Putin” surcharge, if allowed, wouldn’t be a one-time thing. Unlike our WWII leaders, our current leaders can’t win wars. They’re only good at prolonging wars and securing defeat—er, I mean—”peace with honor.” So this year’s surcharge would turn into many more years of surcharges. And at some point, trivial surcharges wouldn’t be enough. Ukrainian freedom would require a $500 surcharge, and then a $1,000 surcharge, and then a $2,000 surcharge. Giving our leaders a license to “fix” anything is a very risky endeavor—especially when it comes to geopolitics. In other words, when it comes to Ukraine’s war with Russia, our leaders are far more likely to impoverish us than rebuke Putin and save the Ukrainians.
Now let’s turn from our pathetic leadership class and take stock of America. When you ponder the state of America, do you see a “shining city on a hill” or a dying empire? I, sadly, see the latter. And if you think I’m being overwrought, consider the following:
- The national debt is now over $31 trillion—121 percent of GDP.
- Outstanding student loan debt is now a sobering $1.75 trillion. And whose fault is that? Evil Republicans and stingy taxpayers, of course. It’s not the education-industrial complex that forces students to buy a 40-course degree when a 10- or 12-course degree is more than adequate for most majors.
- The average American household has $6,473 in credit card debt.
- Forty-six percent of renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. Twenty-three percent of renters spend more than 50 percent of their income on rent.
- Insulin is six times more expensive in America than in Mexico.
- Sixty-four percent of American adults are living paycheck to paycheck.
- Nearly three-quarters of American adults are either overweight or obese.
- Sixty-six percent of American adults are taking prescription drugs to address some ailment.
- America’s birthrate is below replacement level.
- And of the babies that Americans manage to produce, 40.5 percent of them are delivered by unwed mothers.
- Despite forty-plus years of speeches, rallies, white papers, programs, bond referendums, and higher taxes, the problems of homelessness, illegal immigration, black underachievement in education, crime, and deindustrialization remain as intractable as ever.
- Many Americans not only believe the fantasy that men and women can change their sex but also believe that anyone who fails to submit to this fantasy should be ruined professionally, financially, and socially.
- Many Americans—and a majority of Americans under 30—despise our Founding Fathers and our Constitution.
- Three of the most important guardrails of libocracy—free speech, due process, and equal protection of the law—are now openly mocked and flouted on the campuses of our most influential colleges.
- Only 34 percent of Americans trust the news that our mass media produces.
- Over 91,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2020.
- Hardly a week goes by without some psycho committing a mass shooting.
I hate to break it to you, but Captain America is falling. We have weak leaders and a weak population. And that’s the main reason why I don’t care about Ukraine. In order to care, you got to be 1) willing to sacrifice and 2) able to sacrifice. A majority of Americans might be willing to sacrifice for Ukraine and show they care by taking a direct financial hit. I doubt it, though. It’s one thing to put the bill for Ukrainian freedom on the national credit card and it’s another thing to make that bill payable every year come tax time. But even if Americans were willing to accept a “Screw Putin” tax surcharge every year, we’re in no position to help anyone. Only the strong can help the weak, and we’re not strong. We’re a screwed-up people with screwed-up leaders on the verge of collapse.
Final Thoughts
Okay, groovy freedomist, that’s all I got. What say you? I say Captain America is falling, and if we want to catch him, we got to let the world fix its own problems for the next 10 or 20 years. We got our own problems to fix.
Do you remember asking me when we were walking along the Yarra River, “What do you really think about my country? Be honest.”
I replied, “I’m sorry, but I think we’re seeing the end of the Great Experiment.”
We had a really interesting conversation after that. To be honest, I was a bit surprised. Many Americans shut down the minute any criticisms are floated about the US of A.
The rest of the world is watching. We’re worried. If you guys go down, you’ll drag many other countries with you.
Of course, I remember! How can I forget strolling along the enchanting Yarra River with a very enchanting host having a forthright conversation about a very troubling topic? And I’m forever grateful for your answer because it came from a position of genuine worry. You didn’t want to see America, the main pillar of the Anglosphere, collapse into a hulk of dysfunction and impotence. And believe me, I’m right there with you. That’s why I’m sounding the alarm. We–meaning the American people–can no longer delude ourselves. We have to honestly take stock of ourselves, admit we’re a weak people, and then do the hard work to shed that weakness. No one ever said freedom was going to be easy! Thank you, FD, for your very poignant comment. And thank you for your heartfelt concern. Cheers.
Yes, I am willing to pay a surcharge for 20 years to help Ukraine. Yes, I am willing to give my life for freedom.
No, I have not given up on the USA.
I do not believe it is futile to keep trying to improve our country. I thought that was your goal. I had thought you were making progress with important and thoughtful articles.
I believe we will always have people problems (including stupid politicians and irritable bloggers). it is the nature of life. Btw, I do not believe in your statistics.
This latest post sounds like it’s from a old disgruntled, misanthropic miser who didn’t get enough sleep the night before.
I expect better from you. Don’t give up.
I love it! One of the more insightful comments to ever grace this blog’s comment section. I am an old disgruntled misanthropic miser. But in my defense, let’s consider one of the examples of societal weakness I pointed out in the post: black underachievement in education.
