Why Occupation Will Fail

Occupy Wall Street....... has become a movement that has attempted to reach global proportions, with the aim of  ending income disparity within the United States, under the auspice that only 1 % of the population controls more wealth than a combined 99 % of the citizens of this country. There are other grievances, to be sure..... and to try to define a global endeavour of change premised on one point of view may be  narrow but the mainstay appears to be wealth, or rather the notion that far too few has far too much of it. It is impressive to me that this would be contentious in this country. We have an unalienable right to private property. It is written in our Constitution. The American Republic would most likely not exist without this right. So it puzzles me that a nation founded on the right of private property would have a protest against the ownership of private property. We have a mindset that now defines the quantity of your rights. You have the freedom of religion but ONLY if you worship for two hours on Sunday, because we the religious movement feel  that that is enough practice of faith and all that is necessary, but you have the right and are free to practice whatever faith you want.  Does that sound like freedom of religion to you ?

                                                                    The problem with the occupation movement as it exists rests on the notion that our current problems of economy and wealth can be resolved by antagonistic remedies. What the movement purports to do is to take the property of one segment of society, and hand it over to another. This purported method of fairness is nothing more than a direct redistribution of property. It is the method the movement is giving the world as an answer to their perceived notion of injustice. Taking the property of one individual and giving it by force to another, that quaint Marxist program which was conceived in the late 1800's, a method of deprivation, an ideal premised on envy, hatred, and jealousy. This method has been tried and has failed miserably. It is a method of redress that is a complete contradiction, that is to render justice by using an unjust manner for resolution. Consider that when Marx and Engels were attempting to be scientific as they saw it, about the failures as they defined them of the capital system, what they seriously never resolved in an intellectual capacity was the importance of two factors. One is the price mechanism in an economy, and the absolute necessity of private property. along  with the need for a judicial system that by design is required for rational disagreements. These factors are the basis of wealth creation, and more importantly capital formation. The tenant of private property, that is ownership, use, and disposal is the primary key for success in a free society, and that private ownership is not designed for the good of society as a whole, but rather for the good of an individual, but that individual good is what benefits society as a whole.

                                                                  What the occupy movement is wanting is the " equitable " distribution of wealth based on the standard of " how much " an individual has. To proclaim then that the legitimate function of any government is to use it's monopoly of force and require by law how much wealth one can have, or rather not have is to predetermine how much property is " enough " and also to determine " too much" by subjective standards. Those standards will change as the whims of the society changes, which then take an absolute right of ownership, and turn it into a privilege. This privilege is the privilege of benevolent servitude. Call it what you will, an indentured servant is just that, a servant. A benevolent dictator is still just that, a dictator. this Occupation, is an occupation designed to enslave those who have, to those who have not. It may be a benevolent attempt to alleviate need, but in order for it to be put into practice, force and the need of conscription will be the only way that it can exist. And trust me when you read this, there will always be someone in need, thus there will always need to be the need for servitude. That would turn our Republic into a state that exists not for the individual for the pursuit of happiness, but rather a state in pursuit of property, to literally give to others. A state of enslavement. A benevolent dictator......, that is benevolence to those receiving the confiscated property, for those whom their property is being taken, there will be no recompense. There will be nothing of value that can be given in return of equal value. It will be a system of dehumanization, and your only purpose as a producer, will be to produce even more.  That cycle will never end.

If poverty is the problem, then wealth is the cure. The way to create wealth is to encourage capital formation, and have an unbounded respect for private property. Property ownership starts with your body, that is to say that you own yourself, and no other entity can lay claim to you. Your land, your labor, and your money are yours as well. To deny any individual the absolute right to earn and keep whatever they can legally obtain thru their own effort based on the notion that someone has " more" than some one else is to deny the natural law of existence. We are all born equal. Naked and without title. There is no moral justification for stripping away a natural right of ownership, and any legislation, movement, or philosophy that denies that natural right is an immoral philosophy and needs to be rejected and ridiculed. It is precisely because the Occupation movement is immoral, it is precisely because the natural tendency is for humans to pursue freedom, and because it is precisely the nature of a human being to want to live free that the Occupation movement will fail. As the rejection of the movement increases, the Occupy tactics will become more violent. In fact violence will be the tool the movement will ultimately rely on for it's success. It will be the only tool left in it's arsenal, as more and more free individuals reject their ideas and methods. Violence has been the tool used throughout history for any movement that losses support of free people. Since persuasion will lose it's luster, the Occupation movement will deem it necessary to force  it's idea's on to the public, since after all we will fail to see the importance and necessity of their ideas. Just look at where the movement started. Zuccotti Park. The park is private property, and is being occupied against the wishes of the owners. So much for peaceable demonstrations.

                                                               

                                                                   

Forgiveness

My day started this morning with a number of text messages from my younger sister, who having the capacity, and willingness to listen to my burdens from time to time was sending me passages of scripture which she thought would be instructive for me to contemplate. At the time I understood what she was attempting to do, however I didn't think she could appreciate how hard it was to try to read, and then type a text message particularly at 6:00 a.m. in the morning, so I called her while trying to dress and tie my shoes. Imagine me actually walking and chewing gum at the same time.Using the speaker on the phone made it much more practical, after all I was in a hurry to get out the door. I was glad on the other hand to have the conversation it started me thinking of essentially the point she was trying to make, which was to have the capacity to forgive.
                                                                         Now this is not something recently new to me, as a matter of fact one of the reasons she thought of this was a disagreement we had had a few years ago, and despite how upset I was, eventually I had the ability to forgive the transgression and move forward. We have made an attempt from that point to speak to each other at least once a week, and having that communication has created a special bond between us. It is our moment to share our lives, and our thoughts.Even if we do not agree...... it is still a time to take a moment or two to connect with family, and it has been very special.

