Let them eat cake… - Longboat Key News

BOB PARRISH
Guest Columnist
Opinion@lbknews.com

The well known phrase is accredited to Marie Antoinette in the 17th or 18th century upon learning that the peasants had no bread. We have inherited a society through no work of our own, which has been providing many of us wealth, food, shelter, good healthcare, education and entertainment like no other society has been given.

“Let them eat cake” – just as today – there are far too many in this society who have been given exactly what they want, when they want it – and often with little or relatively nothing given in return.

The words are uttered or perhaps shouted on the mass media – “Stop! Stop the workers! Stop! Stop the shop owners from opening!

The virus of fear

Solutions at times are invented by the unexpected from an unexpected event. Think about the sticky notes, the play-dough, the cotton swab.

Fear, suspicion, distrust, in a living organism cultivates failure. The human has a gift to filter the virus of fear, suspicion or hate and prevent its growth.

The human can choose, by free-will, to culture the noble traits of courage, control, and hope. Yes – hope.

Virus widespread?

There are those who declare this virus is widespread and there must be a global approach. They are correct. This is widespread.

The effects are more widespread than an individual’s personal health. More widespread than effecting a neighbor’s personal health.

Every thinking man and woman should now realize and confess cures must include treatments for the local cafe, the local italian restaurant, the local lobster diner or local restaurant named for a marine mammal. Therapy must be present for the local clothing store, the local cpa, the local florist or fishery.

I have a client in Texas who owns a shopping center in a major metropolitan area. All those merchants have been closed. Just as many of the merchants here are closed. The owner of the texas shopping center – received absolutely no rent income. His income = zero. The property manager – who in the past received 10% of the rents collected – his income = zero. The owners of the stores – income = zero. The employees’ – income = zero. The suppliers – zero. The bakers = zero. The produce vendors = zero. The linen and rug companies = zero. Sales tax collections = zero. Income tax withholding = zero. Social security withholding and employer matching = zero. The cpa running the payroll for the merchants – no employees, no payroll – the cpa = zero.

The same is true here, there, everywhere.

In Texas – the Permian Basin: the per barrel crude prices are about $20. The producers need $40 to $50 per barrel to break even to stay in business.

Yes this is widespread. But thinking must change from the self-centered personal health to a national and multi-industry sector widespread thinking.

Let’s start opening the businesses and allow the american worker and entrepreneur to work!

American workers

Let the American workers and entrepreneurs work, solve, build – let them speak.

I do not support strategies to cut the throats of the freedom of voices. I do not support the freedom of voices to abridge the freedom of speech, or of the press. What might seem to be a paradox can be simply resolved by discovering it is the truth. When the society structure, government structure, or faith structure of humanity disguises free-will, hides freedom of thought, or silences expressing free thinking by whatever methods – it cuts the throats of the freedom of voices.

When the choices or alternatives are hidden – the voice of free-will is silenced. Listen to the silence. Listen to what you do not hear. Read the missing words. Learn alternatives. Ask. Listen to the silence. Read the missing words.

Men and women are born with free-will, liberty, right to live, rights to own property privately and build equity. Men and women are born with free-will to use our inherent and acquired skills to fulfill our purposes in our lives. If the structure of society, government or faith becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it.

Let’s work and serve safely

Let’s focus on the local restaurant and focus on the dish washer and server at the restaurant.

She or he comes to work for a minimum wage. Barely enough to pay rent for a small place to sleep and buy a bit of food. What hope is there for her or him? She or he continues to work at an honest job. Chooses to work at the dish washing and not to steal.

Currently – not working – no fault of his or her own making. There are those who scream “don’t let the dish washer come to work!”

Culture the solutions – do not culture fear! Open the shop – get the american workers returning to the jobs. The american entrepreneur can design systems and work-flows to work and serve safely.

The plow boy must have the right to buy the land which he tills, the person filling a bag with cotton must have the right to buy the land which grows the cotton. To make certain the three structures do not wrench those rights from mankind, there are many essential elements and among those are freedom of speech, and of the press.

When shops are allowed to open, and you are sitting at the restaurant’s dining table – when the server places your meal at your place – just remember and think –

You are being served not only your meal – but you are being served hope from the person working for the bread, and – working and hoping for the cake.

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