"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure.
From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage."
- Alexander Tyler
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
What does lots of snow mean?
Do these clips make you laugh as much as I am right now? By their own reasoning, the record snow falls that we are having now, must mean that the globe is not warming.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Climate Un-Change
We don't hear as much about Climate Change on the news anymore; because the holes in the science are getting bigger everyday in my opinion, but I know the true believers haven't given up yet. I would be interested in hearing from them.
Several articles lately tell a different story than one we might have heard a year or two ago. What do these UK papers know that we don't see reported in the US.
The professors climate change retreat
Climate Change retreat, no warming for 15 years
World may not be warming
The IPCC, one of man-made global warmings biggest advocates, keeps showing their true colors; although not suprising when you look at the big picture.
Start from the beginning. The IPCC was created to monitor man's effects on global warming. The very creation of this group was predicated on the belief that man had some effect on global warming. There is no "innocent until proven guilty" here, it has been "guilty while we find the evidence".
Of course, if someone has a theory that they want to test, there is no harm in following the theory. The problems really begin when politicians pickup on an issue and use it to create a moral separation from their opponents. How many politicians recently have said that the science is settled and that something must be done? It didn't matter to them that the science was fuzzy at best, they never cared to look into it further; but many politicians immediately saw the opportunity to vilify big business, and make the case that they were standing up for the little guy, while their opponents didn't care about anyone. Even worse, media companies carried the torch further.
From my view, man-made climate change made absolutely no sense within any world view...We Cannot Destroy The Earth. For some reason people are abandoning reason, and I haven't really figured out why that is. I know the heart is involved, we have started feeling our way through some of these big ideas rather than using our heads to figure out what was really going on. Passion is not bad, but if we lack the ability to self-evaluate, look at our assumptions, and really put our beliefs to the test; will it be our good intentions or the truth that lead us to the progress that many of us want.
We must begin evaluating our beliefs against our own views of the world. We might be suprised that contradictions exist within our very own thoughts and beliefs. I can't claim to know everything, but I am open to have a discussion. I want my beliefs challenged. Only through testing them, can they be proven one way or another.
Several articles lately tell a different story than one we might have heard a year or two ago. What do these UK papers know that we don't see reported in the US.
The professors climate change retreat
Climate Change retreat, no warming for 15 years
World may not be warming
The IPCC, one of man-made global warmings biggest advocates, keeps showing their true colors; although not suprising when you look at the big picture.
Start from the beginning. The IPCC was created to monitor man's effects on global warming. The very creation of this group was predicated on the belief that man had some effect on global warming. There is no "innocent until proven guilty" here, it has been "guilty while we find the evidence".
Of course, if someone has a theory that they want to test, there is no harm in following the theory. The problems really begin when politicians pickup on an issue and use it to create a moral separation from their opponents. How many politicians recently have said that the science is settled and that something must be done? It didn't matter to them that the science was fuzzy at best, they never cared to look into it further; but many politicians immediately saw the opportunity to vilify big business, and make the case that they were standing up for the little guy, while their opponents didn't care about anyone. Even worse, media companies carried the torch further.
From my view, man-made climate change made absolutely no sense within any world view...We Cannot Destroy The Earth. For some reason people are abandoning reason, and I haven't really figured out why that is. I know the heart is involved, we have started feeling our way through some of these big ideas rather than using our heads to figure out what was really going on. Passion is not bad, but if we lack the ability to self-evaluate, look at our assumptions, and really put our beliefs to the test; will it be our good intentions or the truth that lead us to the progress that many of us want.
We must begin evaluating our beliefs against our own views of the world. We might be suprised that contradictions exist within our very own thoughts and beliefs. I can't claim to know everything, but I am open to have a discussion. I want my beliefs challenged. Only through testing them, can they be proven one way or another.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Ability, Motivation, Attitude
“Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” - Lou Holtz
The question for those of us who wonder why we aren't more satisfied or more happy or more successful is: Which one of these things is missing?
The question for those of us who wonder why we aren't more satisfied or more happy or more successful is: Which one of these things is missing?
Saturday, February 13, 2010
No New Taxes
Seems clear enough, right? I think he made his point absolutely clear.
