Center Island

As I was driving home with a decadent piece of cheesecake in my car after a good workout at the gym, a sign along the roadway gave me pause: Center Island Ahead. 

With the Presidential elections once again engulfing us, sometimes I feel stranded on a similar sort of Center Island. It isn't safe to cross to the left and it isn't safe to cross to the right. At different points in my life I have stood firmly on one side or the other of the political spectrum. So, I thought I would tackle the top contenders and share my thoughts having seen things from both sides now. 

Even if Bernie Sanders hasn't come out and said it recently, he is still a self-described socialist. Most people can't tell you what socialism really means beyond some bumper sticker slogan that cites the rise of the working class and an end to economic insecurity with the "people" owning the means of production. Americans have had the luxury of a free society for so long that they cannot foresee how the idea of socialism could be anything but utopian. "Fighting for a better world" as they say -this all sounds pretty neat. 

And then, we have The Donald. There could not be two people on the planet with more opposing ideas and yet it is amusing to note how both have hit a chord with the American people. Trump is someone who has worked hard for what he has, believes in the free market and in private property. He believes and encourages people to use and develop their talents - no matter what they may be, all so that they can better themselves and their world. He uses his knowledge and skills to create wealth, not only for himself, but for thousands of people who work for him (over 22,000 in fact). Trump is wealthy and pretty damn proud of it.

Now back to Bernie. Socialism at its worst encourages NOT working while still expecting to get your "fair share" (i.e., entitlement). This cannot be more evident in our lifetime than it is today. Once you think that others are getting "their's" and not having to work, it is hard to feel good about working more for less with the government continuing to take more and more. 

No one handed me my success in life. I stuck with so many icky jobs that I try not to remember them. Just recently I worked around the clock over the weekend, including consecutive 20 hour days, just to get a project completed. I didn't do this because I expected a bonus or even because I was forced into it. I did this because it needed to be done and it felt good that I could do it. I know that one way or another, I will be rewarded - if not with a bonus or higher salary, then with a better resume and more job security. 

But under socialism, there is no reward for working hard. Your reward is the same as someone who merely shows up (or for that matter, even someone who does not). Because, they tell you, who can fault the other person who either cannot or simply does not work as hard. Maybe they just don't have it "in them" to excel like you. So, you need to work hard so that the fruit of your labor can be distributed equally among others. 

But, I believe that everyone has it in them to excel at something. And everyone has the right to what they earn. America is one of the most generous nations in the world and is capable of great compassion in taking care of those who need a helping hand. That is what makes America great. Giving when it is my choice is far more bountiful than when it is no longer a choice. 

So, I think we should all start somewhere, work hard and earn our little slice of cheesecake before the government decides that even this is too unhealthy and is ultimately a burden on the system. After all, once the government foots the bill for my healthcare, there is nothing that can keep their hands off my cheesecake.