What If?

What if Mitt Romney had won the last election? In anticipation of winning the election, and well prior to the final results, Romney formulated a plan to turn the White House into a venture capital-like "holding firm". The syndicate would have been comprised of three teams: "Office of Care and Feeding" which would have included speech writing, "The Office of Packaging and Selling" which would have encompassed information and public relations, and  "The Policy Office" which would have included the National Security Council and would have attempted to dissipate any remaining regulatory, consumer protection, and social agencies.

In the Post Business and Democracy, I contrasted the goals and objectives of a corporation and a democracy. Certainly, if this this country is run like a corporation, democracy and America- as we know it- will cease to be. It is almost laughable to imagine our country broken up and sold off in pieces. The fact that there are people wearing loud America flag lapel pins that actually believe that it is their right to do this, and that it is good for our country, makes it very painful.

This clip which the National Rifle Association probably won't endorse, may put a smile on your face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt3aLev041E

Is There a Vast Liberal Conspiracy in America?

Recently, proponents of Conservative philosophy have argued that the media, institutions of higher learning, and many think tanks are dominated by "liberal thinking" due to a process of "indoctrination" that individuals must go through to join the ranks of these institutions.

Elements of the indoctrination include study and discipline, application of the scientific method, logic with conclusions supported by documentable facts, and the truth. I guess these guys are right and their theory has merit.

Two of the most influential people in my life taught me that a meaningful life includes a process of continually learning and teaching. As elements of life change, some truths change. Some actions that were viable prior to the technological revolution, no longer produce results. A man would be a darn fool to produce buggy whips and expect to make a living today. Due to technology, demographics, et al, some realities change.

However, some realities don't. Science and the law of physics, and yes, as Bill Clinton so succinctly pointed out, arithmetic, remain true regardless of the changes in the structure of human life. One plus one equals two and always will.

So people that gain access to the institutions through study, discipline, logic, and a quest for truth may merely be exhibiting a sane and rational approach to what they are doing.

The GOP/Tea Party through their mission of obstruction and attrition, merely exhibit very assertive incompetence, and appear to have absolutely no understanding, and appear to be incapable of fathoming the outcomes of their behaviors. Liberal conspiracy? I don't think so. How could any sane, rational person behave otherwise. 

"Freedom's Just Another Word for Nothin' Left to Lose." Kristofferson/Foster

The latest battle cry of the Republican Party is freedom. They claim that the Obama administration is taking away freedoms from Americans. The Tea Party/GOP prescription for living in America is threefold:

(1) Amass as many arms and as much weaponry, as humanly possible, and be prepared to use it. This decree assumes that we are all headed for some wild and crazy times. And by preparing for, and in anticipation of Thunder Dome, we are in effect adding to its creation.

(2) Don't pay taxes and do everything to disable all government save the Department of Defense. This notion is looney tunes. Nobody likes to pay taxes. Nobody likes to pay their rent or utility bill, either. But we do it to keep the lights on and a roof over our heads.  Same goes for the government.

I believe that virtually everyone in America will agree that freedom is linked inextricably to economic opportunity. The American Dream is realized when preparation meets opportunity. By deconstructing government, we are actually ending the ability to prepare; by ending support for education, research and development, subsidies for small businesses and industry, and ancillary equality. At the same time, we are destroying opportunity by deconstructing laws and regulations, and programs that protect and help the middle class and working poor, the consumers that spend money, and essentially support and create existing and new markets. The hypocrisy and dishonesty of the GOP is illustrated by the "absolving" of a portion of the sequester regulating air traffic controllers, thus ceasing the disruption of the economy at a certain level.

I will not spend time on this, but imagine if an individual state, free from any pesky Federal interference, became financially strapped and/or controlled by a deranged government and decided to allow a foreign power to position nuclear weapons.

(3)So we arm ourselves, deconstruct our government, and we trust and rely on Our Lord Jesus Christ to take care of everything else. In essence, we let crackpots as well as shrewd opportunists structure our lives. We equate this to freedom. And because we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, regardless of how we act or what we do, our actions are divine, and beyond human scrutiny, judgement, and reprise.

