Our Defining Moment

Over our country’s history, there have been a handful of events that have defined who we are as Americans, such as our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, our Civil War, our participation in World War II, and the protests of the 1960′s. These events defined who we are, our personality as a country, our determination in the face of adversity, and how we treat others as well as ourselves. All have come at a heavy price in terms of human life and the reconstruction of society. Such moments come along rarely, and we should be mindful of their effect on our country.

We are now on the verge of another epoch event that will define who we are and what we want our country to be. Never before has there been such a disparity in our choices for the election in November. Conservatives want an America with smaller and less intrusive government; they have a fervent belief in capitalism and the free enterprise system. This of course means fiscal responsibility. Liberals on the other hand want more government and truck loads of entitlements which we can no longer afford. By increasing taxes, we are redistributing the wealth of this country and discouraging entrepreneurship and encouraging businesses to move off our shores. Is taxing the answer, or is it cutting our spending? As anyone who has had to manage personal finances or balance a budget can tell you, we must learn to live within our means. Even cities controlled by Democrat administrations facing bankruptcy know this, such as Scranton, PA and Stockton, CA. Not since Nixon/McGovern in 1972 have we seen such disparity among the citizens of this country, but it is even more pronounced in 2012. There are two distinctly different interpretations of America that are simply incompatible.

One thing is for certain; there are only three possible outcomes from the November elections: gridlock as we have experienced over the past two years, a liberal state, or a conservative state. As we have seen, gridlock will paralyze the country, and the last two options will likely cause civil insurrection. Liberals are simply not interested in living in a country as defined by Conservatives, and Conservatives cannot abide the Liberal’s view of the world. Consequently, the elections of November 6th represent a defining moment that will affect our destiny.

Do we take charge of our fiscal affairs or let it continue to run unabated?

Do we establish an environment encouraging business and jobs, or tax and regulate them into obscurity?

Do we continue to adhere to the U.S. Constitution, or do we devise a new form of government?

Do we want to promote personal initiative and individual responsibility or establish a nanny state?

Do we want government to exercise control over business, or do we want government to be a servant of the people?

Should Socialism supersede Capitalism?

We’ll make these choices on November 6, 2012, an epoch event for the history books. Half of the country will interpret it as doomsday, and the other half will see it as a day of salvation. As to our defining moment: We will either survive this tempest or be devoured by it. The world will be watching.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim’s columns, see:
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Copyright © 2012 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

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