Whispers of the "S" Word and Death of the Entrepreneurial Mindset

There's nothing like a magazine cover that screams the possibility of the "S" word (socialism) for getting a never-ending barrage of comments on the Newsweek web site. Their cover screamed "We Are All Socialists Now." But such media musings reflect the thoughts that many Americans have been attempting to tamp down since the first bailout package. There's a good deal of fear in the whispers of the "S" word.

Socialism is loosely defined as government controlled economy. This is nothing new; the US government already controls much of our everyday life. We pay taxes to support infrastructure, services and schools. If you're my age, you've paid into Social Security for over thirty years, money that I view as being forever lost. For the people who have complete trust in our leaders and don't mind big government, the socialist lifestyle is just for you. For others, usually those who have witnessed governmental corruption, waste and abuse, a minimum of government interaction with the people is the best thing.

There have been shouts that Democrats are in actuality closet socialists, but I disagree. Republican law makers are just as guilty of feathering the governmental nest. Being an independent voter, I see both major parties as being cut from the same cloth, mirror images, if you will. If your job is government, you will want to maintain job security. In Michigan, where a good deal of the population has moved away, the upcoming 2010 Census is causing palpitations, as it's entirely possible for this state to lose some seats in Congress. With a declining base of constituents, it might be a good idea to pare down the size of state and local government as well.

I was not for the bailouts, and I haven't changed my position. Loans, like those given to Chrysler back in the late '70s, yes; bailouts, no. Even though I live in a state that relies heavily on the Big Three, and I operate a business that ebbs and flows with the (mis)fortune of the automakers, I am against propping up an industry that has been operating for years with a flawed business model.

Of course, the auto companies have been deemed too big to fail.

The more I learn about the incestuous relationship between free-wheeling banks, the government and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, the angrier I become. I distinctly remember the first house I bought in Minnesota in the early 1980s. The financial background check took three months to complete, and even though I had a good job (in the government) I was still given a bad time about my income, which was then based on a lot of overtime. For some reason, in the ensuing years the guidelines were loosened and any Joe could lie on a loan app and get a mortgage.

Of course, it's the American dream to own a home, whether you can afford one or not.

My dismay turns into a sour bubble in the pit of my stomach when I think about the banks and Wall Street investment firms. The banks and financial houses where we do business, the ones we have invested our life savings for college tuition and hopeful eventual retirement and the ones who took our money and played with it like they were on an outing at a nearby casino. The ones that paid CEOs millions of dollars in compensation for bad business decisions, guys who redecorated schnazzy offices with $18,000 papyrus waste baskets before taking off for greener pastures - yeah, those guys.

Of course, Wall Street is a necessary evil and is also too big to fail.

When I look to my legislators, my governor, and my President, I see millionaires, some who jet back and forth on the taxpayers' dime, in addition to being provided perks I can only dream of. Many of them have never worked a day in "real" life, or have had to contend with "real" world issues. It's then that my dismay turns to bona fide illness. Perhaps I am naïve, but I thought my vote counted. (That's because I'm old and still hang on to the misguided tenets of my youth.) My vote doesn't count, because lobbyists can palm a donation here and there to get what they want. The housing guys and the financial guys all have a hand in the pie, and they have deep pocketbooks, made deeper now by bailout money, our tax dollars at work.

But of course, our elected officials deserve only the finest. They're the kings and queens and little princes and princesses of our nation.

What the hell happened to democracy and the laws of economics? What happened to ethics?

We're being told that it's okay to fail, because you won't be alone, someone will bail you out. You'll never have to endure the bitter taste of failure. This is likely a direct result of so many children being raised with untarnished self-esteem. You want an "A" - you got it. You can't stand to lose? We'll play without keeping score. Can't make your mortgage payment? Default and the government will help you. If you're a really big fish, you don't even have to pay your taxes. You can always claim your dodge as an "oversight" and all will be forgiven.

My husband, who is insightful beyond words, mentioned three years ago that we were heading for a socialist state. I laughed at the time, but I can now see where he's coming from.

He's a guy with drive, someone who works hard and has an entrepreneurial spirit. He took a small business and through shrewd decisions made it profitable. We're not rich, but comfortable, but we're like a couple of fish swimming up raging rapids. Why work hard when you don't have to? Why continue to do be honest and do the right thing when we can go the other way? Even an upstanding citizen like him poses the question, "Why should we continue to pay our bills?" We could save a lot of money on the mortgage if we just let the house go back to the bank.

These days, America is no place for hard work and a desire to succeed. If we had it to do over, I doubt we would have chosen owning a business. We might have stayed in our government jobs. Everyone is looking for their pot of gold without having to expend any sweat equity.

You can sit as a figurehead in a CEO's office or in the halls of Congress and the government will take care of all your needs, wants and desires. You can be the common man and wait for your "stimulus" check before you buy something new or pay down your old debt. After all, it's free, right?

Nothing's free.

The toe-hold the government once had is devouring us whole. Here's the truth for those shaking in their boots about the upcoming socialist state: The government now holds major stakes in the housing, banking and insurance, and automobile industry. We're there already.

Hang on, because it's going to be one bumpy ride.