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.

Then...... as Now

If Ben Bernanke is really a student of the Great Depression as we are led to believe perhaps

he should ask for his money back for the education he has received. For if he were a student of the policies that both Herbert Hoover, and Franklin Roosevelt took after the crash of 1929, and understood the causes of that crash, he would see that the recommendations of both Presidents were the cause of the depth, and the severity of the Depression. He would also understand that to mimic those actions, as well as trying to persuade the public that more of those actions would be a disastrous course to take for the American economy. From the outset of the depression Hoover abandoned all principles of laissez-faire principles and after 3 1/2 years of action the economy became worse. Sound familiar ? Of course when Roosevelt took office, he then proceeded to undertake even more intervention in the economy, and to the dismay of the President, and the country things became worse.

              

                                                                   An imbalance of the economic magnitude that we are facing today, just as the country faced then can only happen with the expansion overall of credit, and an increase in the money supply, as I mentioned before this sends signals to those wishing to invest, of easy money, or rather a supply of money in the economy that really is not there. When the Central bank prints money and lowers interest rates the signal to the economy that gets sent is that there are large sums of money in saving, which means that consumption has been delayed, that is; we will not buy a new car right now, or I have decided to wait for the purchase of a home, or if you are a manufacturer, the delay of the purchase of large pieces of equipment. The Fed in essence is taking away the need for savings, an important part of the economy, to promote consumption, this in turn allows the political class to proclaim the success of their statist policies. Politicians love a little inflation for another reason, it allows for them to pay back debt with money of lesser value, however for you the consumer, what you end up with is money that has a lower value, thus you get the short end of the stick so to speak, you will face rising prices.

                                                                                                          The Hoover and the Roosevelt administrations upheld failures in the Marketplace, much as Presidents Bush and Obama have done, both in banking and the automobile industry, by not allowing the weak to be weeded out of the economy for poor performance, tax dollars were sucked out of the economy to subsidize failure, which then prevented those who were solvent, from purchasing banks, or GM for that matter at rock bottom prices. That is how a capital society works. It is not like this country has not had calamities in the economy before 2008, or 1929 for that matter, the difference in both scenarios are that prior to those times, the United States Government stayed out of the way. Companies did go out of business, and people did lose employment, wages fell as the supply of workers increased, however this is the remedy that was ( or is ) needed to gain a balance in the overall economy again, when there is intervention in that balance unfortunately the correction takes longer to remedy itself. It as an absolute. It is axiomatic. Further more Ben, should know that. if he does not he got robbed of a good education, however if he does why would he pursue a policy, that has a history of failure ? The reason again is power. The power to control the money supply, along with the power that Congress has with the current tax system is designed to make the Citizens of this country nothing more than servants. That has been, and will continue to be the plan, as long as we the people tolerate it.

                                                                                                          Hoover believed in correcting our countries " marginal " faults, in our underdeveloped health and education systems, he was troubled by the " waste" in the industrial process, then as now some of the most efficient and productive in the world. President Hoover was in favour of inheritance taxes, and regulation of the stock market. President Roosevelt asked for and received by law, more control over the market and increased the taxes overall in the economy taking even more capital out of the economy. Our current President favors much the same course of action, and prefers to allow Washington to " invest" rather than the private economy. Mr. Bernanke if he were honest with himself, and our President would be quick to point out the similarities, wouldn't you think ? Instead he encourages more of the same failures........... damn curious if you ask me. If I hit my head against a brick wall 10 times and all I get is bloodied and bruised, what would make me think the 11th time would be any better ? To pursue a policy of more quantitative easing, or if you will printing more money by selling bonds to be paid by the taxpayers at a later date makes absolutely no sense. The problem is there is a lack of capital for the work that needs to be performed in the economy, want to know what else is the problem ? There is no acceptable return on that investment in the minds of those that have the capital. No one is in business to just hand over money, and no one wants to put it into the hands of a President, and 535 Congressman who have concluded that there sole purpose in life is to interfere with everyone else's life, all over the globe.

                                                                                                                    The fact is, for prosperity to reign in this nation we have to understand that the unhampered market, where individuals are free to meet the needs of there customers, based on the demands of customers is the only prescription for getting our country out of, and keeping our country out of economic malaise. Ayn Rand once wrote that there should be a separation of Economy and State, just as there is a separation of Church and State. And for the very same reasons. That is a principle well worth exploring in the upcoming election cycle. If we wish to pass on a legacy to the younger generation, it should be the legacy of freedom. Not just of thought, not just of worship, but also to include the legacy of prosperity, and that legacy can only exist in the absence of the interventionist tendencies of government. If we can eliminate that, we will have passed on something far more valuable than an estate, or a business, or a large trust fund. We will have given the next generation the gift of freedom, a gift far more valuable than any amount of money on this planet.

Where Ben is Boldly going..................

