Founding Fathers Friday

"A free people ought to be armed." ~ George Washington

Founding Fathers Friday

"No one can grant human rights to human beings, who already possess them once we classify them as men. History is irrelevant. If we undertake historical excursions, then we must go beyond antiquity to the beginning of man, when man came from the hand of his Maker" ~ Thomas Paine

Farmer Economics

"The capitalistic system has failed us." A mantra of the liberal side of the political aisle. I don’t think the system has, I think we aren't using the right measuring tool.

The news reported that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are poised to need nearly twice as much money as originally estimated. This isn’t a systemic problem with capitalism; it is an issue with the institutions themselves.

Both institutions are an example of the government attempting to control a cyclical market by interfering. Nothing against blind people but this is kind of like having Helen Keller drive the car because she knows how to turn the steering wheel.

The adjustments that the bureaucrats make would always be misguided overcorrections that would eventually lead the entire operation to veer off the road. The natural market “wobble” would fearfully encourage a push in the other direction to attempt to compensate for a force of unknown magnitude.

The system did not cause the problem, those trying to guide the system caused the problem. Blame can be laid on both political parties’ heads, but the reality is that the market cannot be controlled because it is reactive to the very market it resides in.

Stocks go up and more stocks go up. Stocks go down and more stocks go down. You cannot isolate the market from the market any more than you can isolate the capitalist system from the system.

So, what is my solution to the issue? The government should divest itself of the two institutions. On the farm when the cow doesn’t produce milk anymore it produces beef.

Sometimes the Natural Cycle Works Best.

Colorblind

I heard Jimmy Carter say that the animosity towards President Obama was because the people who were opposed to Obama’s policies are racist.

Funny, so what was I when I hated the policies of Jimmy Carter?

A good President knows when the people are against him, a bad one keeps making excuses for his failings.

I suppose if I am racist because of not liking Obama’s policies, does that make Jimmy Carter black?

Since I can’t tell,

I must be colorblind.

How Much Is Enough?

Members of Congress, the article says Democrats but there may be some others, are crafting a plan to give seniors a one-time payment of $250 to fill in for the lack of a Social Security inflation adjusted increase.

There are several things wrong with this. One, we don’t have the money and two this violates the basis of Social Security. The reason for changes in benefits over time are tied to inflation, because there has not been inflation over the past few years there is no increase in benefits.

I know that it is always nice to receive more money now than you did before, but when does it end? If we continue to dole out one-time increases to go contrary to the proposed rules of Social Security, where does it stop? I understand that times are tough, but times are tough for the country also, should we cripple the country to make 58 million people feel better?

We need to take into account all 300 million citizens.

Additionally we can’t afford it. I would love to buy everyone in my extended family a new car, I would even be happy to buy my mom and dad a new car, I cannot afford it. The reality is that the further we drive the vehicle of debt, the harder it is going to be when we run out of gas. We cannot afford to spend more and more.

Few deny the claim that Social Security is a broken system ready to fail in the future. The economic analysis doesn’t support the idea that a system like this can sustain itself. Other countries have already entered their own social senior program collapse, we need to find a solution other than spending more money counter to the program’s established rules.

Thinking harder, there is one other problem that should be mentioned. This is a blatant attempt to buy the senior vote. Democrats are facing a tough election and they propose a $250 payment to a voting block that is critical to their success; that is shameful. I have had my fill of those who wish to tax and redistribute.

$250 wouldn’t buy my vote,

fiscal responsibility might.

Link to Cited Article

Myth of Leadership

President Obama is going to appear on an episode of the television program Mythbusters. Is it just me or does he seem to do appearances on “ shows” a lot?

I know it is under the premise of promoting math and science, but when the President of the United States goes off and does something fun when there is real work to be done, that is being a slacker.

I believe this is indicative of his whole presidency, when there is fun stuff to be done he is the first in line, when there is work to be done his priority is on the Olympics, going to pick up the Nobel Prize, writing a childrens' book, a basketball game with sports figures, the View, the Tonight Show…the list goes on.

He seems to have a lot of free time for a President. I think he should be more focused on doing his actual job. This doesn’t promote math and science. If he really wanted to do that he should have told them “I think you should have 40 kids from the local high schools who got the highest math and science scores on the show.”

Is his latest television appearance really going to increase the math and science interest of young people? I think we all know that that claim is a...

MYTH!

Link to Article

Founding Fathers Friday

“I say absolute power is originally and ultimately in the people” ~ James Otis

Conspiracy…You Can Vote on It.

I am not one for conspiracy theories. I don’t think the CIA killed JFK, I believe we landed on the moon, and I doubt Elvis is alive.

But I do have to wonder why the states of New Mexico, New York, Colorado, and Wisconsin all have the same problem in getting the voting ballots out to our brave military members.

On an interesting side note, the military are usually a voting block that historically has been predominately very conservative and I noticed that the states mentioned above all have liberal leaning Governors.

Do I think that a politician would use his office to influence an election?

A quote attributed to Joseph Stalin, “It’s not the people who vote that count, it’s the people who count the votes.”

Eight years ago this week in the news “There were 11,445,638 eligible voters - and every one of them voted for the [Saddam Hussein] …The government insists the count was fair and accurate.”

All in favor say “Aye!”

All opposed say “Aye!”

The Ayes have it!

Just Like Me?

I was reading the news and someone had this to say about Michelle Obama "She's a mom, a lot of women voters see that she faces the same things that we face."

My first reaction was quite literally as though I had been hit in the face with a rubber band.

• She goes on vacation and has half a mile of beach cleared exclusively for her.
• Her kids go to private schools.
• Someone else does her shopping.
• Laundry? Riiiiiight.
• Security watches her every move.
• Personal driver.
• Private plane, with first class luxury.
• Husband a millionaire.
• Her own six figure income.
• Throngs of people scream her name when she speaks at events.

I don't think I have ever faced those particular problems, but I think I could try.

All too often I am puzzled by people who think politicians* have the same problems and concerns as We The People. The attributes that I listed for the First Lady are very similar to those of other national political figures. They don’t know what it is like to worry about the next paycheck covering the bills. They don’t put out hundreds of resumes without a single returned phone call. They don’t know what it is like to have to scrape money together to fix the car.

When you vote next month, ask yourself this question: “Does the person I am voting for have the slightest clue what my concerns, problems, and views are?”

Too often it seems that the greatest concerns politicians face is falling out of their ivory tower. Maybe we should help them out…

With A Push!

*I would define anyone who is a publicly elected figure, or spouse that does campaign work, a politician.