‘PRODUCER OR PARASITE?
WHAT DEFINES & DIVIDES AMERICA’

A great chasm divides this country. Many Americans can’t admit to themselves that it even exists. Meanwhile, our nation self-destructs in a crucible of class warfare and unbridled greed. Producer or Parasite? examines the fallout from socialism, social engineering and the culture of entitlement permeating America. Nearly two years of research and 400-plus pages of manuscript explore history, facts, trends, human nature and personal observations to boil down all things political into two opposing perspectives - producers and parasites. The thesis is simple: Politics isn’t just local. It’s personal. And how we got to this point is a story worth telling.

Chapter One - Not just a culture war

“On the whole, humans want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.”

-- George Orwell

The American dilemma

We’re in grave danger. We’re in danger of losing the work ethic, productivity and innovation that has made America the greatest nation the world has ever witnessed. We’re making excuses for sloth and criminality. We’re accepting substandard effort, substandard goods and services, and a declining standard of living. We tax and regulate almost every form of innovation. We allow our government to serve us poorly. We punish risk-takers, visionaries and people who try to live within their means, while we reward criminals, politicians and idiots who don’t plan their lives or take responsibility for their actions.

If you were a screw-off in high school and never bothered to learn a trade or attend college, why is it the responsibility of American government and American society to make it right for you? If you didn’t save money for your retirement and instead spent it on good times, why should the people who scrimped and saved their entire lives be taxed so that you’re provided a safety net? If you didn’t plan for your kids’ college tuition, why do you deserve a handout? Quite frankly it doesn’t matter if your papa was mean to you or your mommy ignored you. At some point, you’re an adult and you’re responsible for yourself. Many successful immigrants from current and past generations had survived horrendous circumstances, arrived with nothing more than a bag of clothes and still managed to become successful, contributing members of American society and its economy. It’s not the ‘system’ that’s got you down, it’s you, and only you, that’s responsible for yourself.

We as a people are unfailingly generous. Americans have always provided a helping hand to fellow citizens displaced by economic disruptions or natural disasters through charities, faith-based and fraternal organizations, and direct government assistance. In general, that help has been instantaneous and substantial - better than anywhere else in the world. And Americans continue to help, even when there’s significant fraud, waste and mismanagement. But if the beneficiary of that generosity is still on the dole 5 years after the fact, perhaps some soul-searching is in order.

America is descending into a pit of self-absorbed, self-centered impotence that compromises our sensibilities, renders us helpless and demolishes what’s left of our national prestige. We’re becoming a nation of panhandlers, hustlers and whiners, expecting someone else to bail us out each time we stub our individual or collective toes. There is no personal responsibility for anything. We’re being told that it’s okay, even stylish, not to have any sense of obligation to make our marriages work, how our kids turn out or whether we’re a pain in the neck to others. We’ve lost the capacity to be ashamed of sticking our hand out or blaming someone else for problems of our own making.

Not politics but personality

America, the land of rugged individualism and the pioneer spirit has turned into America the land of pork, patronage and power brokering. Professional victims of every stripe clamor for recognition, contrition from their alleged oppressors and, of course, monetary compensation or worse - government intervention.

Media pundits have divided our country into red states and blue states. Politicians define themselves and their constituents as Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green or some other ideology. Social commentators characterize Americans as liberals, conservatives or ‘mainstream’ - whatever that means anymore. Activists identify victims and their oppressors by race, creed, gender, and on and on. Hundreds of special interest groups pull our legislation and public policy in different directions, each angling for its own station at the public trough.

America finds itself deeply divided by political ideology, or so one would think, given all the bad information that bombards us daily. Maybe it isn’t ideology at all. Maybe, Americans are divided by something else, instead - their core personality. How you live your life, what you think is important and how you treat others is a good indication of what kind of person you are. Living in a civilized society is a matter of give and take. Some of us find fulfillment in giving on a variety of levels. Others find it more convenient or profitable to be on the taking side.

© Copyright 2009 Andrew Alexander Dahl. All rights reserved. No duplication or distribution permitted.