I'm (not) with Her !

     October 4th Mrs. Clinton Posted a tweet quoting Barbara Jordan from 1974......"If the impeachment provision in the Constitution of the United States will not reach the offenses charged here, then perhaps that eighteenth century Constitution should be abandoned to a twentieth century paper shredder."   In Effect as Mrs. Clinton beliefs that the electoral college should be abandoned,  now she opines that the Constitution itself should be abandoned. This same constitution that had the same impeachment clause when her Husband was President facing similar circumstances for none other than lying under oath, she presumes that we should abandon this constitution for its weakness. Then let us look at this Document and she what it is she would like to destroy.
                               
                                                                     Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion and the press.  The roots of the Bill of Rights lie deep in Anglo-American history. In 1215 England’s King John, under pressure from rebellious barons, put his seal to the Magna Carta, which protected subjects against royal abuses of power. Among the Magna Carta’s more important provisions are its requirement that proceedings and prosecutions be according to “the law of the land”–the forerunner of “due process of law”–and a ban on the sale, denial, or delay of justice.

                                                                               The idea of written documents protecting individual liberties took early root in England’s American colonies. Colonial charters (such as the 1606 Charter for Virginia) declared that those who migrated to the New World should enjoy the same “privileges, franchises, and immunities” as if they lived in England. The Bill of Rights, as symbol and substance, lies at the heart of American conceptions of individual liberty, limited government, and the rule of law. These concepts such as Individual Liberty are what are protected by this Constitution and that any modern American Politician or citizen would consider abolishing this document should make us all suspect. What possible motive could there be for abolishing a document that protects our natural right to life,liberty, or property ? What possible gain could be had by abolishing this document to codify our rights to property, or to life, or religion ? I have yet to see Mrs. Clinton offer such documentation, further more I have seen no serious offer to follow proper protocol and call for a constitutional convention.


                                                                      That she would publicly post such a statement from Barbara Jordan based on a speech made in 1974 which had nothing but praise for the constitution and admired  the sobriety of the founders in its creation leads one to conclude that Mrs. Clinton likes this constitution when it suits her, however when this same constitution is used to impeach her husband, or limits the power of her party she is not so fond of it. She loves the American institutions when they win her office, however when those same institutions deny her an office she is seeking well, then we must change these institutions. Is this not why we have a constitution in the first place ? To temper with whims of power and lust for power ? Is not the Bill of Rights in place to remind government that our rights precede its    existence ?

                                                                         I am always in favor of change, so long as that change exists to enhance our natural freedom. If we seek to enhance the liberty of the human species and codify that liberty so we as a free people can pursue our happiness than I for one look forward to a process that makes that a legitimate effort. However any one who seeks to devalue, diminish or abolish those liberties,  should be fought, and stubbornly refused at all costs. We had a King on this Land once, and that was enough, it is the American experience to be free. And it shall always be. So no.....I am not with her. I am with those who seek a World of Liberty. 

Why Dave Bing Should Have Mattered

Born in 1943 Dave Bing has led a life that has been filled with challenges. Having been poked in the eye as a child and being blind in one eye at a time when there was not the Social Services available today he grew up vowing not to labor as his father had, and became a professional basketball player who became a Hall of Fane player and successful business owner Dave Bing has never been a quitter, nor has he been one who has shirked from a challenge, on the contrary having spent his entire life facing challenges  his persona is to overcome obstacles, and to achieve success.........and then he became a Mayor of a City on the verge of bankruptcy, dysfunctional, and unwilling to accept changes of the world around it, clinging to an ideology outdated, and bypassed long ago, Dave Bing believed that change would be slow, cumbersome even, but change would happen inherently believing that enough interested parties in the City of Detroit wanted that change as well, but as has been the historical trend a minority of thought, a minority of interests have clung to a harbored past that has attached itself to a history that has long since gone and faded away else where in the world, except here in Detroit, in the believe that if you fight long enough and hard enough the opposition will give in to your demands, to meet you most of the way they wish to go........ignoring that in a digital world where money can be transferred in a blink of an eye, that people who have become more mobile and less dependent on a status quo and have become more resilient and adaptable to change. Unfortunately Detroit has not, and Dave Bing has not been able to persuade the people at large, or the City Council or the Union's of the importance of change. That may not be a reflection of personal failure, however it is a reflection of leadership, and that is where Dave should have mattered the most. However the record will show quite the opposite.

