THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Jul 2010
A GROWING CANCER IN AMERICA
(from the viral infection of an ever expanding Federal authority)
Our American republic faces a potentially terminal cancer, one which grows ever more dangerous to our ideals of personal freedom, un-constricted innovative enterprise, economic mobility and prosperity. It threatens the very structure of the Founders’ finely crafted and delicately balanced system for the separation of powers between State and Federal authority. And that cancer comes from the viral infection of an ever expanding concentration of power into the hands of our Federal establishment, thus upsetting that balanced system of checks against government intrusion into our personal lives.
As that “imbalance” grows, we see the insidious effects of it every day as towns, cities, counties, and states line up, with their begging bowls in hand, to maneuver for Federal handouts to fund their needs, instead of making independent decisions for themselves. Our society is thus drifting more and more towards the reefs of statism and authoritarianism, far removed from the provisions of our Constitution. At the rate that drift is moving, we, the people, may soon find ourselves no longer the land of the free, but, tightly enclosed in a sheepfold of authority where everything that is not forbidden….is strictly compulsory. At that point, America, as we have known it, will be no more, leaving us only with an empty shell of what it once was.
Why is this happening? Well, sadly, it’s because ever since the end of WWII, we’re the ones who’ve allowed it to happen. We’ve been so busy over all those years pursuing “the good life” and “happiness” we ignored and forgot about that more critical part about “liberty”, without which, there can be neither “life” nor “happiness”.
We’re paying for that inattention about that today, having allowed ourselves to be cajoled and conned into believing that collective dependency on Federal largesse, rather than individual effort, is the only way to achieve the American dream. More and more we’ve become conditioned to accept that a Federal program of one kind or another is the only way we can achieve that dream. Not as a need, but as an inalienable right. Is this what we want for the future of our great republic? The answer has to be….absolutely not!
So what can we do about it now? We need to re-focus our collective attentions on that part which concerns “liberty”. And to restore our American definition of what “liberty” means, we now have to make that class of career political elites we’ve allowed to take over our lives, return our system of government back within the balances and constraints prescribed by our Constitution. Of course, these have grown accustomed to their brand of “the good life”, and privileges accrued for themselves, so they’re not likely to quietly give all of that up without resistance. We’ll have to force them to do so, not by the bullet, but with our ballots.
Here’s how: The mid-term election this coming November is a golden opportunity to give them a wake-up call, and shake the foundations of their political world to its core. Let each of us simply decide not to vote for any incumbent or candidate belonging to either of the two major parties. Instead, let’s all just vote for anyone else on our ballots but these. Whether it be for Libertarians, Tea-Partiers, Green Partiers, Independents, the Sons of the Pioneers, or even Lady Ga-Ga, it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s anyone other than a Democrat or Republican. If enough of us do that it will send them a very powerful message ….change your ways….or face an even stronger backlash in 2012.
It’s up to us!
CENTURION
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sound Bites Of Reality
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Jun 2010
SOUND BITES OF REALITY
(not bits of mutiny-on-the-Bounty)
The General McChrystal affair is clearly a case of sound bites of reality, rather than one of mutiny-on-the-Bounty. It reveals the glaring disconnection between the realities on the ground in Afghanistan, and the political pipedreams being spun back in Washington. And those realities are that, despite nine years of effort by us and our NATO allies, the Afghans have yet to get their political act together to put their national house in order.
To be blunt about it, they’ve been playing roulette all those years with our soldiers blood and lives, and, of course, our taxpayers’ dollars; and, with no end in sight to their continuing gaming of the situation. So it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that things came to a head in this manner. Two successive administrations have gone along with this sorry state of affairs, without resolving the problem. The odds are that it can’t be resolved, not so long as the Afghans continue gaming the situation they way have; and, not so long as our politicos plan strategies based upon potential political benefits to be gained back here at home, rather than on what might best work to secure Afghanistan. Meanwhile, our soldiers’ lives are the price being paid for that situation.
A gross example of that are the public pronouncements of the President, the Vice President, and others in the Administration, about a 2011 withdrawal date for our troops. Militarily, and otherwise, it was an idiotic thing to do. Why tell our adversaries when and how we might leave? It strengthens the Taliban’s position, the few Afghanis who might make a stronger effort to rebuild their nation have been left hanging out to dry, and our troops on the ground, instinctively, have been left wondering – what the hell are we fighting for here?- which no amount of spin, nuancing, or glossing over about it being about “freedom”, ”democracy”, and “mom’s apple pie” can overcome.
Given Afghanistan’s historical matrix of being a tribal and warlord society, from the moment we stormed into it, in retaliation for 9/11, to clobber the Taliban thug regime there and its al Qaeda associates, we based our entire nation re-building efforts on the false premise we would be able to create a strong and effective central government structure for it.. None of our predecessors were ever able to do so. Not the Persians, not Alexander the Great, not the British, not the Soviets, not even the Taliban. The only thing any of them were able to do was to impose greater warlord overlordship over some of the lesser local ones, and always not for very long.
But that’s not the American way. We’re conditioned to overwhelmingly storm in, kick ass, then get the hell out as quickly as possible, and sooner rather than later. We’ve never cared much for becoming overlords ourselves, especially if it means we have to remain one for any length of time. It’s this underlying aspect of our national character which has plagued our efforts in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
General Petraeus’ anti-insurgent success in the Anwar Province of Iraq worked because it was focused on local village and provincial interests, not a national one. Once tribal and other leaders realized that, with our direct military support, they could not only defend themselves, but also otherwise fend for themselves without much help from a so-called central government, the province was pacified, and largely remains so to this day. In effect, it was the application of the – Magnificent Seven- concept, on a much large scale. It’s a concept that works.
In Afghanistan, besides having a less than reliable central government to work with, we have a multi-pronged situation. The first prong is the ongoing purely military one of suppressing the Taliban ability to come raiding in from neighboring Pakistan. The second prong is concurrently suppressing, if not wiping out, as much of its local elements in key provinces such as Helmand and Kandahar. The third, and most critical prong, is applying direct support at the local village level to activate self-directed efforts to defend themselves against Taliban incursions, and to improve their economic and living conditions as well, all on their own. Such efforts have to be local, and have to be able to deliver immediate results local villagers can see. Anything less won’t cut it.
The point is, if local people are helped to take control of their affairs, and helped to use their own resources and skills to improve their conditions, they will be much more inclined to fight to the death against anyone trying to take that away from them.
Unfortunately, the ability of our military to provide such support there is hampered by political considerations back here at home. Among other things, those in political power today have boxed themselves into the no-win situation we face in Afghanistan today. All because, as far back as the 2006 mid-term election cycle, they were busy stampeding the electorate to vote them into power because, if it did so, they would have all our troops out of these Middle East adventures within 100 days, etc., etc. This was again repeated in the 2008 presidential elections, although in much more hedging language by then. Now, facing a serious electoral backlash in the 2010 mid-term election cycle, their politically driven objectives here at home are what is getting in the way of accomplishing any kind of success in Afghanistan. The General McChrystal affair has simply been the symptom of frustration with that situation.
Whether General Petraeus, as his replacement, can somehow pull another rabbit out of that sorry hat, is an open question. If he can, and for our troops sake we sincerely hope so, it won’t be because of anything our Washington politicos have contributed to the cause.
Such are the sound bites of reality in Afghanistan.
CENTURION
Special Issue – Jun 2010
SOUND BITES OF REALITY
(not bits of mutiny-on-the-Bounty)
The General McChrystal affair is clearly a case of sound bites of reality, rather than one of mutiny-on-the-Bounty. It reveals the glaring disconnection between the realities on the ground in Afghanistan, and the political pipedreams being spun back in Washington. And those realities are that, despite nine years of effort by us and our NATO allies, the Afghans have yet to get their political act together to put their national house in order.
To be blunt about it, they’ve been playing roulette all those years with our soldiers blood and lives, and, of course, our taxpayers’ dollars; and, with no end in sight to their continuing gaming of the situation. So it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that things came to a head in this manner. Two successive administrations have gone along with this sorry state of affairs, without resolving the problem. The odds are that it can’t be resolved, not so long as the Afghans continue gaming the situation they way have; and, not so long as our politicos plan strategies based upon potential political benefits to be gained back here at home, rather than on what might best work to secure Afghanistan. Meanwhile, our soldiers’ lives are the price being paid for that situation.
A gross example of that are the public pronouncements of the President, the Vice President, and others in the Administration, about a 2011 withdrawal date for our troops. Militarily, and otherwise, it was an idiotic thing to do. Why tell our adversaries when and how we might leave? It strengthens the Taliban’s position, the few Afghanis who might make a stronger effort to rebuild their nation have been left hanging out to dry, and our troops on the ground, instinctively, have been left wondering – what the hell are we fighting for here?- which no amount of spin, nuancing, or glossing over about it being about “freedom”, ”democracy”, and “mom’s apple pie” can overcome.
Given Afghanistan’s historical matrix of being a tribal and warlord society, from the moment we stormed into it, in retaliation for 9/11, to clobber the Taliban thug regime there and its al Qaeda associates, we based our entire nation re-building efforts on the false premise we would be able to create a strong and effective central government structure for it.. None of our predecessors were ever able to do so. Not the Persians, not Alexander the Great, not the British, not the Soviets, not even the Taliban. The only thing any of them were able to do was to impose greater warlord overlordship over some of the lesser local ones, and always not for very long.
But that’s not the American way. We’re conditioned to overwhelmingly storm in, kick ass, then get the hell out as quickly as possible, and sooner rather than later. We’ve never cared much for becoming overlords ourselves, especially if it means we have to remain one for any length of time. It’s this underlying aspect of our national character which has plagued our efforts in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
General Petraeus’ anti-insurgent success in the Anwar Province of Iraq worked because it was focused on local village and provincial interests, not a national one. Once tribal and other leaders realized that, with our direct military support, they could not only defend themselves, but also otherwise fend for themselves without much help from a so-called central government, the province was pacified, and largely remains so to this day. In effect, it was the application of the – Magnificent Seven- concept, on a much large scale. It’s a concept that works.
In Afghanistan, besides having a less than reliable central government to work with, we have a multi-pronged situation. The first prong is the ongoing purely military one of suppressing the Taliban ability to come raiding in from neighboring Pakistan. The second prong is concurrently suppressing, if not wiping out, as much of its local elements in key provinces such as Helmand and Kandahar. The third, and most critical prong, is applying direct support at the local village level to activate self-directed efforts to defend themselves against Taliban incursions, and to improve their economic and living conditions as well, all on their own. Such efforts have to be local, and have to be able to deliver immediate results local villagers can see. Anything less won’t cut it.
The point is, if local people are helped to take control of their affairs, and helped to use their own resources and skills to improve their conditions, they will be much more inclined to fight to the death against anyone trying to take that away from them.
Unfortunately, the ability of our military to provide such support there is hampered by political considerations back here at home. Among other things, those in political power today have boxed themselves into the no-win situation we face in Afghanistan today. All because, as far back as the 2006 mid-term election cycle, they were busy stampeding the electorate to vote them into power because, if it did so, they would have all our troops out of these Middle East adventures within 100 days, etc., etc. This was again repeated in the 2008 presidential elections, although in much more hedging language by then. Now, facing a serious electoral backlash in the 2010 mid-term election cycle, their politically driven objectives here at home are what is getting in the way of accomplishing any kind of success in Afghanistan. The General McChrystal affair has simply been the symptom of frustration with that situation.
Whether General Petraeus, as his replacement, can somehow pull another rabbit out of that sorry hat, is an open question. If he can, and for our troops sake we sincerely hope so, it won’t be because of anything our Washington politicos have contributed to the cause.
Such are the sound bites of reality in Afghanistan.
CENTURION
A Rising - Priviligestsia - In America
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Jun 2010
A RISING – PRIVILIGENTSIA– IN AMERICA
(everyone is equal – some are just more equal than others)
Despite the underlying egalitarian foundations of our republic, we’ve always had a class of economic and social elites. Most of the founders of our republic were products of such a class.
But they were self-made elites who, by sheer skill, talent, innovative pragmatism, and strength of character, had achieved such status before the Revolution began, thus becoming its leadership. Even so, they thought of themselves as just models for the ideal that, such status, was an obligation rather than a right to extreme privilege. So they gave as good as they got, to demonstrate and promote the notion of how our society was open to economic and social mobility for anyone who cared to make the effort to achieve it. It was the essence of the America they fought to create, and later, bequeathed to us.
Not so with our leadership of today.
Since the end of WWII we’ve allowed the evolution of a new breed of national leadership that is becoming a more rigidly fixed, and impermeable, caste of career politicos to run our lives. A caste composed of over-educated intellectuals, Party aparatniks, and bureaucrats, all of whom spend their lives feeding from the trough of – public service – as they maneuver their way towards maintaining and strengthening their oligarchic hold on the levers of economic and political power, to the exclusion of anyone else not of their class.
To that end they have created a matrix of inter-connected dynastic political families and alliances, almost feudal in character and dimension, fuelled by a corrupt system of money and influence. A new aristocracy dedicated to having rights and privileges far beyond the norms and constraints imposed upon the rest of us ordinary citizens. Like all aristocracies the world over, they consider such privileges as an unquestionable right, and anyone daring to question that right, is to be branded a rabid anarchist, a godless communist apostle, and thus an enemy of the people, etc., etc..
Meanwhile, their intellectually muddled minds are forever fixated on ideological and social engineering theories, rather than on productive pragmatism and common sense. Much like a parasitic succubus they prefer, instead, to devise ever more devious ways to tax our vast pool of middle class enterprise and innovation, to feed their ideological illusions. In the process they ignore, or fail to realize, that by doing so they are slowly strangling the goose providing them with all those golden tax eggs.
To justify such measures they’ve also carefully cultivated, and played upon, the sense of obligation among those instant millionaires springing from professional sports, entertainment celebrity, and techno-wizardry, conning these into make voluntary “contributions” of much of their wealth, to support their fake populist efforts to help the less fortunate and underprivileged members of our society.
It’s these aspects of their machinations which have the most insidious, if not subversive, impacts on our democratic ideals. Mainly because, by such means, they have now bred and promoted a growing uneducated, unskilled, and highly unstable underclass. An underclass now long conditioned into dependence on government largesse in the form of social programs of one kind or another, while it is kept mired in place with alcohol, drugs, and violence. It’s a latter-day version of the old Roman –bread and circuses – mentality, as the means of keeping that underclass firmly attached to themselves, and paid for, from all those taxes skimmed from the pockets of our working middle class.
Some see all of this as a parallel with what happened to bring about ancient Rome’s demise. In this instance, however, I’m more inclined to the parallels more closely resembling the situation leading up to the French Revolution. A situation where a similar overly-privileged aristocracy of “elites” found themselves facing a new word in their vocabulary – la Guillotine.
Well, old Thomas Jefferson is probably looking down on us right now, grinning from ear to ear, and saying…see, I told you so!
CENTURION
Special Issue – Jun 2010
A RISING – PRIVILIGENTSIA– IN AMERICA
(everyone is equal – some are just more equal than others)
Despite the underlying egalitarian foundations of our republic, we’ve always had a class of economic and social elites. Most of the founders of our republic were products of such a class.
But they were self-made elites who, by sheer skill, talent, innovative pragmatism, and strength of character, had achieved such status before the Revolution began, thus becoming its leadership. Even so, they thought of themselves as just models for the ideal that, such status, was an obligation rather than a right to extreme privilege. So they gave as good as they got, to demonstrate and promote the notion of how our society was open to economic and social mobility for anyone who cared to make the effort to achieve it. It was the essence of the America they fought to create, and later, bequeathed to us.
Not so with our leadership of today.
Since the end of WWII we’ve allowed the evolution of a new breed of national leadership that is becoming a more rigidly fixed, and impermeable, caste of career politicos to run our lives. A caste composed of over-educated intellectuals, Party aparatniks, and bureaucrats, all of whom spend their lives feeding from the trough of – public service – as they maneuver their way towards maintaining and strengthening their oligarchic hold on the levers of economic and political power, to the exclusion of anyone else not of their class.
To that end they have created a matrix of inter-connected dynastic political families and alliances, almost feudal in character and dimension, fuelled by a corrupt system of money and influence. A new aristocracy dedicated to having rights and privileges far beyond the norms and constraints imposed upon the rest of us ordinary citizens. Like all aristocracies the world over, they consider such privileges as an unquestionable right, and anyone daring to question that right, is to be branded a rabid anarchist, a godless communist apostle, and thus an enemy of the people, etc., etc..
Meanwhile, their intellectually muddled minds are forever fixated on ideological and social engineering theories, rather than on productive pragmatism and common sense. Much like a parasitic succubus they prefer, instead, to devise ever more devious ways to tax our vast pool of middle class enterprise and innovation, to feed their ideological illusions. In the process they ignore, or fail to realize, that by doing so they are slowly strangling the goose providing them with all those golden tax eggs.
To justify such measures they’ve also carefully cultivated, and played upon, the sense of obligation among those instant millionaires springing from professional sports, entertainment celebrity, and techno-wizardry, conning these into make voluntary “contributions” of much of their wealth, to support their fake populist efforts to help the less fortunate and underprivileged members of our society.
It’s these aspects of their machinations which have the most insidious, if not subversive, impacts on our democratic ideals. Mainly because, by such means, they have now bred and promoted a growing uneducated, unskilled, and highly unstable underclass. An underclass now long conditioned into dependence on government largesse in the form of social programs of one kind or another, while it is kept mired in place with alcohol, drugs, and violence. It’s a latter-day version of the old Roman –bread and circuses – mentality, as the means of keeping that underclass firmly attached to themselves, and paid for, from all those taxes skimmed from the pockets of our working middle class.
Some see all of this as a parallel with what happened to bring about ancient Rome’s demise. In this instance, however, I’m more inclined to the parallels more closely resembling the situation leading up to the French Revolution. A situation where a similar overly-privileged aristocracy of “elites” found themselves facing a new word in their vocabulary – la Guillotine.
