Obi-wan sat in the shotgun seat of the speeder and waved his hand at the storm troopers manning the roadblock.  He told them that these weren't the droids the stormtroopers were after.  The stormtroopers repeated that these weren't the droids they were after.  Then Obi-wan told them that they could go.  The stormtrooper repeated that they could go.  Later Obi-wan explained it was an old Jedi mind trick.
As I drove past the 7-11 on Fountain Mesa yesterday and noticed the price of gas had risen to $3.98 a gallon for the top grade, the thought crossed my mind that Obama-wan is trying to work the Jedi mind trick on us all.  There is no inflation.  These are the prices that are fair.  As I remember it, we were told that the fact that gas prices had actually gone down in 2008 was a factor in determining that Social Security and Military Retirees were not entitled to a cost-of-living adjustment.  Gas prices, which had been hovering in the two-to two-and-a-half dollars a gallon range before we saw the big jump a couple of years ago, some places going over five dollars a gallon, were indeed lower than five...but still a lot higher than what they were before the big jump.  But now that the prices are rising again, (some experts say we'll be paying five or more again in a year or three) we are told that gas and groceries are not going to figure into the cost of living index, therefore...there is no inflation.  So we need not expect any kind of cost of living bump this or next year.
I cringe at the tone of voice used by our congressmembers every time they mention the word "entitlement".  They are looking into the "fraud, waste, and abuse" in the "entitlement programs".  They are looking for places to cut the military budget, again, too, and especially the "entitlements".  There is talk of raising the rates charged for the military's health insurance.  Come on...it's only fair.  Why should soldiers and their families get to pay so much less for their health care than their civilian counterparts?  We can freeze their pay while we're at it;  they already make a lot of money and it costs us a bundle to house, feed and clothe them.  
We can raise the retirement age...no one was supposed to live so long when we started this whole thing anyway.  And reduce the benefits...and we can tax the benefits...and...and...and the beat goes on.  Anyone who has spent any time in the military knows that personnel programs get cut before any real adjustments are made in material costs.  People, training, travel;  they all get cut before anyone dares to question how much is spent on useless projects.  Don't get me wrong...some research and development is crucial to keep us at the top of the heap...and believe me, you don't want our military to become a second-rate oranization.  We seem to keep a steady sight-picture on our own feet all the time.  We cancelled two great world-class fighters that were touted as taking us far into the new century because the SecDef stated that the Chinese, our most worthy opponent, is decades away from developing anything remotely like the F-22.  And this week the Chinese unwrapped their new stealth fighter (which looks way too much like an F-22) and proudly announced that this fighter will take them well into the new century.  So, yeah.  We need some of the new whistles and bells.  But do we need all of the perks and bennies that our senior officials, including the congress and the White House, enjoy without a thought of the cost?  
Uncle Travelin' Barry has spent 58 days on vacation in his first two years in office.  No objection here...I prefer he double that amount...or quadruple it.  But everyone else in the world has to pay their own way when they go on vacation.  Well, the justification is that he is always the Prez and may be needed at a moments notice and etc..etc...etc.  I say just throw the keys to the shop over to Lyin' Joe and be gone for a while.  Take a real vacation...one without photo ops and nuclear codes.  Just get away from it all...it would save us millions (and Michelle?  Who told her she could spend all our money taking her buddies around the world?).
I am repeating myself from earlier rants on the same subject, but I have had the unfortunate opportunity to "serve" members of Congress and the Senate and the Cabinet and the State Department and every DoD agency as well.  Just cutting the money spent on their travel alone would go a long way towards reducing the deficit.  Remember when Pelosi became the Speaker and had to have a larger airplane because she needed to travel non-stop to CA from DC?  All those planes are military aircraft.  The federal travel regs require that any aircraft traveling on official business make spare seating available to other travelers.  Every time the DCINC of EUCOM flew to the States from Stuttgart on his C-9 (727?  I think so.) he had to fill the available seats with space available travelers.  Most of the bosses allow their staff or enlisted folks to fly with them as a bennie for the working folks.  But, you'd be surprised how many "official travelers" insist that they not do that because of what ever made up crap they think will authorize them an exemption.  Nothing like having a full-sized airliner to yourself...and your pretty staff buddies.  You can bet that all that "essential" travel would slow to a near stop if they had to fly commercial...or (gasp) pay their own way!  There I go, ranting again.
Hundred dollar hammers, 400 dollar screwdrivers, thousand dollar toilet seats...and dear reader, do you know what happens to these high-dollar items when they become surplus?  They are sent to an outfit called DRMO (I don't know what it stands for but it is a Department of Defense junk yard) where they are sold for pennies on the hundred dollars.  But PFC Dinkelbuhl will have to cough up more money to buy milk for his three kids because once again the commissary subsidies will be cut.  And Staff Sergeant Joe-Willie will have to pay more for his Tri-care health insurance (another item not covered in the cost of living index)...for fairness sake...because Agent Orange made him diabetic...and the VC made him walk funny.  
And by the way...Congress and the Senate both get cost-of-living adjustments even when there is no cost-of-living increase.  The hardship of maintaining two households, home state and DC, factors into this equation, according to those with the cojones to try and justify it.  I sympathize...I am having a hard enough time maintaining one household here in the Swirl...and I didn't get a raise!
Obama-wan waves his hand at the ignorant masses and says, "There is no inflation".  Milk is up 33% in the Swirl, gas up another dime, bread $.50-2.00, Doctor Pepper up 50%, motor oil 50%, if it weren't for Wal-Mart holding the line on Chinese Snickers Bars, I wouldn't be able to afford any kind of treat.  Some items remain the same.  A half-gallon of ice cream is still bouncing between 3.00 and 3.50...except that it isn't a half-gallon anymore...and come to think of it, that Snickers Bar is a lot smaller than it used to be....
Obama-wan waves his hand and says the recession is over...we repeat it...he says the jobs market is looking up (easy to do when you are at rock bottom)...he says that the wars are almost won and that we have strong allies around the world and talks with North Korea will produce good results and Iran is years away from being any kind of nuclear threat...
We've had "Trickle down" and "Voodoo" economics...why not "Jedi" economics?         These are not the droids we want...