                                                                         Of course as is quite typical for me I cannot just take a conversation at face value. In those spare moments driving down the road, or while working on a project at work, I let my mind drift into the nuance of a conversation. You will find that a person will say a phrase, or use a gesture that has significance at the time that may slip away at the moment, but later has a much more deeper meaning and reflection than at first was recognized. I was spending some drive time thinking about forgiveness, and how as a concept it  has became a part of the Human conscience. It also began to occur to me that forgiveness seems to become more important to people as they get older. Not necessarily old, but older. I wondered was it because of life, and experiences teach you that you are not indestructible ? Is it just a biological reaction to a change in hormones in the body as you get older ? What about the importance to being spiritual, not necessarily religious ( although in regards to the conversation with my sister and I we focused exclusively on the importance of God in a persons life ) but having a deeper sense of soul in regards to the fragility of life, is that a great motivator in ones life for the capacity for forgiveness ?
                                                                          All of these thoughts at what was by now 6:20 a.m. in the morning, and I was quite pleased with the conversation even more, what a great gift that was bestowed upon me first thing in the morning. A deep loving conversation all meant to steer an older brother on a path of virtue. Upon deeper reflection I began to realize that I needed to make an act of forgiveness myself, that it was imperative that I put into practice what I had been blessed to discover so early in the morning, so the following is my forgiveness to those  whom I perceive have committed wrong............


                                                                            I forgive a political class who have taken the property of productive individuals and given it to others without compensation in return, nor even gratitude. The political class cannot be held accountable for their actions, for after all it is we the people who must hold them responsible for their conduct, and thus far we have done a poor job of that. After all if a group of individuals continually put you in a position of authority year after year, and your behaviour was deplorable, yet no one was going to hold you accountable, well why not ? It is not the fault of the elite political class that we the people do not end their reckless behaviour. On the contrary it is the responsibility of the people to elect good representatives, on the other hand it is also our responsibility to keep irresponsible people out of office. So on my part I forgive you.
                                                                         I forgive any Bank Executive that makes a bad loan. After all the Federal Reserve exists to keep the banks in liquidity, and if a particular institution fails that is a bad thing, but when an entire industry fails knowing that it has over extended itself, that is not a failure of a banking system, but rather a failure on the part of the people who ........again elect irresponsible people into office who pass laws creating a monetary system that encourages loaning money that you know will not be repaid. How can I or any one else condemn an executive for doing what has been created for him to do, and will back those ill advised decisions with a bail out ? The very system exists for taking such risks, despite the dangers of doing so. Again on my part I forgive you.

                                                                         I forgive a President that has done everything in his power to ruin the worlds most productive people, and it's economy. After all candidate Obama was very forthright with what his goals were. Of course he sounded convincing that he was about change, precisely because it was his intent to create change. Many were not listening to the change he had in mind, they just wanted something different, and by our vote we got it. You cannot blame the President for thinking we wanted his brand of change, after all, this was a man who was connected to people in a way that no other candidate ever dreamed of, with the talent and foresight to access text messaging, and email, and the Internet, it must have been an intoxicating feeling that the vision he had, was what the American people were looking for. For that mistake of judgement on his part, I am more than willing to forgive him.

                                                                                 The essence of forgiveness is to cease to demand retribution, or punishment. I have no interest in seeking any form of punishment or retribution. However I do wish to seek a restoration to the idea of liberty. Free people engaging, or not engaging,...... going about there lives fulfilling there desires and dreams, seeking there fortune and happiness, to exist with others in a society where the idea of freedom is at the forefront of laws, and legislation. A restoration to an idea that a person has the right.......... to live their live......... for there own sake. I recognize that such an idea takes away the power that the political class  currently has over our lives and relegates them to nothing more than servants, and this would destroy the status they currently enjoy. It would be a transformation creating a rather uncomfortable arrangement in power in our society, and would thus reduce there status to that of nothing more than a citizen in a place of trust, no longer a place of privilege and exemption, but rather a short term occupancy for the whims of the people. When this transformation takes place it is my desire that those who have held office for the power and exemption can have the capacity for forgiveness as well, and have the capacity to refrain from a  bitterness toward  a people who want the Republic as it was founded well over two centuries ago.

                                                                       After all as the saying goes " to err is human, but to forgive is Divine " and in the spirit of forgiveness, let's change from the past and reclaim the heritage of liberty.

The Precipice

      I am quite taken by how many people in general are now making comments on the state of affairs in the country lately. Individuals who would not ordinarily involve them self's in comments or concerns are now piping in with two cents worth of opinion. Not much of it is good. In fact it has all been bad. This level of dissatisfaction in the country has not reared it's head in probably 30 years. If you live on main street, what you see are " Foreclosed " signs, window fronts with signs that say " For Sale or Lease " .... call........... homes vacant, or even boarded up. Whole neighborhoods that with the exception of a few small individuals are completely vacant, neighborhoods in decent communities that were once thriving with children and families now show signs of some decay, and empty homes. No one is immune in this country. It is taking it's toll on the psyche of the nation. It will continue for some time in the future. The issue here is not so much a reverberation of what has happened, or why it happened as much as it is about where we are going, and the direction we collectively choose to find ourselves. It will define the success or failure of the nation for a long time to come. It will also define the limits of freedom, for a very long time to come. There is an axiom that power corrupts, I think it is safe to say we all know that axiom, there is another one. Emergency is the plea of the tyrant. As a nation should we choose the direction of continued direction from Washington for economic affairs, and capitalization to be provided by the Federal Reserve than it will be axiomatic that Americans for the first time in the history of this nation will find itself living a lower standard of living, and with that will come a lower level of safety and security. This will become a nation that will cease to nationalize, but rather to localize, for security and protection and service. I do not mean that in a sense that is good either, for what I believe will happen that if government exists at any effective level in the local sense it will be to preserve it's own existence. Think of a triage of police, judges, and prosecutors all working to maintain there existence within a system that is for the most part sterile. I would suggest at some level it has already begun. The knowledge of it's existence will soon enough show it's ugly head, to the extent that is common parlance.
                                                                             Locally here in the Detroit area there were headlines from one of the local newspapers telling how DTE ( Detroit Edison ) was taking streetlights " down " and capping off the power to the poles, and taking the metal poles to the local scrap yards for the cash price for the metal. There was no longer going to be street lighting provided to the municipality because the were not paying the electric bills. Store owners, and what was left of homeowners were paying there electric bills, and keeping there taxes up, however the municipality did not take the money it needed to pay the bills from its operating budget and pay the electric company, but rather continued to pay the officials and employees of the city, and provide for their pensions and benefits. While DTE was taking the poles down, there was no increase in police protection to offset that damage, however Police officers " offered " to those with means to ensure the safety of their property, for a fee of course which is above what is already being paid by the property owner thru the extortion of taxation.
                                                                                 While indeed Atlas Shrugged is a work of fiction, the slow decay that began to creep around the country as the Strike progressed also invited a corruption of pull. If you knew someone who was of any importance than you became very close friends with that person for the use of their influence and ability to get ahead in society. There will always be a sense of that in any structure organization, have the ability to connect with people is a mainstay of any business or organized effort, to rely on that for your existence and as the sole means to keep your existence is to deny a just society. Most of us know and understand this but what I often see missing is the " How " part of that discussion and that brings me to where I have been heading.

