There is no such thing

Let me start off this post with a quote from one of my favorite Authors, Speakers, Radio Personalities, Pastors: Adrian Rogers.

Whenever somebody receives something without working for it, somebody else has to work for it without receiving.  The worst thing that can happen to a nation is for half of the people to get the idea they don’t have to work because somebody else will work for them, and the other half to get the idea that it does no good to work because they don’t get to enjoy the fruit of their labor. (Adrian Rogers, Ten Secrets for a Successful Family: A Perfect 10 for Homes that Win.  Crossway Books, 1998, p. 138).

He also said:

You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

That just says it so clear. Like it or not (And there is something wrong with you if you don;t like it) we deserve the proceeds of the work we do, and the want of the work we fail to do.  Marketing, Selling, Product development, whatever, we are rewarded not only on the hard work we put in, but how smart we put that work in.

The truth is you can work very hard on something that nobody wants, and as long as you know that fact, you are essentially working a hobby.  But if you work hard on something nobody wants and you don’t know it, you are not working smart, and you will not receive rewards for that either.

So hard work, done smartly, with the proper attitude will produce results.  Here is the problem… once you have achieved those results we have governments that want to take them away from you and I.  I would submit that in this case, you need to plan for that – that is part of working smart.

The problem is that the government, and more specifically the power brokers within it, would very much like to give what you have created through the sweat of your brow and the hard thinking and trials you have done, to those who produce nothing (except for more votes to the aforementioned power-brokers).  Allowing them to do so is not smart, so you are left with a few options.  The smart entrepreneur considers this and uses it to his advantage.

Governments are notoriously slow – so being able to switch your business model quickly before they can regulate it or take it over is a plus.  Case in point: Recently in North Carolina, Video Poker gambling was outlawed, so those who owned these systems changed the game to a “Sweepstakes” game and sold “shares of usage time” on the game.  They continued on in business.  Now the government is coming after that, so they will have to change again.

In the same way other entrepreneurs will have to change.  The ridiculous (and wholly unconstitutional) “Health Care Power Grab Bill” seeks to tax Tanning Salons.  What these savvy businessmen and women need to do is to change the model, twist the rules, and fight the system.

The goal is simple – keep the thieving and frankly evil government out of our pockets, and keep our wealth which we earned to ourselves.  Ultimately we will have to fight and overcome the government, and that will take a lot of money, so it is imperative that we keep what we have and what we earn.

By peaceful and legal means if possible, by any means necessary.

David T. McKee