                                                                         It would be fair to say that there are circumstances well beyond his control. It would be  absolutely justified to point out that Dave Bing was in an environment that was unable or unwilling to adapt to the surrounding changes, it would be completely fair on his behalf to show how a City Council and a Legal Department had set out from the day he assumed office to not just circumvent his authority, but blatantly went out of it's way to prevent success in this city in his name. He was targeted as an outsider who was out of touch, ( even though he had to win an election to maintain his presence in office ) he was labeled as too old, he has been accused of not caring about " the people " of Detroit, and only interested in keeping an outside establishment happy at the expense of the working class, and the Unions of the municipal employee's; a shrill if you will for the interests only out to bust up the Union's. Thus Dave Bing has been defined by his detractors, and in a media rich world has been defined by the people as a failure. At this point he has not announced his bid to run for re-election, but if Dave wants some wise advise,.......don't because you do not have a chance to win, that you can take to the bank.


                                                                        It's in the streets, at the local groceries, on the bus stops all over the city. It's noticeable on the local radio stations, the ones that target an urban...audience rather than a metropolitan audience, the discontent is everywhere, and if one where an ardent student of media, there is a subtle hint as well there ......Dave's got to go.........it is kind of like the local drama involving the appointment of an EFM, every one knew it was coming, the Governor made no pretense on what he expected, and would do.......yet the players at the local level all acted like nothing was going to change, that there is no way a Republican Governor would dare challenge the City of Detroit, and yet he did; that is the sense on the streets about Dave Bing, his time has come and gone, and the sooner the change, the better.



                                                                          It is sad however, Dave has been a successful individual all his life, hand has proven himself in many different theatres. He is a Democrat, but has proven that he can adapt to realities, and is capable of being pragmatic. He can bring to office integrity, and as well the fortitude to make tough decisions. Understanding finances, and more importantly...... financing   is something that was desperately needed in Detroit and Dave could have brought that rich experience with him. However in the end what the City of Detroit needed, and what it accepted in the richness of his experience are two very completely different things. That is indeed very sad, not for a political career, but for the very people who pay for the City Government, the citizens of Detroit, who no longer have a vote that matters, a Police Force that is completely demoralized, a Fire Department that has to beg for toilet paper, and a citizenry who cannot rely on the very Transportation that they pay for out of their own pocket. All of this could have been avoided, yet it was not. If more attention had been paid to necessary changes, Dave would have mattered, but in the end he was not. He was ignored, challenged, refuted, dismissed, disobeyed, a retaliated against. His time in office should have been a heroic story of insurmountable obstacles that were overcome, and obliterated. Instead what history will most likely write about Dave Bing as Mayor is an ineffectual business man trying to work the magic of the market into the policies of government. Finding out that government only works when collaboration and consent are used rather than dictates and facts. Dave Bing should have made a difference, instead he will be seen as a joke. That really is sad, for Dave Bing, his life, has been anything but a joke. Leadership is never easy, even dictators have to bring supporters along with them in order to accomplish goals, no matter how insane they may be, Dave Bing is not insane, he was just the wrong leader for the wrong cause. That's too bad, he should have mattered,......he should have made a difference.

A Fathers Promise

A few weeks ago I had to cash a check, and of course it was a Sunday so the only place open very early in the morning was a local check cashing place. When I walked in a young man was standing in front of me with his young daughter in a small basket of sorts with a large handle. He could not be more than 22 or 23 years of age, and as I stood watching his transaction his conversation filled the whole room, which consisted of myself, the teller he and his daughter. It was not a loud or over bearing presence, nor was it a commanding presence. The young man stood confident, proud, assured. That was what made me stand and pay close attention. In this confidence was a weariness, which looking at the toddler sitting next to his feet was my guess the cause of the fatigue.