Chairman Bernanke is the center of attention again today, and the American Press sitting idly by waiting for the God like figure of the Federal Reserve Chairman to speak holding there collective breath to hear the words from on high from the omnipotent money maker is at first confusing, but within seconds one can see with amusement just how comical the American economic game is played. Intertwine this comedy with politics, and you can see clearly that Bernanke, President Obama, and the willing sheep of CNN, Bloomberg, and even the Wall Street Journal, are willing participants in a failed economic set of rules that need to be abandoned, but will not be given the current power, and control the system as it stands, has over the nation, and the productive ability of the ordinary citizens in this country. After all the name of the game is power. Absolute control. A total dictate to the order of the economy based on flawed planning, ........ more importantly a flawed premise. The comedy is performed right before our eyes, only if you are not informed enough on the matter, it could pass right by you, and you would never know. Thank goodness for the means of communication we have today. Instant. Fast. Also verifiable. With knowledge we the people can end this monster in our lives.
                                                                              Chairman Bernanke is hailed as a student of the Great Depression, and has written a number of critiques on the failed policies that were taken at the time that in his opinion exacerbated the situation. In fact one of his major critiques was the insistence of keeping the money and it's value tied to gold. That discussion is for another time, the point here is the good Chairman has concluded that the failure on the part of the Federal Reserve in the late 20's and early 30's was that not enough was done to prevent the bank failures from happening, liquidity ( read printed money ) was lacking to sustain the economy, and thus prop up the banks, and put capital into the market to keep the economy from suffering from deflation ( read a period of lowering prices ) . In total then what happened was the collapse of the economy, that never recovered until the start of World War II.
                                                                       Ben is not the only student of the Great Depression, in fact his view is the popular view of all Centralist thinkers. The flaw in there thinking is that the consumer drives the demand for the economy. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact Ben has never won a Nobel Prize for Economics. Hayek, and Mises have. A student of both of these Economist is Murray Rothbard. Murray has a completley different view of the Great Depression, and was just as ardent in his studies of the causes of the Depression. Mr. Rothbard and many students of the Austrian School of Economics have pointed out time and again, the failed economic premises of the likes of Ben Bernanke, and time and again history has proven the Austrians correct in the cause, and the solution to recessions, and or depressions. Perhaps that is why they have won Nobel Prizes. Just a thought.........
                                                                    When the Central Bank prints more money to put liquidity into the system it sends a false signal to the rest of the economy via interest rates on the demand for Capital goods versus consumers goods. What happens with the newly created lower interest rates ( due to the money supply increase via the Federal Reserve ) is that the producers within the economy will switch there production preference from short term to long term goods. Think housing, machinery, equipment, etc., these goods take longer to produce thus the scarce resources in the economy become subject to higher production than the true demand for those items warrant. One reason there is a housing bubble in particular in the Commercial Real Estate market is due to the prolonged building that has taken place in the last 15 years, which is in large part due to easy credit, and low interest rates. That was directly a result of flooding the banks with money, both by Chairman Bernanke, and his predecessor Alan Greenspan. And as Rev. Wright was so colorful to point out, " America's chickens have come home to roost ".
                                                                     It is encouraging to note that Governor Perry, and Congressman Bachmann have keyed into the danger that the Federal Reserve has caused in the malaise our economy is in. Couple that with 4 trillion dollar Congressional Budgets ( and then some ) and you see that the market being objective is reacting to the policies that the Chairman, and Congress refuse to do away with. For it would mean the end to their power over you and I, and as we see in Libya, and other nations, once there is an establishment that gets comfortable with power, the tendency to try to retain that power at all costs, including human life is the natural progression of that establishment. Power indeed is the most seductive thing on the planet, and known to man. History is replete with examples, so there is no need to pursue it here. Of course Ron Paul has been after the elimination of the Federal Reserve for many years. He has challenged the fiat money supply and it's detriment to the American public for as long, he has even publicly confronted Chairman Bernanke, and you know what I find most interesting................ no one has said that anything Congressman Paul has said is incorrect. Nor that what he has confronted the good Chairman with publicly is mistaken.
                                                       If we the American public wish to have sound money, and a sound economy, then perhaps we should do our part and elect officials that will represent those policies, for if we don't we can expect more of the same, and guess what, our standard of living will continue to fall even more, and China, and India will surpass our standard of living, and will have greater influence over affairs of State in the world, and that will be because they have the resources ( i.e. money ) to control such affairs. No country can yield power without money.......... the axiom is just as true today as it was yesterday............ he who has the gold, makes the rules....... it's just the way it is.
                                                                          

un CAFE

Having announced the new proposed CAFE standards I love reading how the administration has put forward  the cooperative language to the public. The sort of language one would read from say " The Peoples Daily, or the DPRK News. You know the one that describes just how rosy and wonderful life is when government officials take it upon themselves to tread in areas that they are not qualified to lead in such as business let's say. One line put forth in Popular Mechanics read  " It's official the government and automakers have settled on the new 2025 CAFE standards. " Like the automakers have a choice. What is really meant by this is that the government has slightly reduced it's demands on the automakers, ......... for now. This is the point where I wish there were someone like Hank Rearden in our midst. Could you imagine Bill Ford sitting across from the President and saying: Mr. President I can appreciate that you are unsatisfied with the way my family makes cars, however there are millions, some of whom put you in office, who beg to differ with your point of view, but rather than waste my time and effort fighting for my right to own a family business, I will sell all my family assets of value today, and give you the company to run as you see fit, after all you and Congress already own General Motors, and your claim to success is a $50,000 dollar battery run car that can't pay for itself, or the investments put forward to design and make it, but hey who am I to impede on progress, especially Sir .... with some one who has the talent you have at running a business.
                                                                             Just think of the headlines that would be created for the defense of the administration and it's right to order business to conduct itself in a politically appropriate fashion. Ohhhhh the press would call for Mr. Fords head on a platter to defy such authority. The satisfaction though that it would bring to those who believe in Liberty to hear a prominent leader stand up for the right to own property. To use it in a way that the owner individually sees fit. To finally stand up to an administration and declare " This is mine. Keep your hands off ! " Imagine the power that Mr. Ford could then yield, as he is sitting across from the table with the President he could lean over and with a slight smile and say : ohhhh .... and by the way before I give you the Company I am going to lay off  Every employee, that is on salary or paid hourly, and then you can hire your own staff of people to run the company the way I know you can do.  The look of slight surprise and shock at such a moment would be priceless. One can only dream I suppose.
                                                                    At the end of the day, Hank Rearden was a fictional character, and of course Atlas Shrugged was a work of fiction that most establishment Intellectuals scoff at. Of course in all fiction there is a grain of truth, which is why fiction is so fascinating to read. The power that we the people hold is indeed limitless. Those who are the lawmakers really are our servants, to do as we bid them to do. If they refuse; the power of there removal is in our hands as a people. This is the year that we have seen the Arab Spring rise, and the removal of dictators and tyrants is spreading through out the world, here in this country however obedience and servitude to the state is the order of the day, at a greater risk to our security, our safety, and our liberty. What we need our more real life Hank Rearden's. If indeed Liberty is what the modern American truly cherishes.

