Our lawmakers spend too much time trying to get elected compared to working for us. The reasons Congress didn’t see the bonuses for AIG were: they were paid off to turn the other way; and they were too busy raising money for their campaigns.

I think the creators of this video would agree.

But there are a couple of things most Americans will not think is in the spirit of Thomas Paine. Paine said, “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” Since the creators of this video are taking a little license, allow me to do the same. I think Payne would say it’s not just dissent that is the highest form of patriotism, but informed dissent.

For instance, the video is too anti-immigrant. It’s OK to protect our borders from terrorists. But we need immigrant workers. Yes, we need comprehensive immigration reform so we get the right workers; not the run for the border immigrant who is trying to flee another country.

But we’re also an aging nation. The bulk of our country’s population is baby-boomers; and we’re beginning to retire quickly. As a result, America needs people and workers from other countries to do the jobs and fill the needs as our economy grays. Despite the emails, which I describe as weapons of mass distortion, immigrants are not getting Social Security.

Another problem is the video’s demand to bring back the jobs that went overseas. Those jobs are gone. They’ve gone to countries with low-wage workers. To do anything to get those jobs back would be harmful in the long run. Should we put up tariffs so only goods sold here will be made by Americans? That will only create a worldwide recession – or worse. Instead, we need to educate and re-train ourselves for the new worldwide economy.

The actor playing Thomas Paine also talks about a balanced federal budget. I disagree: that would stifle growth. We actually need a more balanced budget. Some deficits, to invest in growth, are good.

And the video creators want to abolish the Electoral College. The reasoning makes sense: every person gets to vote for the presidency directly. If you’re a Republican in California, your vote will not count since that state will automatically go Democrat.

However, I don’t like tampering with the Constitution. Our Founding Fathers believed the Electoral College would protect small states. I’ll side with them.

The last thing: what will they do with all those tea bags?