Today President Obama announced plans to draw down the troop strength in Afghanistan. That is nice and it may help the budget process, but the real question is why are we there to start with. My opinion is that it is Bureaucratic Incompetence. Had the leadership of the United States put half the thought, planning and time into retaliating for 9/11, that the hijackers did we would not be in the mess we are in. It also could not have been used as an excuse to attack Iraq. While getting rid of Saddam Hussein was worthwhile it was and is not justified the way they did it. Had they done it as part of the Gulf War it would have been provoked and acceptable. The only goal of government was to show that they could react to a situation. The outcome was not as important as the impression "something" was being done. Swatting at pesky flies with sledge hammers is the standard practice of the government. A little sugar will concentrate the flies so you can get several with one smack of a fly swatter, with much less collateral damage.
Had the government planned, imbedded spies and taken the time to learn the habits and weaknesses of the enemy one good clean strike could have taken care of the problem. The recent killing of Bin Laden proves that it could have happened. Knowing who you can trust in an area where no one trusts a foreigner can be a painful lesson to learn. If we had waited two, three or even four years and then launched a successful strike it would have been cheaper. Also more effective in the long run. Was the point to send a message? If so be glad I was not in charge.
If I had been in charge. I would have taken one jet and one nuclear bomb and melted the side of a mountain. It was in almost total wilderness. The collateral damage would have been minimal, but it would definitely shown we meant business. The statement would have been clear. It might have encouraged our allies to do some of the cleanup themselves. The message would have been clear, We are going to get even. Deal with it." A side effect of the Bin Laden operation is that it showed us the true sympathies of our supposed "Allies." The question is not when but how long will it be before a nuclear weapon leak happens. The terrorist are not really serious about terrorism. It is to easy to build a bomb. If they were serious they could come here. If they started blowing up shopping malls, high school ball games and any other senseless act of violence they can dream up. Who is going to stop them. Almost any person can go into any store and buy the ingredients for a bomb. All it would take is the will. Who stopped the Columbine Massacre? Nobody but the terrorists by committing suicide. What about Oklahoma City? Was McVeigh a terrorist or a psychopath. Probably a little of both. The point is our government feeds on our fears and tries to increase its control over our lives.
The war on drugs is the perfect example of incompetence in action. I do not do drugs, other than prescription ones, but I would bet I could acquire some if I so desired in almost any city in America without to much effort or risk on my part. The government has not put a dent in the supply of drugs. Prohibition proved you can not legislate morality, but you can tax the heck out of it. If they legalized it tomorrow it would destroy the drug trade, especially if you could grow your own. There would be no money in it. No money equals, no drug dealers. OH!!!But if they legalize it everybody will become junkies. Did everybody become Alcoholics when prohibition ended? No, they did not. I do not smoke, drink or do drugs and I am not about to start because some idiots in the government say I can. That concept is assinine and survives only by feeding on peoples fears. That is the governments biggest weapon.
What proves the incompetence of the government is what is happening around America. Many states have approved medical marijuana laws and allow the sell and growth of certain amounts of drugs. Colorado has even created a system to inspect, set up guidelines and tax pot. All of this in the face of Federal laws that say it is illegal to do so. Cracking down is not the answer. We need to take a new look at the whole drug problem and how America is dealing with it.
President Roosevelt said, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." The government has been using it to control the citizens every since that time. It is time for a third party that will take that system apart and give the power back to the people.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
America's Coming Economic Collapse, A Possible Solution
Collapse is not probable, it is inevitable. Many people are trying to make a big deal about the economy and trying to make out like it is going to magically recover. The housing markets recent slide tells the true story. It is not rocket science to figure out what is pushing it down. The almost fourteen million people who are on unemployment are quickly becoming 99er's. They are running out of the only resource that helped them keep ends together. Simultaneously gas prices have spiked again just as they did three to four years ago. People living on the edge have to make decisions. When it comes down to eating, keeping the car or paying the house payment it quickly becomes a no brainer. People are going to eat and they are going to keep their mobility. It will not turn around till the government comes up with a job program that puts millions of people to work. It must also help the states to pay their bills. As people go to work they pay taxes, when they get laid off they do not pay taxes. Something has to give.
Unless bold action is taken, and taken immediately America is going to slide into a major depression that makes the Great Depression look like a cakewalk. National Debt, Jobs, Infrastructure, Health Care and Social Security all are related. The recent tax break given to American tax payers was done by borrowing against the future. The government cut Social Security deductions to put more in people's paychecks. What they did not say is this will cause a shortage in Social Security funds down the road. Peter and Paul no longer have anything to take from each other the government has taken it all. With a national debt that equals more than $40,000 dollars for every man woman and child in America, we have a problem. The median income in America is onlyu $34,000. That means if half of everybody gave all they have to the government they would still be $6,000 dollars in debt. Who is this going to fall on. Not this generation, and not the baby boomers, it is going to fall on our children and grandkids.
