Hard-working, tax-paying, law-abiding, unaffiliated, American citizens?
Many millions of us are not union members, Chamber of Commerce members, AARP members, wealthy individuals, professional associates, non-profit executives, illegal immigrates, religious parishioners; who lobbies for us?
Who asks for medical insurance waivers for us? Who asks for protective tariffs for taxpayers? Who asks for subsidies for us? Who lobbies for lower taxes for us? Who lobbies for smaller more sensible government for us? Who lobbies for equal treatment under the law for us?
Who????
I thought it should be Congress. That’s clearly not true. I thought it could the courts. That’s clearly not true.
Who speaks for the plain, simple, fair-minded, child rearing, home-making, gainfully employed, mortgage paying, generous, neighborly, law-abiding, tax-paying, jury sitting, independent voters?
Apparently, no one does. How could this happen? How could individuals, the backbone of this nation, have no say?
Then I realized, that the only say an unaffiliated individual has is to vote. We do not have access to a process to submit our grievances. We have no access through the courts to petition the government for redress. If we do not pay patronage to elected politicians or huge fees to lawyers for access to courts, or massive payments to the media for access to the public opinion manipulation.
The truth is, without money, or special affiliation, or the threat of extortion or insurrection; we have only our vote and a very limited freedom of speech with little opportunity for access to listeners or readers.
Only the individuals, at great risk to their personal safety and livelihoods, have any chance of being heard let alone heeded, in their quest for a fair and equal redress of grievances, in the face of the huge army of paid mercenary lobbyists of the affiliated.
Who prevents the unlawful seizure of the fruits of our labor and frugality; the constitution?
Who prevents the loss of our rights; the courts?
Who protects us from our enemies, foreign and domestic? Hint; they actually take that solemn oath.
Apparently all of those are wrong.
Only individuals with the right to free speech, the right to bare arms, the right of association and movement, the right to vote, and the right to rebel, if all else fails; the right of free man to take corrective actions into their own hands.
We are all there is between liberty and tyranny.
13 April 2011
11 April 2011
Unions,
What good are they?
I must tell you first that I am anti-Unions. I have been my entire adult life. I don’t like anything that they have done since they were granted anti-trust exemption (Clayton Act 1914).
I go way out of my way to not buy anything that is Union made. I do not buy Union made cars. I buy services and products made by hard working American citizens, just not Union made, if at all possible. I do not honor picket lines. It’s hard, but I try not to buy Union grown, picked, processed, stored, or delivered food. I am mostly successful at buying non-Union made clothing. I buy non-Union tools and equipment at about one half the Union made price, some of it lower quality, but I just throw it way when it goes bad. For some things we literally have no choice, for instance; gasoline is made, stored, transported, and sold by Unions. Groceries are transported, stocked, and sold by Unions, unless you buy directly from a farmer. To the extent I can I buy only non-Union. It’s much cheaper, about $5,000 less for the average car, and they are better quality and more reliable. Non-Union clothing is more than half price. Non-Union food is less than half price.
I do it to punish Unions and Union leaders. I’m sorry it harms Union members.
In 1966 I worked at Patrick Air Force Base for a contractor on the Apollo-Saturn manned space flight program to land men on the moon. My first job was as a high pressure gas mechanics helper. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union (IBEW) represented the craft people in my work place. I was in college and knew I would soon be leaving that job to become one of the Ground Support Coordinators for Launch Operations. The Union steward insisted I join the Union. I declined several times. He insisted that bad things might happen to me without the Union’s protection. I still declined. They did little things in the beginning; stole my lunch, filled it with grease, sabotaged my tools and my work products, and then asked again, I declined.
One of the mechanics and I had very similar old Chevy Corvair’s we drove to work, sometimes parked near each other, sometimes not. One day the steward and several Union members came into my shop screaming, “Your car is on fire.” I ran out thinking the worst. I knew something was wrong immediately because we were not running toward where I had parked that day. It wasn’t my car, it was a Union members car turned on its side leaking gasoline someone had lighted on fire. The Union member, with the 12 children, wasn’t there. I stood quietly staring at the burning car and the steward and members there stared at me waiting for a painful anguished reaction. I gave none. After a couple minutes of quiet reflection the steward said, “It’s a shame about your car.” I said, “Not really, that’s not my car.” I had given a friend a ride to work that day and parked near his building instead of mine.
This was not the only incident in my life. Many times Unions have threatened me and my family with violence, harassed my children and my wife, called my home all hours of the night, said vile vulgar things to my wife and threatened me with physical violence on the phone. In 1985 it was the Teamsters Union at Fort Irwin, California. In the 1990’s it was a government employees Union because I testified as an expert witness against them in a false claim of asbestos exposure.
