It’s easier to complain than to solve

Robert Blanner, North Las Vegas

Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 | 2:04 a.m.

We are finding out that complaining is easy, but we’re also discovering that solving the problems we complain about is not so easy.

President Barack Obama has been criticized the past two years for concentrating too much on health care and not enough on jobs and the deficit. Republicans now have control of the House and very little has been said about jobs and the deficit but a great deal has been said about health care.

For the past two years Democrats have asked Republicans about their ideas for job creation and the deficit. We now know why they did not respond to the request: The Republicans don’t have a clue and the best solution they have for health care reform is to repeal with nothing to replace it. The only idea has been Republican Rep. Paul Ryan’s proposal to eliminate Medicare and replace it with a voucher system.

The Egyptian crisis is another illustration of complaining without expressing solutions. Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others on the far right have levied heavy criticism of how Obama has handled the crisis, but not once have I heard what they would have done or would be doing.

My father once told me that you should not complain if you have no solutions. Father was right.