Thursday, August 23, 2012

Yes, You Built Your Business with a little help from your country.

Because of a strong middle class and the resulting quality of life that includes prosperity and the disposable income of consumers, throughout American history, our country has been a great place to start a business. Coupled with exceptional access to education and an educated workforce, there is no better free democratic country in the world and there are around 260 democracies in the world. Add in government subsidies and the tax incentives that are provided, factor the transportation networks and airports, it is a no brainier. Without the middle class prosperity, Bain and Romney, would not have had anyone to profit from. Conservative "Young Guns" that are looking for a short cut, should become expatriates and try starting a business somewhere else.

Conservatives are using the poor economy- which their policies caused- to exploit workers, to not pay them well, and in some cases, not pay them at all. Large corporations, for some time, have been moving a portion of their operations to countries that are not free or democratic. In Florida, Rick Scott, like he has done with voting rights, is making it more difficult to obtain unemployment insurance. The numbers are down, but nothing has changed.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Do Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan reject Christ in the Gospels?

Inherent in Republican economics is the justification and exaltation of human greed and egotism. It is a gratuitous statement to say that all citizens should take care of themselves from a podium when campaigning for political office. It is a ludicrous statement, which not only isn't appropriate for a day at Disney World, but is bat-dodo crazy in the context of the real world in which we all live. All Americans- to the best of their ability- are doing that now. It is much harder to get people to help their fellow citizens, either directly or indirectly, through the payment of taxes or labor; to protect a town, fight a war, repair a road, build a bridge, or even provide aid to victims of natural and especially man made disasters.

Since we must coexist, depend upon one another for many things including security and "goods and services", compromise, sacrifice and selflessness, in proportion, and in accordance with the teachings of Christ, are necessary for survival. To get people to do the needed things is the role of government, as well as academic institutions and Christianity. There is no "I" in We the People.

Deeply implicit in the philosophy of Romney, Ryan and the Tea Party is a moral sanction to greed and self interest, and the notion that what is wrong in America, we cannot make right. I spent the better part of last night perusing a King James Bible and could not find a single passage to support this philosophy.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Did England Win the American Civil War?

During my days as a college student, I had the great honor of shaking hands and speaking with John Kenneth Galbraith. I still remember the sweat on the palms of my hands. Dr. Galbraith had been the American ambassador to India during the Kennedy administration and there was an exhibit by an Indian artist at Wesleyan.

I had just written a paper for a history class in which I argued that the ironclads provided to the Confederacy by England during the American Civil War, so crippled New England shipping that the British Merchant Navy remained the dominant force in world commerce after the war. The progress of our country continued, despite this fact, due to Westward Expansion. Dr. Galbraith listened politely and nodded.

As I have tried to argue in this blog, today we are engaged in another civil war. The war is not between the economic interests of the manufacturing states in the North and the economic interests of the agrarian states in the South; and the developed countries competing with the North for the raw materials of the of the South. It is much more obscured and much more political. It is between Republicans and their super rich constituents, and those aspiring to join their ranks; and the Democrats and moderate Republicans, and the rest of us, including those that grasp the realization that the Tea Party Republican platform makes it virtually impossible for anyone to ascend the financial aristocracy.

We voluntarily have given away much of our manufacturing base to the rest of the world, specifically Southeastern Asia. And our agrarian base is challenged in the Southern Americas. We must do everything we can to ensure that China does not win this Civil War.

Are Republicans Selfish?

Today we are engaged in the Olympics. For many it is a celebration of the human spirit. For a few it is also like an afternoon at the ballpark, only on a much bigger stage. Competition is good for both people and countries. But in order for competition to elevate the human spirit and reinforce the values that we hold as truth, it must be a true competition. And for good people, the goals of the competition should be noble.

It is obvious, after 12 years, that the tax cuts for the rich are not going to trickle-down to anyone. And because of these tax cuts combined with two unfunded wars and the stimulus that was necessary to save the American economy, our deficit is an issue of great importance. The accumulation of wealth by the rich during this period, has left less monies for new business start ups, research and development, and education. The rich and global corporations have had their decade plus. It has not worked. Now is the time to go in a different direction. Intellectuals may want to dust-off their copies of Bakunin. Just kidding.