Incidentally, I quite being a fan of Major League Baseball in the 1990's after the player's went on strike, the owners behaved badly and then the Umpires went on strike. In-spite of having been a lifelong fan, that's when I quite supporting the MLB; haven't gone to a game, or bought their merchandise, or watched them on TV since, including the World Series. I have been National Football League fan since 1955, and Saints fan for 37 years, if they go on strike and there's no Football this fall, I'll not buy another NFL product, NFL Fan programing subscription, or watch another NFL game the rest of my life. Incidentally, they both have anti-trust exemptions that should be revoked.
Also I do not buy any products from quasi-government industries that are Unionized. I do not use Railroads, passenger or freight. I avoid Union trucking and delivery whenever possible. I do not use the the US Postal Service any more than is absolutely necessary. And I think it is ridiculous that I must pay admission to National Parks and museums. I refuse to borrow money for home loans that are supported, back, or purchased by Fanny Mae or Freddy Mac. I detest Federal contracting that insists on buy American or requires Unions or union-like pay schedules.
So, although I have known and respect many individual craft Union members; I have no respect for Unions and Union leaders because of their widely accepted immoral and unlawful behaviors.
I ask only a few simple questions. What have the Unions done for us lately?
Which Unions have increased productivity, efficiency, sped up service or improved product quality, increased supply, lowered prices, increased profit, created real jobs or wealth and any noticeable tax revenue?
My answer is none, in my 65 year lifetime. Union members are worst off than ever in my life. That could be why Union membership has declined so dramatically.
Unions just collect dues and funnel them mostly to Democrat political campaigns. They short their members on bragged about services, claims of successes and rights, and shovel money to easily corrupted politicians while protecting the jobs of the lame, lazy and incompetent and occasionally a very few deserving hard workers that may have been wronged.
So I ask you to name one Union that has done more good than harm since 1946?
I may not know, or perhaps haven’t heard of some Unions that have done something wonderful without destroying individual esteem, thwarting personal responsibility, intimidating the best workers, protecting the guilty, preventing education and training, discriminated against new, young and the most productive employees, forcing lower productivity, increasing costs unnecessarily, complicating work process, sabotaging progress, stifling decent, extorting detractors, and threatening those who decline to contribute to their demeaning, and corrupt extortion schemes.
Their usefulness is long passed and this cesspool of corruption calls out for reform and serious change.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. All Union membership and the payment of dues must be optional.
2. Prosecute all Union threats of extortion; these are crimes you would be arrested for if you were caught doing them to another citizen.
3. Prohibit all political contributions from Unions. Union members can contribute their hard earned money to whatever they want.
4. Revoke their anti-trust exemption and levy Federal taxes on all revenue improperly used.
5. Make them fully fund promised pensions and benefits from their revenue.
6. Prosecute them for all false claims, suits and accusations.
7. Change all labor proceedings and court cases to “loser pays”.
8. Un-fund and close the Department of Labor. What they might do can easily be accomplished by civil and criminal courts, and many other existing government departments and programs.
The Union’s time, meaning and usefulness have come and gone. Send them to the scrapheap with other corrupt enterprises that today harm more people than they help.
I must tell you first that I am anti-Unions. I have been my entire adult life. I don’t like anything that they have done since they were granted anti-trust exemption (Clayton Act 1914).
I go way out of my way to not buy anything that is Union made. I do not buy Union made cars. I buy services and products made by hard working American citizens, just not Union made, if at all possible. I do not honor picket lines. It’s hard, but I try not to buy Union grown, picked, processed, stored, or delivered food. I am mostly successful at buying non-Union made clothing. I buy non-Union tools and equipment at about one half the Union made price, some of it lower quality, but I just throw it way when it goes bad. For some things we literally have no choice, for instance; gasoline is made, stored, transported, and sold by Unions. Groceries are transported, stocked, and sold by Unions, unless you buy directly from a farmer. To the extent I can I buy only non-Union. It’s much cheaper, about $5,000 less for the average car, and they are better quality and more reliable. Non-Union clothing is more than half price. Non-Union food is less than half price.
I do it to punish Unions and Union leaders. I’m sorry it harms Union members.
In 1966 I worked at Patrick Air Force Base for a contractor on the Apollo-Saturn manned space flight program to land men on the moon. My first job was as a high pressure gas mechanics helper. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union (IBEW) represented the craft people in my work place. I was in college and knew I would soon be leaving that job to become one of the Ground Support Coordinators for Launch Operations. The Union steward insisted I join the Union. I declined several times. He insisted that bad things might happen to me without the Union’s protection. I still declined. They did little things in the beginning; stole my lunch, filled it with grease, sabotaged my tools and my work products, and then asked again, I declined.