Well, old Thomas Jefferson is probably looking down on us right now, grinning from ear to ear, and saying…see, I told you so!
CENTURION
Never Murphy's Law Disdain
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Jun 2010
NEVER MURPHY’S LAW DISDAIN
(it will kick your ass if you do – every time)
With any inherently dangerous enterprises such as coal mining and deep-ocean oil drilling, one should never Murphy’s Law disdain. It’s an immutable one, and it will always kick your ass if you do so.
BP’s deep drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico is a prime example of that. The very negative PR and the severity of the financial impacts of the situation are only just beginning to kick its corporate ass, and will probably continue to do so for a long time to come.
What’s apparent here is that BP, for all of its expertise and hard-earned experience with such projects, failed to have effective contingency measures ready to activate against such an eventuality, thereby allowing Murphy to strike with his usual style of catastrophic frenzy, just to remind BP of that failure.
One of the contingency measures that should have been considered, before any drilling even began, was how, and with what means could such an event be contained to limit its polluting spread. A consideration that’s especially important in a marine environment, even more than on dry land. Understandably, however, BP’s immediate focus was how to stop the resulting gushing outflow of oil and gas from that damaged well head. Containing its spread was secondary to that objective. Meanwhile, the ever expanding volume of oil grew, and grew, and grew, into the monstrous ameba-like blob drifting in the Gulf’s waters today.
And in all these weeks that have passed since this began, it’s also very apparent that BP is not the only one at fault for being without contingency plans for this kind of situation. From the office of our ass-kicking President, on down, nothing was done to immediately mobilize an effective system of in depth defensive measures to protect the shores of the most likely state to be impacted by this event. Even a fifth-grader could have understood, and foreseen, that with such a volume of oil pouring out into the water, inevitably, it would reach those shores.
But the mindset of our government’s bureaucracies, not to mention that of our elected officials, seems to have been – since BP was the source of the problem, everyone should wait and see how and what it would do about it. So, a multitude of “joint” local, state, and federal conferences, nit-picking arguments about jurisdictional responsibilities, and PR gavottes by the score, were the only actions taken. A more glaring example of paralysis from analysis would be hard to find.
We may fault BP for its errors in handling such a catastrophic event, but, our own government authorities are even more at fault for their limp-biscuit reaction to it. To be blunt about it, the moment BP’s floating rig caught fire, exploded, and sank, every level of our government should have been mobilized for the counter-measures that would be needed to protect those shores. It should have done so with no delay or hesitation, while telling BP to concentrate its efforts on capping and staunching the outflow of oil from that damaged well, as the government handled any containment and clean up efforts needed, and for which, it would send the bill for those efforts to BP later.
Unfortunately, such a common sense approach didn’t happen, and as a result thousands of folks’ livelihoods in Louisianan, Mississippi, Alabama, and now Florida, are in dire jeopardy, and actually, may never recover. Thus the negative economic consequences of such delay and inaction, on these states, will thus linger on for a long time also. All of this because our government sat on its collective asses arguing about who should be doing what, just as it did during the Katrina event, instead of taking immediate action.
So to now hear our President’s and our politicians’ sanctimonious cries of outrage about BP’s failures, would seem laughable, if their hypocrisy about their own failure were not so outrageous.
The question all boils down to this: Who’s to do the ass-kicking whenever our government fails us so miserably?
Well, perhaps the answer will be….we the people will do that ass-kicking….next November.
CENTURION
Special Issue – Jun 2010
NEVER MURPHY’S LAW DISDAIN
(it will kick your ass if you do – every time)
With any inherently dangerous enterprises such as coal mining and deep-ocean oil drilling, one should never Murphy’s Law disdain. It’s an immutable one, and it will always kick your ass if you do so.
BP’s deep drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico is a prime example of that. The very negative PR and the severity of the financial impacts of the situation are only just beginning to kick its corporate ass, and will probably continue to do so for a long time to come.
What’s apparent here is that BP, for all of its expertise and hard-earned experience with such projects, failed to have effective contingency measures ready to activate against such an eventuality, thereby allowing Murphy to strike with his usual style of catastrophic frenzy, just to remind BP of that failure.
One of the contingency measures that should have been considered, before any drilling even began, was how, and with what means could such an event be contained to limit its polluting spread. A consideration that’s especially important in a marine environment, even more than on dry land. Understandably, however, BP’s immediate focus was how to stop the resulting gushing outflow of oil and gas from that damaged well head. Containing its spread was secondary to that objective. Meanwhile, the ever expanding volume of oil grew, and grew, and grew, into the monstrous ameba-like blob drifting in the Gulf’s waters today.
And in all these weeks that have passed since this began, it’s also very apparent that BP is not the only one at fault for being without contingency plans for this kind of situation. From the office of our ass-kicking President, on down, nothing was done to immediately mobilize an effective system of in depth defensive measures to protect the shores of the most likely state to be impacted by this event. Even a fifth-grader could have understood, and foreseen, that with such a volume of oil pouring out into the water, inevitably, it would reach those shores.
But the mindset of our government’s bureaucracies, not to mention that of our elected officials, seems to have been – since BP was the source of the problem, everyone should wait and see how and what it would do about it. So, a multitude of “joint” local, state, and federal conferences, nit-picking arguments about jurisdictional responsibilities, and PR gavottes by the score, were the only actions taken. A more glaring example of paralysis from analysis would be hard to find.
We may fault BP for its errors in handling such a catastrophic event, but, our own government authorities are even more at fault for their limp-biscuit reaction to it. To be blunt about it, the moment BP’s floating rig caught fire, exploded, and sank, every level of our government should have been mobilized for the counter-measures that would be needed to protect those shores. It should have done so with no delay or hesitation, while telling BP to concentrate its efforts on capping and staunching the outflow of oil from that damaged well, as the government handled any containment and clean up efforts needed, and for which, it would send the bill for those efforts to BP later.
Unfortunately, such a common sense approach didn’t happen, and as a result thousands of folks’ livelihoods in Louisianan, Mississippi, Alabama, and now Florida, are in dire jeopardy, and actually, may never recover. Thus the negative economic consequences of such delay and inaction, on these states, will thus linger on for a long time also. All of this because our government sat on its collective asses arguing about who should be doing what, just as it did during the Katrina event, instead of taking immediate action.
So to now hear our President’s and our politicians’ sanctimonious cries of outrage about BP’s failures, would seem laughable, if their hypocrisy about their own failure were not so outrageous.
The question all boils down to this: Who’s to do the ass-kicking whenever our government fails us so miserably?
Well, perhaps the answer will be….we the people will do that ass-kicking….next November.
CENTURION
An Open Letter To President Calderon
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – May 2010
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT CALDERON
(some of our best friends are…Mexicans)
Dear President Calderon,
As a taxpaying citizen I was pleased to see that our President and our Congress gave you a most friendly and proper reception during your recent state visit to our country. After all, some of our best friends are….Mexicans. Unfortunately, your negative comments about how our state of Arizona has dealt with the problem of some of your citizens illegally sneaking into our country; then, cheating and gaming our system to remain here, were not appreciated. I thought we were better neighbors than that!
Few of us here would begrudge any of your citizens from coming here – legally- either for temporary economic reasons, or, to ultimately become permanent members of our society. Even despite the fact that the bulk of those who sneak into our country from your side of the border happen to be Mexican. None of that means we’re anti-Mexican (or anti- Hispanic, as some people with very dubious motives try to falsely claim).
Simply put, the folks of Arizona, like many of us, just got sick and tired for being swarmed over like that, while our own “Federales” in Washington, DC, kept their thumbs up where the sun doesn’t shine…and did nothing about it. Frankly, sir, if you had, instead, castigated out Congress for that, the rest of us would have stood up and cheered, and would have given you our full approbation and support. Unfortunately, you did not do that, and we’re the sorrier for that. Nevertheless, you did touch on two critical aspects of the problem between us. One of these being the question why so many of your citizens feel that running away from their homeland, and sneaking illegally into our country….is better than staying there. Which leads me to ask….if your country is such a wonderful place….why are so many of them running away from it? The second thing is about the drug traffic. On that point, you’re quite right, it is a mutual problem. That is, it’s a combination of the demand pull on our side, and the supply push from your side. Perhaps a better joint effort against both might help to resolve that problem.
As to the problem of illegal cross-border movement, perhaps the best resolution for that is to consider making a modest adjustment to our existing NAFTA agreement, to make it a more equitable arrangement. Here’s our proposal: For every one of your citizens who illegally sneaks into our country, we get to send sub-rosa, two of our homeless street types to yours. After all, that would be the epitome of fair trade, don’t you think.
Sincerely,
CENTURION
Special Issue – May 2010
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT CALDERON
(some of our best friends are…Mexicans)
Dear President Calderon,
As a taxpaying citizen I was pleased to see that our President and our Congress gave you a most friendly and proper reception during your recent state visit to our country. After all, some of our best friends are….Mexicans. Unfortunately, your negative comments about how our state of Arizona has dealt with the problem of some of your citizens illegally sneaking into our country; then, cheating and gaming our system to remain here, were not appreciated. I thought we were better neighbors than that!
Few of us here would begrudge any of your citizens from coming here – legally- either for temporary economic reasons, or, to ultimately become permanent members of our society. Even despite the fact that the bulk of those who sneak into our country from your side of the border happen to be Mexican. None of that means we’re anti-Mexican (or anti- Hispanic, as some people with very dubious motives try to falsely claim).
Simply put, the folks of Arizona, like many of us, just got sick and tired for being swarmed over like that, while our own “Federales” in Washington, DC, kept their thumbs up where the sun doesn’t shine…and did nothing about it. Frankly, sir, if you had, instead, castigated out Congress for that, the rest of us would have stood up and cheered, and would have given you our full approbation and support. Unfortunately, you did not do that, and we’re the sorrier for that. Nevertheless, you did touch on two critical aspects of the problem between us. One of these being the question why so many of your citizens feel that running away from their homeland, and sneaking illegally into our country….is better than staying there. Which leads me to ask….if your country is such a wonderful place….why are so many of them running away from it? The second thing is about the drug traffic. On that point, you’re quite right, it is a mutual problem. That is, it’s a combination of the demand pull on our side, and the supply push from your side. Perhaps a better joint effort against both might help to resolve that problem.
As to the problem of illegal cross-border movement, perhaps the best resolution for that is to consider making a modest adjustment to our existing NAFTA agreement, to make it a more equitable arrangement. Here’s our proposal: For every one of your citizens who illegally sneaks into our country, we get to send sub-rosa, two of our homeless street types to yours. After all, that would be the epitome of fair trade, don’t you think.
Sincerely,
CENTURION
The American Brand Of Corruption
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – May 2010
America’s brand of corruption is genteel in style, but stealth, in effect. They call it –influence – or – influence peddling –.
Unlike many other countries it’s not blatantly crude, and generally has no direct exchange of political favor….for cash. That would be too gauche, instead, such exchanges take the form of “contributions” to election campaigns. The larger those “contributions”, the greater “access” and “influence” private and special interests can have with elected officials, particularly with those holding legislative office, because these write the laws and enact the regulations which such interests might either want – or not- in their favor.
The insidious aspects of such a process is that it permeates every level of governance, from city, to county, to state, and federal levels. Granted, there are strong laws on the books against such practices, but, these are rarely invoked, and few penalties, either financial or criminal, are ever applied to those who violate them. Meanwhile, the flow of freebie junkets to posh golf courses, resorts, and hotels, free uses of private jets or a yacht or two, continues unabated.
It’s thus a national embarrassment when one of our high officials publicly chides other countries for their “corrupt” practices. To call it hypocrisy is the kindest thing that can be said about such posturing. It’s truly hutzpah of the highest order.
Of course, we have to admit that our American brand of corruption has a certain amount of sophisticated cachet and effective design which few other countries can match. After all, we’re the light of the world, so there’s no way our brand of corruption can be anything but the best and slickest in the world.
And the reason why this is so is because we, the taxpaying voters of our country, have allowed our officials unlimited terms in office, and, adopted the attitude of a late former partner of mine. As he explained it, he kept voting for the same corrupt politician over and over again because:”Hell, I don’t care if he’s a crook….as long as he remains….my crook!”
CENTURION
Special Issue – May 2010
America’s brand of corruption is genteel in style, but stealth, in effect. They call it –influence – or – influence peddling –.
Unlike many other countries it’s not blatantly crude, and generally has no direct exchange of political favor….for cash. That would be too gauche, instead, such exchanges take the form of “contributions” to election campaigns. The larger those “contributions”, the greater “access” and “influence” private and special interests can have with elected officials, particularly with those holding legislative office, because these write the laws and enact the regulations which such interests might either want – or not- in their favor.
The insidious aspects of such a process is that it permeates every level of governance, from city, to county, to state, and federal levels. Granted, there are strong laws on the books against such practices, but, these are rarely invoked, and few penalties, either financial or criminal, are ever applied to those who violate them. Meanwhile, the flow of freebie junkets to posh golf courses, resorts, and hotels, free uses of private jets or a yacht or two, continues unabated.
It’s thus a national embarrassment when one of our high officials publicly chides other countries for their “corrupt” practices. To call it hypocrisy is the kindest thing that can be said about such posturing. It’s truly hutzpah of the highest order.
Of course, we have to admit that our American brand of corruption has a certain amount of sophisticated cachet and effective design which few other countries can match. After all, we’re the light of the world, so there’s no way our brand of corruption can be anything but the best and slickest in the world.
And the reason why this is so is because we, the taxpaying voters of our country, have allowed our officials unlimited terms in office, and, adopted the attitude of a late former partner of mine. As he explained it, he kept voting for the same corrupt politician over and over again because:”Hell, I don’t care if he’s a crook….as long as he remains….my crook!”
CENTURION
Arizona....The Whipping Boy
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – May 2010
ARIZONA….THE WHIPPING BOY
(being penalized for whistle-blowing)
The State of Arizona is our latest whipping boy. All because its voters, legislature, and governor had the gall to blow the lid off on how corrupt and ridiculous our national policies about illegal aliens has become.
After years of inaction by the Federal government (last demonstrated by Congress’s failure to work out an Immigration Reform Bill in 2009), the folks in Arizona said enough is enough, and did it all on their own. Frankly, instead of being castigated for doing so, they should be cheered for having had the guts to do it.
The dirty little secret about so-called immigration reform is that few, if any, local, state, or federal elected officials really want to do anything of the sort. For mostly political and venal reasons they prefer to leave things as they are…..strictly FU BAR. And added to the hypocritical exclamations about the subject from those “honorables”, is the same kind of moral and intellectual dishonesty displayed by those so-called “advocates”, who cynically use the race factor to further muddle the issue. Nor should we forget the many stalwarts of the legal profession who are more than happy to add their two cents worth of legal nitpicking as well, just to pocket a few extra “fees” for doing so.
All of these people, from the President on down, are being completely dishonest about this issue because none of them make a clear distinction between a legal immigrant….and…. an illegal alien who sneaks into this country, then continues cheating the system to remain here.
One has to wonder at the integrity of those who are screaming loudest against Arizona’s new law. Why do they claim it is anti-Hispanic and racist? Furthermore, police officers do have the right to ask anyone for their ID. That’s nothing new, or particular to Arizona. It is an unfortunate fact that the bulk of those sneaking across our southern borders, happen to be….Hispanic….but Arizona’s new law isn’t and doesn’t take that into account….only that that these are….illegal’s.
It’s time to be honest about this issue, and drop all these hysterical reactions against any attempt to fix what is definitely in need of fixing. We need to reform the procedures for real immigrants to be able to come here, and, we need to reform the way we handle illegal’s who cheat their way here instead. It’s that simple.
CENTURION
Special Issue – May 2010
ARIZONA….THE WHIPPING BOY
(being penalized for whistle-blowing)
The State of Arizona is our latest whipping boy. All because its voters, legislature, and governor had the gall to blow the lid off on how corrupt and ridiculous our national policies about illegal aliens has become.
After years of inaction by the Federal government (last demonstrated by Congress’s failure to work out an Immigration Reform Bill in 2009), the folks in Arizona said enough is enough, and did it all on their own. Frankly, instead of being castigated for doing so, they should be cheered for having had the guts to do it.
The dirty little secret about so-called immigration reform is that few, if any, local, state, or federal elected officials really want to do anything of the sort. For mostly political and venal reasons they prefer to leave things as they are…..strictly FU BAR. And added to the hypocritical exclamations about the subject from those “honorables”, is the same kind of moral and intellectual dishonesty displayed by those so-called “advocates”, who cynically use the race factor to further muddle the issue. Nor should we forget the many stalwarts of the legal profession who are more than happy to add their two cents worth of legal nitpicking as well, just to pocket a few extra “fees” for doing so.
All of these people, from the President on down, are being completely dishonest about this issue because none of them make a clear distinction between a legal immigrant….and…. an illegal alien who sneaks into this country, then continues cheating the system to remain here.
One has to wonder at the integrity of those who are screaming loudest against Arizona’s new law. Why do they claim it is anti-Hispanic and racist? Furthermore, police officers do have the right to ask anyone for their ID. That’s nothing new, or particular to Arizona. It is an unfortunate fact that the bulk of those sneaking across our southern borders, happen to be….Hispanic….but Arizona’s new law isn’t and doesn’t take that into account….only that that these are….illegal’s.
It’s time to be honest about this issue, and drop all these hysterical reactions against any attempt to fix what is definitely in need of fixing. We need to reform the procedures for real immigrants to be able to come here, and, we need to reform the way we handle illegal’s who cheat their way here instead. It’s that simple.
CENTURION
Senatorial Calls For Financial Reforms
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Apr 2010
SENATORIAL CALLS FOR FINANCIAL REFORMS
(pots calling kettles….black)
The current stampede in the Senate to enact a bill to reform our financial system is pure hypocrisy.
Its ravings and ranting about the urgency now needed to rein in Wall Street’s “greed”, and to prevent the biggest of our banking institutions from ever becoming “to big to fail” again, thus requiring future “bail outs” with taxpayers’ money, are nothing more than carefully orchestrated and hyped-up political theater. It hopes thereby to con the electorate into supporting those efforts, much like a lightning rod deflects lightning from damaging a house.
