Going It Alone

I'm sure the title of this post has some of my reader's a bit curious, wondering if I'm alluding to something in my personal life. Well, yes and no.

It is my personal life since I'm involved, but it's also more of a general plan. Some readers may be aware that today is technically my wife's last day at her job. She left a little while ago to her office, where at some point she will be conducting her exit interview with her boss, who is in Texas, over the phone. As of the moment she doesn't have a next job lined up.

However, as stressful and scary as that may seem (and believe you me, there is a certain amount of stress, as my wife prefers to be active and moving forward), she did quite well for herself. She has 2 months of salary continuation and benefits lined up, which will get us to just about Christmas. She was also good enough to have secured herself a retention bonus. She intends on using that to purchase a second vehicle. This will enable the both of us with a bit more freedom to pursue our options. It will open up the hours of availability to work without necessarily having to worry ourselves about who's giving who a ride to work, or if alternate transportation needs to procured just to get to and from our respective work places. Also, in the event of a family function (which is always out of town)on either side, time won't need to be cut short for all, just because one of us needs the vehicle for work purposes.

It will also allow me the opportunity to expand my area of job searching to procure myself a second temporary part or full time job. As of the moment, I'm basically limited to my feet and/or a bike. With winter coming up, here in Iowa, that is not a pleasant option. I already work out in that crap with my current patrol job. Let me tell you, it is not the least bit fun. Well, okay, maybe the occasional fishtailing of the patrol car gets my adrenaline going and offers me a moment of feeling alive while performing mundane tasks.

Now, my wife is currently pursuing all avenues of employment opportunities, so as to make her salary continuation go that much further, be it for Christmas, paying off a bill or two, getting a little more car than her bonus can provide for, or to invest in her business. Either way, I'm not too worried about her employment prospects. She has worked very hard in her current job to advance to her managerial position, and has used the last couple weeks to learn more and further her training certifications to make her even more valuable to any prospective employer. I suspect she will end up with an even better job with more money, despite the economy doing its best to tank every one's bank account. She is a strong woman, with a strong will and desire to succeed at anything she puts her mind to. And believe me when I tell you, despite a lack of college degrees, she can easily learn, take on tasks, and excel beyond all expectations at any opportunity you give her a shot at. She really is that good. It can be quite intimidating at times to be in the company of such a strong woman. For a long time I subdued myself to her natural born leadership abilities, and have spent the last few years more or less hiding in my job, not progressing as I should be, preferring security (financially, not my job title) over success and any risk involved in attaining it. But to see how she has risen from temporary employees right up through the ranks of a major company, taking on the jobs of her superiors who were unwilling or unable to handle their own jobs, to eventually ending up in their position...well it's rather inspiring. I never took enough time to say these things to her face as standalone comments. When I did mention them, it was often couched between other subjects or me ranting on about something or another that wasn't that important, so she often missed me saying it when I did. So, Dani, let me be clear now as I have not been before: You are all these things and more!

And it took me quite a while, and a lot of introspection to get over the envy I had of her, but I too see myself moving forward one day at a time. I have a few old, long-ingrained, bad habits to rid myself of, but day by day, I get a little closer to that.

So now, in addition to regaining a second vehicle we are pursuing a path in which the both of us can financially sustain the family on our own. while she will maintain a full time job, she will also be pursuing her business goals to achieve the dreams she has for her family- financial security, the ability to help family as well as charitable giving, traveling, etc.

As I gain traction and secure that second job for myself, I will also be able to fulfill a few of my dreams- ridding myself of old debt (and avoiding any new debt that I can), fixing my teeth up so that I might have a more permanent and pretty smile to match this award winning face for radio that I possess. I can also afford to pay someone to workout with me and keep me motivated towards getting back my old body (except even better), and it will also open up the military option for me. All of that along with the book writing, will help move me toward the position to know that I could take care of my family if some freak accident left me alone to care for the family all by myself.

Now, we're not entirely alone in this as the title and thus far the body of this post might construe. My wife has been putting forth effort to help me with my writing, in technical terms as well as keeping me motivated to keep going even when I have those days where I just don't want to do anything more at the moment, along with advice on future projects I'm already looking at. And of course, as my side of the financial equation rises as well, it will also allow me to help her in her personal endeavor by providing more investment and revenue streaming through her business lines (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to give out her affiliations or not- if she gives me the go ahead, I'll re post and add it in later, as well as hit on it in the comment section for your updating pleasures).

Combined, not only will our efforts help us out financially, but it will give us the opportunity to help our kids participate in more of the activities, sports and otherwise, that often times have seemed cost-prohibitive to us. In addition to that, when we see someone in need, be it my buddy and his wife raising money to adopt their two daughters, or a local charity or just a stranger in need. If our hearts are moved, the decision to give or not won't be so easily influenced by the almighty (well, maybe not so mighty these days) dollar bill.

Hateful, Selfish, and Conservative; Compassionate, Selfless, and Liberal?

Generally speaking, Conservatives are usually well off and are most definitely more selfish and less compassionate than liberals.

