Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Different types of Freedom
If you want freedom in this country, you spend your blood, sweat, and time against someone else's money.
I'm coming to realize there are different types of freedom. It all comes down to what you'll accept - a matter of choices.
I'm coming to realize there are different types of freedom. It all comes down to what you'll accept - a matter of choices.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Churchill on the Truth
The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Generosity without Affluence, and Butterflies
There are many of us who would like to see things change. The vexing question comes down to How? and Where to begin?
Or, to put it another way, Where do we find the butterfly to bring on the tsunami?
I know that people can be generous even when they have very little. That was the paradigm of life for vast numbers of Americans during the years of the Great Depression. My parents showed me innumerable examples when I was growing up.
I live in a country now, Australia, that takes national pride in its generosity towards others. I will not say it is perfect, since they have some of the same problems as the US with mental illness, aging, and disability. But the national heritage is to help each other.
It's something I no longer see in America, and it saddens me.
Or, to put it another way, Where do we find the butterfly to bring on the tsunami?
I know that people can be generous even when they have very little. That was the paradigm of life for vast numbers of Americans during the years of the Great Depression. My parents showed me innumerable examples when I was growing up.
I live in a country now, Australia, that takes national pride in its generosity towards others. I will not say it is perfect, since they have some of the same problems as the US with mental illness, aging, and disability. But the national heritage is to help each other.
It's something I no longer see in America, and it saddens me.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Constitutional Limits of Representation
The most important issue never resolved was the issue of fairness. In particular, the discussion of fairness was cut short by the imposition of ideology - mostly on constitutional terms.
In these ideological debates, a great deal is made of the Preamble to the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the first 10 Amendments, but very little attention if paid to the intrinsic wisdom in other areas.
If you step back from the Constitution and look at it as a system of governance, not government, much of the ideological barricading is quickly lost.
In these ideological debates, a great deal is made of the Preamble to the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the first 10 Amendments, but very little attention if paid to the intrinsic wisdom in other areas.
If you step back from the Constitution and look at it as a system of governance, not government, much of the ideological barricading is quickly lost.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Small is better
Why would giving the government more money even anything out?
If the "have nots" are not getting paid enough for some to consider it fair, giving more money to the government certainly does not help out the working middle class. Or does it?
Why would it not? For an economy to grow and prosper, the growth has to come from the lower levels of the population.
The philosophy of 'trickle down' economics has proven a failure backed by lies, damned lies, and statistics. Put more money in the hands of the wealthy and the GDP grows along with the deficit; the proportion of the economy controlled by the wealthy increases, and middle class disintegrates. If you only look at GDP, it's a success.
Before the GFC, the Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 administrations accounted for about 2/3rd of the national debt.
Bush 43 nearly doubled the nominal amount again in his last days in office by signing away $650 billion in TARP funds, and committing the government to another $450 billion. Obama has not expended $450 billion of the TARP funds.
If the "have nots" are not getting paid enough for some to consider it fair, giving more money to the government certainly does not help out the working middle class. Or does it?
Why would it not? For an economy to grow and prosper, the growth has to come from the lower levels of the population.
The philosophy of 'trickle down' economics has proven a failure backed by lies, damned lies, and statistics. Put more money in the hands of the wealthy and the GDP grows along with the deficit; the proportion of the economy controlled by the wealthy increases, and middle class disintegrates. If you only look at GDP, it's a success.
Before the GFC, the Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 administrations accounted for about 2/3rd of the national debt.
Bush 43 nearly doubled the nominal amount again in his last days in office by signing away $650 billion in TARP funds, and committing the government to another $450 billion. Obama has not expended $450 billion of the TARP funds.
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