Financial Woes

2010
06.04

Remember the Global Financial Crisis?  Think it is all now a distant memory?  Well think again, my friends because we are in for some rocky times up ahead.  Rocky, as in Sylvester Stallone raw egg smoothie drinking Rocky.  But here’s a tip: good property is good property.  No matter how far the economy falls, sipping your pina colada, looking out over the sea from your mansion in the hills is going to be good.  As long as you don’t mind the fact that the rum in your pina colada was fermented in a bucket and due to the shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables, has cordial instead of pineapple and milk instead of coconut cream.  Breast milk.  Which you stole from your own child’s helpless hands.

Yes, things are going to take a turn for the worst I’m afraid.  I’d say buy gold, but that was so 2006, at which point you probably would have ridiculed me for being so unhip.  Now that gold has almost tripled in price since then, I’ll expect all of your written apologies.  Write them on a dollar bill.  It’ll be cheaper than the paper it’s printed on soon enough anyway.

Not that I want to alarm you.  Look at it this way – you’ve got your house and everything is nice and orderly now.  Here’s how you prepare for the turmoil ahead: go to the supermarket and buy a few dozen cans of Spam, baked beans, rice and other shit that doesn’t go bad fast.  Now (and this is key) secretly store your supplies away in a place that no-one else knows about.  When the food runs out and everyone is going nuts, you’ll have a 400% greater chance of survival.  Now that’s just good old fashioned common sense!

Of course, you won’t be able to buy anything because your paper money will be worthless.  But just before the invading hoardes arrive and buy up your hungry neighbors’ houses, you can take the opportunity to trade food for their luxury items.  Those flat screen TVs and home theater systems will seem like a small price to pay when bartered for some chunky chicken soup in a can and a few handfuls of rice.  Trust me, starving people will agree to anything.  Just make sure that the food gives them only enough energy to survive, but not enough to come and steal your supplies.  Don’t worry, when the Chinese move in they’ll fix up the place and you’ll be able to sell for a song!

Of course, this is the Internet and a post about the rapidly-approaching Apocalypse would not be complete without some kind of conspiracy bullshit thrown in.  So here goes.  See, everyone is going nuts over how America is bailing everyone out and spreading their money about.  But this is actually a secret plot to put the world on the dollar.  Hey, the world has to have some kind of world currency one day doesn’t it?  Why not just make it the dollar?  Slowly, all the other currencies will collapse as the US financial market encourages easy credit so that countries spend and spend themselves into oblivion, like Greece and Spain have been doing.  I don’t have to tell you.  You know what’s going on.

Mind you, it might just be a case of trimming the budget.  You know, like not going out so much, eating in, shining your own shoes, cancelling your subscription to Hot Jugs Monthly.  You’re damn right it’s going to be hard.  You may have to spend less on electricity too, forcing you to spend time interacting with other people and making human connections as opposed to cyber ones.  We’ll all get through it somehow.  God knows how.

This stuff makes my head hurt, but it would be remiss of me not to say at least something.  I may be wrong.  It may just be a light shower.  But if I’m right and that financial storm that’s brewing on the horizon unleashes a torrent of hellfire upon us all, don’t even think of trying to find my secret box of Spam.  I will be armed.

There will be nothing great about this depression, mark my words.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to go and lie down.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Turning Point

2010
04.11

The assassination of John F. Kennedy is often cited as a major turning point of American politics.  His death was tragic and left a great scar across the political face of the country, leaving it in a state of shock. Whoever was running on the Republican ticket was certain to have a tough time arguing against the policies of a dead man. Yet, Lyndon Baines Johnson’s resounding victory over Barry Goldwater in the election of 1964 was a turning point in itself, and not necessarily a good one.

“Barry Goldwater?  Ain’t he the warmongering racist who opposed the Civil Rights Act?”

Indeed he was, if you believe his detractors.  Though Kennedy’s assassination shadowed his candidacy from the start, his opposition to the Civil Rights Act would doom him to the popularity of a fringe candidate.  Coupled with his consideration of using nuclear weapons in Vietnam, he was easily painted as an extremist, out of touch with the mood of the day.

Yet, the resulting era of dirty politics and over-reaching federal powers still endures to this day.  Barry Goldwater may not have been a great alternative to LBJ, but even had he done what his critics threatened he would, he may still have been a better President than Johnson turned out to be.