                                                                                      The current administration is trying to rally support for more public spending for projects deemed necessary for infrastructure and also spur growth in the economy, which is laughable 400 billion in a 17 trillion dollar economy is barely enough money to spend on the planning of the multitude of some of those projects, let alone pay for all the labor, raw material, and engineering that would be required to make those projects come to fruition. Our system is a " Capital " system, given that there is no incentive on the part of those who own that capital to invest on projects and receive what they themselves deem an equitable return, money is sitting by becoming unproductive, and without the need for productivity labor is then sitting by idle doing absolutely nothing. With out the stimulation of the global equity now available to create wealth, and wealth creation we are seeing the steady decline not just in our economy, but in our safety and security. There are two sides to every coin, and it is time we as a people flip that coin and let the chips fall where they may. There are those that still adhere to private property, and free enterprise, then again there is a complete opposite point of view which is for a large transfer of wealth, to be used for public welfare and benefits provided by a central authority. The latter solution is a complete failure and will always be a failure, because it does not adhere to or obey the necessary adjustment of the price mechanism in the market place, and that failure creates distortions that are not able to self correct. The largest of institutions of that particular failure is the Federal Reserve Bank. It is an institution that distorts the economy by sending the incorrect signals for higher order projects in the economy, think buying a plant or a building, with cheap capital investment in such things appears to be attractive, the only problem is that capital then gets taken away for short term consumer goods. It is the tug of war for those two principles that decide where labor and material are most needed, and without the proper signals someone is going to make huge miscalculations on what is needed in the economy.
                                                                             Government too is in quite a pickle in this scenario, it is borrowing money on what it deems is " cheap " money and does so with the expectation that it can pay this back without any real threat but then when the excess's are more than can be met with the current tax take from the citizenry, there is no longer any choice but to borrow and tax, creating a scenario where capital will  hide for shelter, thus creating more unemployment, and a desire to borrow more  money. What then do we do ? The answer lies again, limit the role government plays in the economy, including the regulation process, and allow freedom to take hold. It is the unhampered market that creates wealth. There is no government on this planet that can offer anyone a job without first taking wealth away from an individual or group of individuals. Just cut out the middle man then. Do you need to have some one interfere with the wage structure in the economy ? A wage is a price. somewhere in free exchange buyer and seller will meet and agree. It is a voluntary exchange that has existed for a long, long time. A free person is more than capable of deciding if they are worth more or less than what someone is offering them. A free person is more than capable of deciding the meat, or milk, or cheese they wish to buy is safe for themselves or their family. There is nothing that stops a person for going to court to seek redress for an exchange or service, in a free society there are options available to pursue happiness. We would be wise to embrace that freedom again in this country, and there are examples the world over even today that freedom works.
                                                                                 Take for example North Korea and South Korea from anecdotal knowledge whom do you think has the most freedom ? Who then also has the greatest prosperity ? If planning an economy is the key to success then North Koreans should be the fattest happiest people on the planet. Even in China, the highest standard of living and wealth is where ? Hong Kong. third largest trade center in the world, and it's wealth is greater than any on the mainland, but also so is it's level of freedom. There are examples in the America's, and Africa. There are unlimited examples of this in history. All we need to do is be more vigilant in the continuing access to that freedom, and ensure it is the reign of order for our society. To choose other wise we will as a nation perish. The decline we are witnessing now CAN get worse. Much worse. There is just now signs of the collective discontent on both sides of the ideological divide, with such diverse views of how we should structure ourselves as a nation as well as the lack of ability to pay for the progressive view of what this nation should be, there needs to be a separation. A physical separation, where one side rules one way, and one side rules another. To do other wise is to increase the discontent to the point where violence becomes the accepted means of expressing that discontent. Then no one wins.Everyone will lose, including their liberty, which is what the governments are created to protect in the first place.

                                                By the way I have been thinking about the separation for some time, but the first person I have seen right about it was Walter Williams when he out right suggested that would be the best thing for this country. Pat Buchanan once suggested that the United States would become " Balkanized "  but the reasons were pretty much the same. We have become a contradiction as "One Nation" and contradictions cannot exist.

and .........Justice For All ?

                   

                                         Justice: the maintenance or administration of that which is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims


                                                                So just what is justice ? To answer that, one must answer what is just which by definition is acting on what is morally good. So what is morally good ? Is there a multitude of definitions of good ? Are there a multitude of types of justice ?  I can think of quite a few types of justice. Economic Justice, Social Justice, there is blind justice, Global justice, environmental justice, there is racial justice, and I suppose if we searched long and hard we could continue with even more ideas of justice. For a moment or two I want to look at a couple ideas or types of justice.

                                                    Social Justice. A principle generally thought to mean equality and solidarity, the main tenant being that there is a respect for human dignity. It generally tends to coincide as well with economic justice, in essence that the dignity of workers, and laborers are paramount to the establishment of law, including laws regarding the workplace, and conduct of how a business conducts itself. A major tenant of the social justice school of though is a living wage, the idea that a defined minimum is the standard by which a worker shall be paid in order to have basic necessities, that meaning food, and shelter.
                                                     Economic Justice. Often seen in tandem with social justice, By definition touches individuals because it defines the social order of our economic institutions. It defines how we enter into contracts, exchange goods and services, as well as how we engage in our sustenance. The provision of our material production can be found in what is termed as economic justice, again including standards for work regulations, as well as minimum pay for the labor force.
                                                    Environmental Justice. Defined by the EPA of the United States as " the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people of the enforcement of environmental laws " using the natural resources as a means to ensure that any individual regardless of race, creed, or national origin of equal treatment in terms of quality of air, water, and land resources. The application of the environment as a means to ensure access to all citizens regardless of an individuals status in life of clean water, and air based on standards set by law.