                                                                            The teller walked away from the counter for a moment and he turned to look at me.....I asked ......did she keep you up all night ? He smiled, and looked down with pride, no....she has slept soundly the last few nights, so it hasn't been that bad. Ya know he says to me as if we were long time friends, it's bad enough I have to pay these crazy fee's to cash a check, but then the TAXES taken out is enough to drive you crazy. Now clearly here was an opening of a conversation I could sink my teeth into, but I just wanted my money, and get the heck out of this place. there were people waiting on me to get this taken care of so we could take care of our business. So in an unusual fashion I simply say these taxes pay for services, and people depend on those services...........had he really known me it would have registered that this was pure sarcasm, however since he did not know me, it comes across as accepting the situation with some form of gratitude. The teller by now is approaching the window, but the answer I gave actually lit a fire........services ? what freakin services ? you mean like subsidizing farms ? or paying for a Congressman's hair cut ? or hey how about research into the mating habits of pond scum ?

                                                              So with a smile and a small chuckle I nod and say ..........look in all honesty you are preaching to the choir, in fact I am willing to bet that I would be more libertine in my opinions than you are.......I have been following this stuff for quite a long time, for example we are both here cashing a check but it is not real money. With that a toothy smile and a nod and this young man says you know you should read Ron Paul and his thoughts on this. I smiled ......and asked I have actually met Dr. Paul, are you aware of the foundations for his thoughts on money ? No I do not he replied, what are the foundations ? Mises I tell him Ludvig Von Mises, Dr. Paul is a big proponent of Austrian Economics. Wow ! he says......... that's really cool stuff, hey can I get your email address or something ? I would like to talk about this stuff some more if you don't mind. So I hand him a business card and tell him its alright and to call or email any time. I would be glad to go over this information any time.
                                                                    So he conducts the rest of his business with the teller gets his money, thanks her and apologizes for taking up too much of her time, and then he turns half way as if to speak to both of us and he says When my daughter was born, a apologized for bring her into such a screwed up world............and then I made her a promise....... that I would do everything in my power to make it a better one so she would not have to suffer.............

                                                                     That conversation has stuck with me for a few weeks now, not just for the devotion of a father to his child, which is quite admirable in and of itself; and not for the desire of a father to create a better place for his child which most parents want for there offspring, what really got to my heart was a father dedicating LIBERTY to an infant and proclaiming a lifetime of service for her chance to have it, and to know that there is still that dedication to the concept in the birthplace of liberty in a generation that will be here long after my life is gone. To see that and to experience a moment like that in person let's a person know that the IDEA of liberty is well worth fighting for and passing on. I hope there are more fathers like that out there somewhere.

First Impressions

Sometimes life will give us an opportunity that at the moment it happens may not seem like much, but after it's over the depth and meaning of it has a far greater impact than the surface will allow at the moment. Let me share.
                                                             I was in a parking lot yesterday afternoon of a major retailer, and in the back corner of this parking lot is a transit center. Of course at all various times of the day next to the other retailer's people are milling around going about their business. Coming and going, back and forth....... and of course waiting. For me at times like this especially early in the morning I spend time reflecting.......how else would I come up with the nonsense I do ????? Sitting in front of me is a young lady, on the ground staring at.....what else but an iPhone.........so far nothing unusual, after all this is the 21st Century. Of course I am a man,........and this is a young women, so.................. I notice she is sitting on newspapers on an asphalt parking lot.........rather unusual..........so as she is sitting with her knees up around her chin, and gazing at the iPhone she looks up and smiles........I tried not to pay any attention to this and turn my head. I look over her, and around her, but all the while studying. Okay, details. Small, long black hair, very slight build, the shirt is way to short, exposing the back and along with the ill fit jeans exposing just way to much of other stuff, blue baseball hat, and sneakers. Let's see......a folder, plastic bag with frozen food.......makes some sense, but the manners are not what we would call local. So far so good. Two people in a parking lot on a beautiful late afternoon. She looks across the parking lot and smiles at another man sitting on a bench. Let's see two guys.... two smiles........ what ?......you got to be kidding me...........here ???????????

