Hey Washington - WAKE UP!

WARNING - I am a little hot under the collar today.

Italian historian Gaetano Salvemini argued in 1936 that fascism makes taxpayers responsible to private enterprise, because “the State pays for the blunders of private enterprise".  

Say what?  Did you see that word?  FASCISM.

This perfectly mirrors Nouriel Roubini’s statement about the American government’s bailout plan.

This is a crisis of solvency, not just liquidity, but true deleveraging has not begun yet because the losses of financial institutions have been socialised and put on government balance sheets. 

So what do we really have now?

• socialism-for-the-giants
• fascism
• an economy which calls itself “capitalism” but supports corporate welfare?

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. Socialism for giants, fascism and capitalism are just different brand names for the same basic type of economy. All three systems allow giant businesses which are friendly to the government to keep enormous private profits but when they fail, they pass the losses on to the government and ultimately the citizens.

Who is doing this?  The 'too-big-to-fail' banks:  

• Citibank, 
• JP Morgan Chase, 
• Bank of America, 
• Goldman Sachs, 
• Morgan Stanley.  

It doesn't matter if we all move our accounts to local credit unions because our accounts don't add up to enough to get their attention.


Folks, its time to call a spade a spade, regardless of which party you support.  Both the House and the Senate had to vote and approve the bailout that put the losses of the financial institutions on the government balance sheets.  Much of our country's debt is not something 'We the People' did wrong, but Washington now wants to cut programs that help real-live hurting people to pay for that debt.  And what did bank executives do?  They continued taking bonuses and using the same crappy business process.  In other words, they went merrily on their way with OUR money.

I keep saying that 'We the People' must, by necessity, band together at the local level and help each other, as was done in the Great Depression.  The Occupy WallStreet movement showed how successful such co-operative community actions work after SuperStorm Sandy in NYC.  People helping people.  Not even fascism can stop the power of such a movement.  

Not sure about you, but that makes me excited and warm-tummy, despite all of the chaos and calamity in Washington.

Real life in December 2012

Today I had some errands to run.  Twice, I was stopped dead in my tracks, to simply watch and learn from life.

First, I went to a local department store.  Outside of the store, there were many people, even families, sitting on the concrete.  Waiting.  There were others on benches.  Waiting.  There were so many of them!  So, I looked around for a clue, and I noticed a bus pulling in.  Suddenly, people poured in from all directions.  Women holding the hands of little children.  Students.  Elderly people.  Most were clean and simply dressed.  A few looked like they might be homeless.  There were so many of them that I had to stop my car, sit and wait for them to cross the lane in front of my car as they headed for the bus.  Life Lesson #1 - "These are the working poor, the people who are just trying to get by every day."  

Second, I went to a grocery store.  At the meat section, there was an elderly couple looking closely at the various cuts of meat, checking the price of each package, and then putting it back in the case.  This went on for a while, until finally, the woman looked at the man and said, "What are we going to do?".  I glanced at the contents of their basket and noted maybe 4-5 items.  Life Lesson #2 - "This is what living on a small pension or fixed income looks like."  

There are lots of 'invisible' people out there.  They aren't asking for a hand out. They use public transportation and cut back on food to make ends meet. They don't see doctors when ill.  They put cardboard in their shoes.  They go to bed exhausted from long days with growling tummies.  It made me sob with shame.

I decided I have to do something at every opportunity.  Me ... not Washington. My eyes are open, the blinders are gone,, and I want to change.

Starting today, I will carry a few extra five dollar bills, to give to elderly people buying groceries, and I will say "Thank you for being a part of our community.  God bless you" with a big smile.  I will take sandwiches, cookies, and bottles of water to the bus stops.  Most of all, I am going to keep my eyes open and look for personal opportunities.  I hope it will help folks to know that people notice and care.

Do small businesses drive the economy?

Consider these facts:

• 90 per cent of small firms have fewer than 20 workers, employing 21.6 million people on an annual payroll of just $726 million. Therefore, it's at least debatable whether small businesses drive anything.

• The federal government's Office of Advocacy released a 2010 report on the income and wealth of small business between 1998 and 2007. Most had annual household incomes < $99,000 in 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007. Only 15-19 per cent had incomes > $100,000. Around 50% of small businesses reported gross sales of under $50,000 a year.

• Most businesses are sole proprietors, which means only one person is getting paid.

• Of businesses that employ more than one person, 13-15 per cent between 1998 and 2007 were classified as S corporations, which means a tax up or down makes little difference since they usually don't pay federal income taxes anyway.

• A report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis studied job growth between 1992 and 2010. It notes that gross job gains were 2.8 million per quarter. That's very impressive. But if you take into count the number of small businesses that failed, that number is dramatically lower: just 173,000. That's not so impressive, and reflects the churn of small business owners.

• There are approx 150 million employed people in the US.  According to Social Security Administration, half of all wage earners - or approx 75 million people - made less than $27,000 two years ago.