                                                           The thought of justice is prompted by the Execution of Troy Davis. He had maintained his innocence right to the moment of his execution. There were many individuals who fought very hard to have his execution stopped. Amnesty International was at the forefront fighting to have his death by execution stopped. In the end after 22 years, and a hearing at the Supreme Court, Mr. Davis was executed for a murder, he had claimed right to the very moment of his death he did not commit. On the same day in the State of Texas a white supremacist was executed for the death of a man. He had tied him to the back of a pick up truck, drug him for over a mile, peeled his skin to the bone by this method until this man had died.
                                                        Is it just, or more importantly are we living in a just society, when in either situation there is a loss of life to two different individuals on the same day ? Please do not understand me too quickly, in the case of the execution in Texas, in my opinion we as a people were to kind, in fact I will bet that the skin of this man was swabbed with alcohol before the injection. Why ? Was this kind of mercy shown to his victim before he drug him like a piece of garbage on a dirt road ? You better believe he did not. But in our twisted sense of a macabre justice, we as a society do this anyway, that is ........ to make the preparation of injection as sterile as possible, and for what the individual will die within minutes anyway, are we afraid of post mortem infection ? In the case of Mr. Davis, I will not pretend I know enough about his case to even comment, and if indeed he is an innocent man ( I find it interesting that after 22 years he is not able to prove that ) then his execution was a complete injustice. I know this, we are human, we are not perfect, and we will never have perfection. With reason we can do all we as humans can to avoid damaging the rights of the innocent in our society, and we should. Examination of our process will be a continual thing, and that is all right. As for me, to know that the brutal murder of  James Byrd was met with the death of the animal that took his life, I am quite alright with that. There are times in my opinion when that sort of careless lack of respect for another persons life, should be met with the same lack of respect, in other words that to me is a just punishment, I feel that way about rape as well, for such brutality should be met with an equal if not greater brutality, it says to those who engage in that type of behaviour, that we as a society believe not in Just US....... but justice.
                                                                   With Liberty and Justice for all.......... the conclusion of the Pledge of Allegiance, Liberty, Justice can have different meanings to different people. We all have our common experiences. We all have our unique experiences, but our freedom, and ability to pursue it needs protection from those that would deprive us of it, is that not one of the foundations of established government ? I suppose given our different points of view we may not agree on how to make that happen, but I would ask an open question. If someone can be proven beyond doubt that they have taken the life of another citizen should that person then cede his or her life. I contend, that person should, you may differ, and that is okay, but keep in mind the most sacred thing you have is your life. To take that from someone should have the most dire consequences, and if execution is the method then it is a just form of punishment, but I also maintain the standards for the proof of such a crime and the eventual punishment of that crime should be extra ordinary. We are after all talking about the most sacred of our rights, and in the process of dealing with those who choose to violate those rights, we are burdened with protecting the rights of those who are innocent until proven guilty, that is the most complete form of Justice that I know of. If there exists a more perfect form of justice, then please.............. I am all ears.

Thanks Jen........ but we got it from here !

http://detnews.com/article/20110918/POLITICS02/109180303/Granholm%E2%80%99s-book-critiqued-by-first-couple-of-Detroit-newspapers

The former Governor of Michigan it seems has decided that, 1) She has something to say that we either want, or need to hear,  2) and has drawn the conclusion that what she has to say is of some importance to the Nation and the State of Michigan at large. Sorry Jen, but you could not be more irrelevant. Consider that Michigan was the only State in the union to lose  population in the last 10 years, and one could only stand back in utter amazement that a former Governor of such a situation would have the audacity to believe at a personal level that her political conclusions have merit that are of any redemption, or validity. I always understood Richard Nixon post Presidency, despite his failures, he did have some keen insights that were worth consideration particularly in Foreign Affairs, even if you disagreed with Tricky Dick, you could at some level appreciate his input on certain matters, but our former Governor presided not only over a loss of population in Michigan, but over the greatest loss of jobs in this nation over that period. She was, and is always quick to blame forces outside of her control as she likes to define it, but she has never once taken the responsibility that the office she held was worthy of more accountability than she was ever capable of giving. That failure of leadership, and accountability coupled with an absolute ignorance of what the role of a free market plays in prosperity, as well as limited government is the downfall of those that rule as she does, what is more frightening is the absolute lack of introspection of the failure of that type of statist economics on the part of those that are it's strongest proponents. Reality does not exist with that type of thinking, mantras, slogans, and feelings rule, and if the brick wall stands before them, the orders will be to keep marching forward to go thru that wall, because it is not the failure to see objective reality that is the problem, the problem is that more individuals are not willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Mind you this is an " educated " individual. We should be as a people, deeply concerned by this type of behaviour, as well as the role it plays in guiding our current crop of the political class in this nation.
                                                                                                      In passages of her new book Jen seems to think that we as a people are not capable of handling the truth. Of course this is the truth as Jennifer herself has deemed to define it. She is an admirer of China and it's growth, and along with many in the political class, she has an admiration for the " system" that China has employed for it's prosperity. Government subsidies for certain industries, industrial policies, and more importantly Centralized planning for the economy at large. Although Jen was born in Canada, she was raised and educated in the United States, but somewhere along the way here heart is in the philosophy of the planned economy. Her intellectual ilk has overlooked one very important, defining factor in why China has begun to grow, and grow they will. It was because under the completely planned economy under the Mao regime, there was no economy. While the world around it was growing exponentially, China and it's people suffered real human tragedy. Innovation was never beyond the bicycle for transportation, and the shovel for digging. Capitalism was the evil, and needed to be ignored. Innovation if there were any at all came from the planners in the Capital, and the population at large in there collectives, and government run shops and factories, were all becoming impoverished as a matter of policy for an equality that is the promise of all collectivist societies. It was only after Deng Xiaoping began to steer away from those policies, and suggested a more market based economy that China even had an economy. So let me get this straight Jen........... I need to be completely broke, starving, and homeless, so you can introduce a policy that you and a few others have planned out, in order to achieve wealth and prosperity ? That's the solution to a prosperous economy ? Hey you know what..........? I'll pass.