Talk about pots calling kettles….black! These “honorables” are the same jokers who were the prime beneficiaries of extremely generous campaign contributions (running into the hundreds of thousands, even millions – viz then senator Obama’s run for president), from the same financial fat-cats they’re now supposedly going to reform!
And this is not just a Democrat deal. The Republicans aren’t exactly virgins in this legislative fandango either. After all, they too, are part of this elite class of career politicos who were all either asleep at the switch, or, happily raking it in and filling their own campaign war-chests, while the financial crisis that damned near swamped our ship of state, grew into a tsunami of loss and financial ruin for the rest of us working stiffs.
The Senate’s collective performance in these matters makes that of street-corner hookers more genuine by comparison. Granted, these will take your money and screw you in a New York minute, but at least they’re more up-front about it. So, perhaps these honorable senators should be spending more time with our working girls, to better learn the tricks of the trade (as purveyors….not customers). Maybe then we taxpayers might get a clearer picture of what we’re paying for.
Well, comes November, let’s all remember….working girls are pros….these guys….are just amateurs!
CENTURION
Special Issue – Apr 2010
SENATORIAL CALLS FOR FINANCIAL REFORMS
(pots calling kettles….black)
The current stampede in the Senate to enact a bill to reform our financial system is pure hypocrisy.
Its ravings and ranting about the urgency now needed to rein in Wall Street’s “greed”, and to prevent the biggest of our banking institutions from ever becoming “to big to fail” again, thus requiring future “bail outs” with taxpayers’ money, are nothing more than carefully orchestrated and hyped-up political theater. It hopes thereby to con the electorate into supporting those efforts, much like a lightning rod deflects lightning from damaging a house.
Talk about pots calling kettles….black! These “honorables” are the same jokers who were the prime beneficiaries of extremely generous campaign contributions (running into the hundreds of thousands, even millions – viz then senator Obama’s run for president), from the same financial fat-cats they’re now supposedly going to reform!
And this is not just a Democrat deal. The Republicans aren’t exactly virgins in this legislative fandango either. After all, they too, are part of this elite class of career politicos who were all either asleep at the switch, or, happily raking it in and filling their own campaign war-chests, while the financial crisis that damned near swamped our ship of state, grew into a tsunami of loss and financial ruin for the rest of us working stiffs.
The Senate’s collective performance in these matters makes that of street-corner hookers more genuine by comparison. Granted, these will take your money and screw you in a New York minute, but at least they’re more up-front about it. So, perhaps these honorable senators should be spending more time with our working girls, to better learn the tricks of the trade (as purveyors….not customers). Maybe then we taxpayers might get a clearer picture of what we’re paying for.
Well, comes November, let’s all remember….working girls are pros….these guys….are just amateurs!
CENTURION
Off Post Entry: Why Not “Bill Of Rights” Globalism?
Hi James:
Here’s my perspective about "WHY NOT “BILL OF RIGHTS” GLOBALISM?". Perhaps that perspective is due to my being more of an “antique” than the rest of you (okay, okay, so I’m a geriatric T-Rex bordering on being “archeological”….so sue me!). Anyway, here goes:
“Globalization” is neither a “good” or “bad” thing. It’s simply the natural evolution of economic and trade developments over the last forty years or so. In some respects, the United States, was one of the original and strongest advocates for it from the moment it became independent. Free and untrammeled or unobstructed trade, particularly across the ocean seas, anywhere its ships could reach, was the primary motive force driving its foreign policy relationships with any country. Many of its 19th century and 20th century conflicts and contentions with other nations(the British, the French, the Algerians, the Japanese, etc.) derived from that fundamental mantra….freedom of the seas, and free trade, with anyone willing to do so.
It’s still the foundation of all our foreign relations with anyone. America has never really cared what or how any nation was governed, or by whom, or what its internal M/O might be….as long as that didn’t interfere with whatever trade arrangements we might have with it. That outlook still underlies all our international dealings today. What goes on inside someone else’s borders, is none of our business….unless, of course, any kind of instability, political conflicts, or social contentions, threatens those trading interests of ours. Frankly, that doesn’t make us any different than any other “trade” focused nation, but, we’re the USA, and we’re supposed to be different…..or some such.
WWII was probably the defining or watershed moment which changed the previous eras of mostly bi-lateral trade arrangements. It rudely awoke the world to the fact that such wide open,” wild, wild, West” type trading arrangements, only led to those kinds of globally suicidal conflicts which, with the advent of atomic weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction, made these no longer feasible.
So, the corner or foundation stone of what we today call Globalization, was set down in 1945-46 with the international Breton Woods monetary conference. Of course, since the USA’s economy was the only one still left standing after WWII, and almost everyone else’s in the world was either destroyed, or in shambles, the Dollar was designated as the yardstick by which everyone else’s currency and economic recovery could be measured. In turn, that gave us a tremendous economic advantage, which lasted for about thirty years. Boom times for us! We were the world’s COSTCO/WALMART for everything anyone might need or want….wheat, corn, agricultural products of all kinds, manufactured goods, automobiles, aircraft, heavy equipment, ship building, steel, cement, textiles, pharmaceuticals, etc, etc.,etc.. We were the world’s cornucopia. Until… those formerly ruined economies started cranking up again. Slowly, at first, and then more rapidly, they started producing more and more of their own goodies, not only needing less of ours, but, horrors…. exporting their stuff to us besides! And, because they had had to rebuild their economies from scratch, they were mostly using the cutting edge of new technologies, allowing them to produce at better quality and cheaper rates than our guys here at home. These, meanwhile, kept to the same old ways of production and marketing, until it became obvious that they had to completely redo their means and methods of production. But that was too great a capital cost to do here at home (not to mention all the new labor and other regulatory crap our governments had imposed during the intervening period).
Combined with the post-Colonial and Cold War tensions, it was obvious there had to be some kind of new mechanisms to prevent another globally devastating conflict like WWII. The United Nations was a first baby step in that direction, along with NATO. Now, we began working for multi-lateral deals, which included monetary exchange and capitalization rules, using things like the IMF, the WTO, and The World Bank.
But our guys here at home soon realized that such developments were a unique opportunity to overcome some of the trading handicaps they were facing because of these. So were born the “Multi-nationals”….corporate entities which took advantage of all the loop-holes, and gaps, tunnel vision bureaucracies and national governments had either missed, or overlooked. For over a decade our guys roared off like latter-day robber barons, buying up everything in sight (keep in mind, we still had most of the world’s hard cash at the time), building and creating complex global commercial and trading entities which resembled nothing much than kudzu plants on steroids. Vertical integration, and lateral expansion, was the way to go. The French journalist Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber laid it out best with his book – Le Defi Americain – (The American Challenge). We literally owned and controlled almost every aspect of financial and economic activity in the world. And the arrival of the jet-age just made it better.
Granted, our abilities to mobilize massive capital funding, and project management methods, were much admired (and still are), and, our multi-national outfits did provide a fair amount of “rising tide” effects on many so-called developing countries. But it also caused a lot of unintended resentments, and envy (something which underlies much of the global terrorism of today). A lot of that generated by the arrogance and imperious methods our multi-nationals used to operate. If they couldn’t negotiate a deal, they bought off or corrupted local governments, to get their way. Money was no object.
But like all things, the hey-day of our multi-nationals began to wane. Others, began copying our models and system. The leading and sharpest of these being Japan. Before long Japan was beating our guys at their own game, and then some. Meanwhile, Europe had finally gotten its act together, and now began developing the EU(European Union).
With the advent of the computer age and the internet, all of sudden everyone was connected, and that opened the way for the rest of the world to jump in. Everyone could play, with just a touch of a key on a keyboard, a farmer in Iowa could make a deal with someone in East Asia, South America, or anywhere else. Finally, after Mao and his old guard had faded away, China, along with India, jumped into the water, wheeling and dealing, just like our guys once did. Fortunes were made, and lost, and made again, almost every day. Trade, has become the world’s biggest casino, for almost any kind of commodity, product, or idea. The old concepts of national barriers, controls, regulations, etc., are being steadily eroded away, that’s…..globalization.
For the most part, there are mostly upsides to all that. The downside, however, is that with everyone being so inter-twined and connected, financially, and otherwise, if one party in the remotest corner of the globe catches a cold…..everyone else….sneezes! The recent financial implosion is a prime example of what can happen with that.
Ironically, despite our own faults, failures, missteps, and so on….our economy is till the top one of the world, seconded closely by Japan, while moving up fast into third place….comes China! Where it all goes from here, is anyone’s guess. But I suspect that, once nationalistic perspectives are sufficiently diminished, we will see the evolution of regional economic arrangements, instead of the hodge-podge of what we have today.
We see the embryos of that in different parts of the world. Here in the Western Hemisphere we have NAFTA, and CAFTA, with ultimately perhaps something from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego forming one giga-economic unit or region. In Asia, there already is ASEAN, as a comparable evolution, sweeping down in a long arc from Korea to New Zealand. In Africa, despite all the post-colonial inter-tribal conflicts still extant, there are some signs that similar economic developments are gestating. Europe, of course, has still not quite completed its economic integrations. It probably won’t until it manages to include Russia with it.
India and China, while powerful economic engines on their own (mainly due to their massive populations, which generates an internal market demand for whatever they produce or consume), may end up associated more with either or both ASEAN and our Western Hemisphere, than any others. If that comes to pass, the world’s geo-political center of gravity/balance will shift from the old Atlantic World….to the Pacific World….and that, might perhaps inaugurate a millennium of prosperity and tranquility this world has never yet seen in its history (yeah, I know, I’m still from Missouri….we’ll just have to wait and see if it comes to pass!).
As for the Middle East, despite its oil and gas resources, until it rids itself of its political and religious extremism of one kind or another, it won’t really be much of a player. It simply is not economically multifaceted like the rest of the world. It may thus remain in a long term economic dependency upon the rest of it, to supply what it needs for its populations. And if those singular resources begin to diminish, or, become less needed elsewhere, it will no longer have the means to actively participate in the world’s economic systems.
Such is the picture of “globalization” today. What the panorama of it will be like tomorrow or in the future…who knows? But the economic world as we know it has changed, regardless of how we might feel about it. Those nations that adapt to it, will prosper. Those that don’t….will not.
For us, the big question is….which are we?
CENTURION
Read James N. Post Entry
Here’s my perspective about "WHY NOT “BILL OF RIGHTS” GLOBALISM?". Perhaps that perspective is due to my being more of an “antique” than the rest of you (okay, okay, so I’m a geriatric T-Rex bordering on being “archeological”….so sue me!). Anyway, here goes:
“Globalization” is neither a “good” or “bad” thing. It’s simply the natural evolution of economic and trade developments over the last forty years or so. In some respects, the United States, was one of the original and strongest advocates for it from the moment it became independent. Free and untrammeled or unobstructed trade, particularly across the ocean seas, anywhere its ships could reach, was the primary motive force driving its foreign policy relationships with any country. Many of its 19th century and 20th century conflicts and contentions with other nations(the British, the French, the Algerians, the Japanese, etc.) derived from that fundamental mantra….freedom of the seas, and free trade, with anyone willing to do so.
It’s still the foundation of all our foreign relations with anyone. America has never really cared what or how any nation was governed, or by whom, or what its internal M/O might be….as long as that didn’t interfere with whatever trade arrangements we might have with it. That outlook still underlies all our international dealings today. What goes on inside someone else’s borders, is none of our business….unless, of course, any kind of instability, political conflicts, or social contentions, threatens those trading interests of ours. Frankly, that doesn’t make us any different than any other “trade” focused nation, but, we’re the USA, and we’re supposed to be different…..or some such.
WWII was probably the defining or watershed moment which changed the previous eras of mostly bi-lateral trade arrangements. It rudely awoke the world to the fact that such wide open,” wild, wild, West” type trading arrangements, only led to those kinds of globally suicidal conflicts which, with the advent of atomic weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction, made these no longer feasible.
So, the corner or foundation stone of what we today call Globalization, was set down in 1945-46 with the international Breton Woods monetary conference. Of course, since the USA’s economy was the only one still left standing after WWII, and almost everyone else’s in the world was either destroyed, or in shambles, the Dollar was designated as the yardstick by which everyone else’s currency and economic recovery could be measured. In turn, that gave us a tremendous economic advantage, which lasted for about thirty years. Boom times for us! We were the world’s COSTCO/WALMART for everything anyone might need or want….wheat, corn, agricultural products of all kinds, manufactured goods, automobiles, aircraft, heavy equipment, ship building, steel, cement, textiles, pharmaceuticals, etc, etc.,etc.. We were the world’s cornucopia. Until… those formerly ruined economies started cranking up again. Slowly, at first, and then more rapidly, they started producing more and more of their own goodies, not only needing less of ours, but, horrors…. exporting their stuff to us besides! And, because they had had to rebuild their economies from scratch, they were mostly using the cutting edge of new technologies, allowing them to produce at better quality and cheaper rates than our guys here at home. These, meanwhile, kept to the same old ways of production and marketing, until it became obvious that they had to completely redo their means and methods of production. But that was too great a capital cost to do here at home (not to mention all the new labor and other regulatory crap our governments had imposed during the intervening period).
Combined with the post-Colonial and Cold War tensions, it was obvious there had to be some kind of new mechanisms to prevent another globally devastating conflict like WWII. The United Nations was a first baby step in that direction, along with NATO. Now, we began working for multi-lateral deals, which included monetary exchange and capitalization rules, using things like the IMF, the WTO, and The World Bank.
But our guys here at home soon realized that such developments were a unique opportunity to overcome some of the trading handicaps they were facing because of these. So were born the “Multi-nationals”….corporate entities which took advantage of all the loop-holes, and gaps, tunnel vision bureaucracies and national governments had either missed, or overlooked. For over a decade our guys roared off like latter-day robber barons, buying up everything in sight (keep in mind, we still had most of the world’s hard cash at the time), building and creating complex global commercial and trading entities which resembled nothing much than kudzu plants on steroids. Vertical integration, and lateral expansion, was the way to go. The French journalist Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber laid it out best with his book – Le Defi Americain – (The American Challenge). We literally owned and controlled almost every aspect of financial and economic activity in the world. And the arrival of the jet-age just made it better.
Granted, our abilities to mobilize massive capital funding, and project management methods, were much admired (and still are), and, our multi-national outfits did provide a fair amount of “rising tide” effects on many so-called developing countries. But it also caused a lot of unintended resentments, and envy (something which underlies much of the global terrorism of today). A lot of that generated by the arrogance and imperious methods our multi-nationals used to operate. If they couldn’t negotiate a deal, they bought off or corrupted local governments, to get their way. Money was no object.
But like all things, the hey-day of our multi-nationals began to wane. Others, began copying our models and system. The leading and sharpest of these being Japan. Before long Japan was beating our guys at their own game, and then some. Meanwhile, Europe had finally gotten its act together, and now began developing the EU(European Union).
With the advent of the computer age and the internet, all of sudden everyone was connected, and that opened the way for the rest of the world to jump in. Everyone could play, with just a touch of a key on a keyboard, a farmer in Iowa could make a deal with someone in East Asia, South America, or anywhere else. Finally, after Mao and his old guard had faded away, China, along with India, jumped into the water, wheeling and dealing, just like our guys once did. Fortunes were made, and lost, and made again, almost every day. Trade, has become the world’s biggest casino, for almost any kind of commodity, product, or idea. The old concepts of national barriers, controls, regulations, etc., are being steadily eroded away, that’s…..globalization.
For the most part, there are mostly upsides to all that. The downside, however, is that with everyone being so inter-twined and connected, financially, and otherwise, if one party in the remotest corner of the globe catches a cold…..everyone else….sneezes! The recent financial implosion is a prime example of what can happen with that.
Ironically, despite our own faults, failures, missteps, and so on….our economy is till the top one of the world, seconded closely by Japan, while moving up fast into third place….comes China! Where it all goes from here, is anyone’s guess. But I suspect that, once nationalistic perspectives are sufficiently diminished, we will see the evolution of regional economic arrangements, instead of the hodge-podge of what we have today.
We see the embryos of that in different parts of the world. Here in the Western Hemisphere we have NAFTA, and CAFTA, with ultimately perhaps something from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego forming one giga-economic unit or region. In Asia, there already is ASEAN, as a comparable evolution, sweeping down in a long arc from Korea to New Zealand. In Africa, despite all the post-colonial inter-tribal conflicts still extant, there are some signs that similar economic developments are gestating. Europe, of course, has still not quite completed its economic integrations. It probably won’t until it manages to include Russia with it.
India and China, while powerful economic engines on their own (mainly due to their massive populations, which generates an internal market demand for whatever they produce or consume), may end up associated more with either or both ASEAN and our Western Hemisphere, than any others. If that comes to pass, the world’s geo-political center of gravity/balance will shift from the old Atlantic World….to the Pacific World….and that, might perhaps inaugurate a millennium of prosperity and tranquility this world has never yet seen in its history (yeah, I know, I’m still from Missouri….we’ll just have to wait and see if it comes to pass!).
As for the Middle East, despite its oil and gas resources, until it rids itself of its political and religious extremism of one kind or another, it won’t really be much of a player. It simply is not economically multifaceted like the rest of the world. It may thus remain in a long term economic dependency upon the rest of it, to supply what it needs for its populations. And if those singular resources begin to diminish, or, become less needed elsewhere, it will no longer have the means to actively participate in the world’s economic systems.
Such is the picture of “globalization” today. What the panorama of it will be like tomorrow or in the future…who knows? But the economic world as we know it has changed, regardless of how we might feel about it. Those nations that adapt to it, will prosper. Those that don’t….will not.
For us, the big question is….which are we?
CENTURION
Read James N. Post Entry
V.A.T. Cats At Work
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Apr 2010
V.A.T. CATS AT WORK
(stealth moves to pick our pockets)
Here it comes!