I am a baptized Christian. As a small boy in Sunday school, I was taught a different prescription for living. My lessons included such suggestions as: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."And," Love thy neighbor." And, "Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

Newsmax- one of the biggest proponents of the GOP doomsday philosophy likens Obama to Hitler, and the failure to overturn Roe v. Wade, the same as the holocaust. The court decision was in 1973. If Newsmax told me W. Bush was similar to Hitler, I would applaud their scholarly analysis. It must be noted that Newsmax regularly runs ads advising its readers on how to recognize dementia.

I'll leave you with a very sobering quote.

"It's hard to get people to understand something when their salary depends on not understanding it."

Upton Sinclair

Life-Changing Government Inventions

According to an article in The Fiscal Times, a conservative publication, most of the inventions that deeply impact, structure, and shape our lives are a result of government funding. The Global Positioning System or GPS was originally developed by the Defense Department in the 70's. Again, you all can thank the Defense Department, and not Al Gore, for developing the prototype for the internet in the 60's. Infants formula was developed by NASA in the 1980's. The founders of Google were supported by graduate school fellowships from the National Science Foundation. The NSF was also instrumental in the development of  bar codes. The Defense Department provided funding to private sector companies during WW II that ultimately led to the developed of microchips. The NSF and CIA provided funding that led to the development of touch screens on tablets and smartphones. As Rick Perry can attest to, the National Institutes of Health are responsible for many life-saving vaccines, including flu shots. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency developed the turbine engines used in the production of wind energy. America gets 6% of its electricity from wind power!

If this is socialism, as the Tea Party states, let's make the most of it. I just hope that while I am still walking the Earth, the stupification that has occurred in American politics ceases. I hope that people value and use reason and logic, in conjunction with their faith and stop electing mentally defective people to positions of power. Anti-intellectualism and falsehoods are dangerous for individuals as well as our country as a whole.

The Story of John Henry

In American folklore there is the story of John Henry. As legend has it, John Henry was a railroad worker who wielded a  sledge hammer. To increase efficiency and production, the owner of the railroad introduced a steam driven machine to replace John and his co-workers. To protect the jobs of his co-workers, John Henry challenged the steam powered hammer to a race. Ironically he beat the machine, but died at the end of the race with sledge hammer in hand.

The story of John Henry parallels what is happening in America and the world today. Whether it is a result of software technology, robotics, or simple mechanical innovation, traditional options for many American workers no longer exist. This is just a fact of human existence. From the advent of the wheel in prehistoric times, technology has shaped the nature of human life and specifically employment and how we make a living.

Outsourcing, the employment of illegal aliens at sub-poverty level wages, union busting, and child labor all are situations that represent an entirely different matter. These actions are subject to the moral compass of our democracy and society as whole, and are conditions that can be remedied by government and law.

The real crime in what's happening today, is that those politicians and pundits on the far far right, often blur these two separate situations. They not only fail to acknowledge these truths, but they advocate and profess to believe that the problems of the middle and working classes stem from people not taking responsibility for themselves and not working hard enough.

The Virtue of Selfishness

You can never really know what's going on in the mind of a person. You can only observe behavior. Simply, you can only observe what a person is doing. And every behavior fulfills a human need. Since the need will always be there, people can only replace one behavior with another behavior to fulfill that need.

Republicans believe that the wealthy and powerful should be allowed to behave any way they want to suit their self-interests without regard for the common good and without regard for the preservation of our democracy. Ironically, they call upon the Constitution and our government to protect, unequivocally, their right to behave this way. They rationalize this behavior with a "take what you want and leave the rest" interpretation of both the US Constitution and the Bible.

They behave like a reckless driver on the highway. They speed. They text. They drive erratically and without regard for the health, well being, and safety of other drivers. And they are unable to comprehend that the efforts and taxes of the other drivers also paid for and maintain the highway they are acting upon. Imagine if everyone behaved this way. Political philosopher Thomas Hobbes speculates what life would be like without law (regulations) and government:

"In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
Chapter 8, Of the Natural Condition of Mankind, Leviathan.