                                                                                       She makes commentary also about freed up Capital leaving not only Michigan, but abroad as well, and remarks that the people are contradictory towards government on this matter; her statement: Why do Americans say they hate an active government, then get mad when government does nothing while " their "  jobs disappear, shows both an attitude of victimization, as well as condescension toward the very people that she was elected to serve. Quite frankly I am surprised by this statement. Small business across this state continually called for a more limited role from Lansing, in regulation and taxes during her time in office, and there was by no means at that time a desire from anyone to ask for Lansing's involvement in business, other than say from the UAW or the Teacher's unions for an active government, if anything the clarion call was for Lansing to " get out of the way" of business in Michigan over that period of time. This kind of thinking on her part however just demonstrates the rationalization that was employed during her tenure as Governor, and continues on in her mind that only an elite, with the wisdom and insight that common people just do not have the capacity for, or the proper collective insight into what procedures or policies are necessary for the collective good. There within itself of course is the problem. As Mises demonstrated, as Ayn Rand wrote in fiction, as Adam Smith himself has shown, an economy is not a collective organization, rather it is individuals pursuing their desires. The needs and wants of people are varied and diverse. Is that not what freedom is about ? There is no bureaucracy that will ever be known to man, that can predict the desires, wants, needs or whims of any population. There is no reason in nature for such an organization to exist. If you prefer the collective policies that China or any other statist government has in place, consider the cost of liberty to those people, and destruction to liberty centralized planning does to individuals within that society. Prosperity, and freedom coexist. One cannot exist without the other. History continues to show the more freedom a society has, and a stable currency to go with it, the more prosperous that society is. Those are the conditions necessary for capital formation, and wealth creation. Jenny never got that, and probably never will....... and that's okay; she is no longer in office, and her advice is no longer needed.
                                                                   From the bottom of my heart I wish Jen all the best,......... but you know what ....... we got it from here.......... Adieu !
                                                                                          

Our Historical Moment

I had not intended on writing today, this is a day in the United States that should be somber, and reflective. It is a day for hero's, of all types. We Americans know those hero's well. Some do not even have a name to us, others have names that will be etched in our memory forever. Some have worn uniforms, others are just ordinary citizens, but by all respects are none other than hero's.
                                                              The last 10 years has embarked our nation on a historical precedence that I don't believe we have fully grasped the full meaning of. I had originally thought that it would be appropriate to say that the last 10 years would be properly defined as the precedence of such dramatic proportion as to change the face of the nation forever. Perhaps that is inaccurate, and premature, and I would be willing to accept criticism for that point of view, and it's lack of proper insight. What is irrefutable though, is that the face of this nation, and it's future is changed by the history of the attacks on September 11th of 2001. What hasn't been identified is where we will go from here, and that is the context of what I am writing about. We will have to change, the next generation will have to endure the consequences of that change, and what needs to be contemplated is the effect on our nation because of that change, and our relationship with the rest of the world. No nation is an island, and if trade and commerce is what made us great, than we will be a member of the International community for many years to come. Our course of action in the past should lead us to ponder our course of action for the future.

                                                                                               One could argue effectively the merits or demerits of military action in Afghanistan and Iraq, however the fact remains that we have committed military action in these countries for our safety and security. Our policy has been to effect regime change, and defeat forces that are hostile to American, or more general Western ideas of governance. This battle has not concluded, nor is there an appearance of conclusion any time in the near future, and in the last 10 years we have committed personal, money, and material to this effort and an enormous expense to the lives and fortunes of our country. Mind you this is not an assault on the policy, but a recognition on what has transpired. The depth of the policy is more than just defeating an enemy, it is to assuage our opposition that Western values are not an assault, but a liberation, a liberation from tyranny; a liberation FOR freedom, rather than opposed to freedom. That endeavor has, whether we have realized it or not defined not only our future, but the future of the next few generations. The consequences, either for good or bad, are the consequences that they will have to live with. The decisions that have been made, and will continue to be made will dictate the course of events that those who are much younger will be influenced by, both here at home, and for those living abroad. That thought causes me to stop and think of the magnitude of the responsibility we have today, and in the events that are coming in the next year of our political discourse. I would dare say it concerns me deeply, for if one takes the effort to understand the why of major moments of history, you will find decisions, or lack of proper decisions made 20, 30, even 40 years previous have led to unforeseen consequences that have dictated unforeseen outcomes, and usually have ended in some form of tragedy, in loss of life, and property, and freedom.

                                                                                           American Manifest Destiny, along with Jefferson's notion of an Empire of Liberty have set precedence for the use of force in global conflict, with the outcome being that a free people have a duty to end tyranny where ever they see it. It is the moral obligation based on these premises to ensure that Liberty reigns supreme throughout the world, and it is the duty of those who are founded on liberty to ensure the continence of liberty to those who are betrayed of that level of freedom. In part, that is what guides our policies today, the danger in this however is that liberators, can become dictators, and the whole policy becomes a contradiction in fact, and execution. That is in part, caused by the ability to obtain a massive amount of  power, and we should  never forget Lord Acton's view on this. It can, and will cause corruption on many levels and to many degrees. We should tread carefully because of this axiomatic principle. Our present generation is not the only individuals left to deal with decisions made today.

                                                                                           Of course it is prudent to ask the question if Americans are not to be the leaders in this effort who will it be ? China ? Russia ? Cuba ? Freedom is not the temperament of most nations, and to those that do have a degree of that, it does not compare to the level that this country was founded on. We are by our nature, and foundation a radical people. That is not a bad thing is it ? Radicalism in the defense of liberty is a wonderful thing, in fact it is a necessary thing, because it is the course of history to oppose freedom, and to support tyranny. Our foundation as a nation was to ensure that RIGHTS reign supreme over all else, as envisioned by Thomas Paine and the " RIGHTS OF MAN" , but more importantly our system has allowed leadership at the individual level to flourish, and not rely on the leadership of one person, but rather a " collective "  leadership of free individuals, all pursuing their dreams and desires, thus promoting  peace, and a good order for all.