Right now there is an opportunity for a solution. A year or more down the road it will be to late to make a difference. President Obama supposedly put in place a "Paygo" program that requires all new expenditures to be paid for by budget cuts or tax increases. Yet his present budget package asks for an increase of the national debt limit by 16 % over what it is now. It America is to maintain its credibility it has to be done, but it should be done conditionally. It should reguire the 2013 budget to be no more than the 2012 budget and the 2014 budget should require a reduction of the same 16% that it is being raised this year. That gives time and room to solve some of the budget problems. One condition should be the bringing home of all American forces overseas. All means all, and includes the ones in Germany, Japan and Korea where our troops spend billions of dollars that could be spent in the American economy.
A permanent tax should be assessed on gas. This tax should be strictly for rebuilding America. While it is a tax, it is not going to the federal or state governments who have proved to be to incompetent to do the job. Each state will have to appoint a commission to adminster and manage the funds. My opinion would be around $1.00 per gallon. That money would go to the states it is collected in for infrastructure repair and renewal. Twenty percent of that money should be dedicated to upgrading our energy infrastructure and reducing our dependence on foreign supplies. This system should be ongoing and permanent. Infrastructure is the backbone of America. Without roads, bridges, dams and waterways just to name a few things, America will cease to be able to compete on the world markets. One restriction should be placed on the tax money from the gas tax. The state and federal budgets should not be able to access the funds. The states and feds will benefit as they will no longer be required to budget for infrastructure. The funds will be restricted to taxes collected. This will in the long run help restore soundness to the system. It should be called the America First program and as it creates jobs the economy should turn around. It will buy time to get the rest of the budget in order. If it is not done and quickly the consequences will be dire.
If America defaults on its debt it will lose the faith and trust of the whole world. The saying will not be "Buy American," It will be "Buy Anything, But American." and that will hurt. The first thing that needs to be addressed after the jobs situation which this tax takes care of is the Health Care System. There are solutions but they require tough choices. The problem is Americans do not like tough choices, but if they are not made now. Tougher choices will come later and we will not be living in an America as we know it now.
Unless bold action is taken, and taken immediately America is going to slide into a major depression that makes the Great Depression look like a cakewalk. National Debt, Jobs, Infrastructure, Health Care and Social Security all are related. The recent tax break given to American tax payers was done by borrowing against the future. The government cut Social Security deductions to put more in people's paychecks. What they did not say is this will cause a shortage in Social Security funds down the road. Peter and Paul no longer have anything to take from each other the government has taken it all. With a national debt that equals more than $40,000 dollars for every man woman and child in America, we have a problem. The median income in America is onlyu $34,000. That means if half of everybody gave all they have to the government they would still be $6,000 dollars in debt. Who is this going to fall on. Not this generation, and not the baby boomers, it is going to fall on our children and grandkids.
Right now there is an opportunity for a solution. A year or more down the road it will be to late to make a difference. President Obama supposedly put in place a "Paygo" program that requires all new expenditures to be paid for by budget cuts or tax increases. Yet his present budget package asks for an increase of the national debt limit by 16 % over what it is now. It America is to maintain its credibility it has to be done, but it should be done conditionally. It should reguire the 2013 budget to be no more than the 2012 budget and the 2014 budget should require a reduction of the same 16% that it is being raised this year. That gives time and room to solve some of the budget problems. One condition should be the bringing home of all American forces overseas. All means all, and includes the ones in Germany, Japan and Korea where our troops spend billions of dollars that could be spent in the American economy.
A permanent tax should be assessed on gas. This tax should be strictly for rebuilding America. While it is a tax, it is not going to the federal or state governments who have proved to be to incompetent to do the job. Each state will have to appoint a commission to adminster and manage the funds. My opinion would be around $1.00 per gallon. That money would go to the states it is collected in for infrastructure repair and renewal. Twenty percent of that money should be dedicated to upgrading our energy infrastructure and reducing our dependence on foreign supplies. This system should be ongoing and permanent. Infrastructure is the backbone of America. Without roads, bridges, dams and waterways just to name a few things, America will cease to be able to compete on the world markets. One restriction should be placed on the tax money from the gas tax. The state and federal budgets should not be able to access the funds. The states and feds will benefit as they will no longer be required to budget for infrastructure. The funds will be restricted to taxes collected. This will in the long run help restore soundness to the system. It should be called the America First program and as it creates jobs the economy should turn around. It will buy time to get the rest of the budget in order. If it is not done and quickly the consequences will be dire.
If America defaults on its debt it will lose the faith and trust of the whole world. The saying will not be "Buy American," It will be "Buy Anything, But American." and that will hurt. The first thing that needs to be addressed after the jobs situation which this tax takes care of is the Health Care System. There are solutions but they require tough choices. The problem is Americans do not like tough choices, but if they are not made now. Tougher choices will come later and we will not be living in an America as we know it now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)