                                                              I continue to passivley ignore here, but then I wonder.....visiting ? or living ? mmmmmmm I am leaning toward a visitor, but the manners are to comfortable for that, so I start to conclude lives here.....student, and mom has no idea where she is............and then she stands up. To my utter amazment starts to sweep the parking lot underneath her. I see know...... rocks....... ya that would hurt makes sense. She looks at me and starts laughing, I want to bust out because the whole thing looks ridiculous. She keeps clearing the rocks, and then just stands. She took a few steps toward a gargage can.....the first word in my mind is " manners " how refreshing, there goes the idea of her living here, because all the papers would be left to blow around the parking lot........... yep visiitor. So I start to think, wow how thoughtful a visitor who has manners for the surrounding she is in..........conclusion: has not been here long.

                                                                    She takes a few steps toward the garbage can with the papers in her hand, and now I see this long lost look of puzzlement. Searching all around, and I think, oh noooo....... nutjob.........out of her head........ had an encounter like this in San Franciso once........ WARNING ! WARNING !........... and then two steps toward me..........shit................
                  Excuse me sir ?  Ya...... I answered ..........Do you know where the Henry Ford is ? I smile .. Yes.......it is in Dearborn. Yes I know how do I get there on a bus ? ............it clicks.......no schedules posted, tourist, lost.......... no way to get the information........... ohh ... I say......... tahe the 275 north, get of at Michigan Avenue, and then wait for a bus marked 200 going east........ it will drop you off at the entrance, you can walk right in...........Can I get there from here tomorrow ? she politley asks........... sure........ anytime after say 6 a.m.
                                               Thank You............and I reply your welcome. Then comes the look.............................. another question is coming I know it. Do you know how to get to ..........ahhh my English not good.......... she writes C O R K T O W N....do you know where this is ? By Bus   ? I ask       ........yes please.......... well take the 125 from here to downtown and take the People Mover to Corktown.........she frowns ......I try the people mover yesterday it confuses me............ I smile ....me too and I live here.......... but I get confused for a different reason..........she tilts her head because she is confused........... I smile .......never mind it would take to long to explain. Where are you from I think Japan. NO...............CHINA! and right off the bat I think huh?????? here ? what a trip! So I proceed..........where in China are you from ? Near Hong Kong.......do you know Hong Kong ? I start laughing........why yes I have been there many times........ at least 6 I think or something like that......... but that was under British Rule............ you probably do not remember that..........she looked puzzled....... no I do not know that.........I was too young........ ohh I say no bother..... I still have coins with the queen on them..... but they are no good any more.........


                                                            So I proceed...... proud of myself .......and my knowledge..........Hong Kong is an autonomous region now is it not......... ? One China two systems ???????? is that correct ? mmmmmmmm Hong Kong is...........ohhh I do not know English word.......ahhh......... it's okay I say........ I understand....... and I am right............ do you know Hebei Province ? ..........I have clients that are from there...... they make fences, and have an office where I work..........do you know that province.......nooooo I do not......... where is it ? It is north of Bejing a few hundred miles northwest I believe......... there is also a city Named Hebei...... that is where there factory is.......... but they are not familiar with Hong Kong, because I mentioned it when I first meet them......... but China is a big country Yes ??????????

                                                            China is a very big country....... you should come back to Hong Kong..... you will like it............I frown.....no I do not think so ...........my experince there was not bad......... but not all that good......Americans were not very welcome........eveyone loved the British.....but that was a long time ago..........you know I keep up with the news in China I read the Peoples Daily about 4 times a week........ In English of course.......... she smiles ..........really ?????????? why ? I say........ well to keep up with the news there, especially concerning the riots in the outer regions, especially in Tibet...... are you aware of this ? .......no I do not she says, but I do not worry about that ...... I want to make money. i laughed so hard I almost cried...... so do I ........ so do I ...... well I have to go....... you have fun and be careful okay ? Yes...... okay she nods ........ thank you very much..........No problem...............


                                              I walked away.


                                                     In the end here is what strikes me, we in this country are visited every day with visitors from other countries, and cities from around the world, and it will always be our first impressions that will mark what people think of us in this country, of course that is what Tocqueville was all about in his journey. The difference today is information is immediate. One snapshot, one tweet.....and instantly available around the world to anyone..........is a real life perception of who we are and what we are all about. We have an internal contradiction of the mixed economy with limited freedom, versus the desire to be as free as possible. The end result of that is the loss of innovation, prosperity, and respect from not only within our own borders, but from those who visit us from abroad. My hope is that we settle that internal conflict and resolve as Americans, that we will adhere to the principles of liberty, for rest assured wether we are looking at ourselves or not, the rest of the world clearly has their eyes on us.