One of the mechanics and I had very similar old Chevy Corvair’s we drove to work, sometimes parked near each other, sometimes not. One day the steward and several Union members came into my shop screaming, “Your car is on fire.” I ran out thinking the worst. I knew something was wrong immediately because we were not running toward where I had parked that day. It wasn’t my car, it was a Union members car turned on its side leaking gasoline someone had lighted on fire. The Union member, with the 12 children, wasn’t there. I stood quietly staring at the burning car and the steward and members there stared at me waiting for a painful anguished reaction. I gave none. After a couple minutes of quiet reflection the steward said, “It’s a shame about your car.” I said, “Not really, that’s not my car.” I had given a friend a ride to work that day and parked near his building instead of mine.
This was not the only incident in my life. Many times Unions have threatened me and my family with violence, harassed my children and my wife, called my home all hours of the night, said vile vulgar things to my wife and threatened me with physical violence on the phone. In 1985 it was the Teamsters Union at Fort Irwin, California. In the 1990’s it was a government employees Union because I testified as an expert witness against them in a false claim of asbestos exposure.
Incidentally, I quite being a fan of Major League Baseball in the 1990's after the player's went on strike, the owners behaved badly and then the Umpires went on strike. In-spite of having been a lifelong fan, that's when I quite supporting the MLB; haven't gone to a game, or bought their merchandise, or watched them on TV since, including the World Series. I have been National Football League fan since 1955, and Saints fan for 37 years, if they go on strike and there's no Football this fall, I'll not buy another NFL product, NFL Fan programing subscription, or watch another NFL game the rest of my life. Incidentally, they both have anti-trust exemptions that should be revoked.
Also I do not buy any products from quasi-government industries that are Unionized. I do not use Railroads, passenger or freight. I avoid Union trucking and delivery whenever possible. I do not use the the US Postal Service any more than is absolutely necessary. And I think it is ridiculous that I must pay admission to National Parks and museums. I refuse to borrow money for home loans that are supported, back, or purchased by Fanny Mae or Freddy Mac. I detest Federal contracting that insists on buy American or requires Unions or union-like pay schedules.
So, although I have known and respect many individual craft Union members; I have no respect for Unions and Union leaders because of their widely accepted immoral and unlawful behaviors.
I ask only a few simple questions. What have the Unions done for us lately?
Which Unions have increased productivity, efficiency, sped up service or improved product quality, increased supply, lowered prices, increased profit, created real jobs or wealth and any noticeable tax revenue?
My answer is none, in my 65 year lifetime. Union members are worst off than ever in my life. That could be why Union membership has declined so dramatically.
Unions just collect dues and funnel them mostly to Democrat political campaigns. They short their members on bragged about services, claims of successes and rights, and shovel money to easily corrupted politicians while protecting the jobs of the lame, lazy and incompetent and occasionally a very few deserving hard workers that may have been wronged.
So I ask you to name one Union that has done more good than harm since 1946?
I may not know, or perhaps haven’t heard of some Unions that have done something wonderful without destroying individual esteem, thwarting personal responsibility, intimidating the best workers, protecting the guilty, preventing education and training, discriminated against new, young and the most productive employees, forcing lower productivity, increasing costs unnecessarily, complicating work process, sabotaging progress, stifling decent, extorting detractors, and threatening those who decline to contribute to their demeaning, and corrupt extortion schemes.
Their usefulness is long passed and this cesspool of corruption calls out for reform and serious change.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. All Union membership and the payment of dues must be optional.
2. Prosecute all Union threats of extortion; these are crimes you would be arrested for if you were caught doing them to another citizen.
3. Prohibit all political contributions from Unions. Union members can contribute their hard earned money to whatever they want.
4. Revoke their anti-trust exemption and levy Federal taxes on all revenue improperly used.
5. Make them fully fund promised pensions and benefits from their revenue.
6. Prosecute them for all false claims, suits and accusations.
7. Change all labor proceedings and court cases to “loser pays”.
8. Un-fund and close the Department of Labor. What they might do can easily be accomplished by civil and criminal courts, and many other existing government departments and programs.
The Union’s time, meaning and usefulness have come and gone. Send them to the scrapheap with other corrupt enterprises that today harm more people than they help.
07 April 2011
Federal Spending Limit Amendment
I don’t like the implications of a balanced budget amendment.
Its very name leaves open the idea of increasing taxes to balance the budget. Hell, we don't even have a budget. I don’t want the Spenders and Takers to be able to grow the cost and role of Federal Government without enormous, nearly impossible, difficulty.
We do have spending. Spending is the problem. Limit Federal spending. Limiting Federal spending to below a restricted revenue limit plus special purpose reserves and contingency funds would be a good premise for a Constitutional amendment.
Some growth, if it can be irrevocably restricted to less than or equal to annual inflation, would be permissible. Not some index that can be easily manipulated; and one that includes the costs of all goods, services and government costs.