Libya and the Empire of Liberty

                                          There should be no doubt that Muammar Gaddafi is a dictator. There is no doubt that he was a sponsor of terror. There is no doubt that he was responsible for ending the liberties of citizens of his country. In the fashion that Jefferson proscribed, President Obama set forth a policy that may indeed allow the Libyan people to set a course of self determination. At the moment there is a draft constitution, and considering that the majority of the population follows the religion of Islam, it is deemed to be the Supreme source for there laws. Nothing is final on that matter, what does however seem final is the strategy of removing a tyrant.
                                                     The people there are going to need time to reflect on how it is they wish to govern themselves. As Americans I would suspect that we would appreciate that. After 235 years the citizens of this country squabble all the time about the proper role of government. That is exactly how it should be. No one generation should have the right to dictate to another on how it should live, provided that there is an unquestionable respect and adherence to liberty. How a people wish to worship, and how they wish to observe the respect for the rights of each other is a sacred trust between those individuals, and God. Our best efforts are to be in engaging in trade, and seeking prosperity with one another. In that way we will have fulfilled Mr. Jefferson's view of an Empire of liberty.
                                                                                     Jefferson spoke of the barbarism of his time, and wished to see it recede from the Earth. Much as I would like to share that vision we have seen more rather than less of it on the planet. It does not relieve us of the duty to fight it. To stand by and allow tyrants to continue to rule as the norm rather than fight them, is to stand by and watch evil continue to flourish as the good do nothing to stop it. It is a duty that can lead this country to become the " policeman of the world " a position very few Americans wish to take, or pay for for that matter. I would consider that a reasonable position, however when the President set out to use our military to aid in the Civil war of Libya, he was following the view of Jefferson that the United States had a world responsibility to spread freedom across the globe. Considering that Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence I find it fairly easy to conclude that he knew a thing or two about tyranny and fighting for freedom.
                                                                                      The overthrow of political systems that do not adhere to, respect, or acknowledge the rights of individuals are justified, and the use of force to do so when peaceful means are exhausted  are simply the means left for individuals that are left with no other alternative. Gaddafi himself never had intentions of giving up sole power over Libya, as a matter of fact he was by his own account a socialist. Sponsorship of terror as a weapon, and sending arms to fight for causes that were intent on doing harm to peaceful people was his way to use the power he had to live the life of a pure evil hateful person. His rule has been in place since the late 60's and what he has overlooked is that the world has changed a whole lot since then. No free people should be terrorized for that length of time. No freedom loving nation should allow that kind of tyranny to exist for that length of time. Given that Jefferson was interested as part of the Empire to promote " republicanism " in the case of Libya our policy has been exemplary, and has included Nations from around the world to help in the effort. So much the better.
                                                                                 In the end the success or failure at this point depends on the American ability to act as leaders, rather than dictators. The rebellion has been respectful toward the help that our military and other nations military personnel have given. It is a grand opportunity to build on that respect. If patience is used there can be an ally to our benefit in the future. In that part of the world we can use more allies. We can use this opportunity for real peace in our time, for that part of the world. Let's hope the President, and Secretary Clinton have there eye on the 8 ball on this one. It is an important step. Now the next one is to look hard at the pro democracy movement in Iran. Those folks have been begging us for years to help them. In my view Mr. Jefferson would be pleased to hear we are taking steps to help them as well.

The Sage and his folly

Seems like Warren is at it again. Of course it is not his first time espousing his version of statist propaganda, however it is disheartening at times to see such wealth amassed amongst such ignorance. There were many wealthy industrialist who favored Mussolini, and later Hitler. Even Henry Ford was eager to do business within the Third Reich. The puppets in the press who parrot whatever tripe the Statist wish to have repeated are willing accomplices to the perpetration of ignorance. More taxes, more money, more power. Warren seems to be making headlines again for his statements about the rich who need to contribute more. Oh the Sage from Omaha has spoken from on high, and look with all his wealth even Warren himself sees the need to pay more, and more, and more why it is just not fair he and his ilk are not forced to surrender more of their property to the Central Authorities, while those Mignon's who to not have our status in wealth pay more.
                                                                        While I can sympathize with Mr. Buffett and his egalitarian principles, I am more concerned that the Sage does not have a more fundamental American attitude. NO American should pay taxes. Period. The idea that an American should surrender their wealth, at any level is ridiculous, and absurd. Liberty and property the foundations of this nation have been long forgotten. Those basic principles are not even topics of discussion with the Statist in the governing class who rule not as representatives, but rather as Lords who wish to control their serfs. The arguments for taxation today are framed in such a way as if it is a metaphysical absolute that Washington or any State Capitol in our union is automatically decreed by right to the wealth created in our society, the question then being before us is how much and who should pay what share.
                                                                       Government needs revenue in order to function, of that I do not question. Where we are at today however is far from the idea of a Central Authority that is keeping peace and order amongst it's Citizens. Our system of governance today is about more than defense of our nation ( which is important of course ) and ensuring domestic tranquility. It has become a monster that has unleashed itself into every fabric of existence. It is a master that wants to demand that it makes the rules in your life from the moment you wake up, and right until you lay yourself into a bed weary from a days work. Your every movement thruout the day is touched by some form of law or regulation, in every step or direction your life is touched by a law, decree, or reform that some form of government has instituted into your life, and somehow Mr. Buffett and those who think like him believe that he and those who has wealth like he has should pay more for this. I will ask him the question that no one else will, Why would you subject yourself or anyone else to that form of slavery, and do it willingly ?