Implicit in the founding of America is the notion of a Social Contract. Right-wing Republicans are breaking the contract. Ironically the contract enabled  many of them to prosper. To behave to break the contract is undeniably un-American. Democracy and the laws and regulations that result from the union of the people, created by the people acting as a body, are not limitations on individual freedom, but are actually the expression of  individual freedom.

Belonging, A Challenge, & New Economics

One of the reasons I started this blog was to examine why Americans would support a political party, and an ideology that was contrary to their well being. Most healthy human beings need acceptance, a sense of belonging, and a notion that they matter- that is- that their lives have significance. This may explain why the Republican attack on government is so appealing to so many. The self-delusion of Republican Archaism, epitomized by the notion that all the great things about this country, that enable people to live and work so well, were magically created, is bunk. But this notion does reinforce a sense of strength and individualism for many. It has been noted in this blog that Red States, on the whole, receive far more in federal monies, than they pay in federal taxes.

Most human beings, on some level, need a challenge to give some meaning to their existence. For many of America's political leaders throughout history, it has been an enemy that represents a threat to the American way. For a long period of time it was Communism. Today, for the Tea Party, with no great threat lurking on the horizon, it is our own government.

Despite what happened in 2008, many facets of our economy are going along at a frenetic pace, as if the Great Recession never happened. Mergers and acquisitions, not just among the banking institutions, are focused on the quick immediate buck, with no concern for the long term or future consequences. The pricing of goods and services is, more and more, based on a manipulation of supply in order to optimize profits with OPEC being the business model for corporations. The "invisible hand" of Adam Smith has been replaced by a golden fist.

Why Mitt Romney Lost

Romney recently released a statement  that essentially 'parroted' the sentiments of right wing media on why he lost the presidential election. He stated that the citizens who voted for President Obama want stuff and that Obama gave, or promised to give them, "gifts". Yes, all Americans,  all human beings for that matter, ipso facto, want things. Yes, Mitt, Americans want to receive a living wage so they can feed and shelter their families. They want affordable healthcare for themselves and their families when they become sick. They want protection and remedy from from the excesses of global corporations and the super rich. That is, they want fairness and just laws. They want their civil rights to be upheld. And they want to keep intact the access to upward mobility in our society; the same access that was available to many that now say we can't afford to do it! They just can't help it. It is part of the human condition.

The supporters of Mitt Romney, and those that voted for him, also want things. They want stuff. The oil companies want to continue to make obscene profits and continue to be subsidized by those voters that elected President Obama. The Super PAC contributors, who are a little pissed at Mitt right now, and the lobbyists also want stuff. They want the government to eliminate regulations, laws and fairness; and taxes so their appropriation of wealth can continue exponentially and they can continue on their merry way. And they want the government to send contracts and taxpayer monies their way; and grant more subsides, entitlements, favorable legislation, and tax breaks.

Mitt just can't get it. He is cognitively out of touch, not only with the America of today, but also with the political philosophy that was brought forth by our Founding Fathers. This election truly was a battle between the financial aristocracy and populous democracy.

Sanity Prevails in 2012

I am an old white guy and I am also a human being. I don't like rap music. I don't particularly like basketball. Though on some human level it irritated me when Barrack and Michelle Obama lapsed back into  mannerisms that I was not completely comfortable with, I have complete confidence in the demonstrated intellect, competence, and ability of President Barrack Obama to keep our country going in the right direction. Substance and performance trump style every time. And Mitt Romney had little of either.

What was most disconcerting for this old white guy, was the lack of compatibility of Conservative policy positions. The Conservative platform advocated positions that could not work together logically. And their positions, for the most part, assumed a world view and distorted reality that has long passed our country by.

We now have a global economy that must be considered. The Bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, and China is a reality. And this new reality impacts oil prices, the cost of groceries, and all things with little elasticity of demand. The micro approach to many of our problems, unless you're a corporate raider, is simply idiotic. And the good things that came out of the 60's and 70's, the social issues, though they may have been dormant, are alive again.

