Can’t put my finger on it just yet

I was reading a story on CNN’s web site ( linked via title bar) about Citco Oil distributing heating oil at a reduced rate to certain citizens in Massachusetts. The deal was brokered by two groups I’ve never heard of, Citizens Energy Corp. and the Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance. The story sounds like a worthwhile project as it explains how the lower income people in that area will receive that heating oil at 40% off of normal retail.

I’m not quite sure why, just a little red flag started waving in the back of my head alerting me, “Hey, something is not quite right here, something smells a bit fishy”; the part that concerns me is, quoting directly from the article:

“The agreement gives President Hugo Chavez's government standing as a provider of heating assistance to poor U.S. residents at a time when U.S. oil companies have been reluctant to do so and Congress has failed to expand aid in response to rising oil prices.

U.S. Rep. William Delahunt of Massachusetts, a Democrat, met with Chavez in August and helped broker the deal.”

Isn’t this the same Hugo Chavez, the Fidel Castro “wannabe”, who stated in fairly clear and understandable language that he can’t stand the United States of America, our way of life, our free market system and that he would do almost anything to destroy it.; that Hugo Chavez. Or, was it, as the left leaning press would have it, a case of “it’s all President Bush and his administrations fault”? Maybe this is a case of “our socialists haven’t enough power to get it done so let’s go out and get one who can”, or is that an over simplification?

The CNN article was quick to point out that the “agreement signed Tuesday with Venezuela, whose government is a political adversary of the Bush administration.”, as part of the lead headline. Maybe this has something to do with the red flags that are waving back and forth. The Bush administration, after all, is to blame for the high cost of heating oil, one of his opponents is willing to “help” and by doing so undermines the capitalistic system which the Bush administration represents. That would mean that the folks in Massachusetts are willing to accept a handout from a pro-communist leader of government. I keep forgetting , the same state where they continue to elect “Chappaquiddick” Kennedy and “I threw my medals over the fence” Kerry to the Senate. We need government health care, government this and government that or we can't survive, that Massachusettes?

Woa, hold the presses, a light bulb went off just now. I was reading a great article yesterday on Liberty Papers, that new blogsite in the LLP group. It had a funky title, “TANSTAAFL”, ( Blogger wouldn't let me hide link: http://thelibertypapers.org/2005/11/22/tanstaafl/ ),which stands for, ““There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch”. It could be that I’m over simplifying the situation; the socialist movement desperately needs to win over some voters and this is an opportunity to show the “masses” how much better socialism is over capitalism; after all those nasty horrible oil companies are making huge windfall profits off of the poor folks and our free market system, aka: George Bush, and the Republican way of life won’t give them the help they need and deserve, then the knight on a white horse, that beacon of hope for the impoverished world, the socialistic form of government to the south will save the day.

I can hear the Mighty Mouse theme song playing in the background, “Here I come to save the day, Mighty Mouse is on his way!”, except it’s Hugo Chavez under the cloak of communism infiltrating the weak minded saps who would take a hand out from Satan himself, sell their souls to him to save a buck.

The bottom line is that you really can’t get something for nothing, altering the line to suit my own way of saying the same thing. The “poor” folks in Massachusetts, and that alone is a topic worthy of discussion. What exactly determines the level of “poor”; is it not being self reliant to the point of requesting or requiring a hand out from someone else or is it that “priorities” got shifted out of balance and the money was spent on something else? What is the price paid for those who do accept such a hand out and what are the long term effects to the economy, the social structure and the individual after having taken the hand outs? All of those factors determine what kind of strength, or in this case, lack of strength supports our country. I can sum it up, “I sold my soul to the company store.”, seems like I heard a song about that, Tennessee Ernie Ford, right?

The worrisome thought that enters my mind is that I have seen a steady drift toward a totally dependant society, one in which the individual has been portrayed, real or not, as a broken insignificant bumpkin who couldn’t exist without the help of an omnipresent local, state and federal government each and every day. This is in sharp contrast to the highly charged individuals who considered their situation and then broke away from tyrannical rule back in 1776 and started a fresh unrestrained form of life with minimal government. I find it even more interesting that Massachusetts, a leader of individual thought way back then, has become the toilet of socialism in this day and time.