Faced with the realities of what their spend-ourselves-out-of debt policies foretell for the future of our country, the Obama Administration and its cohorts in Congress (fresh from their squeaky thin Healthcare Reform win) are now desperately casting about for new ways and means to cover the resulting mounting loads of deficits and debt. Negative financial loads which must inevitably bring on a crashing day of reckoning for us all.
As usual, to camouflage their stealth moves for news ways to pick our pockets for this purpose, they’re calling these –Tax Reform -, with their drum-majorette Miz Nancy primping herself to lead off this new legislative charade, as a grand effort to completely overhaul the tax code (a long overdue and worthwhile endeavor). Only now they’re touting a wonderful way for doing so, called….Value Added Taxation – or V.A.T
To that end they’re also trotting out a variety of economic gurus, including venerable Paul Volker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, to promote and justify the idea. The rationale for that being ….they use it in Europe! Yes, indeed, so they do, but, since when has anything from Europe, besides great cheeses, wines, and possibly haute-couture, and elitist snobbery, been worth importing over here? Most of its economies are either moribund or as dead in the water as any can be. From Sweden to Greece, and in between, European cost of living is twice-three times as high as it should be, but, they still have deficits and debt loads as well. Of course, thanks to V.A.T. most of their “social services” are almost free, so, what-the-hay, that makes it okay!
Here, in America, the last time they tried to import this kind of taxation scheme from Europe (by the British), was in 1775. It was called – The Stamp Act – and became the root cause of our Revolutionary War. That bit of tax legislation by the British Parliament of the of time, much like our Federal government of today, was a desperate attempt to get more revenues to cover its debt and deficit loads or face bankruptcy. Much like today’s concept of V.A.T., the Stamp Act permeated and impacted on all private and public transactions of whatever kind. Without a stamp on their bills and documents, nothing was legal. V.A.T. is identical to that, only dressed up in modern-day clothes. Like the hated Stamp Act it would affect every private and public transaction of any kind in our country.
Here’s an example of how V.A.T. works. The farmer who grows wheat, would add V.A.T. when selling his crop. The mill that bought that crop to process into flour, would add V.A.T. when selling that flour to a bakery. The bakery would add V.A.T to its price when selling its resulting products to a food distributor. The distributor would add V.A.T. for the delivery of those products to a food market. The food market would add V.A.T. to its selling price to the end….consumer. In short, what might have formerly only cost two dollars, would now cost three, even four dollars. That’s the impact of V.A.T. on the cost of living for everyone. Of course, rich folks, like members of Congress, could afford it. The rest of us would just have to go suck eggs (stolen, not bought, ’cause then we’d have to pay V.A.T. for them!).
So where would this flood of V.A.T. revenues go? You guessed it, right into the sticky fingers and coffers of our Federales. Does anyone really believe that they would then apply these piles of revenue towards balanced budgets, and lowering our debt? Much like any addicted junkie, they would simply continue carrying on with their wasteful spendthrift ways.
There is a much greater problem, and danger, from such a V.A.T. concept. It is an insidious way to further centralize power at the Federal level. States would then have to come to it to beg for their share of those revenues, making the Federal government in an even stronger position to dictate how and in what way the States could spend those funds. Its economic and political agendas would over ride the needs and wants of the States, laying the foundation for never-ending conflict between it and the States.
Those that ignore the design of our federal structure which, unlike Europe, separates government powers (which include taxation) between the central/federal and state authorities, would leave us with only a shell of it. The founders of our republic completely rejected the notion of a culture of dependency on a central government for most of our wants and needs, because that would be just abandoning one old tyranny for a new one. Imposing a Federal V.A.T. would destroy the delicately designed and balanced system they created with our Constitution. A system which has been the mainstay of our economic, political, and social stability as a nation. We would end up as just another banana republic like so many others in this world.
If we let these V.A.T. Cats have their way we might have to rename the White House – Meow Mix Hall -, and the Congress – The ALPO Palace – because, by them, we would have become well-fed, but chained up, pet…..dogs!
CENTURION
Special Issue – Apr 2010
V.A.T. CATS AT WORK
(stealth moves to pick our pockets)
Here it comes!
Faced with the realities of what their spend-ourselves-out-of debt policies foretell for the future of our country, the Obama Administration and its cohorts in Congress (fresh from their squeaky thin Healthcare Reform win) are now desperately casting about for new ways and means to cover the resulting mounting loads of deficits and debt. Negative financial loads which must inevitably bring on a crashing day of reckoning for us all.
As usual, to camouflage their stealth moves for news ways to pick our pockets for this purpose, they’re calling these –Tax Reform -, with their drum-majorette Miz Nancy primping herself to lead off this new legislative charade, as a grand effort to completely overhaul the tax code (a long overdue and worthwhile endeavor). Only now they’re touting a wonderful way for doing so, called….Value Added Taxation – or V.A.T
To that end they’re also trotting out a variety of economic gurus, including venerable Paul Volker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, to promote and justify the idea. The rationale for that being ….they use it in Europe! Yes, indeed, so they do, but, since when has anything from Europe, besides great cheeses, wines, and possibly haute-couture, and elitist snobbery, been worth importing over here? Most of its economies are either moribund or as dead in the water as any can be. From Sweden to Greece, and in between, European cost of living is twice-three times as high as it should be, but, they still have deficits and debt loads as well. Of course, thanks to V.A.T. most of their “social services” are almost free, so, what-the-hay, that makes it okay!
Here, in America, the last time they tried to import this kind of taxation scheme from Europe (by the British), was in 1775. It was called – The Stamp Act – and became the root cause of our Revolutionary War. That bit of tax legislation by the British Parliament of the of time, much like our Federal government of today, was a desperate attempt to get more revenues to cover its debt and deficit loads or face bankruptcy. Much like today’s concept of V.A.T., the Stamp Act permeated and impacted on all private and public transactions of whatever kind. Without a stamp on their bills and documents, nothing was legal. V.A.T. is identical to that, only dressed up in modern-day clothes. Like the hated Stamp Act it would affect every private and public transaction of any kind in our country.
Here’s an example of how V.A.T. works. The farmer who grows wheat, would add V.A.T. when selling his crop. The mill that bought that crop to process into flour, would add V.A.T. when selling that flour to a bakery. The bakery would add V.A.T to its price when selling its resulting products to a food distributor. The distributor would add V.A.T. for the delivery of those products to a food market. The food market would add V.A.T. to its selling price to the end….consumer. In short, what might have formerly only cost two dollars, would now cost three, even four dollars. That’s the impact of V.A.T. on the cost of living for everyone. Of course, rich folks, like members of Congress, could afford it. The rest of us would just have to go suck eggs (stolen, not bought, ’cause then we’d have to pay V.A.T. for them!).
So where would this flood of V.A.T. revenues go? You guessed it, right into the sticky fingers and coffers of our Federales. Does anyone really believe that they would then apply these piles of revenue towards balanced budgets, and lowering our debt? Much like any addicted junkie, they would simply continue carrying on with their wasteful spendthrift ways.
There is a much greater problem, and danger, from such a V.A.T. concept. It is an insidious way to further centralize power at the Federal level. States would then have to come to it to beg for their share of those revenues, making the Federal government in an even stronger position to dictate how and in what way the States could spend those funds. Its economic and political agendas would over ride the needs and wants of the States, laying the foundation for never-ending conflict between it and the States.
Those that ignore the design of our federal structure which, unlike Europe, separates government powers (which include taxation) between the central/federal and state authorities, would leave us with only a shell of it. The founders of our republic completely rejected the notion of a culture of dependency on a central government for most of our wants and needs, because that would be just abandoning one old tyranny for a new one. Imposing a Federal V.A.T. would destroy the delicately designed and balanced system they created with our Constitution. A system which has been the mainstay of our economic, political, and social stability as a nation. We would end up as just another banana republic like so many others in this world.
If we let these V.A.T. Cats have their way we might have to rename the White House – Meow Mix Hall -, and the Congress – The ALPO Palace – because, by them, we would have become well-fed, but chained up, pet…..dogs!
CENTURION
America The Beautiful
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Apr 2010
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
(does it need just a touch of makeup….or an extreme make-over?)
Most of us think that America is stumbling and bumbling about right now, and its reflections in the mirror are not looking so good anymore.
The more generous-minded of us might compare this situation to that of a thirty-something debutante who now needs a touch more make-up and haute-couture to maintain the glamorous image of her youth. Others, on the other hand, perhaps more cynical and disillusioned by the events in the past decade or so, are more inclined to think of it as an aging courtesan, well past her prime, which no amount of make-up or fancy clothes can make her presentable again. They prefer to think in terms of extreme make-over instead.
Personally, I don’t agree with that approach. I’m more inclined to think of her as a grand old broad who’s left all those wild, hot-young-chick days of her lurid past….in the past, thus making her even more attractive, more intriguing, and more glamorous than ever before (okay, I never cared much for debutantes, preferring to chase after their forty-plus chaperones instead!).
Let’s face it….all of us were once part of the –bold and the beautiful -. Some were bolder and more beautiful than others, but, for the most part, most of us still “have it”. Only now we’re working stiffs, taxpayers, with families and kids, jobs, careers, mortgages, and all of those things which make up our daily lives. Partying from dawn to dusk just doesn’t have the appeal it once had. C’est la vie.
That’s our America today.
So why are we in such a state about things? Since day one of our republic we’ve always had heated arguments, debates, and contentions (some even violent) about what we did or did not want, what to do, or not to do. Nothing has changed. We’re still at it, constantly trying to re-invent ourselves as a nation. The only one in the world whose political process functions like one of those daytime soap-operas we all love to watch.
But, when all is said and done. When the free-for-all in wild rhetoric of the moment, and extreme put-downs of those on the other side of an issue from us, is over, we settle down to come up with not only right solutions for our problems, but practical ones, and most important….just solutions besides. That’s the American way.
Well, our country may be a grand old broad these days….but she’s still….beautiful. So let’s not forget….we’re the ones…who have to keep her so.
CENTURION.
Special Issue – Apr 2010
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
(does it need just a touch of makeup….or an extreme make-over?)
Most of us think that America is stumbling and bumbling about right now, and its reflections in the mirror are not looking so good anymore.
The more generous-minded of us might compare this situation to that of a thirty-something debutante who now needs a touch more make-up and haute-couture to maintain the glamorous image of her youth. Others, on the other hand, perhaps more cynical and disillusioned by the events in the past decade or so, are more inclined to think of it as an aging courtesan, well past her prime, which no amount of make-up or fancy clothes can make her presentable again. They prefer to think in terms of extreme make-over instead.
Personally, I don’t agree with that approach. I’m more inclined to think of her as a grand old broad who’s left all those wild, hot-young-chick days of her lurid past….in the past, thus making her even more attractive, more intriguing, and more glamorous than ever before (okay, I never cared much for debutantes, preferring to chase after their forty-plus chaperones instead!).
Let’s face it….all of us were once part of the –bold and the beautiful -. Some were bolder and more beautiful than others, but, for the most part, most of us still “have it”. Only now we’re working stiffs, taxpayers, with families and kids, jobs, careers, mortgages, and all of those things which make up our daily lives. Partying from dawn to dusk just doesn’t have the appeal it once had. C’est la vie.
That’s our America today.
So why are we in such a state about things? Since day one of our republic we’ve always had heated arguments, debates, and contentions (some even violent) about what we did or did not want, what to do, or not to do. Nothing has changed. We’re still at it, constantly trying to re-invent ourselves as a nation. The only one in the world whose political process functions like one of those daytime soap-operas we all love to watch.
But, when all is said and done. When the free-for-all in wild rhetoric of the moment, and extreme put-downs of those on the other side of an issue from us, is over, we settle down to come up with not only right solutions for our problems, but practical ones, and most important….just solutions besides. That’s the American way.
Well, our country may be a grand old broad these days….but she’s still….beautiful. So let’s not forget….we’re the ones…who have to keep her so.
CENTURION.
A Word To The Wise
A WORD TO THE WISE
(a cautionary tale for voters in November 2010)
I’m borrowing from a delightful piece by Pep Red Vasquez’s – Pep Talk- column in a recent issue of the Philippines Today newspaper, and adapting it as our version for our own political circus here. So, with apologies to Mr. Vasquez, here goes:
A member of our growing class of elite career politicians is hit and killed by a bus, while crossing the street to go to his plush offices on Capitol Hill. When he arrives at the check-in counter by the Pearly Gates, St. Peter greets him, saying: “Welcome! My-oh-my, we seldom get such high officials like you here! Just a moment while I check the latest regulations about what to do with such as you.”
Miffed by that, the politician replies: “You obviously are not aware of my VIP status, sir, so, kindly open up these Pearly Gates and let me pass without further delay.” Still smiling, St. Peter says: “Sorry about that, buster, but, up here, your VIP status means squat, and I have my orders about how to process people like you…so listen up!”
“What do you mean?” says the politician, becoming even more irritated and upset both by his tone and this delay.
“Well,” says St. Peter, “here’s the deal. People like you are given special handling. That is, you must first spend one day in Hell, then one day in Heaven, after that, we let you choose which one you prefer for eternity.” And without further ado, he hustles the politician to a special private elevator, sending him down to Hell.
When the doors open, the politician steps out, and finds himself in the middle of a beautifully green golf course, with a fine looking club house and fancy terrace nearby, where a large crowd of his old lobbyist cronies and fellow politicians are waving at him to join them. They’re all smiles, happy to see him, shaking his hand, patting him on the back, handing him fine Cuban cigars, and otherwise making him feel right at home, just like in the good old days inside the Beltway in DC.
A bit confused by this version of Hell, but quite happy to be in such a familiar environment, he goes with the flow, feasting with his buddies on lobster, and caviar, drinking champagne, and very glad to be living fat and not on lean cuisine. All of this in keeping with his exaggerated sense of status, self-importance, and worth.
As the day progresses things get even livelier. Besides more fine food and drinks, a bevy of gorgeous bikini-babes, along with a small band, join the party, and soon everyone is dancing and cavorting with these and having a grand old time. Although way in the back of his mind he can’t help but wonder about it all, his ethical standards being what they are, he shrugs it off and continues to party away. Why question a good thing when you have it?
At some point the Devil shows up. A dapper and nice looking fellow, he greets his new guest with friendly gusto, saying: “I’m so glad you’re here. As you can see, all those nasty things they say about me and this place are simply not true. So, I hope, after you’ve been Upstairs, you’ll make us your choice, instead.” Grinning widely as he cuddles with a giggling bikini-babe, the politician replies: “My friend, if this is the way it is, here…I’m in!”
Smiling in appreciation, the Devil pats him fondly on the shoulder, and escorts him back to the elevator, saying: “Hurry back. We’ll by waiting for you!”
When the doors open up at Heaven, our politician steps out again, to find himself floating on a soft, white, fluffy cloud, surrounded by flocks of other clouds, all covered with folks in long white robes, either plucking on small harps, or just staring dully at nothing in particular like zonked-out junkies. A few smile at him, but he hardly recognizes anyone he knows. The near-silent serenity of the place bores him to tears. It’s strictly dullsville, and he can’t wait to get back on that elevator.
Finally, when his day in Heaven is over, he races to the elevator, which whisks him back to the check-in counter, where St. Peter is waiting for him, saying: “So, now that you’ve had your mandatory visits to our Upstairs-Downstairs establishments, what’s your choice for eternity?”
“That’s a no-brainer, sir, I’m voting for Hell!’ says the politician. St. Peter, smiles, and replies: “Hmmm….thought you might, but, are you absolutely certain about that choice? It’s your last chance, and that will decide where you’ll be for eternity.”
“Quit stalling, and just send me down there….like now!” yells our politician. With a shrug, St. Peter waves him away to the elevator, and down he goes.
But this time, when the doors open again, instead of that beautiful golf course, the fine club house, all his pals, the cigars, the fine food and drink, the bikini-babes, the fun and games, he stares in shock, because now, he’s standing in the middle of a grim, foul-smelling, smoking landfill facility, where people in rags are wandering about, spiking trash into plastic bags they’re dragging along, under a never ending rain fall of newly arriving garbage. It’s a truly hellish scene.
When the Devil approaches him, saying : “Welcome back!” the politician just moans and cries out: “What’s happened? Why has everything turned for the worse?” Putting a comforting arm around his shoulders, the Devil laughs and says: “Son, when you were here the other day, we were just campaigning. Today….you voted! Congratulations, you’re now deserving everything you won’t ever get. Enjoy!”
CENTURION
(a cautionary tale for voters in November 2010)
I’m borrowing from a delightful piece by Pep Red Vasquez’s – Pep Talk- column in a recent issue of the Philippines Today newspaper, and adapting it as our version for our own political circus here. So, with apologies to Mr. Vasquez, here goes:
A member of our growing class of elite career politicians is hit and killed by a bus, while crossing the street to go to his plush offices on Capitol Hill. When he arrives at the check-in counter by the Pearly Gates, St. Peter greets him, saying: “Welcome! My-oh-my, we seldom get such high officials like you here! Just a moment while I check the latest regulations about what to do with such as you.”
Miffed by that, the politician replies: “You obviously are not aware of my VIP status, sir, so, kindly open up these Pearly Gates and let me pass without further delay.” Still smiling, St. Peter says: “Sorry about that, buster, but, up here, your VIP status means squat, and I have my orders about how to process people like you…so listen up!”
“What do you mean?” says the politician, becoming even more irritated and upset both by his tone and this delay.
“Well,” says St. Peter, “here’s the deal. People like you are given special handling. That is, you must first spend one day in Hell, then one day in Heaven, after that, we let you choose which one you prefer for eternity.” And without further ado, he hustles the politician to a special private elevator, sending him down to Hell.
When the doors open, the politician steps out, and finds himself in the middle of a beautifully green golf course, with a fine looking club house and fancy terrace nearby, where a large crowd of his old lobbyist cronies and fellow politicians are waving at him to join them. They’re all smiles, happy to see him, shaking his hand, patting him on the back, handing him fine Cuban cigars, and otherwise making him feel right at home, just like in the good old days inside the Beltway in DC.