Finally, for anyone that doesn't appreciate how much this election demonstrated the restoration of sanity in America, just know that if the vote occurred prior to the gerrymandering by Republican state officials after the 2010 election, the Republicans would only have a scant lead in the House of Representatives. Boo-ya.

The Mind of Mitt Romney

Doublethink, a word coined by George Orwell in his novel Nineteen Eighty-four, explains the act of simultaneously holding two mutually exclusive beliefs as the truth. The notion is related to, but distinct from hypocrisy and neutrality.

Romney- over the course of his campaign- often has forgotten what he has previously said and done; and then remembered it again when it was needed, as in the case of Obamacare. In the interim, he has advocated positions that are utterly contradictory. When Romney tells rich Americans that he doesn't care about working Americans, and then tells working Americans that he does care about them, the two contradictory beliefs create no conflict in his mind.

He appears to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies. His performance in the debates, his statements in the Republican primary, his actions at Bain Capital, and his policies as Governor of Massachusetts, essentially cancel themselves out- that is, the conflicting statements, advocations, and policies. He knows they are contradictory positions and statements, yet he believes in them all.

Romney believes that democracy is undesirable. Right wing media has called it "mob rule" and Republicans, on the state levels, have made a concerted effort to suppress voting rights. At the same time, through the Tea Party and the same radical media, he believes that he is the guardian of democracy.

In my lifetime, never has there been a candidate for president who is so frighteningly contrary to the principals this country was founded upon. And what makes it especially disconcerting, by using Karl Rove's number one campaign tactic, the right wing accuses the Obama administration of behaving in this manner, though I seriously doubt they understand it. I feel especially sad for the majority of the supporters of the Romney/Ryan ticket who are victims of doublethink.

What do the Taliban and the Republican Party Have in Common?

Well, let's see.

The members of the Taliban wear robes and turbans.
The Republican Party officials wear suits. Hmm.....

The Taliban hates gays, lesbians, and Jews.
The Republican Party hates gays and lesbians, and many secretly hate Jews.

The Taliban hates American soldiers.
The Republican Party views American soldiers as dupes and freeloaders witnessed by their filibusterer of legislation designed to help them and their overall failure to serve.

The Taliban hates America and the freedoms given to the people.
The Republican Party dismisses half the American population and seeks to eradicate the rights and freedoms they are entitled to under the Constitution.

The Taliban believes that women are not equal to men and are not entitled to the same rights.
The Republican Party believes that women are second class citizens witnessed by their legislation and stance on issues such as fair pay and women's reproductive rights.

Both the Taliban and the Republican Party are right wing religious fundamentalists and they are both a threat to democracy and the American way.

If there is anyone who still believes that a Romney/Ryan administration will create well-paying jobs and strengthen what's left of the American middle class, just look at what's going on in Freeport, Illinois right now. Bain Capital is outsourcing the manufacturing jobs of Sensata Technologies to China. Sensata had it's most profitable year, ever, last year. Bain's contempt for the middle class is indisputable because the outsourced workers are required to train their Chinese counterparts. 

Decades ago when I was looking for my first job, ads in the classified section of newspapers asked applicants to, not only forward a resume and references, but also salary requirements. Those days are long gone. And if Romney is elected, they most assuredly will never return.

Repeal and Replace

Repeal and replace is a central theme to Romney's and the Republicans' mantra. And they refuse to give any details about what they will replace the laws and regulations they repeal, with. They talk about the free market. Ryan talks about Ayn Rand. Despite the fact that both Romney and especially Ryan concede that their family and businesses were recipients of much government assistance, they now want to let the rich and powerful, and especially the banks, run wild; and relegate the role of government to the protection of the feudal lords and the waging of wars.  This is not free market economics. A great Republican President Teddy Roosevelt fully understood this. And he busted up banks which were small by today's standards. At best, what Romney/Ryan advocate is despotic or feudal capitalism. As Romney pointed out in his 47% statement which essential assumed that half the population of this country has no value, their vision for our country assumes that half of all Americans are not entitled to have the ability to obtain food, shelter, or healthcare, despite the fact that these are basic needs. Romney believes that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are for the chosen few. I guess Romney and Ryan would have the rest of Americans fight to get the basic needs in the arena. Instead of reading Ayn Rand, perhaps Ryan should read Abraham Maslow and examine how we humans operate. Then perhaps he wouldn't pontificate and advocate such crap. Then again, maybe he would.