Despite the claim, Goldwater didn’t actually oppose the Civil Rights Act because he was a racist.  To him, telling people who they could and couldn’t let onto their property wasn’t consistent with the principles of a free society.  The policy of segregation, of exclusion and public discrimination toward blacks was quite reprehensible, backward even for the 1950s.  Yet, like the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution before them, Federal  statutes only forced compliance, but didn’t address the underlying problem of racism, especially in the South.   ”You cannot pass a law that will make me like you — or you like me,” Goldwater told one rally. “That is something that can only happen in our hearts.”  Goldwater’s downfall was opposing an Act that traded a principle of free speech and association, hateful as it was being employed by some, to treat the symptoms of racism, but not the cure.

People just assumed he was a racist because he opposed the Civil Rights Act.

Barry Goldwater also predicted the current form of the Republican Party.  In an interview with the Washington Post in 1994, the then-retired Arizona senator said

When you say “radical right” today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson and others who are trying to take the Republican party and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever happens, kiss politics goodbye.

I think we all know how that turned out.

Though Goldwater had alienated many in his own party with his offhand, often reckless remarks, gone against the Civil Rights Act, which on the surface seemed like a positive step for a divided country, it was LBJ’s “Daisy” campaign which sealed the election and led to the biggest victory by a presidential candidate in the 20th century.

“Daisy” was a commercial that ran briefly, featuring a little girl counting to ten, then having that count reversed by a baritone voice down to zero, at which point a nuclear bomb exploded.  Johnson successfully depicted Goldwater as a warmonger who would resort to a nuclear attack on Vietnam.

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It was true, Goldwater had openly said that small nuclear bombs could be used to destroy the foliage in the jungles, reducing the Vietcong’s cover, which was the cornerstone of their  military strategy.  What he had said made a little sense from a military perspective and perhaps even from a human perspective. He didn’t appear to want to direct the bombs at population centers, but rather at forests, which may have reduced human casualties.  It’s not a great argument, but I suppose an argument could be made. However, in the context of political debate and without acknowledging the gravity of using nuclear devices as weapons in war it was a careless and costly remark.  Goldwater had hereby supplied his opponents with enough fuel for him to be burned as a warmongering psychopath who would love to drop the a-bomb on Vietnam.

Yet, once Johnson was elected, he quickly reversed his rhetoric and hurriedly drew up plans to escalate the Vietnam War, fabricating the Gulf of Tonkin incident to drum up support for full-scale war.  Agent Orange, a chemical agent, was used on the jungles of Vietnam to defoliate them, resulting in 400,000 deaths and 500,000 children born with birth defects.  The war was undeclared by the Congress, unconstitutionally expanded the power of the Executive branch, took over ten years and resulted in the deaths of over four million Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian men, women and children.  Who was the extreme warmongering psychopath again?

At least Goldwater wanted to get in and leave quickly or get out altogether.

An interesting article in Reason discusses the Goldwater movement and how, after the political beating he got in the election, a joke about the election went:

They told me that if I voted for Goldwater, we’d have a war in Southeast Asia, civil and racial unrest, and a ruined economy. I went ahead and voted for him anyway, and it turned out they were absolutely right.

At the time of the campaign, Vice-President Johnson was telling the public, “We are not going to send American boys nine or 10 thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves.” Meanwhile, his advisors were drawing up plans to put 200,000 troops in Vietnam within a year.  His “Daisy” commercial made Goldwater seem like the warmonger that Johnson himself actually turned out to be.

The use of military force without a declaration, in direct violation of the Constitution; the expansion of Presidential powers beyond their constitutional limits;  these were the results of Johnson’s election.  “Daisy” ushered in a new age of dirty politics, giving rise to creeps like Richard Nixon and the religious Right’s brand of morality.

Goldwater wasn’t a racist, but he came across as one because he had no idea about how his views could so easily be misconstrued or even just misinterpreted.  When you stand against something, you’d better propose a better alternative and market it well or someone else will define your stance for you.  Once Goldwater stood against the Civil Rights Act on the grounds that it overstepped the bounds of a constitutional Federal government, he needed to propose a better solution for curing the social ills of racism and segregation.  Instead, he became a magnet for the KKK and a whole manner of other segregationists who assumed he just hated the darkies as much as they did.

Such is the destiny of the politician who means well, but is not aware enough of the game to play it effectively.

Showing sympathy for Goldwater and his politically incorrect opinions may not win me any friends.  It may even make me some enemies.  But I liken his stance to that famous phrase attributed to Voltaire:

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

If freedom is only reserved for the prevailing attitudes of the day, and all other views are punished, then there will surely come a day when the prevailing attitudes are usurped to enforce one group’s notion of freedom at the expense of other groups or individuals.  When freedom is supported in principle, it must be supported for all.

Wars of ideology need to be fought with ideas.  Freedom is not a state which can be granted by the government.  It is the inherent state of human beings.  Governments  have trampled on more rights through over-reaching regulations and unnecessary wars than have racists who refuse service to blacks.