February 11, 2010 - President Barack Obama said he is “agnostic” about raising taxes on households making less than $250,000 as part of a broad effort to rein in the budget deficit. - Bloomberg News.
Agnostic: One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.
Why aren't things so clear anymore? Granted, it hasn't happened YET, but when the taxes rise, can we call this anything other than a lie? Time will tell...Actions will tell.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
180 Degrees
Step 1) AIG, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase receive taxpayer bailouts.
Step 2) "This is a corporation that finds itself in financial distress due to recklessness and greed, Under these circumstances, it’s hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay. I mean, how do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?" - President Barack Obama, March 16, 2009.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/03/obama_adds_outr.html
Step 3) In response to question about CEO of Goldman Sachs receiving a $9 million bonus and the CEO of JPMorgan Chase receiving a $17 million bonus:
"Well, look, first of all, I know both those guys. They're very savvy businessmen. And I, like most of the American people, don't begrudge people success or wealth. That's part of the free market system. I do think that the compensation packages that we've seen over the last decade at least have not matched up always to performance. I think that shareholders oftentimes have not had any significant say in the pay structures for CEOs." - President Barack Obama, February 10, 2010.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/02/obama-i-dont-begrudge-people-success-or-wealth/1
Seems that these two statements made by our President are 180 degrees apart.
Both firms received taxpayer money, yet his language is very different for each situation. It scares me a bit that he says he knows the guys at JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs; is that why he doesn't care that they profit from a taxpayer bailout?
Inconsistencies like this should scare everyone. How can you even know who the man is or if he agrees with your position? It seems like the American people are being played. Don't they realize we have a memory that lasts beyond the end of their speeches?
It's amazing what you find when you pay attention. I see more and more everyday that the waste in our government is bringing the country down. Show me a case where more government has caused economic progress. More government means less freedom and less opportunity...two keys to economic (and by extension, social) progress.
Isn't "progress" what everybody wants? Or is it just what they tell you they want.
How's the saying go?: Deeds, not Words.
Step 2) "This is a corporation that finds itself in financial distress due to recklessness and greed, Under these circumstances, it’s hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay. I mean, how do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?" - President Barack Obama, March 16, 2009.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/03/obama_adds_outr.html
Step 3) In response to question about CEO of Goldman Sachs receiving a $9 million bonus and the CEO of JPMorgan Chase receiving a $17 million bonus:
"Well, look, first of all, I know both those guys. They're very savvy businessmen. And I, like most of the American people, don't begrudge people success or wealth. That's part of the free market system. I do think that the compensation packages that we've seen over the last decade at least have not matched up always to performance. I think that shareholders oftentimes have not had any significant say in the pay structures for CEOs." - President Barack Obama, February 10, 2010.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/02/obama-i-dont-begrudge-people-success-or-wealth/1
Seems that these two statements made by our President are 180 degrees apart.
Both firms received taxpayer money, yet his language is very different for each situation. It scares me a bit that he says he knows the guys at JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs; is that why he doesn't care that they profit from a taxpayer bailout?
Inconsistencies like this should scare everyone. How can you even know who the man is or if he agrees with your position? It seems like the American people are being played. Don't they realize we have a memory that lasts beyond the end of their speeches?
It's amazing what you find when you pay attention. I see more and more everyday that the waste in our government is bringing the country down. Show me a case where more government has caused economic progress. More government means less freedom and less opportunity...two keys to economic (and by extension, social) progress.
Isn't "progress" what everybody wants? Or is it just what they tell you they want.
How's the saying go?: Deeds, not Words.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The problem with Washington DC
President Obama stated in his first State of the Union Address something to the affect that we "need to restore fiscal discipline and end runaway borrowing." Less than 24 hours later, Congress voted to raise the debt ceiling by $1.9 trillion dollars (meaning that our country can carry up to $14.2 trillion in debt). We will pay something like $500 billion to service our debt.
What is fiscal discipline and runaway borrowing?