The 2008 crash provides irrefutable evidence that Republican thinking and policies allowed banks and other institutions to gut and suck the life's earnings, and life blood, out of every single man, woman, and child, save the top 2% that benefited from the disaster. Republicans seek to end, through social engineering, the one thing that made America so great, its people. America cannot and will not survive a repeat of 2008.

"I Read the News Today, Oh Boy..."

I truly believe that if Hillary had defeated Barrack in the Democratic primary, the recovery in American would be a lot farther along. And this assumption has absolutely nothing to do with an assessment of the competence or character of President Obama. I think that it is nothing short of miraculous what President Obama has accomplished given what he was faced with, and what the Republican Tea Party and the top 2% have done to thwart his every move. I cannot and will not believe that the cognitive level of the average American has descended to the level of Honey Bo Bo (of The Learning Channel fame), or that fraud and mendacity are acceptable behaviors.  I, now believe that it is purely racial. See Post: "Blazing Saddles".

According to the Founding Fathers, one role of government is to protect the rights of the people. They did not want the rights of individuals to be decided by individual states. By allowing this to happen, individual states would be able to throw off the balance and this would allow some states to be more powerful than other states and essentially undermine our democracy. The Republicans are attempting, to a certain degree, to do this now.

The vast majority of Americans believe that the government should intervene in the economy during times of economic crisis. The Republicans certainly believe this notion as they are criticizing President Obama, as Clinton pointed out, for not fixing the mess they created fast enough. And Wall Street is doing better than ever. Perhaps Progressive policymakers should squeeze the top 2%, like one squeezes an orange, so that the "recovery" trickles down more quickly to Main Street.

Finally, I have an acquaintance that has decided to vote for Mitt Romney. She is the recipient of much government assistance. She is also of Hispanic descent. When I asked her why she thought Romney would make a good president, she replied that Obama wasn't that bad but she had heard that Romney had some Mexican blood in him. Oh, boy.

Romney's 3 Point Economic Plan for America Revealed!

(1) Slash Taxes for the Wealthy and Global Corporations.
(2) Employ Republican Private Sector Vampirism through the privatization of all government programs, to redistribute all tax monies, including and especially those of the middle class and working poor to the super rich and global corporations.

(3) Reduce the vast majority of Americans to wage slaves and serfs.

One goal of the Romney/ Ryan economic plan is to slash taxes for the super rich and global corporation. They make no bones about this. And I believe that most Americans are aware of this fact. I believe that Americans differ on what they perceive to be the ramifications of doing this and the benefits to the American economy as a whole. It comes down to President Clinton's model of expanding from the middle class outward, and the "trickle down" theory employed by W. Bush. One great fallacy of the tinkle down theory is that the redistribution of American wealth into the hands of fewer and fewer will create jobs. In fact, it will stymie economic growth and job creation. And I think that the records of both presidents on job growth and  budget surpluses illustrates this clearly. Clinton produced jobs and a budget surplus. Bush created few jobs and took us to the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. Remember, Bernanke stated to Bush, that if the government did not act immediately, there would be no economy on Monday morning.

I think there is one major goal of Romney's plan that most Americans are not aware of. And this cognitive perception is ingrained in Romney and comes from his days at Bain Capital. Both Romney and Ryan call for the "privatization" or elimination of virtually all government programs. Their rationalization is that the programs will be more efficient, beneficial, and cost-effective for everyone. The actual goal of doing this is for the rich and powerful to be able to get in between the monies and the beneficiaries, and extrapolate as much as they can, without the interference of pesky regulations. This will drastically reduce the amount the beneficiaries receive all the while furthering the concentration of wealth, enriching their constituents, and further depressing the US economy.