-Quoted from earhtpal on a post by helenl (a great read which can be found at--http://helenl.wordpress.com/)

First question would be, what makes this assumption to be true or false?
Are we conservative because we are well off, or are we well off because we are conservative? Do the two even technically correlate with each other? (I'll get to the second portion later)

Let's say conservative are as a rule well off. Were we born well off, and naturally became conservatives, or because we were conservatives we were predestined to become well off for ourselves? Maybe, in order to gain more money, the only thing needed, is to become conservative. then we'll all have money, as a general rule. Instead of being rich, we'll just all be normal everyday conservatives. I have to say, I do not fit this mold. However if I end up CHOOSING to become rich, maybe I should blame it on the fact that I became conservative, and finally practiced what I preached. Yes, ten I too, could grow my own money trees, drink expensive champagne, and wipe myself with $100 bills, just because I can.

Of course, now you have to look at the opposite end of the spectrum: Liberals.
Liberals would, by this statement, be more likely to poorer. So, were they born poor and therefore liberal? Or did they choose to be liberal, and therefore become poor? Is it maybe, that liberals are poor because they CHOOSE to be? Maybe that they purposefuly avoid the high paying end of things. in order to go after the more societally-benevolent and low paying jobs. Of course, then this obviously means George Soros (Billionaire liberal) wouldn't fit the mold either. Maybe he should give all his money away toward actually helping the poor liberals and live like them, rather than creating more money machines, which only serve to enhance his own elitism, that pump messages out to captivate his liberal audiences, who meanwhile still find themselves in need of life's basic necesities, all which Soro's has in abundance, and amazingly enough doesn't share...but he's a philanthropist (which by some definitions just isn't the same)

In both cases, lets look at it as a matter of choice. If conservatives are choosing to become filthy stinking rich, while liberals are choosing to work for less money, then what's the argument? Let's say you got the choice everytime, that literally everyone got to choose whether or not they wanted to be rich, or be poor. (Funny, that sounds like the entire premise of the American Dream)
The liberals would have no right to complain because they took the very road that they knew would lead them to Poorsville. Yet, if they did complain and tried to force the conservatives to give up their money, wouldn't the complaints from Castle Richness be even more validated because they specifically chose to earn their money, knowing full well that all they had to do was pick the right path?

Today in America, everybody, and I mean EVERYbody, has an equal chance at great success in their lives, by whatever means they define it. The question is, do you want to work for it, or do you think everything you need should just be handed to you on a platter, whilst you lay about? And how do we define "need"?

1. Is it clean drinking water, and vitamins and minerals enough to keep you alive, maybe some bread for substance and carb-driven energy?

2. Is it top notch healthcare, plentiful food on your table everyday, and a big house with enough space to live comfortably? Is your food catered, do you go to the store to get it, or do you grow it all yourself? Does the Big house have enough bedrooms so everyone has their own, maybe even guest rooms, or is it just a simple abode with a couple bedrooms, a bath, a kitchen, a gathering place and a dining room, and maybe a yard? Do you really even need a yard? As a matter of fact, do you even really need a house? An Apartment? Maybe just a tent for shelter from rain?

If you answered yes to one....welcome to the work camps of the Nazi war machine. Was that really fulflling the "needs" of humanity?

The objective answer to needs really can't be objective, but rather subjective. For instance, I could take my rifle, shotgun, and a hunting knife, and trek into the wilderness. I could survive indefinitely and healthily. Could You? Or do you need more to live?

Now to the second half Generally Speaking,conservatives are... "most definitely more selfish and less compassionate than liberals."

Conservatives donate to charitymore so than liberals do. By ratio and by sheer numbers of dollars. It was brought up that rich people donate to philathropic causes, poor people just share. Now if a poor person shares what they have, how many people benefit from it? Since it's person to person, I'd say a few to a dozen, rarely ever more than that. If a rich person donates to a charity, how many people benefit from it? I would say anywhere from one to several thousand. The charitable donation is often funneled through an organization that solicits donations from many, to help many. Be it for food, or clothing, or disease research.
But is one greater than the other? I would say no. I might even say the poor person sharing may mean more to the recipients, knowing that their helper didn't have much to give. But is the help received from the "sharing" anymore effective than say Joe Millionaire's $1000 "charitable contribution"? Again I would say no. It all helps the recipient the same. They all receive the same benefit regardless of who it came from, and how well off they were.

Consider also this. The well off pay more in taxes, while the worst of the poor will never pay dime one. In fact the latter would most likely be supported by the taxes paid by the former. Should the poor complain that his lifestyle is being paid for by someone else? I should hope so...I should hope that he has enough pride to let the complaint sink into his very consciousness, that he might work his way out of such a situation. And not that he should sit back and complain that the rich guy still isnt paying enough (despite giving up over 50% of his income to taxes in one form or another, often which never pay for much of anything he'll ever benefit from himself).

Less compassionate? This seems to be more conjecture than fact. For every mean-spirited conservative you can name, I can probably name 2 very compassionate conservatives that would make some of the most compassionate of liberals look like Scrooge. And if I wanted to turn the tables on liberals with the same statement, I'm sure anyone could do the same to me. People are people, political idealists on opposite ends of the same political ideology don't make the personality different. Compassion comes in many forms, just as hatred does. One could say that conservatives are nothing but warmongers, while one could say liberals are nothing but Godhaters. Both statements can be true when applied to select people, but when placed against the whole population, you would find the statements to be vastly false.
After all, for an absolute statement to be true, it must apply every time and without exception. But it only takes one example of falsehood to make the absolute statement false.

So with all that in mind, do incomes and political ideology truly coordinate? And if so, how can one argue with the other when it comes to economics?