It's time to let the fat lady sing........

A once proud industrial giant is ready to fall. This process has been going on since the 1950's, but it has been a slow evolutionary process. Year after year, decade after decade slowly but surely the city of Detroit was crumbling to pieces. To assign blame at this point is absolutely ridiculous.What has happened, has happened, or to repeat a phrase now hated: It is what it is. For further amusement; the current Corporate Council for the city of Detroit is endeavoring to tell the State of Michigan who is trying to keep what little of what's left of the city alive, that they cannot enter into a contract with the city because the STATE owes the city money. Money only the corporate council, and right along with her members; of the city council believe the state owes the city, which in their particular point of view would end the deficit, and make null and void the current consent agreement that was put in place without the objection of the city council, or the corporate council.
                                                                                      If the anti conceptual stubbornness were not so serious it would be amusing, in fact it would be entertaining to encourage such behaviour. There is nothing more amusing than to watch non productive behaviour from the political class wasting time on nuance and formality, demonstrating procedural courage and standing up to the forces of fashionable wrong doing while the rest of us toil, and sweat, and compete in the global marketplace, assuring that brave class of politics that we their subjects will assure them a paycheck, and a seat at the table of power. That amusement however lasts only so long as we the hard working subjects are assured a great deal of prosperity in the process, and that is why the proverbial fat lady has been walking up to and demanding a place at the stage. She has had many years to warm up, and the vocal chords are primed. The City of Detroit, whether the council, and it's corporate lawyers want to admit it or not is broke. Flat out, face down cotton pickin broke. There is no way around it, and only the corporate council herself believes the city is owned money by the State of Michigan. No one else can find a bill, or an invoice for " services rendered".
                                                                                 How any elected official can drive down Grand River say from Lahser Road and 7 mile towards downtown, or travel Gratiot Ave. from Roseville and not be shocked by what they see, how any sitting Governor traveling down these same roads would not be immediate to declare that the National Guard needs to be put out on the streets and order restored is beyond comprehension. We are not talking about a downturn in the economy, or slightly depressed neighborhoods due to economic circumstances, we are talking about absolute destruction, and devastation. A kind of devastation that no previous generation of American has ever entertained to allow to exist, is now the norm for the city of Detroit, with those in power elected to protect the citizens fighting turf wars, and wasting valuable scarce resources trying to show how they are still in charge and calling the shots. Murder and destruction are ancillary to the political class right now, what is important is maintaining power at all costs. Local power, and only local power. No outsider dare intervene in local decision making, or inability to make a decision. If we decide to take a vote, in order to take a vote, well then by golly you stand by and watch us do that, because it's in our power to do just that !
                                                                                 There is an adage: he who has the gold makes the rules. There is some pretty compelling reasons that adage is true. We may not like it, we may want to fight it, we may even from time to time try to put our heads in the sand and try to ignore it, but try as we all might, the guy that's got all the coins in his pocket, tends to be the one that sets the tone for how things are going to be. It is one of life's little absolutes. Well the city of Detroit ran out of gold a long time ago, and now that it cannot borrow any more, it is no longer in a position to make any rules. It is time for the city to follow the rules. The first rule that it must follow is: you can only spend the money that you have. Start there, and the rest will begin to fall in place. Seeing that the current class of politicians don't want to follow that rule; reality needs to step in and force them. No one pays them any more, no one let's them borrow any more. Broke. Flat out, nothing in the pockets, broke. Declare bankruptcy, end all current contracts, dissolve the council, appoint a financial manager, and start all over again. The priorities should be police, fire, water, and garbage. All else is negotiable. Seeing that the police do not have a contract, and are afraid they will not get paid, the Governor should call in the National Guard to protect the citizens of the city, and maintain the fire houses. Let those entities sort out a salary the city can afford on today's  budgeting, and let the free market perform it's magic.
                                      But  before all of that can happen, the proverbial lady, with all her grace and glory needs to take center stage, grab the microphone, and just sing.