                                                                                        This reflection I hope is a wonderful outline for the next few years, for this day, this observance of such a magnificent tragedy will pass. The sun will rise tomorrow, and our lives will continue on, deadlines will have to be met, term papers will have to be written, clothes will need to be purchased, in other words " life will go on " and then the sun will set and another day will begin. Just because nature will continue, and our lives will progress onward does not mean that we will forget the events of 10 years ago, just the opposite, it is my opinion that we will spend more time looking backward to see where have have been, just to understand how we have gotten to where we are today. The only piece missing in the puzzle now is what do we want the future to portend. Our country has not asked that question, it has not been a part of the dialogue, nor has it been at the forefront of political debate. That is not necessarily a bad thing...... we have endured much, and really have not come to full terms with what has happened, after all we still have troops abroad because of what happened ( God bless them all ! ) on this horrible day 10 years ago, but at some point we would be wise to ask........Now What ?......... what ever that course is, and however it unfolds, my most sincere desire is that it is based on Liberty, Freedom, and Rights for all........because in my mind no other course of action supersedes the one of Liberty, Liberty as founded in this nation 235 years ago. I hope that you agree.
                                                                     

A Bridge to Far

Operation Market Garden was an attempt during the Second World War on the part of General Montgomery to find a deep water port in Holland for supplies for the advancing armies against the Germans. Supply routes were still coming from the beaches of Normandy and although they were performing above expectations, bad weather was settling in which threatened any advances on the part of the Allies. It was thought that if Holland could be recaptured the ports in that country could be utilized and then crossing over into Northern Germany would then allow the Allied Armies to travel into Germany and end the war by Christmas.
                                                    This was to be accomplished by a series of bridges that were to be captured by the largest Airborne assault of the war, perhaps ever or so it was at the time. The Bridges would be held by Airborne infantry, and then regular infantry units would follow thru, and pick up the Airborne troops, and proceed into Holland and defeat what was a weakened German Army, and onward into Germany.
                                                                       The operation was a complete failure and a retreat had to be ordered. The German troops were much stronger than had been anticipated by the Allies, and the link up with regular infantry never took place. Montgomery had high hopes for this operation, and it brought into question his ability to lead and plan successful full scale operations of this magnitude.

                                                                     President Obama visited Detroit yesterday for the Labor Day Holiday, and speaking to a crowd of thousands gave some insight into his speech that will be made to the nation on Thursday, and as I had predicated before, he talked about jobs, well..... public works jobs. In particular he made references to roads and bridges that he would like to propose spending money on. Money he does not have, nor can he obtain. His jobs programs are the same old tired worn out statist ideas, that go back to the " public works" projects Hitler proposed to the German people during the early 1930's. Hitler ( as the president currently is ) was devoid of any real economic education, although the Nazi Party had within it's party platform economic ideas, they were based on the statist notion of public works projects, funded by deficit spending, just as the President is proposing to the Nation today. There are certainly roads that need repair, and I am sure bridges that need repaired, but make work projects do not satisfy the market enough to provide real goods and services that are necessary for getting the economy going. It will make it worse. History has already proven the failures of this approach to economic downturns, from Mussolini, to Hitler, Roosevelt all the Centralist politicians pursuing the same platform, and for the same reason, tend to admire each others ignorance, however in the meantime, the average person suffers from the failed policies. We would be wise to overturn, and demand the end to such policies as a people.
                                                                 The United States Government can no more predict the needs, or more importantly the wants of the individual consumer, and creating more debt to Foreign governments for public works projects " for there own sake " is extremely foolish, and dangerous to the Republic. Those debts at some point will have to be repaid, more than likely with devalued dollars, making the cost of living even more difficult for the citizens in later generations who will have to face those debts. There is no pump priming being done because we order more steel ( already in a shortage on the world market, that is why steel scrap prices are so high today ) or concrete. Those bridges and roads are going to have to be maintained, and the States, and Federal Government are not able to maintain what they have today, so building another bridge to no where in Alaska is not the best way to spend the public treasury, even though the intent is a good one. I too want to see more people able to work. This is not the way to do it, it is a method employed by some one who has no idea of What does make an economy work, that is the sad part, besides since when did a President have the power to do anything about the economy ? Other that is, than to misallocate the resources of the consumers desires, and insist on easy credit, and low interest rates which do nothing but disrupt the business cycle.
                                                                       Let the President make his speech, it will amount to nothing more than a campaign speech anyway. He can have his night on television, and then we the people can get to work in demanding that Congress not spend more on public works for just the sake of doing so, and demand a cut in the spending in Washington. Anything else will just lead to more disaster for all of us.

Government and Growth...... a Contradiction

                                                                       Stimulate: to excite to activity or growth or to greater activity.


                                              A simple definition don't you think. I was contemplating the word stimulate a lot today, mostly because of the term or phrase " to stimulate the economy ", a phrase heard a lot in this day and age. Of course thinking about it made me consider rather deeply in my mind of what exactly does stimulate mean to me. The definition provided by Webster's dictionary is alright I guess, it is quite concise in it's definition, but that definition seems so stale, it doesn't give any passion to the word, the definition of course is correct, after all it comes from a prominent dictionary,  however it does not leave a visual impression for the word. It has no soul to it. What I had in mind when I was thinking of the word, I was looking to have more passion in my head when thinking of the meaning. Then again, context is always important when trying to define a word is it not ? There should be some excitement, images of movement, blood rushing, chaos, various forms of activity, things that would draw an immediate impression in our brains of the idea of stimulate, so let me try and draw some analogies of what I think to stimulate really means.

                                                                           Being a man one of the first things that came into my head considering that this is summer, it's the weekend, and it has been very hot was a beach. White sands, deep blue water, and lot's of bikini's. Young firm tanned legs, curvy hips, ........... if your a seeing this ( I presume there is a smile on many a man's face right now ) in your head, there is a form of stimulation with just the brief mention of this scenario I am sure. Men with sunglasses lowering there head to get a better view, or starring at the water pretending to look at the boats, and other watercraft, we all know that nothing can be more satisfying than laying on a towel, warm sand underneath, and just laying around watching pretty young ladies strolling around in the sand. Senses are heightened, and smiles are everywhere.......... stimulating.

                                                                                                    For the female audience ( and trust me I am only using this example from direct testimony ) let us imagine a movie scene. Viggo Mortensen walks into the room with a flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. Stops looks in the mirror, takes his tucked in flannel shirt, slowly pulls it out of his jeans and starts with a bottom button and unbuttons the bottom button. Then the next one, as the flat stomach starts to show, and the navel appears, there appears a glimpse of a trail of hair........... okay enough of that........... I think we get the picture STIMULATION............. and to what degree ... I don't want to know... but in fairness to Women......... we get it............


