This is the season of Giving. You may have noticed that your selective generosity doesn’t travel all that far, considering the enormity of Need. You may also have noticed that, as the global standard of living accelerates — as technology enriches life — Need seems to accelerate even faster. Apparently, then, you can argue that human progress actually multiplies Need rather than shrinking it. Failing a reasonable explanation of this phenomenon, you theorize there must exist a Natural Law of the Universe that has yet to be discovered — something similar to Newton’s third law of motion: “In a system where no external forces are present, every action force is always opposed by an equal and opposite reaction force.” Thus, behaving as a wannabe Nobel scientist, you might postulate — in human society, every action taken that eradicates Need is always opposed by an equal or greater reaction that creates Need. Your evidence for this theorem doesn’t live in some think-tank database. No, it visits you every day, courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service and Time Warner digital phone. At last count, you processed 3806 pieces of mail and 2912 calls in 2013. These contacts had one thing in common — an urgent plea for money to help eradicate some affliction or support some worthy goal. Of the 1.5 million U. S. non-profits, you figure a couple of hundred thousand know your name, address and phone number. You’re not insensitive to the Need. Disease never goes away. Especially cancer. All kinds of cancer. Especially childhood cancer. So you must choose among the 8000+ cancer non-profits. And while you’re at it, you certainly can’t ignore diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, lupus, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MD, MS or autism. Anymore than you can ignore world hunger, domestic hunger, homeless people, homeless animals, military veterans, The Church, the art councils, United Way, Salvation Army, Red Cross, school bands, PTA, PBS or Special Olympics. But, as needy as charitable missions may be, none are more demanding, more relentless, zealous, intense and preoccupied than political affiliations, coalitions, federations, alliances, syndicates and miscellaneous rat packs. In a previous life, you occasionally heard from a local Congressman, Senator or Mayor. Now, G.W. Bush and Laura send you autographed photos in hopes of your healthy donation to the presidential library. Congressmen from states you’ve never visited send passionate four-page letters predicting the end of the world if they don’t win a seat on the Beltway. Thirty different “watchdog” factions promise to save the Constitution and the Nation, but they must have your most generous contribution — NOW — to do so.  And the GOP, led by Speaker of the House Boehner himself, are in the printing business, mailing you meticulous, individually coded surveys. Apparently, your opinion is so valuable, Mr. Boehner, et.al., saw fit last year to send you a dozen such documents at great expense, urging you to submit your views — along with a benevolent contribution, of course. Evidently, the Need in Washington never wavers, but grows exponentially. Evidently, upholding the Constitution, so help me God, and carrying out the duties of office and representing the people, are impossible feats without the continuous flow of voter money. Invariably, you must conclude that your money must help elect the right person who, once in power, will invariably send you a survey begging for more money. A cynic might call this pattern A Cycle of Need. After a thorough examination of your resources, considering the preponderance of Need, you can effectively follow Christ’s teaching and liquidate everything. Your most careful calculation suggests that your assets can help eradicate Need somewhere for 0.04 seconds. Now —  left penniless, homeless and destitute — all is not lost. You won’t receive another 12-page survey. And Need just added another grateful recipient.

