I received a mail-shot letter from my local US Congressman presenting the results of the last survey from the district he represents. The survey (which Mrs. Thirdson and I took part in) lists the top issues facing our nation. I think it is interesting as to what the local community regards as the most serious issues facing us in the US compared to what JW’s preach about as things we should be concerned with.
Here are the results and think about the JW answer/response to each of these issues.
Number 1. Education – 18% listed this as the top issue facing the US. The issues: we need well-funded schools, decent wages for teachers, standards and improvement measurement and affordable college with tax breaks for low-income families.
The JW answer, attend school unless home schooling is an option. Don’t take part in any extra-curricular activities. Leave as soon as you can and don’t bother with college.
Number 2. Taxes – 16% listed this as the top issue. The issues: we pay too much tax, there is a large surplus of tax money that needs to be distributed, there is for some a marriage penalty and inheritance tax is a major problem for the children of family farmers.
The JW answer. Pay your individual taxes. However our society is good at getting out of paying tax by taxing the members with a donation arrangement that avoids sales tax. Don’t forget our society has ignored the demand from the French government for quite a while now.
Number 3. Healthcare – 15% list this as the top issue. The issues as taken from the survey, 93% answered yes to locking away Social Security and Medicare surplusses so that they are only used for Social Security and Medicare. 86% said yes to creating prescription drug benefits under Medicare to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
The JW answer: you don’t need healthcare after the big A…which is coming real soon.
Number 4. Environment – 13% ranked this top. From the survey, 56% responded no to allowing oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife refuge.
JW answer: Who cares 6 billion carcasses will be polluting the land real soon and it will be all OK then. Meantime, we need more trees for our magazines.
Number 5. Crime/Drugs – 9% listed this top. The issue: there wasn’t one on the original questionnaire. Not many see this as a major issue.
JW response: The world is getting worse and worse and worse and worse……
Missing from the list was anything about the economy, no fearful doom and gloom expectations there. Obviously, no one expects a global banking shutdown, (except for the odd member on this board) even US foreign policy ranked higher than the economy. It’s is not to say that we don’t face major issues but the answers people want are things of a tangible nature that will benefit now, in this life, not an ignoring of the issues and pretending it will all be sorted out for us in the near future. As for Education, which ranks number one in issues, it is the least concern of JW’s…how out of touch can they be?
Thirdson
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'