In 1966, the Coleman Report sounded the alarm on black underachievement. And for roughly 50 years, we did everything humanly possible to erase the education disparities between black and white students. We increased K-12 spending, we increased the diversity of educators, we made the curriculum less Eurocentric, we lowered the average class size, and we lowered behavioral standards in order to achieve disciplinary “equity.” And none of it worked. The black-white achievement gap is as bad as ever. And now, because our woke overlords have nothing but the arrows of “more government” and “diversity” in their quiver, we’ve moved to the final stage of impotence: shoot the messenger. Get rid of the SAT and any other standardized test that exposes the black-white achievement gap.
Dale, believe me. I’m on your side. I want America to be strong politically, economically, and culturally. That’s why I’m sounding the alarm. That’s why I want us to stop trying to fix the world and focus instead on fixing ourselves. We’re a weak country and we’ll remain a weak country as long as we continue doing the same things we’ve been doing for the past 60 years. Improving education with more spending and more “anti-racism” programs is the same old same old. Saving Ukraine, being the world’s policeman, is the same old same old.
Thanks for stopping by, Dale. I really appreciate the pushback. It makes me a better blogger and person. Cheers.
Black married momma here: I strongly suspect that underachievement gap is tied directly to the astronomical rate of never wed mothers in the black community (75% of black children are born to single mothers). I have taught in the public school system and I (along with my husband) are raising two teenagers. The difference: as parents, you must be active in your child’s education. Before they start school and while they are students.
There was a study (for those who care to google it), of a very successful inner city teacher (either preschool or kindergarten) and when they asked why her students were so successful in school: she did with them what she did with her own children. Took them to the grocery store, taught them about money, played educational games with them, etc.
If the parents don’t care, then their children won’t. If the parents don’t invest time in their children, others investments will fall flat.
I love you! The achievement gap is better understood as the self-sabotage gap. White Americans do better than black Americans socio-economically because black Americans engage in more self-sabotage than white Americans. Likewise, Asian Americans do better than white Americans socio-economically because white Americans engage in more self-sabotage than Asian Americans. The secret sauce to a fruitful life isn’t a riddle wrapped inside an enigma. The answer is right there for anyone with functional eyes: be a good person, don’t have kids out of wedlock, become competent in a worthwhile skill, and work. Thank you, Dee, for your very thoughtful comment. You made me freaking day. Cheers.
I agree with a lot of your thoughts. But what you are really saying is ” AMERICA FIRST ” Our former president agreed with you too. A red wave may move us back in that direction. We’ll have to wait and see.
Exactly! America first. What a radical idea.
Sadly you are correct. Our ‘leaders’ have been letting us down for decades. They’ve been focused on their own greed and power and not doing what’s right.
So many issues and I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. Sad times in the USA.
I had a professor in college who routinely counseled me and my fellow students that the best way to predict someone’s future behavior is to study that someone’s past behavior. For as long as I can remember, the typical politician’s MO is to get rich by hawking government goodies. So what are the odds that this kind of behavior will continue until the point of no return? I say the odds are quite strong. Thanks for stopping by, Debbie. Great comment.
Let’s ask “What’s in it for America?” If Putin reboots the Soviet empire, would it make any material difference in my life or the lives of anyone I know? Conversely, aside for the good feeling of seeing a bad person failing, what benefit does his humiliating defeat do to me? My spending priorities flow from this consideration.
Let’s look a little closer. At the state government, does the governor’s virtue or vice make one iota of difference in my life? How about my city’s mayor?
No difference? Then maybe I should ought to send less money to the city, state, and feds. How can I vote to make that happen? And given the fact that GOP candidates have lied about shrinking government, maybe I ought not just pick a single party’s ballot.
steve poling recently posted…Dave Ramsey Heresy
Agreed. Both parties have governed on the notion that more government means a better life. Well, we’ve had 60 years of more government and I see no evidence that the typical American’s ability to manage his or her life has improved in the slightest. In fact, I would argue that the typical American today is a worse steward of his or her health, finances, relationships, and freedom than the typical American of yesteryear. But don’t worry. When Republicans gain control of the house, they’ll do a thorough investigation of Hunter Biden, and that will fix all of our problems. Thanks for stopping by, my friend. I love your acerbic wit.
Do not forget that “more government” is often the clothing worn by “opportunities for graft” and “more power for me & my cronies.”
steve poling recently posted…Dave Ramsey Heresy
Absolutely. Graft battens on big government. Are you familiar with “Plunkitt of Tammany Hall?” That one little book is one of best political science books I ever read. “The Power Broker” is another book that perfectly explains the wanton dysfunction of our government. But that’s a much more challenging read. Thanks for making another excellent point, my friend. You’re the best.
Mr. Groovy recently posted…Do You Really Care?
“Only the strong can help the weak, and we’re not strong. ”
A sad commentary on the state of things in our once great country. Sad, but, I’m afraid, also true.
Amen, brother. As Jordan Peterson has famously said, “…the best way to fix the world is to fix yourself.” Captain America needs at least 10 years of me time. Thanks for stopping by, my friend. Cheers.
“Captain America needs at least 10 years of me time”. Well said, my friend. Great post.
Thank you, Laurie. Appreciate it.