A bit confused by this version of Hell, but quite happy to be in such a familiar environment, he goes with the flow, feasting with his buddies on lobster, and caviar, drinking champagne, and very glad to be living fat and not on lean cuisine. All of this in keeping with his exaggerated sense of status, self-importance, and worth.
As the day progresses things get even livelier. Besides more fine food and drinks, a bevy of gorgeous bikini-babes, along with a small band, join the party, and soon everyone is dancing and cavorting with these and having a grand old time. Although way in the back of his mind he can’t help but wonder about it all, his ethical standards being what they are, he shrugs it off and continues to party away. Why question a good thing when you have it?
At some point the Devil shows up. A dapper and nice looking fellow, he greets his new guest with friendly gusto, saying: “I’m so glad you’re here. As you can see, all those nasty things they say about me and this place are simply not true. So, I hope, after you’ve been Upstairs, you’ll make us your choice, instead.” Grinning widely as he cuddles with a giggling bikini-babe, the politician replies: “My friend, if this is the way it is, here…I’m in!”
Smiling in appreciation, the Devil pats him fondly on the shoulder, and escorts him back to the elevator, saying: “Hurry back. We’ll by waiting for you!”
When the doors open up at Heaven, our politician steps out again, to find himself floating on a soft, white, fluffy cloud, surrounded by flocks of other clouds, all covered with folks in long white robes, either plucking on small harps, or just staring dully at nothing in particular like zonked-out junkies. A few smile at him, but he hardly recognizes anyone he knows. The near-silent serenity of the place bores him to tears. It’s strictly dullsville, and he can’t wait to get back on that elevator.
Finally, when his day in Heaven is over, he races to the elevator, which whisks him back to the check-in counter, where St. Peter is waiting for him, saying: “So, now that you’ve had your mandatory visits to our Upstairs-Downstairs establishments, what’s your choice for eternity?”
“That’s a no-brainer, sir, I’m voting for Hell!’ says the politician. St. Peter, smiles, and replies: “Hmmm….thought you might, but, are you absolutely certain about that choice? It’s your last chance, and that will decide where you’ll be for eternity.”
“Quit stalling, and just send me down there….like now!” yells our politician. With a shrug, St. Peter waves him away to the elevator, and down he goes.
But this time, when the doors open again, instead of that beautiful golf course, the fine club house, all his pals, the cigars, the fine food and drink, the bikini-babes, the fun and games, he stares in shock, because now, he’s standing in the middle of a grim, foul-smelling, smoking landfill facility, where people in rags are wandering about, spiking trash into plastic bags they’re dragging along, under a never ending rain fall of newly arriving garbage. It’s a truly hellish scene.
When the Devil approaches him, saying : “Welcome back!” the politician just moans and cries out: “What’s happened? Why has everything turned for the worse?” Putting a comforting arm around his shoulders, the Devil laughs and says: “Son, when you were here the other day, we were just campaigning. Today….you voted! Congratulations, you’re now deserving everything you won’t ever get. Enjoy!”
CENTURION
The Good News Is....
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Apr 2010
THE GOOD NEWS IS….
(there’s not so much…bad news)
The latest reported improvement about new jobs figures versus reduced unemployment levels, is being trumpeted by our DC spin doctors as a turning point in our depressed economic condition. To what extent that may be true, or not, is hard to say, because that trumpeting about it seems somewhat hesitant, if not muted. Some signs are encouraging, some, not so much. So the message seems to be….the good news is…there’s not so much ….bad news. Woopee!
Of course, New England in general, and poor little Rhode Island in particular, are currently drowned in water from unusually heavy rain falls and flooding. All of which means more billions will now have to be provided to help them get back onto solidly dry economic ground. That’s okay, after all, under such circumstances it would be rather gauche to begrudge them that by grumbling and nitpicking on how that will further add to our deficit overload. Besides, by keeping those Treasury printing presses rolling for that, it helps to keep all its printers off the unemployment rolls, thus, it should be considered a positive offset to the situation.
Meanwhile, in mid-country, GM, Ford, and even Toyota, are selling their goodies at record levels. To what extent that might mean they’ll soon be cranking up their production lines again, for more employment activity, remains to be seen. Both Michigan and MoTown are now hoping it will all translate into some kind of economic CPR for them. As for venerable old Chrysler, which is still on life support, it may yet receive one more reprieve from corporate death (the third of these in modern times), thanks to Fiat coming to its rescue, by creating a new Detroit-Turin combination. If that successfully comes to pass we may end up having to rename Chrysler as….the DT’s!
Against all that “good news”, way across to the Left Coast on the Pacific, after more than twenty years of productive operations, the GM-Toyota production sharing enterprise called NUMMI, in Fremont, California, the only plant of its kind and size in that state, has just closed its doors, putting some 44,000 folks onto the unemployment rolls. To that, of course, one must add the collateral negative impacts on that community, surrounding small businesses, suppliers, etc.(not to mention losses of tax revenues to local and state coffers).
But, for all of that, we really shouldn’t worry. The Census Bureau is still hiring for a few more months. The pay isn’t much, but, cash flow is cash flow, and it’s better than unemployment. Well, it seems that our spin doctors in DC really dig these kinds of good-news bad-news jokes. So why aren’t we all….laughing?
CENTURION
Special Issue – Apr 2010
THE GOOD NEWS IS….
(there’s not so much…bad news)
The latest reported improvement about new jobs figures versus reduced unemployment levels, is being trumpeted by our DC spin doctors as a turning point in our depressed economic condition. To what extent that may be true, or not, is hard to say, because that trumpeting about it seems somewhat hesitant, if not muted. Some signs are encouraging, some, not so much. So the message seems to be….the good news is…there’s not so much ….bad news. Woopee!
Of course, New England in general, and poor little Rhode Island in particular, are currently drowned in water from unusually heavy rain falls and flooding. All of which means more billions will now have to be provided to help them get back onto solidly dry economic ground. That’s okay, after all, under such circumstances it would be rather gauche to begrudge them that by grumbling and nitpicking on how that will further add to our deficit overload. Besides, by keeping those Treasury printing presses rolling for that, it helps to keep all its printers off the unemployment rolls, thus, it should be considered a positive offset to the situation.
Meanwhile, in mid-country, GM, Ford, and even Toyota, are selling their goodies at record levels. To what extent that might mean they’ll soon be cranking up their production lines again, for more employment activity, remains to be seen. Both Michigan and MoTown are now hoping it will all translate into some kind of economic CPR for them. As for venerable old Chrysler, which is still on life support, it may yet receive one more reprieve from corporate death (the third of these in modern times), thanks to Fiat coming to its rescue, by creating a new Detroit-Turin combination. If that successfully comes to pass we may end up having to rename Chrysler as….the DT’s!
Against all that “good news”, way across to the Left Coast on the Pacific, after more than twenty years of productive operations, the GM-Toyota production sharing enterprise called NUMMI, in Fremont, California, the only plant of its kind and size in that state, has just closed its doors, putting some 44,000 folks onto the unemployment rolls. To that, of course, one must add the collateral negative impacts on that community, surrounding small businesses, suppliers, etc.(not to mention losses of tax revenues to local and state coffers).
But, for all of that, we really shouldn’t worry. The Census Bureau is still hiring for a few more months. The pay isn’t much, but, cash flow is cash flow, and it’s better than unemployment. Well, it seems that our spin doctors in DC really dig these kinds of good-news bad-news jokes. So why aren’t we all….laughing?
CENTURION
A Pyrrhic Political Victory
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Mar 2010
A PYRRHIC POLITICAL VICTORY
(with unknown negative consequences)
After a year of effort President Obama has scored a political victory by steamrolling his health care reform plans through Congress. Legislation that he and his cohorts in Congress barely managed to squeak through the process.
He now has bragging rights for being the only president in modern history to have managed to do that. Nevertheless, it may turn out to be a Pyrrhic political victory, whose unknown negative consequences may yet come back to bite him and all his party cohorts in their collective asses. We’ll just have to wait and see if that’s how it will actually play out next November.
The real question, however, is this: Is there any evidence in any of those 2700 pages of legislation indicating a serious effort to create a system that will control costs for the millions of American either with or without insurance? Not that we can find at this moment. If that is true, then this so-called historic legislation is anything but that, and, hasn’t really “changed” anything from what we have now.
From what can be gleaned from all that 2700 page verbiage is a few nominal beneficial tweaks to the existing system. The kind that makes for great political campaign sound bites, and keeps the electorate focused on the wrong end of the stick. That is:
a)It prevents insurers from arbitrarily cutting health coverage for anyone.
b) It prevents insurers from denying anyone coverage because of previous existing conditions.
c) It prevents insurers from applying dollar cap limits on hospitalization costs, either for catastrophic or other serious illnesses.
While these provisions were initially strongly opposed by the health care industry cartel, that controls anything to do with health care in this country, that opposition soon evaporated, and quietly dropped. Mainly because of an apparent “deal” made through its lobbyists to offset those provisions by mandating that everyone have health insurance by 2014….or face fines, and possible jail time besides. And, voila, the health care industry gained 32 million new customers, along with a whole slew of large and small businesses besides, creating for it a captive market guaranteed by government subsidies and tax credits, to make their bottom lines even porkier than ever before.
Simply put, that “deal” transfers the costs of creating that increased market from the government directly to the taxpayers, by a combination of increased taxes and reduced benefits (the so-called savings in the plan). All of it neatly camouflaged as a –deficit reduction – effort.
Well, as we may recall, at the start of this exercise the President proclaimed that his reform plan would, quote: “….not cost the taxpayers one thin dime…” unquote. Presumably what he meant by that was that the $940 billion bill for it would be paid for with fully depreciated, discounted, dollars barely worth….one thin dime!
Meanwhile, let’s shift our view about it for a moment, and take a look at the probable unknown negative consequences of this legislation. First, if Medicare will be reducing what it covers as benefits, and raising both the rate at which it taxes workers, and deducts from retirees’ Social Security, that will impact on all current members of any HMO or similar medical insurance plan, especially for retirees. Second, since most retiree members use Medicare to offset the cost of their HMO plans, these will undoubtedly compensate for that by raising their premium and co-pay costs.
Thus, instead of creating a mechanism for controlling costs by the users of health insurance, it appears this legislation will increase those costs instead. And so will it do for many businesses, both great and small. Their premiums will also jump up as well. All of which creating a negative environment for overall economic activity. Even with so-called tax-credits, businesses, especially small businesses, will be reluctant to expand employment or otherwise. Combined with the current credit squeeze with banks, any outlook for any kind of a strong economic resurgence will be delayed, perhaps for a decade or more.
These are but a few of the unknown negative consequences of this “historic” legislation. Which leads us to only one conclusion. What we have here, folks, is just one more example of a typical three-card-Monte-fast- shuffle deal from Congress. But, hey, all of that is going to reduce our deficits, see, so let’s just suck it up for now….and cry in our beers later. After all, didn’t we vote for “change”?
Like the saying goes….be careful what you wish for….you may just get it!
CENTURION
Special Issue – Mar 2010
A PYRRHIC POLITICAL VICTORY
(with unknown negative consequences)
After a year of effort President Obama has scored a political victory by steamrolling his health care reform plans through Congress. Legislation that he and his cohorts in Congress barely managed to squeak through the process.
He now has bragging rights for being the only president in modern history to have managed to do that. Nevertheless, it may turn out to be a Pyrrhic political victory, whose unknown negative consequences may yet come back to bite him and all his party cohorts in their collective asses. We’ll just have to wait and see if that’s how it will actually play out next November.
The real question, however, is this: Is there any evidence in any of those 2700 pages of legislation indicating a serious effort to create a system that will control costs for the millions of American either with or without insurance? Not that we can find at this moment. If that is true, then this so-called historic legislation is anything but that, and, hasn’t really “changed” anything from what we have now.
From what can be gleaned from all that 2700 page verbiage is a few nominal beneficial tweaks to the existing system. The kind that makes for great political campaign sound bites, and keeps the electorate focused on the wrong end of the stick. That is:
a)It prevents insurers from arbitrarily cutting health coverage for anyone.
b) It prevents insurers from denying anyone coverage because of previous existing conditions.
c) It prevents insurers from applying dollar cap limits on hospitalization costs, either for catastrophic or other serious illnesses.
While these provisions were initially strongly opposed by the health care industry cartel, that controls anything to do with health care in this country, that opposition soon evaporated, and quietly dropped. Mainly because of an apparent “deal” made through its lobbyists to offset those provisions by mandating that everyone have health insurance by 2014….or face fines, and possible jail time besides. And, voila, the health care industry gained 32 million new customers, along with a whole slew of large and small businesses besides, creating for it a captive market guaranteed by government subsidies and tax credits, to make their bottom lines even porkier than ever before.
Simply put, that “deal” transfers the costs of creating that increased market from the government directly to the taxpayers, by a combination of increased taxes and reduced benefits (the so-called savings in the plan). All of it neatly camouflaged as a –deficit reduction – effort.
Well, as we may recall, at the start of this exercise the President proclaimed that his reform plan would, quote: “….not cost the taxpayers one thin dime…” unquote. Presumably what he meant by that was that the $940 billion bill for it would be paid for with fully depreciated, discounted, dollars barely worth….one thin dime!
Meanwhile, let’s shift our view about it for a moment, and take a look at the probable unknown negative consequences of this legislation. First, if Medicare will be reducing what it covers as benefits, and raising both the rate at which it taxes workers, and deducts from retirees’ Social Security, that will impact on all current members of any HMO or similar medical insurance plan, especially for retirees. Second, since most retiree members use Medicare to offset the cost of their HMO plans, these will undoubtedly compensate for that by raising their premium and co-pay costs.
Thus, instead of creating a mechanism for controlling costs by the users of health insurance, it appears this legislation will increase those costs instead. And so will it do for many businesses, both great and small. Their premiums will also jump up as well. All of which creating a negative environment for overall economic activity. Even with so-called tax-credits, businesses, especially small businesses, will be reluctant to expand employment or otherwise. Combined with the current credit squeeze with banks, any outlook for any kind of a strong economic resurgence will be delayed, perhaps for a decade or more.
These are but a few of the unknown negative consequences of this “historic” legislation. Which leads us to only one conclusion. What we have here, folks, is just one more example of a typical three-card-Monte-fast- shuffle deal from Congress. But, hey, all of that is going to reduce our deficits, see, so let’s just suck it up for now….and cry in our beers later. After all, didn’t we vote for “change”?
Like the saying goes….be careful what you wish for….you may just get it!
CENTURION
A Failsafe option For Health Care
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Mar 2010
A FAILSAFE OPTION FOR HEALTH CARE
(by a useful and creative application of the existing Tax Code)
What the Obama Administration and it's cohorts in Congress have done for the past year concerning health care reform does not appear to really “reform” anything about it.
Most of our anxieties about the issue have been generated by the way all those “honorable” members have gone about the process, allowing only us a paucity of any meaningful details about key provisions that may, or may not, be included in their legislative efforts for it. What little we do know or hear about it is, to use a French expression…cela ne sent pas comme des roses….it doesn’t smell like roses.
Whether our career politicos realize it or not, however, is that they’ve previously established, and more or less set into concrete, certain provisions in our Tax Code which could provide all us taxpaying citizens with a perfect “opt-out” option. One none of them can impede or meddle with without starting a second American Revolution.
That failsafe option is called: An NFP (not-for-profit) 501(c)(3) corporate entity. The key provisions of which allow for “donations” of either cash, goods, or services to it. Furthermore, in some states (such as Delaware and Missouri) they provide specific “indemnity” clauses, thereby protecting its shareholders, directors, officers, etc., from liability….that is, individually immune from lawsuits. Only the organization as a whole can be sued, which is a critical factor of consideration in this instance.
A model application for such a creative use of the existing tax code has already been accomplished, in Georgia, and appears to have been a great success. What I’m suggesting here is….why not apply it everywhere else in the country? The beauty of such an approach to “reforming” our health care system is that it does not require any new kind of legislation or approval by our government machinery. More important, it can be done on a strictly local basis, without the need for a “national” entity, and thus more likely to be supported by local area individuals, businesses, and communities.
Nevertheless, that would not preclude such a mass of local healthcare entities from “associating” together, much like other professional, and business associations do. Perhaps to be called something like – MEDNET- Individually, these NFP 501 (c)(3)organizations might just call themselves – Chartered Medical Center of….(whatever community, country, or district), with the only qualification for membership being to be a registered voter there.
The focus of such chartered medical centers would be on providing preventative and maintenance healthcare, which is the primary concern for most of us.
Hospitalization and catastrophic illness coverage could be handled through separate specialized insurance policies, much like home owners and liability insurance policies. Such policies would simply be for a total dollar limit, with premiums according to the dollar limits chosen, and whatever deductibles a policy holder wanted. Since the insurance industry already provides similar “liability” policies for businesses and individuals, there should be no great difficulty to extend these for that kind of application. Such policies’ costs would be in a range that most people could afford. There would be no questions about what or what is not covered. Only the dollar limit of these policies would be the limiting factor.
One of the more beneficial aspects of such an approach would be that no one would be tied to and dependent on any employer for health care coverage. They would be free from such an indentured status. However, if employers felt it would be an advantage, to help attract or retain quality workers, they could subsidize part or all of the cost of such insurance policies. Probably a much less costly option for them than the current system. The only requirement for that, however, would be to insure that the tax code was amended to allow such subsidies by employers to be a deductible business expense, and, allowing it as a non-taxable item for employees.
So how can such non-profit entities be set up, and how would they get themselves up and running?
First, anyone can incorporate one. Most of the application paperwork for these are standardized formats, and can be gotten from any Secretary of whatever state one resides. There are also any number of legitimate incorporating agencies around the country who will act as the incorporating agent. In most cases it is a modest fee of a few hundred dollars, plus the filing fee with the Secretary of State involved. In most cases that is sufficient. However, it may also be worthwhile to do so through an attorney’s offices which specialize in such things. That, of course, would cost more, but would still be at a nominal cost.
