Two Friends, Two Views, One Lively Lunch
Two friends have been meeting for lunch almost every day for two years now. Both men are in their 60s and one says he’s always voted left of center (we’ll call him LOC) and the other man says he’s right of center (we’ll call him ROC). In the last election, ROC voted for “hope & change” because ROC believed Obama would get the U.S. out of Afghanistan. Both ROC and LOC agree that there is no reason why Americans should be losing lives in a war with no end. And ROC feels betrayed by President Obama and will not vote for him again. Both ROC and LOC feel strongly about passing stricter gun control laws saying there is no sane reason why anyone should have automatic or semi-automatic weapons. Both men feel the National Rifle Association (NRA) is out of control and has way too much influence in Washington. Speaking of Washington. ROC has no faith in government running anything. Especially heath care. He, like so many other Americans, has had his fill of bureaucracy, wasteful spending and government inefficiency. ROC believes one of the biggest issues with health care is the duplication of services, spending millions of dollars on high-priced diagnostic equipment, that leads to higher health costs. LOC believes that health care should be a “right” and not a “privilege” and every American should be covered from birth. LOC understands that the government has big problems running some programs but feels the government is “we the people”, and if people are not doing their job, they get fired and someone else gets hired to replace them to do a better job. Both LOC and ROC believe in energy independence and feel we should build the Keystone Pipeline and open up new areas for energy exploration. Both would like to see all avenues of energy explored, including renewables. They agree that we need a new view on energy in America and both sides of the aisle need to put partisan politics aside. Both ROC and LOC are skeptical if that can happen with this Congress. ROC has a strong disdain for Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. LOC feels the Tea Party and the “far right” are “puppeteering” the Republican Party and taking the country in a dangerous direction. Both men feel everyone needs to pay taxes and everyone should receive government services if needed. LOC and ROC both believe in helping the needy and that some form of worker program is needed to keep welfare recipients in the social mix by making a contribution. ROC and LOC agree that everyone needs to have “some skin in the game” as Warren Buffet often says. ROC is not opposed to means testing for programs like Social Security. Both men feel Social Security and Medicare are destined to be revised and if nothing is done, the system will go broke. ROC and LOC feel both parties play by the same childish rules. Both men point fingers at big business, big labor, and influence pedaling on Capitol Hill. LOC and ROC strongly feel it’s time to take a harder look at term limits and campaign financing reform. Both men feel let down by the politicians in Washington, but both will continue to go to the polls with a “hope” that someone might get elected that can “change” how politics are done in this country. It’s a tall order for sure. But it makes for good lunch conversation!
J.B. Lester; Publisher