四十岁后，你要是还投民主党的票，你是没脑筋！
你终于离开了父母，到大学过独立生活啦。校园自由的学术气氛，使你觉得自己应该有一番作为。在你的学习生活中，你学到很多新东西，也看到很多不公平。因为教科书里多数提到的都是美国历史上的大公司垄断、各种利益集团游说国会、金融危机、大萧条、种族隔离、性别歧视，你看到有钱人一掷千金，穷人一贫如洗，朱门酒肉臭，路有冻死骨。你觉得你有责任改变这一切。你积极参加各种公益活动，为穷人送衣送食，声援各行业劳工团体对抗他们的上司和老板，声讨各式财阀和穷奢极欲的守财奴。你觉得自己行侠仗义替天行道，正尽努力一步一步地改变着这个社会不合理的方方面面，你为你自己的理想和行动感到伟大和自豪。
你努力学习，也努力打零工挣钱养活自己，你终于毕业了，有了一份不错的工作，你也找到了一位志同道合的伴侣，你们都有美好的理想，良好的教育，专业的工作，你们成家了，你们努力挣钱、省吃俭用，终于，你们搬进了自己的房子，或是有新车了，或是有辆体面的欧洲车了，物质生活比你年轻时大大提高了。后来，你们也有了两个调皮但可爱的孩子。你忽然发觉你对面的大房子里搬来了一个带着三个孩子的单身母亲，他们每个月都搞两三次烧烤和派对，来派对的人的车把整个街道的占满了。你后来碰见那房子的房东（你原来的邻居），原来她租住在你这邻居家，说是这里好学区，好让孩子上好学校，原来她的房租是政府补贴的，她不用付钱，而且，她还有食物券，可以买肉和汽水开烧烤大会。她生活得轻松自在。
而你和你的配偶，很忙，很累，虽然两人工资加起来超过十万，但每个月还是捉襟见肘，很少有什么娱乐和旅游。你们俩十万多点的收入，已经是美国平均家庭收入的两倍，但你每年要付两万多让人看俩孩子，五六千付汽油汽车保险维护，两三万利息付给银行应付房贷和车贷，一万多地税保险和房子维护，两三万的联邦税，还有州所得税，食物饮料、衣服鞋帽、水电煤气、电视电话互联网等等，一年下来，没有盈余。如果孩子有大的医疗支出，可能就得靠信用卡度日了。
不知不觉中，你已年过四十。你发现，政府职员的平均工资比地区平均工资高（西雅图南的Tacoma市的政府职员平均工资是七万多，当地平均家庭收入是五万），更别提他们的福利可照顾全家的医疗和丰厚的退休金；你发现，因为不用付出（比如要定期义务劳动、不得拥有奢侈品等），很多领食品券和政府房租补贴的人宁愿装病扮穷也绝不去找工作；你发现，因为有政府补贴，那些单身妈妈不停地生孩子，而她们的男朋友像走马灯似地换；你发现，很多行业劳工团体垄断了其所在地区的行业（而不是资本家垄断该行业）并随时威胁罢工罢课罢市（芝加哥的教师刚举行罢工，他们的待遇如何，你们都知道；西雅图的垃圾工人工资连福利是九万六，但他们还要罢工；多伦多的垃圾工会和公车工会让当地居民人印象深刻）；你发现，虽然有很多人是非常需要政府或慈善机构的援助，但更多的人却在滥用这些权益和福利，庞大的政府官僚机构和各种福利计划正制造放纵和浪费。这些你年轻时非常同情并为之争取权益的人，正在嗜食着你的收入，因为你相当一部分的工资都供养着他们。你年轻时非常痛恨老板和富人，认为他们傲慢贪婪、为富不仁。但你毕业后，兜兜转转工作过很多私人公司，你发现，大多数老板还是通情达理的，他们聪明、勤奋、节俭。正如你一样，他们的财富的积累，很多都是勤勤恳恳兢兢业业一步一个脚印地慢慢积累起来的。
你发现，大多数生活富有的人，他们的生活态度是积极的，他们总是关注着世界的变化，不停地学习，勤恳地工作，更重要的是，他们有良好的自制力，非常知道自己该做什么而不该做什么，哪怕在他们最困难的时候，他们也从不抱怨，他们总是能找到改善自己和周围环境的方法，最终脱离困境。而相当一部分人生活佶据的人，他们慵懒散漫，不思进取，放纵恶习。最突出的一点是，这些人总是抱怨这抱怨那，他们的生活态度永远是这个世界为什么总是让他们不称心。还有一点，当他们遇到困难时，总是希望有人立刻伸出援手而不是反省自身要多加努力。
你发现，北美这个以Anglo-Saxon文化为主导的社会，还是比较公平公正的，在这个地方，只要你努力，还是有机会过上有尊严的生活的。你也是这样从开着一辆三千圆的N手车上学，下课后赶忙到餐厅超市油站打工。到现在有一两辆舒适的车子，一栋不大不小的房子，一个欢乐的家庭。这是你努力的结果。你在别人躺在沙发上吃着薯片喝着可乐看电视时，你或是在图书馆里收集资料，你或是在餐厅超市油站忙活，你或是在办公桌前绞尽脑汁 。你在别人千方百计想多领点政府福利时，你把精力投入在多找一份兼职，多挣一点外块。
总之，你挣来的每一分钱，每一成就，都是你的心血、体能、智慧和时间的结晶。但现在有人不愿意付出那么多的努力来分享你这些辛辛苦苦积累而来的成果。他们凭什么！因为他们有选票，但你和你的家人也有选票！那么，用你自己的选票捍卫自己的财富吧！
Thanks for your comments, HCC.