Second, having established such an entity, it is then feasible to begin gathering the various types and categories of “donors” to support it. Everything, from acquiring a suitable facility, remodeling it for the purpose intended, providing it with state of the art internet connections, the services of various medical professionals, doctors, nurses, technicians, support staff, janitorial services, food services, etc., all, could be gathered together, each category “donating” their services(so many hours per week) at their normal fee-for service rates elsewhere, receiving a tax deductible receipt in exchange. The same kind of arrangements could be made with top of the line specialists from around the country for any consultation services they might provide it.
Lastly, big pharma sources could also be induced to provide whatever medications needed for it, either at deep discounts, or just donated at cost, for a tax deductible receipt (making their bottom lines even porkier than they are already).
In terms of costs to individuals, membership fees could be kept nominal, including any co-pay rates. To sustain the operation, much like PBS stations do, local fund raising drives might be organized perhaps semi-annually. Local deep pocket donors would also be encouraged to provide endowments of one kind or another. The point is, since this would be a local entity, local and community support from both businesses and individuals would be more forthcoming, than otherwise, particularly since everyone could see the specific benefits and results being accomplished. Affordable and thus accessible primary health care would a fact in that locality…. not an impossible dream.
Lastly, if such a – MEDNET- system of NFP organizations of this type were to be activated in every neighborhood and rural area of the country, we, that taxpaying voters of this country would have bypassed any of the flim-flam provisions our career politicos may come up with in this coming legislation. We would have neatly opted-out (seceded) from their smoke and mirrors games, and, in such a way, there’d be very little they could do about it. And since such a network of “associated” chartered medical centers could provide reciprocal privileges to anyone who is a member of it, we would then have the freedom to change, mover, or come and go, to any other place, without fear of losing whatever medical coverage we had.
We would have achieved the goal of affordability, accessibility, portability, and most important, continuity of both medical history and care, and all of that without a single government subsidy or costly entitlement program to do it.
If that would not be “reform” what would be….reform?
CENTURION
Special Issue – Mar 2010
A FAILSAFE OPTION FOR HEALTH CARE
(by a useful and creative application of the existing Tax Code)
What the Obama Administration and it's cohorts in Congress have done for the past year concerning health care reform does not appear to really “reform” anything about it.
Most of our anxieties about the issue have been generated by the way all those “honorable” members have gone about the process, allowing only us a paucity of any meaningful details about key provisions that may, or may not, be included in their legislative efforts for it. What little we do know or hear about it is, to use a French expression…cela ne sent pas comme des roses….it doesn’t smell like roses.
Whether our career politicos realize it or not, however, is that they’ve previously established, and more or less set into concrete, certain provisions in our Tax Code which could provide all us taxpaying citizens with a perfect “opt-out” option. One none of them can impede or meddle with without starting a second American Revolution.
That failsafe option is called: An NFP (not-for-profit) 501(c)(3) corporate entity. The key provisions of which allow for “donations” of either cash, goods, or services to it. Furthermore, in some states (such as Delaware and Missouri) they provide specific “indemnity” clauses, thereby protecting its shareholders, directors, officers, etc., from liability….that is, individually immune from lawsuits. Only the organization as a whole can be sued, which is a critical factor of consideration in this instance.
A model application for such a creative use of the existing tax code has already been accomplished, in Georgia, and appears to have been a great success. What I’m suggesting here is….why not apply it everywhere else in the country? The beauty of such an approach to “reforming” our health care system is that it does not require any new kind of legislation or approval by our government machinery. More important, it can be done on a strictly local basis, without the need for a “national” entity, and thus more likely to be supported by local area individuals, businesses, and communities.
Nevertheless, that would not preclude such a mass of local healthcare entities from “associating” together, much like other professional, and business associations do. Perhaps to be called something like – MEDNET- Individually, these NFP 501 (c)(3)organizations might just call themselves – Chartered Medical Center of….(whatever community, country, or district), with the only qualification for membership being to be a registered voter there.
The focus of such chartered medical centers would be on providing preventative and maintenance healthcare, which is the primary concern for most of us.
Hospitalization and catastrophic illness coverage could be handled through separate specialized insurance policies, much like home owners and liability insurance policies. Such policies would simply be for a total dollar limit, with premiums according to the dollar limits chosen, and whatever deductibles a policy holder wanted. Since the insurance industry already provides similar “liability” policies for businesses and individuals, there should be no great difficulty to extend these for that kind of application. Such policies’ costs would be in a range that most people could afford. There would be no questions about what or what is not covered. Only the dollar limit of these policies would be the limiting factor.
One of the more beneficial aspects of such an approach would be that no one would be tied to and dependent on any employer for health care coverage. They would be free from such an indentured status. However, if employers felt it would be an advantage, to help attract or retain quality workers, they could subsidize part or all of the cost of such insurance policies. Probably a much less costly option for them than the current system. The only requirement for that, however, would be to insure that the tax code was amended to allow such subsidies by employers to be a deductible business expense, and, allowing it as a non-taxable item for employees.
So how can such non-profit entities be set up, and how would they get themselves up and running?
First, anyone can incorporate one. Most of the application paperwork for these are standardized formats, and can be gotten from any Secretary of whatever state one resides. There are also any number of legitimate incorporating agencies around the country who will act as the incorporating agent. In most cases it is a modest fee of a few hundred dollars, plus the filing fee with the Secretary of State involved. In most cases that is sufficient. However, it may also be worthwhile to do so through an attorney’s offices which specialize in such things. That, of course, would cost more, but would still be at a nominal cost.
Second, having established such an entity, it is then feasible to begin gathering the various types and categories of “donors” to support it. Everything, from acquiring a suitable facility, remodeling it for the purpose intended, providing it with state of the art internet connections, the services of various medical professionals, doctors, nurses, technicians, support staff, janitorial services, food services, etc., all, could be gathered together, each category “donating” their services(so many hours per week) at their normal fee-for service rates elsewhere, receiving a tax deductible receipt in exchange. The same kind of arrangements could be made with top of the line specialists from around the country for any consultation services they might provide it.
Lastly, big pharma sources could also be induced to provide whatever medications needed for it, either at deep discounts, or just donated at cost, for a tax deductible receipt (making their bottom lines even porkier than they are already).
In terms of costs to individuals, membership fees could be kept nominal, including any co-pay rates. To sustain the operation, much like PBS stations do, local fund raising drives might be organized perhaps semi-annually. Local deep pocket donors would also be encouraged to provide endowments of one kind or another. The point is, since this would be a local entity, local and community support from both businesses and individuals would be more forthcoming, than otherwise, particularly since everyone could see the specific benefits and results being accomplished. Affordable and thus accessible primary health care would a fact in that locality…. not an impossible dream.
Lastly, if such a – MEDNET- system of NFP organizations of this type were to be activated in every neighborhood and rural area of the country, we, that taxpaying voters of this country would have bypassed any of the flim-flam provisions our career politicos may come up with in this coming legislation. We would have neatly opted-out (seceded) from their smoke and mirrors games, and, in such a way, there’d be very little they could do about it. And since such a network of “associated” chartered medical centers could provide reciprocal privileges to anyone who is a member of it, we would then have the freedom to change, mover, or come and go, to any other place, without fear of losing whatever medical coverage we had.
We would have achieved the goal of affordability, accessibility, portability, and most important, continuity of both medical history and care, and all of that without a single government subsidy or costly entitlement program to do it.
If that would not be “reform” what would be….reform?
CENTURION
Resurrecting Detroit
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Mar 2010
RESURRECTING DETROIT
(might be good for the country as well)
It’s been a year since Uncle Sam moved in to bail out GM and Chrysler (Ford decided to tough it out, and declined). At the time most of us were very dubious such a move would really do the job of saving the industry, since it had shown several decades of decline in terms of quality, fuel performance, and cost. And foreign brands such as Toyota, Honda, KIA, and VW, among others, were giving Detroit stiff competition in the marketplace. For all practical purposes, the auto industry was a dead-man walking one. So why bail it out? Well, it isn’t the first time the government has bailed out large industrial elements of our economy. It made similar moves back in the day to “rescue” Boeing, Chrysler, Lockheed. So such a move was nothing new (despite the yowling of those equating these efforts as a dastardly attempt to “socialize” the industry).
The obvious answer, of course, is jobs, but what we’ve seen of the “rescue” operations so far is not very impressive….or encouraging. Somehow, all those billions of government bailout dollars don’t seem to have done the job for that aspect of the problem. The auto industry, Detroit, and Michigan itself, are all still hurting badly from high unemployment and low economic activity, resulting from that melt-down. Motown, looks like the remains of a bombed out city from WWII. So perhaps the answer to all these problems is to recall the old saw: What’s good for GM…is good for the country! That’s not as far-fetched as some might think. And here’s a scenario that just might do it for us all.
The key to resurrecting Detroit, and a big chunk of the American economy besides, is to reconsider the entire concept of the automobile. That is, to move away from the idea of it being something to be “owned”, as a kind of private asset which, incidentally, provides personal transportation. Instead, perhaps it’s time to just consider it as a “personal transportation unit”, something to be “rented” instead, and nothing else. Something that is both disposable and recyclable within a given short time frame. Doing that would allow the industry to change the way it produces and markets its automotive products.
As the elephant of the auto industry, perhaps GM should consider taking the lead to begin moving in that direction. That is, focusing its design and engineering resources and skills to produce a….365-day car. Simply put, to design and produce a personal transportation unit with a guaranteed 365-day maintenance free operation, with the unit returned to the dealer at the end of that time, with the customer receiving a recycling value and credit, against the cost of being issued a new unit to take its place. Far fetched? Perhaps not as much as anyone might think.
Here’s why: By producing such a short operating life vehicle, that would create a constant and steady demand for a new one each year. Thus, production operations would have to be structured to fill such a demand. A demand factor that would probably require a three-shift per day, 24/7 operation, thus, requiring a labor force and productivity level to maintain such a pace of production….all of which meaning…. jobs and full employment. The scope of such an industrial activity would, in turn, have enormous economic ripples. Economic ripples, not just for Detroit, but reaching into almost every corner of the country as well, to provide the raw materials, the miscellaneous parts, bits, and pieces needed to sustain such a production concept, on the front end, and, to support the re-cycling aspects of it, on the back end.
Collaterally, the marketing aspect of such a concept would require a wider and more dispersed network of outlets/dealerships all over the country, further adding to the momentum and impact of such an economic machinery. It would be different from the old model of these, because, rather than “selling” these personal transportation units, the dealerships would more resemble car “rental” operations. That is, clients would enter into year-long service type contracts for the kind of unit they needed, and with whatever amenities/extras they could afford, secure in the knowledge that they would only have a fixed operating cost for the entire period, and that, at the end of it, they would be able to turn in that unit, get a credit for it, and start up with a new unit for the following year.
As for GM, with production lines almost running 24/7 three shifts per day, its financial condition would rapidly return to its former glory days. Best of all, from local, State, and Federal government perspectives, tax revenues would once again flow into their coffers in volumes large enough to support all those budget schemes they so love to produce for us. As for the rest of us, instead of going in hock for five or more years to buy a so-called “asset”, depreciating to near zero in that same time frame, and, costing us a bundle in maintenance and repair costs besides, we could now simply go to the nearest “outlet”, pick what we wanted at a monthly cost we could afford, plunk down our credit cards, with auto-pay arrangements (freeing us from potential repo anxieties), and merrily drive off the lot. All in the matter of minutes. Our automotive life….would be a dream!
Today’s technologies make such a concept economically viable. Whether with internal combustion, electric, or other power-train configurations, the same 365-day concept could be applied to it. Further, as advances in technologies occurred, the efficiency, safety, and economy of operation of these transportation units would continue to evolve as well. We would be back to an age of having our own private “horse” for transportation again. One made of steel, plastic, and other materials, but with neither the need to care and feed it or….to dispose of its manure. Transportation life couldn’t get better than that.
And, like Lazarus, Detroit…would become swinging MoTown….once again.
CENTURION
Special Issue – Mar 2010
RESURRECTING DETROIT
(might be good for the country as well)
It’s been a year since Uncle Sam moved in to bail out GM and Chrysler (Ford decided to tough it out, and declined). At the time most of us were very dubious such a move would really do the job of saving the industry, since it had shown several decades of decline in terms of quality, fuel performance, and cost. And foreign brands such as Toyota, Honda, KIA, and VW, among others, were giving Detroit stiff competition in the marketplace. For all practical purposes, the auto industry was a dead-man walking one. So why bail it out? Well, it isn’t the first time the government has bailed out large industrial elements of our economy. It made similar moves back in the day to “rescue” Boeing, Chrysler, Lockheed. So such a move was nothing new (despite the yowling of those equating these efforts as a dastardly attempt to “socialize” the industry).
The obvious answer, of course, is jobs, but what we’ve seen of the “rescue” operations so far is not very impressive….or encouraging. Somehow, all those billions of government bailout dollars don’t seem to have done the job for that aspect of the problem. The auto industry, Detroit, and Michigan itself, are all still hurting badly from high unemployment and low economic activity, resulting from that melt-down. Motown, looks like the remains of a bombed out city from WWII. So perhaps the answer to all these problems is to recall the old saw: What’s good for GM…is good for the country! That’s not as far-fetched as some might think. And here’s a scenario that just might do it for us all.
The key to resurrecting Detroit, and a big chunk of the American economy besides, is to reconsider the entire concept of the automobile. That is, to move away from the idea of it being something to be “owned”, as a kind of private asset which, incidentally, provides personal transportation. Instead, perhaps it’s time to just consider it as a “personal transportation unit”, something to be “rented” instead, and nothing else. Something that is both disposable and recyclable within a given short time frame. Doing that would allow the industry to change the way it produces and markets its automotive products.
As the elephant of the auto industry, perhaps GM should consider taking the lead to begin moving in that direction. That is, focusing its design and engineering resources and skills to produce a….365-day car. Simply put, to design and produce a personal transportation unit with a guaranteed 365-day maintenance free operation, with the unit returned to the dealer at the end of that time, with the customer receiving a recycling value and credit, against the cost of being issued a new unit to take its place. Far fetched? Perhaps not as much as anyone might think.
Here’s why: By producing such a short operating life vehicle, that would create a constant and steady demand for a new one each year. Thus, production operations would have to be structured to fill such a demand. A demand factor that would probably require a three-shift per day, 24/7 operation, thus, requiring a labor force and productivity level to maintain such a pace of production….all of which meaning…. jobs and full employment. The scope of such an industrial activity would, in turn, have enormous economic ripples. Economic ripples, not just for Detroit, but reaching into almost every corner of the country as well, to provide the raw materials, the miscellaneous parts, bits, and pieces needed to sustain such a production concept, on the front end, and, to support the re-cycling aspects of it, on the back end.
Collaterally, the marketing aspect of such a concept would require a wider and more dispersed network of outlets/dealerships all over the country, further adding to the momentum and impact of such an economic machinery. It would be different from the old model of these, because, rather than “selling” these personal transportation units, the dealerships would more resemble car “rental” operations. That is, clients would enter into year-long service type contracts for the kind of unit they needed, and with whatever amenities/extras they could afford, secure in the knowledge that they would only have a fixed operating cost for the entire period, and that, at the end of it, they would be able to turn in that unit, get a credit for it, and start up with a new unit for the following year.
As for GM, with production lines almost running 24/7 three shifts per day, its financial condition would rapidly return to its former glory days. Best of all, from local, State, and Federal government perspectives, tax revenues would once again flow into their coffers in volumes large enough to support all those budget schemes they so love to produce for us. As for the rest of us, instead of going in hock for five or more years to buy a so-called “asset”, depreciating to near zero in that same time frame, and, costing us a bundle in maintenance and repair costs besides, we could now simply go to the nearest “outlet”, pick what we wanted at a monthly cost we could afford, plunk down our credit cards, with auto-pay arrangements (freeing us from potential repo anxieties), and merrily drive off the lot. All in the matter of minutes. Our automotive life….would be a dream!
Today’s technologies make such a concept economically viable. Whether with internal combustion, electric, or other power-train configurations, the same 365-day concept could be applied to it. Further, as advances in technologies occurred, the efficiency, safety, and economy of operation of these transportation units would continue to evolve as well. We would be back to an age of having our own private “horse” for transportation again. One made of steel, plastic, and other materials, but with neither the need to care and feed it or….to dispose of its manure. Transportation life couldn’t get better than that.
And, like Lazarus, Detroit…would become swinging MoTown….once again.
CENTURION
How To deal With A Political Hot Potato
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special issue – Feb 2010
HOW TO DEAL WITH A POLITICAL HOT POTATO
(palm it off to a bi-partisan Commission)
President Obama’s executive order – setting up a bi-partisan Commission to deal with our escalating load of budget deficits and debt – is clearly a sign that neither he nor his hotshot advisors have a clue about what to do about it. It’s also a clear sign that his Administration has given up any pretence of being able to get anything worthwhile accomplished, on any issue, with this current Congress ( even though his party has controlling majorities in both chambers).
No matter what face one might put on it, it’s just abject surrender to circumstances. A Pontius Pilate-style washing of its hands of a very troublesome problem. None of that saying much for the “leadership” quotient everyone anticipated from all that 2008 campaign rhetoric about “change” or “yes, we can!”
But at least he’s had the smarts to appoint two stalwart co-Chairs to handle this Commission. Two highly regarded and experienced people with reputations for having level-headed pragmatism rather than ideological fixations. All of which gives us some hope that these two gentlemen, former Senator Alan Simpson (R. WY), and Mr. Erskine Bowles (D. former Clinton White House Chief of Staff), might actually be able to come up with some sane solutions to an otherwise insane situation.
We should all wish them well, and much good luck. They’ll need all of it they can get.
One of the most critical problem they face, right from the start, is to make sure that the rest of the Commission’s membership doesn’t become composed of only selected partisan politicos from both major parties, instead of more common-sense and results- oriented people with solid economic, financial, and small business backgrounds, and perhaps, a good sprinkling of ordinary citizens….housewives, working stiffs, shop keepers, and the like, as well.