Emergencies will always occur. Reserves and contingency funds are currently held, although often looted for silly contrived reasons, can be set aside and reserved for all kinds of eventual emergencies. Many already exist. Many more are needed or need to be enlarged and safeguarded. Disaster relief, flood insurance, Federal Deposit Insurance, Federal Emergency Management, etc already exist.
Reserves and contingency funds should be created and begin funding from existing Federal revenues by reducing failed and meaningless programs, and eliminating all expenditures not enumerated in the US Constitution or its amendments.
Unemployment contingency funds were clearly insufficient by recent example. Bank failure funding was clearly under funded. Continuing Government operations during economic impacts to revenue were clearly insufficient. I think we would find that disaster relief funds of all kinds are seriously under funded if we have actual natural disasters that could easily exceed be many times the levels of Katrina.
Man Caused disasters, have little or no reserve funds or supplies today, and terrorist attacks, anarchy, large scale lawlessness, or deliberate economic sabotage are not buffered by stored surplus supplies or funds any where near the required levels that I’ve ever heard of, other than the grossly inadequate Strategic Petroleum Reserve and a few tons of titanium.
Many more reserves of minerals and metal, clean water, safely stored food, temporary housing, diverse electrical generation, mobile medical facilities and stores of medicines must be created and managed to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing citizen populations, not just enough for our leaders and the self-appointed elite.
Here’s the equation I think is needed in fairly simple wording:
Spend a lot less than comes in;
Take 50% or more of the surplus revenue to retire the National debt;
Take 50% or less of surplus revenue to fund various contingency and reserves for inevitable disasters and economic interruptions;
If there’s anything left, invest it in stockpiles of commodities with the highest probable future needs adjusted upwardly for those most prone to interruptions;
And lower future general tax rates to match lower future Federal government costs;
Equals = Fiscal Responsibility
What remains would be to establish irrevocably severe penalties for anyone who steals, diverts, or mismanages reserves or contingency funds for any other silly purposes.
By “anyone” I mean Presidents and Executive Branch staff, Congress persons, foreigners, citizens, rich, poor or famous, and business and non-profit executives, especially doctors, lawyers, academics and Media celebrities each sentenced with a failed teacher of the same sex.
By “severe” I mean death or life imprisonment without parole in Guantanamo.
Its very name leaves open the idea of increasing taxes to balance the budget. Hell, we don't even have a budget. I don’t want the Spenders and Takers to be able to grow the cost and role of Federal Government without enormous, nearly impossible, difficulty.
We do have spending. Spending is the problem. Limit Federal spending. Limiting Federal spending to below a restricted revenue limit plus special purpose reserves and contingency funds would be a good premise for a Constitutional amendment.
Some growth, if it can be irrevocably restricted to less than or equal to annual inflation, would be permissible. Not some index that can be easily manipulated; and one that includes the costs of all goods, services and government costs.
Emergencies will always occur. Reserves and contingency funds are currently held, although often looted for silly contrived reasons, can be set aside and reserved for all kinds of eventual emergencies. Many already exist. Many more are needed or need to be enlarged and safeguarded. Disaster relief, flood insurance, Federal Deposit Insurance, Federal Emergency Management, etc already exist.
Reserves and contingency funds should be created and begin funding from existing Federal revenues by reducing failed and meaningless programs, and eliminating all expenditures not enumerated in the US Constitution or its amendments.
Unemployment contingency funds were clearly insufficient by recent example. Bank failure funding was clearly under funded. Continuing Government operations during economic impacts to revenue were clearly insufficient. I think we would find that disaster relief funds of all kinds are seriously under funded if we have actual natural disasters that could easily exceed be many times the levels of Katrina.
Man Caused disasters, have little or no reserve funds or supplies today, and terrorist attacks, anarchy, large scale lawlessness, or deliberate economic sabotage are not buffered by stored surplus supplies or funds any where near the required levels that I’ve ever heard of, other than the grossly inadequate Strategic Petroleum Reserve and a few tons of titanium.
Many more reserves of minerals and metal, clean water, safely stored food, temporary housing, diverse electrical generation, mobile medical facilities and stores of medicines must be created and managed to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing citizen populations, not just enough for our leaders and the self-appointed elite.
Here’s the equation I think is needed in fairly simple wording:
Spend a lot less than comes in;
Take 50% or more of the surplus revenue to retire the National debt;
Take 50% or less of surplus revenue to fund various contingency and reserves for inevitable disasters and economic interruptions;
If there’s anything left, invest it in stockpiles of commodities with the highest probable future needs adjusted upwardly for those most prone to interruptions;
And lower future general tax rates to match lower future Federal government costs;
Equals = Fiscal Responsibility
What remains would be to establish irrevocably severe penalties for anyone who steals, diverts, or mismanages reserves or contingency funds for any other silly purposes.