                                                                     I have always been amazed that those who are successful in business are the least capable of defending freedom and capitalism. The very system that allows individuals to pursue their dreams, create wealth, to succeed in creating a better life for themselves and those around them, are the least capable of defending the very system that makes that happen. In the end of it all if you make a deal with the devil, the devil always wins. Or as they say in a casino, the house always wins. You cannot bargain with someone who does not have your interest at heart, and with the modern governing class, freedom is not what is at the top of there list. Control and power is. Party is irrelevant. If the discussion is not premised on freedom, then there is no discussion. Mankind has a long history of control over peoples lives. It is time to change the discussion, the nature of the debate, and the direction the debate is going in.
                                                                  As far as taxes go, we should all as citizens pay an equal amount. I do not believe in the Progressive point of view that those who have more should pay more, In a free country that should be offensive. The excise tax for imports should be considered for imports to help pay for keeping our country the best place on Earth to do business. Those from abroad who wish to do business here should pay a fair share for that as well, domestically an implementation of a National Sales tax should be put in place, and then eliminate the current tax code, and income tax, as well as the tax on Capital Gains and savings. The sales tax would be paid by all equally regardless of station in life. It would be the cost that all Citizens pay for the functioning of a legitimate government and it's services. There is nothing wrong with paying for what we as a people need for the " common good " but pitting one group of Americans against another is a disgusting ploy used by politicians. We the people are the only ones that can put a stop to that. And stop it we must. I do not envy Mr. Buffetts wealth, nor should anyone else. He has worked hard to earn what he has made. I would just like him to respect that I have worked hard for mine as well and wish to have the same respect in return. Warren and I both know, that corporations do not pay taxes. Very wealthy people who can afford very good lawyers do not either.  Let's end the game, become citizens of liberty, pay for what we need and nothing else, and all pay an equal amount regardless of who you are, or what you have. That is equality. That is the American system at it's roots, and that is what the founders had in mind when this nation was formed. If you demand it, you will get it. Otherwise we are all just fighting for the spoils the political class have left us. That should end as well. The power is in your hands. Are you going to use it ?

The Idle threat

It never ceases. Of course it never will. The extent to which Federal and local governments will trouble themselves over the daily lives and activities of individuals in our society is remarkably awesome. I must say that the latest piece of legislation that was being announced on this morning's news after completely stunning the senses, completely deprives me of any sensibility. More over, the enthusiasm displayed by individuals who preside over public policy in regard to  such legislation which at first is completely frightening, and then after having a few moments to digest such sincerity, enables me to understand that this is not a nation of freedom. Liberty is the last thing on legislative minds control, over your thoughts, your actions, your very way of life, from the time you wake in the morning until you lay down to go to sleep, from the moment you are born, until the moment you are laid in the grave. The Idle threat is more than just a threat, it is an action only being considered in Ann Arbor, but has already been enacted in other States as law. The Idle law is simple, if you let a vehicle idle in public for more than 5 minutes you will be ticketed
$ 100.00 and if it is a commercial vehicle that is idling than the fine is $ 500.00. In the case of Ann Arbor what is before the City Council is a law which aims to educate the public on the damage that can occur when prolonged  idling vehicles stand around in the open and create dangers to the environment.
                                                                        It is now not enough for those that govern that we as the public pay higher prices for fuel blends, which vary from state to state creating shortages of summer fuel for vehicles, it's not enough for the governing elite that we have parts added to our automobiles for the safety of the environment that add thousands of dollars to the purchase of the vehicles, it is not enough that in some states you have mandatory inspections on vehicles at the owners expense for the emissions to be tested, but now the general public seems to be to stupid to know what is in there own good, so we must fine the public for letting a car run for more than 5 minutes, and actually take time for the police to issue such a ticket for the violation of such.
                                                                     Apparently the legislative body of the City of Ann Arbor is somewhat disappointed that they did not propose this as a national first as well. Of course what is sure to follow is the argument for this at the State level. After all Ann Arbor is just one city, and can you not see that if the city of Jackson allows vehicles to idle, than the pollution from that city then would endanger the health and welfare of the citizens of Ann Arbor, and from there the city of Detroit ? It would not be just to allow the environment to be destroyed by rouge municipalities who do not have the wisdom or enlightenment to protect the environment, and it would be absolutely necessary for the State of Michigan to pass legislation for such a criminal and heinous act would it not ? It is not fair that only the City council of Ann Arbor has to burden it's public with such a law, and would make them less competitive in business so for fairness the State must act for all cities to comply do you not agree ?
                                                                          Just think with such legislation passed at a State wide level the amount of energy and fuel that would be saved, not to mention the amount of pollution that would be reduced to the air, so we can all breathe easier, and the reduction of health care costs that would follow as well. there would be lower costs to the public medical system as well with the strict enforcement of the Idle law. Why as a matter of fact the State legislature could raise the fine to $ 500.00 for individuals and
$ 2,000.00 for business vehicles and then those monies could go into the Medicaid and Medicare trust funds to be used for offsetting health care costs caused by damage due to the pollution caused by idling vehicles.
                                                                     Government you see in it's modern form has never been about liberty or freedom. It is not designed for freedom. It is not designed for liberty. It's design is strictly to keep you and I as individuals as slaves kept for the purpose of enriching the fantasy's of those in power alive. To keep there vision of what a society should look like intact. To ensure that the power does not lay at the hands of the people, but rather at the hands of the rule makers. The threat to liberty from legislation like this is not idle, it is real. It has taken place. It will continue to grow. With each passing day as we let it continue, our journey to serfdom continues.

                                                                  

Refusing Victimhood

  Victim: a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action

             2. a person  who is deceived or cheated

                                              Ayn Rand had written about the concept she called the

  "sanction of the victim"  which can only occur as she describes it when : the willingness of the good suffers at the hands of evil, to accept the role of sacrificial victim for the sin of creating values. Her idea was that evil can only exist as a parasite on the values of those who uphold the good, only as long as the good will tolerate the parasitical behaviour. In other words, evil exists only as long as you allow it to feed off of your good behaviour. If you tolerate the parasite. The parasite will continue to feed off of the host. Starve the beast, and it will no longer be able to exist. In our time, in our contemporary view, we are asked to accept parasites in many different forms, and behaviours. To some degree, an individual can choose not to allow that behaviour. In some instances individual action alone will not be of any great value, but persuading others to follow the right course of action may indeed be the way to show others a moral approach to a situation, and further persuade others to follow such a course. Then of course there are much larger issues that require the strength of a collective action for a moral course of action, but in each of these instances as an individual you have the choice to choose to not be the victim.