One glaring example of this Republican Private Sector Vampirism, which was corrected by President Obama, is the Federal Guaranteed Student Loan Program. Prior to Obama's action, banks- yes the same ones that we bailed out- acted as intermediaries, middle men, and took hefty profits to administer the loans. The loans represented no risk for the banks because they were still guaranteed by the Fed. Gotta love the free market. This could be construed as welfare for banks, and certainly didn't do anything to improve access to education or the economy as a whole, except to maintain or increase the pay of the Board of Directors and the CEO's of the banks. And now were back to the trickle down theory.

I am not an exceptionally smart fellow. So it should be clear to most Americans that Romney, Ryan and the vampires are salivating like Pavlov's dog at the thought of getting their hands on Social Security and Medicare. And then it goes back to Bain and cognitive perception and values.

One caveat: The argument I am proposing is further supported by the Republican attacks on teachers, firefighters, and policemen, as well as the failure of  Republicans to support the US Postal Services. Cutting basic services for the vast majority of American citizens, including the elderly, students, the disabled and veterans, will create a slow chaos and make it easier for the new Caesars to fulfill their agenda and take the rest of us into the Dark Ages.

Do Republicans View the US Military as Entitled Slackers?

Republicans, in general, view non-strategic, non-diplomatic solutions (Force) as the way to address most situations in international affairs. However, the men and women they employ- and I use the word employ loosely- appear to be viewed as "entitled" once they have carried out the operation. Recently Senate Republicans blocked legislation designed to help veterans find work in their communities. I find this to be shocking and shameful. I guess we don't have to worry about a privatized army modeled after the Blackwater experiment during the Bush administration. Patriotic or disenfranchised Americans are much more cost effective. And they can be discarded once they have outlived their usefulness.

The worst states for the elderly in America, when considering crime rates and  elderly poverty rates are all states that are controlled by the New Conservative Movement. Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky are all states that are at the top of the list. All these states have an extremely high crime rate, and, at least 10% of the retired population lives below the poverty level. This observation should serve as a preview of where Romney and Ryan will take the rest of the country if they are elected.

Finally, I would like to share a unverified story I heard about American Job Creators. Because of the economic slowdown in China- the place where many of them are invested- they recently applauded stimulus by the Chinese government and are calling for more of the same. It's better Red than moderate for them, I guess.

Will the Election of Mitt Romney Incite Terrorist Attacks and Jeopardize America's Security?

W. Bush essentially took the first 8 months of his presidency off to rest up from his campaign against Al Gore. Intel is now surfacing that points to the fact that the Bush Administration ignored information that the attack on 9/11 was imminent. This is substantiated by the fact that CIA operatives were requesting transfers so as not to be blamed for not providing intel for the attack.

Romney's incompetence and insensitivity to the Real America is illustrated by his comments during the present international crisis that involves both Egypt and Libya. Unlike McCain, gaining power and fulfilling his agenda to empower the financial aristocracy, supersedes American security and the lives of any Real Americans. It is very likely that the election of Mitt Romney and his Neocon administration, comprised primarily of W. Bush folks, will spell doom for America, not only domestically, but in world affairs as well.

It is telling and truly interesting to note that the most "hawkish" policymakers, for the most part, have never served in the military.  Dick Cheney, when asked about military service, replied that he "had better things to do." And, unlike Joe Biden's son, none of Mitt's five boys see service in America's military as having any value.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to a man that perhaps can articulate the truths in this blog, in a more palatable way for some Real Americans who have been bamboozled by the Reactionary Dirty Money Machine. Dave "Mudcat" Saunders, hardly a liberal by any stretch of the imagination, is waging war in Virginia against Eric Cantor and the Reactionary movement.

The American Family: Should We Run Our Country Like a Family Like the Tea Party Advocates?

The Republicans vehemently state that most American families live within their means and that our government should do likewise. A solid notion. But let's examine how an American family operates. One or more of the family members bring in income and it is used to support and meet, at the very least, the basic needs of the entire family and all its members. Even Momma Grizzly would argue that all members of a family should be cared for regardless of physical health or aptitude and that a father should not farm out a child simply because he does not want to have his income taxed. The American family unit is a communal unit. Ah Hah.

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.

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.

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.