Principles

It was just a year ago that A World of Liberty was created. The purpose was intended to create a blog based solely on the perspective of the Liberty of the Sovereign individual, and it does not matter whether you believe your rights come to you from God, or from nature, both explain the premise quite well. And as our nation celebrates our Declaration of Independence today from Great Britain based on the idea that man being created from God, has inherent rights, and those rights do not come from permission from an organized body, but rather from the fact that God created all Man as equal, I believe we would all be well reminded of what that Declaration was intended to create.


                                                                                          Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of the day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period, and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers (adminstrators) too plainly proves a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing us to slavery
Thomas Jefferson

                                                               Liberty is a unique concept. The audacity to declare that you as an individual are your own master in society is so unique that it's conception is completely foreign to most of the created collections for governance formed by human beings . In fact the historical trend is that the individual is subservient to either the tribe, or an individual leader who plans for you what your fate is to be. Ownership of property, the most important, being your own body, is completely unacceptable to most ideas of forming organized groups of people. The absolute mandate that those who govern are the ones who have limits on their power is one of the most profound ideas the Declaration makes in it's assertion.

                                                                       Principles are what brings us to the table of liberty. Without the arguments for those principles then we as Americans are nothing more than serfs to the State just as those before us have always been. Life, Liberty, and Property are the basis of those principles. Those tenants proclaim that your life is your own, it belongs to no one else, and since that right is unalienable, your life cannot be proclaimed for the State. There is no recourse for the state to your life. It is not a power granted any government by an act of God. Unconditionally your life belongs to you, and no one else. When the creator made man in his image, it was not to serve any government, but to serve God and his will. That an institution created by man  feels that it can usurp its authority and dictate the context of your life and property is a violation of the nature of existence and should be rejected at every step.

                                                                 

                                                                                We have become a nation dependent on permission, as well as dictates. Our Supreme Court in it's latest decision on health care has taken the voluntary society, and transformed in into the requirement society, which given the course of our country over the last 80 plus years it is no surprise. Decisions made in Congress, signed by Presidents, and upheld by the Supreme Court are designed to uphold the sovereignty of government, rather than an individual. Our Social Programs have become institutions created for there own sake, and life blood at the expense of individual liberty, whose sacrifice has been laid waste at the alter of collective  power of the greatest minority in any society, the individual. Done so with the permission and acceptance of the American people. We have abandoned our principles of individual sovereignty, and replaced them with the Socialist concept of collective security, falsely and blindly believing that it is the inherent good.

                                                                On this 4th of July let us again beg to be governed as if we are indeed creatures of the almighty, sovereign, and free. Let us move forward for the benefit of future generations to live in a country where rulers fear the people, and can live lives that are free. A country that adheres strictly  to the principles of Life, Liberty, and Property so that those natural tendencies that all humans have, to live a life of peace, and pursue happiness can once again be the example to the world, and may those principles be on the tongues of every citizen to be repeated time after time so that when the forces of tyranny rise their head, we the American people are ready to defeat them in order to maintain a world of liberty .                                                                                                                                                                                        

More Than One way to skin a Cat......