Goldwater lost because the public could not see the distinction between not supporting the Act and not supporting that particular cure for racism. Currently, as we continue to fight two wars in the Middle East, have our freedoms usurped through wiretapping and dismissal of the right of habeus corpus, as we relinquish more and more of our freedoms, even the freedom whether or not to buy health insurance, it seems that the public today are even less capable of making that distinction as they were in 1964.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Healthcare

2010
03.30

I wish more things were like the Apple iPhone Application Store.  I just downloaded a little program called Sleep Cycle.  It sits on my bed as I sleep, monitors when I’m dreaming or in deep sleep and adjusts my alarm clock automatically (within a 30 minute window) to wake me when I reach a light sleep stage.  I know!

Don’t even get me started about the WC Finder or OneTap movie finder.  Or Runkeeper, the program that tracks me via GPS as I run, recording my runs in an online database and connecting me to other runners in my area.  Or Stanza, the simple ebook reader that can have me downloading all the classics in a couple of seconds.  I’m reading The Count of Monte Cristo on it right now.

The human entrepeneurial spirit is a remarkable one.  The American version a particularly remarkable one.  When people are shown the carrot, they will formulate the most amazing devices and plans to get it.  When used correctly, the entrepeneurs are the engines that drive our economy and standard of living higher.

Why can’t we make medicine like that?

But David, if we do that, there will be some people who get sick from bad doctors who are just out to make money!

Good point.  Let’s look at how the app store and almost every other internet business solves this problem.  Did they get government?  No.  Did they propose legislation?  No.  Did they use a feedback mechanism which built a company’s reputation?  You bet your ass they did.

Bad news travels faster than good news for a reason.  You can have a system where half the people can’t get good care because there are a thousand laws in between a med graduate and a practicing doctor.  Or where people fork over a large portion of their wealth to buy into a bloated, astronomically expensive and wasteful government-endorsed system.  Or you can accept some element of risk, do your research from other customers and go with the specific solution the market has dreamt up.

There is yet an iPhone application that can scan my brainwaves to determine, diagnose and treat my ailments.  But you can bet that when such a House MD app exists it will be the result of some person’s dream of making themself rich.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Reefer Madness

2010
03.30

I came across this chart the other day:

Note the sudden spike in the rate of incarceration.  The illustration subtly implies that CNN had something to do with this, but I’d like to suggest another significant movement that started during the early 80s: The Drug War.

The War on Drugs, popularized by Nixon (that should be a sign) and greatly expanded in the 80′s by Ronald Reagan, has sent more people to jail in the past 20 years than were incarcerated during the previous 60.  According to a U.S. Department of Defence report, over 50% of inmates currently serving in US penitentiaries are there for drug-related offenses.  In other words, many people serving time in prison right now are doing so for the heinous crime of using a substance on their own body.

Principles of freedom aside, the Drug War might be something if it made our societies safer, with less crime and drug use.  However, it has done just the opposite.  Drug use is up and unlike other drugs like alcohol, nicotine or Vicodin, illicit drugs remain strongly associated with crime, as the only suppliers are the cartels, who have made billions from the inflated prices that the War on Drugs encourages.

When do I get to live in a civilization advanced enough to see how illogical this is?

Popularity: unranked [?]

Crime and Education

2010
03.28

I’m going to be bold and make a suggestion: if we treated crime with education instead of punishment, we would have a far more positive effect on society.

Imagine allowing prisoners to reduce their sentences by 50% by completing a degree from a recognized university.  Not only would they have some control over their futures, but they would gain valuable skills which can help them succeed in the future, as well as self-confidence in their abilities.  It is in the interest of society that we educate and rehabilitate those who have not had success with education in the past.

In prison, I’d imagine you have a lot of time.  What prisoner wouldn’t jump at the chance to reduce their sentence by reading a few books?

The principle behind this proposal is that crime is inversely proportional to level of education.  That is, the lower the level of education, the more likely a person is to be incarcerated.  A recent study on Education and Public Safety by the Justice Policy Institute indicates the following:

  • States with higher levels of educational attainment had crime rates   lower than the national average.
  • States with higher college enrollment levels had lower rates of violent crime than those with lower college enrollment levels.
  • States which invested more money into education saw violent crime rates decrease.
  • Risk of incarceration is significantly higher  for those of color, who are more likely to have greater barriers to educational opportunities.

The full Justice Policy Institute report can be read below:

Popularity: 1% [?]