By “anyone” I mean Presidents and Executive Branch staff, Congress persons, foreigners, citizens, rich, poor or famous, and business and non-profit executives, especially doctors, lawyers, academics and Media celebrities each sentenced with a failed teacher of the same sex.
By “severe” I mean death or life imprisonment without parole in Guantanamo.
03 April 2011
Stop Taxing Businesses,
You’re Looting Their Consumers
First, a brief review for those who don’t know what happens when a business is taxed. Let’s begin with income taxes. Businesses generally have two kinds of income;
Operating income that comes from daily transactions mostly sales to customers. It is income that will be needed soon to replace the things they sell or pay for normal business expenses like wages, benefits, electricity, gas, water, and phone or computer access, etc.;
Net profit, that’s what is left over after every allowable business expense has been paid. Interest on borrowed money, travel expenses, product development, required insurances, license fees, consumer protection and warranties, all required costs and all business improvement, employee costs, product development and growth, all are expenses paid before taxes. Some net profit is used to pay back investors, called dividends; taxable to the person or company that receives them, currently a 15% tax.
The current 35% corporate tax rate in the US is among the highest in the developed world. Small businesses, usually individually owned, partnerships or special small corporations, generally pass the tax through to individuals at their regular income tax rates.
Who provides the money that pays this tax? Not the company, not their terrible bankers, not the over paid executives; they have their own personal tax problems. Not their employees, not their suppliers, not their government regulators, not the juries and courts that award lavish settlements, not their over priced attorneys, not their Senators or elected Representative.
That’s right it’s you, their customers. The ones constantly complaining about the prices while you cry out for more taxes on business, encourage more regulation and stricter laws, and mandatory consumer protections and health care increases, or higher wages and benefits, or excessive safety features, all of these costs must be passed on to and paid by the purchasers in the price of the products.
The costs of all these nice sounding but very expensive mandatory requirements must be paid by customers, even those who didn’t ask for them and don’t want them.
The companies must add these costs to the prices of all of their products. They must recover all the mandated costs through product sales, or they will have to reduce their future inventory, or lay off employees or pay them less, or stop growing; none of those are wise choices for a successful business.
If customers will not pay all required costs, there is no income to pay taxes, employees, suppliers, interest on loans, utility costs, sales tax on equipment, property tax, interstate transmission tariffs, excise taxes, fuel and highway taxes, health, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and unemployment insurance, or court settlements.
The business is broke and all its employees and customers all out of luck, and no Federal, state or local government tax revenues will be coming through or from this enterprise. No New jobs, no jobs of any kind.
Stop hiding these insidious taxes on individuals in the price of products and services, by pretending to tax businesses.
Businesses don’t pay these kinds of taxes, you do. Businesses just transfer part of your payment for their expensive products to the government along with the costs for collecting, reporting and transmitting your money to the government.
By the time consumers pay all the hidden taxes, their own income taxes, sales tax, property tax, fuel tax, excise tax, and mandatory insurances, permit fees, and licenses;
I am surprised most of us can afford to buy much of anything.
Stop taxing businesses, stop excessive regulation, stop requiring unions, stop manipulating markets with tariffs and subsidies; just stop.
You are drowning us, our children, and our grandchildren in ridiculous spending and oppressive debt.
You are bankrupting this great nation and killing its productive people. Stop it!
First, a brief review for those who don’t know what happens when a business is taxed. Let’s begin with income taxes. Businesses generally have two kinds of income;
Operating income that comes from daily transactions mostly sales to customers. It is income that will be needed soon to replace the things they sell or pay for normal business expenses like wages, benefits, electricity, gas, water, and phone or computer access, etc.;
Net profit, that’s what is left over after every allowable business expense has been paid. Interest on borrowed money, travel expenses, product development, required insurances, license fees, consumer protection and warranties, all required costs and all business improvement, employee costs, product development and growth, all are expenses paid before taxes. Some net profit is used to pay back investors, called dividends; taxable to the person or company that receives them, currently a 15% tax.
The current 35% corporate tax rate in the US is among the highest in the developed world. Small businesses, usually individually owned, partnerships or special small corporations, generally pass the tax through to individuals at their regular income tax rates.
Who provides the money that pays this tax? Not the company, not their terrible bankers, not the over paid executives; they have their own personal tax problems. Not their employees, not their suppliers, not their government regulators, not the juries and courts that award lavish settlements, not their over priced attorneys, not their Senators or elected Representative.
That’s right it’s you, their customers. The ones constantly complaining about the prices while you cry out for more taxes on business, encourage more regulation and stricter laws, and mandatory consumer protections and health care increases, or higher wages and benefits, or excessive safety features, all of these costs must be passed on to and paid by the purchasers in the price of the products.