As the saying goes........there is more than one way to skin a cat.............to illustrate a point. What freedom and prosperity means, but more importantly how does a society achieve freedom and prosperity ?  In our time, despite the rich history of the foundations of the United States, and following the models of more controlled societies, it is presumed that intervention, and regulation is the way to prosperity. China has achieved remarkable growth in the last 30 years, yet despite having a billion people, and the companies of the Western nations clamoring for a share of the market there, their economy has only managed to attain a GDP of 5 trillion dollars, as compared to the United States having 300 million people and achieving a GDP level of 14 trillion dollars. On paper.........to borrow another phrase, it would seem that the Chinese would far out produce the Americans, a fear that tends to creep into the American psyche, but as much as the majesty of the Chinese population commands, the important inherent difference between the two societies is that one version rests on imitation. The other rests on innovation. The other stark difference is that the Chinese system relies on control, whereas the American system at it's design was conceived on chaos, which is the mark of a free market system.
                                                           From a standpoint of prosperity, markets can only achieve full prosperity under two conditions primarily. One would be allowing for the consumer to have the freedom to seek what ever product or service they desire in an open market. The other condition is having the flexibility for the price mechanism to fluctuate to meet the needs of those products and services as the demands of the consumer dictates. In China the goal of their system has been to focus on production alone, without regard to the demand side of the equation. It is the classic misunderstanding of the interventionist mind set, premised on the perception that inequality exists in the capital order of things. Individuals or more to the point HUMAN BEINGS given the opportunity, will change their mind constantly. It is a universal truth, just as all of us need a heart beat in order to stay alive.
                                                             Given our election cycle, and daily anecdotal conversations with people at random, I have noticed a trend for Americans IN GENERAL to reach a conclusion that our prosperity lies in a plan.....a plan for our economy, a plan for our energy needs, a plan for manufacturing, there seems to be a need for a plan for our entire way of life. Planning is the way that government's control their people, which in the case of the Chinese system is necessary for a small self proclaimed elite to control a large population, however here in the United States I would encourage all to do away with the control mind set and seek the way of chaos. In other words let us vow as AMERICANS, to seek our economic roots in freedom. There is more than one way to skin an economic cat......but there is only one way to seek freedom and economy, and that would be to throw off all the shackles of planners, and regulators in our economy, and return this country to A WORLD OF LIBERTY......

A Word of Advice

It has been rather amusing............ no strike that. It has been rather sad and disappointing to me in our current political discourse. As an advocate of Liberty, there can be no mistaking that the battle that exists is one of the free individual versus the advocates of tyranny. Although those that advocate the interventionist state of affairs clearly are not able to see the mistakes they have made in their desire to alleviate those who are more misfortunate, what becomes more pathetic is the reliance on an argument that rests solely on anti conceptual statements that offer neither ideas or solutions. Statements such as the Orwellian occupiers " we are the 99 % " reminds me of Animal Farm and the resolution that " Four Legs good, Two legs Bad" ...........actually has intrinsic meaning at some level. Neither statement in and of themselves means anything, neither statement conceptualizes anything more than base, collectivists group think. A mass exodus into blind obedience into the following of one tribe, one group, one race type thinking that has no more validity in logic than the observation that " wet toilet paper does not fly " Ahhhh thank you, ........you are so insightful.

                                                                                    For my own amusement, and to offer a lending hand I will offer a few solutions that hopefully will give our Collectivist antagonist some ideas that will at least give them the pretense of intelligence. Which is another reason I have given this so much thought, for once upon a time the Socialists actually envisioned themselves as the intellects of Society. The creators of ideas, the activists who solved social problems. What has become of this presumed leadership is a vacuum of ideas and action. In fact the only thing left in there arsenal is confiscation. The transfer of wealth in the global society. Destruction of creative ability has become the only tool left for the Socialist. Devoid of intellectual capital, and with the rise of awareness that politically the State can only transfer wealth that can be created ( thus forcing the creators to move that wealth ) the Socialist are literally on there last intellectual leg. The solutions around the globe of the socialist movement has been consistent, that is: form more trade unions, demand higher wages and benefits, and use the tyranny of government to enforce massive redistribution programs  for those damaged economically by these absurd and devoid policies. Here then are my contributing ideas on how to be a good Socialist, as I have learned, that in order to defeat one's opponent one must know how their opponent thinks, and since I feel I have a good grasp on the current group think, I personally have concluded that without some outside help, the embarrassment will continue. If I were viewing the Socialist from a military point of view it would be best to allow them to continue on their present intellectual course, so that they could implode on the ignorance of their own ideals. However the people who espouse many of these ideas truly believe in what they are trying to accomplish, and the ends of these desired accomplishments are indeed meant to benefit mankind for the good.

