Very interesting picture from space pretty much summed up what government master planning will get you if left unchecked. As the satellite traveled over Asia the images starkly point this out through the darkness of night. Sweeping over Korea and China, it was easy to see where the demarcation of private enterprise started and ended. South Korea was brilliantly lit up like a Christmas tree, a bustling rich country, but at the border with North Korea the landscape changed to almost pitch black. As the satellite image crossed into China there was a bit more light as the beginnings of capitalism and entrepreneurship brings that country forward.

America is the great melting pot. Americas great strength has always rested in its diversity of ideas and entrepreneurial spirit. Those ideas were never a legal mandate by the government, but a natural evolution of winners and losers in the field of ideas and inventions.

If you come up with a better way to build a mousetrap you are rewarded greatly in our capitalistic system. If your mousetrap only catches the families pets...you are punished economically, or worse, American animal rights groups will picket your home

What we have witnessed for the past few years is the antithesis of that spirit. We have watched a nanny government take charge and mandate to us just what those ideas will be. They force those ideas and ideals on us simply because they think they know what is best for us. Regardless of economic realities, science and the will of the majority of the American public, we have been at the brunt of social engineering gone wild. We have witnessed unchecked idealism run our government policies.

Instead of out of the melting pot solutions and inventions coming from Scranton, Sheboygan, or Cheyenne. We have mandates coming from Washington DC that tell us the sky is falling and therefore we must change everything about our way of life. Your electric bill has tripled & your home is in an energy blackout because the coal fired power plant was shut down. Don't worry, by 11:00 AM tomorrow morning, the wind will pick up and start turning the windmills again. Don't like it? Too bad.

As we watch Obamanomics die in front of our eyes we already see where it is leading by watching Greece wallow in debt. Greece took socialism to its natural conclusion: they ran out of their money & are about to run out of other peoples money. The thin blue line between Greece and us is that they cannot print more money. But we can and we are.

But the American spirit is strong and can overcome the weaknesses and shortsightedness of it's temporary leaders. We saw the very powerful demonstration of this spirit during President Carters 4 year stint. We wore sweaters and wallowed in malaise under his leadership. But his term was preparation for the greatness of a new leader to step up, to unite and inspire us. Americas economic engine will restart.

For other points of view visit Carroll Standard: www.carrollstandard.com