LUDIC LOG

Ludic Log Wartime Wisdome: #8 in our series -- The new flatware of the PATRIOTIC Mrs. Smith!

No matter who the guest, Mrs. Smith brings out her best flatware with no embarrassment. On the contrary, with a thrill of pride.

Pride of ownership. Pride of style. Pride in the American marketplace, which delivers the goods, no matter how dire the situation gets overseas, where her quality flatware is manufactured.

Time was, Mrs. Smith didn't have such lovely flatware. Nothing serious, mind you: a bent tine on a fork here, a blunted edge on a knife there, a bit of chipping around the edges of a spoon. But bad enough, when you're used to having the best. Mrs. Smith would never countenance putting less than premium gasoline in her sports utility vehicle, or buying discount-store soccer uniforms for her five children; how can she ask any less from her flatware?

So she drove right to her nearest shopping mall in her brand new car, and bought a brand new set, on her brand new credit card.

Not very pretty, that bill. But it bears witness to the fact that Mrs. Smith has her nation's welfare at heart.

Mrs. Smith knows that there's a war on terrorism going in, and she's given up on putting off unnecessary purchases for the duration. By not doing without -- she is helping the economy.

Oh, maybe she doesn't know all the complicated theories about recession. But she does know that her president has asked her to spend, spend spend!

So Mrs. Smith isn't making do with old things...and not just her flatware. She's buying a new wardrobe every six months, not just every year. She's competing with her neighbors to have the newest things with the hottest features.

And the dollars she's spending aren't being wastefully put away for some "peaceful" years that may never come. They're being pumped into the consumer economy, where they'll go up, up, up to the top, to the people who know how to use them best. Remember, a rising tide lifts all boats...and that goes for aircraft carriers too!

If we are all like Mrs. Smith, the whole economy will benefit -- and that's good for us, and for our men and women in uniform. By not conserving our resources, we create ever-increasing demand, and that means more work for our brave soldiers when they finally come home!

New flatware stands for all that...for a safe and free U.S.A.

Don't forget the 7 Rules for Patriotic Americans to Remember Every Day:

1. Buy anything you really, really want. Don't worry about proper care to make things last longer; you can always get a new one, and it'll be better and cheaper than the one you replaced!

2. Don't pay bargain-basement prices. High-ticket items demand high-ticket prices, and America didn't become the envy of the world by buying things on the cheap. Except labor, that is! Ha ha!

3. Don't pay any taxes that the government asks. Those greedy bureaucrats would only waste it anyway. Who knows better how to spend your money, some Washington fat cat or you?

4. Get in debt and stay in debt. Credit is the backbone of a financially strong America, and the way to ensure a sound economy is to spend money you don't have. The more debt you carry, the more credit you'll get!

5. Always ask for as much money as possible for the goods you sell. Higher prices put money in everybody's pocket -- including yours.

6. Close all your savings accounts. Savings keeps money from moving, and money is like a shark: if it doesn't move, it dies.

7. Support privatization!

HELP KEEP THE ECONOMY GOING: Use it once... throw it out... buy a new one... buy two!

A United States war message prepared by the War On Terrorism Advertising Council, approved by the Office of Homeland Security and the Republican National Committee, and contributed by this website in cooperation with the Patriotic Blogs of America.