                                                                                 Let's examine one instance of action we can all choose to take. Money is a medium of exchange. Real money has inherent, or objective value, which allows others to compare a level of production. For thousands of years gold was the medium that was used. When governments realized that they could print money, they did so robbing those in a marketplace the value of their labor, and savings. As an individual you could always offer to pay for a transaction either in fiat currency, or in gold. At first others may see this as strange, or bizarre, and to those not accustomed to the idea of payment in specie  I am sure at first it may seem that way, but consider that the only way our modern education allows most people to understand money today is via the Federal Reserve Note system. There would be no need to lecture the other person who is less informed on the matter, just simply say you prefer to transact with real money, but can work with them either way. If many of us choose to act this way we could rid ourselves of the Federal Reserve System, without any help from Congress which is who foisted the mess on the American People to begin with. It would as an institution wither on the vine so to speak, for no entity is above objective reality. The Fed could print, and print, and print, and if no one would use their product then it would just be an obsolete institution that would go away.

                                                                                   Ownership of property is absolutely necessary for the existence of a free society, ones home, ones means of shelter and survival lie in the ability to have property to be used as we deem necessary, to protect us from the elements as shelter, and yet in our times it is taxed, and assessed as if it is a privilege handed out to individuals by the graces of those governing our cities and States. Municipalities and States feed off of an unalienable right, as parasites, depriving true ownership to any property owner,   mind you I am not speaking against taxes per se here, there is no question that any government to exist must receive revenue, but to take the most basic right, ownership of property, and attach a payment that is required for life to it, well then by any objective measure ownership ceases to exist does it not ? Encouraging a more proper structure of taxation is what is necessary, which would require the action of many individuals to achieve, but in so doing you are ending the parasitical nature of property taxes, and are encouraging more individuals to become franchised in the system of rights and ownership,  

                                                                                    Our nation existed without modern welfare programs until the mid 1960's, and with the creation of these programs created a system of dependency that we live with today. For most poor people it pays more to stay within the system than it does to leave and become independent. The political creation of a class of parasites is one of the most abominable acts that could exist in this country, to enslave productive people to ensure the impoverishment of others is truly the most diabolical thing any people's of this planet could do to another. It is sickening that such a system was created in the name of " helping ", when in fact it degrades those who pay for it, and those confined to it. Again I am not opposed to helping others, in fact encourage everyone to help those in need if at all possible, to sacrifice wealth to need is a criminal act however, and reduces the productive to a form of slavery, that they would never be freed from. There will always be someone who is poor, there will always be someone who is in need, but to enslave an individual to permanent servitude is a parasitical act that in the end destroys freedom. It is a bondage to which one can never be freed. This type parasitical behaviour must be fought on moral, and intellectual grounds by those who cherish freedom.

                                                                                    If you are a person who lives to be free, if you are a person that values the rights that are bestowed upon us by God, or by nature, or by reason, however it  is you individually have come to conclude in your own mind that those rights inherent to being human exist, If you no longer wish to be a victim, then it is important to know what being free is, and then to take the necessary actions required to achieve that freedom. Otherwise by giving sanction, by allowing evil to continue to reign over you, being a victim is precisely what you will continue to be.

It's the lord of the flies......

London ............... August of 2011 after what started out as a presumed protest over the death of a suspected drug dealer, has transformed itself into a descent of disorder and chaos over envy, over wealth, over the absolute lack of morality. It has happened in the midst of one of the worlds greatest Empires. It has happened in a nation that has one of the most extensive welfare systems on the planet. It has happened within a nation that has one of the greatest accumulations of wealth. Yet, still the rioting as it transformed itself, was over an "I'm gonna get mine" mentality, no rule of law, no moral code to draw from, no sense of private property, and it took the grownups, just as it did in the movie or the book if you prefer; to put an end to the whole affair. The rioters were all youth, some as young as nine years old, out on the streets late at night, wandering, with no supervision. This is a sign of worse to come. When parents no longer take control of their children, when young adults rationalize theft, when the outlook of a young person is " they have theirs over there, now I am gonna get mine " can there be a glimmer of hope for the future ? How can their be any confidence that this generation of young people who are the future, of continuing the tradition of human rights, private property, and the rule of law when all that is known to exist as the rules of society happens to be mob rule ?
                                                                      Great Britain is not a third world country. It has a public health system, a public education system, it has a retirement system, public transportation, parks, recreation the list of opportunities that do not exist in third world nations are widely available in Great Britain, astonishing enough though, the British press, and political entities wonder if there is not enough. It is astounding to me to see young people on the streets with enough wealth to have a Blackberry smart phone ( apparently the phone of choice because of the BBM program ) and designer clothes and well fed complaining they don't have enough, and someone actually taking the time to give that argument credence. How can any one look at this with out wondering if Great Britain with all it's resources today cannot satisfy it's people,  especially the young of there country, turn around in the same breath and not ask what government can ?
                                                              There is an answer to that. NO government can. The reason is, and always will be is that it is not the function of government to make it's people happy. Fascist, and Socialists continue to insist that they can, and keep continuing with the ideology that all that is needed is " more " , however at the end of the day, it will as a philosophy and practice continue to fail,what eventually comes to light is that " more " happens to be less. Happiness will never, cannot ever be achieved by a handout. It will never be achieved by a comprehensive welfare system. There is no amount of money that can be printed or taxed to give someone self worth. There is a limit to the value of appreciation for redistribution. The level of appreciation falls according to the level of demand that is met. There lies the problem. The answer in our time, continues to be ignored. As long as the British, or any other people continue to adhere to a mentality of being the victim, or better yet, allow the perpetrator to victimize their benefactor, then what we are witnessing in London is just the beginning of a gruesome tide.
                                                                       