                        
                                                                           The point I am really trying to make is that government by it's nature has no power to stimulate anything. In order to put money into an economy, that money must be taken from somewhere else. It would be in the form of a tax, which goes into the Treasury. Or there is a bond issued, which would then require a tax from the economy to pay the bondholder later. Government is an enterprise whose sole and exclusive purpose is force. As George Washington was quoted as saying " Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force "  and in order to force the people to which they govern to pay for an enterprise to stimulate an economy as they there rulers deem fit, is to misunderstand what the nature of an economy is. By ignoring the importance of the price mechanism in the economy, more importantly the price mechanism of the interest rates in the economy, there is a false signal being sent to producers on the demands of consumers and the preference they have for goods. This false signal then encourages building and production that would otherwise be ignored because there would be a loss of profit in making these goods, or offering certain services. Only a Central Bank, that has the ability to print money, or to provide as Central Banks like to say  " liquidity "  in the economy can alter the true nature of an interest rate, that however is the miscalculation that causes severe recessions, and ensures depressions.

                                                                                  Guess what........ the Federal Reserve is pursuing such a policy now........... in fact publicly maintain a policy of near zero interest rates until around 2013 according to the latest Open Market meetings. More misallocation of resources, and miscalculations, coupled with the mistakes made in the middle of the last decade. Not a pretty picture, and certainly not a pretty sight. More importantly not a rosy outlook for the future. That is unless more citizens are willing to fight for the necessary change that needs to take place. As always the future, and it's fate is in our hands.

A Centrally Administered Economy

                                                                                                                                      
Public works projects, infrastructure spending, easy credit, loose monetary policy,manipulation of exchange rates. These are indeed the current policies that the Federal Reserve and more importantly the President of the United States are actively pursuing to alleviate our current economic downturn. The President is scheduled to speak to the Nation on September 8th, and address a new round of job creation for the nation and it's unemployed. I am relieved to hear that he is working on this. As a matter of fact last year, and this year he has been quoted as saying that " as soon as I get back from vacation, jobs will be my number one priority. Now given the tools in his toolbox let's see what can happen.
                                                                           Public projects: Not all States have the crumbling highway's and secondary roads as Michigan, I have noticed in recent travels that Indiana, Ohio, even parts of Illinois could use some road work, but when it comes to roads, it tends to be relative, there are 50 States connected to the Federal Highway System currently and I am sure there are bridges to be repaired, curbs that need fixed, lanes that need to be added, warning signs to be constructed, high speed wireless towers that could be installed. All of this will take studies, engineers, laborers, raw materials, transportation, fuel, food, and of course capital. Rather than hurt the wages of workers who are the backbone of the economy with market wages, the President should sign an executive order mandating that the National Highway System is vital to the defense of the Nation. In conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security, funds could be allocated from multiple Federal Departments for the various projects, as well as say a 9-12 % devaluation of the dollar on the open market, and then those monies will be used to keep the wages of all the workers on all the projects related to the Highway stimulus above the market wage, and would probably be better off to have a separate mandate to pay at least 15 % above market for their tireless efforts to ensure the safety of our nation, the effect such a policy would have on the nation would be beneficial to children and families who would benefit from the guaranteed security that would be brought home in the form of a paycheck. If attracting initial capital for the project is difficult due to the stubbornness of those not willing to look at the country as a whole, Interest rates could be risen to attract capital in various banks, that will have the loans backed by Securities from the Treasury. This will be followed by tax exemptions for those who invest in the Highway bond system at any rate. After all again we are talking about National Security, and the Security of the Nation is of the utmost importance is it not ?
                                                                               Schools: Education is just as important to the nation as a Highway System, and tests continually show that our Nation is behind in mathematics, and science compared to other industrial nations of the world. This should be unacceptable to a nation that has a history of producing some of the worlds greatest scientist, philosophers, poets, writers, engineers, and industrialists. Americans have a long and proud history on the world stage, and should never have to face a decline in their living standards. To ensure the continuation of our greatness our education system should have the greatest priority in investment, only second to that of the highway system, and even then that should be a close second. Rebuilding schools that reflect the needs of the modern era, with high speed wireless systems, a paperless classroom, iPads for every student given to them thru the Education trust that should be established at the national level, that comes from funds taken from subsidies that are currently given to corporations, and wealthy individuals, we can create a national standard that can be updated in real time thru the Central authority that will be strengthened in Washington, by giving a local control to the Department of Education in Washington. No longer will we need to waste valuable resources and time, on books, which are an anachronism to a time when waste was rampant, the President could outline a new more modern version of strengthened and enlightened Department that reaches to all students, and teachers, and administrators instantly thru an application say on the issued iPads, that sends messages to all in the student body, and faculty's that dictate changes made in a subject, say a revised and more enlightened view of history that reflects the feelings of other cultures about the American revolution and it's impact on the environment. The technology that would be needed for such a system would demand the best of our IT Departments thruout the nation, and with Washington steering the course, and direction, and providing the funding for these improvements, the lives of the people will be further enhanced thru the cooperation of government, and business. It will be in the end however dependent on the successful leadership only our President could bring to this situation. He alone has the fortitude and insight necessary to guide us away from selfish endeavours, and must plan for these projects for our benefit, and the benefit of the nation, and for those who refuse to follow those policies due to a willing lack of understanding of the new order, they should be denied access to contracts to participate in such programs. Why should individual concerns in economics outweigh the needs of the people at large? Clearly the type of spending necessary for the Highway and Education improvements should go to all the people, and not just a small minority of private owners who show no concern for the good of all the people.

