What Ever Happened to Aesop?
Aesop was a slave who lived in Ancient Greece around 600 BC. He is best known for his collection of fables that teach moral lessons of human interaction. While Aesops Fables are often cast as childrens stories today, throughout most of history they were recognized as the deep wisdom of the ages. A few of his more notable titles - taken from a list on Wikipedia, are:
One of my favorites was The Ant and the Grasshopper, which was redone by Disney just a few years ago. In this story the ants are out working in the fields, collecting food for the winter. Meanwhile the grasshopper played and ate to his heart's content, all the while making fun of the ants for the labor. Come winter of course, the ants were safe in their warrens with plenty to eat and the grasshopper was cold and hungry outside. Knowing the ants had plenty the grasshopper came to the anthill and begged for food. But the ants told the grasshopper that what they had was a product of their labor and they weren't going to give it away. The grasshopper, having not prepared, starved to death in the cold. The lesson of course doesn't apply only to food and is generally interpreted as meaning, if you don't take responsibility seriously you aren't going to have what you need in life.
For thousands of years this was taken as a fundamental truth. Even Christianity, which is often referenced when the issue arises, doesn't endorse helping those who are lazy. (2 Thessalonians 3:10 - If any will not work, neither let him eat.) Indeed, this is one of the precepts that has made America great. While you weren't given what you need, the tools were there for you to go out and get it. And those who were willing to work hard would be rewarded for their labors. That is why the pilgrims landed at Plymouth. That is why Europe flocked to our shores. So what in the world is happening?
I honestly don't understand what my nation has become. Far from The Ant and the Grasshopper, the only thing our leadership ever talks about these days is how to give our tax dollars away. In Copenhagen Hillary Clinton has pledged $100 billion (that's $100,000,000,000) yearly to help the third world catch up with the developed world. At the same time she wants to slow the growth - even turn back the progress of - our economy. Now I don't mean to be insensitive but we have in this country what we have because we have chosen to have a stable government and to work our asses off for 250 years. The people in those other countries haven't done that so why should they benefit from our hard work? Why do my leaders think it is okay to take what the ants earned and give it to the grasshoppers, while making it more difficult for the ants to do their job? When did that become wisdom?
While our diplomats are giving away the store to a bunch of uncouth, uncivilized heathans overseas, our legislators are in Washington trying to decide how to give healthcare to those who haven't earned it. Like many of you reading this piece I've worked my tail off for the last twenty years. I studied while others were out partying. I didn't engage in casual and irresponsible sex. I maintained a low debt to income ratio. I kept my body healthy through exercise and moderation. I've gone to work every day even when I don't particularly like what I'm doing. I've provided for my family even when it meant I have to sacrifice for myself. And under the burden of taxation and inflation I have virtually nothing for the future. Sound like anyone else you know? And they want to use the money you and I earn to pay for our healthcare, to buy healthcare for those who partied and screwed around while they should have been on task? And medicate the AIDS epidemic in Africa. This after using half of last year's budget to pay off the banks. While we're in debt up to our eyeballs they are increasing outflow and decreasing inflow. How did these fools wind up in charge?
I drive to work every morning and see the bumperstickers on the cars. You do too. People hate the government and for good reason. Just this morning I saw one that said Elect Nobody. So I ask, how and why are these idiots in power? They can't even balance a checkbook. I don't understand how they made it past the 8th grade without getting hit by a car or falling into a hole. Our leaders have abandoned all reason in their relentless pursuit of being loved by everybody. And we have abandoned all reason by trusting them. We've forgotten about Aesop! We've forgotten what they knew 3,000 years ago.
As far as I can tell, given the only debate occuring in Washington - our Government's plan for the future - is as follows:
- Cut our economy and use our wages to fund nations wracked with internal strife and corruption.
- Reduce our healthcare and make us pay for those who won't accept responsibility.
- Use the wages of the middle class to bail out banks and investment firms and pay their failed-executives' 7-figure salaries
- Use the wages of the middle class to purchase automotive companies that failed through mismanagement.
- Use the wages of the middle class to buy cell phones and service for people who can't afford them.
- Fight wars for nations that have no stability, no educated populace, and deeply corrupt governments.
- Pay to medicate the sick of an entire nation for a communicable disease that can't be cured.
- Increase the national debt to pay for today's excess
People - this isn't about Democrat versus Republican. This isn't about conservative versus liberal, or right against left, or Christian versus atheist. This is about stupid, greedy people in power. Greece forgot about Aesop's Fables and look what happened. If we forget them the same thing will happen to us. Re-read Aesops Fables. They are all summarized on Wikipedia. It takes less than twenty minutes to go over them all. You might even see a connection between this wisdom and the values of our Founding Fathers. Ancient Greece was, after all, one of the inspirations for our form of Government. Didn't you ever wonder why so many of our Government Buildings look like Ancient Greek temples? Let's make sure ours don't collapse, because all that is left in Greece is ruins of their former glory.
Futbol Guru, www.not-a-lemming.com