With All the wrongs....... nothing is Right

If you have even viewed just a little of the video coming out of London over the course of the last few days,  the level of destruction is incredible, if not down right unacceptable. Cool Britannia this is not. Mark Duggan was being arrested for drug charges, he is presumed to have had a firearm, well to be accurate ....... a starter pistol converted to be a firearm. It would be apparent that this young man wanted to resist the authority of the law. Even that is inconclusive at this point. What is conclusive is the young man is dead, shot by the police; Mr. Duggan who was being followed and was going to be arrested was going to be stopped for drug charges. It is no different in the United States, city after city, State after State, the government in order to " protect " it's citizens will offend their liberties, in order to save liberty. Convoluted logic, based on an improper definition of rights, precludes nothing more than violence..... senseless violence against people, and property, which is the basis for establishing government in the first place, that is to protect people and property from unwarranted violence against your person and property, would a more libertine form of governance have produced such results as centralized government has over the last few days ?  I doubt it very much, in fact there is a live laboratory on this right around the corner from London......... called Amsterdam.........which is a clear indication of what tolerance, real liberalism, and laizze faire is capable of producing. Throw in with some of that liberalism some American ideals on unalienable rights and you have the makings of keeping peace, and prosperity for all as well as the damper on violence that is being experienced in London currently.
                                                                 I am not making excuses for Mark Duggan, on the contrary if what is made public is true, if you deal drugs whether in the United States or Great Britain and you have in your possession an illegal firearm, and if you are being stopped, pulled over, or questioned by the Police...... guess what Sparky, you better be prepared to get arrested. Oh and in case your public education has not taught you better, let's exercise some common sense while we are at it, there are more policeman with guns than there are of you, so don't be totally ignorant and point a firearm at an officer, because that officer more than likely does not have a death wish in fact it is probably just the opposite, the officer probably to a high degree has a life wish, and will probably take you out, rather than allow the opposite to take place. As the saying goes today.......... just sayin............          there is a cause and effect at work here, the cause of police shooting drug dealers with guns, is because, it is against the law to point a gun at an officer. No Society should ask it's officers to take a bullet for stupidity. Never. Ever.
                                                                 The Drug laws exist for the benefit of the State, not the individual, and had Mr. Duggan been allowed to live in a libertine environment, his possession of drugs, and a homemade firearm would not have warranted the resources committed to arrest him. It is hard for many to agree on this position, but at the end of the day whatever the drug is, what happens during such an exchange is a sale of one commodity to a person, to be sold to another person. It is an exchange. Without redress for grievances, those who deal in illicit drugs have no other recourse but to engage in violence, thus the State .... at whatever level ensures that there will not only be criminal behaviour, but that there will also be violence to follow. That is maintaining a free society ? I fail to see how that works. A firearm or more importantly the ownership of a firearm is an unalienable right to be enjoyed by all. Restrictions of firearm ownership create nothing more than a criminal and a victim within a society. The society that follows the criminal/victim line of thinking, is doing so to the detriment of it's citizens, as we can see in London, or as we saw in Los Angeles in the 90's the police cannot be everywhere. Me personally I would rather be a criminal than a victim. How about you ?

                                                                The property owners in London who are law abiding, have taken the worst punishment of this situation, the government acts helpless while wanton destruction takes place, and if the property owners were to take action against the elements destroying there property, rest assured they would be arrested as well. Statist should not be allowed to have it both ways, either you are going to tax us ( extract a fee for service ) and protect us, or leave people the hell alone. One cannot live by right, and be a victim at the same time, only a government official would spout that kind of nonsense, kinda like we have to raise the debt ceiling to lower the deficit............. it's that kind of nonsense the we the people need to put to rest, perhaps the Brits could learn a lesson from that as well.

Obama and the No Confidence vote

In a parliamentary system when the confidence of the people is lost, the elected officials in the parliamentary body take a vote, if the majority vote is that there is no longer confidence in that official or it's party to lead a nation generally there are new elections held to restore the faith of the people to have someone in office that can successfully lead the nation. The American system is very different from that arrangement, however there are other indicators of just how successful a President is and those indicators tend to be a more harmful way to objectively value the success of a President. For our time, the recent drop in the markets tells a story of not only the loss of confidence of a President, but of a once proud nation. It has become clear to the world that United States Inc. has proclaimed itself as " too big too fail " and those who in the past believed in the " full faith and credit " of USA inc., had better begin to reorganize there finances when doing business with the United States.
                                                    Just over the weekend China, a Communist Country, a country with a planned, backward economy which has only recently began to give employment to it's people  ( after 30 years of struggling to understand " how " employment  is created ) has decided to scold United States Inc., publicly for it's extensive warfare/welfare programs. If it were for purely propaganda purposes I would not have paid any attention to a little chiding from the budding Communist Planned Capital system, however it has become clear that Beijing understands finances far better than Washington D.C., and has no problem letting the rest of the world know just how poorly that we are handling our finances not only to embarrass us as a people, but to embarrass out system which is the flag ship of free enterprise. Can't say that I blame them too much, any time you can rub your rivals nose in a pile of dog poop........ well why not.......? after all...... all is fair in love and war right ?