                                                                               The Federal Treasury can create a bond program using existing National Assets to use as collateral to issues loans to small, and private business for growth, and employment, coupled with a complete tax deduction on the health of workers, and their families, as well as Insurance policies for accidents, and long and short term benefits for disabilities. These policies will attract and keep labor in the market place due to the incentives necessary for the employers, and employees to create a harmonious work environment, working for the benefit more as a Nation, rather than a private concern, the incentives employers need to attract workers, and then to afford workers must come from the Federal Government. The President will I am sure wisely choose to use every natural resource to provide the proper capital to be loaned to small shops, and concerns that will be necessary to whittle away at the unemployment that is plaguing the Nation. It will be imperative for employers to think more along the lines as providers of service to the people, rather than to selfish concerns for consumers, but in the end providing for workers will be providing for both the consumer and the worker. To this end the President could take a bold step forward for the nation and mandate a slightly longer work week, to keep the nation more productive, but then also follow that mandate with longer periods for vacation, and travel, in order to keep families together, and to allow more rest for a productive work force that will be the envy of the world.
                                                                          These simple approaches to the economy would spur more growth, and wealth that could ever be achieved by private industry, it is only thru the planning of government with nothing more in mind than the security of the Nation and the Welfare of it's people in mind. No longer should private enterprise dictate the success or failure of a Nation, our modern age requires that bold leadership is needed to ensure that the welfare of it's people are addressed as a whole rather than the welfare of a few individuals, our President needs the support of the people to push these projects thru, and to override the greed a a stagnant political philosophy, and it's selfish backers, who are only concerned with the old ways, which are no longer appropriate for a modern economy.


                                                                  And in case you think I have flipped my lid, have woke up with a transformation of the brain, or there is a Brownshirt standing next to me with a pistol and my head........... read and research the economics of the National Socialist Party and there rhetoric. The basis for our current approach to our economic malaise is identical to that proposed by Adolf Hitler to the German people in 1932, and 1933. Easy credit, loose monetary policy, infrastructure spending, control of education, devaluing of the currency. That is not to say that I believe the President is Hitler, however I do know for a fact that his economics is exactly the same as a fascist. In fact they are identical. Watch his speech, listen to his proposals, and remember next November as the unemployment grows, what the policies are that are in place, also keep in mind that the United States was made great by freedom, sound money, and private enterprise.......... and to maintain that greatness we need more of the same, and more reflection on the absolute importance to liberty and prosperity. It's your country, and it will only be as good as you choose to make it.

                                                                            

Barack......... Follow Warren to Win !

President Obama has to be pulling his hair out of his head much as Franklin Roosevelt was in the late 1930's, stubborn unemployment that just will not go away, a devalued currency policy to help with exports, pumping money into the economy via the printing press, public works projects meant to stimulate the economy, and nothing, ohh nothing seems to works. In fact in the Roosevelt playbook the only thing our President has not done yet, is set wage and price controls, or set a limit on production. Maybe the Presidents advisers are not desperate enough yet to boldly go in that direction, after all it is an election year, and winning is everything.

       If any of the current crop of office seekers wish to follow a play book to success than they need look no further than 1920-1921. A time when there was a severe depression in the United States, after the first World War. Prior to taking office Harding made speeches in public, while pursuing office lamenting to wage earners to expect lower wages, not because he wanted to make people poorer, but rather he at least understood that in a time of economic crisis prices of all items in the economy needed to fall. That is a parallel at least today with the downturn that has taken place starting in 2008, while of course there have been places harder hit before then for instance the State of Michigan. But Harding understood that the Federal Government had a role to play in sapping the necessary Capital for investment, and higher production projects out of the economy as well, and pledged reductions in spending upon moving into office. A promise he kept, reducing the Federal Government's spending by 50 %, yes you read that correct in 2 years the United States Federal budget was reduced by 50% !, and what followed where policies enacted and followed thru upon his death to lead one of the greatest economic expansions in the United States history, and produced a decade know as the " roaring 20's " and they were roaring for a very good reason, not only was the Federal Spending cut in half in 2 years but taxes were cut significantly ( with the result of revenues increasing significantly to the Treasury......... sound familiar ? ) tax rates on income, capital gains, inheritance, taxes on equipment, and printing and communication, as well as corporate taxes were all reduced significantly. These reductions in rates, as well as a smaller bite at the Federal Level, left room for some of the greatest improvements in technology and consumer goods known since the 1980's.

He of course at this time was advised by then Secretary of the Commerce Herbert Hoover to abandon the tax cutting ideas, and implement a different strategy, one that created vast public works projects, and make work schemes to alleviate the depressed economy, Hoover favored higher tax rates on the wealthy of the country at the time, in his enlightenment to business and growth Harding rejected these principles, which eventually when Hoover took office and enacted were major contributions to the Great Depression, which in turn Franklin Roosevelt followed Hoover's prescription and increased even more Federal Taxes and spending, which gave the country the longest economic down turn in it's entire history, rather Harding was inclined for more pro growth, pro business type of policies, and because of that along with the slash in Federal Spending the depression of that era was over relatively quick, with unemployment falling within the first year by as much as 10 %, and the unemployment rate by 1926 was as low as 1 %, yes that is correct 1 %, that was clearly a time when one could have pursued the " American Dream".

It is interesting to note that in following years, Presidents Kennedy, Reagan, and Bush have followed the tax cut route to spur the economy to some degree, and have managed to have success. Where Barack could outdo all of these men is to cut the budget by a minimum of 30 % and lower all rates on taxes to a simplified 15-20%. That action alone would spur unprecedented growth, and the effect on revenues to the Treasury would be monumental. However Barack will not follow that play book, nor do I think any of the current Republicans running for office would follow that play book, because the current system provides for the power to manage people and the economy, and while the Political class sit in the office and worry, and twiddle thumbs about what to do the productive individuals in the economy are sitting on there hands, and more importantly their cash.................waiting for the day when they can get a really good ROI.............return on Investment for their money. The only way that will happen is to force Washington, and 50 State capitals to do with less.............. much less than they are operating with now, it means a deep soul searching to figure out what precisely is the legitimate function of Government, and then only those functions will be the the processes that they will engage in, and as far as that goes the less, the better. Government is not a job creator, it is a job destroyer, and for this economic mess to correct itself, free people need to be free to engage in the free market. Consumers, and producers all meeting in the market place satisfying each others needs. That is what creates wealth, and prosperity, not flooding banks with paper money that has little value, or projects created for the sole purpose of transferring wealth from one class of people to another, that system is designed to take power away from people, and transfer it to a select group of a political class. That resembles a fascist state rather than a Republic of free people. Barack forget the Mussolini model, and follow the model of Warren Harding, you will have political success beyond your wildest dreams.