I may not have voted for him, but President Obama is leading all of us into to the future, his decisions effect everyone in this country in some way or another. This is especially true as he seeks to increase our reliance on government. Debt spending alone is evidence that the entire country is taking a stake in the programs that this administration is pushing.
Our President claims to the American people that "Washington needs to stop being Washington." This sounds great. It seems to me however, that if Washington is the problem, increasing the size of Washington will simply increase the problems. Under the Obama administration, the federal workforce will be over 2 million people strong...the largest ever federal payroll.
I can't figure out if it is ignorance or intent, but our progressive-led government is taking this country in the opposite direction than the majority want it to go. The more it happens, the harder it is to believe that ignorance is the cause - if this is the intent, it's even more scary.
We don't need to change Washington, we simply need to stop relying on those who continue to disappoint the country and repeatedly fail on countless policy decisions. Our government is filled with elites assuming they know what is best for us, having never been in our shoes, all while failing to spend within any limits and forcing our reliance on their failing systems.
How long do we accept the lies and half-truths of our government? Perhaps we should make our judgements based on actions, instead of words?
I am disturbing myself with some of these thoughts, but I can't see any other conclusions. Ignorance or intent, it is one or the other; both have scary consequences. What else could it be that causes our leaders to so blatantly say one thing and do the opposite?
The bright side is that our basic structure is still in place, and when the American people join together, we can send the momentum in the right direction...up. The idea that we can all live on an equal playing field, with equal results will lead to equal failures every time. Only through the promise of equal opportunity can we truly succeed. Conservatism will lead us there.
Our progressive leaders have blinded themselves, claiming that their failures to pass key legislation like nationalized health care have upset the country. It's not because they have failed, it's because they have tried; and continue to try cramming their ideals onto everyone in this country.
The line between our unalienable rights and personal responsibilities has been totally blurred.
We must pay attention. We must stay educated. We must prepare ourselves for whatever the future holds, not relying on assistance from anyone. Governmental spending is unprecedented in almost every way, yet things aren't getting better. When given the chance, we must be ready to change our course. Change we can believe in perhaps?
What is fiscal discipline and runaway borrowing?
I may not have voted for him, but President Obama is leading all of us into to the future, his decisions effect everyone in this country in some way or another. This is especially true as he seeks to increase our reliance on government. Debt spending alone is evidence that the entire country is taking a stake in the programs that this administration is pushing.
Our President claims to the American people that "Washington needs to stop being Washington." This sounds great. It seems to me however, that if Washington is the problem, increasing the size of Washington will simply increase the problems. Under the Obama administration, the federal workforce will be over 2 million people strong...the largest ever federal payroll.
I can't figure out if it is ignorance or intent, but our progressive-led government is taking this country in the opposite direction than the majority want it to go. The more it happens, the harder it is to believe that ignorance is the cause - if this is the intent, it's even more scary.
We don't need to change Washington, we simply need to stop relying on those who continue to disappoint the country and repeatedly fail on countless policy decisions. Our government is filled with elites assuming they know what is best for us, having never been in our shoes, all while failing to spend within any limits and forcing our reliance on their failing systems.
How long do we accept the lies and half-truths of our government? Perhaps we should make our judgements based on actions, instead of words?
I am disturbing myself with some of these thoughts, but I can't see any other conclusions. Ignorance or intent, it is one or the other; both have scary consequences. What else could it be that causes our leaders to so blatantly say one thing and do the opposite?
The bright side is that our basic structure is still in place, and when the American people join together, we can send the momentum in the right direction...up. The idea that we can all live on an equal playing field, with equal results will lead to equal failures every time. Only through the promise of equal opportunity can we truly succeed. Conservatism will lead us there.
Our progressive leaders have blinded themselves, claiming that their failures to pass key legislation like nationalized health care have upset the country. It's not because they have failed, it's because they have tried; and continue to try cramming their ideals onto everyone in this country.
The line between our unalienable rights and personal responsibilities has been totally blurred.
We must pay attention. We must stay educated. We must prepare ourselves for whatever the future holds, not relying on assistance from anyone. Governmental spending is unprecedented in almost every way, yet things aren't getting better. When given the chance, we must be ready to change our course. Change we can believe in perhaps?
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