BAILOUTS for Wall Street and Corporate America; Is the US Economy Safe?

The US government has spent unfathomable amounts of money attempting to attenuate the consequences of thirty years of Reaganomics. Still there are signs that the economy is deteriorating as more people realize that the polyannesque view of the US is not realistic. Banks do not lend to each other because they do not believe the financial statements of their counterparts. Financial institutions do not lend to individuals because they have realized that credit ratings mean little or nothing. People cannot buy products and services because they have always bought things on credit in fact living past their means. Companies are firing people, foreclosures are increasing, and the latest shoe to drop is the credit card defaults.


Bank of America, just before announcing it would attempt to raise an additional $ 10 billion, released its financial statements. Among the normal $ 6 billion in additional mortgage right-downs slipped in that is was taking a “prudential” $ 1.2 billion in credit card losses. As other institutions announce their results we will see that the credit card losses will rival the CDO and mortgage paper sectors.

This week Corporate America announced another 100k firings of employees and new unemployment claims has been touching 500k. The government says Unemployment is at 6.1 %. Unfortunately if you do not find a job in 6 months or are new to the labor market you do not count. Perhaps the most telling sign of the disastrous economy is that retailers have decided we are going to skip Thanksgiving altogether and start the Christmas sales right after Halloween!

Some “talking heads” are telling us to have patience that all will be well. Others are telling us that the problem was caused by the EU and they must make the same mistakes the US administration is making to “Save us All”. How dare the Europeans employ the wisdom and experience of 3,000 years of finance and trade instead of tanking their economies to support the USA. WE ARE NUMBER 1!

The worst is not here yet. The depression has just begun and we will not be able to stabilize the decline until we recognize the real problem and start working as a nation to fix it. The problem is the service economy. We no longer produce anything. Our greed has focused us on the short-term gains to the detriment of long term stability while borrowing more and more money from the future. Yes we are consumption junkies, always searching for the next fix.

Read the Full Story...

America Changes – What is the real debate?

Over the last year I have explored the changes that the United States is undergoing. Rampant unemployment (while official data indicates the lowest unemployment in history), inflation at third world country levels (while the government’s Ppi indicates less than two percent), 1 % of the population homeless, 33% of the population food insecure, 50% of the population that cannot afford a major illness, University costs inflating at 50% a year while young college graduates see salaries decreasing when adjusted for inflation, identity theft rampant, public budget deficits at historically high levels while national infrastructures fall apart, and personal freedoms completely usurped by corporate America and the big brother style of government.

When speaking with people I know well I am often surprised at the position they take on the issues. I am not surprised because of the views are strange instead it is because I know their stated values. The ones who surprised me the most are members of my own family. Actively religious they grew up with the same teachings and values that have defined my defining principles yet they easily do what is financially advantageous instead of what is ethically right. I am always thrown by the statement, “I am not doing anything illegal.” They knew well that ethically their actions were very bad but the fact that law did not prohibit it made everything ok.

All of the issues are merely symptoms. They are the result of the way Americans see right and wrong. The debate that is raging, without a single word spoken about this specific topic, is very simple. It is our vision of the future. The opposing and contrasting views are:

1. The individual is more important than the whole of humanity
2. Progression of the whole of Humanity is more important than the individual.

As I was a child I was inspired by the words of John Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you instead ask what you can do for your country. “ and Martin Luther King’s dream of the equality of mankind, and, even, Startrek’s Spock sacrificing his life for the crew with the words, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” As a child I read avidly books recounting the heroic actions of WWII. I am an Eagle Scout with respect for flag and country.

I thought the principles that guide my actions were a result of my family’s strict religious adherence. I could not understand how religious people could be individual oriented in their reasoning. Recently I realized that who I am is not a product of my religious upbringing instead I was influenced by those leaders who spoke of unity, by the selfless actions of soldiers in difficult times and public service contributing to our nation.

Often I have been ridiculed as the “idealist” looking for the Utopian existence. Other times I am labeled as a socialist, populist or even pinko commie fag. What can I say? I believe the progression of humanity, the future of our children is more important than me having a newer, bigger, better car. I believe that long term stability is more important that instant gratification. These basic principles guide my every decision

This is the basic discussion in the US political debate yet candidates are fighting over the symptoms. Fighting over the symptoms will simply divide our nation. We need candidates who will talk about the real issue. We need candidates who can unite Americans around the future. This is leadership. Where are the leaders who can honestly talk about the future? Where do they stand on these basic issues? Dear candidates, please tell us, where do you stand on the basic principles that I was taught are, the who America is?

Read the Full Story...

Senate Amnesty Bill goes for Vote – The Dream Act

Yesterday, I wrote about how the Spanish speaking news channels in Dallas had been talking about Amnesty to be granted by the end of the year. I had not seen any information regarding this in the English Speaking news, newspapers or on the Blog sites. I was curious about how they could be so sure there would be Amnesty by the end of the year. Well the Spanish, mostly illegal community, is more informed than US citizens. Tomorrow the Senate will vote the Dream Act. This legislation is appropriately named because it is not the American Dream but because it is the Mexican Dream.