                                                                               So in the spirit of cooperation let's all be good Socialists :

1) Cash for clunkers;      One of the largest mistakes made with this program is it takes old cars off the road to encourage purchases of new ones. The subsidy gives auto manufacturers the ability to ignore the market conditions for production of vehicles, and causes misallocation of resources for raw materials for parts on older, and even fairly new vehicles. The other problem is it takes vehicles that are in reasonably good working order straight to the scrap yard. The person that is left out;  are those in society of limited and meager means. They are  a segment of society that are not able to purchase a vehicle for transportation, and become dependent (that is once again dependent  ) on public transportation. In fact one of the greatest crimes to the poor is that to get, or continue to receive public assistance your transportation must be done primarily on the public system. It creates a double dependency. Furthermore, when Welfare to Work programs are advocated, one of the largest inhibitors for success is transportation. So rather than the government(s) creating and subsidizing ever more programs why not solve a multitude of problems with one subsidy. That is continue the cash for clunkers idea, but reform it so that the older fleet goes directly to the poor when a new vehicle is purchased. The purchaser of the new vehicle gets a subsidy say in the order of $ 10,000 to $12,000 dollars toward the purchase. The older vehicle then gets to become property of the State. Then you title that vehicle to an individual that is on public assistance, the insurance will be pooled under the vehicles owned by the State ( i.e. such as the State Police, the Federal Government, or even County Government ) with this idea we then alleviate the need for large public transportation projects that do not get the full ridership that they are built for, the savings can go to the insurance pools, and the rest.......... can go back to the taxpayer. Everybody wins, every ones need is meet. And no one is left being dependent on archaic and outmoded thinking.

2) Farm Subsidies;      One of the greatest mistakes we make is to pay farmers to grow crops and then to plow them under. It makes no sense what so ever to have people anywhere in the world go hungry when the farmers of developed nations alone of the world can feed the entire population of this planet many times over. If there is going to be a subsidy for growing, again an invitation to misallocate



3) Fresh Water;    The market has provided fresh clean ( Spring ) water to the extent that a case of good clean bottled water is less than $ 6.00 a case. This water is available everywhere. With a relatively small subsidy governments the world over could encourage a slight overproduction of this resource, and ensure a steady, and safe clean drinking water supply for everyone on the planet. Western Nations have been able to not only provide local water supplies via a public system, but the market has also been able to allocate more than adequate supplies of bottled water for consumption at very relatively cheap prices, the low price is in fact the indicator that there is an ample supply, however once there becomes a direct allowance to those in poorer conditions and it is deemed to be free ( which since it is by design a giveaway) there will be a greater misallocation of the resource because of the greater demand placed on the system by the government allocation. Again by a voucher system in defined quantities the overproduction can be calculated by the amount of subsidy that will be granted by the governments allocating the resource. This gives the producers the proper signal for the amount needed to meet the needs of the poor, and also allows for the proper monetary resources necessary for production.
                            


                                                                             By addressing Human basics in a way that meets market efficiencies, and the profit motive the modern Socialist could accomplish the goals they often seek to alleviate, the largest failure as Hayek, and Mises demonstrated time and again was the failure to understand the importance of the price indicator within the economy. Subsidies by their nature cause overproduction, that overproduction can be utilized for the benefit of those of meager means. It can also be done for the benefit of the producer, the real problem is that these " benefits " are often short lived. The free economy is by far the most successful way to solve the needs of individuals in a society, but since the socialist is not interested in the free economy, and actually tends to conclude that a command and control economy " a planned economy "  is the path to meeting the needs of all in society at the very least what should be addressed from that perspective is the waste that is always incurred through the bureaucratic process, particularly in the United States where political processes create enormous waste of natural resources and capital. Then again at least in this country it is not about creating greater benefit for the citizens, but rather a process intent on creating a power broker structure, a structure that benefits the power brokers rather than the people....... then again as Ayn Rand once pointed out in her book " For The New Intellectual " anyone who speaks to you about slaves and masters........ intends to be the Master. The power brokers who speak of redistributing wealth in this nation have one purpose in mind, and that is to be the ones that are wealthy........ but that has been the goal of Socialists Since the creation of the Socialist movement. Okay then ......... along the way;  let's at least pretend that we know how to take care of those in need, rather than perpetuate the continued suffering, and bastardize those that are really meeting the needs of society. The slogans are getting old, and rather boring, and in the mean time real human beings are still suffering it's appalling, and unnecessary........ and if collectively we are going to all be socialists....... let's at least pretend to be good at it.............


                                                                 

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.