And consider this: What businesses need to make more money is demand, and to create demand, you need a middle class whose consumption of goods and services would truly drive the economy.  An economy cannot be sustained by the consumption of the wealthy class.Now let's look at the last 20+ years:

• Average income for the 99% went up 5 times.

• Average income of the top 1% went up over 200 times.

• Cost of goods went up 10 times. 

Increase in real value of the minimum wage since 1990: 21%Increase in cost of living since 1990: 67%One year's earnings at the minimum wage: $15,080Corporate profits are up 20%Households with children need to earn 20% more this year than last to maintain their normal lifestyle.

My 2 Cents on Liberty and Ron Paul

The Honorable Ron Paul has delivered what may be his final address to Congress.  Here are some of his thoughts.

"All branches of our government today are controlled by individuals who use their power to undermine liberty and enhance the welfare/warfare state-and frequently their own wealth and power."

"If it's not accepted that big government, fiat money, ignoring liberty, central economic planning, welfarism, and warfarism caused our crisis, we can expect a continuous and dangerous march toward corporatism and even fascism with even more loss of our liberties."  

Throughout his speech, Paul questioned the power of the Federal Reserve, the PATRIOT Act, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act modifications, undeclared war, TSA searches, federal debt and borrowing, the White House's authority to assassinate those it declares terrorists, legally detaining U.S. citizens for national-security purposes, the political power of AIPAC, and the regulation of light bulbs and toilets in people's homes.

"The best chance for achieving peace and prosperity, for the maximum number of people worldwide, is to pursue the cause of liberty. If you find this to be a worthwhile message, spread it throughout the land."

 "The number one responsibility for each of us is to change ourselves with hope that others will follow," Paul said, urging an end to two motives that have hindered U.S. society: envy and intolerance.

"Our Constitution, which was intended to limit government power and abuse, has failed," Paul said. "The Founders warned that a free society depends on a virtuous and moral people. The current crisis reflects that their concerns were justified."

The problem isn't just government's size, but its use of force, both in acts of aggression/war and its use of police power against U.S. citizens.  He says this is the fault of Americans who no longer prioritize liberty, and it will lead to the unraveling of orderly society unless people change.  

How far are you willing to go if your liberty is at risk?  Have you ever thought, "I better not get involved.  I might get arrested, even though its a peaceful demonstration, and I have the right of free speech in this country" ?  Come on, admit it .. for most people, this has crossed your mind at one time or another.

I think many in the Occupy movement have felt both the overly aggressive use of police power during their peaceful demonstrations, not just in the US but worldwide.  Some completely peaceful protesters, even my own sister, were arrested.   If we are to remain free and hold on to our liberty in this country, we must be willing to be vocal and be involved, to challenge any of Washington's policies that demonstrate the abuse of power.  

Pro-life vs. Pro-choice

It is easy to find many comments on what folks feel is right and wrong about universal health care.  One part, coverage for planned termination of pregnancy, divides and separates people.  It causes hard feelings between people to the point of anger, confrontation, and even hatred.   

Some would say that the baby is a person with no voice and no choice, or that the soul enters the body at the time of conception.  Others say that until the 'breath of life' enters the body, the fetus is not yet a person, or that each individual woman has a right to decide what is best for herself and the unborn child carried within her body.  What makes one view more valid than another?  What defines life?

Personally, I am pro-life, and by that I mean that I would not choose to terminate a pregnancy, even at the risk of my own life.  But when it comes to laws, I am pro choice.  Again personally, I am loathe to say that other women must take this same stance in their own life.  Why?  I strongly believe in the rights of each individual within their own life and their own home, as long as their choice affects no other person.   

My 9th grade civics teacher said, "Your rights end where another person's rights begin."  When a pro-choice law exists, it does not trample on my personal right to be pro-life.  However, if a pro-life law exists, it certainly tramples on the rights of women who are pro-choice.  And I do not feel wise enough to answer the question of when life begins.  I leave that and the judgement of each individual woman's choice to the source of all creation.

I feel no need to defend my point of view. I feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I am open to all points of view and am not rigidly attached to any one of them. Please feel free to share your stance and reasons for it, but I also ask that you be willing to hear the voice of others.

Equal Rights Amendment

The Equal Rights Amendment is STILL not part of the U.S. Constitution  

First proposed in 1923. the ERA affirms that women and men have equal rights under the law.   The ERA was passed out of Congress in 1972 and has been ratified by 35 of the necessary 38 states.  

When three more states vote yes, it is possible that the ERA could become the 28th Amendment.   

The 15 states whose legislatures have not ratified the Equal Rights Amendment are:

• Alabama

• Arizona

• Arkansas

• Florida

• Georgia

• Illinois

• Louisiana

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• Nevada

• North Carolina

• Oklahoma

• South Carolina

• Utah

• Virginia

My blog begins

 

This blog is primary for me to share my random thoughts with friends, but it will also be public.  

Feedback and comments (agree or disagree) are welcome, as long as there is no profane language or nastiness.  Let's keep it civil and have a dialog or exchange of idea.