                                                                       We can lament the stupidity of the latest debt ceiling crisis all we want as a people, but the authorization to recently increase the debt ceiling was, is, and will continue to be about spending money that Congress does not have in the Treasury, and is issuing bonds to raise cash, to spend money it does not have. That play book has run it's course, the governing class has shown the world, that it has an insatiable appetite for spending on pork, war, and welfare, regardless of economic realities that show time and again the failure of such a system. To be reminded by a Socialist that understands a market economy better than a member of the elected class in this country is unacceptable. While the President is playing shell games, and the Congress is playing the blame game, real people with real suffering, are continuing to lose all that they have worked for, young people are facing a future of limited, and devalued prospects, and foreign investment will dry up, as well as domestic investment, because clowns in Brooks Brothers suits cannot abide by a simple rule of life. Spend only what you have.
                                                         If Al Gore wants to start a real revolution in this country along the lines of The Arab Spring, then he should be the first to pony up some of that global warming cash he has made over the last few years, to Start a political party, with an intellectual base steeped in free market economics, but that is not what Al is about, nor any one else established in the political process. It is going to have to be WE the People who make that change happen. Until that happens, welcome to lectures from Beijing ........... on how to be a Capitalist. We should all be ashamed. 



some more links to read on this:



http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90780/91421/7562793.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/08/markets-stocks-idUSN1E77709U20110808

An American Spring

The divide between left and right in our country is certainly heating up, in particular due to the national debate on the debt ceiling argument that has taken place in the last few weeks within the nation. We have indeed reached the financial precipice of what could be called reasonable tax collection in this nation, any further point of taxation on corporations, investments, retirement accounts or individuals would be a gross misconduct of the rights of individuals and  would precipitate action on the part of the government that would  by definition be confiscatory; indeed criminal. Further more a redistributionist policy  that has given untold trillions of dollars to a non productive portion of society as well as transfer a significant portion of wages from those that are the producers of this society to an " Entitled " portion of the citizenry has reached a point where general services may not be afforded, nor may we be able to maintain an effective military to guarantee that we even have a nation.We have become a nation that hands out money that has not even been earned to others in the world, and in our nation, and still there are individuals who believe we have not given enough. None other than Al Gore has stepped forward with his notion of the " peaceful " revolution he aspires for,  calling for an " American Spring " in a nation  that has spent more money on entitlements, welfare programs, subsidies, and foreign aid than any nation in history. I believe it is a disgrace to use such a term in this country, given the suffrage that many in the Middle East have had to endure. It is an appalling lack of intellectual fortitude or insight to act as if such a revolution is needed in this country, as a matter of fact what would be a more accurate comparison would be the call for a  People's revolution similar to that of  Russia or China to be accurate.  Mr. Gore portends to ask for increased democracy sighting that the wealthiest in the nation are not making their fair contribution for the benefit of the collective as he deems to define democracy
                                                             Typically Al speaks in generalizations and chooses not to be specific, but one thing he was specific on was that a Tea Party revolution was not what he is talking about, so it is clear then indeed a peoples revolution is what Al has in mind. So given what this country already has in place for the safety net, social security , medicaid, medicare what then does dear Al propose ? Paid time off for maternity leave ? Government run day care, and health care facilities ? More publicly funded recreation centers ? How about free education at all levels would that be more in line with his idea of revolution ? No I got it, subsidies for food at the grocery store for every one earning under $ 200,000 per year and while we are at it we can have electric trains that run the span of the whole country, from city to city powered of course by subsidized windmills. Let's get real revolutionary how about Paid vacations that include foreign travel with the cost's sent to the United States Federal Government ( actually the Nazi's had such a program in place early on when they took power ) and heck why not have health breaks from work that would be paid, and mandated for all employers.

                                            It is embarrassing really to have someone who was once a Senator, and a Vice President of this country actually suggest that a revolution especially in this country should be based on anything other than absolute liberty. In history it is easy to find the tyrants, the world has known for the most part nothing less. The real revolutionary's are those that create freedom for the individual, and fight for the right for an individual to create wealth and gain property for their own sake. Al continues to be boorish in his behaviour, and he once again has demonstrated a complete lack of intellect, it is amazing that any one at all pays any attention to him. At the very least, he has proven to be the brunt of many jokes, as it should be. The man and his ideas are just that .... a complete and utter joke.

Shi Lang

An appropriate name I presume for a weapon designed to take to the seas, a weapon that would be designed for conflict close at home, and far from home. And nothing could be more blatant than the name Shi Lang for this weapon. Having first been named the Varyag, and designed by a government that was in decline, she had her keel laid in December 6th of 1985 by the then Soviet Union of Socialist Republics, a union that was on it's last breath of fighting the cold war. Then President Ronald Reagan was going to see to it that if the Soviet Union wanted to compete on the world stage they were going to have to pay dearly for it, so much so that it in essence it prompted the collapse of the Union. The Varyag's construction was never fully completed, in fact construction ceased in 1992, and handed over to the Ukraine were it sat at a pier wasting away. That was until she was purchased at auction in April of 1998 by a company named Chong Lot Travel Agency for entertainment and casino's which were to be placed aboard and then used for tourism. Oh don't bother trying to book a room or a cruise with the Chong Lot agency you see they exist in name only as a shell front for the People's Liberation Army which oversees all of the branches of the Chinese Military. It seems the PLA is quite disturbed that it is the only nation that sits on the UN Security Council and does not have a carrier group to both defend it's coast line, or it's maritime shipping lanes. The PLA is painfully aware that the Western Nations that posses such power are able to demonstrate forward deployment, as well as a forward projection of power, an ability China does not posses. I would question why a peaceful nation ( as the Chinese continue they claim they are ) would need such power. Shi Lang.

