We, as a nation, are on the brink. Not close to or near the edge of destruction, we are teetering on the edge. This country has been slowly sinking toward socialism since the first progressive, Theodore "Bull Moose" Roosevelt arrived on the scene in 1901. He took land which should belong to states and made it federal. The fed has no need for land unless it is needed for military purposes.

Our currency was standardized at $16.96 per ounce of gold in 1900. War debt for WWI hurt our economy and we headed for our first Great Recession (called the Depression).During the reign of FDR, the eight appointments he made to the Supreme Court drastically moved the court to the left. Roosevelt devalued the dollar in 1934 so that an ounce of gold would be worth $28.71. Before he was finished, FDR gave us 10 years of great economic prosperity when he passed a price and wage control program in 1942 through 1952. From that time on the economy began to slowly spin out of control to the point where we are now.We are no longer on the gold standard. The price of gold currently hovers around $1,200 per ounce which is 41 timesits value in 1934. So, you wonder why you are paying more for everything? The Federal Reserve keeps printing more money so its value is barely worth more than the paper on which it's printed.The reasons all of this is happening are many. Entitlements (giving people that was not earned), useless pork given to agreeable congressmen and governors.Inflation is the cause of our social unrest as well as our massive national debt of more than $19 trillion. Obama said his economic programs would be painful (the slide into Socialist Security). Getting out of the condition in which we find ourselves will be painful, too. However, the end product will be much more satisfying. Our Bill of Rights exists to protect us from a far-reaching government. The government has shown a disdain for the Bill of Rights by both parties.Our politicians say control of inflation is essential but they appear to me to be approaching the problem in an upside-down fashion. They say we need an increase in minimum wage. This causes inflation. I feel we need to keep prices down so that people can afford the products they need with the income they have. Otherwise our workers will never catch up.Raising the minimum wage costs jobs and puts companies out of business or causes them to move to areas where labor is less expensive. Labor costs are the major expense of every business. Even those who protest for higher wages buy products made in foreign countries - it's almost impossible to find anything made in the USA.For those who have refused to be educated (in so many areas teachers are no more than baby sitters for high schoolers), I have advice. It is the same as I would give to the gold prospector who complains that the other prospectors are beating him to the gold, as he rides his donkey pulling his packhorse behind him. My advice is: Get off your ass and get on your horse, you will go farther, faster!Thank you,Walt Fagan