Most of those people have no understanding of history. It's important to understand that Ahmadinejad is NOT the leader of Iran, even though Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh make you think that is true. The Ayatollah is the true leader (period, end of story).
So lets look at the history of Iran. Try to see the situation from a leadership position in Iran. Here is what you know as facts:
1) Iran hasn't attacked a sovereign nation in over 200 years
2) The U.S. started a civil war in Iran in 1952 and used the C.I.A. to oust their democratically elected President.
3) The U.S. installs a dictator and supports that dictators ruthless police state even AFTER a civil war erupts in 1978
4) 1979 The religious fanatics win the civil war and they take Americans hostage (none killed) for fear of U.S. retaliation.
5) 1979 U.S. refuses to recognize new gov't
6) 1980 Hostages released and U.S. begins arming Iraq
7) 1981 Iraq invades Iran (there is no disputing who started this war)
8) U.S. continues to support Iraq until hostilities end eight years later
9) This war, supported heavily by the U.S., killed 250,000 Iranians (a hell of a lot more than Sept. 2001)
10) 1991 Iran watches as the U.S. wipes Iraqi military off the map in 5 days - they know they can't stop a U.S. ground invasion
11) Iran sees Pakistan and India break the Nuclear Non-Proliferation agreement and arm with nuclear weapons - no retaliation from the U.S. (Isreal is presumed to have secret nuclear weapons since 1980.) They begin to think about acquiring this type of weapon.
12) 2001 - Twin towers in NYC attacked. No Iranians involved. U.S. President declares Iran part of the Axis of Evil (with North Korea and Iraq).
13) 2003 - First of the declared evil empires attacked. U.S. bogged down in Iraq for years, but sets sites on North Korea.
14) 2006 - North Korea successfully detonates a nuclear weapon - U.S. completely stops thinking about invasion.
15) Iranians take their nuclear ambitions up significantly as a deterrent to 65 years of U.S. belligerence.
16) 2010 - U.S. drops Stuxnet virus onto Iranian nuclear facilites. The Pentagon has concluded that computer sabotage by another country could constitute an act of war, have we just attacked Iran?
17) 2010-2011: U.S. and Israel kill four Iranian Nuclear scientists.
18) 2012: U.S. increases sanction against Iran, threatening no oil sales (there livelihood) if they do not give up nuclear ambitions.
Iran is NOT an innocent country. They do arm militants, but they also know the U.S. arms insurgents in Central America, Afghanistan and around the world and that is not considered an act of war.
Iran DOES incarcerate and kill political prisoners.
This is not a black and white situation. The U.S. is not evil and Iran good.
Look at history and decide - if YOU were in power in Iran what would YOU do? Is it logical to attempt to acquire a nuclear weapon to thwart a belligerent U.S. superpower.
Simply put, there are two sides to this coin and the argument for peace with Iran may not be as naive once you know the facts from there point of view.
For a little levity, may I recommend this from the Onion
http://www.theonion.com/articles/iran-worried-us-might-be-building-8500th-nuclear-w,27325/
Friday, April 27, 2012
Monday, May 10, 2010
Keynes Defenders Have Nothing Left
Over the weekend, I just happened to catch the "Bob Brinker" financial talk show (http://www.bobbrinker.com/). A caller stated that Hayek was right and Keynes was wrong.
Bob got very irate (he's a Keynesian after all). He told the caller that America is NOT practicing Keynesian economics because Keynes specifically called for balanced budgets during good times and only to deficit spend in bad times.
Bob Brinker COMPLETELY misses the point. John Maynard Keynes idea on economics is analogous to telling an alcoholic he is only allowed to drink during a wedding or funeral. Once the alcoholic gets drunk again, he will fall off the bandwagon.
Politicians are no different. Keynes economic model doesn't take into account politics - which DOOMS it to failure. Another analogy would be having a diet that only allows rice cakes and water. When the dieter fails to lose the desired weight, you could argue the dieter ate items that were not part of the diet. But the reality is that diet plan wouldn't work for any human being. The Keynesian argument is that if you DID follow the plan, you would have lost weight. It's a useless argument and the Keynes supporters know it.
Hayek, and others who advocate sound money, are right. The punch bowl needs to be taken away from the politicians. The Great Depression was caused by the Federal Reserves lax policy's with easy money and was extended for almost 15 years by Hoover and Roosevelt who spent like drunken sailors - never letting the economy truly recover from the hangover.