The costs of all these nice sounding but very expensive mandatory requirements must be paid by customers, even those who didn’t ask for them and don’t want them.
The companies must add these costs to the prices of all of their products. They must recover all the mandated costs through product sales, or they will have to reduce their future inventory, or lay off employees or pay them less, or stop growing; none of those are wise choices for a successful business.
If customers will not pay all required costs, there is no income to pay taxes, employees, suppliers, interest on loans, utility costs, sales tax on equipment, property tax, interstate transmission tariffs, excise taxes, fuel and highway taxes, health, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and unemployment insurance, or court settlements.
The business is broke and all its employees and customers all out of luck, and no Federal, state or local government tax revenues will be coming through or from this enterprise. No New jobs, no jobs of any kind.
Stop hiding these insidious taxes on individuals in the price of products and services, by pretending to tax businesses.
Businesses don’t pay these kinds of taxes, you do. Businesses just transfer part of your payment for their expensive products to the government along with the costs for collecting, reporting and transmitting your money to the government.
By the time consumers pay all the hidden taxes, their own income taxes, sales tax, property tax, fuel tax, excise tax, and mandatory insurances, permit fees, and licenses;
I am surprised most of us can afford to buy much of anything.
Stop taxing businesses, stop excessive regulation, stop requiring unions, stop manipulating markets with tariffs and subsidies; just stop.
You are drowning us, our children, and our grandchildren in ridiculous spending and oppressive debt.
You are bankrupting this great nation and killing its productive people. Stop it!
19 March 2011
Stop Telling World Leaders
What to Do
The sovereign leaders of ancient tribes and nations resent being told anything, especially by a weak leader from a young nation like the United States.
Mind our own business Mr. President. You are helping the Taliban and Al Qaeda recruit more jihadists than all that has previously happened.
These people listen to what is said, and then like a child, they watch to see what you do. When they don’t match immediate distrust is ignited. So far we’ve shown them cultural and current event ignorance, arrogant disregard and disrespect for history, betrayal and false hope killing thousands of whose loved ones will now be easily recruited.
It is presumptuous of you to lecture any other countries leader about how to control insurgencies and rebels. They have far more experience than you or anyone from our young nation. Everywhere else in the old world a failed insurgent is imprisoned, tortured and murdered to prevent recurrence; that’s what must happen there. Successful rebels will kill all of the old regime resisters that might imperil them. It just the way life works.
You Sir must stop encouraging the rebellious to overthrow existing governments, especially since we will not and cannot support or defend them.
You Sir are getting them killed by the hundreds of thousands.
Shut up about things which are none of our country’s business. I doubt that any Arab sovereigns called and asked for your uninformed, inexperienced opinion. Apparently, you are ignoring advice from your advisors, not consulting them, or they are the most ignorant pretenders to ever advise a President.
Who is the ruler and why, of a sovereign nation is not up to the United States. We must work with them like we find them. If we continue to interfere in their internal affairs we will reap more misery than our corrupt, bankrupt, poorly managed, fledgling nation can afford or survive.
Say only carefully planned and fully vetted things important to Americans, and;
Shut up about the internal affairs of others, and; especially stop commenting on things about which you are ignorant or incompletely informed;
Which is apparently nearly everything, including inciting immigrant violence in Arizona, or Union violence in Wisconsin?
No one is waiting around for your speechwriters and advisors to think of something cleaver for you to be seen and heard saying.
Pretty much everything would be better if you would just, stop talking and do some work!
The sovereign leaders of ancient tribes and nations resent being told anything, especially by a weak leader from a young nation like the United States.
Mind our own business Mr. President. You are helping the Taliban and Al Qaeda recruit more jihadists than all that has previously happened.
These people listen to what is said, and then like a child, they watch to see what you do. When they don’t match immediate distrust is ignited. So far we’ve shown them cultural and current event ignorance, arrogant disregard and disrespect for history, betrayal and false hope killing thousands of whose loved ones will now be easily recruited.
It is presumptuous of you to lecture any other countries leader about how to control insurgencies and rebels. They have far more experience than you or anyone from our young nation. Everywhere else in the old world a failed insurgent is imprisoned, tortured and murdered to prevent recurrence; that’s what must happen there. Successful rebels will kill all of the old regime resisters that might imperil them. It just the way life works.
You Sir must stop encouraging the rebellious to overthrow existing governments, especially since we will not and cannot support or defend them.
You Sir are getting them killed by the hundreds of thousands.
Shut up about things which are none of our country’s business. I doubt that any Arab sovereigns called and asked for your uninformed, inexperienced opinion. Apparently, you are ignoring advice from your advisors, not consulting them, or they are the most ignorant pretenders to ever advise a President.