Viva La Republique! (a poem)

2010
03.22

Left and Right should not fight,
They should instead combine their might,
For nurture plays its vital role,
So society needs its Liberal,
But Liberty is a delicate flower,
Easily trampled by runaway power.
To ensure that freedom ever lives,
Society needs its Conservative.
The Founders knew these facts of course,
For they were intellectuals,
Learned men of poise and grace,
Who wanted to put government in its place,
To ensure the freedom that all desire,
While raising the standard of living higher.
They were a part of the Enlightenment,
Weary of the heavy hand of Government,
Where whim rules the fates of all,
Corruption breeds and freedoms fall.
They chose another road instead,
Leaving Kings and Queens for dead,
They founded a nation of Common Law,
With the pursuit of happiness at its core.
For happiness is not a guarantee,
Just a right to keep your property,
If some person has not enough,
You can’t just steal someone else’s stuff,
For if you did, then what would be,
The proper role of charity?
Plus how could such a thing be right,
To forcibly take through government might?
The founders knew that some need care,
That community support should always be there,
But not by chopping down the law,
And the freedom they fought the British for.

~

Adam Smith had demonstrated,
And with economic model calculated,
A notion new and elegantly grand,
That the market had an invisible hand.
As free people traded at a rapid rate,
The hand stepped in to regulate,
When businessmen lied and stole,
Their supply of wealth soon went cold,
For fickle is the buyers’ taste,
When competition rules the marketplace.
Without the use of government favor,
Business could only grow through labor,
By being better than all the rest,
Not buying favor through lobbyists.
So thus it went and all was well,
Until an idea began to dwell,
As the Founders’ time had come and gone,
Had they been right all along?
Or could the balance be tweaked a bit,
To make society give a shit,
About the poor, the sick, the needy,
“Ah ha!” they cried. “Let’s tax the greedy!”
And thus the guilt trip foiled the plan,
To have freedom rule the land,
For how can one be truly free,
When others may claim your property?
But once that principle was signed away,
The poor they grew, day-by-day,
A new currency had shown its creed:
The currency of necessity.

~

When the needy get the greater claim,
It makes more sense to do the same,
So interest groups they grew like weeds,
To propagate their list of needs.
But soon the rich ran out of dough,
And saw the way they had to go,
They used the government to promote their cause,
By adding a clause into the Laws,
That helped their business thrive and grow,
By buying people in the know.
Enter the age of Corporatist glee,
From Goldman Sacks to AIG,
They cheat and steal and bribe and curse,
To get a piece of the public purse,
All this because we deemed it wise,
To use the government to equalize,
Just like Religion’s old advice,
That good will come from sacrifice,
We kept believing through and through,
That a little bit more would finally do,
Until we looked around and saw,
There was nothing left to give anymore.
And not just that (surprise, surprise)
The claims of need had all been lies.
By helping people out of poverty,
The people had lost their liberty,
The Corporations which had grown so great,
Against whom none could regulate,
Divided up the public spoils,
Plundered the workers of their toils,
And yet the Liberals cry and moan,
“Capitalism took my home!”
Conservatives, now bought and paid,
Looked for nations to invade,
All the while the Corporation grew,
(Thanks to Haliburton and Blackwater too!)
The people marched and demanded Change!,
So it bought a candidate, trademarked the name.
The people breathed a sigh of relief,
At having a fresh Commander in Chief.
And yet, though this one had a brain,
Things somehow remained the same,
Wars continued, defecits grew,
Pundits argued ’til they were blue,
But no-one seemed to really know,
“Just where did all the money go?”
In the South, they chanted and they screamed,
“Give me back my American Dream!
They marched and Teabagged avenues,
Attracting whackos and their crazy views,
While in the North the Federalists surged,
“Protect us from this awful scourge!
Give us what the Frenchies have,
Their way of life doesn’t seem so bad!”
Yet wanting to be just like the rest,
Ain’t what made America the best,
The source of greatness plain to see-
The U.S. was the champion of Liberty!

~

But that was quite some time ago,
Now Left and Right bicker to and fro,
Trying to gain the upper hand,
To spend their way to oblivion,
Ignoring the elephant in the room:
‘Round the corner bankruptcy looms!
Though money flows in the people’s name,
The politicians treat it like a game,
“The economy is about to tank,
Let’s print more from the Central Bank!”
They call Bernanke on the phone,
And arrange to secure another loan.
Crisp green bills like cannon fodder,
With the interest zero on the dollar,
The politicians can spend again,
And act as if they’re noblemen,
Passing bills on the Senate floor,
Then heading back to ask for more,
Never pausing to reflect,
On how they might pay back the debt.
Yet History makes its lesson plain,
That lack of money leads to pain,
Empires past should make us wary,
For their downfalls were always monetary.
So Left and Right, I’m here to say,
There truly is another way,
It’s time to let people be free,
To feed the tree of Liberty,
To end the Wars to End the Fed,
Before the Republic is truly dead.

Popularity: 1% [?]