The Rest of the Story

As an avid football fan, although I much prefer the collegiate game, I have never missed the Super Bowl, and this past Sunday was no exception. Although much of the country becomes immersed in watching and grading the commercials, this have never been more than a passing fancy for me, save the time my wife was featured in the local NBC affiliate commercial during the 1990 game.

This year, I found most were rather stupid, ineffective or downright offensive. I did like the Budweiser ad, and loved the NFL network ad featuring former Florida State star Deion Sanders. But far and away, the ad that I found most compelling was the ad for Dodge Trucks featuring longtime ABC Radio announcer Paul Harvey, a great American.

Take a listen:



I am sure you found the ad as powerful as I did. Farmers are getting the backside slap in this country today in a variety of ways, from price fixing to regulatory action, including at local levels and property rights. Some sensible measures are being taken to protect farmers, including caps on rising property tax rates.

In this environment of government encroachment advancing along seemingly every avenue of approach, I have often said owning land outright, both improved and vacant, is the best protective measure of capital.  Farming is tough; not for the faint of heart.  And while the average age of the farmer is increasing, opportunities have been presented, and famed investor Jim Rogers is and has been most bullish on the sector.

Harvey and his commentary was a favorite of many an American in the last half century, seemingly part of the fabric of our nation as media outlets grew.  Harvey's daily commentary was syndicated to over 1200 radio outlets.  People took his messages of old fashioned common sense thought to heart.

While many became acquainted with Harvey is this most recent ad, Paul Harvey had many messages for the American citizens he loved so much.  One such message, presented in 1965, is prescient today.

Take a listen:


Our country is in fact in peril.  The government is being run by individuals drunk on power, who are not honest brokers, who have little respect for the rule of law.  While many instances are small in significance, such as President Obama failing to present a budget in a timely manner or having the Senate fail to do so at all even though legally bound, the aggregate of these instances is significant.

Propaganda is rampant, as a complicit media is in fusion with an oppressive government allowing the political ruling class to enact laws without comprehending all the intended and unintended consequences.  Operating outside the Congress, with our government implementing the global transformation of wealth, inclusive of a reduction in liberty, and attacking the Constitution and religion, the government has flamed class warfare and has placed a record percentage of our citizens into dependency.

If I were the devil, and I wanted to rob the citzenry, who are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pusuit of Happiness, of their identity, I would be acting in concert with the actions of the progressive, ruling class leites that are running the country today.

Paul Harvey tried to wake America up.  Attributed to Davy Crockett but certainly spoken by Gerald Ford, "Remember that a government big enough to give you everything youwant is also big enough to take everything you have."

Don't think they won't, as history shows they will.  What say you?