Keynes lack of political history and human nature, has doomed his economic model. The same can be said of Marx and Communism. If everyone just worked for the good of all, we'd all be living in Utopia. But that isn't reality nor is it realistic.
Bob got very irate (he's a Keynesian after all). He told the caller that America is NOT practicing Keynesian economics because Keynes specifically called for balanced budgets during good times and only to deficit spend in bad times.
Bob Brinker COMPLETELY misses the point. John Maynard Keynes idea on economics is analogous to telling an alcoholic he is only allowed to drink during a wedding or funeral. Once the alcoholic gets drunk again, he will fall off the bandwagon.
Politicians are no different. Keynes economic model doesn't take into account politics - which DOOMS it to failure. Another analogy would be having a diet that only allows rice cakes and water. When the dieter fails to lose the desired weight, you could argue the dieter ate items that were not part of the diet. But the reality is that diet plan wouldn't work for any human being. The Keynesian argument is that if you DID follow the plan, you would have lost weight. It's a useless argument and the Keynes supporters know it.
Hayek, and others who advocate sound money, are right. The punch bowl needs to be taken away from the politicians. The Great Depression was caused by the Federal Reserves lax policy's with easy money and was extended for almost 15 years by Hoover and Roosevelt who spent like drunken sailors - never letting the economy truly recover from the hangover.
Keynes lack of political history and human nature, has doomed his economic model. The same can be said of Marx and Communism. If everyone just worked for the good of all, we'd all be living in Utopia. But that isn't reality nor is it realistic.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Keep America Safe
The group Keep America Safe, led by Liz Cheney has attacked the Obama administration for hiring nine lawyers who defended terrorist suspects.
To think that any lawyer would stoop to the level of our Second President and Founding Father - John Adams, and believe that all people deserve a fair trial and defend the rule of law. John Adams insistence on defending British soldiers after the Boston Massacre was not only sickening, but he actually got them acquitted. Without John Adams the court system of Massachusetts would have hung the lot of them. The citizens of Massachusetts were deprived a mass hanging of innocent men.
Are these nine lawyers insane! Terrorists don't need a defense, they need to be shot. Don't these nine lawyers know that over the last sixty years we've ignored nearly all tenants of the Constitution? We no longer declare wars, we assassinate U.S. citizens, ignore the Coinage Act and confiscate private land for developing strip malls (Kelo v. City of New London). Why in the world should we give the accused a fair trial?
Keep America Safe realizes we no longer live in an America governed by laws, rather we live in a country governed by who is best at manipulating the media. Laws be DAMNED - Keep America Safe at all costs.
You go Liz! Continue your fathers excellent work by ripping apart the Constitution piece by piece. After all, to the winner go the spoils, and Constitution is nothing more than a 200 year old document.
And please Liz - remember this Blog post. I don't want to be fingered by some witless bureaucrat and put in prison some time in the future without a lawyer to defend me. I'll help you make an America where everyone thinks like you and your father, that way we won't need any laws. That's the American way!
To think that any lawyer would stoop to the level of our Second President and Founding Father - John Adams, and believe that all people deserve a fair trial and defend the rule of law. John Adams insistence on defending British soldiers after the Boston Massacre was not only sickening, but he actually got them acquitted. Without John Adams the court system of Massachusetts would have hung the lot of them. The citizens of Massachusetts were deprived a mass hanging of innocent men.
Are these nine lawyers insane! Terrorists don't need a defense, they need to be shot. Don't these nine lawyers know that over the last sixty years we've ignored nearly all tenants of the Constitution? We no longer declare wars, we assassinate U.S. citizens, ignore the Coinage Act and confiscate private land for developing strip malls (Kelo v. City of New London). Why in the world should we give the accused a fair trial?
Keep America Safe realizes we no longer live in an America governed by laws, rather we live in a country governed by who is best at manipulating the media. Laws be DAMNED - Keep America Safe at all costs.
You go Liz! Continue your fathers excellent work by ripping apart the Constitution piece by piece. After all, to the winner go the spoils, and Constitution is nothing more than a 200 year old document.
And please Liz - remember this Blog post. I don't want to be fingered by some witless bureaucrat and put in prison some time in the future without a lawyer to defend me. I'll help you make an America where everyone thinks like you and your father, that way we won't need any laws. That's the American way!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The trajectory of the economy is greatly improved!
Yes, you read the title correctly - GREATLY IMPROVED. But those aren't my words, they are the words of Christina Romer, who chairs the president's Council of Economic Advisers.