The last time such a Commission was set up to try and straighten out the government’s fiscal and budgetary problems was some thirty years ago . The Grace Commission, Chaired by Mr. Grace, and manned by other stalwarts, came up with some very creditable recommendations. The most stunning and shocking of these being their discovery that, because our government’s fiscal and budgetary process was so inefficient and wasteful, any fiscal year’s budget proposal could automatically have 30% of its global figure lopped off, right off the top, without any need for analysis and review, and no single program, or any other items therein, would suffer for it!
And, because of that, they seriously suggested that such measures be adopted and applied to any future budget proposals presented to Congress. Naturally, such an idea was roundly scoffed at, derided, and otherwise dismissed by the Congress of that time….and every other one….ever since. And look where we are today!
All of which just reinforces the case for establishing term limits for Congress. It also emphasizes the urgent need for us, the taxpaying citizens of this country, to focus on getting more independent members elected to it. Enough of them so that the flim-flam ideologues from both major parties will no longer be able to stride rough-shod over our collective common interest. That is….having a government with common-sense and balanced taxing and spending policies that will provide us with sane budgets and limited debt obligations.
Well, maybe the real answer to all of these money problems is to call for the Treasury, the Senate Finance Committee, and the House Ways and Means Committee, to be packed solely with Jewish mothers and Chinese wives. If that doesn’t fix our financial problems in a New York minute….nothing else will!
CENTURION
Special issue – Feb 2010
HOW TO DEAL WITH A POLITICAL HOT POTATO
(palm it off to a bi-partisan Commission)
President Obama’s executive order – setting up a bi-partisan Commission to deal with our escalating load of budget deficits and debt – is clearly a sign that neither he nor his hotshot advisors have a clue about what to do about it. It’s also a clear sign that his Administration has given up any pretence of being able to get anything worthwhile accomplished, on any issue, with this current Congress ( even though his party has controlling majorities in both chambers).
No matter what face one might put on it, it’s just abject surrender to circumstances. A Pontius Pilate-style washing of its hands of a very troublesome problem. None of that saying much for the “leadership” quotient everyone anticipated from all that 2008 campaign rhetoric about “change” or “yes, we can!”
But at least he’s had the smarts to appoint two stalwart co-Chairs to handle this Commission. Two highly regarded and experienced people with reputations for having level-headed pragmatism rather than ideological fixations. All of which gives us some hope that these two gentlemen, former Senator Alan Simpson (R. WY), and Mr. Erskine Bowles (D. former Clinton White House Chief of Staff), might actually be able to come up with some sane solutions to an otherwise insane situation.
We should all wish them well, and much good luck. They’ll need all of it they can get.
One of the most critical problem they face, right from the start, is to make sure that the rest of the Commission’s membership doesn’t become composed of only selected partisan politicos from both major parties, instead of more common-sense and results- oriented people with solid economic, financial, and small business backgrounds, and perhaps, a good sprinkling of ordinary citizens….housewives, working stiffs, shop keepers, and the like, as well.
The last time such a Commission was set up to try and straighten out the government’s fiscal and budgetary problems was some thirty years ago . The Grace Commission, Chaired by Mr. Grace, and manned by other stalwarts, came up with some very creditable recommendations. The most stunning and shocking of these being their discovery that, because our government’s fiscal and budgetary process was so inefficient and wasteful, any fiscal year’s budget proposal could automatically have 30% of its global figure lopped off, right off the top, without any need for analysis and review, and no single program, or any other items therein, would suffer for it!
And, because of that, they seriously suggested that such measures be adopted and applied to any future budget proposals presented to Congress. Naturally, such an idea was roundly scoffed at, derided, and otherwise dismissed by the Congress of that time….and every other one….ever since. And look where we are today!
All of which just reinforces the case for establishing term limits for Congress. It also emphasizes the urgent need for us, the taxpaying citizens of this country, to focus on getting more independent members elected to it. Enough of them so that the flim-flam ideologues from both major parties will no longer be able to stride rough-shod over our collective common interest. That is….having a government with common-sense and balanced taxing and spending policies that will provide us with sane budgets and limited debt obligations.
Well, maybe the real answer to all of these money problems is to call for the Treasury, the Senate Finance Committee, and the House Ways and Means Committee, to be packed solely with Jewish mothers and Chinese wives. If that doesn’t fix our financial problems in a New York minute….nothing else will!
CENTURION
In A State Of Disarray
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Jan. 2010
IN A STATE OF DISARRAY
(we’re still looking for a Mr. Goodbar fix)
A President’s – State of the Union – address to Congress is usually anticipated with great expectations. Whatever our nation’s condition of the moment, everyone expects his speech to show us how to improve upon, or fix, what may be either good or ailing about it.
In recent times, however, it has become an annual exercise in futility whereby the political warfare between our two major political parties is fully displayed for all to see. That is, as the mouthpiece for whichever party is in power, a President simply presents a long litany of agendas and supposed accomplishments while pointedly castigating their political opponents for lack of…bi-partisanship…in support of these.
President Obama’s performance this past Wednesday was just more of the same; although, from a purely stylistic perspective, he did it with his characteristic flair for rhetorical flourishes well-larded with evangelical ministry flavorings, as if he were exhorting a stubbornly obtuse congregation unable to understand the righteousness of those agendas, all accompanied by the Democrats’ side of the chamber providing manic choruses of – hallelujas – to his every other phrase, which their Speaker punctuated, with leaping up and down movements of a multi-orgasmic lap dancer. A grand production having not so much a political tone, as one of attending a revival meeting in church!
Meanwhile, on the Republican side of this assembly, only stony silence prevailed, contributing nothing to the occasion, until later, when they were called upon to give their usual post-mortem “response”. One of the strangest yet seen because, intentionally or not, it was a carbon copy parody of the Democrat performance, complete with the same kind of a clownish cheering chorus for every one of their presenter’s rebuttals on the issues mentioned. A performance resembling Saturday Night Live….on steroids. Such is our American bi-polar political world today. Is it any wonder that in such a state of disarray, we taxpaying voters are still looking for a Mr. Goodbar fix?
Well, perhaps this bit of Native American wry humor sums up the situation best:
A tribal Chief gathers his people together saying – fellow tribesmen, I have bad news and good news for you about the results of our recent hunting season. First the bad news….it’s been a lousy hunting season and we have very little buffalo meat to see us through the coming winter, and we’ll have to therefore rely on – buffalo chips – to help us through it -. Stunned, his people are silent, until one of them asks – So, Chief, what’s the good news? – Spreading his arms wide, with his face lit up with a great big smile, the Chief replies – We’ve got a whole lot….of those! -.
CENTURION
Special Issue – Jan. 2010
IN A STATE OF DISARRAY
(we’re still looking for a Mr. Goodbar fix)
A President’s – State of the Union – address to Congress is usually anticipated with great expectations. Whatever our nation’s condition of the moment, everyone expects his speech to show us how to improve upon, or fix, what may be either good or ailing about it.
In recent times, however, it has become an annual exercise in futility whereby the political warfare between our two major political parties is fully displayed for all to see. That is, as the mouthpiece for whichever party is in power, a President simply presents a long litany of agendas and supposed accomplishments while pointedly castigating their political opponents for lack of…bi-partisanship…in support of these.
President Obama’s performance this past Wednesday was just more of the same; although, from a purely stylistic perspective, he did it with his characteristic flair for rhetorical flourishes well-larded with evangelical ministry flavorings, as if he were exhorting a stubbornly obtuse congregation unable to understand the righteousness of those agendas, all accompanied by the Democrats’ side of the chamber providing manic choruses of – hallelujas – to his every other phrase, which their Speaker punctuated, with leaping up and down movements of a multi-orgasmic lap dancer. A grand production having not so much a political tone, as one of attending a revival meeting in church!
Meanwhile, on the Republican side of this assembly, only stony silence prevailed, contributing nothing to the occasion, until later, when they were called upon to give their usual post-mortem “response”. One of the strangest yet seen because, intentionally or not, it was a carbon copy parody of the Democrat performance, complete with the same kind of a clownish cheering chorus for every one of their presenter’s rebuttals on the issues mentioned. A performance resembling Saturday Night Live….on steroids. Such is our American bi-polar political world today. Is it any wonder that in such a state of disarray, we taxpaying voters are still looking for a Mr. Goodbar fix?
Well, perhaps this bit of Native American wry humor sums up the situation best:
A tribal Chief gathers his people together saying – fellow tribesmen, I have bad news and good news for you about the results of our recent hunting season. First the bad news….it’s been a lousy hunting season and we have very little buffalo meat to see us through the coming winter, and we’ll have to therefore rely on – buffalo chips – to help us through it -. Stunned, his people are silent, until one of them asks – So, Chief, what’s the good news? – Spreading his arms wide, with his face lit up with a great big smile, the Chief replies – We’ve got a whole lot….of those! -.
CENTURION
Not All Earthquakes Are Physical
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Jan 2010
NOT ALL EARTHQUAKES ARE PHYSICAL
(sometimes they can be….political)
There was another kind of earthquake last week, in Massachusetts, where a relatively unknown state senator was overwhelmingly voted in to replace the late Senator Kennedy.
The aftershocks of that event are still rumbling across the country, and will probably continue to do so for some time to come. All of which proving that not all earthquakes are physical, some of them can be….political. In this instance it has been the equivalent of a near ten on the Richter Scale.
Frankly, this is a good thing because it has shaken up our growing class of career politicos from complacency and indifference to our needs and wants, living fat, while we taxpayers are forced to make do with….lean cuisine. And so, we owe it all to those of our fellow citizens there in Massachusetts who finally realized that to continue with straight party-line voting would mean they’d deserve everything….they weren’t getting.
Granted, this young former COSMO centerfold guy campaigned as a “Republican” against a long entrenched Democrat-machine opponent; but, his message resonated more like that of an “Independent” unaffiliated with either of those two major parties. It’s a sign there may be more to come like him. We can only hope he, and any others like him, will live up to our expectations.
The best and most significant result from this political upheaval, however, is that it clearly demonstrates that we, the taxpaying voters, not the career politicos, can regain control of things for ourselves when we set our minds to it , by simply imposing our own brand of term limits on them without the cumbersome constitutional amendment process.
Here’s why we should consider doing so on a regular basis from now on. The late Senator Kennedy was allowed to be a Senator for 47 years! Senator Byrd, and a number of others besides, have had, and are serving equally long tenures in office. The House also has a similar collection of long entrenched members. It’s an outrageous and ridiculous state of affairs. Is it any wonder then that our country is in such a state?
Such long terms in office inevitably allow the campaign contributions of major particular interests to accrue extreme influence over all these “honorable” members making a career at feeding from the trough of “public service”, and allowing such influences to affect how we’re taxed, how our tax dollars are to be spent, and how we are to be regulated.
This political event, however, has now shown us an immediate way to change all of that.
That is, hereafter, each and every one of us who is registered, and actually votes in elections, can head for the voters registration office, and re-register as “independent/unaffiliated” voters. And having done so, we can then vow and pledge to ourselves to adopt our own individual voting policies, to wit: From now on I will refuse to vote for anyone seeking more than two consecutive terms as Senator, and, I will also refuse to vote for anyone seeking more than six consecutive terms in the House of Representatives. If we all individually adopt such a personal voting policy then career politicos will no longer be able to become entrenched for forty seven years, or more. That will become a thing of the past and we will have recaptured the governance of our country….for ourselves.
Well, let’s give a hip, hip, hooray to all those good folks of Massachusetts for having, once again, fired up and taken the lead in starting a second American Revolution….by the ballot, not the bullet.
CENTURION
Special Issue – Jan 2010
NOT ALL EARTHQUAKES ARE PHYSICAL
(sometimes they can be….political)
There was another kind of earthquake last week, in Massachusetts, where a relatively unknown state senator was overwhelmingly voted in to replace the late Senator Kennedy.
The aftershocks of that event are still rumbling across the country, and will probably continue to do so for some time to come. All of which proving that not all earthquakes are physical, some of them can be….political. In this instance it has been the equivalent of a near ten on the Richter Scale.
Frankly, this is a good thing because it has shaken up our growing class of career politicos from complacency and indifference to our needs and wants, living fat, while we taxpayers are forced to make do with….lean cuisine. And so, we owe it all to those of our fellow citizens there in Massachusetts who finally realized that to continue with straight party-line voting would mean they’d deserve everything….they weren’t getting.
Granted, this young former COSMO centerfold guy campaigned as a “Republican” against a long entrenched Democrat-machine opponent; but, his message resonated more like that of an “Independent” unaffiliated with either of those two major parties. It’s a sign there may be more to come like him. We can only hope he, and any others like him, will live up to our expectations.
The best and most significant result from this political upheaval, however, is that it clearly demonstrates that we, the taxpaying voters, not the career politicos, can regain control of things for ourselves when we set our minds to it , by simply imposing our own brand of term limits on them without the cumbersome constitutional amendment process.
Here’s why we should consider doing so on a regular basis from now on. The late Senator Kennedy was allowed to be a Senator for 47 years! Senator Byrd, and a number of others besides, have had, and are serving equally long tenures in office. The House also has a similar collection of long entrenched members. It’s an outrageous and ridiculous state of affairs. Is it any wonder then that our country is in such a state?
Such long terms in office inevitably allow the campaign contributions of major particular interests to accrue extreme influence over all these “honorable” members making a career at feeding from the trough of “public service”, and allowing such influences to affect how we’re taxed, how our tax dollars are to be spent, and how we are to be regulated.
This political event, however, has now shown us an immediate way to change all of that.
That is, hereafter, each and every one of us who is registered, and actually votes in elections, can head for the voters registration office, and re-register as “independent/unaffiliated” voters. And having done so, we can then vow and pledge to ourselves to adopt our own individual voting policies, to wit: From now on I will refuse to vote for anyone seeking more than two consecutive terms as Senator, and, I will also refuse to vote for anyone seeking more than six consecutive terms in the House of Representatives. If we all individually adopt such a personal voting policy then career politicos will no longer be able to become entrenched for forty seven years, or more. That will become a thing of the past and we will have recaptured the governance of our country….for ourselves.
Well, let’s give a hip, hip, hooray to all those good folks of Massachusetts for having, once again, fired up and taken the lead in starting a second American Revolution….by the ballot, not the bullet.
CENTURION
Haiti (a state of multi-dimensional nightmares)
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Jan 2010
HAITI (a state of multi-dimensional nightmares)
Haiti has to be one of the unluckiest places in the Western Hemisphere, rivaling such other sinkholes of human misery and poverty as Bangladesh, in far-off Asia.
Clobbered on an almost annual basis by either natural or man-made disasters, Haiti seems to exist in a perpetual state of multi-dimensional nightmares. This latest blow could be the death of it as a viable nation altogether, leaving it prostrate, only surviving with some semblance of national existence by long-term dependency on the humanitarian goodwill of its neighbors, and others, from around the world.
Not since the early and heady days of Toussaint l’Ouverture’s regime, has it had any kind of governing leadership worthy of the name. One way or the other, most which since succeeded him, have kept its people uneducated and impoverished, continuously in thrall to one kind of thug regime or another. Which is sadly ironic since Haiti does have a number of natural and mineral resources with which it could maintain itself in a modestly prosperous and stable manner. Yet, even after having rid itself of the likes of Papa and Baby Doc Duvalier (of Ton-Ton Macoute and burning-tire necklaces ill-fame), and other kleptocrats, like those of Cerdan et Cie, and the priestly ineptitudes of the Aristidites, Haiti, has never found a way to get a government that works for its people, rather itself. The state of its infrastructures and services over the past ten years before this earthquake event, are ample evidence of that.
But even with a flood of aid pouring in from all over the world, that still doesn’t do much for it. Despite a swarm of well-meaning humanitarian ants stampeding to its aid, the survivors of that earthquake still find themselves without real help. Instead, there’s only chaos, confusion, and jurisdictional arguments about who, or what, should be in charge of all these “humanitarian” efforts. Meanwhile, more survivors….keep on dying.
The reality is that much of its dysfunctional government apparatus was decapitated by the physical collapse of its buildings. So were the UN agencies there, as well as our USAID, and many of the NGO elements and other organizations that had been toiling away there for the past ten years or more. Thus, whatever infrastructures of authority that might have existed are temporarily….gone….and the reality is that right at this critical moment there is a temporary vacuum of authority there to take charge, and no one seems focused on what to do about that. Meanwhile, the Haitian people….struggle to survive.
Once again, as we have done so many times in the past century, only the United States and its military have the means, the equipment, the skill-sets, and the organization, to step in and take charge, focusing on doing what needs doing, while concerns for the “niceties” of protocol, are being sorted out. The priority of the moment, the mission of our military presence there should simply be to take charge, rescue and stabilize the population as best it can, with all the means at its disposal, until all the other concerns are sorted out.
Unfortunately, our military are not being turned loose to do that. Instead they are being dribbled in, incrementally here and there, which does nothing to accomplish such a mission. Meanwhile, more Haitians keep on dying. This is not only ridiculous situation, it’s an international disgrace.
More could be accomplished, and more quickly, if our military were broadly deployed in multiple sizeable detachments to each and every neighborhood or district, equipped, and provided with the means to set up in their assigned areas urgent services for medical treatment, water, food, sanitation, and shelter needed to rescue and stabilize the populations there.
Where possible, such detachments could simultaneously recruit, engage, and assist local people to begin organizing themselves to take care of themselves, providing them with whatever means are necessary to do so, such as “hiring” able-bodied locals to begin clearing rubble, collecting debris, and otherwise working to prepare their respective areas for later major reconstruction efforts. All of these efforts organized, directed, and aimed at rescuing and stabilizing these people as much as possible. Where roadways are not passable, choppers should be used to shuttle supplies and people wherever needed, as needed. Where only emergency medical services are possible, major cases should be transported to offshore vessels, as temporary “hospital” level of treatment, etc.