I am neither a die hard Democrat nor a die hard Republican. As NightRider said, the two parties "do not differ that much". I only vote people who can bring more interest to me, my family, the region I live, the company I work...etc.
I am a die hard fan of John Locke and Adam Smith, I believe in "Social Contract" and "Invisible Hand". Actually, I am a swing voter, After I vote one party in the administration, I vote another party to congress. I prefer "Checks and Balances" because I, as an individual,am too weak to face "Majority Tyranny".
I hope everybody votes for their interest in stead of for their ideologies.
The data you show are interesting but I also concern other things when I vote. Thank you.
No, the stock market is not the sole reason, but as you pointed out -- it is a bench mark that shows how the economy is doing. Just when the blog owner spent so much time writing in generalities about how great the Republicans are, I would humbly point out that the Democrats have done a better job, at least since the last century, on economy. If you want to believe that the Democrats just happen to have hitchhiked from the Republicans' legacy, then, hey, I have some ocean front property in Arizona that I'd like to sell you (along with some "trickle down economics" textbooks on sale).
Oh and, the Democrats care about the average joe too, as the above article seems to have conceded. If those are not enough to convince an average voter that the blog owner's remarks are invalid, then, what can I say? Gullibility is what got the last Republican president elected.
谢谢指正，我已把卷该成券了。
Besides even if the stock market represent the sole reason for voting for someone, this is such a poor argument for favoring Democrats. Since there is a long lag between the effect of a policy being manifested and the establishment of the policy, your data may well support the very opposite of your intended thesis, that the Democrats always enjoy the fruit of good policies then wreck the economy and after the Republicans have corrected the Democrats follies and restored the economy .
If stock market is all the reason or the bench mark that is needed to decide your vote, maybe we should just let all the exchanges do the voting. It would have been so much more efficient and saved all that effort from the voters and saved all that campaign money.
If the stock market would be the bench mark, any stock market bubble would have been a great affirmation of the policies that are responsible for its occurrence. Is that what you are saying?
I agree with triStar's objection against the first half of the title. I did not get to say something similar. I never liked the first half of Churchill's original remark. It reads as if youths' hormone always wreaks havoc on their brains, and their passion always gets better of their rationality.
Unfortunately most American college humanities education tends to foster that tendency. It would be sad to wait till ones 40's to gain a brain. As for the main land Chinese education, one should count himself lucky in that system not having a brain at all.
...
標準普爾將民主黨與共和黨總統領導下股市行情、企業盈利以及經濟狀況進行了比較，並發現在民主黨總統入主白宮時，股市、企業與經濟都表現良好。自1901年以來，在民主黨總統任職期間，標準普爾500指數平均每年上漲12.1%，在共和黨總統任期，標準普爾500指數每年上漲5.1%。自1949年以來，民主黨總統領導下經濟增長速度每年為4.2%，共和黨為2.6%。自1936年以來，民主黨總統領導下企業盈利每年增長10.5%，共和黨為8.9%。
在奧巴馬任職期間，美國經濟狀況欠佳，但股市與企業盈利狀況很好，GDP增速僅為1%，但企業盈利每年增長51.8%，標準普爾每年上漲12.3%。
Zuckerman表示，“你可以將股市與經濟的穩定歸因於奧巴馬。對沖基金又開始賺錢了。”
see http://finance.sina.com/bg/economy/marketwatch/su/20121011/1616611671.html
Just as I commended enjoywater for his tolerance and generosity, I laude you for your courage to apologize for your mistake and take responsibility for your action. If I may make a suggestion, next time please do not heap scorn on somebody else' look as you did to the author even if you oppose his view. What does ones look have to do with his opinion or yours?
