Thank Goodness I Live in a Free Country

[Warph]

I was talking with some friends at church this morning and they were commenting on how lucky we are that we live in a free country where we have the liberty and the opportunity to live our lives the way we want and are not controlled by the government like in other countries.

So I started thinking about a particular day of mine a couple months ago:

I woke up in the morning in my FHA (Federal Housing Administration) approved home that was built in accordance with USDOE (Department of Energy), FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), and numerous CFRs (Code of Federal Regulations).

I went to the bathroom to clean up for work. I showered with soap, shampoo and other toiletry products that have been approved for me by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) using water that meets federal EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) quality standards.

I took my morning vitamins which had to be approved by the FDA.

I went downstairs to eat breakfast foods that had to be approved by the FDA and listened to my morning radio programs which are regulated by the FCC (Federal Communication Commission).

I then got into my EPA and DOT (Dept. of Transportation) standards approved and FTC (Federal Trade Commission) regulated car and was forced by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) to buckle my seatbelt and put my daughter into an approved child seat. I then drove on DOT regulated roads and was forced to drive a certain speed while listening to more FCC approved programming on my radio.

I stopped for gas but there wasn't any due to state legislated gas quality restrictions which caused a decrease in the supply of gas and also gasoline price controls that kept the price so artificially low that there was an excess demand such that it sold out as soon as it arrived.

I arrived at my DOL (Dept. of Labor) regulated and EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) sanctioned place of employment, running on fumes, and was forced to work the first 2 hours of my 8 hour shift for the federal and state governments by giving almost 30% of my wages to the IRS and SSA (Social Security Administration) with no compensation.

At lunchtime I went with colleagues to eat and was forced to pay with the only medium of exchange the government approves that is regulated by the FRB (Federal Reserve Board): worthless fiat bank notes.

I then went to pick up my daughter from school where she's learning a DOE (Dept. of Education) approved curriculum. I took her to an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) approved doctor to get her HHS (Health and Human Services) mandated vaccinations that I learned she needed while watching a Disney family movie which was interrupted by an HHS PSA.

After returning to work I checked my SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and IRS regulated investments in my now Federal Treasury owned banks to see if I'll be able to retire someday since the SSA trust fund that I've been paying into for 25 years has been raided by the federal government and is now bankrupt.

That afternoon I had to catch a flight to our office in Detroit aboard an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) approved plane operating at an FAA regulated airport.

Before boarding I had to pass through a TSA (Transportation Safety Administration) security checkpoint where I was forced to disrobe down to my shirt, pants and socks and pass through a scanning machine that saw right through my remaining clothing.

Onboard I noticed federal sky marshals with weapons so I decided to have a cocktail composed of liquor that is controlled by the ATF (Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms), as are the sky marshal's guns.

Once sufficiently sedated with bourbon, I sat back and relaxed and thought to myself: Thank God I don't live in a country where the government controls your life!

[Diane Amberg]

   I'd still rather live with all that than whatever is in second place. If it weren't for those mandated inoculations I would probably have died in childhood. I've seen the safety standards in other countries and I'll stay here and deal with our sanitation, food safety etc. which is light years above most. We have a very high standard of living that we take for granted. Yes, there is a high overhead for it. But that's one of many reasons people from other countries want to come here. Even our poverty is on a  higher level. We have homeless ,much of it self imposed, but they aren't sleeping shoeless in doorways next to open sewers flowing down the center of the street. Some here may pick through over ripe produce and rolls etc, behind the local grocery store, but at least it started out safe to eat. Rarely do people go to the actual dump looking for food as is common in Mexico. Look at all the raw food that we eat. Some countries never, ever eat raw veggies. They are always cooked for safety. A few fruits are eaten raw, but never veggies. We even have the luxury, of turning up our noses at some protein food such as dog, cat, rat, hamster and horse. The Chinese eat absolutely anything that isn't downright poisonous. Frankly, I enjoy getting off season foods from  South America and Mexico.They are grown to US mandated standards or it couldn't be brought into the our country. It's not perfect, but it works well most of the time. I'm happy to be right here and join in with those church ladies and celebrate what we do have. I refuse to join the WB brigade.(wet blanket)

[larryJ]

I once had a conversation with my Chinese daughter-in-law where she thought that traveling the world would be a wonderful thing.  She was surprised when I told her I had no such desire and would prefer to see the U.S.A. (in my chevrolet).  I mentioned that I had been overseas while in the service and never saw anywhere that could compare to the United States. 

Some time later, she and my son left for their eight month tour of the world full of expectations on what they would see.

Since she has been home, we have not had a talk on this subject, but I have the feeling she is happy to be in this country. 

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

I know it's impossible, but I'd love to hear about their wonderful trip. They must have a lifetime of wonderful stories to tell.