Who is the ruler and why, of a sovereign nation is not up to the United States. We must work with them like we find them. If we continue to interfere in their internal affairs we will reap more misery than our corrupt, bankrupt, poorly managed, fledgling nation can afford or survive.
Say only carefully planned and fully vetted things important to Americans, and;
Shut up about the internal affairs of others, and; especially stop commenting on things about which you are ignorant or incompletely informed;
Which is apparently nearly everything, including inciting immigrant violence in Arizona, or Union violence in Wisconsin?
No one is waiting around for your speechwriters and advisors to think of something cleaver for you to be seen and heard saying.
Pretty much everything would be better if you would just, stop talking and do some work!
Knowing and Doing,
For What Purpose?
I spent much of my life’s time, energy and personal resources seeking knowledge detrimental to some other important personal activities.
I wanted to know as much as I could about many subjects; economics, money management, business, religion, politics, philosophy, history, science, ecology, government, human behavior, foreign cultures, and many more. It seems now that I found something interesting about nearly everything.
Going and doing were most important to me for what I hope is the first half of my life. Now that I’m less physically capable and less energetic, I’m less driven to go, but still enjoy visiting and learning about other countries and cultures. I’m less driven to do all the things that occur to me that could be done, although I seem to always have a constructive project in the works.
I am still driven to know. I investigate study and learn several new things each day. I have little more idea why now than before. Some interests are clearly driven by personal needs, some by passing curiosity, some by the need to accomplish, some by simple puzzlement.
And so recently I find myself wondering, for what purpose am I drawn to know? All knowledges have a price, some are very costly.
Many subjects I study just to relieve the irritation of not knowing; some just to refine what I know and how I feel about current or historical events; others just to explore alternative beliefs.
In even the most ludicrous ideas and ridiculous humor is often a grain of simple fact or drop of pure truth. And in the most serious subjects and human predicaments is an occasionally uproariously funny moment.
So, the purpose of this quest to know, I’m not sure. It is true I have learned much. Of course, I began knowing little. It wasn’t to beat my parents. They were both well informed, wise, thoughtful and kind for their time.
I was driven to know, not to take advantage, but to use meager resources wisely. I know that often I sought to avoid misery, although not always or strongly. There are things to be learned from misery.
Having almost always had a reasonable amount of money, or able to get some; I have never been destitute or broke. I’ve lost significant amounts by poorly chosen or badly timed decisions. I’ve occasionally spent more than I could lay my hands upon in the short term. I used money wisely and productively for the most part, saved hard and invested carefully in recent decades and have chosen wisely more times than not; but chasing riches only held me captive until my mid thirties when I recognized my mortality and confronted my fallibility.
Monetary wealth is not what drove me to know. It’s a simple task to accumulate; just use much less than you make.
Maybe it is the simple joy of understanding, or the effort of the quest, or the thrill of surprising discovery.
Esteem, some seek status through the display of what they know. I don’t recall doing it, but I’m sure I took pleasure from knowing what others did not.
Developing and nurturing self-esteem is important, so never take things you haven’t earned, to do so damages self-esteem, because no matter what you say or how you are treated, you will always know, you did not deserve it. To learn was easily available, relatively cheap, they couldn’t tax me for it, or easily take it way, and I will always know I earned it.
Whatever the reasons, I would rather know than not know, even the worst things.
I spent much of my life’s time, energy and personal resources seeking knowledge detrimental to some other important personal activities.
I wanted to know as much as I could about many subjects; economics, money management, business, religion, politics, philosophy, history, science, ecology, government, human behavior, foreign cultures, and many more. It seems now that I found something interesting about nearly everything.
Going and doing were most important to me for what I hope is the first half of my life. Now that I’m less physically capable and less energetic, I’m less driven to go, but still enjoy visiting and learning about other countries and cultures. I’m less driven to do all the things that occur to me that could be done, although I seem to always have a constructive project in the works.
I am still driven to know. I investigate study and learn several new things each day. I have little more idea why now than before. Some interests are clearly driven by personal needs, some by passing curiosity, some by the need to accomplish, some by simple puzzlement.
And so recently I find myself wondering, for what purpose am I drawn to know? All knowledges have a price, some are very costly.
Many subjects I study just to relieve the irritation of not knowing; some just to refine what I know and how I feel about current or historical events; others just to explore alternative beliefs.
In even the most ludicrous ideas and ridiculous humor is often a grain of simple fact or drop of pure truth. And in the most serious subjects and human predicaments is an occasionally uproariously funny moment.
So, the purpose of this quest to know, I’m not sure. It is true I have learned much. Of course, I began knowing little. It wasn’t to beat my parents. They were both well informed, wise, thoughtful and kind for their time.