The real problem with all of this is the total disconnect between our politicians and the American Citizens. All of these actions are an attempt to create a North American Union. Our politicians do not represent us, WE THE PEOPLE. This is our country. If our politicians will not represent us we must dispose of our politicians.

Perhaps it is time to change our entire political system. It was designed when WE THE PEOPLE were scattered across this great country without means of communication and transportation. In the Internet world there is no reason why every bill cannot be put to a public vote or some type of semiannual vote on the congress. Should the major portion of the population believe that Congress is not acting in the best interest of the country then the government could fall and new elections be required.

This would be democracy! If this is not possible we should at least eliminate this arcane system of electoral votes, districts, and parties. Let your politicians know that your thoughts about how they represent you. Remember a government is the face of the people. Does this government represent who you are?

Read the Full Story...

Michael Moore irks me!

I admit, Michael Moore irks me. Whenever I hear him speak my blood boils, not for what he is saying but for the sensationalist tone he uses. A debate is not a shouting match. If someone has to shout to get their point across it is because they do not have the supporting arguments for their thesis. I have not seen his movie. Most likely I will not see his movie, but then I do not go to theaters to see movies. My perception is that he is right on with his latest endeavor Sicko. One phrase out of the jabber caught my attention, “For Profit Companies should not have anything to do with healthcare!”

He explains that the two are incompatible. Again, I agree. Unfortunately, his argument loses value because of the way he expresses himself. The position seems to be, religious right against public healthcare. Liberal left wants healthcare for everyone. I am amazed at the difference of positions. The religious right should be for the utopian society of each individual has according to his needs (they call it Heaven, Paradise, Celestial Kingdom, et al).

The discussion is way off track. The discussions are America is great! Everyone wants to come to America. Silvio Berlusconi came to America to have heart surgery, he did not stay in Italy. Silvio Berlusconi is one of Italy’s richest and most hated men. There may have been other reasons he came to the US. My mother in law had major heart surgery 30 years ago. In the US she would have died. Not because an American hospital could not perform the surgery simply because she could not have afforded it.

This is the real question. A civilization is great or not based on the opportunities it affords to every individual. The two things that influence an individual’s capability to succeed and levels the playing field between those born into money and the rest of us are education and healthcare. Italy, as does the rest of the free world offers free education through college and they also offer free (yes free) medical care for the rest of the population. You can still go to a private college and pay a lot of money. You can also go to a private hospital and pay for any treatment you desire, be treated like a king, and have an entire floor just for you if you want. Silvio Berlusconi came to the US. The popes (much more powerful) go to the Gemelli in Rome.

The debate we must have is whether or not WE THE PEOPLE believe that every child is of equal value or do the children of some have more value than the children of others. The religious right should be clamoring for national healthcare. They should be speaking loudly for free university. Hillary Clinton should be calling for free Universities and not for HB1 visa for Indian companies and more money to reeducate displaced Americans. If congress can pass legislation to save a woman in a coma they should be able to all come together to create a national healthcare system.

Tags: Government Healthcare Corporate America Michael Moore

Read the Full Story...

A Great Nation – A Family

Our legislation based on English Common Law which in turn maintains many concepts of Roman Law. In most current Italian law and in much of English Common law the words “with the diligence of a good father of a family” indicate common sense, lack of knowing negligence, and acting in “good faith”. Our nation is a family. Our government, therefore our elected representatives, are our parents. They decide how much of our earnings we are able to keep, allowance, they decide how the family budget will be spent, they decide if the family will assume debt and they determine what activities the family. We the people are simply the children. Our lives nothing more than interludes in the concept of the nation family. We can go and play whatever we want as long as we bring money to the family coffers, taxes.

If we ever disrespect our parents, we are severely punished, usually by going to prison. Just think if you tell a judge he is in conflict of interest, or perhaps you enforce written law even though your parents told you to act differently like the border patrol agents. If the family decides to go to war and there are not enough members willing to fight and possibly die, our parents will choose, perhaps with a lottery, they might even call it a draft. Just as your biological family tells you not wash the dirty laundry in public, those of us who criticize the status quo are ostracized.

Our nation is a family. It is not a democracy. Our freedoms have been usurped by corrupt politicians and corporations influence in the government’s agenda taking the role of Father Master. For a nation to be great it must have a government that reflects the citizens idea of how the country should be run.

To be a great nation we must eliminate the role of FATHER MASTER, selling his children into virtual slavery to fund his vices. The family must take the role to allow each member to pursue happiness, develop their talents and respect the other members of the family.

Tags: Politics Corporate America Corrupt Politicians Government Data War on the Middle Class Border Security Port Security Stop Pork Spending Illegal Immigration

Read the Full Story...