Socialism courted America seriously for at least a quarter of a century, making friends, talking junk and sleeping around. But when Chief Justice Roberts ruled Obamacare constitutional, Socialism moved in — lock, stock and barrel. Get used to it. The train has left the station. Americans who believe we can send Socialism packing by electing a GOP Senate are genuinely delusional. Capitalism — the economic system that built the grandest nation in the history of civilization — has been jilted, cast aside by a spoiled, spineless and shallow people. However, while Socialism goes about dismantling the wheels of free enterprise and defiling the altar of individual liberty, pure Capitalism still thrives in one sector of American life. You find it laughable. One arena of American life idolizes Capitalism, rejects discrimination and bigotry and unites a nation — providing a pristine model — a blueprint — for the rest of a free society. This section of American life is a glittering affirmation of Capitalism, so recently belittled by the Pope himself. (So much for Popes and the tens of millions of subjects who actually believe in his inherited divinity). By now you have a clue. The World of Sport worships success achieved under the rules of engagement. All sport has strict rules. All sport has law enforcement. Capitalism — not the meddling arm of government — tore down the wall of discrimination. The World of Sport worships the best athletes, the best coaches and the best administrators. You will never see Affirmative Action demand that white athletes comprise half the rosters of the Boston Celtics or the Crimson Tide or the local high school. You will not see equal pay for equal work. You will not see a redistribution of income. What you will see is a system based solely on merit. You will see athletes and coaches fired. You will see athletes change jobs. You will see union/owner negotiations, strikes and shutdowns. Meanwhile, Socialist demagogues like your President and his minions encourage you to despise the excessive salaries of corporate executives; yet you don’t make a peep if Payton Manning or Tiger Woods makes gazillions. Capitalism honors preparation, worth, performance, fealty, ethics, duty and accomplishment — in any walk of life. Capitalism doesn’t play favorites. If the basic tenets of Capitalism were applied to the Federal Government, The President would be the first to bite the dust, followed by a host of other leeches and entire Federal departments. Ironically, under Capitalism, the American people have always adopted the highest standards — in choosing which athletes should play the game, which coaches should be fired for failure, which restaurants to frequent, which plumbers to hire, which building contractors to trust, which products to buy. Their devotion to high standards created the likes of an Angie’s List. Yet these very same Americans —  who demand credentials from a car mechanic — twice elected a murky person of no credentials, no proven ability and no accomplishment to the most powerful political office on earth. Don’t be fooled. What is left of Capitalism in America is window dressing. Yes, you can work at a job of your choosing, drive a car and own property. But Socialism lives in your back bedroom and will never leave. Because, you see, it controls your most fundamental right as a free human being — to choose or not choose your own healthcare. Consummatum est.     

Hello, my name is America. I am a Socialist. Whew, that was a tough thing to admit. But it’s the necessary first step of the Twelve Steps. Admit who and what you are — absolutely essential to the end of addiction and any chance of recovery. Like any addiction, it didn’t sweep noisily across my landscape like a furious hurricane. No, it crept in like the tide, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, for decades, eroding my sinew, sapping my backbone, compromising my principles. I don’t believe the majority of my citizens wanted me to be a Socialist, but they took me for granted. They didn’t see the signs and, frankly,  got soft, spoiled and sluggish of mind. They forgot what made me strong and straight, faithful and true. They put me in undeserving hands and stood by as I grew weak, dishonored and disrespected. For years I tried to resist — truly I did; but when my citizens put the Federal Government in charge of Healthcare, I reached the tipping point. I was already seriously weakened by Government encroachment into the lives of my citizens; but along came Obamacare, the final straw. I crossed the line. I am now a Socialist. There’s no way I will ever recover without The 12 Steps:

Step 1 Admit I’m powerless over  addiction without my citizens.

Step 2 Believe that my citizens can restore me to my true self.

Step 3 Believe that my citizens will make a searching and fearless moral inventory of who I was and what I accomplished since my birth.

Step 4 Believe they will make the decision to respect and honor my founding principles as clearly outlined in The Constitution.

Step 5 Admit to all citizens the exact nature of my wrongs, and be entirely ready to eliminate all defects of my current character.

Step 6 Encourage  citizens to eliminate many Federal agencies, greatly reduce the spending and size of my Central Government and nurture and fortify State’s Rights.

Step 7 Encourage  the People to protect my health by approving Congressional Term Limits.

Step 8 Encourage my citizens to take a personal inventory of all criminal and moral wrongdoing among my leaders and be willing to remove them from power.

Step 9 Beg citizens to repeal Obamacare and return healthcare to the private sector.

Step 10 Encourage  citizens to immediately eliminate the agency that greatly influenced my slide to addiction — the Department of Education.

Step 11 Tell my citizens to require that all public officials and their families live under the same rules that apply to every private citizen.

Step 12 Having had an awakening as the result of these steps, carry this message to other addicts, and practice these principles in all my affairs.

I desperately want to be positive that my people will come to their senses and help me to once again be the Capitalist that continues to uplift the lives of all people. Unfortunately, millions of my people are either oblivious or apathetic. They don’t really know me. And they certainly don’t know or understand that my Freedom is the most fragile of all conditions. I am America. Please know me. Please value me.