A Baker’s Dozen of Truisms

As I was reading the Sunday morning paper, I was reminded of a few truisms that seem to permeate today’s world. Yet, many are as old as time and have been refined for today’s world. Let me mention a baker’s dozen of these truisms and invite you to add some to the mix.

1. Any horse’s ass can get elected saying they will reduce taxes. The problem is we have a whole stable of them. At some point in time, someone has to step up and pay for something.
2. The “Haves” will always take advantage of the “Have-nots.” They always have and always will. This is the best commercial against Libertarianism I can think of. A role of government is to keep the playing field fair. Item #6 makes this hard.
3. Have you noticed most elected officials leave office wealthier than they came in? Why is that?
4. Just because you are a religious leader and pious, does not mean you cannot be full of shit. Most religious leaders deserve every bit of respect and admiration they get, but there are few who give the profession a black eye. The profession is bigger than the incumbent – when the incumbent dishonors the profession, then a change is needed.
5. Have you ever noticed the biggest war mongers in a legislative body tend to be the people who never fought in one? Remember, former General Dwight Eisenhower said “beware of the military industrial complex.”
6. With the cost of elections so expensive, we should not be surprised by the greater degree of influence the more signficant donors have. Lobbyists are not paid for their good looks and charm. They are paid to influence outcomes favorable to the donors.
7. Why do reasonably smart male leaders think that no one will notice their infidelity? Everyone carries a camera in their i-phone and has access to the internet. Some even make it easier by sending their own pictures.
8. Be wary of politicians who speak in absolutes. The only certainties in life are death and taxes – everything else is some shade of gray. Be willing to listen and compromise to get things done. Otherwise, you are just shouting at the wind.
9. To me the worse form of bigotry is bigotry from the pulpit. As noted in #4 above, religious leaders are largely trusted advisors. When they misuse that power, it is worse than when someone else does it. Religion is at its finest when it is inclusive. It is at its worst when it is exclusive.
10. People who are the least tolerant usually require more tolerance from others towards them. Ancillary to this is the person who shouts the loudest tends to have the worse argument.
11. People need to walk in someone else’s shoes before they judge. Most people in poverty work their ass off, but minimum wage jobs perpetuate poverty. Poverty does not mean you are less virtuous. Poverty is the lack of money.
12. It is true guns don’t kill people. It is people with access to guns who kill people. Petty arguments end in shooting deaths more than ever before. That is the tragedy we need to work on more.
13. You don’t fully realize how much your parents love you until you have your first child. This may be the biggest wow factor of all.

Well, that is a quick run through my “Baker’s Dozen of Truisms” for today. If I did this next week, I may add and subtract a few. What are some of yours? Please feel free to chime in. I would love to hear from you. Thanks, BTG