How can people living in the same country view our state of the union so wildly different?  The only explanation is that Americans now lack an understanding of our history and our values, and this is entirely the fault of our government education system.  We are no longer a people bound together by our common belief in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  We are now a country divided between those who embrace our founding principles and those who embrace government as a mechanism to control our lives and the lives of others.  We were warned about this.  Now is our chance to do something about this.

Let’s take a look at some of the divisions among us that politicians in Washington seem intent on expanding or making permanent for the purposes of their own political pursuits.

Democrats versus Reality

You heard what Barack Obama had to say about the state of our union.  More telling is what Obama didn’t say: the truth about our debt, deficit, spending and entitlements.  The words “debt” and “deficit” never appeared in his speech.  Not once.  For someone who loves government, I suppose none of these are really an issue; the bigger our government, the better.  But for those of you who believe that our country cannot survive at this current pace and that we need to scale back to a more limited government, you might describe our situation as “grave.”  That’s the word Mitch Daniels used in his GOP response to Ceasar Obammus’ campaign speech.  Then in response to this description of “grave,” Democrat hack Chuckie Schumer comes along and says “we think we are in great shape. We are in good shape.”

Good shape?  There’s no need for me to re-hash the details of Obama’s failed presidency and our struggling economic recovery.  Schumer and these Democrats like Debbie Wasserman Shultz are pandering to the lowest common denominator of voter who is completely incapable of discerning basic facts from tall tales. 

Rich versus Poor

The more accurate heading should read: Rich versus people who want to the government to redistribute the wealth.  The fact is that poverty in America is a joke, thanks to the way that we calculate the figure and relative to our friends in Europe.  But a new Pew Research Center survey finds that 66% of Americans believe there are “very strong” or “strong” conflicts between the rich and the poor.  More astounding is the fact that this is an increase of 19 percentage points since 2009. 

It gets even worse: “Not only have perceptions of class conflict grown more prevalent; so, too, has the belief that these disputes are intense. According to the new survey, three-in-ten Americans (30%) say there are “very strong conflicts” between poor people and rich people. That is double the proportion that offered a similar view in July 2009 and the largest share expressing this opinion since the question was first asked in 1987.”

You can thank Barack Obama and his incessant class warfare campaign for this spike in people who recognize the growing conflict between the rich and the poor.  Unable to run on his record, Obama must create a conflict so egregious among a segment of the voting population that they are driven to the polls by rage or envy, convinced of the fact that they will never get ahead in life without Barack Obama at the helm to take money away from the evil rich people.

Perception versus Reality

Another observation from this Pew Research study: "A 46% plurality believes that most rich people “are wealthy mainly because they know the right people or were born into wealthy families.”

This should do the trick: The Decline of Inherited Money (WSJ).

1. According to a study of Federal Reserve data conducted by NYU professor Edward Wolff, for the nation’s richest 1%, inherited wealth accounted for only 9% of their net worth in 2001, down from 23% in 1989. (The 2001 number was the latest available.)
2. According to a study by Prince & Associates, less than 10% of today’s multi-millionaires cited “inheritance” as their source of wealth.
3. A study by Spectrem Group found that among today’s millionaires, inherited wealth accounted for just 2% of their total sources of wealth.

Inheritance or lucky sperms are easy excuses to distract from the heinous crime of working hard, being successful and making a lot of money.

Small Business versus Big Government

According to a fourth quarter survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 84% of small business executives indicated that the national debt made them uncertain about the future.  That’s the very same national debt Obama ignored in his speech.  Furthermore, 86% said that regulations, restrictions and taxes were major concerns.  Ideally, 82% of small business executives said they wish Washington would just stay out of their way, rather than try to help. 

Obama’s talk of raising taxes on the filthy rich should be enough to concern small business owners, many of whom report their businesses’ taxes on their personal tax returns.  Add ObamaCare into the mix and a host of other regulations and soon the cost of doing businesses just isn’t worth it.

Americans versus Big Anything

The latest Gallup polling shows that Americans' satisfaction with the size and power of the federal government is at a record-low 29% and their satisfaction with the size and influence of major corporations remains near the all-time low at 30%. 

This is what I don’t understand about Americans.  They are so unsatisfied with big entities like our federal government, and yet they hand their children over to our government every day to be educated.  If they are so unsatisfied, what makes you think that your child’s education will be the exception … the one beacon of light among the growing list of big government failures? 

Black Voters versus Rational Thought

I understand historical significance of voting for Obama in 2008.  In 2008, you were voting for an idea – a black president.  Now that idea has become a reality, and 2012 is the time to vote based on record and fact, not on symbolism.  When Obama first began his rule (his administration’s words, not mine), he enjoyed a 96% approval rating among black Americans.  That figure is embarrassing.  That figure has now dropped to an all-time low of 79% approval.  But still … 79%?  Gimme a break, folks. 

When you start to day dream about the promise of another four more years of the guy who looks like you, just glance over at your children.  Think about the debt that they will already have to pay in their lifetime.  Think about their freedoms and opportunities to grow up in a country where hard work and success are rewarded and praised.

Americans versus the Tax Code

There are a growing number of Americans who are saying “The hell with it .. I’m packing my bags .. I’m out of here!”  From 2005 to 2010, approximately 4,000 Americans gave up their US citizenship.  That number increased precipitously over the last three years (gee, I wonder why).  In the first quarter of 2011 alone, over 1,000 Americans ditched their citizenship.  Why are they leaving?  According to National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson …

First, many taxpayers abroad say they are confused “by the complex legal and reporting requirements they face and are overwhelmed by the prospect of having to comply with them.”

Second, others have accused the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of “bait and switch” tactics, telling Americans they can resolve their unpaid taxes under an “older voluntary disclosure programs with the promise of reduced penalties, only to find themselves subjected to steeper penalties.”

We are letting our tax code act as a mini economic Berlin Wall, and that wall will only be strengthened if Ceasar Obammus gets his way.