                                                                                  Interestingly enough the Varyag was actually designated as a " Heavy Aircraft carrying cruiser Intended to support and defend strategic missile carrying submarines, surface ships, and maritime missile carrying aircraft carriers. Had the Varyag gone operational by the original builders her mission would have been to conduct anti-submarine warfare, as well as carrying anti-ship missiles, pretty hefty lifting for coastline defense don't you think ?  Perhaps more cruise lines should consider aircraft and missiles aboard there recreational passenger ships to protect tourists and gamblers from all over the world, there are pirates on the high seas after all. Of course there is another version of what this ship is intended for and these words come right from the English version of the Peoples Daily online. Colonel Geng Yansheng a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense has declared that China is conducting a restoration project on a salvaged aircraft carrier for the purpose of scientific research and training. It was purchased for the expressed desire to " master "  the whole process of building an aircraft carrier. From cruise ship, to experiment ship....... no matter how you look at it China is intent on building itself a blue water Navy, and when a country decides on that policy, it is intended to use that power on shores other than it's own.
                                                                         Our country has just went thru a rather difficult time in the last few weeks over the discussion on the increase of the debt limit debate. All great nations have difficult periods in their history, what we are fighting over today is tame by standards of past conflicts in this country, we are not on the precipice of war with ourselves ( although given the divide in governance style I believe that day may come ) and we still have elections in this country that are free and open, the danger lies in the fact that while we in this country squabble over items that in the long run are inconsequential, and at their rudimentary foundations irrelevant we have taken our eye off the ball on the big picture. China has every ambition of being a superpower in the strictest sense of the word. If you visit the Peoples Daily website  there are banners on the page now about the PLA the title on the banner says : PLA ... Going Global     Going for Peace.  That should be the first wake up call for any one in the world of the ambitions of the Communist government, if you click on that banner and read the message that is a broadcast to the world of the ambition's of Beijing, you will see this sentence : "In the words of a leading advocate of Chinese Sea power, in the long run, China and the United States will be friends; however; Americans will always make friends with unbeatable opponents; no defeated nation can ever be a friend of the United States on an equal footing." You have to hand it to them, at least there is no ambiguity on there intentions, so while we mire ourselves in pointless discussions for the political class and there amusement, the Chinese government plods along on a path that is sure to have us wake up one day, broke, defenseless, and left standing with our private parts in our hands, standing in dazed wonder at how a nation that just 30 years ago couldn't feed it's people to suddenly wake up to be a world superpower, that could rival our military. The threat is real, and we need to pay close attention to what is happening in that country and it's arms build up, and do something before it is too late. Typically though that is not the American way, what we are best at is playing catch up ball, and coming from behind. Let's hope we do not get too far behind in this game.


                                                                               Ohh and by the way the title for this writing is Shi Ling and if you have not already looked up what that means, I will make it easy. Shi Ling was an admiral for the Ming-Quing dynasty and in 1683 he defeated an opposing dynasty to take in possession for the mainland the Island of the Kingdom of Tungning, today we would know that kingdom and it's island as Taiwan............ Like I said you have to admire just how open and direct the communist government of the Peoples Republic of China  can be sometimes.

Ladies and Gentlemen......... Rock and Roll

In between the 3  major networks and YouTube via the Internet, was a very popular form of entertainment, that grabbed an entire world by the shorts, yanked em down, and pulled off your socks. MTV was born on this day in 1981, and for it's time .......... it ruled the earth when it came to music, and video; it was the height of rebellion, rock and roll freedom, and a big middle finger to an establishment that thought Lawrence Welk on Public Television was entertainment. An entire generation that made Saturday Night Live popular was in for a treat that comes around once every 2 or 3 decades. New music, older music, concerts, and interviews of the latest and greatest rock and roll acts. 24 hours a day 7 days a week non stop, non commercial, music, music, music.  The sole purpose of this TV channel was to play video's of rock bands and have commentaries from VJ's ( Video Jockey's ), gone were the days of waiting for Saturday night to roll around for Larry and his band, this was going to blow the roof off of all of that. Wake up in the morning, hey flip on MTV, come home from work after dinner.... hey whats on MTV ? I can recall the first time I saw it live, it was in a bar In San Diego, sitting down with friends ordering our beer and staying glued to the TV.......... who would of thought that there could be entertainment in that, after all it was old men that went to the bar and watched the game, or a boxing match on television to get away from the kids and the ol' lady, what we had was hip, it was cool, and it was the first of it's kind, young people sitting around on bar stools watching videos of entertainers, dancing, flailing guitars, David Lee Roth strutin his stuff, and making his pouty face, we had David Bowie singing  " Let's Dance "  while we sat on our couches and ate Doritos.
                                                                    There were other act's that were popular as well. There was Adam Ant, Eurythmics, Culture Club, The Fixx, maybe for some it was not quite their taste in music, but the videos........ man the videos were so cool. I mean who couldn't sit and watch Annie Lennox on a video, whether you liked the music or not ( I personally always liked Annie ) and be in awe of this hip new medium. Growing up in Detroit we had channel 2, 4, 7, being so close to Canada we could get Channel 9 of the CBC, and then there was 56, 50, and 62 ( channel 62 never seemed to come in very good ) but now that people had cable why you had movies, the weather channel, sports, and MTV ! Lets face it any one under say 27 it was all about the Music Television. It would introduce new acts to us, or new songs, you had Split Enz, and Prince.  The list of musicians and the video's could go on for hours, but like all really good things, it began to change. Of course there were some huge mistakes the founders from MTV made by not including more artists in their line up, and to cover  a broader spectrum of Music, for crying out loud who wouldn't want to watch Bob Marley and the Whalers ?

                                                                                  In our day and age of YouTube, and Ipods, and laptops with wireless cards, and wi-fi access dedicating a channel to music videos seems kind of foolish, you can stream music from itunes, or watch the first video that comes to mind to you in the morning, or one that pops into your head at work,  well then hey just go online to various outlets, usually it is YouTube, and if your really feeling it you post it on Facebook to share with your friends, back in the old days we had to share the videos together in a living room, or in a bar somewhere, what we all do individually now at our leisure. In those days you watched what was put on the television screen for you rather than deciding for yourself what you wanted to watch.  Not that I would trade todays standards for 1981, or 1982 however in that time it was such a radical departure from what was the norm, you felt that the world was changing, and you were proud to be a part of it. A new definition of hip, a new standard of cool, a whole new way to watch television, and for those of us who were 19 or 20 years old at the time it was the start of a whole new generation of entertainment,........... so Ladies and Gentelmen........................... Rock and Roll !