Back At It & Questions Part I

I have become a bit discouraged of late. The problem is: I don't see a lot of intelligence and almost no wisdom in our country. I know it's there, but watching the news depresses me. To get started again I am going to list some questions and try to answer them in future posts. If anyone reads this blog, feel free to give me some counsel.

My questions - big and small:

1. Why does Congress think only of providing health care to the uninsured and not of the other side? Doesn't it think by raising taxes and by rationing that it is depriving the payers of these taxes of opportunities to use their hard-earned money for their needs and that by taxing these people they are depriving them of something?
2. Why should the United States tax its business and industry (what's left of them) to reduce carbon emissions when other carbon emitting nations will not do so? Are we suicidal? Do we think we can maintain our standard of living while handicapping ourselves?
3. Why do our governments waste so much time on issues that are really not the province of government or are eclipsed by greater matters? Do we really need government to tell us what to eat, what cars to drive, what our health insurance plans should look like, etc.?
4. Why do we say we are a "nation of laws, not men" and then selectively ignore some of them notably immigration laws?
5. Why don't we profile to protect ourselves when it is obvious where the central threat to the United States lies?
6. Why was a president elected who has so little experience, such questionable associations, and a philosophy so alien to our free market, liberty loving people?
7. Do we really have a press that is balanced in its investigation of powerful people/interest groups and its reporting of the news?
8. Why can the president fly a very expensive airplane almost daily and not be criticized for excess when business executives with important work are condemned for the same thing?
9. Why can Congress pass laws that do not apply to it?
10. How can Congress pass huge spending bills or government control of health care without letting the people see a plain English version of the legislation long before it votes?
11. How can we go to war without a declaration of war?
12. What is difference between torture and threatening actions that do not result in physical harm?
13. Why would we try terrorists captured outside of the United States or illegally in the United States in our courts especially when they may gain access to information about sources and methods of intelligence that has led to their capture?
14. Why do some in Congress defame our military and our intelligence agencies both of which have people whose sole duty is to protect us?
15. Why would we close Guantanamo Bay and recreate its conditions here in the United States at great cost?
16. Why don't we reform the tax system?
17. Why have a corporate income tax when all taxes are really paid by people? Or do some of us believe that corporations don't pass taxes on to us?
18. Why is about a third of my telephone/Internet/cable bill composed of taxes?
19. Why would a congressman shed principle (how to vote on health care, cap & trade, etc.) for increased government spending in his or her district?

I will augment this list as I think about the issues and with the help of wise people who contribute to them. Thanks for thinking about my questions?