It's OK，take care and have a nice weekend.
If you're entitled to vote, it means you're an American and you should know something about American spirit. If you're not dumb, you should know how this country came into being -to guard people from a government that controls and grabs people.
只读你的标题，误解了你，Sorry!同意你的新理解
I commend you for your tolerance and courage. Yes, I agree the environment of a person grew up in influences his judgement and behavior. However a person, brought up whether in Chinese or Anglo-Saxon culture, with not just a brain, but a normally developed prefrontal cortex which most other species either lack or underdevelop, should be responsible for his own actions and the concomitant consequences. The existence of big even tyrannical governments is exactly the product of large number of individuals surrendering their own judgement and power to other who they think are benevolent and of higher intelligence.
Moreover, there are many bullies on this site. They should be dealt with forcefully and put in their proper places not unlike how the bullies in school yards should be dealt with.
Thank you for your generous invitation. I sure will take up your offer and ring you up when I chance to visit Seattle, which I am embarrassed to admit that I have never set foot in. I would love nothing more than to traipse through the paradise!
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate!
As you know, the title of this essay is a U.S. version of the Churchill quote: If you are not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you are not a conservative at forty you have no brain.
For those people who did verbal insult, I do not blame them, because they grew up under a tyrannical government. They were educated, disciplined and trained by dictatorship, me too. Fortunately, I have gotten another education in the U.S. I learn both the best side of Chinese culture and Anglo-Saxon culture. Let us share another Winston Churchill quote:
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
By the way, if you visit Seattle next time, call me, and I will show you the natural beauty of Pacific Northwest. It has snow mountains, glaciers, falls, lakes, islands, beaches…and even desert. Living here, you feel you are living in a paradise.
What's wrong with being selfish? Is that not basic characteristic of not only human but all living creatures? You are not selfish. Describe how you are not. Let's see what it looks like.
As for "shallow" and "narrow minded", can you elaborate?
Interesting comment. Your proposition is that the bigger the government is the better, and the more the government controls the better. Correct?
连这么老生常谈的一句话都不知道，还好意思攻击别人。
写点显示你有脑子或者有良心的东西出来让大家看看？别装傻啊！
这是借鉴犹太人的经验，72-78%的犹太人如今投民主党，不仅仅是因为受教育程度高，而是从历史的教训着眼。
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_660b781001016x62.html
在如今的美国政治环境下，华人投共和党本质上是被人卖了还帮忙数钱的性质。
Hahahaa, my God, you make me laugh. Perhaps you are not despicable, you are merely desperate and paranoid. I don't know what to say to you. Do you really not understand the author's "you" refers to himself? It looks like you need some remedial lessons in general verbal comprehension, not just in Chinese. Also author is paraphrasing Winston Churchill's remark 'If you are not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you are not Conservative by 40, you have no brain'. Surely it's too much to ask of you to know this, as you are already having trouble reading plain sentences. Maybe you really are brainless --- albeit not completely since at least you are so touchily self-conscious. :-D
Verbal insult is apparently the only thing you are capable of, as that is the only thing that comprises your comments. By the way, "despicable" is a word I used, and you parroted twice. Can't you at least show some creativity when you try to show off your only skill?
Bless you, have you been robbed recently?
...
or more precisely, in the last 4 years?
回复nightrider的评论:
你有眼无珠？不会读楼主的题目是什么？他开题就骂他人没良心没头脑，他最少根筋，他最Despicable！！
你闭住你的Despicable嘴！
你有眼无珠？不会读楼主的题目是什么？他开题就骂他人没良心没头脑，他最少根筋，他最Despicable！！
你闭住你的Despicable嘴！
What's your problem? What's your 德行 like, personal attacks? Despicable!
Obama did not start section 8 or food stamp. He magnified them.Worse, he started ObamaCare, another huge wealth redistribution scheme, government sponsored free lunch.Do you need anything worse?
Wait a minute, does Obama start section 8 and food stamp?
楼主长这德行，一看就是既没良心又没大脑的那种。