Strain on friendships signals failure in Washington

Maybe it’s happened to you too: Losing a friend over political differences. More than ever, our nation’s upheaval seems to be rocking relationships. If my family could lose a longtime friend, and your family could too, might the trend be the canary in the mine?

I’ve always wondered how Germans could kill their fellow citizens. And yet, come to think of it, many such wars are waged within countries. We must be vigilant. It’s up to us to make sure it never again happens here.

However, rage is growing over each power grab by the Oval Office; and toward Congress, which is supposed to speak for the populous. Thus, the “ugly American” is popping up; ugly, among those who cheer government control and those who understand the extreme danger of such policy.

On Forbes.com, David Malpass, a global economist, talks about the government “shakedown” of its own citizens (June 10). Malpass says, “As cash runs low in government coffers... politicians are ratcheting up the intensity of their search for revenue and new areas to regulate.” Every citizen with a paycheck will be affected.

This is what I see: The civility line of demarcation runs between three groups.

First are dedicated workers who use the free enterprise system to grow their family security, to expand their personal power within their freedom to succeed or fail. And “fail” is the operative word. These people find themselves pitted against those who look to government to feed, house and comfort them. The latter group doesn’t view failure as an American right.

And then there are the foolish ones who don’t see the harsh results of a too powerful Big Brother; who view themselves as more compassionate and more intelligent than freedom lovers, those who assume they love the earth better than anyone. They, more than those who want to be wards of the state, are causing a twitch to develop just under my left eye.

Recently, 71 percent of registered Democrats (news.yahoo.com) agreed with Rosie O’Donnell. She’s the woman who financially thrives in a free market nation. O’Donnell ranted that the government should “nationalize” British Petroleum over the oil spill. Even with striking evidence that the government is incapable of running itself, 71 percent want to hand more power to Washington. President Obama heard them.

Despite all we’ve seen, I trust BP and its advisors to solve this problem over the Feds. The market pressure will guarantee success. What is stupefying: We’ve sucked on the teat of the oil industry for decades – built unbelievable wealth, and then, within miniscule odds, something goes wrong and opportunists shove us further into socialism. They’re brats who want their cookie, no matter who bakes it. Or, perhaps, they will use any crisis for deceitful purposes.

Pay attention ladies and gentleman. It’s not just big business that is a target of the Feds. Malpass says: “Small businesses are in their crosshairs in a mammoth, nationwide shakedown.” That “shakedown” is currently on the front burner of Congress. Cap and Trade, based on faulty science, is a taxing scam encompassing water, land, air and energy. The politicized oil spill will grease it through the system.

And, right now, the banking industry is being had.

As government eventually consumes every last dollar in our family budgets, it’ll instigate social and financial tension – risking civil unrest.

The talk around this nation predicts any threats to our speech, arms and free movement will tip the scale of neighborly decorum into brute force. Yet, we are Americans. We’ll find solutions. Violence is a ghastly option.

It’s essential we join those who point to November. It’s there, at the polls, where we’ll use our most effective weapon; the vote. We, the People.

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East Valley resident Linda Turley-Hansen (turleyhansen@gmail.com) is a

syndicated columnist and former

Phoenix veteran TV anchor.