Lower Expectations-The Result of Hope and Change

     The mantra of President Obama's 2008 presidential campaign was, of course, hope and change. I doubt that his 2012 campaign will recycle those empty ideas, considering he and his party will have been in power for four years by time the election takes place. And pushing change when you are already in power is an endorsement for your opponent. I remember during the last election cycle, I heard a quote by an ancient philosopher who said, "Hope is the worst evil because it prolongs the torment of men." That bit of wisdom was never so true as it has been the last three years. Many people have accepted the concept of hope in lieu of real economic growth and prosperity.
     The average growth rate in the gross domestic product since 1947 is around 3.2 percent, the average growth the last 3 years has been solidly south of 2 percent. The average number of jobs that the economy needs to create to sustain average GDP growth is around 250k. The raw data shows that we have lost 2 million jobs since President Obama was inaugurated. These statistics are for a normal economy, most economists would agree that when the economy is in recession, 4-5 percent growth in GDP and 400-500k jobs a month is needed to right the economic ship. The current numbers are nowhere close to these levels, yet many people believe our economy is in a solid recovery. The reason is that their expectations for what is a strong economy, have been lowered by the administration and the Democrat party.
     Therein lies the greatest offense committed by this administration upon the people of this great country, they have lowered the people's expectations for themselves and their country. The left in this country has not only trained people to look to the federal government to solve economic problems (which only a vibrant private sector can accomplish), but also personal problems such as health care, education and a host of other issues that range from free contraceptives to protecting them from bullys. The President has even said in speeches that the United States has to accept a role of mediocrity because we can no longer be the world's leading economy. He and his minions have convinced a sizable segment of the population that they should trade their own potential greatness, and their personal freedoms,  for the false sense of security that an ever-increasing central government can supply. I think it was Benjamin Franklin who said, "Any man who would trade his liberty for security deserves neither freedom or security." In other words, the best indivdual security is a function of the greatest individual liberty.
     The current administration has not only transferred wealth from producers to non-producers, but it has transferred people's confidence in themselves to confidence in an ever more powerful government. This creates less opportunity and prosperity for everyone because government is not capable of growing wealth, it can only confiscate it. The result is a society that accepts the lowest common denominator instituted by government instead of the unlimited potential of each individual.