I was driven to know, not to take advantage, but to use meager resources wisely. I know that often I sought to avoid misery, although not always or strongly. There are things to be learned from misery.
Having almost always had a reasonable amount of money, or able to get some; I have never been destitute or broke. I’ve lost significant amounts by poorly chosen or badly timed decisions. I’ve occasionally spent more than I could lay my hands upon in the short term. I used money wisely and productively for the most part, saved hard and invested carefully in recent decades and have chosen wisely more times than not; but chasing riches only held me captive until my mid thirties when I recognized my mortality and confronted my fallibility.
Monetary wealth is not what drove me to know. It’s a simple task to accumulate; just use much less than you make.
Maybe it is the simple joy of understanding, or the effort of the quest, or the thrill of surprising discovery.
Esteem, some seek status through the display of what they know. I don’t recall doing it, but I’m sure I took pleasure from knowing what others did not.
Developing and nurturing self-esteem is important, so never take things you haven’t earned, to do so damages self-esteem, because no matter what you say or how you are treated, you will always know, you did not deserve it. To learn was easily available, relatively cheap, they couldn’t tax me for it, or easily take it way, and I will always know I earned it.
Whatever the reasons, I would rather know than not know, even the worst things.
Freedom Fighters
Rebels, Who are They, What Do They Want?
I think rebellions are a lot like genetic mutations, most all are bad, but fortunately very few can reproduce.
I think the leaders of some countries have jumped way ahead of the facts. I don’t think they know hardly anything about those who are attempting to overthrow leaders in any other country, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, wherever.
Admittedly, many of these current leaders are not friendly to the US, or ethnic populations and most are stealing the wealth of the people and the country they all profess to love.
Wishing a leader friendly to the US would take over someone else’s country is naïve and selfish. If we want our sovereignty respected we must respect the sovereignty of other peoples and places.
The first question that should be answered by human intelligence is, who is this current crop of rebels and what are they about? Are they just killing their long time oppressor, overthrowing their current government, killing ethnics they hate, stealing treasure, yearning for freedom, or do they just want to be the oppressor for awhile? Do they have leaders who might be capable of running an entire country? Do they want freedom? Can they handle it? Are they any better than what’s there?
These questions should have at least partial indications and answers before our leader says or does anything.
It is said, that one person’s freedom fighter is another person’s terrorist; cleaver, but not very useful.
It is shameful if the US has encouraged this current crop of rebels to believe the US will help them throw off their oppressors and take charge of running a country.
It’s terribly foolish for the US President to comment upon the fitness or timeliness of another counties leader, or hint at assistance, wishing out loud for an outcome, that may never come resulting in thousands of dead.
Who are these rebel people and what do they actually want? We cannot and should not even condone their actions until we know for sure; and should never support a new murderous regime over an existing poor leader we know but don’t like.
It should not be our business, unless it’s crucial to our prosperity and security.
Let their friends help them. They likely understand them better than we do, and may know more about what’s needed in their neighbors’ country.
While we mind our own business, not commenting until we know; if the devil we know is worse than one we don’t know.
I think rebellions are a lot like genetic mutations, most all are bad, but fortunately very few can reproduce.
I think the leaders of some countries have jumped way ahead of the facts. I don’t think they know hardly anything about those who are attempting to overthrow leaders in any other country, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, wherever.
Admittedly, many of these current leaders are not friendly to the US, or ethnic populations and most are stealing the wealth of the people and the country they all profess to love.
Wishing a leader friendly to the US would take over someone else’s country is naïve and selfish. If we want our sovereignty respected we must respect the sovereignty of other peoples and places.
The first question that should be answered by human intelligence is, who is this current crop of rebels and what are they about? Are they just killing their long time oppressor, overthrowing their current government, killing ethnics they hate, stealing treasure, yearning for freedom, or do they just want to be the oppressor for awhile? Do they have leaders who might be capable of running an entire country? Do they want freedom? Can they handle it? Are they any better than what’s there?
These questions should have at least partial indications and answers before our leader says or does anything.
It is said, that one person’s freedom fighter is another person’s terrorist; cleaver, but not very useful.
It is shameful if the US has encouraged this current crop of rebels to believe the US will help them throw off their oppressors and take charge of running a country.
It’s terribly foolish for the US President to comment upon the fitness or timeliness of another counties leader, or hint at assistance, wishing out loud for an outcome, that may never come resulting in thousands of dead.
Who are these rebel people and what do they actually want? We cannot and should not even condone their actions until we know for sure; and should never support a new murderous regime over an existing poor leader we know but don’t like.
It should not be our business, unless it’s crucial to our prosperity and security.
Let their friends help them. They likely understand them better than we do, and may know more about what’s needed in their neighbors’ country.
While we mind our own business, not commenting until we know; if the devil we know is worse than one we don’t know.
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