I beg to differ with Christina Romer. The trajectory of the economy is worsening - being propped up by a boom in equities brought on by almost free money being handed out by the FED. Inflation will soon win the day (less than 24 months) and the economy will go into a free fall of higher prices and higher unemployment.
OK - if I'm so smart, why isn't a genius like Ben Bernanke doing it? Let me give you an analogy - my Uncle Bill came over for a family dinner and I mentioned how NY State gov't was willfully killing a project that would eliminate 10 jobs and save them money. To me this is just ludicrous - no private business would pay 10 people to do something a computer can (and BTW, it's already paid for).
His shocking response - "During bad times, its good to give people something to do."
This is the mentality of Ben Bernanke, Obama, and yes many Republicans too! The Keynes formula is clear C + I + G + X − M = GDP Government (signified by G) is given EQUAL weight to Consumption and Investment. I don't care how many freakin' degrees you have, that formula is wrong. Seriously, if there was NO investment, NO consumption, but Government picked up the slack would GDP continue to rise? Only in a hyper-inflationary environment could you get GDP to rise in such a scenario - and that wouldn't be real GDP - based in a commodity like oil or gold the GDP would shrink faster than a cold male private part.
So why doesn't Ben Bernanke, Christina Romer, Obama, the Democrats and quite a few Republicans realize that we are heading off the cliff? Because they were taught the wrong economic theory. And who teaches that theory - government run schools. Worse yet, we are taught a socialist economic model while being told we live in a free market economy.
And that's not the WORST part. The worst is that I'm right and the future of the US economy is getting bleaker.
I beg to differ with Christina Romer. The trajectory of the economy is worsening - being propped up by a boom in equities brought on by almost free money being handed out by the FED. Inflation will soon win the day (less than 24 months) and the economy will go into a free fall of higher prices and higher unemployment.
OK - if I'm so smart, why isn't a genius like Ben Bernanke doing it? Let me give you an analogy - my Uncle Bill came over for a family dinner and I mentioned how NY State gov't was willfully killing a project that would eliminate 10 jobs and save them money. To me this is just ludicrous - no private business would pay 10 people to do something a computer can (and BTW, it's already paid for).
His shocking response - "During bad times, its good to give people something to do."
This is the mentality of Ben Bernanke, Obama, and yes many Republicans too! The Keynes formula is clear C + I + G + X − M = GDP Government (signified by G) is given EQUAL weight to Consumption and Investment. I don't care how many freakin' degrees you have, that formula is wrong. Seriously, if there was NO investment, NO consumption, but Government picked up the slack would GDP continue to rise? Only in a hyper-inflationary environment could you get GDP to rise in such a scenario - and that wouldn't be real GDP - based in a commodity like oil or gold the GDP would shrink faster than a cold male private part.
So why doesn't Ben Bernanke, Christina Romer, Obama, the Democrats and quite a few Republicans realize that we are heading off the cliff? Because they were taught the wrong economic theory. And who teaches that theory - government run schools. Worse yet, we are taught a socialist economic model while being told we live in a free market economy.
And that's not the WORST part. The worst is that I'm right and the future of the US economy is getting bleaker.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Don't Blame Bully's!
How many times have you watched a TV show, a movie, or maybe even lived the reality of watching a bully take some kids lunch money day after day. Even in the fantasy world of TV/Movies, it takes a long, long time before the kids are willing to stand up and stop the bully. Sadly they could have done it on day one, instead of day 942.
The theme running through all these accounts are that the bully has gone too far, but the kids still feel helpless.
Talking with numerous friends (liberal, conservative, libertarian, socialist, Democrat, Republican) the feeling amongst everyone is usually the same. Even the very excited Obama supporters are feeling the same way. And why not, the American people see no end in site for the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan/Terror. They see bankers getting bailed out by the billions and if they don't want to take a pay cut to $600,000, they walk away from their jobs with $20 million severance packages - all of which wouldn't be possible without taxpayer subsidy.
Unemployment remains above 10%, but we've been told since April about the economic recovery - and the stock market runs over 50% since it's lows in March.
But it's not the bully's of the world who are to blame, it's the people who are too lazy to get off their ass and do something about it.
For a "free country" the media seems to report every piece of financial news with a grain of optimism. The few dedicated financial outlets seem dedicated to cheer leading Wall Street - ignoring the fact that the ONLY true gauge of inflation (Gold) was up almost EXACTLY the same amount as the market in 2009.