Later, as various governmental and international agencies and NGO organizations became reconstituted to an operational condition, these military units could then be progressively withdrawn, and quietly returned home. In the process, our military forces from the Army, the Marines, the Navy, and the Air Force, would have demonstrated to the Haitian people that America is, indeed, a “good neighbor”, and to the rest of the world, that those who rail against us, those who would attack us, are the real evil in this world….not us.
Perhaps, but, we should never forget that those who do good for others are rarely, if ever, appreciated. No matter, that’s the American way. C’est la vie.
CENTURION
Special Issue – Jan 2010
HAITI (a state of multi-dimensional nightmares)
Haiti has to be one of the unluckiest places in the Western Hemisphere, rivaling such other sinkholes of human misery and poverty as Bangladesh, in far-off Asia.
Clobbered on an almost annual basis by either natural or man-made disasters, Haiti seems to exist in a perpetual state of multi-dimensional nightmares. This latest blow could be the death of it as a viable nation altogether, leaving it prostrate, only surviving with some semblance of national existence by long-term dependency on the humanitarian goodwill of its neighbors, and others, from around the world.
Not since the early and heady days of Toussaint l’Ouverture’s regime, has it had any kind of governing leadership worthy of the name. One way or the other, most which since succeeded him, have kept its people uneducated and impoverished, continuously in thrall to one kind of thug regime or another. Which is sadly ironic since Haiti does have a number of natural and mineral resources with which it could maintain itself in a modestly prosperous and stable manner. Yet, even after having rid itself of the likes of Papa and Baby Doc Duvalier (of Ton-Ton Macoute and burning-tire necklaces ill-fame), and other kleptocrats, like those of Cerdan et Cie, and the priestly ineptitudes of the Aristidites, Haiti, has never found a way to get a government that works for its people, rather itself. The state of its infrastructures and services over the past ten years before this earthquake event, are ample evidence of that.
But even with a flood of aid pouring in from all over the world, that still doesn’t do much for it. Despite a swarm of well-meaning humanitarian ants stampeding to its aid, the survivors of that earthquake still find themselves without real help. Instead, there’s only chaos, confusion, and jurisdictional arguments about who, or what, should be in charge of all these “humanitarian” efforts. Meanwhile, more survivors….keep on dying.
The reality is that much of its dysfunctional government apparatus was decapitated by the physical collapse of its buildings. So were the UN agencies there, as well as our USAID, and many of the NGO elements and other organizations that had been toiling away there for the past ten years or more. Thus, whatever infrastructures of authority that might have existed are temporarily….gone….and the reality is that right at this critical moment there is a temporary vacuum of authority there to take charge, and no one seems focused on what to do about that. Meanwhile, the Haitian people….struggle to survive.
Once again, as we have done so many times in the past century, only the United States and its military have the means, the equipment, the skill-sets, and the organization, to step in and take charge, focusing on doing what needs doing, while concerns for the “niceties” of protocol, are being sorted out. The priority of the moment, the mission of our military presence there should simply be to take charge, rescue and stabilize the population as best it can, with all the means at its disposal, until all the other concerns are sorted out.
Unfortunately, our military are not being turned loose to do that. Instead they are being dribbled in, incrementally here and there, which does nothing to accomplish such a mission. Meanwhile, more Haitians keep on dying. This is not only ridiculous situation, it’s an international disgrace.
More could be accomplished, and more quickly, if our military were broadly deployed in multiple sizeable detachments to each and every neighborhood or district, equipped, and provided with the means to set up in their assigned areas urgent services for medical treatment, water, food, sanitation, and shelter needed to rescue and stabilize the populations there.
Where possible, such detachments could simultaneously recruit, engage, and assist local people to begin organizing themselves to take care of themselves, providing them with whatever means are necessary to do so, such as “hiring” able-bodied locals to begin clearing rubble, collecting debris, and otherwise working to prepare their respective areas for later major reconstruction efforts. All of these efforts organized, directed, and aimed at rescuing and stabilizing these people as much as possible. Where roadways are not passable, choppers should be used to shuttle supplies and people wherever needed, as needed. Where only emergency medical services are possible, major cases should be transported to offshore vessels, as temporary “hospital” level of treatment, etc.
Later, as various governmental and international agencies and NGO organizations became reconstituted to an operational condition, these military units could then be progressively withdrawn, and quietly returned home. In the process, our military forces from the Army, the Marines, the Navy, and the Air Force, would have demonstrated to the Haitian people that America is, indeed, a “good neighbor”, and to the rest of the world, that those who rail against us, those who would attack us, are the real evil in this world….not us.
Perhaps, but, we should never forget that those who do good for others are rarely, if ever, appreciated. No matter, that’s the American way. C’est la vie.
CENTURION
Looking For Intelligent Design
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Nov. 2009
LOOKING FOR INTELLIGENT DESIGN
(presupposes some kind of brain power to do so)
In this day and age of euphemistic language to avoid any kind of controversy, the concept of “intelligent design” has been an effort to bridge the gap between those who believe in “creation”, and, those who adhere to “evolution”, as the explanation for our existence in this universe.
Frankly, a phrase such as “intelligent design” was a very poor, limp-biscuit, choice to try and bridge that divide. One might even consider it an oxymoronic label for such a serious philosophical and theological debate. Let’s face it….there’s just so much around us as evidence against it. Not so much about the cosmos surrounding our tiny spec of rock we call –Earth - , for that is, indeed, a breathtaking display, suggesting something more than random chance for its origin. No, the evidence against “intelligent design” should more properly be applied to conditions down here on our less than firma terra.
To claim “intelligent design” pre-supposes some kind of brain power to….do so. Even a cursory survey of our species’ history shows that we human critters have not much of either, with a few and rare exceptions.
Perhaps the greatest of these exceptions were the founders of our republic. After four long years of conflict (a touch-and-go one at that) to achieve independence, it then took another eight long years of squabbling to figure out how thirteen former colonies would be able to live with each other, after having rid themselves of the British. What they came up with was, indeed, an intelligent design for government called – The Constitution -. A carefully crafted and masterful design, elegantly combining a most delicate and dynamic balance between individual and collective rights. And it all came about because of the combined grand brain power of the likes of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Monroe, Franklin, and others. There have been few other moments in human history to match it. It seems to have been unique, a momentary aberration in an otherwise unintelligent and un-designed continuum in our species’ existence.
Since that moment, however, the law of physics (for every action there is a reaction) seems to have been working overtime. Rather than continuing with either more “creation” or “evolution”, what we have today is mostly a case of “devolution”….if not “dis-creation”, with little evidence of either “intelligence” or “design” being involved.
The chief example of that being our glorious….Congress! An organism established by that former grand collection of brain power, but now, vastly gone to seed, unable to intelligently design…. anything….be it about taxes and spending, war and peace, immigration reform, health care reform, or anything else.
Well, perhaps this little bit of doggerel (from an unpublished collection called….Songs For Armageddon) will summarize things best:
“No fires, no floods, or other wrack,
May come to be our fate.
Nor may some giant bollide from space
Wipe out this most un-human race.
We’ll just spin off on a wild and looney track,
Right through some Orwellian pearly gate,
To find, when we stop to set a spell,
There are no meadowlarks in our own-created hell.”
CENTURION
Special Issue – Nov. 2009
LOOKING FOR INTELLIGENT DESIGN
(presupposes some kind of brain power to do so)
In this day and age of euphemistic language to avoid any kind of controversy, the concept of “intelligent design” has been an effort to bridge the gap between those who believe in “creation”, and, those who adhere to “evolution”, as the explanation for our existence in this universe.
Frankly, a phrase such as “intelligent design” was a very poor, limp-biscuit, choice to try and bridge that divide. One might even consider it an oxymoronic label for such a serious philosophical and theological debate. Let’s face it….there’s just so much around us as evidence against it. Not so much about the cosmos surrounding our tiny spec of rock we call –Earth - , for that is, indeed, a breathtaking display, suggesting something more than random chance for its origin. No, the evidence against “intelligent design” should more properly be applied to conditions down here on our less than firma terra.
To claim “intelligent design” pre-supposes some kind of brain power to….do so. Even a cursory survey of our species’ history shows that we human critters have not much of either, with a few and rare exceptions.
Perhaps the greatest of these exceptions were the founders of our republic. After four long years of conflict (a touch-and-go one at that) to achieve independence, it then took another eight long years of squabbling to figure out how thirteen former colonies would be able to live with each other, after having rid themselves of the British. What they came up with was, indeed, an intelligent design for government called – The Constitution -. A carefully crafted and masterful design, elegantly combining a most delicate and dynamic balance between individual and collective rights. And it all came about because of the combined grand brain power of the likes of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Monroe, Franklin, and others. There have been few other moments in human history to match it. It seems to have been unique, a momentary aberration in an otherwise unintelligent and un-designed continuum in our species’ existence.
Since that moment, however, the law of physics (for every action there is a reaction) seems to have been working overtime. Rather than continuing with either more “creation” or “evolution”, what we have today is mostly a case of “devolution”….if not “dis-creation”, with little evidence of either “intelligence” or “design” being involved.
The chief example of that being our glorious….Congress! An organism established by that former grand collection of brain power, but now, vastly gone to seed, unable to intelligently design…. anything….be it about taxes and spending, war and peace, immigration reform, health care reform, or anything else.
Well, perhaps this little bit of doggerel (from an unpublished collection called….Songs For Armageddon) will summarize things best:
May come to be our fate.
Nor may some giant bollide from space
Wipe out this most un-human race.
We’ll just spin off on a wild and looney track,
Right through some Orwellian pearly gate,
To find, when we stop to set a spell,
There are no meadowlarks in our own-created hell.”
CENTURION
Keeping Campaign Promises
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Nov 2009
KEEPING CAMPAIGN PROMISES
(with smoke and mirrors)
The Democrat-controlled House finally managed to cobble together a sufficient majority of its own party to pass what they call a Health Care “Reform” bill. A bit of legislation of such complexities it required almost two thousand pages (4 reams) of paper, and projected to cost some $1.2 trillion over the next ten years.
It remains to be seen how much real “reform” any of us will get from it. As far as we can figure at this moment, however, it doesn’t address the fundamental problem with health care in this country….cost….and affordability. We ordinary taxpayers will have to plow through all that verbiage they’ve produced here, before we can begin to see if they really did….or not.
Such are the way our career politicos keep campaign promises….with smoke and mirrors.
Of course, the whole thing now goes forward to the Senate, and there, we’re likely to see further tinkering and cobbling together of other formulas, additions, deletions, modifications, and other slight-of-hand maneuvers, to come up with some kind of version of its own, before that entire hodge-podge of legislation receives its ultimate “refinement” in a joint conference between their two chambers to achieve their final, final, final, output, to be sent to the President for signature….into the newest law of the land.
At which point the Democrats will then be able to truly crow about how they accomplished what no one else ever could….and all by their lonesome besides….without Republican support….and just in time for the 2010 mid-term elections next November.
Meanwhile, we taxpayers will still be trying to decipher it all, and how it may actually apply to us individually, and still trying to figure out….just exactly how and where there might be any cost savings in it for us. Odds are….there won’t be.
So they have managed to keep that campaign promise. They did pass a health care reform bill. But they didn’t promise us it would be an improvement over what we have today. Hmmmm….the President did promise, however, that it wouldn’t cost us more, or add another load to the budget and deficits, because it would pay for itself, etc., etc..
Well, half of what was promised….is better than nothing….I suppose.
As for the Republicans, they seem to have completely disappeared from the scene. Unable to contribute anything worth debating about on the subject, they appear to have opted out. Which leaves us stuck, not with the good, but only the bad and the ugly. For all practical purposes….a single party system.
Lord help us all!
CENTURION
Special Issue – Nov 2009
KEEPING CAMPAIGN PROMISES
(with smoke and mirrors)
The Democrat-controlled House finally managed to cobble together a sufficient majority of its own party to pass what they call a Health Care “Reform” bill. A bit of legislation of such complexities it required almost two thousand pages (4 reams) of paper, and projected to cost some $1.2 trillion over the next ten years.
It remains to be seen how much real “reform” any of us will get from it. As far as we can figure at this moment, however, it doesn’t address the fundamental problem with health care in this country….cost….and affordability. We ordinary taxpayers will have to plow through all that verbiage they’ve produced here, before we can begin to see if they really did….or not.
Such are the way our career politicos keep campaign promises….with smoke and mirrors.
Of course, the whole thing now goes forward to the Senate, and there, we’re likely to see further tinkering and cobbling together of other formulas, additions, deletions, modifications, and other slight-of-hand maneuvers, to come up with some kind of version of its own, before that entire hodge-podge of legislation receives its ultimate “refinement” in a joint conference between their two chambers to achieve their final, final, final, output, to be sent to the President for signature….into the newest law of the land.
At which point the Democrats will then be able to truly crow about how they accomplished what no one else ever could….and all by their lonesome besides….without Republican support….and just in time for the 2010 mid-term elections next November.
Meanwhile, we taxpayers will still be trying to decipher it all, and how it may actually apply to us individually, and still trying to figure out….just exactly how and where there might be any cost savings in it for us. Odds are….there won’t be.
So they have managed to keep that campaign promise. They did pass a health care reform bill. But they didn’t promise us it would be an improvement over what we have today. Hmmmm….the President did promise, however, that it wouldn’t cost us more, or add another load to the budget and deficits, because it would pay for itself, etc., etc..
Well, half of what was promised….is better than nothing….I suppose.
As for the Republicans, they seem to have completely disappeared from the scene. Unable to contribute anything worth debating about on the subject, they appear to have opted out. Which leaves us stuck, not with the good, but only the bad and the ugly. For all practical purposes….a single party system.
Lord help us all!
CENTURION
Just A Little.....K.I.S.S.....Can Go A Long Way
THE CENTURION CHRONICLE
Special Issue – Oct. 2009
JUST A LITTLE….K.I.S.S…..CAN GO A LONG WAY
(and better help the medicine go down)
For some reason, whenever this nation is faced with some kind of national crisis, or problems, all our elected officials from the President on down, including that herd of bovine intellects we call ….CONGRESS….stampede themselves into coming up with solutions, for such crises or problems, having Byzantine convolutions and complexities.
They just seem incapable of considering that: a) Ideology must never be allowed to over ride commonsense, when trying to solve such problems, and, b) Just a little….K.I.S.S….can go a long way towards solving them (and better help the medicine go down, besides).
Our present situation is a perfect example of it. Between their multi-trillion bailout and stimulus plans, their energy plans, their war plans, against this, that, and everything else, and now health care reform, etc., few of us taxpaying voters have a chance in hell of understanding any part of such efforts, or, to reach an informed opinion about them so as to be able to evaluate their relative merits and probability of success.
To those who may subscribe to the conspiracy school of career politicos’ theory-of-governance, this may all be sufficient proof for them that, when faced with such crises and issues, career politicos simply go for dazzling everyone with BS….instead of factual reality, leaving we taxpayers scratching our heads, to ponder much like a former Hindu friend (who lost a bundle in a stock market deal): “Goodness gracious….I invested for some increment, but all I’ve gotten is excrement….indubitably!”
At the risk of being accused of suffering from some form of senility and loss of mental acuity, here are my K.I.S.S. solutions for some of these same problems. That is, anything that can help reduce the extent to which government’s sticky fingers can be extracted from our economic machinery ….can only help. So here they are:
Well, that’s my K.I.S.S. contribution to the cause. And for those of you who might be wondering why I’m not the one sitting in that Oval Office today, it’s very simple. Mamas don’t raise no fools in Missouri, I let the other guy win….because I knew what was coming!
CENTURION
Special Issue – Oct. 2009
JUST A LITTLE….K.I.S.S…..CAN GO A LONG WAY
(and better help the medicine go down)
For some reason, whenever this nation is faced with some kind of national crisis, or problems, all our elected officials from the President on down, including that herd of bovine intellects we call ….CONGRESS….stampede themselves into coming up with solutions, for such crises or problems, having Byzantine convolutions and complexities.
They just seem incapable of considering that: a) Ideology must never be allowed to over ride commonsense, when trying to solve such problems, and, b) Just a little….K.I.S.S….can go a long way towards solving them (and better help the medicine go down, besides).
Our present situation is a perfect example of it. Between their multi-trillion bailout and stimulus plans, their energy plans, their war plans, against this, that, and everything else, and now health care reform, etc., few of us taxpaying voters have a chance in hell of understanding any part of such efforts, or, to reach an informed opinion about them so as to be able to evaluate their relative merits and probability of success.
To those who may subscribe to the conspiracy school of career politicos’ theory-of-governance, this may all be sufficient proof for them that, when faced with such crises and issues, career politicos simply go for dazzling everyone with BS….instead of factual reality, leaving we taxpayers scratching our heads, to ponder much like a former Hindu friend (who lost a bundle in a stock market deal): “Goodness gracious….I invested for some increment, but all I’ve gotten is excrement….indubitably!”
At the risk of being accused of suffering from some form of senility and loss of mental acuity, here are my K.I.S.S. solutions for some of these same problems. That is, anything that can help reduce the extent to which government’s sticky fingers can be extracted from our economic machinery ….can only help. So here they are:
1) Immediately enact a 10% reduction on all existing tax rates, across the board, on income, business, gains, imports, etc., for the remaining three years of this administration. Doing so, would energize and stimulate the roots of our economic tree, like nothing else could.
2) Reduce all pay and allowances by 10% for the President, all Cabinet Secretaries, and all members of Congress, for the same period of time. That’s “their fair share’ of belt-tightening, like they’ve asked us to do. Why should they live fat when the rest of us have to eat…lean cuisine?
3) Arbitrarily whack 10%, right off the top, from the next three fiscal years’ budgets. That’s not much, but it will be 10% less that they’ll be able to piss away on some of their other flimflam projects. All of that might not do a lot towards getting us back onto some kind of steady economic track, but at least it should help to inch down our deficits, and thus….our national debt.
Well, that’s my K.I.S.S. contribution to the cause. And for those of you who might be wondering why I’m not the one sitting in that Oval Office today, it’s very simple. Mamas don’t raise no fools in Missouri, I let the other guy win….because I knew what was coming!
CENTURION
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