U.S. Economics

If U.S. Economics makes any sense please let me know for I can't see how zero interest rates, high unemployment, 1.4 trillion dollar deficits, two wars, giving away billions of dollars to banks without accountability, plunging value of the dollar, ignoring running out of petroleum, a crumbling infrastructure, being on the verge of allowing up to 20 million poor illegal aliens a free pass to citizenship at the same time shipping jobs over seas or over the border can bring about a robust economy in the near future, or if at all. All these things above mentioned are trending to get worse in the short term, if not for the long term. A declining petroleum reserve is in itself bad news. As time goes on more and more countries will be bidding for less and less oil. By 2034 world oil will be so short that it could be considered fully depleted. World use of the stuff increases generally more than the population growth, which is 1.25% per year. World consumption is about 25 billion barrels a year. At this time the U.S. imports over 60% of the oil it uses, which is over 7 billion barrels a year. It has less than 21 billion barrels in reserve, that is, in the ground. The U.S. started out with over 200 billion barrels in 1860.

How we are avoiding high inflation rates I don't know either. The chickens are bound to roost sometime. Smart people are asking smart questions but there are a lot of dumb incompetent people in position to do something that can't because of a obsessive ideology paralyzing their ability to do anything.

We are trapped by our own primitive instincts. Does anyone hear four horses approaching?

Iran: A Growing Danger?

There is little doubt that Iran has been deeply involved in supplying money, training, and arms against Israel and its ally the United States in recent years. The Big Question, now that Iran has a Nuclear Program, just what is their ultimate intent? It doesn't seem to bother them supplying deadly IEDs to be used against U.S. troops, let alone Israeli troops, in a conflict they have no cause to be in, namely the one in Iraq. It seems killing American troops is the game. A nuclear attack against the U.S. and Israel does not seem far fetched considering Iran's track record.

Enablers, such as Russia, are playing a dangerous game, for if technology and materials supplied by them are used against the U.S. or Israel, consequences will be beyond comprehension. I seriously doubt that Iran just plans on using their nuclear capability just for mere psychological effect for, without compunction, they have used rockets, mortars, manufactured IEDs, and other arms against the U.S. and its allies all these years. The finger has been pointed at Hamas and Hezbollah as the guilty parties but everyone knows they are proxies of Iran.

So if anyone were to ask, "Is a nuclear Iran dangerous", I'd say definitely yes!

Olympia Snowe: Tail Wagging the Dog

It is disconcerting and embarrassing watching the hoops being jumped by the Democrats as they try to woo their token Republican Olympia Snowe in regards to Health Care Reform. I don't pretend to know all the ins and outs of what is being proposed regarding Health Care Reform legislation but there is one thing I am certain of is that the little guy will lose out to the Insurance Companies big time. What is being gained in all this effort? About 20 million out of 45 million uninsured will be added to the coverage. Already the Insurance Companies are threatening their brand of payback if legislation of any sort is passed. Payback being much higher premiums of course. On top of all this is legislation may get passed but like Immigration legislation implementation of it will dated well in the future allowing the public time to forget promises made and allow sabotage during the interim by legislators who voted against it. Real intent for reform would be immediate implementation and a strong initial stance.

Failure of U.S. Capitalism

Many laud capitalism as being the most democratic and efficient form of economic philosophy. How can this be when trillions of dollars are being handed over to banking institutions; trillions of dollars borrowed from U.S. taxpayers. It seems the free wheeling Bush administration's last act for Big Business was a grand finale.

Republicans and other conservatives hold Capitalism up as a shining beacon, the most perfect form of economic philosophy, yet they do everything in their power to bring it down; by enacting laws and regulations that encourage unethical practices, the examples which are evident today as well as in the past. The 1929 Depression should have been an over whelming example of runaway Capitalism, the 80's Savings and Loan scandal should have been another example of what deregulation does to an economy and the Recession of 2008 should be the final straw. Money talks as well as corrupts and there seems to be a direct correlation between political contributions and partisanship; i.e. the more money contributed to a politician's campaign fund the more arguments he or she finds to favor the contributor's cause. Politicians have been clever about denying quid pro quo but it is a fairly obvious that politician's are being swayed by money coming their way.

I suppose the fault is not Capitalism but how it is regulated. Any fertile field is subject to overgrazing. Greed is a powerful human impulse, so must be checked by objective means.

Any direct, or indirect, contacts by political contributors to a politician's office or person should be public record. Money should be taken out of politics. Direct payments to a politician's campaign should henceforth be forbidden. Lobbying should be regulated and be of public record. Campaign spending should be limited. Far too much money is being spent on propaganda. Propaganda, meaning disinformation and outright lying about a opposing candidates record or position. Democracy is not being served.