You don't need a conspiracy to realize that most people will take the easy road to complete a job. The FED and Treasury put out pre-written statements explaining the latest numbers. Why should a journalist re-write when their work is done for them already. They become reliant on their political contacts who are spoon feeding them the stories they write.
Somehow the 10% unemployment rate is a "lagging" indicator, without realizing that unemployment is ONLY a lagging indicator during cyclical recessions - NOT recessions where consumer credit is being withdrawn.
Unfortunately their are many more people to blame than the "media". Too many people are willing to trade freedom for safety. Some people love laws that restrict freedoms of the 4th Amendment (e.g. Patriot Act), others support the taking of private land to give to a rich developer (Kelo vs. City of New London), and still others support the theft of other peoples wealth to pay for welfare, health care.
All of the above take away our freedoms, while the latter also hurts future economic development and growth. We continue to create a society dependent on the gov't, but it only creates the dilemma when the gov't can't take more wealth to pay for these programs, what does a power like the USA end up doing?
First we go to war to distract the people. (Vietnam)
Second, when that fails we start endless wars. (Terror)
Third, to remove the excess labor supply we will go to multiple wars and institute a draft. (Iran, North Korea to come)
Fourth, we will go to wars to confiscate others wealth.
There is hope! We must mobilize to throw out the politicians who support the Bush/Obama programs.
Hard to believe I'd be writing this but the Clinton years are looking better and better.
The theme running through all these accounts are that the bully has gone too far, but the kids still feel helpless.
Talking with numerous friends (liberal, conservative, libertarian, socialist, Democrat, Republican) the feeling amongst everyone is usually the same. Even the very excited Obama supporters are feeling the same way. And why not, the American people see no end in site for the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan/Terror. They see bankers getting bailed out by the billions and if they don't want to take a pay cut to $600,000, they walk away from their jobs with $20 million severance packages - all of which wouldn't be possible without taxpayer subsidy.
Unemployment remains above 10%, but we've been told since April about the economic recovery - and the stock market runs over 50% since it's lows in March.
But it's not the bully's of the world who are to blame, it's the people who are too lazy to get off their ass and do something about it.
For a "free country" the media seems to report every piece of financial news with a grain of optimism. The few dedicated financial outlets seem dedicated to cheer leading Wall Street - ignoring the fact that the ONLY true gauge of inflation (Gold) was up almost EXACTLY the same amount as the market in 2009.
You don't need a conspiracy to realize that most people will take the easy road to complete a job. The FED and Treasury put out pre-written statements explaining the latest numbers. Why should a journalist re-write when their work is done for them already. They become reliant on their political contacts who are spoon feeding them the stories they write.
Somehow the 10% unemployment rate is a "lagging" indicator, without realizing that unemployment is ONLY a lagging indicator during cyclical recessions - NOT recessions where consumer credit is being withdrawn.
Unfortunately their are many more people to blame than the "media". Too many people are willing to trade freedom for safety. Some people love laws that restrict freedoms of the 4th Amendment (e.g. Patriot Act), others support the taking of private land to give to a rich developer (Kelo vs. City of New London), and still others support the theft of other peoples wealth to pay for welfare, health care.
All of the above take away our freedoms, while the latter also hurts future economic development and growth. We continue to create a society dependent on the gov't, but it only creates the dilemma when the gov't can't take more wealth to pay for these programs, what does a power like the USA end up doing?
First we go to war to distract the people. (Vietnam)
Second, when that fails we start endless wars. (Terror)
Third, to remove the excess labor supply we will go to multiple wars and institute a draft. (Iran, North Korea to come)
Fourth, we will go to wars to confiscate others wealth.
There is hope! We must mobilize to throw out the politicians who support the Bush/Obama programs.
Hard to believe I'd be writing this but the Clinton years are looking better and better.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Save Your Money & Go To Jail?
Sadly, the Democrat proposed health program is suggesting that if you trust in your own health and save your money for another purpose, you will be fined. Fail to pay that fine and you will serve time in jail.
Constitutional scholars actually believe the mandate will hold up in court.
The obvious question is where does this end? What can't the government require us to buy? Maybe you are required to buy $500/year in citrus fruits to stay healthy - don't have the receipts to prove your purchases, then you are fined. Fail to pay the fine and you are jailed. Of course, the dairy lobby will get heavily involved in this as well, arguing the health benefits of milk and cheese. Lactose intolerant individuals and vegans will end up subsidizing the dairy industry.
What happens to charity under this legislation? Seriously, would you give money to Shriners hospital, who helps those who can't afford medical care? Why would you, everyone is covered and the charitable organizations die. The government gets more powerful as competition for health services diminish and the essence of American compassion shrinks.
Our very soul as a nation is being eroded. Our willingness to trade our freedoms for safety - safety from terrorists (Patriot Act), safety from an unknown future disease (Health Care) - both of which ignore the 5th amendment. But where are our courts to protect us from majority rule? What can't our gov't do anymore? And why are those who stand up for our freedoms vilified by the very people who are taking away our freedom?
Constitutional scholars actually believe the mandate will hold up in court.
The obvious question is where does this end? What can't the government require us to buy? Maybe you are required to buy $500/year in citrus fruits to stay healthy - don't have the receipts to prove your purchases, then you are fined. Fail to pay the fine and you are jailed. Of course, the dairy lobby will get heavily involved in this as well, arguing the health benefits of milk and cheese. Lactose intolerant individuals and vegans will end up subsidizing the dairy industry.
What happens to charity under this legislation? Seriously, would you give money to Shriners hospital, who helps those who can't afford medical care? Why would you, everyone is covered and the charitable organizations die. The government gets more powerful as competition for health services diminish and the essence of American compassion shrinks.
Our very soul as a nation is being eroded. Our willingness to trade our freedoms for safety - safety from terrorists (Patriot Act), safety from an unknown future disease (Health Care) - both of which ignore the 5th amendment. But where are our courts to protect us from majority rule? What can't our gov't do anymore? And why are those who stand up for our freedoms vilified by the very people who are taking away our freedom?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Football, Education & Money
For some reason I'm always amazed by the idiocy of our politicians. This time, Texas Congressman Joe Barton (Republican) has put up a bill that, if passed, would require the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) to create a playoff system if they want to crown a national college football champion.
Yes, it is true that most people do want a college playoff system. It is true that the current BCS system sometimes creates rancorous debates among fans of college's left over undefeated teams. But what is alsow true, is that this is the EXACT type of legislation banned by our Constitution.
First, there is nothing in our Constitution that allows the Federal Gov't to regulate the crowning of a college (or even professional) sport.
Second, the Constitution is specifically designed to protect the rights of minority's, regardless how popular a college playoff system would become (if the BCS wants to forgo a lucrative playoff system, we don't have the right to tell them what to do).
What about the unintended consequences of such legislation. Are four teams enough for a playoff system? According to NCAA basketball, they think 64 teams are the magic number. When do these playoff start and end? Don't colleges have the right to say we don't want another four weeks added to the football season? After all, most of these players are only getting half an education as is, why shorten it further.
Sadly, such schools such as Stanford, may choose to drop out of Division I-A football if it requires the students to miss more weeks of school, to prepare for football games with no career prospects in their futures.
Last - even if you ignore the Constitution (which most Americans, politicians and courts already do), aren't we asking these students to make millions of dollars for advertisers, bowl promoters, Las Vegas, the broadcast networks and their schools, for the sum of ZERO pay! Classic government, one regulation to promote a playoff system, will probably run counter to another regulation limiting forced child labor.
Yes, it is true that most people do want a college playoff system. It is true that the current BCS system sometimes creates rancorous debates among fans of college's left over undefeated teams. But what is alsow true, is that this is the EXACT type of legislation banned by our Constitution.
First, there is nothing in our Constitution that allows the Federal Gov't to regulate the crowning of a college (or even professional) sport.
Second, the Constitution is specifically designed to protect the rights of minority's, regardless how popular a college playoff system would become (if the BCS wants to forgo a lucrative playoff system, we don't have the right to tell them what to do).
What about the unintended consequences of such legislation. Are four teams enough for a playoff system? According to NCAA basketball, they think 64 teams are the magic number. When do these playoff start and end? Don't colleges have the right to say we don't want another four weeks added to the football season? After all, most of these players are only getting half an education as is, why shorten it further.
Sadly, such schools such as Stanford, may choose to drop out of Division I-A football if it requires the students to miss more weeks of school, to prepare for football games with no career prospects in their futures.
Last - even if you ignore the Constitution (which most Americans, politicians and courts already do), aren't we asking these students to make millions of dollars for advertisers, bowl promoters, Las Vegas, the broadcast networks and their schools, for the sum of ZERO pay! Classic government, one regulation to promote a playoff system, will probably run counter to another regulation limiting forced child labor.
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